Theme Song: Perfect - Simple Plan
Robin here!
I know there's a lot of stone scattered around your farm.
If you have a surplus, you might consider having me build a well for you.
Wells can be placed all over your farm, and serve as convenient places to refill your watering can.
Just swing by my shop with 75 stones and 1000g when you're ready for it.
Robin
Dear Farmer,
Tomorrow we're holding the Egg Festival in the town square.
You should arrive between 9 AM and 2 PM if you'd like to attend.
You wouldn't want to miss the annual egg hunt!
-Mayor Lewis
Sebastian looked at his motorcycle, or what used to be his motorcycle, with utter shock written all over his face. His first thought was that his mom had something to do with it, but the more he considered it, the more he kept going back to their conversation the day before. She had seemed so sincere about being alright with him visiting the city. Maru might have dismantled it for some parts for her robot project, but that was a stretch. Even in his resentment, Sebastian couldn't find reason to believe his half-sister would be that cold hearted.
That left only one person in the house.
Demetrius would do it if he felt like he was protecting Robin… And he certainly might feel that way given Sebastian's added motivation to get to the city.
The more he thought about it, the more it made sense… And the more his blood began to boil, until…
"What the hell, Demetrius!?" Sebastian burst through the door to the laboratory. Maru and Demetrius both looked up, startled. Maru almost dropped a glass beaker.
"Sebastian!" Maru snapped. "Seriously? We could have broken something important!"
"Something important? Something like my motorcycle!"
"What are you talking about?" Demetrius asked calmly.
"You know damn well what I'm talking about!"
"I'm afraid that I can't say I do," the scientist took the beaker from his daughter's hands. "Take a break, Maru. Let me speak with your brother."
"No! She deserves to know, too! She deserves to know what a piece of trash father you are," Sebastian was practically screaming at this point. All he could see was red and words were spewing out of his mouth faster than his brain could even comprehend them.
"Sebastian!"
"Out, Maru."
Sebastian watched with his fists clenched as his step-father prodded his little sister out the door before calmly shutting it and turning to look at him. Everything in him hated how cool and collected the scientist was being. Everything in him hated Demetrius.
"What is this about your motorcycle?"
"Stop acting like you don't know!" Sebastian stepped closer, ready to swing if needed. "You dismantled it and stole pieces from it because you don't want me going into the city to see my dad!"
"That's an irrational conclusion."
"Well it wasn't Mom! She gave me the green light yesterday! And while Maru has done some pretty crappy things, she's never done anything so entirely selfish. That leaves you!"
"Your reasoning is off," Demetrius explained coolly. "You're assuming that I have it out for you. I don't."
"You've always had it out for me! Ever since you married my mom, you've done nothing but remind me how inferior I am to my little sister! You hide me in the basement! You never talk about me to anyone outside of the family! You're ashamed of me!" Sebastian could feel tears bubbling up, but he shoved them away. Now was not the time. Now he was angry and he just wanted to feel angry. No tears.
"We put you in the basement because you were complaining and saying that you needed more space," Demetrius walked back to the counter and calmly continued whatever experiment he and Maru had been working on.
"Don't act like it was the best option!" Sebastian stood directly behind him, infuriated. How dare he ignore him and pretend like this wasn't a serious issue!? "You could have put your laboratory down there, but no! Let's hide away the failure of a step-son from the world!" He reached out to grab Demetrius' hand to stop him from pouring the contents of the vial he was holding.
"It was the only option!" Demetrius suddenly roared, turning to face Sebastian angrily. He had finally snapped. "My lab equipment and specimens are not made to survive in conditions like the basement!"
"Yeah! Well neither am I!" Sebastian shouted. He was distantly aware that Robin had come bursting into the room, Maru following behind looking completely freaked out. His sister must have fetched his mom from outside.
"Don't you speak to me that way! I'm your father and I will be treated with respect!"
"You never have been and never will be my father!" Sebastian cried. "I hate you!"
"Sebastian!" his mom quickly tried to put herself between them, but she had come too late.
"I don't want to be your father if this is how you behave anyway!" Demetrius roared. "No son of mine would act this way!"
"Demetrius!" Robin tried again to come between them, but Demetrius shook her off, getting in Sebastian's face.
"You gonna hit me, old man?"
"You aren't even worth hitting."
"What are you afraid of?"
"Enough!"
Robin's voice finally cut through the red haze, and Sebastian turned to see his mother with tears pouring down her face… Maru was standing- no… cowering behind her, hands over her mouth, eyes wide.
"Demetrius, outside. Now." Robin's tone was cold and commanding, but Sebastian scoffed before his step-father could even move.
"Don't bother. I'm leaving."
"Sebastian-" his mother's voice was full of pain, but he didn't care.
"I'm out. Whatever. Have fun trash talking me behind my back. As soon as the first bus from the city pulls into that bus stop, I'm gone."
He was halfway down the hall before he heard anyone move. There were footsteps behind him and he whirled around, ready to send his mother back with more scathing words… But he was surprised to find Maru was the one behind him.
"Sebby, please-"
"No, Maru!" he snapped, pushing the front door open. "I'm done. No amount of waiting and second and third chances is ever going to fix that guy. He's a real messed up piece of work!"
"He's our dad!"
"No, Maru," Sebastian sighed, stepping outside before letting the door slam behind him. "He's your dad."
He was already in town, with no idea what he was doing or where he was going, when he saw the farmer standing in front of Pierre's, talking with Caroline. He'd have to tell her the motorbike was a no go for now. Not that they'd been planning a trip anytime soon, just that it was going to take longer than originally planned and… He wasn't sure when he'd be going home again. He didn't really have anywhere else to go, but… The idea of returning made him want to spit out a string of expletives. He'd sleep on a bench in town before he'd go back to that house with that man living there.
The farmer waved goodbye to Caroline and turned to leave and he thought he might be able to sneak by, but she must have noticed him out of the corner of her eye, because suddenly she turned to look at him with a huge smile…
Oh well. Better to get it over with…
Maybe Demetrius is right… I'm not worth it, because this is yet another thing that I've failed at.
She had been gathering wood and measuring it to try and fix the bridge down at the beach when she ran into Elliott that morning. He had just come out of his beach hut and immediately saw her inspecting her construction site and came over to say hi.
"What are you up to this fine morning?"
"Oh," she grunted, moving more wood from her backpack to the ground. "Just trying to fix this bridge. I can see some clams on the other side, and I need them for… something. A special project."
"I see."
"What are you doing this lovely morning?"
"The fresh air of this valley is good for body and mind. A quick stroll outdoors always invigorates me."
"You have writer's block, don't you?" she stopped to give him a good natured smile, noting his guilty blush as she hit the nail on the head.
"Inspiration has been rather difficult to come by these days."
"Well… What is your novel about?"
Elliott winced at her question, and she looked at him confused. Had she said something wrong? Why did he look so pained?
"It's a secret, for now," he responded carefully. "Authors have to worry about others stealing their ideas and work, after all."
"Oh," her heart fell. Did he really think that she would-
"Not that I'm worried about you doing that!" he said, suddenly realizing how it sounded. "It's just… You can never be too careful! If someone were listening or if you accidentally say something…"
She understood. Sort of. On one hand, he was probably right to guard his work so closely. On the other hand… There was definitely no one else near them and she had a feeling she wasn't the kind of person to blab secrets, even on accident.
"It's fine, I understand," she stopped Elliott from babbling any further and looked at the ground. "I just thought I might be able to help come up with an idea."
Suddenly, he was holding her hands in his. She felt her heart rate pick up as he tilted her chin up to meet his gentle gaze, "You've already done so much to help. You don't even know."
"I have?" she was surprised at how comfortable she felt. Shouldn't she be pulling away? Shouldn't she feel awkward?
"You're always helping everyone around town," he quickly clarified, lowering his hand from her chin and letting go of her hands. "Or so I hear. Something about taking care of some rats for Mayor Lewis even though you're terrified of them?"
"Oh," she chuckled nervously. "Is that still going around. Ah… Well… It uh- It was nothing. I mean there are no rats anymore. I mean… It was no big deal."
Elliott tilted his head and grinned at her, "It might seem that way to you, but believe me. You're slowly changing minds and winning hearts around town, one by one."
"Changing minds?"
"Well, George seems to be warming up to you. That's nothing short of miraculous."
"Right," she cleared her throat. "I'm always glad to help, of course, but the only mind I really want to change is… Well… Mine. I want it to heal so that I can remember who I am."
"Do you mind if I ask what the hurry is? Don't you like it here?" he asked.
"Of course!" she responded quickly. "But what if someone is missing me? What if there was something important going on and I just… Disappeared?"
"I see. That is understandable," he nodded. "Then, I wish you luck on remembering."
"And the same to you, for your novel," she looked at the bridge. "I don't have enough wood to fix this today, so I guess that'll do for now. Do you mind if I leave the wood here? It's kind of your front yard…"
"It's fine," he smiled. "Perhaps, once the bridge is finished, I'll find some inspiration on the other side."
"That would be nice," she smiled. "Thanks for stopping to chat. I have a sardine that I have to uh- deliver now… But it was great to chat. See ya around?"
"Stop by anytime."
The farmer began the walk back into town. The sardine was actually for the community center, so that's where she was headed next. Along the way, she stopped to hand Sam a joja cola that she had found while fishing. It was dry now, and seemingly undamaged… So she hoped it would be okay. Sam looked like he was trying to learn a kickflip on his skateboard and probably needed a drink anyway… He accepted it gratefully and didn't say anything about the taste after drinking it. He did, however, say something else a little alarming.
"Still wearing Sebastian's hoodie, huh? I thought he'd ask for it back by now."
"Why's that?" she questioned. Sebastian hadn't really seemed all that concerned about her wearing it.
"It's a gift from his dad," Sam shrugged. "He usually guards those types of things like crazy. He's scared Demetrius will do something with them. His mom doesn't really like the reminder of her ex-husband…"
"His dad gave him this?"
"It's his favorite one," Sam smiled. "But Seb doesn't normally hold himself back on the account of someone else's feelings, so he really must not care. Forget I said anything."
"Yeah right! I'm giving this back the next time I see him!"
"Up to you," Sam shrugged. "I'm sure he'll appreciate it, either way. He must have felt like it was a worthy sacrifice, but he probably wouldn't say no to getting it back either."
She quickly excused herself after that. How could she have been so stupid to not have figured all of that out yet? It seemed obvious now when she thought back on previous conversations they had…
The sardine delivery went smoothly, and though she was exhausted from chopping and hauling wood all morning, it wasn't even noon yet. She wasn't sure what else to do as she started the long walk home to get some food and rest. She was just coming up on Pierre's store when Caroline walked out and started asking her how her vegetables were doing. She answered politely that they were doing well when Sebastian came around the corner, having come from the stairs that led to the community center.
"Good morning!" she called, a smile on her face until Sebastian looked up and she saw the look on his face. "A-are you okay?"
"I'll let Pierre know you'll be delivering some fresh produce soon," Caroline placed a hand on her shoulder and squeezed it gently.
What was that about?
Sebastian had approached her by then, and she tilted her head in confusion as he stared at the ground and let out a huge sigh.
"I lost my bike."
"You lost it?" she questioned. "Do you… need help finding it?"
"No," he looked slightly frustrated. "It's not like that. I- Something happened. Someone dismantled it last night and I can't find all the pieces…"
"Someone dismantled your bike!?" she put a hand to her mouth in shock. "Sebastian, that's terrible. I'm so sorry!"
Even as he told her, and as she processed it… Something didn't feel right. Why would someone just dismantle Sebastian's bike? It was almost as if someone was trying to keep her from remembering who she was…
"There's no reason for you to be sorry," he kicked at the ground angrily. "I'm sorry. I'm sorry that I won't be able to take you into the city and help you get the answers that you need."
"What's this about going to the city for answers?"
The farmer and Sebastian both turned to see Dr. Harvey standing outside Pierre's shop, clutching a paper grocery bag.
"Oh, hey doc," the farmer smiled. "Actually, I guess this concerns you as well, so we're lucky you showed up."
"What's going on?" the doctor asked, raising an eyebrow.
"Well, Sebastian and I have been talking… Actually, we talked about it a while ago, and the right time just never seemed to come up for me to ask you about it, and I really didn't want you to be offended, so please don't take this the wrong way because you're one of the few people here who is outright friendly with me, and it would be really disappointing if it made you feel bad about yourself because you've been really great and you've done an excellent job and-"
"She wants to see a specialist for her memory loss," Sebastian stepped in to explain. The farmer stared at Harvey, worried the request would hurt him.
"Oh!" the doctor brightened. "That's a great idea! I have a neurologist friend in Zuzu who would probably love to speak with you. He's really into memory loss… Not in a weird way. It just fascinates him. He writes papers about it… Anyway… yes. Yes, we can certainly get you in to see a specialist."
The farmer let out a sigh of relief. He wasn't mad. In fact, he seemed quite excited by the idea, "I was worried you'd be mad."
"Why would I be mad? Of course we should get you the best care possible. I'm here to look after your immediate well-being, but a specialist will know things that I don't and could give way more helpful tips than I ever could," Dr. Harvey smiled. "But you were saying you wouldn't be able to go?"
"Sebastian was going to take me on his bike…"
"But someone sabotaged it," Sebastian said bitterly. The way he said it made her feel like he had a good idea who it was.
"Someone sabotaged your bike?"
"I don't really want to talk about it," Sebastian frowned.
"Oh, well… It's no problem," Harvey smiled. "I can take you in my car."
"You can?" the farmer perked up.
"You have a car?" Sebastian sounded surprised.
"Sure. It's over in the public lot by the bus stop. Lewis makes all of us with cars park them there, since there isn't really a road in town to park or drive on," the doctor reached into his pocket and pulled out some keys. "It might need some gas, but there's a gas station on the way. You just say when, and we'll go."
"Today!" the farmer spoke before she could stop herself.
"Today?" Sebastian and Harvey spoke at the same time, both equally shocked.
"I mean," she looked down, embarrassed. "As soon as possible. I understand, doctors are busy. You have to set appointments and such…"
"Of course you'd be anxious to learn what you can as soon as possible," Harvey gave her a sympathetic look. "Don't feel bad. I mean… I could try. Let me give my friend a call. He'll be so excited, he might be able to squeeze you in," the doctor walked towards the clinic. "I'll just be one second…"
Once Harvey was gone, Sebastian looked away. He seemed rather upset.
"Are you alright, Sebastian?"
"I'm fine. I just feel bad that I couldn't help you out like I promised. Harvey will take good care of you, though."
"Of us, you mean."
"Huh?"
"You're coming too, aren't you?"
"Well, I-"
"C'mon. Just because the doctor is driving doesn't change the entire plan. This is as much your adventure as it is mine," she grinned.
"But Harvey-"
"He won't mind!" she insisted, knowing it to be true. The doctor was too softhearted to say no and it would make the car ride a lot less awkward for all of them.
"Only if Harvey agrees," Sebastian finally said, after mulling it over in his mind. "And only if you tell me why you're so keen on going right now. Before, you didn't really seem that interested in hurrying to get there, and now…"
"Do you know who sabotaged your motorcycle?" she asked, cutting him off.
"I thought maybe it was my stepfather… Why?"
"I just… I feel like something is purposefully trying to keep me from going," she frowned. "It's not that I didn't want to go before. It's just that something always seemed to come up and now… Now it feels like something I need to do before anything else goes wrong."
"I doubt it's anything personal. Not towards you, anyway," Sebastian folded his arms. "Demetrius would do anything to keep me away from the city. He doesn't want me to break free from his control."
"Why not?"
"I don't know. He's been like that for as long as he's been married to my mom. The guy has a real superiority complex. Let's not talk about him. It makes my blood boil…"
"Alright…" The farmer looked down at the sleeves on her hoodie, and then she realized. "Oh!"
"Hmm?"
The farmer placed her bag on the ground and quickly removed the jacket, "Here! It's warm enough now that I don't really need it. Maybe I can get my own while we're in the city…"
"Oh, don't feel like you have to return it-"
"It was a gift from your dad, wasn't it?"
Sebastian stared at her, eyebrows raised in surprise, "How'd you know?"
"Sam told me this morning."
"Stupid Sam," Sebastian took the jacket from her. "I really didn't mind, so don't feel bad about it."
"Thank you. Really," she smiled, picking her bag back up and slinging it over her shoulders. "It was really kind of you to let me borrow such a prized possession."
"Good news!" Harvey came bursting out of the clinic. "It's as I thought… My friend is anxious to meet you. His name is Dr. Connelly, and he said that if we leave now, he can probably fit us in just before his office closes."
"Fantastic!" the farmer clapped her hands together. "And Sebastian's coming too!"
"Of course! I had already assumed as much. Wouldn't want to leave him behind simply because someone else decided to wreck his bike," Dr. Harvey smiled warmly, car keys in hand. He'd left the bag of groceries inside. "Let's get going then! Operation memory recovery can now commence!"
The little blue junimo watched from the bushes, anxiety growing with every word the humans said. This was not good at all! Rasmodius would be panicking in his tower right about now. Their plan had backfired horribly. With the loss of the motorcycle, events had been catapulted into hyperspeed. Now they were talking about leaving for the city, and there was nothing to be done to stop it or prevent disaster from happening!
Except… maybe one thing.
As soon as the farmer set her bag down, the little junimo acted. The others might scold him for acting so rashly. Rasmodius would certainly be upset… But if someone didn't do something, the valley would be lost. His family… Everything would be gone.
No, that wasn't an option. He nestled down into the backpack, hiding among the various farming tools she kept in it. He wouldn't be able to do much, but he might be able to do something to nudge things in a direction that wouldn't ruin all of their careful planning.
The valley needed a farmer. The valley needed her.
He'd do anything to make sure her memories were never recovered.
