Interrogation

Harvey lingered along the tree line, wondering if he should venture into the clearing to speak to the traveling merchant. He observed the body language of Talla and the blond man that stood with Alex and realized that the vendor showed intense interest in the newcomer. The clinician was not sure why it bothered him, but the feeling quickly evaporated when Violet burst onto the scene.

Harvey caught the name "Zach," so the local medical professional assumed Violet must know the man somehow. Either way, whatever flirtations between Talla and the striking blond had initially occurred immediately ceased. What in the world did Violet say?

Doctor Harvey began to wonder if he should come back another day, but he did not have to wait much longer for the trio to leave. Alex and Zach left first, and the bespectacled man was able to catch that the jock was teasing the taller man about his flirting, which earned Alex a shove, but not much else. Violet appeared quite enthused about something in Talla's shop, eagerly handed over her payment, and dashed off. Once the coast was clear, Harvey decided to make his presence known.

"Good afternoon," he greeted the foreigner cautiously. Talla hardly turned to face him, but her loose curls framed her face, which bore a look of annoyance. Harvey instantly regretted his choice to approach. He swallowed nervously, but upon noticing him, Talla's scowl softened.

"Hello Doctor," the vendor replied with a sigh. She sniffed in amusement. "I have seen more people in the last hour than I usually do on a whole weekend."

Harvey pursed his lips together under his mustache. "I hope I have not caught you at a bad time," he said apologetically. "I can always come back later."

The woman shook her head. "No, no," she insisted. "I am only here for two days a week, it would be bad business to close shop because of a spoiled meal." Talla leaned over the counter and handed Harvey her inventory list without asking if he wanted to buy anything.

"May I ask what you mean by that?" Harvey inquired, adjusting the tie around his neck with his forefinger as he perused Talla's inventory.

A heavy sigh escaped from the dejected woman. "That man was going to treat me to a meal," she explained, her sea-blue eyes darting in the direction the runners disappeared. "But once he found out we were related, he lost interest."

"What?" Harvey exclaimed. "If anything, he should have insisted on treating you since you're family," he asserted firmly.

His commentary brought a smile to Talla's lips. "My sentiments exactly," she agreed. Talla gesticulated toward the doctor. "I can see you understand how to behave properly."

Harvey chuckled, embarrassed by the compliment. "Oh, it's just common courtesy," he responded. "Maybe I'm strange for saying so, but I believe a good physician needs people skills in addition to their medical knowledge to better help their patients."

Talla nodded to concur. "Then I am sure you do quite well." She wrung her hands in front of her before she made a request. "Doctor, I have been curious about something for a while and I wonder if you might help me…"

"Oh, o-of course," Harvey stammered in reply. The practitioner contemplated for a moment what question the foreign woman might have for him. Did she need him to diagnose an ailment? Was she injured? He had little time to conjecture before the teal-haired trader spoke up.

"May I try on your glasses?" she asked, tilting her head curiously to better see them from different angles. "I have not encountered many who wear such things in my travels and I am intrigued by them."

Harvey was not sure what he expected, but it was certainly not this. The request caught him completely off-guard. "Uh… s-sure!" the brunet answered, gently removing his spectacles from his face and offering them to the merchant.

Talla gingerly accepted the glasses and slid them on her face. She wobbled slightly as she stood upright and looked around the clearing. "Everything's so blurry…" she observed aloud. "Why would one wear these?"

The general practitioner chuckled. "They only help a person see if their vision is already poor," he elucidated. "The curve of the lenses makes up for the weakness of the eyes to correct a person's vision."

Turning her gaze toward Harvey, Talla flashed a wide smile, exposing her perfect white teeth. "You look like a topsail catfish…" the woman proclaimed, her amusement clear in the twinkling tone of her laughter.

"I have to admit that is the first time someone has likened me to anything aquatic," Harvey chuckled half-heartedly, wondering if Talla had insulted him. Her eyes looked different through the curved glass, though he realized only as Talla removed them. She blinked several times and shook her head to allow sea-blue eyes to adjust back to normal before returning the glasses to their rightful owner.

Talla drummed her fingers against the counter of her cart, considering the experience. "Glasses are not for me," she said decisively. Scanning his face, the syren in disguise felt the need to amend her observation. "I consider catfish endearing sand-skimmers, Doctor. It is a compliment."

Harvey wondered if his expression was really so readable, but the comment did help him relax a bit. "Thanks for the clarification," he said earnestly. He paused briefly before adding. "You said you no longer have dinner plans this evening and I think that's a terrible shame," the medic stated. "Could I interest you in dining with me?" Harvey could not tell what Talla was thinking from her blank expression, so he amended the offer. "I made too much summer salad and I would hate for it to go to waste."

In response, Talla frowned before she posed her own question. "Do you not have anyone else with whom you wish to dine tonight?"

"I don't actually have any friends in town," Harvey admitted hesitantly. "I try to keep things professional, so I'm really only on friendly personal terms with my assistant, Maru."

Talla appeared puzzled from the furrowing of her brow. "And this 'Maru' is not available to share a meal?"

"She's… probably busy," Harvey informed the businesswoman. "Besides, she's much younger than me and I think she's seeing someone. It wouldn't be appropriate."

The woman's eyes flickered with recognition. "Ah, so it is an unrequited affection you harbor for her."

Harvey's eyes widened, further emphasized by the lenses in front of his face. "I-I wouldn't go so far as to call it that!" he cried defensively, whipping his head back and forth to make sure no one was around to overhear.

Talla laughed, the golden accessories on her body producing a soft ringing sound as her body shook with amusement. "Do not worry, Doctor. Your secret is safe with me." She offered him a hand to shake. "I accept your offer. Meet me here when the sun goes down," Tall instructed the local. "I will provide a wine of good vintage."

Violet could not believe her luck when Talla had a large jug of milk and an egg in stock that day. The farmer assumed she would have to wait until she could purchase cows and chickens for herself before she could give the Junimos the goods they requested. Violet quickly paid for the animal products and excused herself from the grumpy syren's presence before heading back toward the Community Center. She decided it would be best to show Talla what the Junimos taught her another time.

Besides, she had a few things to take care of before heading to The Stardrop Saloon that evening. Assuming Zach didn't spoil her plans again. Violet returned home and put the egg and milk in her fridge for cold storage. She could always give them to the forest spirits later.

Violet flopped onto her bed for a moment's rest. She was nervous to see Sebastian again. What if he was mad at her for all the mixed signals? The pastel-haired woman could not blame him, even if what happened last night was an accident. On the other hand, what if he thought this meant she was ready to date right away? Was she? Sure, Violet knew she enjoyed spending time with Sebastian and he was certainly attractive. Hell, he had even given up smoking. Sometimes he was a little abrasive, but he was self-aware enough to apologize for being a jerk.

The former city-girl felt a deep-rooted sense of dread grip her chest. And what if they did date and everything went wrong? What if they ended up hating each other like her parents? Violet could not bear to think of a life without her new friends, especially Sebastian. She worked so hard to build this new life. This was her last shot to do things right this time around. And yet...

The young woman slapped a pillow over her face and smothered herself briefly as she screamed in frustration. Why couldn't things just go as planned for once? Violet felt a lick on her elbow. Bruno was concerned about his human making such noises, even if they were stifled by feathers and fabric. Peeking out from her hiding place, the farmer reached out and pet the fluffy dog to assure him she was okay. Bruno leaned into Violet's hand eagerly and she smiled at him.

"Life is so much simpler when you're a dog, isn't it?" Violet thought aloud as she stroked Bruno's soft fur, making sure to give him a good scratch with her fingernails. The German shepherd's hind leg thumped against the hardwood floor and a low, satisfied whine erupted from his muzzle.

Violet smiled and slid off her bed to engulf Bruno in a hug. "You always know exactly what to say to make me feel better," she laughed. The enormous canine licked her face in reply bowling over his human with the display of affection. "Alright, alright!" Violet giggled, dodging Bruno's tongue as it went straight for her open mouth. "No French kisses for you!"

"I'm surprised you even know what Frenching is, Vi," Zach interrupted from the doorway of her bedroom.

The farmer shot up into a seated position. "What the hell, Zach! At least knock when you come into someone's house!" she shouted angrily.

Zach lowered his eyelids to look down on her condescendingly. "I did, but apparently someone was screaming into a pillow like a child…" His emerald eyes scanned her appearance critically. "Are you going to the saloon dressed like that?"

"What's wrong with my t-shirt and jeans?" Violet demanded defensively. "I wear this kind of stuff all the time."

The blond shook his head, "I changed my clothes to go run circles around Alex earlier and I even changed into fresh ones to grace this town's only social center with my presence," he explained, gesturing to his attire. He had toned down his look from a suit to more of a business casual look, though he kept the cornflower blue tie. Hadn't she given him that tie when he first passed the bar? "You could at least put forth an effort into how you look."

Violet groaned. "Nobody cares in small towns like this!" she complained to her sibling. "We're not in NuNu anymore."

"Well, no wonder the only male you've attracted so far in this town is a dog," Zach smirked, turning on his heels to exit the room and wait for her on the sofa.

The younger of the two growled in annoyance as she sprung to her feet. "Well maybe some of us don't go looking to resolve our mommy issues by hitting on everything that moves!" Violet argued back, following her brother into the main room of the house.

"Ouch, you really wound me, Vi," Zach countered sarcastically, snooping under the couch cushions for anything his sister might be hiding. At first he was disappointed when all he found was a scrap of paper, but his eyes lit as he read it. "You still keep old RPG game notes?" he teased. He paused as he read further. "Wait, why is our so-called 'cousin's' name on here?"

Violet did not realize what he was talking at first, but she snatched away the paper as quickly as she could. When she realized it was notes regarding the magic she encountered since arriving in Pelican Town, Violet tried to play it off just as her brother assumed. "Yeah, these are just old notes from the last game I played with the group before the shit hit the ceiling," she clarified with a lie. "I just re-used the paper since I couldn't find some right away after moving."

This threw Zach off the scent for now. "Speaking of shit," her brother practically spat. "That no contact order with your ex has nearly expired." The blond sat back on the sofa and stared at her intently. "You didn't tell anyone where you were moving, did you?"

Violet's cobalt eyes darted toward the floor. "Only Bex…" she replied quietly. It was not as if she had other friends to really tell anyway.

"Hm…" Zach messaged his chin with his right hand. "I doubt she would tell him where you are," the lawyer conceded. He leaned forward and spoke in a low, serious voice. "But that doesn't mean he won't find out if you aren't careful."

The farmer glanced up at her brother. "I know, Zach. I'm not an idiot."

"I pulled a few strings to get you that no contact order even when the harassment charges were dropped," Zach reminded his sister. "So don't fuck this up."

Violet felt humbled by the reminder of how much her older sibling did for her after she broke up with Kyle. It made her feel guilty. "I… never really properly thanked you for that, did I?"

This surprised her brother. His jaw set in a frown. "I had plenty of reasons to help out, even if you weren't my baby sister," he told Violet, dismissing the apology. There was a brief silence between them and before Violet could form the words she wanted to say, Zach made the first move. Sighing, he slapped his knees and rose from his seat. "Enough about that fucker, go get changed into something nice so I'm not so embarrassed being seen with you, and let's get out of here. I feel like drinking tonight."

Leah did her best to play it cool when Violet brought her brother along for their typical Friday night dinner. The ginger was not particularly keen on the new addition, but knowing it was temporary made it tolerable.

"I don't normally go for redheads, but I'd make an exception for you," Zach introduced himself with a wink and a handshake.

"This lesbian doesn't normally go for men and will not make an exception for you," Leah countered flatly, though she still shook his hand.

"Duly noted," Zach nodded with a chuckle. The blond did not let the rejection steal the wind from his sails, however and immediately flitted on to complimenting Elliott's attire. Violet grimaced and mouthed an apology for her brother's behavior across the table. Leah shrugged and assured her friend not to worry about it. The woman was used to people hitting on her as an attractive redhead. A lot of people made all sorts of sexual assumptions about gingers. It was both revolting and a general hindrance to having a casual night out at any bar in the city. Things had been easier when she and Kel were still together, even if it also attracted all the pervs who wanted to see two women make out. After the break-up, however, Pelican Town was an escape from all of that.

Leah quickly discovered that Zach enjoyed talking about himself, though she noticed that while he was constantly speaking, the lawyer was careful not to give too much information about himself. The well-dressed man knew how to tell a lot of stories, but none of them necessarily betrayed his own personal thoughts and feelings. The artist wondered if it was because of Zach's occupation or if there was another reason for him to hide behind a wall of jokes and flattery.

Sipping her wine, Leah's grey eyes observed their guest. His clothes appeared expensive, but well maintained. If the sculptor had to guess, he either had his wardrobe dry-cleaned or knew how to properly wash, dry, and press his shirts. Somehow Leah doubted the man had the time, if he worked long hours. Zach had been careful to hide them with both concealer and rimmed glasses, but there were dark circles under his eyes and creases in his forehead.

Leah began to wonder if Zach was thin from his running or from lack of self-care. Perhaps both. She used to have friends a lot like him: the people who burned their candle at both ends trying to make it big in their chosen field. Some of them actually did make it, but at the steep cost of their personal lives. Then there were the few who crashed and burned. Churned up and spat out by the uncaring flow of city life.

It reminded Leah of the picture Violet had shown her last season. The blond hair, the dark circles… Zach and Violet were definitely siblings, but Leah could not help feeling that her new friend would not have lasted much longer in NuNu. The grey-eyed woman glanced at the farmer and smiled. It was good that Violet came to Pelican Town.

"So, Zach," Leah finally chimed into the conversation when a natural lull occurred. "What do you think of the Valley so far?"

"It's got everything a small tourist town really needs: mountains, beaches, attractive locals," he winked. "But it's odd that there are no tourists other than myself."

"The Stardew Valley Fair tends to be the event that really draws people to Pelican Town," Leah explained to the visitor, setting down her empty wine glass on the sturdy wooden table. "A lot of the residents set up displays to sell their goods. It's a big deal."

"And what will you be selling?" Zach enquired the denizens of the small town.

Elliott shook his head, "While I aspire to be an author, my publisher would be irate if I attempted to sell my novel on my own."

"I'm actually thinking of organizing a separate art fair," Leah confessed while glancing at Violet, who initially gave her the idea. The farmer beamed at her.

"Leah, that's awesome!" Violet practically squealed. "Did you talk with Bex about it while she was in town?"

The older of the two women nodded. "Yeah, we had a discussion about it the morning of the Flower Dance." Leah chuckled, "You were still recovering from the night before."

Zach leapt on the chance to hear an embarrassing story about his younger sister. "'Recovering' from what, exactly?" he demanded to know. Leah immediately realized the mistake as the smirk on the blond's face grew as Violet slowly sank in her chair.

"Abigail and I had a few too many shots," Violet elaborated with a pout. "It was fine. Bex made me drink some water and head to bed pretty quickly."

"Then was my source mistaken to inform me that you fell asleep in the tender embrace of Sebastian whilst enjoying a romantic view of the night sky that same evening?" Elliott asked innocently. He heard the story from Leah during the Flower Dance, but had not realized that both the women at the table were currently trying to avoid revealing too many details. Leah attempted to kick him, but instead hit the wooden leg of the table instead. The poet let out a small cry of surprise, still unaware of his wrongdoing before Zach got a bit more information.

The lawyer turned his gaze toward his younger sister. "Sebastian, huh?" he repeated. "Why have I not been formally introduced to this guy?"

"Sebastian is the raven-haired gentleman peering out of the billiard room," Elliott informed their guest. Zach turned to look, only to see a streak of black disappearing from view. The author continued, quite excited to finally have someone new in town who did not know the tale. "They had quite the unorthodox first meeting. I nearly used it as inspiration for my novel, but it did not mesh well with the aesthetic."

Before Elliott could give away any more of Violet's secrets, Leah grabbed her best friend by the ear and dragged him to the bar to refill their wine glasses. "Enough out of you," she ordered in a hushed tone as they went to speak with Gus.

Zach's green orbs settled on his younger sister, who smiled nervously at him. "Elliott always embellishes his stories," she notified her sibling. "He's a hopeless romantic and an author. They kind of go hand-in-hand."

"I see." Without missing a beat, Zach rose from his chair and made a dash for the game room, leaving a dumbfounded Violet to desperately pursue.

"Wait, you can't just ambush my new friends!" the farmer pleaded frantically, tripping over herself in an unsuccessful effort to catch Zach before he reached the trio in the other room.

Abigail was the first of the friend group to arrive at The Stardrop Saloon that Friday night. As usual, she settled on the blue sofa, waiting for Sam and Sebastian to show up. Violet always started by eating with Elliott and Leah, so the original trio would have some time to discuss before the farmer joined them.

Sam sauntered in not long afterward, his mossy green eyes lighting up as he spied Abigail. Plopping down to sit beside her, he wrapped his arms around his girlfriend, and nuzzled his face into her neck. "I like it when you ditch the vest in the summer. You show off more," he nodded approvingly, moving one arm to drape across her lap.

"Sam," Abigail whined, looking around to make sure no one saw them. "We're in public!"

Her boyfriend did not understand the problem. "And?"

Abigail gave Sam a disapproving look. "Didn't your mom complain that we're too touchy-feely when we're out together?"

The skater pouted slightly before releasing the amethyst-haired woman from his grasp. "Fine," he sighed in complaint, dramatically sliding to the opposite end of the couch.

His girlfriend giggled. "You're such a man child!" she accused Sam, who only emphasized her point by hopping up to perch on the backrest instead of the cushioned seat.

"No sense in growing up if it means you can't have fun anymore," her boyfriend responded with a wolfish grin. "Besides, I thought you like me feeling you."

"SAM!" A decorative pillow went flying in his direction and Sam managed to dodge by sliding down the backrest to sit normally. He turned and smirked at Abigail, then comically smooshed his face against hers.

Abigail closed her cerulean eyes and kissed him in return. "Okay, you win," she chuckled as they completely blocked out the rest of the world for a while.

"Ugh, get a room, you two," Sebastian grumbled as he entered the game room, taking a cue stick down from the rack on the wall and leaning it against the pool table while he set up the balls in the triangle.

"Well, we did have a room to ourselves until someone barged in," Abigail huffed teasingly.

Sebastian did not miss a beat. "You'll get your Love Shack back in a few days, I'm sure."

Abigail's face flushed a ruby red, complementing the jewel-toned pigment of her hair. "Sam, you promised not to tell anyone!" she roared, thinking that her boyfriend told their mutual friend all about their first real night alone.

"I didn't!" Sam cried, dodging the cushion that Abigail had ripped from the couch to attack him. The blond took a defensive position on the opposite side of the billiard table. "I swear, babe."

The dark-haired third wheel chuckled at the scene. "Abigail, chill," he insisted, holding out a hand in the space between the couple. "I literally assumed that what you two were up to when you ran off with the key to the only vacant house in town." He took a sip of the coffee he bought from Gus. "You can even ask Violet to confirm."

Sam peered up from his fortified spot. "See Abi?" he coaxed his girlfriend in a low, soothing voice. "My lips were sealed."

The whole town knew they were together now so it was not exactly a stretch to assume she and Sam were sleeping together, especially for their closest friend. Abigail's lips twisted into a guilty expression. "Sorry, Sam…" she apologized humbly, tucking the cushion back in its place.

Before the couple could properly reconcile, another man entered the game room. It was Zach, Violet's brother. He turned to the younger dark-haired man. "Are you Sebastian?"

"Yeah."

"Are you any good at pool?" the stranger asked pointedly, unbuttoning the uppermost portion of his shirt and tucking his tie into his pocket.

Before he could answer, Sam chimed in. "Sebastian's the best player in town, besides our new ringer over there," he bobbed his head toward Shane, standing between the bar and the hearth.

Sebastian wanted to protest, but Zach quickly snatched a cue stick from the wall and tossed him the chalk. "Alright, Sebastian, show me what you've got."

"Wh-what?" the programmer stammered uneasily. "Why me?" Sebastian wanted to avoid Violet's older brother at all cost after the farmer kissed him. Was he mad and trying to scare him off?

The older man ignored his questions and began to set up for the game. "Anytime someone sinks a ball, they get to ask a personal question and the other person must answer truthfully - no exceptions," Zach proposed. "If one declines to answer a question - they forfeit. Winner gets a favor from the other player."

Violet appeared in the archway between the bar and the game room, glaring at her older sibling. "Zach, don't be an asshole," she demanded. "Leave my friends alone."

Sebastian was not sure what Zach knew already, so he could only guess what kind of answers he wanted and this was his weird way of obtaining them. Zach's deep green eyes did not surrender their full intentions even to a keen observer. As much as the programmer wanted to avoid the situation, there was no escaping now. Sebastian could only hope that his skills could save him.

"Do we wanna flip to see who breaks?" Sebastian questioned. Violet's face went pale.

Zach smirked, realizing that this was an indication that Sebastian meant to participate in the game. "I'll let you break, kid."

He could hear Sam hoot with enthusiasm as he and Abigail took their seat to watch the show that was about to unfold. Sebastian felt a coolness fill him as Violet gave him an encouraging smile. He wanted to make this guy regret that decision.

Sebastian broke, the cue making contact dead-center and immediately pocketing the purple-striped 12. "What brought you to Pelican Town?"

"What a waste of a question," Zach chuckled as Sebastian lined up his next shot. "Mom wanted me to bring Violet home to NuNu."

The crimson striped 15-ball sank into the side pocket. "And are you going to?" Sebastian queried Pelican Town's only guest, glancing the blond's way before deciding his next shot.

Zach shrugged nonchalantly. "My baby sister is technically an adult. Even if she still acts like a little gremlin, I can't make her go anywhere," the lawyer replied, provoking a scowl from Violet as he rolled up his crisp white sleeves. "If Violet wants to live off the land, growing her own food like a dirty peasant, that's her business."

Sebastian nodded, only half-listening once he realized Zach did not intend to follow-through with his given mission. Lining up the maple cue, the dark-haired man thrust, connecting the ivory-colored ball with the green-banded ball across the table. It dropped into the hole with a small thud.

The corners of Zach's mouth lowered into a frown as he realized that the local ringer might make all his shots before he even got the chance. He leaned against the wall, glowering as he awaited Sebastian's next question.

"If you never meant to bring her home, why come to Pelican Town at all if you hate this place so much?"

A heavy sigh escaped the well-dressed man as he crossed his arms over his chest. "My sister is… Oh, what's a polite way of putting it?" Zach wondered aloud, drumming his fingers against his bicep. He went with an alternative approach to his answer instead. "I needed to make sure Violet wasn't going to get herself stuck in a predicament again. Like with that prick in the city."

"And?" Sebastian followed-up, hoping to sneak a freebie in before he attempted his next shot. He noticed Violet looked downcast at her brother's words, however. He regretted asking, but at the same time, it probably gave Violet a sense of ease to know that Zach was not going to make her move back with him.

But the lawyer caught on too easily. "Nice try, punk," he chuckled. "That'll cost you another successful shot."

Sebastian bobbed his head to acknowledge the statement and made another attempt. The yellow-striped ball fell with a clack into the same hole as the 15 ball. His obsidian eyes met with Zach's sea-green ones. The lawyer rolled his eyes. "While you all seem to be a strangely attractive bunch of twenty-something virgins for a small town, you don't seem like bad people, either."

"Hey, who are you calling virgins?" Abigail snapped from the sidelines, pulling her man closer to her side with a slightly possessive side-hug. Sam tilted his head in confusion that Abigail was so adamantly against the label after the fuss his girlfriend made when she thought he told Sebastian about their tryst in Violet's guest cabin. Not that he was going to complain about it.

Zach's face went blank. "Ah, yes," he granted the couple. "I suppose at least two of you aren't. I can attest to that."

Violet was the one who went red this time, even though she was neither the one who had interrupted her friends when Zach arrived in town nor a member of the couple that had been caught in the act. Second-hand embarrassment was a powerful force.

Despite the slight distraction, Sebastian realized there was no realistic chance to make his next shot. His remaining banded balls were inconveniently placed. The best he could do was to make it harder for Zach, so that became his goal. He noticed the satisfied smirk on Violet's brother's face in his peripheral vision.

Zach sauntered over to the table to prepare for his opportunity. Sebastian felt a lump in the pit of his stomach as the sandy blond flicked the indigo 4-ball sank into the nearest hole below.

"Are you gainfully employed?"

Of course he wanted to know that. Sebastian exhaled slowly, considering how to satisfy Zach's curiosity without sounding like a bum as most people assumed. "I work as a self-taught freelance programmer," he answered, channeling his inner Maru when it came to professional talk. "Work is spotty sometimes, but I know what I'm doing and I'm building up a good rep with my more frequent employers to expand my client base."

The blond nodded, but did not add any commentary of his own before lowering his body to tap the orange orb into its destination. "Do you do any drugs?"

"I occasionally smoke pot or indulge in a brownie," Sebastian rejoined truthfully. "I smoked cigarettes until relatively recently, but I've been using nicotine patches to help me quit." The hoodie-wearer tapped his chest where his current patch rested under his clothing. "My last one is tomorrow, actually..."

"Good for you, kid," Zach congratulated him before successfully connecting and making the next shot as well. Apparently the lawyer did not care about the occasional weed, which eased a bit of the tension Sebastian felt.

However, he grew nervous as Violet's brother considered his next query more carefully. "Do you live alone?"

"I… live with my mom, step-dad, and sister," Sebastian said quietly. "There's… not exactly anywhere else to get a place of your own in town, in case you haven't noticed. And until my job is steadier, I realistically can't afford to live in the city just yet. I'm saving up, though."

"And your biological father?"

The younger man knew that Zach was trying to get more information for free, but Sebastian expected his answer would not satisfy the rules of their game anyway, so he indulged the blond. "I don't know, actually..." Sebastian reacted reluctantly. "Mom promised to give me the full story by the end of the year, but all I really know is that he left when she was still pregnant with me," the black-clad man informed the lawyer. "I don't get why she's so against telling me. If my old man up and left his pregnant wife, he sounds like a shitty guy to me. That's not her fault."

Sebastian noticed reactions from both of the siblings, though he could not tell what was going through each of their minds. "I hope you get your answers, then," was all Zach verbalized before making his next stab at the cue. Whether it was purposeful because Sebastian willingly gave additional information about himself, or if Zach truly missed his next shot, it was hard to say. But it became the Pelican Town native's turn again.

The programmer exhaled with relief as he watched the blue-striped 10-ball drop into the side pocket. Sebastian just needed to think of a good question to ask his opponent. After brief consideration, he snorted. "Tell me about something embarrassing Violet did as a kid."

"HEY!" Violet objected fervently. "That's not fair, you can't ask about me!"

Zach ignored his sister's protests and burst into laughter. "Oh, I've got dozens of those," the blond stated with a wide grin. "Let's see, there was that time Violet was completely oblivious when her best friend asked her out her junior year of high school. Bex seriously thought they were a couple for like a week before I had to break it to her that Violet really is that dumb and she may as well give up."

"Bex never - " Violet began to protest, but everyone in the room noticed that the gears in her head began to turn as her eyes glazed over, her mind putting two-and-two together. "No…"

"It was the week of Valentine's Day, you little tease," Zach badgered his sister. "The poor kid seriously thought you had thrown heterosexuality out the window and joined the better team."

Violet went silent as she slowly slid down against the wall and sat on the floor. "Oh, no. I'm a bad friend…"

Sam and Abigail simpered from their seat on the couch. "Oh, V, that's almost as good as Sebastian accidentally picking up that hooker!"

Abigail, who had not heard this story the last time around, nearly went catatonic. "WHAT? How did I not hear about this?!"

Meanwhile, Zach was pleased he was getting free information from the fellow blond. "That's a story I'd love to hear later," he insisted, tipping his cue stick toward the skater.

Sam winked at the lawyer. "Anytime, fam. Just hit me up."

Sebastian, red-faced because his plan to lighten the mood came partially at his expense, decided the best way to de-rail this conversation was to change it himself with a new question. Aiming for the candy-red stripe of the 11, Sebastian tapped the white ball with his cue stick and watching silently as the orb rolled down the length of the table and stopped just barely before making it in. He cursed under his breath as Zach grinned in response.

The blond immediately knocked the green 6 and crimson 7 in simultaneously. Sebastian's eyes widened in a mixture of fear and surprise. Had he been hustled by this lawyer?

"Have you ever been arrested or convicted of a crime?" Zach posed as his first of two questions. When Sebastian confirmed he had not, the blond followed up with the kind of request the programmer had been dreading. "What do you think of my baby sister?"

"I-I…" Sebastian stammered, unsure of how to respond. The lump in his throat seemed to balloon out, causing him to panic slightly as he felt a bit of difficulty breathing. Doing his best to clear his throat, Sebastian made an attempt. "Violet is…" he shuddered, trying to compose himself, "the c-coolest person I've met in a long t-time." Sebastian took a deep, calming breath and closed his eyes to collect his thoughts. "She's weird, but in a good way," he continued. "Like a breath of brisk winter air that gives you hope and energy for some reason, even when things seem bleak."

There was a silence that hung in the air, but Sebastian did not dare continue, nor did he wish to open his eyes just yet. "Well something is clearly wrong with you if you think my dweeb of a sister is the coolest person you've met," Zach finally shot back.

Sebastian peeled one eye open to witness his opponent miss the next shot. The green-eyed lawyer jut his head toward the cue ball, signaling Sebastian to begin his turn. It was then he noticed Violet was gone. His ink-black eyes scanned the bar, searching for her.

"She ducked outside, I think," Abigail informed her friend.

The programmer set his cue stick down and took a step toward the exit. "No so fast, kid," Zach warned him. "You leave now, you forfeit, and owe me a favor of my choosing for my win," he reminded the local.

"Yeah, I know," Sebastian acknowledged as he made his way out of the game room, through the bar, and out into the warm night air.

Zach's posture deflated somewhat. "That's not exactly how I wanted to win," the man muttered under his breath. "Oh well…" He glanced over at the stunned couple on the couch. "He's not coming back is he?"

"Nope," Abigail assured the newcomer, standing up to lead her boyfriend away to chat with Leah and Elliott about the events that just occurred for a while. "Not a chance."

A puff of air escaped his nose as he sniffed in amusement. "Well, may as well get some drinks while I'm here," he announced, clearing the table from his unusual victory. "My sister said something very rude and accurate earlier and I haven't forgiven her for it yet."

Violet sat on the bottom of the stairs at the entrance of The Stardrop Saloon, crying quietly to herself. After a few minutes to herself, someone threw open the door and rushed out, giving Violet hardly any time to get out of the way. The person stumbled, but caught themselves as the farmer rolled out of the way to give them more space.

"Dammit, Violet," Sebastian shouted in exasperation. "Aren't you the one who told me not to linger in doorways?"

The farmer had to admit that was true. The first night she joined the trio to play pool, she bumped into Sebastian on the same steps. "Sorry…" Violet apologized pitifully.

Sebastian's voice became alarmed when he heard the crack in her voice that indicated she had been crying. "Are you okay? Did I hurt you?"

Violet's eyes had trouble adjusting to the backlighting of Sebastian's form from the bar window, so she could only really see his silhouette for the first few moments of their interaction.

"N-no," she assured her friend. "I just – I've never had a guy say anything so nice about me before!" Violet wailed, "I didn't know how to fucking handle it and I didn't Zach to see me cry!" The woman gently thumped her loosely balled fist on his chest in protest. "Compliments make me happy and deeply uncomfortable at the same time!" she complained.

She heard Sebastian chuckle in the dark in front of her. "Is that all? 'Cause I kinda get that."

Violet sniffed and wiped her deep blue eyes before looking up at Sebastian. "You do?"

The man before her shrugged. "Yeah, I… couldn't really get to sleep last night after you – uh, accidentally kissed me," Sebastian admitted. "I was not sure where we stood, since you seemed kinda… upset by it, I guess?"

The farmer paled. "Oh, no! I wasn't upset that I kissed you – Well, I mean, I felt like I was just going to die of embarrassment because it wasn't where I meant to kiss you. I didn't want to give you mixed signals, so I was going for the cheek, But then you moved and I thought you were going to be mad because I-!"

Sebastian gently placed his hand over Violet's lips to grind the apologetic rant to a screeching halt. "Slow down there," he ordered the pastel-haired woman. "It's okay."

Violet felt the tenseness in her muscles relax as Sebastian slowly lowered his hand. "I'm not mad," he assured the farmer. "Just… confused, I guess?" He glanced down at her. "Was it really so bad?"

The woman shook her head vigorously. "No, of course not, I just…" she sighed. "I wanted our first kiss to be… special." Her eyes widened in fear. "If we were going to have a kiss at all, that is! I wasn't assuming that-"

Sebastian's hand once again found itself softly pressed against Violet mouth. "That's all I needed to hear." His lips stretched back in a small smile. "Thanks for explaining. It helps relieve a lot of the anxiety I've had overthinking things for the past twenty-four hours."

Violet nodded, this time taking Sebastian's hand in her own. "Sorry for that," she expressed regret before asking for clarification of her own. "Did you really mean what you said back there?" she asked. "That I'm cool and weird and cold?" the farmer laughed at the latter word.

The programmer shrugged. "Eh, you got it mostly right."

Nodding, Violet beamed up at Sebastian. "Thank you for putting up with my brother's pushiness," she articulated earnestly. "And being a good sport with his intrusive questions." The woman pouted slightly, "Even if some of it was at my expense."

"I thought it was only fair since Sam spilled the beans about Sapphire."

"Fine," Violet conceded reluctantly with a childish drone, crossing her arms over her chest. "I guess we're even, then."

Sebastian held her shoulders lightly. "Not quite, Violet…" he argued softly, leaning down to plant his lips on her cheek. He stood back up to his full height and smirked at her beet-red face. "Now we're even," he proclaimed, grinning like a fool. The smile that made her weak in the knees.

Before Violet could utter a word, Sebastian's hand twitched in a tiny wave before he disappeared around the corner of The Stardrop Saloon, blending into the shadow beyond the light of the bar. "Goodnight, Violet!" he called from the dark, but the woman still found herself frozen to the spot, her fingers brushing the white-hot skin on the side of her face.

"Y-You planned to do that from the beginning to give me a taste of my own medicine!" Violet roared in the direction Sebastian left. "You can't just do that and leave! Come back and face me, you coward!" she called out after him, stumbling toward the path he took, and shaking her fist toward the mountain. Despite her demands, the only response Violet received was the sound of Sebastian's laughter carried toward her by the warm summer breeze.