Who Needs Courage When You Have Dice?

Violet was offended Zach tried to sneak off without saying good-bye the next morning. If not for her new farmer's schedule at waking up at six every day, she might have succeeded, too. She caught him heading past her house while she watered her crops. Zach must not have seen her among the hops, so he jumped when she approached him.

"You look hung-over," Violet observed accusingly, seeing the miserable look plastered on Zach's pale face. "I won't let you drive home like that." She tugged at the end of his sleeve. "C'mon," she ordered, "I'll make you some breakfast."

"It's a different kind of hangover, Vi," the blond assured his little sister, rubbing his eyes with the heel of his palm. "I'm perfectly sober, I swear."

But the farmer was not about to let Zach off that easily. "Well, until you look convincingly rested, I'm not letting you behind the wheel," Violet informed her sibling firmly.

"So I'm being detained?" the blond snickered under his breath as Violet dragged him inside. He pulled up a chair at the kitchen table and sat, looking doubtfully at his kin. "Do you even have anything edible in this house?"

Violet peered into the fridge and sighed. She was going to have to use the milk and egg she got from Talla to make a good hangover cure breakfast. "Of course I do," the young woman replied defensively as she retrieved the ingredients for an omelet along with a small frying pan. "What kind of self-respecting farmer wouldn't have food to offer their obnoxious family members?"

Zach cracked a smile. "I could earn that description by calling mom and letting her know you won't be moving back to NuNu."

"You wouldn't dare!" the younger sibling hissed, flicking a thick slice of butter into the pan. It sizzled as Violet cracked the egg on the edge of a bowl and threw in some fresh greens with the egg and milk.

The lawyer shrugged. "She's going to find out eventually, you know."

Violet's brows knitted anxiously. "I'll cross that bridge when I get there," she countered, pouring the mixture into the hot frying pan. It already smelled delicious. Even Zach seemed less grumpy that he was taking orders from his little sister as she served him his egg.

"Eat this and go back to sleep for a bit if you really insist on leaving anytime soon," Violet said, sitting down next to him across the table.

He ate reluctantly at first, but after the first several bites, Zach's body realized that it needed fuel to start the day. "I already took the sheet off the bed and packed up all my stuff," he argued through a mouthful.

Violet's dark blue eyes rolled in their sockets. "Then use my bed. Your stuff can stay in the bag just fine."

"I have some errands to run. Can't I just do those instead of sleeping?"

The farmer eyed her brother suspiciously. "In Pelican Town or somewhere else?"

"Here, dummy," Zach retorted before taking a swig of cold milk from his glass. "I've got to drop off paperwork with the Mullners and to that guy who lives with his aunt at the ranch."

"Shane?" Violet offered quizzically.

Zach nodded, "Yeah, that guy."

Violet tilted her head. "I don't think I ever saw you talking to Shane. What business do you have with him?"

The blond's green eyes flickered toward his sister's face in annoyance. "You know, I wasn't holding your hand the entire time I've been in town, you little gremlin," Zach huffed at his sibling. "We had a few drinks after I crushed your boyfriend in pool and got to talking about stuff. I've got some materials for something I thought might interest him."

The woman started a rebuttal. "Sebastian isn't my -"

"Save it, kid," Zach interrupted. "I don't really care about what you call it, but it's clear you're trying to get me off the trail about your relationship with that guy."

"We're… good friends now, I think," Violet admitted with a slight tinge to her cheek. She frowned, then added, "You're not going to make him do anything weird with that favor you won, are you?"

Zach smirked. "I'll decide how to use it when it best suits my needs," he answered with a nonchalant shrug. This answer irritated Violet, but there was not much she could do about it.

"Fine, go run your errands, but make sure to say 'good-bye' before you head out of town," Violet relented. She took the dirty dishes from the table and took them to the sink to wash. "I'm hanging out with friends this afternoon, so don't make me late."

Zach was relieved to hear that Violet had a social life here in her new town. "Sure thing, kid," he promised, collecting some papers from his bag and gathering them up against his forearm. "I'll be back in a bit." The blond opened the door and took a step out before he realized he had no idea where Shane lived. All he knew was that it was "the ranch."

He swung his foot back the way it came and reversed his momentum to peek back into the farmhouse. "Hey, where is Shane's place?"

Shane still woke up relatively early, despite not working at Joja Mart for the time being. If nothing else, he had more time to help Marnie around the ranch feeding all the animals, milking the cows and goats, collecting eggs from the hens and ducks, and picking up any stray clumps of wool the rabbits dropped. He took into account the daily inventory and separated out the local orders from the surplus that would be sold to nearby towns and ZuZu City grocery stores.

It was something to do and Shane was quickly learning how to manage the ranch's finances. Marnie still had to correct a few of his mistakes when she skimmed over his work, but the woman seemed pleased with his progress. "You're doing great, Shane!" she praised her nephew. "Maybe I can retire early and leave this place to you!" the brunette laughed heartily.

Shane would have been nervous by that kind of talk if he did not know that Marnie loved caring for the animals. She was probably the reason he got into the habit of talking to the chickens and getting so attached to them. The hens all had such unique personalities, but every once and a while he would have to break up a fight and sometimes got a good peck that bled for a while. It was a painful reminder that chickens were likely evolved miniature descendants of ancient dinosaurs.

The amateur poultry farmer was about done collecting the eggs when he heard a knock on the barn door. Marnie would not bother announcing her presence, so someone would have to hop the fence to get here. "Hello?" Shane called out cautiously. He was not expecting any visitors at the moment, especially this early.

"It's Zach," the voice responded. He could hear footsteps approaching now that the man knew generally where to find Shane. "Violet's older brother," he reminded the dark-haired man as he came into view. Shane noticed the guy seemed a bit too well-dressed to be in a barn. The blond was tempting fate by coming in here.

Shane stood up straight, but did not offer his hand to shake, since it was covered in grime. Zach nodded understandingly when he realized. "I came to drop off that job application I mentioned," the lawyer stated, propping a large manila envelope on a slightly dusty ledge on the barn wall. "I'll leave it here for you, so you can keep the papers clean." He pulled a pen from the inner pocket of his vest. "I'll even give you a pen to sign it," Zach chuckled, pinning the crisp ink-pen to the documents.

Zach gave him a little wave. "Best of luck," he told the rancher-in-training. "Maybe next time I see you, your life will be a little different, eh?" the blond beamed before turning his heel to leave.

"Wait!" Shane called after him, closing the gap somewhat. His dark eyes glanced at the envelope as Zach rotated toward him. "You really think I can do this?"

The lawyer lifted his shoulders in a non-committal gesture. "I've seen stranger things happen," he replied thoughtfully. "Besides, people love an underdog." He tapped the envelope with his knuckle. "I suggest turning it in at the library. That's apparently the only place in town you can submit it - unless you want to go all the way to ZuZu." When Shane began to question why, Zach explained. "They keep county records there and Pelican Town is within the district."

Shane chewed the inside of his cheek out of anxious habit. "I'll think about it," he promised, still unsure of what to do.

"Suit yourself, man," Zach maintained dismissively as he made his way toward the exit. "Just don't think about it too long, the deadline is the 23rd of Summer."

The poultry farmer heard the receding sounds of Zach's footsteps slowly fade before he moved toward the documents left for him. It felt strange to handle something he never would have considered before. Shane had to admit part of him only considered this to spite that old man. Could he really try and do something different with his life? And would the townsfolk support him? Change was probably just as alarming to them as it was to him. But maybe if he succeeded, Shane could finally start to be the kind of man Emily saw in him.

Shane's therapist had reminded him in their last session that nothing in his life was going to change if he did not take the first step. The dark-haired man gripped the envelope gingerly, as if all his hope and dreams rode on its contents. "Here goes nothing," Shane muttered to himself as he retreated inside to clean up and get started.

Harvey began to fall into the new habit of visiting the merchant woman in the Cindersap Forest on Fridays and Sundays. Today was no exception. The doctor felt a sort of occupational kinship with Talla, being part of the community but never fully able to integrate. It was difficult for him to stop acting like a doctor with his patients and at least for now, the mysterious woman was not one of them.

The dinner they had on Friday night had been nothing to brag about in terms of the food he offered, but the conversation - swapping work stories - had been one of the most interesting and engaging Harvey had in recent memory. The medical professional finally felt like he was making a friend.

A breath-takingly beautiful friend. Harvey lost his train of thought, stunned by her attractive appearance a few times throughout their conversation. But luckily Talla appeared unsurprised by it. She simply redirected him to their chosen topic whenever his focus came back into play. It was embarrassing, especially for a professional like himself, but the vendor handled it all with grace.

The oddest part of their conversation had been when the teal-haired woman enquired about the condition of his heart. For a moment, Harvey thought she meant to ask about his health, so he elucidated briefly, "Oh, it's healthy enough. I should do more cardio to strengthen it, though," he disclosed sheepishly.

Talla shook her head. "No, Doctor. I mean the woman you hold in your heart," she clarified. "What happened to her that makes you so keen on keeping her there?"

Harvey had not been prepared to discuss such a sensitive topic at the drop of a hat, so he had begged forgiveness and asked to revisit it on a later occasion. The mustached man wondered what it was that tipped Talla off to that particular detail of his history. He certainly never divulged anything about Heather to the villagers. Either way, Harvey supposed if the traveling merchant brought it up again, he would be ready to talk about it this time.

As he approached the brightly colored cart, Harvey once again heard the melodious sound of Talla's voice ringing out through the clearing. He felt as if he heard the song before, even if he did not understand the words. It sounded jovial, which seemed unusual for her repertoire.

"Good morning, Talla," the bespectacled man greeted the ocean-eyed woman. "How are you doing this fine morning?"

Eshra Talla smirked at the man who stood before her cart. "I am well, thank you, Doctor," she replied. Her large eyes scanned his form, "I trust you have recovered since we last parted ways?"

Harvey had hoped she would not reference how tipsy he became Friday doctor was always careful to drink in moderation, but he had miscalculated since the wine had been a stronger Gotoron variety. "A little extra sleep, hydration, and a healthy breakfast fixed me right up," he assured the vendor.

"That is fortunate," Talla nodded, handing him a catalog of her goods as she usually did. Watching him, the teal-haired woman amused herself at the memory of the human man swaying slightly as he ventured homeward. Doctor Harvey had a giddy laugh that was pleasant to her ears and he was more prone to such a sound when inebriated.

The demigoddess learned much about a man when she got him drunk. This particular catfish had not turned into a predatory creature while intoxicated, as too many men did, even when she showed a bit more skin as things got more relaxed. This was a good thing. Harvey was becoming a stronger candidate for her purposes with each passing weekend. The Gotorons would be thrilled if her efforts proved successful. Talla only hoped Harvey met her expectations.

Violet stood nervously outside the door to Sebastian's bedroom, trying to gather up her courage. "Everything is going to be fine," the former city-dweller whispered to herself. "You've played RPGs before, this will be a piece of cake." Bracing herself, farmer Violet knocked on the door and entered the basement.

Sam and Sebastian were already sitting at the table across the room. "Hey, V!" Sam welcomed her, opening up what appeared to be his second can of Joja Cola.

"Sam and I were just setting up," Sebastian informed their third player. "We're playing 'Solarion Chronicles: The Game.'"

While Violet had never heard of this one, it did not mean she would be left completely in the dark. The pastel-haired woman added her dip to the table between Sebastian and Sam, whose green eyes lit up as he eagerly indulged. "Mmm, thanks, V!" Sam mumbled through a mouthful. "I'm glad I brought a second bag, 'cause this stuff is gonna go fast."

Sebastian wordlessly moved the game board as far away from Sam's side as possible so that he would not ruin the materials with molten cheese. Violet then hoisted her dice bag up onto the tabletop and she noticed Sebastian's obsidian eyes flicker with interest. The farmer was proud of carefully cultivated dice collection. It had been a shame to keep them sitting idle in their sack for so long.

Sam pursed his lips when he realized they would need a set of dice for the game. "Can I borrow a set, V?"

It was unusual for Violet to share her lucky dice, but she knew just the set for Sam. The dice hoarder quickly fished them out one by one and presented them to him all at once. They were a bright, lightning yellow with dashes of electric blue. "Oh, sweet!" Sam reacted favorably, scooping them up and giving them a test roll. "These are sick, V. Thanks!"

"Just don't use up all the luck on minor threats," she grinned. Violet had a feeling Sam was the kind of player who got really into roleplaying and used up all his luck socializing with NPCs. Then again, making friends with NPCs who could potentially provide some kind of aid or equipment was useful.

Sebastian was eager to get started. "Okay, here we go…" he announced to their small party. "Let me draw the scenario card." He had Sam shuffled the deck and fan them out for Sebastian to choose. The dark-haired man pulled one from the center and glanced it over. "Hm… It looks like today's quest will take us to the Necromancer's Tower… to try and reclaim the Solarion Staff from the clutches of Dreadlord Xarth."

"Cool…" Sam reacted, taking another bite of dip and washing it down with his bubbly drink. "Violet, are you ready to choose your character?"

Sebastian slid the character cards her way. "We'll give you priority, since this is your first time playing with us."

Warrior. Healer. Sorcerer. Sam's definitely going to choose Warrior, Violet mused. While he may not be as good as Abigail with a sword, he's more into the physical fighters than magic-wielders. The farmer also knew that Sebastian had an affinity to choose caster-classes, judging from the ear-marks on the Spell Compendium they referenced the day he tested out his magical abilities. Though now that he can confirmedly use spells in real life, playing a sorcerer might be a bit underwhelming.

Violet's favorite class had always been druid and while that was not an option, druids often did a lot of healing in addition to being able to tank melee for a short period of time. "Healer," Violet communicated to the pair beside her decisively. "I prefer to help others."

"Healer, huh?" Sebastian repeated. He did not seem the least bit surprised. "That's a very important role," the raven-haired man nodded. "I guess I'll pick the wizard, then."

"Cool. Warrior's my favorite anyway," Sam said agreeably, taking the character card and placing it beside him on the table so he could better read the stats when necessary.

Sebastian flipped up the hood on his signature black outerwear, taking Violet by surprise. "Let's begin…" he confirmed, lowering his voice and enunciating more clearly. "The King has entrusted you and your companions with recovering the Solarion Staff…" he gestured to the depiction of the magical rod on the card, "a task which, if completed successfully, will ensure your place in the hall of legends as well as a sizable fortune of gold and silver."

He paused for dramatic affect. "After a long month of journeying across unforgiving lands, you step out onto a precipice to see your destination looming in the distance." He pointed to the tower, longingly drawn on the game board. "There, beyond a moonlit plain, lies the Necromancer's Tower…" Sebastian looked at the two other players, "where Dreadlord Xarth usurps the power of the stolen Solarion Staff for his vile purposes."

With his hand, he glided their minis toward the stronghold. "The tower lies before you."

Violet turned to face Sam. "Do you want to barge in head-first or do you wanna search for a secret entrance?"

The blond smirked. "Fortune favors the bold, let's bust down that door!" Violet chuckled at the skater's enthusiasm.

"Hard to argue with that kind of confidence," the farmer acknowledged. "I'll back you up, let's go for it."

Sebastian nodded and made a roll behind a folded-up screen. The dice clacked against the tray loudly. "A skeleton guards the hallway before you. It looks dangerous," he notified the players.

This time, Violet took the lead. "Fight the skeleton, obviously," she told the hooded man beside her.

"Roll for initiative," Sebastian demanded and they all did. Sam was first, but he failed to make a hit with his sword.

Then came their opponent. "The skeleton lunges forward, attacking you, Violet," Sebastian communicated to the party healer. "Roll for damage."

Violet's roll from her leaf-green D20 allowed her to avoid harm. "You raised your shield and blocked the attack!" Sebastian cried. "The skeleton stumbles backward," Sebastian fixed his gaze on Violet. "Roll for an attack of opportunity."

She did so and smiled at the result. "The skeleton stumbles backward, giving you enough time to strike out and slay the foul creature!" Sebastian narrated dramatically. Violet could not help but think it was adorable how much he got into the story-telling aspect of the game. It really brought the scenario to a completely different level.

After making a quick reference to a sheet behind the screen, Sebastian continued. "You continue down the hallway, taking care not to step on the skeleton's remains."

"Yeah, don't want any skeletal hands grabbing our ankles," Violet muttered under her breath. Once her old high school D&D group went dungeon crawling and defeated a horde of skeletons, only to discover they were not quite dead enough yet. The party escaped with their lives, but only just barely. It was a fond memory.

"You find yourself in a sewer-like corridor," Sebastian updated the duo. "To your left, a hallway with a peculiar green light. To your right, a staircase leads up into the dark."

"Clearly, anything glowing green needs to be investigated," Violet proclaimed. She looked to Sam for his input.

He beamed, "I'm all for it, fam," the blond concurred. "Let's wreck some enemy face!"

"You are in a room. On your left is a ladder. On your right, three prisoners are floating in strange, glowing capsules," Sebastian described in a spooky voice. "They appear to be in the process of some kind of transformation." His eyebrows rose slightly as he leaned in to query the players.

"Could this be some sick experiment of the Dreadlord's?" The hooded figure returned to his upright posture on the stool. "What do you do?"

"It might be a good idea to just bail and head straight for the big bad," Sam reasoned through a bite of food. "Don't risk any injury and bust in full-strength."

"Yeah, but if we don't take care of them now, these things might come in during the boss fight and then we're stuck surrounded," Violet mused aloud, leaning over and resting her elbows on the table.

Sam hummed as the information sank in. "Good point, V," the blond conceded. He rested his heels on one of the lower rungs of the stool and made their intentions official.

This time, Violet's roll was not enough to destroy the vessels. "You strike the glass with your staff and it merely bounces off with a soft 'clink,'" Sebastian stated, smiling smugly at the failed attempt. The farmer was not going to let Sebastian get under her skin. "A little help, Sam the Strong?" the woman requested.

Like the lightning they were designed to mimic, Sam's dice allowed him a swift, fatal strike. "Your sword shatters the capsules and slays the encased experiment," Sebastian revealed to Sam, who grinned ear-to-ear. Their DM continued, "After putting these poor souls to rest, you and your companions climb the ladder." He paused, unfurling the game board into a new configuration and placing their minis in their correct positions. "You've come to a door at the end of a hallway. The time has come for you to face the Dreadlord Xarth.

"Intruders? How dare you trespass in my private chambers?" Sebastian voiced in a campy villain voice. "Ah, so you've come for the Solarion Staff…" he thought aloud in character. The young man smirked before he let loose an alarmingly malicious cackle. "Fools. You'll make a nice addition to my skeleton army!" he declared evilly.

The clack of a set of heavy dice came from behind Sebastian's screen. "Dreadlord Xarth casts shadow beam!"

Both Sam and Violet cast their own dice to dodge the attack. Their game master browsed his sheet for the results. The Healer succeeded, but both the Warrior and Sorcerer were not so lucky. "You were able to dodge the spell, but your companions are gravely injured!" Sebastian informed Violet. "What do you do?"

She glanced at her pre-made character card. "It looks like I've got decent magic res, how about you two?" The two men showed Violet their stats and she pondered for a moment.

"I can only heal one of you at once before Xarth can make another attack," she reported to her fellow players. "Sam, your resistance is shit, but you have enough hit points to take another attack like that if you fail to block or dodge." She grit her teeth, "Sebastian's Sorcerer on the other hand," she inhaled sharply, "... is a glass cannon. He can't take another hit like that."

Her dark blue eyes looked to Sam, "Can I trust you to stay alive?" she asked him with a playful smirk.

Sam shrugged, "If it's a crit, I trust you two will avenge me and give me a Viking funeral." Violet chuckled in response, and fist bumped Sam in solidarity.

"I heal the Sorcerer."

"Thanks, Violet!" the hooded man articulated appreciatively as she rolled to determine how much he healed. Sebastian did some quick calculations to determine his method of attack. Their party Sorcerer smirked smugly as he made a realization. "I cast 'Pure Bolt…'" he broadcasted confidently. The young man threw his deep purple dice into the felted tray with gusto. From the look on his face, Sam and Violet could tell it was lucky. "A beam of white light hits Xarth square in the face."

He offered a separate set of dice to Sam and Violet. "Do either of you want to roll on behalf of our foe?"

Violet deferred to Sam. "Take us home, fam," the farmer ordered with a grin.

"It would be my honor," Sam replied. He tossed the blood-red die to reveal… a 2.

Sebastian lips curled upward. "The Dreadlord shrieks and crumbles into dust," he pronounced triumphantly, knocking down the figure to represent their enemy. "You pick up the Solarion Staff and hold it high. Order has been restored in the world."

The programmer pulled his cowl down to rest in its usual spot on his shoulders. "Hey, not bad!" He praised Violet, "It took me like… three or four tries to beat my first scenario."

Violet was satisfied with the results of the scenario. "Well, it's not like it's my first time playing a game like this…" she leaned back, forgetting that she was perched on a stool and not a chair, but luckily she caught herself before tipping over.

The guys suppressed their laughter, but the damage was done to Violet's pride. "Anyway, thanks for inviting me," the farmer said appreciatively. "It was nice to play again," she added with an upward curve to her lips.

"Anytime, V," Sam responded, opening the second bag of chips and it was then the others realized he was already half-way through the dip Violet brought.

"Hey, save some for the rest of us," Sebastian complained, swatting the blond away from the dish so that he could finally get a morsel.

The trio quickly finished off the remaining snacks before Sam rose to his feet and stretched. The denim-clad man pulled his phone out of his pocket. "Well, I should be getting back soon to help out mom with Vincent," he rationalized his departure, shouldering his now-empty bag. Scooping the borrowed dice up and dropping them into their small bag, Sam handed them back to Violet. "Thanks for the assist," he expressed with a friendly wink.

Violet shook her head and pushed the tiny drawstring bag back toward him. "Keep them," she insisted. "They suit you."

Sam blinked in surprise, but did not argue. "Suit yourself, V." He dropped the blue dragon-patterned sack into his backpack. "I'll be sure to bring them next time."

"Thanks for stopping by…" Sebastian told his best friend. "I'll see you later."

The spiky-haired man waved his good-byes and wished them luck, though Violet was not sure why they needed luck.

Helping Sebastian with clean-up, Violet waited until she heard the door to the shop upstairs chime before she dared to hope that they were truly alone. "So…" she began, gently placing the minis back in their slots within the game box. "Are you done for the day or do you want to hang out for a while, just the two of us?"

Sebastian's obsidian eyes met hers and he tilted his head curiously. "Well, Solarion Chronicles isn't great with only two players," he explained regretfully.

Violet shook her head, her wavy pastel hair catching the faint light of the setting sun. "I… meant that I want to spend time with you one-on-one,' she clarified, exhaling her nervousness out as she spoke.

"I like hanging out, too," the programmer asserted, though he was a bit unsure of what to offer as entertainment. Sebastian flicked his wrist to throw his dice. "Roll charisma to convince me," he ordered teasingly, getting back into DM-mode.

Her blue eyes flashed competitively and her green die became a blur on the table. "I win."

The farmer beamed happily and Sebastian's anxiety melted away at the sight of Violet looking pleased by something as inane as hanging out together.

"I guess that means you can stay as long as you want," he stated, getting the last of the cards into the Solarion Chronicles box and sealing it.

"Awesome, because there's something I wanted to show you!" Violet announced in a giddy tone as she dug a small parcel from her backpack.

She gingerly unwrapped the package to show Sebastian the contents. It was a small blueberry bush, but the oddly colored one supposedly produced by the magic water he created. Instead of green leaves, they were a wine-red and the berries were a shade of purple Sebastian had never seen on a living plant before. It seemed so alien to him.

"It's… something we made together," Violet informed him bashfully, offering the pot to him. "And they glow at night!"

Sebastian had not heard that detail. "They glow?" he repeated with interest as he accepted the plant and began to examine it.

Violet nodded enthusiastically, her eyes sparkling with delight. "Yeah, it's really cool. I thought you might like one for yourself," She added a caveat, in case Sebastian was not thrilled by the gift she presented him, "But if you don't want a plant to care for, or you're allergic, I can take it back home."

Sebastian pulled the plant close to his body and rotated slightly to keep it out of her reach. "No, I'll keep it," he assured her, scanning the room for a good place to put it. Probably on the windowsill so it would get some good light. "Thanks…"

"Well, you're officially smoke-free, right?" Violet reminded him. "That's something to celebrate!"

The programmer had not divulged any information to his friends about his reason for today's session. How did she know? Then Sebastian remembered. "You caught that during the game with your brother?"

Violet flushed slightly. "I learned a lot of things about you Friday night." She immediately recovered, however, and her brows furrowed. "Especially that you can just rudely walk away when someone asks you to stop!"

"But you're really cute when you're mad like that," he argued, trying to keep his cool. Violet had that adorable look on her face, even now. "It's fun to tease you."

"It was… still a nice kiss," Violet admitted quietly, avoiding his gaze. "Even it wasn't a real one."

Sebastian was curious what she meant by that. "Why wasn't it 'real?'"

Violet glanced toward a poster on the wall, feigning intense focus trying to discern what game it portrayed. "A real kiss is on the lips, obviously!" she insisted, crossing her arms.

Now he had her. "Like the one you gave me?"

The farmer panicked immediately. "That didn't count! It was just on the corner because you moved without warning!" she backpedaled. "I-I want our first kiss to be special, so that doesn't count!"

Sebastian blushed at that last statement, his collected demeanor completely evaporated. "You want to do it again sometime?" he asked shyly.

It was as if Violet only then heard her words when the raven-haired man beside her replied. Her cobalt eyes darted toward him. "W-when it feels right," she confessed. She shook her head, determined to change the subject. "But tonight we're just hanging out!" Violet insisted, digging through her bright red backpack. "I brought the next few volumes for you, in case you had finished the last ones you borrowed."

Sebastian's face stretched into a sheepish smile. "I may have finished them within a few hours of getting home," he answered guiltily, accepting the manga and sliding the ones he already read into her bag.

Violet made herself comfortable on the black sofa across the room and hunkered down her own book. The programmer approached the couch as well. "Is it okay if I sit here next to you?"

The woman gave him a quizzical look, then grinned. "Roll initiative!" she cackled and Sebastian turned around to go grab his dice, but Violet tugged on the back of his hoodie so that he fell backward into the seat. "Of course you can sit next to me, you dork," she assured him quietly, handing him a book. Sebastian was unsure if they were sitting too close together, but Violet was the one who pulled him down. The young man opened the comic and quickly lost himself in the story within its pages, completely forgetting anything else.

Violet had the next book ready for him when he finished and she beamed sweetly at him as his eyes hungrily devoured the text and artwork. The woman could not help but admire the serious look on his face. She grinned to herself, pretending to read her own book but constantly stealing glances his way to see that rare expression on Sebastian's face, even through the curtain of his tapered bangs.

She felt happy just sitting next to him. Violet was finally starting to see the possibility that not all her relationships were doomed to heartbreak and failure. The young woman gently rested her arm against Sebastian's so they barely touched, but she could still feel his calming presence. He neither flinched away, nor did he stop reading to ask Violet what she was doing. In fact, he leaned in toward her a bit as well. Sebastian's black hoodie was soft and comforting.

So, Violet read her own book, reveling in the gentle, platonic touch from the person sitting beside her. All was right in the world. Violet had hope again. Maybe Zach was right about something, after all.