Bright, Bleeding Hearts

The rain tapped on the windows of the farmhouse and the sun could not shine through the dark clouds looming overhead, but Violet still rose at her usual early hour. Since the plants were already watered, the farmer planned to visit Talla right away. Violet had missed the last few times the syren merchant was in town and fully intended to check the shop's stock today. But first, Violet wanted to use her new axe on the large logs around the farm to better clear the land.

With the steel new axe, Violet felt empowered. Stumps that once thwarted her were now chopped into manageable logs. She grinned with satisfaction, admiring her work. "I should have upgraded sooner!" she proclaimed aloud, brandishing the shining wedged blade aloft for a moment before tucking the tool away in her bag. Violet noticed she had enough hardwood to finish the construction bundle for the Junimos. After she visited Talla, the agrarian decided it would be best to stop by the Community Center.

Beaming, Violet hauled five gold-star melons out from one of her storage chests for the quality crops bundle as well. She had harvested the last two of them yesterday and the young woman thanked her lucky stars she bought so much fertilizer this season. There were still two high quality corn cobs to grow, but those had until the end of next season. The only crops left after that were the eggplants, which were autumn vegetables. So while her progress was not quick overall, the farmer had bursts of productivity to make up for it. At least, that's what Violet told herself.

Once Violet added the hot pepper for George to her backpack, she headed south toward the Cindersap Forest in a good mood, splashing merrily in the shallow puddles with her large, water-tight boots. Talla was not singing today, Violet noticed as she approached the brightly painted cart. She wondered if that meant her distant relative was not feeling well. "Good morning, Talla," the pastel-haired woman chirped in greeting.

"Good morning, little flower," Talla bobbed her head in acknowledgement and handed Violet the list of goods available for sale.

The cultivator's mouth hung open. "You have a coconut!" the young woman exclaimed, throwing her money immediately onto the counter. "And a batch of rare seeds!"

Talla already knew her cousin was collecting rare seeds for the upcoming season. Though she was taken aback by the strong reaction. "Do you enjoy the coconut's flavor, cousin?" the syren asked curiously, accepting the payment.

"I do, but this coconut is not for me," Violet told the demigoddess as she shoved the hard fruit into her ruby red bag. "The Junimos requested one."

The trader sniffed in amusement. "I see, it will please the little forest spirits…"

Violet studied Talla, her brows knit across her forehead. "Don't you do things for the sea spirits every once and a while?"

"Why would I do such a thing?" the sea monster laughed, her voice clear against the thrumming of the rain against the seafoam green roof of her cart. "I am a predator, as far as the creatures of the deep are concerned," she elucidated. "I spare their lives if they do my bidding."

"You even eat sharks and whales?" Violet queried, her eyes widened with horror.

Talla rolled her eyes. "Only once in a century or so," the teal-haired woman replied dismissively. "And in that case, it is with my sisters. I could not possibly eat so much at once. I prefer smaller meals - or the occasional heart."

Suddenly, the farmer discovered newfound respect for the syren. Luckily for Violet, Talla did not seem to be at all interested in consuming her flesh. "Do you have many siblings?"

The merchant considered the question. "I have two sisters who are similar to me in terms of appearance and capability," she answered thoughtfully. "The rest are lesser beings, but my kin nonetheless."

"Are you a triplet, then?"

An amused chortle erupted from Talla. "Certainly not. Only one from each spawn survives to hatch."

"That sounds... brutal," Violet contemplated in horror.

Talla shrugged. "If you are small, weak, and slow, you do not necessarily survive in open waters."

Violet frowned, but nodded her head. At least the goddess from whom she supposedly descended was not so cut-throat in her child-rearing. Unless…? The agriculturalist did not want to think about it. Clearing her throat, Violet decided to be brave. "Are you feeling alright today, Talla? You seem…" the farmer was not sure how to describe a sea monster's moods necessarily, but took a stab at it: "down."

Talla's dark eyes rested on her best customer. The syren's lips pulled back into something resembling a smile. "I am awaiting an answer," the demigoddess answered, leaning on the counter of her cart and sighing in annoyance. "I am a being that men do not typically keep waiting."

"So you think he should have answered by now?" Violet clarified cautiously.

She straightened her posture, sloshing the water in her barrel. "What mortal would not leap at the opportunity to do business with me?" Talla snapped, gesturing at herself. "I have no interest in eating him or anyone with whom he is acquainted. Not to mention, I am a gracious host!"

It was Violet's turn to laugh now. "Maybe it's because you casually bring up eating people and that's kind of a danger flag to most mortals."

The vendor scowled, crossing her arms over her torso. "Fish eat other fish and yet they all still swim in the same waters…" she grumbled to herself.

"Yeah, but I bet the little minnows stay as far away from the bigger fish that might eat them, whenever they can help it!"

Talla huffed, expelling air forcefully from her gills. Even if Violet could not see it past the syren's magical disguise, the human woman could not help but chuckle. "You just have to show him that you mean him no harm. I'm sure that will help him come around!" the farmer assured her kin. "And a lot of humans procrastinate. If you give them a deadline, they'll wait till the last minute to complete the task. It's got nothing to do with you. We're just… different than you in that way."

"Very well, little flower," the scaled woman grumbled. "If that is the case, it seems I will have to be patient until the Moondrops arrive."

Violet tilted her head inquisitively. "What are the Moondrops?"

"Ah, I suppose it is your first Summer here," Talla reasoned to herself out loud. "The Moondrops are sacred beings to the merfolk. I believe the humans call them 'moonlight' jellyfish. There is a late-night celebration to commemorate their arrival at the end of the season."

The farmer kept in mind that it might be best to sleep in a bit on Sunday, if that were the case. Violet grinned, "Well, I have errands to run today," the agrarian stated, excusing herself.

"Of course, I would hate to keep you from your business," Talla responded in understanding.

With a wave, Violet headed east. "Thanks, I'll see you again on Sunday!"

Alex stood in the entryway of his grandparents' house, looking out the window and cursing the rain. The jock supposed he could still go outside for a while, but his shoes would get all wet and dirty. He hated that feeling. Still, gridball games occurred rain or shine. Alex supposed he ought to start getting used to working under these conditions. Maybe Maru could help him develop a secret rainy-day training schedule so his talent would shine on the field even when the sun could not.

Then again, Maru seemed especially busy with her work at the clinic lately. Harvey gave his assistant more duties and higher expectations. Maru seemed happier, but Alex was beginning to feel like it would inconvenience her if he just stopped by to say "hi." It sucked. He really wanted to spend more time with her, especially after reading some really cool stuff about space. Alex wondered if his rookie trainer believed in UFOs.

The spiky-haired man heard a squelching in the mud path outside and saw someone approach the house. Before the person could knock, Alex opened the door. In the doorway stood the farm girl, Violet. "Is George home?" she asked, holding up a pepper. "I'm fulfilling an order."

Alex snickered. His grandpa had the weirdest home remedies. "I assume it was the ad he put up to help his knee?"

Violet giggled. "That's the one!" she informed the jock.

"C'mon in," Alex welcomed her into the house with a tilt of his head. "I'll go get Gramps."

Violet shook her head. "No need, I don't want to tear him away from his favorite show," she joked.

Everyone in town knew that his grandfather always said that whenever someone tried to get him out of the house. When she started to take her boots off, however, Alex freaked out. "What are you doing?!"

Violet stumbled back a bit, caught off-guard by his shouts. Whoops. "Taking off my boots so I don't track much into the house…?" the farmer offered hesitantly in reply.

"Oh." Alex felt badly for not thinking of that first. Now that he thought about it, he rarely took off his shoes when he entered the house, even when the weather was like this. Suddenly the brunet felt guilty about the potential messes he left behind in his wake that Granny undoubtedly had to clean.

The farm girl disappeared around the bend for a moment to give George his hot pepper. At first, Gramps growled at Violet for disturbing his program, but then Alex heard a hoot of delight. "This'll do the trick," the old man whispered to himself. "Thank you, young lady."

When Violet returned to the entryway of the house, she smiled at Alex. "All done!" she announced. "Your grandpa seems pleased with his purchase from Fairy Rose Farm."

"Gramps is a sucker for farmers," Alex told Violet as he pulled a chair from the kitchen so she could sit and put her boots back on comfortably. Violet accepted the seat thankfully. "His gramps was a farmer too," the jock explained. "That's how he met his best friend Herschel. His family worked on great-great-grandpa's farm."

"I didn't realize your family has lived in Pelican Town for so long," Violet disclosed, totally impressed. Alex tried to play it cool. "Granny said the only family in town longer was your grandma's, actually. And some 'witch,' but Granny won't say who that is. I guess she's got some beef with someone," he chortled. "Most of the villagers left during the bird flu epidemic. Granny swears it was the worst she's ever seen," the athlete shared quietly. "But I guess both our moms kinda interrupted the family tradition by moving out as soon as possible, even if we both boomeranged back to the Valley."

Violet grew still. It looked like her mind wandered off for a bit, then she finally spoke once she finished tying her laces. "Yeah, I guess we did, didn't we?" She hopped up to her feet, though she was still really short. Even for a girl. At least with Zach, Alex would not hurt his neck looking down. "I'd like to hear some more of your family's stories sometime, if that's okay. I think I might get to know my own family history more that way, too."

If the farm girl was using this as an excuse to hang with the town's most eligible bachelor, it was kinda weak. And right now Alex only had eyes for Maru. Still, she was doing something right with those pants of hers. "I'm sure my grandparents would love to talk about the 'good ol' days' with someone," the spiky-haired man said. "Just drop by sometime, I'm sure they'd eat that up."

She nodded and opened the door to leave when something caught her eyes. "Hey, if Dusty isn't allowed in the house when it rains, you're welcome to drop him off with Bruno at the farm," Violet offered, pointing to the old dog sitting at the fence line, waiting for Alex. The man's heart immediately went out to the aging canine.

"Aw, buddy, I didn't realize you were out here like that. I thought you'd stay in your doghouse," Alex called to his faithful dog apologetically.

Violet turned back to him. "The door is open at the farmhouse if Dusty wants a buddy," she told the jock. "I have a few errands to run and I probably won't be home for a while, but I think Bruno would appreciate the company, too." She smirked before adding, "And I don't mind if they get things a little muddy. I just want them to enjoy themselves."

Alex could not help but smile sadly. If only he could bring Dusty inside. This seemed like a cruddy way to thank his best friend, by leaving him outside in the rain. "Yeah, I think I'll do that, thanks."

Harvey approached the colorful cart of the traveling merchant cautiously. It was eerily silent, despite the rain and it put the doctor's senses on edge. "T-Talla?" the man called out, seeing no one in the service window. "Are you there?"

A scuffling sound came from inside the small structure and sea-blue eyes peered out at him. "Yes, Doctor?" Talla replied softly.

The clinician was alarmed by her tone of voice. Harvey could have sworn it sounded as if she were in some kind of pain. "Are you alright, Talla?"

The businesswoman let out an exasperated sigh. "Why are all the mortals asking me that today?" she wondered verbally, rubbing her temples. "I am simply irked by those around me lately. My patience is worn thin."

Harvey could feel a lump in the pit of his stomach. "I-I haven't missed my deadline," he stammered, insisting his innocence.

"Yes, yes," the syren waved off his excuses. "It is also my youngest sister and her constant chatter in regards to her lover. The child will not shut up about him and while the giant squid is an excellent conversationalist, I am not one for constant prattling."

"Are you referring to Neri?" Harvey queried, recalling the name the old mariner called the creature similar to Talla. "The one I met last week?"

The teal-haired woman's eyes flashed for a moment, though she dipped her head in confirmation. "Yes, but you are not to call her that, Doctor. To mortals she is called 'Aryla,'" Talla notified Harvey.

This piqued the physician's interest. "Why is that?"

"It is her title, as mine is 'Talla,'" the demigoddess explained. "Knowing the name given to us by our Mother gives a being power over us, so we guard the names carefully." She glanced down at Harvey. "'Neri' is a shortening of her name that father uses affectionately, so it does not have the same effect." Harvey could have sworn she read his mind when she augmented her point with another statement. "I trust you will not purposefully seek out the rest of her name and use it against her."

The doctor had not planned to use Neri's name against her, but Harvey was becoming increasingly curious about it all. He watched her for a moment, the rain tapping against his raincoat and splattering against the lenses of his glasses. "I meant no harm," he promised.

Harvey could hear the trader's finned tail twitch in the barrel of water beneath her as her eyes studied him closely. "I trust that you did not," Talla finally said calmly. She raised her eyebrows before lowering herself over the counter to better see him. "I promise not to eat you, if that is your reservation about our potential business arrangement."

A nervous laugh escaped his lips before he could compose himself. "No, that wasn't it," the mustached man confessed sheepishly. "I already figured if you were going to eat me, you've had plenty of opportunities…"

Now it was Talla's turn to inquire about his troubles. "Then what doubts plague you, Doctor?"

His glasses were so covered in raindrops, he was seeing multiple miniature Tallas all at once. It was dizzying. Harvey removed them to wipe away the moisture and clean the glass properly. "I don't know if I can handle it, honestly," the practitioner admitted. "I fell apart after losing my first patient. How in the world can I handle the war front if I lost all my confidence because I couldn't save one woman?"

The syren puzzled over this for a moment, then shrugged her shoulders. "I understand you mortals often call this phenomenon being 'soft of heart' or something similar," Talla began, her brows still furrowed. "I cannot say I understand, as I do not grow old or become ill and die like your species does," the demigoddess acknowledged.

Her mouth pursed as she contemplated her words. "Neither do I experience shame or guilt for the passing of mortals, though I may have the power to save them at times…" Talla continued thoughtfully. "It is my duty to grant desires of the heart, in a way. I can either protect a loved one at sea or curse them, whichever the devotee chooses. But I am not omnipotent or omnipresent, so I cannot possibly oversee all mortals in my Mother's domain. Creatures - human and animal alike - do not live forever. I see no reason to blame yourself."

Harvey could appreciate that Talla was trying to help, in her own way. "I think I know where you're getting with this, but it does not change how I feel."

She shook her head, droplets of water falling loose from her curls. "You are misinterpreting my point, Doctor. I can see the glow of a mortal's heart." Talla prodded his chest gently, right over where the organ that pumped his blood beneath the skin and bone and musculature of his physical body. "Yours is not a weak one. It shines brightly, like a beacon. I believe you could accomplish much with such a heart."

The doctor's lips pulled up into a grin so that even his mustache curved upward slightly. "I think those are the kindest words anyone has ever said about me," Harvey chuckled under his breath. "Thank you, Talla. I think I needed to hear someone say that."

Averting her gaze, Talla stared out southward, toward the sea beyond the forest. "I only speak the truth…"

Sebastian stood at the end of the western pier, looking out over the ocean as was his habit on rainy days. It was drizzling today, rather than the usual downpour the village received, but the hoodie-clad man could live with that. He just needed some time away from it all. Sebastian had to deal with a lot of strangers to get enrolled in his classes this week and the whole process was draining, to say the least. It had nearly driven him to buy a pack of cigarettes.

It's gonna be so fucking tempting at school, Sebastian realized in annoyance. While no one else in Pelican Town smoked, there were a slew of people in the city. Sure, it was probably a relatively small population overall, but they stuck out to him among the crowds of students. The smokers formed loose, social circles, chatting and gossiping as they each took a drag of their preferred poison and welcomed newcomers into their ranks. The mere idea of smoking another cigarette again made his skin itch, eagerly awaiting the nicotine to hit his system.

"Is… everything okay?" a voice asked him, barely audible over the soft pattering of the rain.

Sebastian turned to see Violet staring up at him. "Uh… yeah," he uttered nervously. It was as if Violet appeared exactly when he needed her to get his mind off things.

"I'm surprised to find you out here in the rain." He had not expected to see her at the pier today. If only he had brought the flowers. Then again, who made that rule about asking someone out? It was so arbitrary and stupid. Sebastian inhaled slowly. I can do this, he coached himself. Just relax.

The farmer stood beside him, looking out over the ocean and the tiny splashes each raindrop made as it fell into the vast body of water. "It's really beautiful today, isn't it?" Violet mused aloud. Her dark blue eyes glanced Sebastian's way. "Do you mind if I join you?"

"Yeah," the dark-haired man returned, turning back toward the open waters. "Uh, I mean, no. I don't mind!" he verbally stumbled to clarify, trying to make sure he was understood. She laughed and Sebastian felt relieved she had not taken his initial mistake at face value. "Look at those dark clouds looming over the horizon…" But Violet did not speak, she only smiled. Sebastian then added, "I hope they come this way."

"Do you like getting rained on?" Violet teased, holding her arms close to her body. It looked like the rain was starting to soak through her clothes. Maybe he could… No, he would have to wait a little longer.

"I like this weather because it makes everyone disappear…" he acknowledged, stealing a nervous glance her way. "You know?" But Sebastian did not wait for an answer. "Being around people makes me anxious," he revealed, rubbing the back of his neck. His dark eyes fixated on the pastel-haired woman beside him and their eyes met. "I don't feel that way around you, though."

"That means a lot to me, to hear you say that," Violet replied, tucking a lock of her hair behind her ear. "I feel the same way, Sebastian."

Was this his chance? He opened his mouth to speak and noticed that Violet did the same. He panicked and deferred to her, but she waved her arms in front of her. "No, it's okay. You go first!"

Sebastian stammered out the first thing that came to mind to stall. "Y-your hair looks nice today, Violet," he complimented the farmer.

"It's all wet," she whined, but he noticed a slight coloring on her cheeks. "But thank you. I like your hair, too. The asymmetrical bangs suit your cool nerd aesthetic."

"You think I'm cool?"

Violet blinked. "Of course I do, why else would we hang out?" she teased him, shoving his arm lightly. "I really like hanging out with you, Sebastian."

There! Sebastian squared his shoulders. "We're getting soaked…" he stated, pulling out his enormous striped umbrella. Opening it, he held the handle in the arm furthest from Violet. Sebastian gestured to her with his free hand. "Here… There's room for two."

Violet shyly closed the gap between them, settling into the negative space beside him under the umbrella. "So… why do you like being out in the rain?" Sebastian solicited casually.

The woman beamed. "The world gets a bit quieter, but the plants become a more vibrant green and somehow everything feels more… alive." She giggled, "I almost feel as if I'm getting watered, too. You know?"

Sebastian snorted in reply. "To some extent. Though I'm not sure I'm so much like a plant as you are."

"It's true we're pretty different in that sense," the farmer conceded. "You're definitely more of a plant that would need full shade," she said confidently. "I think a bleeding heart would suit you best."

"Is that really a plant?" Sebastian tested her skeptically. "It sounds fake."

Violet nodded self-assuredly. "Of course! Their flowers hang down from their stalks like a garland of tiny pink hearts." Her grin reached her cobalt eyes. "I really like them a lot, but they can't stand direct sun." She tugged at the sleeve of his hoodie, "Kind of like you," she supposed with a tinge of suppressed merriment to her voice. "And you wear your heart on your sleeve. So even if you aren't decked out in pink all the time, I think they suit you best, 'Bastion."

Sebastian was not sure what to say. He thought Violet's enthusiasm when she talked about something she enjoyed was cute. Then the man felt his face flush when he realized Violet had called him by a nickname. Had she ever called him that while completely conscious? Sebastian was pretty sure only the first time when they were complaining about the lack of suitable shortenings for their given names. The other time had been when she was only partially awake and beckoning him to warm her up in his bed after the frozen levels of the mines. Ugh, stop! Focus! he reproached himself.

Then there was the flower comparison that caught him by surprise. There was so much potential meaning in her words, Sebastian did not know where to start. Did bleeding hearts have some sort of hidden significance for which he was unaware? Were they considered good? Bad? And when Violet said "kind of like you" was she only talking about his disdain for the sun or did also mean that she "liked him a lot?" Then again, the programmer already knew she liked him, but did it mean something new like he hoped it did? Did that mean Violet was open to the idea of dating now?

Sebastian could feel the words forming on the tip of his tongue when his phone rang, making the both of them jump. "I-I guess I should answer that," he stammered, fumbling in his hoodie pocket to find his cell. "Hello?" the black-clad man answered.

"Where are you? We've been waiting at The Stardrop Saloon for ages!" Abigail complained into Sam's phone. "You're not allowed to chicken out two weeks in a row!" the woman growled insistently.

It was Sam this time. "Is V with you? We haven't been able to reach her…"

Violet blushed. "Sorry, Sam. Mine was on silent," she explained loudly enough for the two on the other line to hear.

There was a brief pause, then a shout. "Shit, did we interrupt you two having sexy times?!" the blond exclaimed. "Fam, it's rude to answer the phone when you're pleasing a lady!" Sam interjected to scold Sebastian. "Well, carry on, friends! We'll see you for the Moonlight Jellies." Abigail's muffled roar of protest could be heard in the background, then there was silence.

Both Sebastian and Violet turned beet red and stuttered their own denials, but Sam had already hung up. "We should get to the saloon," the wavy-haired woman declared abruptly, chuckling nervously. "Abigail sounds pretty mad."

"Right…" Sebastian concurred, cursing himself for answering Sam in the first place. "Let's go, then."

The farmer had silenced her phone when she saw Sebastian alone on the pier. Had she really expected anything to happen? Yes, his lips were achingly kissable a few times and Violet stopped herself from leaning over and mashing faces with his, but she knew she had been sending all sorts of confusing mixed messages lately. Maybe she just needed to blurt out a declaration of intent and clear the air between them?

Abigail and Sam crushed them like grapes. It was embarrassing. Violet could not calm the intense beating in her chest. She was afraid everyone in the room could hear it with how her heart practically threw itself against her ribcage and therefore the newest local in town could not really focus on the game at hand.

Sebastian was off his game as well, so that made Violet feel a little bit better. Though, part of her had to wonder if he was doing it to make her feel less like a failure. Abigail seemed dissatisfied by the victory, but the amethyst-haired woman did not object when Sam led her away once their victory was secure. "We're gonna get something to eat, do you two want anything?" the blond inquired.

"I'm… actually going to head out tonight," Sebastian answered his best friend. The moment Violet hoped for had been lost this evening, but that would not stop her from trying to make another chance for herself soon.

"Sebastian, wait!" Violet called after him, following him to the exit of the saloon. The man turned to face her.

"Did you want me to walk you home?" he asked, his obsidian eyes staring at her directly.

Violet suddenly felt unnerved by his gaze. "No, I just…" She clasped her hands in front of her body. "I wanted to show you the bats tomorrow, if you're free."

"The… bats?" Sebastian repeated quizzically. The confusion on his face made her immediately regret the decision, but she pressed onward.

Violet lowered her head, her floral-colored hair catching the lights from above as she did so. "Yeah, I saw them the other night when I was fishing by the Mountain Lake." Violet had not been alone when she saw them. In fact, Elliott had gone on quite the tangent on the winged mammals. Still, she wanted an excuse to be with Sebastian alone for the evening.

"They're fun to watch and I know you also like frogs and the season for them is almost over," Violet reasoned. "I… figured we could sit out by the lake, chat, and just… listen to nature." Fear gripped her the longer the silence went on without Sebastian's response. I sounded like a bumbling idiot. Who asks someone to listen to nature sounds with them? Violet berated herself.

But, to her surprise, Sebastian agreed. "Sure, I'll meet you at the far side of the lake right after dark," the man responded positively. He smirked. "Just don't fall in this time, okay?" Violet lowered her head, both embarrassed at the memory but also reminded of its significance as being the first time they met. Yes, it's better this way! the woman told herself.

Violet looked up, only to realize that Sebastian had already left. The pastel-haired woman gathered up her things and chatted with Elliott, Leah, Sam, and Abigail for a while before leaving for the night as well. As soon as the door shut behind Violet, there was a collective mixture of moans and laughter as gold coins exchanged hands between several pairs of villagers. "Maybe next time!" Gus grinned as he swept up the gold from the counter in front of Pierre.

"He bought a bouquet, dammit!" the shopkeeper lamented as the gold disappeared from sight. "It should have happened already!"

The saloon owner cackled, serving Pierre another drink and wiping a recently washed glass dry with his apron. "Everyone goes at their own pace, Pierre. You can't rush these things." He sized up the grocer. "Care to place a bet for tomorrow?"

Author note: There are only one or two more chapters left for Summer Year 1 (depending on how writing goes). If you would like to enter the free "raffle" to get a sneak peek at Fall Year 1 before it is officially posted on April 21st, either PM me or comment indicating you want to participate and I will assign you a number. Once I post the final chapter, I will use an RNG to determine the winner. I have this cross-posted to Archive of Our Own (AO3) as well, but there will only be one winner. That person can choose to either keep the information to themselves or share with the group. :)