AN: Alright, so, I know that people have been waiting, and I apologize. Work is crazier than normal and it's been a time even finding time to really write. But, I still plug through. I have no intention of not seeing this story to its completion. It will take a bit of time, but please know that I will finish this. The comments and reviews have been very inspiring, so if you feel the want, comment below. I read all of them. Alright, onward to the egg festival!
Eve was already awake when the rooster let out his call. She let out a yawn as she got out of the shower and into her bathrobe. The previous night was a difficult one, and unfortunately sleep had eluded for the rest of the night. As she was waiting for her tea to brew when there was a ding from her phone. Eve picked it up and saw that she had a text from Joyce. It was a simple good morning with the number of a prevention hotline that was open followed by a smile emoticon. Eve smiled and let out a sigh. Pure chance allowed her to reconnect with Joyce, but without her, Eve certainly would be more at a loss than she was then. The sun was shining brightly as she shot a quick message back to her friend as she got her tea into a mug.
"Hi Joyce, thanks for the message. I went for a walk last night and cleared my head. I am feeling better, but I'll be talking to the doctor today about the therapist." She hesitated for a moment, really wanting the conversation to end there, but she had to say something else. "Thanks for…talking me off the edge. You really helped me…I couldn't ask for a better friend. If there is anything I can do…let me know…" Eve sent the message and closed her eyes, leaning back in her chair as a sigh escaped her. She wasn't sure if talking about getting a therapist with Harvey during the festival would be a good idea, but she really felt like it had to be done. Miso chirped as he went over to his master and rubbed his head on her leg. Eve smiled and picked up the young kitten and pet him as he sat on her lap, his big eyes looking directly up at her. Eve smiled and gave him some head scratches.
"It's okay…I'm not going to go anywhere…" she mumbled, her new resolve to survive really sounding in her voice. "I won't let myself fall into that dark hole…not again…" She put Miso down on the ground and got up. After getting dressed and fixing her hair, she opened the door and greeted the day with a smile. Miso ran out the door and went exploring around the farm while Eve completed her chores. Watering the crops, picking whatever was grown and shipping it, then finally chopping down a tree or two, these tasks, at first, would make her tired and cause near unconsciousness. But slowly they were becoming easier and more manageable. Despite being so tired from lack of sleep, she still felt like chores were not completely unreasonable to be doing right now. After putting everything away and making sure she looked presentable enough, Eve started to head toward town. It was almost 9am, the time the letter indicated that the festival would be open. Upon reaching the entrance to town, however, the gates were closed and none other then Mayor Lewis was waiting for her there. He waved as he saw her and waved right back at him.
"Hey there Eve." Lewis said with a smile then noticed the near raccoon looking rings around her eyes. "Hey, are you getting enough sleep? You don't look so good this morning." Eve touched her face and forced a smile on her face. Maybe she should have put some make up to help mask the sorry state of her face. She then shook her head.
"Oh, don't worry about me. Just one hard night last night is all." She said, trying to avoid looking at Mayor Lewis in the eye. "I'm okay…" Lewis paused for a moment and then nodded.
"If you say so there. But you know. If something is troubling you, you can let me know. I'm here to help you get adjusted to this life." He looked back to the town. "The people are trickling in, but everything is set up. I came to take you in, since this is your first festival with us. Now if there is anything we here at Stardew Valley know how to do, it's throwing a mighty fine hootenanny." Lewis opened the gate and walked toward the town, with Eve at his heels. The square was surely something to see. There were a few streamer decorations blocking the ridge to the community center along with a booth that Pierre was running, most likely to keep people in the plaza for the festivities. Two large tables with all sorts of food and drinks were nearby, all with a delightful egg theme about them. Deviled eyes, fried eggs, poached eggs in a sauce, scrambled eggs on some toast, even chocolate eggs. Of course it wasn't all just eggs, but seeing that many types of eggs really surprised Eve.
"This is something else…I've never really been to a festival before." The Mayor was beaming with pride at this point.
"Well, we do like to throw a good bash when we can. Take your time and enjoy yourself. I'll be in the square if you need me." Lewis then walked off as Marnie was calling him over. Eve suddenly felt a little nervous. While she was getting used to the town, this was a big thing for her. So many people at one time…it was a little overwhelming.
"Hey Eve!" Pierre called from right next to her. "You look like you've seen a ghost there. You have to relax." Eve shook herself from her thoughts and turned to him. He was right, she had to relax! Take the day in stride! She walked over and sighed as she rubbed her eyes a little.
"Sorry Pierre, I was a little lost. I've never done something like this before." Pierre nodded and leaned on the booth surface a little.
"Hey it's okay. I think it's hard to take a load off really. Which is why I run this booth! Never a better chance to sell something. Anything catch your eye?" Eve was looking through the wares. The one thing that really caught her were the seeds.
"Strawberry?" she asked, and Pierre immediately reacted.
"Only sold during this festival, just when it's right in the season. I'm selling them for 100g per bag." She looked at the bag and thought it was a little weird to sell a new crop during the middle of spring. But then again…strawberries were her favorite fruit.
"I'll take some." She said as she went into her wallet. There wasn't a lot of money in there, but enough to buy 6 seed bags. Pierre handed over the seeds as he took the money.
"Pleasure doing business with you. Now go and enjoy the festival okay? It's a fun time." Eve nodded as she put the seeds away and started to look around. She felt lost, it seemed like there was so much to do. She went toward the table and saw Shane getting a plate of food. He looked…far happier than normal.
"Enjoying the food?" she asked. Shane whipped around with an alcoholic drink in his hand and a smirk on his face.
"You know it. Our hens have been working overtime to prepare for this festival." He rose his drink into the air, as if trying to start a toast. "They deserve the best tonight! Bowls full of sweet yellow corn!" he then took a large swig of the punch that was in a bowl on the other table. Eve smiled, feeling that this was a side of Shane she hadn't seen. Then again…she hadn't really gotten much of a chance to talk to him.
"You really care for the hens, don't you? That's awesome. I bet they're gonna love the corn." Shane nodded.
"I find that the hens are better than most people I know. I want to make sure they get treated right. I love animals in general…but the hens especially. What about you?" Eve smiled and nodded.
"Well when I can, I plan on having animals on my farm. I remember playing with the cows and chickens when my Grandfather ran the place. The only animal I have right now is a cat." Shane nodded and took another sip.
"Well you keep that cat in check. Felines like that will hurt the hens if not kept in line. You can handle it though." Eve nodded.
"You bet. When I get more animals, you can come visit them too." Shane's face seemed to light up.
"Really? Well alright. I guess that would be okay…wow, I've been a right asshole to you…but you don't seem half bad. I'm sorry if I gave the wrong impression, I just…I ain't good with the two legs critters, if you get me." Eve took a second to think about what to say. Chickens and Hens only had two legs…but he must have been referring to humans. She didn't feel like getting into that conversation or questioning him. She just nodded and smiled.
"I understand. I get nervous around new people too…and this big festival is something new to me. I'm still trying to find my way around everything." Shane gave an understanding nod as he sipped his drink.
"It's hard, being around folks. But you get it. I think I am understanding you more…go enjoy the rest of the festival. There's a lot to do despite it being only in the plaza." Eve nodded and took her leave.
"Thank you Shane." She said as she went to get something to eat. Almost immediately, Pam made her way to her smiling.
"Hey Kid…" she mumbled in a slur. Clearly, Pam was already having too much of a good time. "I put something nice in the punch. You should give it a try. It'll loosen you up." Eve looked over at the bowl of red punch. She didn't drink very often…and the fact that the punch was being served to kids too made her feel more put off from drinking.
"Thanks Pam…I'm fine though. I don't drink." Pam slurred a bit and was a tiny bit wobbly as she tried to continue the conversation.
"Ah come on…get the shtick out of your ass and haaave the fuhn! Go…go giv it a try. You'll like it." Eve shook her head.
"Thanks Pam, again. But I'm good for now. Maybe later." Pam blew some raspberries at her and started to get more food.
"Whatever, yer no fun." She said as she was piling food high on her plate. Eve took a plate and felt like she needed to tell someone about the spiked punch. As she was looking, she spotted Linus, standing on the own. She walked over and saw him eating the deviled eggs.
"Hey Linus. You came too." He nodded as he chewed and swallowed his food.
"Yeah…no one really talks to me. I just came for the deviled eggs. Gus makes really good deviled eggs. Here." He handed one over to her and she took a bit. The yolk was a little spicy, but creamy and tangy. The white was a perfectly smooth hardboiled. It was tasty.
"Wow…that is good. I'll need to grab some before they are out." Linus nodded and both went up to take more of the eggs before retreating to the spot again. Eve popped one in her mouth and chewed it happily before swallowing it. "Yikes, that's good. I wonder if I can ask Gus for the recipe." Linus shook his head.
"Gus keeps his recipes pretty close to him. I'm not sure he'll part with it…hey…I saw you last night…" Eve felt her spine shudder. "You were out late…I was looking for fish and I saw you…" Eve knew that of all people, Linus would be the guy watching out for her. He was a good guy, just different from everyone else.
"Oh…yeah. I had a not great night yesterday…I'm better now, I just went on a walk to clear my thoughts." Linus nodded at her.
"It's hard…moving to a new place…giving up everything…being stuck. I understand how you feel. I won't pry, but…you're doing good…" Eve nodded and felt a tear well in her eye. She wiped it away and smiled at Linus.
"Thank you. That means a lot…more now than you think…" Linus nodded and gave a thumbs up before eating another egg. The two talked a little bit more before she went to explore a little more of the festival. She took a few more dishes on her plate as well and ate as she went. Gus was putting nameplates on the table of all the dishes and chatting with Clint as Willy and Marlon were getting food and eating it. Robin was with Demitrius and Caroline and both ladies were laughing as they were drinking punch and eating at a nearby table. Everywhere Eve looked, people were talking, having fun, eating. Just having a good time.
"Is there anymore food?" Clint asked and Gus nodded with a big smile on his face. Eve looked over at them, listening.
"Of course friend! I have been working for days to make sure there is plenty of food. I will go get some from the Saloon after the Egg Hunt starts. But there is much more to be had." Clint looked over at Gus and then past him at Emily, who was talking to Jodi. He sighed and nodded and grabbed some more ham.
"Eggs aren't my favorite is all. But thanks for the food Gus." Gus gave a hearty laugh and slapped Clint's back with his hand.
"Eat as much as you want! There are more than just eggs! Eat your fill!" he said in a jolly tone. Eve smiled as she heard the two talking. Everyone in the town was very accommodating and helpful. Everyone in Stardew Valley were really part of a community…and now Eve was a part of it too. She had to protect this place…the place her Grandfather loved. Even during a time of happiness…that thought was still in her mind. She chomped on another deviled egg…man those were really good, as she spied Marlon and Willy having a conversation.
"Willy!" she called over, making the old sea dog turn and smile. Marlon just watched and crossed his arms over his chest.
"Well if it ain't Eve!" he replied and the two shared a hug, putting their plates on a nearby table. "How are you doing? What do you think of the festival, it being your first one and all?" Eve picked her plate back up and smiled.
"Oh I'm having fun. I was a little nervous at first, but I'm coming around to it. I bought some seeds, and the food is great. I hope Gus will let me take a doggie bag home." Willy laughed and nodded.
"I think he'd be insulted if you didn't take the food home." he said and Eve chuckled at it. "Oh, have you met my friend Marlon? He runs the Adventurer's Guild by the mine." Eve looked at him and gave him a smile and a slight bow.
"Oh we've met." She said and Marlon nodded.
"Yeah, we have. When the mines reopened, she was about to walk into that place without a weapon. I remedied that and now she's a member of the guild…more or less." Willy nodded and gave a thumbs up.
"I see, you're very brave Eve. The monsters down there and it gets more dangerous the further down you go. So be careful and be prepared each time you venture in there. I will say that there are some good places to fish in there. Interesting catches in there." Eve nodded and smiled.
"Oh you bet I will! And I'll have to bring my rod next time, if I find one. Just to see what's there, you know?" Willy nodded and looked over at Marlon, who was munching on some food.
"How's your leg then? And Gil for that matter. Both are okay?" Marlon just kind of stared at Willy for a moment before swallowing his food.
"Even with my bad leg, I never miss a town festival. As for Gil…this ain't his thing. Someones gotta run the guild while I'm here." Willy nodded and looked over at Eve.
"This is the first festival we have in the year, I guess you can say it celebrates the new year…but not sure why it's eggs." Willy was then interrupted by someone wheeling by.
"Bah, why is everyone so happy? Hmph…" George grumbled as Evelyn was wheeling him into the festival square. "Eggs…why'd it have to be eggs?" Granny Eve smiled.
"Well this festival has been a tradition for as long as I can remember." She started to talk. "Tradition connects us with both the past and the future…it's very comforting."
"Bah!" George grunted. "The past is the past and the future needs to hurry up and get here…I've already had enough of this festival." Granny Evelyn smiled.
"Oh sweetie, it's okay. I'll get us some food and you'll feel better." Eve paused and looked at Willy.
"Excuse me for just a second." She said and rushed to the table as Evelyn was slowly making her way over. Eve got two plates and carefully crafted plates of food for both the elderly folks. Once Granny reached the tables, Eve went and greeted her.
"Hey, Ms. Evelyn…I saw you were coming over so I made you and George some plates. I figured it would be easier for you." The elderly woman smiled as she looked at the young farmer girl.
"Oh hun, thank you! That is very sweet to help us out." Eve smiled and offered Granny her arm.
"It's my pleasure…since you've shown me kindness too." Granny took the arm and walked back over to George. He looked confused as they approached.
"What's going on then here? You okay Evelyn?" Granny nodded and took one of the plates.
"Oh my yes. Eve was just so kind as to get us some plates and food from the tables." George looked up and nodded at Eve.
"Hmph…well you didn't have to do that. We're not useless yet." Eve shook her head as she brought one of the tables over.
"Oh no no, I wasn't thinking that at all. I just thought you'd enjoy the festival more if you were able to relax and not strain yourself." The couple put their plates on the table and Evelyn sat down.
"Well thank you Eve. Go enjoy the rest of the festival. Are you going to be doing the egg hunt dearie?" Eve cocked her head a bit.
"Egg hunt?" she asked. "Is that a part of the festival?" Granny Evelyn nodded.
"Oh my yes. It's a hit with the young kids, but even some of the young adults take place in it. You should give it a try." Eve nodded
"I will…thank you for letting me know." She waved as she went back to Willy and Marlon, who were engaged in more conversation. They turned back when Eve approached. Willy was smiling at her.
"That was very nice of you Eve, to do that for them." He said. "Not a lot of folks really pay attention to George and Evelyn…so seeing you go out of your way like that…it really meant something." He gestured over to Alex, who was talking to a busty blonde girl Eve hadn't met yet. Alex was looking at his grandparents, and then over at Eve. He nodded at her with a smile and waved before going back to talking with the girl. Eve waved back to him.
"Well…they've been kind to me…so I just thought to help them." Willy smiled and nodded. Eve took another bite of her food before thinking back to the egg hunt. "Hey Willy. Can you tell me about the egg hunt?" Willy chuckled as he looked over at her.
"Oh that happens near the end of the festival. All the younger folks will look for eggs that the older folks hide around the town. Though sometimes I'll hide an egg too well and no one will find it…well that is until summer rolls around. Then the hot air starts to bring out the rotten smell…hehe." He continued to chuckle. Eve chuckled back, really hoped that wouldn't be the case this time around. "I hope you'll join this year Eve. Normally it's really between Abigail, Maru, and Sam since they're a bit older. Though Sam will sometimes help Vincent." Eve thought about it and nodded.
"Maybe I will. It seems like fun." Eve said with a smile. Willy then gestured over to Lewis.
"Well when you're ready, talk to Mayor Lewis. He'll get you signed up and start up the hunt. Now why don't you go and mosey with the younger folk huh?" he nudged her a bit and chuckled. It was only then that she noticed he had gotten the punch. Maybe that was contributing to his jollier attitude.
"Alright then. I'll see you around Willy. "she smiled at him and looked over at Marlon. She gestured to the punch that was on the table. He glanced at it and nodded, seemingly understanding her meaning.
"I'll keep the ol seadog out of trouble." He said, making it sound like a joke but being completely serious. Eve nodded and started to walk around a bit more. Everyone did seem to have paired off, save for a few people. Penny and Maru were happily chatting with each other as Vincent and Jas were play nearby, Leah and Elliot were chatting while drinking some punch, and further down, Abigail, Sam and Sebastian were all talking. She walked over toward the groups, when she was waved at by Maru.
"Hey! Eve!" she called out. Eve waved back and walked over. "So, what do you think? This is your first time at a festival like this right?" Penny then chimed in.
"Oh that's right, you did just move in huh?" Penny chuckled as she looked over at the kids. "The children have been so excited; they've been looking forward to this for weeks. I had completely forgotten this would be your first time." Eve nodded a bit as she ate some more of the food on her plate.
"It's so much. We had things similar to this in Zuzu, but I was never able to go because of my work. I regret that because this has been a lot of fun." Maru popped a deviled egg in her mouth and chewed.
"I always look forward to these gatherings…it makes the valley feel like a real community. Plus it's so fun! I let my mom and dad use my drone this year to place a lot of the eggs. The egg hunt is the best!" Penny chuckled a little.
"Well leave some for the kids to find." Maru laughed and drank some of the punch.
"Oh I always do! That's why I never win the egg hunt! Abigail is the one who takes it too seriously, and that's why she always wins." Maru then looked at Eve. "Will you be doing the Egg hunt?" Eve nodded a little bit.
"Well, I heard about it from Willy and it does sound like fun." Maru smiled and gestured to Lewis.
"Well talk to the man in charge if you wanna join. I know he'll be ecstatic that the new girl wants to join in. I do it every year too. It's a blast!" Eve chuckled and nodded. Then she thought about the night before and looked at Maru. "Hey Maru…where's Harvey? There was something I wanted to ask him." Maru looked around but couldn't find the guy. She looked confused but still he was no where to be found.
"You know, that's a good question. I don't know where he went. I swear I saw him earlier today, but maybe not. Why, what's going on? You're not in pain are you?" Maru looked worried, knowing about Eve's condition. Eve shook her head.
"Oh no, I'm fine and there really is no rush. I just had a question." Maru let out a sigh and nodded.
"Alright, but don't push yourself…remember to take often." Eve smiled back and Penny looked at the both of them very confused.
"What's going on…is…everything okay? You're not hurt, are you?" the teacher asked the farmer. Eve put her hands up in defense and shook her head.
"Oh no Penny, it's fine. I just have a medical condition is all." She really didn't want to go into detail. "A-and my question doesn't have anything to do with it, it's about something else. So no worries." Penny nodded and gripped onto her glass a bit more.
"Alright…but please, if you need anything let me know. I don't have much, but I can help." Eve smiled and shook her head.
"Thanks Penny. I'm okay right now. But I'll let you know." Penny smiled and nodded back. Eve was about to say something else, but then heard someone call her name.
"Hey Eve! Over here!" it was Alex's voice. Eve turned and saw him waving her over. Eve turned and sighed, but there was a smile on her face.
"Never a dull moment." The girls all laughed, and Eve walked over to Alex and the blonde girl while Maru and Penny watched her go. Maru for a moment had a solemn look.
"Hey Penny…do you think that miracles are real?" she asked the teacher. Penny turned and looked confused over at Maru.
"Why do you ask?" Maru sighed and looked to the side.
"Just curious…sorry my mind went off into space." She laughed it off. Penny smiled at Maru.
"That's such a you answer." Penny looked forward toward the kids, who were playing nearby. "I do think miracles exist. I think that everything happens for a reason, but that doesn't mean that doesn't exist. I do think they take some work to make them exist, but I know they are out there." Maru nodded and smiled.
"Yeah…I think the same…" she said and sipped her punch. "Wow, I'm feeling loopy all of a sudden. Was this punch spiked or something?" Penny shook her head.
"It wasn't supposed to b-"she looked at the table and saw Pam by it. "…oh my goodness…not again…"
Meanwhile, Eve had made her way over to Alex and the blonde girl. She smiled at the both of them as she walked up. Alex gave Eve a pat on the back.
"Having fun?" he asked, and then gestured to the rather bored looking blonde girl. "Oh, have you met Hailey? She lives with her sister Emily in the house over there." He gestured to the house next to Sam's. Eve looked over and put her hand out.
"Hi, it's nice to meet you." She said with a smile, but Hailey didn't move. She crossed her arms over her chest and huffed.
"Oh, you're that new farmer girl aren't you? Huh…Right well, I'm Hailey." She paused as she gave Eve a look up and down. "Hmmm…if it weren't for those horrendous clothes you might actually be pretty." Eve gasped and Alex looked over at Hailey with his eyes wide.
"Hailey! What the heck?" Hailey huffed out a breath and rolled her eyes.
"Whatever. I'm bored anyway. This festival is alright, but what I'm really looking forward to is the Flower Dance. I've been Flower Queen for the past 5 years and I'm not ready to step off the throne just yet! You get what I mean?" Alex grunted a bit and shook his head as he looked at Eve. Eve looked clearly uncomfortable and looked to the side for a moment before a clearly forced smile was put on her face.
"Well, I didn't have much of a choice really on my clothes…when you leave in a hurry, you don't exactly get to pick out what you wear." Eve replied, trying to defuse the situation a little bit. Hailey scoffed and looked at her with a cocky smile.
"Oh hey, but I do like that makeup you're wearing. The eyeshadow?" she of course was gesturing to Eve's tired eyes. "Wait…are you even wearing any?" Eve touched her eyes and bit her lip as she shook her head.
"I uh…can't afford any at the moment. Focusing on the farm and all." Hailey chuckled.
"Oh, no wonder. I thought it was a brand I didn't know about for a second. And maybe I can let you borrow some of my clothes because your clothes smell like grass and dirt. Although, they may not fit you because well…" and she gestured to her chest. Alex at this point had enough. He stepped in between the two.
"Hailey, that's enough okay!? What's gotten into you?" Eve was just quiet as Alex was talking to Hailey Hailey just shook her head.
"I'm just tell the truth. Geez Alex. Get over it." Alex was about to say something else when Eve shook her head and looked at him.
"It's okay Alex…I know I don't…look my best today." She gave him a smile. "I was in a rush…" she wanted to avoid making notice that last night was one of the scariest of her life. Hailey looked over at Alex.
"Hey I'm bored, let's go get some food Alex." She reached and took Alex's hand and pulling him away toward the food tables. Alex looked back over at Eve and gave a pained look before just going along with it. Eve stood there for a moment before letting out a sigh. There was always that one person, wasn't there? Eve sighed and kind of wandered about until Mayor Lewis gestured her over, seeing as she was alone.
How are you doing Eve? Enjoying yourself I hope?" Eve nodded, popping another deviled egg into her mouth.
"Yeah! I bought some things and have talked to just about everyone, save for a few folks. It's a lot of fun to take a lot of the day to be in the town." Lewis smiled and gave a thumbs up. Marnie came out from behind the Rabbit cardboard cutout and smiled at.
"Well, we have a bounty of eggs thanks to the winter season. My hens been working round the clock to make all these eggs." Lewis smiled at Marnie.
"And we always appreciate that Marnie for sure. But I called you over here for a reason. So, I don't know if you know about the egg hunt?" Eve nodded at him.
"A few people have mentioned it." She said back, glancing around. "Seems like it's a big hit." Mayor Lewis seemed proud that the big event was interesting to the newcomer.
"Well, I guess I don't have to explain it then. Would you be interested in joining?" Eve nodded and gave a thumbs up.
"You can count me in." Lewis gave a thumbs up back.
"Alright. We'll start up in a few minutes. Just need to make sure all the eggs are ready to be placed." He walked off and Marnie put her arms around the new farmer.
"You'll do great. All the eggs will be hidden around the square and nearby buildings. None of the eggs are inside buildings, so you don't have to worry about that. We'll gather everyone up before we start and everyone goes at the same time. Just try and let the kids have a few of the eggs, if you can." Eve nodded and gave a thumbs up.
"Of course. I'll do my best." Marnie gave her a pat on the back and then went after Mayor Lewis. Eve smiled and turned to see Leah and Elliot were talking. Elliot turned and smiled at Eve before walking over.
"Well met Eve. I see you've been making the rounds to everyone." He put his arm around her shoulders, making her shiver for just a moment. "Have you met with Leah? She and I were just discussing our latest artistic endeavors." Leah smiled as she was sipping on the punch. Again, seeing the punch again made her aware of what effect it might be having.
"Yeah! Mmmm…this fruit punch is unusually good! It's never this tasty before." She took another enthusiastic sip. "I'll have to ask what Gus did differently this time." Eve chuckled as she sat down at their table. "So!" Leah started up again. "How's the farm going? Have you finally started to grow some crops?" Eve nodded as she popped another egg into her mouth.
"Yeah, I'm finally starting to get it going. I'm growing more parsnips, green beans, some cauliflower, and I bought some strawberry seeds that I'll be planting." Leah 'oooo'd as she heard and Eliot sat down near them.
"Marvelous! I should come visit and take a look see. Besides, taking breaks from work can make you more productive in the long run. It is a push and pull." Eve nodded as she held a cup of water in her hand.
"I know. I try to make sure I don't overdo it." Leah took another gulp of her punch.
"Elliot told me more about the book he's writing. He said he's decided on a genre finally!" Elliot chuckled as he too took a sip of punch.
"Well yes. It's still in the early stages, but I think I finally have a start that I like. It took quite some time, but I feel that the start is always the start is always the hardest." Eve nodded and smiled at Elliot, making him smile back.
"Do you have a title for your book?" Elliot shook his head.
"Oh not yet. I have a few character concepts and the overarching plot, but that's about it. Maybe the first chapter and a half written, unless I ditch the draft again." Leah chuckled and ate a poached egg.
"I liked that chapter you know! I said it's a good start too!" Elliot rubbed his neck a bit.
"Yes but, I'm not too sure. I do like it, but it needs to be captivating, enticing to the reader, to give motivation to continue. So it is very much in its infant stages." Leah waved that statement away and looked over at Eve.
"Why not have her read it?" Eve looked over at Leah with a slight amount of color on her face. She pointed at herself.
"Me?" she asked, and Leah nodded.
"Yeah you. Not for nothing, but you're kind of the target audience for this type of read, so I think an honest opinion from you would be good." Elliot was looking away a bit, a clear flustered look on his face. Eve thought about it and nodded.
"I mean, I'll read it and give my honest opinion…but that's about all I can do for you." Elliot looked over at Eve. While the expression was still a flustered one but he was also pretty surprised by the answer.
"Really?" he asked. "You won't try to sugarcoat it at all? I truly want an honest opinion." Eve nodded.
"Yeah, when I have a break, I'll come read it." Elliot thought about it and then shook his head.
"No…" he said, and both Leah and Eve looked rather surprised.
"No? But why not?" Leah asked. "You let me read it." Elliot shook his head again.
"It's not that I don't want Eve to read it. That's far from the truth. I want her to read it when it's completely finished. Then, I can gage your genuine response from the experience and see if there are things I can improve or make clearer…I would like to think of it as the maiden voyage of my novel." Leah and Eve looked at each other and then back at Elliot as he spoke. Leah smiled and gave him a thumbs up.
"Well as long as it's not your procrastinating then that's fine with me." Elliot's face grew red as he glared at Leah.
"This coming from you! You've barely managed to make one half of a sculpture." Leah immediately got defensive and stood up. Eve retreated into her plate, not wanting to get involved with this much more.
"Hey, it takes time! Least I have something to show for it! And I've shown Eve my work." Eve sighed and shook her head.
"Guys…it's okay. Just calm down. People work at different paces and that's okay! Just do your best and…well take your time as well." Both the artists looked at her and then each other. They both grunted and huffed out a breath before calming down and sitting back at the table. Eve let out a sigh as she awkwardly shoved another deviled egg into her mouth.
"That was close. I really didn't want to have to be around them arguing." She thought to herself, though it was still awkward being around them. Then was when a loud voice called from the town square. Mayor Lewis cupped his hands around his mouth.
"Alright everyone! Will the people participating in the egg hunt please come to the square!" he yelled. Eve got up and looked at them.
"Well, wish me luck then. I'm gonna be giving this a try." Both Leah and Elliot looked at her and both gave smiles.
"Good luck! I'll be rooting for you!" Leah cheered as Elliot gave a thumbs up.
"You will do great. Do your best." Eve smiled and nodded as she walked over to where Lewis and Marnie were. Vincent, Jas, Sam, and Abigail were also walking up. The kids were really excited, skipping and bouncing to where Lewis was standing. Sam let out a sneeze as he was walking behind his brother.
"Oof…meh d'ose…" he muttered with Abigail close behind him.
"You sure you wanna do this?" she asked, and Sam shook his head.
"Doh…I'll beh fine." He said as he stood there. Eve looked over to see Maru coming over as well. The girl gave her a smile and a wink.
"Don't worry. My parents may have used my drone, but I didn't see where they were put. So no unfair advantage for me." Eve chuckled and nodded. Lewis cleared his throat as the people started to gather and circle.
"Alright everyone! It's time for the highlight of today's festivities…the annual spring Egg Hunt!" Both Jas and Vincent started jumping up and cheering. Lewis put his hands out to try and calm them down. "Calm down now kiddos. You're going to need all your energy if you hope to find the most eggs and take home the exclusive prize." Abigail rolled her eyes a little.
"It's normally just a certificate and a gift card to either Joja or my Dad's shop. Nothing to get excited over." She mumbled to herself. Eve glanced over and then glanced back at Lewis. If it was for Pierre's shop, that could prove beneficial…but Joja? That would be a hard pass. "Alright, you'll have 50 seconds to collect as many eggs as you can. Now…is everyone ready?" each person either nodded or gave a shout to show that they were ready. Lewis then waited a few seconds before stomping his foot and doing a little jump. "Let the egg hunt begin!" he shouted and immediately everyone started to run in different directions.
Eve ran down south, quickly grabbing an egg by Emily and Hailey's house before moving over to the sewers. A quick search of that area yielded another egg, which she shoved into her bag. As she made her way to another egg by the river, she looked up to see where everyone else was. Abigail was dashing around the houses with her head down while Jas was looking in some bushes to the left. Maru was nearby and gladly handed over an egg she found to Jas while turning tail to find others. Vincent was running around by the saloon and Sam wasn't running as fast, but still keeping up pace to help his little brother out. Eve kept moving as she went up to the graveyard and found another egg sitting near one of the bushes. A quick glance showed one more egg behind a grave, which she grabbed before she kept moving. The sound of the townsfolk cheering filled her ears as a huge smile creased her face. She was happy, laughing as she was looking around for more eggs to find. She really was having a blast! A trip to the east bridge that would head to the library held an egg in the bushes, which she grabbed before dashing toward Mayor Lewis' home. She ran past Vincent who had gotten there a second too late and in Lewis' yard, she saw other egg that was just out of her reach. Not wanting to waste too much time, Eve left it for someone else to get and grabbed one that was behind one of the bushes near the graveyard. She had almost missed that one. She ran past the saloon, sweating forming on her brow as she huffed air in and out of her lungs, spotting another egg by Alex's home. She grabbed that one and then kept going, seeing an egg near the cliffs to the north. She knew that time was running out, but she wasn't going to give up She ran back down and saw an egg near a trashcan and picked it up. With seconds remaining, Eve started huffing as she looked around for any more eggs that were close by. Willy, who was sitting by the saloon, stared at her to get her attention. Eve looked over at him, sweat was clearly on her face. Willy smiled back and sneakily pointed at an egg that was sitting by the bushes near the park benches. Eve ran and grabbed it just before the whistle was blown and time was up. Eve forced air in and out of her lungs as everyone clapped for the participates of the hunt. Eve walked past Willy as she made her way back up.
"Thanks." She muttered to him, and he just nodded in return. As everyone got back up, Marnie took all the eggs from everyone and counted them. A few minutes later, everyone gathered in front of Mayor Lewis, who had all the eggs gathered in a large pile in front of her. He was smiling as the results were handed to him by Marnie.
"Wow, look at all these eggs!" he said seeing all of them. "Now, if only I could get you kids to pick up litter this efficiently, we'd have the cleanest town this side of the Gem Sea!" he chuckled and there were a few pity laughs after that. Eve just smiled as she wiped her face with her handkerchief. She was tired, but it was a lot of fun for her. Sam sneezed and wiped his nose with his sleeve and the kids were almost vibrating with excitement over who the winner would be. Lewis brought out the paper with the results on it, he cleared his throat.
"And now, the winner of this year's egg hunt is…" he looked down and a clear look of excitement was seen on his face. He smiled and looked directly at Eve. "The new farmer Eve! Congratulations!" There was a lot of clapping as Eve looked shocked at the sound of her name. Abigail looked dumbfounded as she was the normal winner this year, and the kids were jumping for joy as well. They didn't seem sad that they had lost at all. Eve stood forward and rubbed her neck sheepishly.
"Oh geez…well thanks everyone." She muttered and Lewis walked over to her holding a very nice looking strawhat.
"And here's your prize! Enjoy. I think it'll help you on the farm too." He said and gave her the hat. Eve took it and looked around as everyone was clapping and cheering. She blushed a mighty red color and waved.
"Thanks everyone…this was a lot of fun!" she said, which made everyone cheer again. Lewis turned and looked at everyone else.
"Well, that's it for this year's Egg Festival! Thanks for coming everyone!" the townsfolk cheered again, and everyone started to mill about. As people started to pack up, Maru walked over to Eve.
"Congrats! I was not expecting you to win! Abigail always takes this one hands down." And as if right on que, Abigail walked over. At first it seemed like she was mad about her loss, but she then put a fist out for a fist bump.
"I wasn't expecting that either. I guess I can't underestimate you. Good game." Eve took a second and then returned the fist bump.
"You too. I had a lot of fun. Kind of reminded me of when my parents would hide eggs around the house. For the holidays." Abigail smiled and nodded.
"I always think of the egg hunt as kind of a treasure hunt, so it's always fun for me. But next year, I'll be taking my title back!" she pointed at Eve as she made her way back to Sebastian and Sam. Eve chuckled and put on her hat, feeling proud of her win. The rest of the day went by in a flash. She helped take down the decorations and the tables, Gus gave her several bags of egg goodies to take home, and by the time she did get home, it was dark and late. Eve let out a yawn as she went inside, Miso racing in behind her.
"I'm sorry Miso…you must have been trapped outside all day…" the cute mew'd at Eve near the food bowls and Eve filled it to the brim with food and water. All and all, it was a pretty good day, but she was exhausted as she didn't sleep well the previous night. After kicking off her boots, feeding her pet and putting the egg treats away, Eve collapsed on her bed and was asleep in a manner of minutes. A good end to a good long day.