A week-long of boring chores passed and Scrooge's store was finally ready for its grand re-opening. Jaden was sure to get there for the early morning opening, glad to be finally see her hard work pay off to something.
Her optimism quickly faded however as she saw a rather anxious Scrooge waiting for her outside the shop.

"Bless me bagpipes! I'm back in business! All I need now are some customers. Oh, and a good investment deserves a good return." Scrooge held out a clenched hand, indicating Jaden to hold out an empty palm for him. "These coins are for you. Use 'em to get anything you like! Come in! Take a look around, Jaden. If you not finding anything you like, talk to me in the shop to use my patented McDuck delivery system!"

Jaden did as was told and stepped inside the store and much to her horror, every shelf that was lining up all along the wall was covered in a bunch of Disney themed furniture and clothing that made her want to vomit all over this brand new, freshly mopped floor. If her kids were here to see this they'd be begging to buy out the entire store, Jaden thought with amusement, focusing on that happy notion.

Not wanting to stay very long so she could make a quick escape, Jaden walked through the store, keeping an eye out for a bed of some kind, as she wasn't sure if she could take sleeping on her grimy, unwashed clothes for another night. Unfortunately, it didn't seem that the store didn't have any, so she decided to buy an espresso machine instead, knowing Scrooge would be very unhappy if she left his store with nothing.

After Jaden had made her unnecessary purchase, Scrooge expressed his gratitude. "Ah, what an excellent investment, Jaden! You won't regret it! Be sure to come back and look over my stock often. I get nee things in every single day."

Jaden nodded her head in confirmation at this idea. "That's smart business." She concluded.

"Of course it is! After all, I know how to keep my customers happy. I'm Scrooge McDuck!" He stated smugly.

Taking her new espresso machine in her arms, Jaden left the store as Scrooge went back to his work, no doubt looking over his stock to make sure he had everything he needed before his new customers came in.

Jaden made a quick pitstop back to her house, dropping off her espresso machine onto the kitchen counter to be set up later. Just as she was about to lie back down in her uncomfortable makeshift bed, she then thought better of it. This so-called bed was doing a number on her back, and just looking at it made her joints feel stiff and achy. So, instead Jaden decided to take a walk in a nearby meadow not that far from her house, taking in the beautiful blue sky that was absent on her arrival to the valley, remembering the sinister purplish hue the sky had before she pulled the sword from the stone.

Before long, Jaden came across a lone bench situated in the middle of the trimmed grass of the meadow. Letting out a big yawn accompanied by a stretch, Jaden pulled off her jacket and laid herself across the bench, using her jacket as a blanket. As much as the bench was awkward as all hell to get herself in a position that felt right, she had to admit that it was a damn sight better than the cold, hard floor of her house, even with using her clothes as a makeshift bed.
It didn't take long for Jaden to close her eyes and give into her exhaustion, the sounds of nature lulling her to sleep.


No more than a few hours must have passed when Jaden found herself waking up, though she wished she hadn't, when she saw Goofy standing over the bench, watching her with those massive, non-expressive eyes of his that struck fear into the very soul that she briefly wondered how this creepy looking dog never managed to scare the living shit out of any kids. Leaping herself off of the bench, Jaden lets out a blood-curdling scream, managing to land face first into the dirt. She grimaced as she tried to push herself back up, but falling back down immediately, the sound of Goofy's laughter filling the quietness of the meadow.
She then turned to Goofy, an angry expression on her face. "What the hell?" She bit out.

Goofy attempted to calm himself down, his laughter fading into light-hearted chuckles. He held out his hand for Jaden to take. "Gawrsh, sorry Jaden. I just wanted to make sure you were alright."

Jaden stared at his gloved hand for a moment before she hesitantly took it, Goofy pulling her up to her feet. Jaden brushed herself down as she spoke. "Uh, sure. Guess that'll teach me for sleeping on a public bench huh? Still, I should be glad that you didn't kill me in my sleep."

Goofy was silent for several long seconds, his big eyes blinking a few times, almost like he was composing himself before he spoke. "Why were you sleeping on the bench?" He asked.

Jaden shrugged. "It's a lot better than sleeping on a cold, hard floor I'll have you know. I suppose I kind of miss sleeping out in the open. It's a lot more…exciting to sleep outside, even if it isn't exactly safe."

Goofy didn't really know what to say to that, continuing to stare at Jaden that still unnerved her. "I just wanted to tell you that Scrooge wanted to speak with you." He told her.

"Did he say what for?" Jaden asked curiously.

Goofy shook his head and Jaden nodded, picking up her jacket and slipping it on. But as she started to walk up the path, she stopped in her tracks and turned her head to look at him. "I will get you back for this." She told him with a playful smirk.

It took Jaden approximately twenty minutes to walk back to Scrooge's store, wondering what exactly it could be that the duck wanted now. She entered the store and approached him behind the counter.

Scrooge looked rather distressed. "Jaden, I just looked at my quarterly profits, ouch! It's a disaster! I'm completely ruined!" He complained, throwing his feathered arms in the air.

"What's wrong?" Jaden asked him, holding back in a sigh. This duck sure knew how to over- dramatise everything that happened around him.

Scrooge's voice raised in panic. "A wee bit of everything at the moment! The shop's open…but I've got no customers! If I don't act fast my fortune will be lost!"

Jaden moved behind the counter and placed a hand on Scrooge's shoulder to stop him from jumping all over the place. "Calm down there you crazy duck, what is it that you need? Maybe I can help you." Jaden offered, ignoring the disapproving look Scrooge gave her.

"Well, first we need a way to show the villagers of Dreamlight Valley that Scrooge Mcduck is open for business! But I'm in a bit of a bind on how exactly we can do that." His voice trailed off in thought.

"I could help advertise the store." Jaden suggested offhandedly.

Scrooge's posture straightened up at the idea. "That'd be grand! I'd do it myself, but when folks hear the name 'Scrooge Mcduck', they think 'pillar of the community'. I can't be seen around the village like some kind of walking billboard! Besides, that's why I've got you Jaden," he ducked underneath the counter and pulled out a box filled to the brim with white t-shirts that had Scrooge's face plastered right in the centre of it. "I've put together an outfit for you to wear around the village to promote my shop." He said, handing her one of the t-shirts.

Jaden took the shirt and started to strip off her jacket and t-shirt, pulling it over her head and dropping it onto the floor, horrifying the poor duck as he realised that the woman standing right in front of him was braless. Jaden took in the amusing sight of his eyes practically popping out of his head as he quickly averted his eyes by covering them with his hand.

"Don't you know there's a thing called a changing room? Not everyone wants to see you strip." Scrooge scolded her. Jaden gave him the go-ahead to remove his hand from his eyes as she pulled the shirt over her head, causing Scrooge to let out a sigh of relief. He gave Jaden a head-to-toe glance, taking her in all at once. "You look…" He flustered, unable to finish the sentence.

"Amazing and sexy as usual?" Jaden said with a smirk and a cheeky wink, turning to the side slightly to show off her curves.

Scrooge shook himself to get back on task, trying to push away the notion that Jaden was a stunning looking woman. "That you do," the words tumbled out of his mouth before he realised that he was agreeing with both statements. He rushed to correct himself, the beginnings of a blush spreading across his cheeks. "I mean- that yes you do look amazing! I couldn't have asked for a better fashion model! But what are you standin' around here for? I already know about my shop! You've gotta walk around the village to spread the word! And while you're there, would you get some softwood and come back here? We have to craft some signs." He requested, managing to get a hold of himself now that he'd talked her ear off.

Jaden, as much as she was enjoying the discomfort she was generating towards the old duck, nodded and left the store. She scoured the entire village in search of any softwood, picking up any that she could find. Once she reached the meadow where she'd fallen asleep on the bench, she spotted Merlin and Goofy sitting on the very same bench. Curiosity getting the better of her, Jaden moved a noticeable distance away from them, but enough to overhear their conversation.

Goofy was the first to speak. "Gawrsh, Merlin, is Jaden really gonna be the leader of the village?" He asked the wizard.

Jaden thought she saw the small nod of the wizard's head. "Perhaps. Jaden has shown all the qualities one would desire in a wise and generous leader." He said, as if considering the idea.

Goofy was silent for a moment before replying. "Well, if Jaden needs any help, I'll sure be there to help her out if needed."

Jaden turned away from the couple in the opposite direction, not wanting to be caught eavesdropping. As she continued to search for more softwood in other parts of the meadow, Jaden couldn't help but mull over the conversation in her mind. She wasn't sure what to even make out of it, but the one thing she was certain of was that it would be a pretty stupid idea to even consider making her the leader of the village. She couldn't even lead her small group of teammates across the plains of Ferelden without getting them lost, so what any hope did she have of leading these bunch of idiots?

Three long hours later and Jaden finally had enough softwood to satisfy Scrooge. Returning back to the store, wood in hand, she pushed her way through the front door and placed them at his feet.

Scrooge smiled in response at Jaden's catch. "Brilliant! Now that you've gathered the wood, we can craft the signs. You can use my crafting station in the shop. I'd like you to craft a couple of signs and place 'em throughout the valley so others know where the shop is." He told her, gesturing behind him to a crafting station in the far corner of his shop.

So, for the next four hours, Jaden spent her time crafting the signs, making sure to take a small smoke break every twenty minutes or so. Once she was finally done, she left the store and planted the four signs scattered around the village, not really paying much attention as to where the signs were actually facing.
A short time later, she returned to the shop, Scrooge greeting her at the front door.

"Aye, it's working! Our hard work is paying off! The shop's been busy all day thanks to you! We make a pretty good team, we do." Scrooge praised the pair of them.

Jaden scoffed. "What do you mean 'we'? I'm the one doing all the work here!" She protested, not wanting Scrooge to get most of the credit.

"Work!? Panning for gold in the Klondike that was work! You're just givin' me a wee bit o' help! Och, you're right. I oughta do more to thank you Jaden. Here's a little something to hang in your house, as recognition of your investment in my shop. Now, there's just one more thing to do…let's give the front of the shop a wee bit of polish just enough to say…" He trailed off, looking at Jaden in the hope that they were both on the same page.

"We have everything you need!" Jaden suggested.

"Hmm…it's a bit modest isn't it? But maybe that's the ticket. Too much extravagance could scare the folks of the village away. Why don't you collect some flowers and use 'em to make flower pots to decorate the store front? Here are the pots you'll need to put the flowers in." Scrooge handed her a few small flower pots, practically shoving them in her arms.

Think I'd rather cook for the mouse than go picking flowers. Jaden thought as she left the store, not for the first time that day.
Jaden made sure to take her time gathering the flowers, even if the task was boring her out of her mind, that she considered the idea of chewing broken glass would have been a more entertaining activity. She returned to the store about half an hour later and began dividing the flowers into two plant pots, arranging them by colour, making sure the lighter coloured flowers went together, repeating the task with the darker ones. She placed both plant pots either side of the shop and entered it once she was done, walking over to Scrooge, who seemed very happy with the task she was given out.

"We did it! Business is booming! My shop is saved! The front of the shop looks grand, but more importantly…"

"I can finally buy a damn bed…" Jaden muttered under her breath, exhaustion completely weighing her down.

"Aye, and remember: for class and refinement, there's no better place to shop than Scrooge Mcduck's! Now, you've shown yourself to be crafty, so I'm gifting you your own crafting station! But you better not think about going into competition with me. You don't want to mess with Scrooge Mcduck!

Jaden chuckled lightly. "You don't have to worry about that Scrooge, that sounds far too stressful."

Scrooge nodded in approval. "Aye, having money is a burden, but one I'm happy to shoulder on my own! Thank you, Jaden. It's a pleasure doing business with you."

Jaden said her thanks and headed out of the shop, hopefully for the last time that day. She made the short trek up to her house, her stomach rumbling all the way there. The first thing she told herself she was going to do was to make herself some lunch, having missed breakfast this morning to catch Scrooge in the early hours, she was starving. As she mulled over what exactly she was going to make herself, she decided that she'd have a nice quiet afternoon all by herself, maybe she'd even take a long walk through the meadow if she felt up to it. Spending all afternoon with Scrooge had really put a damper on her patience, that she'd had enough of interacting with people for one day.

She just hoped that nobody would ruin her plans of a quiet afternoon and come barging into her house demanding she must help fix their problems.

Hopefully.