Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

I’ve been sleeping for the last few hours. I start to rouse, the familiar rumble of a vehicle filling my senses.

It brings up a sour feeling in my stomach, but the absence of the weight of sunglasses upon my face, and the cheeriness of the voices speaking around me, suggests that I am not in danger like I feel that I must be.

My name’s Arpegius, and I’m the guitarist of the Crescendolls. I’m sure you’ve heard of us by this point - there’s almost nobody who hasn’t.

For better or for worse.

Our band has only become popular in recent months, and considering that it was with the success of our first-ever release, it has been incredibly overwhelming. We have no reference point, our band, except for our manager, and it has been a very isolating, very draining experience.

I remember where we are now. Why we are in a vehicle. Where we are going. No, we aren’t being driven in our manager’s limousine to another interview, another small-talk, big-money “party”. There will be none of that, where we are going.

We are in a bus. It’s a bit ramshackled; the motor flares up every once in awhile as if gasping for air, and the upholstery is peeling away from the seats.

But it’s nice, for a change, and homely. The hum of the motor is comforting, in a way, and the large windows on each side of the bus allow for one to gaze out onto the country on either side, with its rolling green hills, and various animals grazing contentedly. It’s hard not to smile at such a sight.

There are a few other people on the bus, but it is more empty than full. The three other members of my band - Stella, my sister, and Octave and Baryl, my best friends, are seated in the same row as me. Stella is leaning on me, snoring softly. The temptation to wake her in order to annoy her is there, but… it’s been awhile since our band rested well, and by the dire look on Octave’s face as a result of being kept up by Baryl, who is talking his ear off, I decide to let it be.

I gaze out the window, admiring the scenery. I forgot that the countryside is so beautiful. It’s been so long since I left that godforsaken city that in a way, it feels like I have never even seen this part of the world before.

I find myself zoning back out again, the lure of sleep a temptation too good to ignore, and when I wake again, the bus has come to a halt, the grumpy-looking lady at the front telling everyone to get off the bus. Her face is defined by wrinkles, and she is adorned in an 80s-style jacket and sweatpants, with fluorescent colours, with a close-fitting perm to match. Personally, her fashion style, despite its tackiness, is much more aligned to that of my own, but I am still adorned in a more rocker-style outfit. It’s what the manager told me to do… what he told me would boost sales… I don’t know why I ever cared about the money. I really don’t - I’ve never been one to be concerned with money. I wonder what got into my mind… I can’t remember…

I find myself staring down at the lady’s outfit in admiration, but she gives me a firm pat on the back, not wanting to dawdle. “Keep it moving, kid.”

“Oh, yeah, sorry,” I say, startled. “Was just checking out your outfit. It’s sick.”

“Heh, thanks,” she says as we clamber out of the vehicle. She locks it up as we grab a few of our bags. “The Mayor and Robin will be with you all in a minute, so just stay put until they get here. They’ll show y’all the farm, the ropes.”

She gives us a smile, as she grabs her own handbag from the luggage compartment under the bus and heads off.

We wait around in silence, watching as the other passengers follow in the same direction. It’s a comfortable silence, however. It’s been far too long since the last time we were all able to share one of these together.

Two people approach us, people who I assume to be the Mayor and the other person whose name I’ve already forgotten. I want to say it’s Robber, but that can’t be right…

“Hello there! I’m Mayor Lewis. Such a pleasure to get to meet you all!”

He gives us a grin, a genuine one, but it isn’t a giddy smile unlike the other genuine smiles that we were used to seeing during our time as bigshots in the city. He isn’t nervous, not overwhelmed by our very presence. To him, we are just normal people, new additions to the Valley.

Clothed in a bright-green shirt and some brown overalls, he looks very devoid of any semblance of a sense of fashion. Again, not something that one would usually see down in Zuzu. But it brings me great comfort to see it - perhaps physical appearance isn’t something we’ll have to worry too much about while we are here. Especially if we are working on a farm everyday, as well as trying to recover mentally from those city-life pressures, it’s nice to have one less major concern to have at the front of my mind. (I don’t want to be getting dirt all over my favourite clothes just to look alright.)

The woman to his right is slightly better dressed, but is still dressed comfortably, clad with a sunflower-yellow shirt and a neutral-brown jacket.

“And I’m Robin! I’m the local carpenter. It’s so lovely to be able to meet all of you!”

She gives us a warm smile, just as clueless as the one that Lewis gave us.

“Follow me! I’ll show you all to the farm. Apologies about how messy it is… it’s been awhile since someone lived there last.”

~~

The oaken floor creaks under my feet as I enter the farmhouse. The air is filled with a smell that carries many memories - although barren on the inside, the wear and tear of the wallpaper, the furniture, suggests that the home has been well-loved.

However... “It needs a bit of an overhaul.”

I turn around to face Octave, nodding in agreement. Baryl sneezes in a way that sounds like nonverbal agreement, and we all laugh at the little dude as he wipes at his nose afterwards.

We start by loading in all of our items from the bus. We’ve decided to take a four-cornered approach to the farmhouse, with each of us having our own designated area. As is the case whenever the four of us are staying in a room altogether, Octave and Stella’s “corners” instantly become one - the two of them are such tidyholics and so wholeheartedly like the same person that they are completely fine with sharing the same space.

Baryl and I, on the other hand, are total messes. But, to be frank, we like our messes. And we like keeping them separate. So, that we do, placing flat items along our perimeters to ensure that the boundaries are clear-cut and NOT to be interfered with.

Yeah, we’re a bit pedantic. What about it?

“I’ve got a good feeling about this place,” Octave revels, confidence in his voice, as he heaves in the last bag from the bus. It lands with a satisfying thunk against the wooden floor. There’s a unanimous hum of agreement with his statement from the rest of us.

Chapter Text

I wake up early the next morning, feeling refreshed… it’s a feeling I’m not used to, a feeling I used to take for granted, a feeling I hope to never take for granted ever again. I expect to hear the faint rush of early-morning traffic, but instead hear… birds?

I open my eyes, staring up at a rustic wooden ceiling. It takes a few moments, but I remember where I am, and the habitual tension and anxiety that I’ve become used to coming along with me waking up eases away considerably.

It’s so odd to actually feel like I have energy. Despite the fact that I’ve only just woken up, and should still be sleepily wiping my eyes, perhaps even turning around and falling back to sleep, I feel excited, like I’m on top of the world. The thought of staying in bed for another moment depresses me a little, and so I find myself tiptoeing over the creaky floorboards of the farmhouse, trying my best to minimise any noise I might make that would wake up the others, slip on my shoes, and after quietly closing the heavy front door, head in the direction of town.

There is not much activity in the town - not surprising, given that it’s not even seven o’clock yet, and the sun has only started to rise. It feels eerie, so unusual, to see such an open space so devoid of life, with nothing but the noise of the wind and the birds in the trees filling the silence. There is never a moment of true loneliness, true isolation, in the middle of the city. There is always something, someone, to keep you company, whether it’s the room full of people you always find yourself in, or the lights of the congested roads flickering like stars in the night. But it does begin to wear you down after awhile, having no way to truly experience peace of mind.

My breath makes white little clouds in the crisp spring air. It may have been a somewhat good idea to bring my jacket with me, but I am too excited to go back now. Like a dog staring at an open field, I just want to run around and explore everything. And so I begin to do so, walking over to what appears to be a medical clinic to the left. Potted plants sit to the left and right of the entrance, and I glance into the building itself through the windows, finding that it is nothing too unexpected, a sterile-looking environment, all white, with green wallpaper in the reception area, which seems to be empty for now.

The medical building is conjoined to another building, which I find out is called Pierre’s General Store thanks to the sign over the billboard to the left of the store’s entrance. It, like the medical centre, appears to be empty, which I take is a sign that it’s probably not open yet, either. I find myself already beginning to envy the town’s inhabitants, for being able to wake up so late in the morning without any repercussions. I take in a shuddering breath as I remember Darkwood, our band manager, a large, looming figure. He never left us alone, never let us take a break, tortured us mentally far past the breaking point…

But he’s out of the picture, now, I reassure myself . He wouldn’t be able to find out where we are right now, no matter how much he asked around…

I’m exploring the outskirts of town as I come across another unfamiliar building. I have seen a few houses, including that of Mayor Lewis, on my journey so far. He welcomed me in for a cup of tea, to which I politely declined, too eager to explore to want to stop just yet. But definitely another time , I reassured him. 

I have to climb a rather steep slope to get to this unfamiliar house, the house’s wooden foundations built upon one of the lower peaks of the mountain that casts its shadow across the sleeping valley.

I stand in front of it, admiring it, and notice that it’s Robin’s home! I do remember her mentioning that she worked with wood at some point in our discussions... I think she mentioned it in passing to Octave, or something… I wonder if she built it from the ground up? I’ll have to ask her the next time I see her.

My thoughts are interrupted as the silence of the early-morning air is broken as a person dressed entirely in a dark plum-purple outfit emerges through the front door. He softly closes the door behind himself, his movements calm, fluid. His entire demeanour changes, however, when he makes eye contact with me, suddenly tensing.

“Oh, hey, sorry, I, um.... I didn’t mean to stare,” I apologise.

“Oh, it’s... it’s fine. The name’s Sebastian, by the way, if you came looking for someone, or...”

“Oh, no, I’m not looking for anyone, just exploring. I’m Arpegius. I’m from out of town.”

“Oh? You must be the new farmer?”

“Well actually, uh... I’m one of them, yeah. I’m part of a band called the Crescendolls. You’ve probably heard of us, right?”

Sebastian looks a bit uncertain, and raises an eyebrow. “Hmm... what’s the name of your band again?”

“The Crescendolls?”

He pauses for a second to think, then shakes his head. “Nah, sorry dude. Can’t say I have heard of you.”

This comes as a surprise. Literally everyone in the city knows of us, especially people my age such as him... even those who live under a rock...

But clearly the reign of our fame doesn’t reach as far as I’d thought. A bit of a stab to the ego, but c’est la vie. Once again, I find it reassuring in a way.

“Oh, by the way. Have you met Sam?”

I shake my head.

“Oh, he’s cool. You’ll like him for sure. He’s my best buddy.”

“Sick! I’m looking forward to meeting him, then.”

Sebastian flashes a smile at me. “I think you’ll make a great addition to this town, bud. Nothing ever happens here... the air’s been getting stale... I’m looking forward to seeing you around.”

With that, he pats my shoulder and turns back to his house. He glances and waves at me as he’s about to close the door, a gesture which I return, and I let out a contented sigh. One of the things I was worried about with moving to this small town in the middle of virtually nowhere is that everyone would be old and boring. However, meeting Sebastian has erased my concerns. Even if it’s just him and Sam, that’s enough for me to feel completely happy living here.

...Wait a sec. Wasn’t Sebastian about to head up the mountain?

As if on cue, a dark-purple figure emerges from the front door. I can’t help but crack a grin as he speeds up the mountain. He seems like quite the character... I’m glad to have made his acquaintance.

Chapter Text

It’s about midday when I start heading back to the farm. The others must be significantly more interested in resting up than I am, as I haven’t seen them around town at all, and find both Octave and Baryl still fast asleep when I return, my sister, Stella, sitting out on the front porch, staring out across the disarrayed farmland in front of us, a cup of tea in her hands.

“Hey, Stel,” I say when I am within earshot, giving her a wave.

“Hey, Arpy. Have you seriously been out all morning? You woke me up when you were leaving at like, six, or whenever it was.”

Wow. I haven’t heard Stella say so much in ages. She’s practically been mute since we started being managed by Darkwood, and although she certainly talks to me much more than she talks to anyone else, it’s still incredibly rare that I’ll hear her say anything more than a single sentence at any given time.

“I - uh - ” I am admittedly quite taken aback, and initially find it a little difficult to find my own words. “Yeah. Yeah, I’ve been out since then, haha. Sorry for… for waking you, I…”

“It’s fine, I went back to sleep afterwards,” she says with a small smile, glancing at me afterwards, her eyes wide and curious, imploring me to tell her about my adventures.

I sit down next to her on the porch, finding that the view is… actually pretty nice, despite how hectic the great mess of overgrown trees and weeds scattered across the land may be. I’m not used to seeing nature in its unkempt and natural glory. Everything in the city is so tidy, and even in the parks, every tree seems to be laid out in its own invisible cubicle… it’s enough to drive a naturally disorganised person such as myself crazy.

“Well, I went out and explored the town. I know there is a lot of nature and stuff here, but, I just wasn’t in the naturey sorta mood, you know?”

She nods understandingly.

“Even though this place is super small and nothing like the city, it seems to be really cool in its own way, not gonna lie. They have a medical centre, and a general store, and - oh! Oh!”

Her eyes light up at my excitement. “What?”

“There’s this guy, and he’s really cool. His name’s Sebastian, and he has this friend called Sam, and he’s also apparently really cool. And get this, even though he’s around our age, Sebastian’s never heard of us! Isn’t that crazy?”

I pause afterwards, out of breath from my speedy ramble. “Oops. Sorry, Stel. Didn’t mean to get so excited.”

Stella stares at me for a few seconds, processing what I said, before a smirk forms on her face. “You’re fine. Do you like him?”

“Who, Sebastian? Stella!” I say, punching her playfully in the arm. “We only just got here! Don’t go assuming I like everyone I bump into already…”

She raises her eyebrows, the grin only growing on her face at my reaction.

“Hey, hey, what’s all the commotion about?” Octave says, opening the door, stepping out behind Stella and I, Baryl following him shortly after.

Stella points at me. “He likes someone.”

“No, I don’t!” I say, beginning to grin as well, her expression contagious. I am so happy to see my little sister so genuinely happy for the first time in so long, feeling warmth swell in my chest as she begins to giggle.

“Oooh, we should turn it into a game and all try to figure out who it is!!” Baryl exclaims, getting in on the teasing.

“What! But I already told Stella! That’s not fair, you guys, I don’t even like him! I just said he’s cool.”

“Okay, fine, just Octave and I will try to figure out who your… ahem, totally not crush is, then. But I swear, if we’re right…”

I roll my eyes, and we all start laughing together.

Chapter Text

At around dinnertime, we all head down to the Stardrop Saloon, absolutely starving after having eaten absolutely nothing in the twenty-four hours. We are hit by a mouthwateringly-good smell before we’ve even entered the building, and my stomach growls.

On the inside, the Saloon has wooden walls, just like the farmhouse does, the interior bathed in a comfortingly warm light, with nostalgic music playing from a jukebox in the corner of the main room. There are various people, who I can only assume must be inhabitants of the valley, scattered throughout the room, and although I wish nothing more than to dive right into a massive plate of whatever smells so goddamn good , I know it would be incredibly rude to not acquaint myself with these people.

Robin catches a glimpse of us almost instantaneously after we enter the Saloon, and rushes over to us. “Hi, you guys!” she exclaims. “I’d like you to meet my family!”

We follow her over to the table around which her family has gathered. “This is my husband, Demetrius,” she says, gesturing over to a tidy-looking man in a blue shirt, “and this is Maru, my daughter,” she continues with a gesture over to a young woman with a red bobcut, red-framed glasses, and overalls. “And there’s also my son, Sebastian… he’s on the other side of the Saloon. I’ll get him though.” She clasps her hands around her mouth and yells, “Hey Sebby! Come over here!”

The four of us turn around expectantly in the direction in which she yells. I just know that my bandmates are going to scrutinise my every move, and they know that I have a tendency to like fashionable individuals… Sebastian being one, I have to make sure to play it cool. Which is ridiculous, cause I don’t even like him, despite their teasing, I was really only just going along with it for the joke.

The emo of the hour glances up at his name being called, a scowl on his face. It takes me aback a bit - he struck me as the stoic, nonchalant type of person. But at the same time I get it. Being called over by your parents to meet people when you’re in the middle of something - which he clearly is, poised with a pool cue in his hand over a table, a spikey-haired blond on the other side of the table from him - isn’t the most fun thing in the world.

Nonetheless, he puts down the cue and makes his way over to us.

“Sebastian, Demetrius, Maru, I’d like you all to meet the new farmers in town! They’re staying in that old abandoned farm.”

“It’s a genuine pleasure to meet you all. I’m Octave,” Octave introduces himself formally, extending out a hand to the family. Demetrius extends out a hand towards him in return. “A pleasure to meet you too, Octave.”

Stella and Baryl introduce themselves next, and I notice Sebastian looking at me, smiling at him. He gives me a smaller smile in return, and I introduce myself last. “Hi, I’m Arpegius, it’s nice to meet you guys,” I say, maintaining the smile I shared with the family emo.

I glance around at their faces, Maru, and Robin smiling at me, Sebastian flicking his hair out of his face (which I take as a friendly gesture)... but Demetrius doesn’t seem too happy. He smiles at me, but it feels more like a grimace, a judgmental glare… It makes me uncomfortable, but I don’t like to take things personally, so I just pretend to not notice it.

I don’t really notice but the rest of the saloon has quietened down, listening into our conversation. A little intrusive admittedly, but at least it saves us having to introduce ourselves over, and over, and over again. The eight of us turn to face the rest of the saloon, an awkward silence ensuing for a few seconds.

“It’s nice to meet y’all again!” Pam yells out from the back, breaking the silence. She’s slurring her words, a beer in hand… yeah, that tells us all we need to know about her current level of social awareness.

A few people chuckle. “Indeed, it’s good to see you all interacting with the community already,” a familiar voice speaks out from the table on the other side of the door from us. It’s Mayor Lewis, accompanied by a stout, middle-aged lady with a kind face. The mayor gestures to her, and introduces her. “This is Marnie, by the way. She has plenty of farm-related stock, so make sure to check out her store sometime!”

“It’s nice to meet y’all!” she says with a smile, the corners of her eyes crinkling as she does so. There is a Southern twang to her voice, not too dissimilar to Stella’s own accent.

We all smile back. Stella waves shyly, Baryl waves in a way so dramatic that it sways his little frame, and Octave says, “It’s a pleasure to meet you as well.”

I already know that that’s going to be a phrase I’ll be hearing from him a lot tonight.

We make our rounds around the room, introducing ourselves to the townsfolk. They all seem very sweet - save for a man huddled in the corner of the room, back against the wall, who glares at us over a can of beer as we try to approach him. I wonder silently to myself what his deal is, but let it go quickly. Tonight is not the night to form negative opinions about the inhabitants of Pelican Town.

Eventually, we have finished introducing ourselves to everyone. I take a bathroom break, and when I return, I find that the group has dispersed somewhat. Baryl is laughing his ass off with Sam, an energetic blonde with very spikey hair, the friend whom Sebastian had mentioned to me the previous day, saying he reckoned I’d get along with him very well. Octave and Stella are talking to Haley and Emily, two sisters who are almost the polar opposite of one another. Well… Stella’s not talking - she hasn’t talked to anyone but me, really, since the time we were taken under management by our horrible manager in Zuzu City - but she is listening very intently, nodding her head in response to the others’ conversation. Both Haley and Emily had recognised us instantly and were a little. (Well. More than a little.) Shocked when we came up to introduce ourselves to them. It was funny, really, and they loosened up when we started laughing at their reactions, joining in the laughter. Not to mention it patched up the little part of my ego that had been broken by the rest of the town’s citizens not knowing of us at all before our arrival.

Chapter Text

I glance around the room, a little unsure of where to go. I find my gaze, of its own volition, eventually wandering back to where Sebastian is seated, slouched into a wooden chair, fiddling idly with the drawstrings of his dark sweater as his family talk amongst one another. He looks bored out of his mind… I wander over to him.

“Hey, Sebastian, you look like you could use some entertainment,” I say when I’m close. Shit, I think the moment the sentence comes out. That sounds suggestive as fuck taken out of context .

He seems oblivious, however, to the strange wording through which I try to grab his attention. “Hell yeah.”

He hops up and walks in the direction of… outside? I’m confused, surprised that he wouldn’t want to hang out with Sam and Baryl. However, I follow, and he leans up against an exterior brick wall of the Saloon, retrieving a small box and another object from his hoodie pocket.

“Do you smoke?” He asks.

Nervously, I shake my head. “No, never.”

He glances up at me through dark lashes. “Never in your life?”

I gulp. “Nope.”

He laughs at that, flashing a grin at me, his nose crinkling up. “Okay, now that’s something I can’t believe. In fact, I don’t believe it.”

He bounces off the wall, standing directly under me, staring me intensely in the eyes. “You’re lying, aren’t  you?”

“Maybe,” I say with a smirk, glancing back down at him. “What’s it to you?”

“Oh, nothing at all,” he replies with a sarcastic nonchalance. “It’s just that they’re Zuzu’s finest, so if you were, hypothetically, a smoker - not that you are - you’d definitely be missing out.”

He sticks a cigarette into his mouth, lighting it up while flashing the box’s label at me. It is, indeed, a very nice brand, one I’m surprised a country boy like him is able to acquire. It’s something I’d expect to see pursed between the lips of the high-life snobs who surrounded me everyday back in the city…

“Well then, I guess I would, hypothetically, have to take you up on your offer.”

He laughs. “Here, I’ll light you up.”

Handing me a stick, I place it between my lips, leaning in towards him. I observe his face in our close proximity, noticing a faint array of freckles brushed across his cheeks. I hadn’t noticed it before now…

Feeling the presence of his gaze, my eyes flit to his of their own volition. I glance away the moment I become aware, acting nonchalant to hide the embarrassment I feel.

Eventually, we are both sitting against the Saloon’s exterior wall, gazing up at the stars, in a shared cloud of smoke, absorbed in good-spirited conversation.

“You know, I’m actually trying to quit smoking,” I admit. “Like, for real.”

“Ohh,” Sebastian replies. “That explains your hesitance… Sorry if I made you feel pressured to smoke.”

I shake my head with insistence. “You’re fine. It’s been, like, two entire weeks anyway. I feel like I can get away with a smoke without too much guilt.”

“Damn. That’s longer than I’ve ever gone without one,” he says with a sigh. “Not that I’ve ever particularly tried to quit.”

There’s a lull in conversation as we relax into the silence of the night, the stars beaming down upon us, the sound of the wind rushing through the trees and hills surrounding us. The warm glow of the street lamps, the song of a few cicadas who have begun to emerge in this early stage of spring, the cloud of our collective puffs lingering about us. It’s nice, and I genuinely cannot recall the last time I felt so at peace.

Deep in my thoughts, I realise that I feel… really comfortable with Sebastian. Really, I hardly know this guy, but his presence, his demeanour… it’s one I find quite easy to vibe with. This silence isn’t one riddled with sadness, unlike how I feel with my sister, my bandmates. There is, however, an underlying itch to keep the flow of conversation going; not for the sake of termination of awkwardness, as there is one, but just to know more about the man dressed in all black. He seems so very unlike me, yet it’s not at all off-putting.

“Hey, so…” I break the silence. “Have you lived in the Valley your entire life?”

“Yeah,” he replies, sighing. “I’m trying to save up so I can move out of here. Probably to the city or something.”

“As in, Zuzu City?”

He looks at me, nodding.

Wow, this guy is very unlike me.

“Why’s that?”

He looks away, silently pondering for a moment. “I guess it would just work out better for me, you know? I can have a place of my own, with nobody there to judge me for not wanting to hang out all the time. I just feel more comfortable hidden behind the computer as opposed to dealing with people face-to-face. No offense to Sam - he’s the greatest buddy a guy could ask for - but it is tiring having to deal with him constantly wanting to hang out, and taking it personally when I say no. I’m an introvert, it’s as simple as that.”

I nod, understanding how it must feel. The community of Pelican Town seems very tightly-knit. It makes sense that it might feel quite stifling, especially given the demeanour of his best friend. It makes sense, now, that he would prefer to socialise outside, one on one, where it’s nice and quiet, a cigarette between his lips.

Both Sebastian and I put out our cigarettes, grinding them into the gravel path beneath our feet. It was nice to have a smoke, but I feel a twinge of guilt, of anxiety. I was meant to stop smoking, but I let my desire to learn more about this man win over.

“Well, it’s getting quite late, and I’m sure Sam and Abi must be wondering where I’ve gone. Let’s head back in, shall we?”

Our eyes flick to one another’s once again, and there it is, that feeling from before. Like I could stare at him for a very long time, if it weren’t so strange.

“Yeah,” I say with a smile, dusting the gravel off my pants and extending a hand to him.

He takes it, dusts himself off as well, and we head back into the Saloon.

“There you guys are!” Baryl says, poised over the pool table, Sam on the other side, as we wander into the far side of the Saloon.

The blond-haired Pelican Town resident, on the side of the table facing away from us, flicks around, a great grin bestowed upon his face.

“Sebastian, guess what!” He exclaims. “Baryl is a total pro at pool, too! You guys should totally go against each other sometime.”

He glances back over at his newfound friend, beaming from ear to ear.

“Yeah, I’m keen,” Sebastian replies.

“Aw, yeah!” Baryl says, pumping the air with his fists, accidentally knocking the white ball with great force as he does so.

He looks back at the table, sudden terror on his face, as none of the balls fall into a pocket, instead flying in every which way across the table.

“Ha!” Sam says, picking up his cue, and walking over to line it up with the white ball.

“What! No! You can’t do that! It was a mistake!” Baryl cries, exasperated.

Both Sebastian and I share a knowing glance as the two continue bickering.

“Hey, I’ll introduce you to Abigail,” Sebastian offers.

“Sure.”

We walk over to a couch in the corner of the room, where a lonely, purple-haired girl sits, knees tucked up to her chest, gazing out of the window.

“Hey, Abi,” Sebastian says as we approach her. “Sorry for not being here tonight. I hope those two were somewhat decent company.”

“It’s okay,” she says, still somewhat sad, but clearly positively affected by Sebastian’s presence.

She glances over to me. “Who’s this?”

“I’m Arpegius,” I say, stepping forward to introduce myself. “And you must be Abigail?”

She looks up at me, hesitating for a moment, glancing at Sebastian, then back at me.

“Yeah, that’s me,” she replies, standing up, extending a hand. “It’s nice to meet you.”

She exudes a strong confidence, and I offer her a smile as I shake her hand.

“Um…” She glances back over to Sebastian, breaking the handshake. “Sebastian, can I talk to you alone for a moment? If that’s okay.”

The sudden change in demeanour throws me off, and I step back.

“I’ll leave you guys to it, yeah? I’m going to go and find Stella and Octave. It was nice to meet you, Abigail.”

Sebastian looks at me. “Yeah, sounds good. It was nice to chat, dude. See you around.”

He offers a smile and a wave, which I return, as I turn on my heel, heading back in the direction of the main part of the Saloon. I glance at Abigail, and find her staring at her hands in her lap.

It’s interesting, how much her words and her actions contradict each other.

It makes her hard to read.

It makes me nervous.

Chapter Text

It’s late in the morning, the sun almost at its peak in the sky, and I have just gone with my bandmates to buy some seeds to sow on the farm. Baryl and I are now knee-deep in dirt from digging trees, stones, and other debris out from the land on our farm, with Stella following closely behind us, hoe in one hand, potato seeds in the other. Octave is the caboose, watering everything that Stella plants, careful to not get any dirt on his outfit. It’s one thing he’s always been particular about - we poke fun at him for it from time to time, but it’s not generally of any disadvantage to us, so none of us truly judge him for it.

Baryl is scything away at a stubborn patch of fibrous grass, when suddenly, a hat-like object pops out from between the grass.

He gasps, lifting it up, admiring it. “Oh, my god!”

We all glance over at it. It seems to be made of the very fibre he is standing amongst, and he places it gently atop his head, as if he were crowning himself.

“Nice find, dude!” I exclaim, putting my fist out for a fist pump, which he returns with great vigour. 

Stella smiles at him bemusedly, and Octave just stares, clearly afflicted by the tackiness of the thing.

We continue clearing the land until everything has been planted, the surrounding area cleared of growth so that the chances of anything growing onto the tilled land and eating away at our crops is greatly reduced. We are standing on the balcony, admiring our work, when Stella’s stomach suddenly grumbles, and she quickly ducks her head, blushing.

“Well, I guess it’s right about lunchtime,” Octave says. “Why don’t we hit up the Saloon?”

“Yeah!” Baryl yells, jumping up and down like a little kid. “Let’s go to the Saloon!”

We all begin to wander in that general direction, and are chatting amongst ourselves, when I suddenly become very aware of a darkened figure scampering around in the bushes lining the walk from the farm to the city.

“What the hell?” I ask, stopping in my tracks to look at the bushes.

“What is it, Arpegius?” Octave says, glancing back at me, also stopping once he sees the look of concern on my face.

“There’s... I...”

The figure pauses for a second, before emerging from the bush, scampering hurriedly to another bush nearby.

We all jump, staring with shock, and glance at one another. Eventually, all eyes land on me, and I know that it’s going to have to be me who investigates.

Slowly, carefully, I approach the bush, not wanting to startle whatever it is that’s inside. It is definitely not your regular wild animal - it’s closer to the size of a small child - hence the investigation. Not to mention, whatever it is that’s hiding inside seems to be overcome with fear, as the bush is trembling.

Eventually, I find myself standing about two feet away. I slowly lower down to my knees, hands poised in front of me in defense. I reach for the bush, and...

Of course, the creature inside jolts out, making an extremely hurried beeline for some bushes far, far away. It moves with an incredible amount of speed, especially for something so small. Much faster than any dog or cat.

It drops a magnifying glass in its wake, which I pick up with some hesitance. Upon closer inspection, I notice various runes are carved along the rim of the magnifying glass. Standing back up, I reveal the magnifying glass to the group.

“Check it out,” I say. “It has some weird stuff on the sides. I wonder if anyone could help us out with understanding what it is...?”

For some reason, I feel absolutely certain this magnifying glass is going to be extremely useful to us. I can’t explain why, and really, it’s quite strange to be filled with such certainty. I don’t even remember the last time I felt so certain of something... anything at all...

“Maybe someone at the Saloon can help us figure it out... come on you guys, I’m hungry!” Baryl pleads, pulling on Stella’s sleeve like a little boy.

We all laugh, but Baryl has a point. There are always a few people hanging out at the Saloon, regardless of the hour. Even if they themselves can’t help, surely they can provide a pointer or two with regards to someone who can help.

The bells above the door jingle as we enter the Saloon.

“Hey, Farmers!” Gus exclaims with a cheery smile as we head towards the bar. “How can I help y’all out?”

There are a few other people littered about the Saloon, but just as much as you’d expect in the middle of the day in the middle of the week. Pam and Shane are, of course, here, both invested deeply in their own pints of beer. It’s a wonder the two aren’t friends - they’re always seated on opposite sides of the room from each other. It seems that Shane has a strong disliking towards just about everyone who isn’t part of his immediate family, and Pam is just blissfully unaware that Shane even exists, nothing in the world more important to her than the amount of beer in her glass. But despite this, their struggles are similar, and the Valley isn’t that big. It’s a wonder nobody has suggested they become acquainted with one another - after all, it is often through mutual struggle that people are able to recover.

There are also some other people there - Pierre, the Mayor, Marnie… other than that, hardly anyone at all. It’s interesting seeing the Saloon in such a different state of being, so starkly different, so peaceful, in comparison to how it looks on a Friday evening.

“Hi, Gus, it’s good to see you,” Octave says, stepping forward, hand diving into his pocket for cash. “Can we grab, uhh…”

His face pales as his hand withdraws all but 300g. Definitely not enough for a big meal each. We did buy a lot of potatoes, but I didn’t realise we bought that much… We’ll all have to share a meal.

“A plate of spaghetti, if that’s alright?”

“Of course! But, er…” Gus glances around Octave’s shoulder at the rest of us. “Will that really be enough for all of you?”

“It’ll be fine, I don’t have much of an appetite,” I lie, stepping forward. “Just ate a ton of food back at the house.”

Octave and Baryl look at me hesitantly. “Yeah,” Baryl agrees, stammering.

We sit down at a table towards the entrance of the Saloon, far from Shane and Pam, closer to everyone else. For awhile, we discuss future plans for the farm - well, Octave tries to, Stella listening carefully, nodding in agreeance, while Baryl and I crack jokes here and there. It is becoming increasingly obvious that we are beginning to get under Octave’s skin, and therefore getting what we want, and just when we think we are about to get him, Gus comes up behind us, and places a heaping pile of spaghetti in the centre of the table. “One plate of spaghetti! Enjoy,” he says with a grin, before heading back in the direction of the bar as more patrons filter in.

We all gawk at the plate. The spaghetti is piled quite high - it’s clear that Gus didn’t quite buy my lie, as there is no way that this is 240g worth of spaghetti. Baryl’s stomach growls with comedic timing, and after a quick chorus of laughter, we all dig in.

It’s delicious. Not nearly as fancy as the spaghetti we often had while living our high lives back in the city, but damn, it’s still good, almost better in a way. It is like you can taste the effort that Gus put in with concern for us. My heart swells with appreciation as I dig into the pasta.

I notice Stella isn’t eating much though, rather just picking mindlessly at the pasta on her corner of the plate with her fork. I nudge her with my knee to get eye contact, and she looks at me, confused. It’s as if there is a cloud over her eyes, separating her from reality.

“Why don’t you eat, Stel?” I whisper, nudging her with my wrist.

She just stares, and after a few seconds of silence, replies, “I am.”

I know there’s no winning with this. I know the direction in which this conversation is leading. She’s become incredibly quiet nowadays, so it’ll probably just escalate to me freaking out at her silence, urging her to eat, until I make a big scene and scare everyone else in the Saloon. It happened back in Zuzu… though knowing, now, that we were all under mind control back there, it explains why I hardly ever did become concerned enough about her to make a fuss. I love my little sister more than anything, and even despite this excuse of mind control, I feel an awfully heavy weight in the pit of my stomach when I think about how I let her down when we were living in the city.

The tension in the air has hardly fizzed out when a familiar purple-haired figure approaches the table. She leans on Stella’s chair, and flicks her hair over her shoulder. “Arpegius, was it? Do you mind if we chat for a moment?”

I struggle to read her facial expression, but whatever expression it is, it most certainly isn’t a positive one.

I gulp.

Oh, god.