Forget-Me-Not

22: endless 

Every time she would visit her parents on holidays or birthdays honestly felt like it was a never-ending merry-go-round where she had to deal with all of their endless questions. Will they ever cut her some slack and just be appreciative of her presence? Aren’t they tired of asking the same things so many times within the same year? Apparently not, since they keep prying and prodding for information they’ll never get even if Jill herself wanted to be forthcoming.

No, she isn’t dating anyone. Yes, she’s fine with being single.No, she doesn’t care about getting married right now.Yes, she’s aware that she happens to be 26 years old.No, she doesn’t want children– in fact, she’s not even sure if her “biological clock” is even ticking in the first place.Yes, she’s fine living a life to the fullest without a child being dependent of her at every second of every day.

Her answers haven’t changed for a very simple reason: There’s nothing really going on in her life. Which she’s perfectly fine with, despite all of her mom’s annoying protests and whiny complaints. Why does it matter so much? It’s not like they don’t have lives of their own to worry about, considering how they barely have time to call or come visit on their own accord. They never spent much time with their one and only child, so why do they want grandchildren this badly anyway?

22: tomorrow

Tomorrow. It could be a wonderful day.

That was something to look forward too, way back when Jill was still in elementary school, and it kept her going for the most part despite many wishes on her favorite star. Each day was spent avoiding interactions with certain bullies, both on and off the playground. There were some days where even hiding in the bathroom wasn’t safe enough because they’d always find her. Hell, she would even sneak back into the classroom during lunchtime just to hide under her desk since nobody would actually venture back into the one place that might give them extra work to do. Eventually though, they figured it out and decided to put gum in her hair as punishment for causing them so much trouble by forcing them to hunt her down like this. Needless to say, having to get a boyish haircut only amplified the remarks that would be thrown at her whenever she passed by the playground.

Hiding spot after hiding spot would be found, no matter how clever she may be when it came to tucking herself away in tight spots, until one day… She found herself crossing paths with someone a little bit older than herself. It was a miracle that she came to the right place, at the right time, so that older girl could punch one of the bullies square in the nose. Hard enough to make them gasp and bleed, forcing them to think over their choices for even a few seconds. That should teach them! They didn’t anticipate a stranger defending their victim like this… So they did what they felt was the safest option. Run away, like the cowards they truly were deep down.

A blessing in disguise– as Jill would remember it fondly– which saved her from having to hide until the end of her school years. That didn’t stop her from keeping her distance from people though, but this new friend was good enough for her. She would rather have one close friend than a bunch of people who barely knew or cared for her, after all.

Thinking back on these memories, Jill could only smile and even laugh a little bit after she realized something about back then.

Another cold afternoon in this winter wonderland known as Arcadia. There she was, heading home from a hard day’s work on Sunset Ranch when she decided to stop on the sidewalk and check out a strange blue flower hanging out right beneath a dead-looking tree. Jill kept her distance from the plant though, knowing it could likely be her downfall should she make one wrong more by stepping onto an invisible sheet of black ice which could be hidden beneath the pure white snow. Sure, the sidewalks were almost always kept nice and clean, but that meant dumping the piles of snow somewhere off to the sides on top of who knows what.

So yeah, definitely not taking a chance on meeting her demise over some pretty flower that shouldn’t be as vibrant as it was. That kind of lesson was learned a long time ago.

Turning her view back to the sidewalk, she took a step forward to start walking again, but this time she had to stop in her tracks because someone caught her attention just a few feet in front of her.

...That someone happened to be barreling right for her after slipping on ice themselves--

Sᴏᴍᴇᴛʜɪɴɢ ᴡᴇɪʀᴅ ʜᴀs ʙᴇᴇɴ ɢᴏɪɴɢ ᴏɴ ɪɴ ᴛʜɪs ꜰᴀʀᴍ ʜᴏᴜsᴇ. Yᴇsᴛᴇʀᴅᴀʏ, I ᴄᴏᴜʟᴅ ʜᴀᴠᴇ sᴡᴏʀɴ ᴛʜᴀᴛ I ʟᴇꜰᴛ ᴍʏ ᴊᴀᴄᴋᴇᴛ ꜰᴏʟᴅᴇᴅ ᴏᴠᴇʀ ᴛʜᴇ ᴄʜᴀɪʀ ɪɴ ᴍʏ ʙᴇᴅʀᴏᴏᴍ, ʙᴜᴛ ᴛʜᴇɴ ᴛᴏᴅᴀʏ... Iᴛ ᴡᴀs ʜᴀɴɢɪɴɢ ᴜᴘ ɪɴ ᴍʏ ᴄʟᴏsᴇᴛ. Tʜᴀᴛ's ɴᴏᴛ ᴛʜᴇ ᴏɴʟʏ ᴛʜɪɴɢ ᴛʜᴀᴛ's ᴍᴏᴠᴇᴅ ᴛʜᴏᴜɢʜ. I ʟᴇꜰᴛ ᴀɴ ᴀᴘᴘʟᴇ ᴏᴜᴛ ᴏɴ ᴍʏ ᴅʀᴇssᴇʀ ᴀ ꜰᴇᴡ ᴅᴀʏs ᴀɢᴏ ᴀɴᴅ ɪᴛ ᴅɪsᴀᴘᴘᴇᴀʀᴇᴅ. Iᴛ ᴄᴀɴ'ᴛ ʙᴇ Fʀɪᴛᴢ ʙᴇᴄᴀᴜsᴇ ʜᴇ ᴋɴᴏᴡs ʙᴇᴛᴛᴇʀ ᴛʜᴀɴ ᴛᴏ ɢᴏ ɪɴᴛᴏ ᴍʏ ʀᴏᴏᴍ ᴡɪᴛʜᴏᴜᴛ ᴍʏ ᴘᴇʀᴍɪssɪᴏɴ, ʙᴇsɪᴅᴇs ᴛʜᴀᴛ, I'ᴍ ᴘʀᴇᴛᴛʏ sᴜʀᴇ ʜᴇ ᴡᴏᴜʟᴅ ʙᴇ ᴀꜰʀᴀɪᴅ ᴛᴏ ᴍᴇss ᴡɪᴛʜ ᴍᴇ ʟɪᴋᴇ ᴛʜɪs.

I'ᴍ ɴᴏᴛ ʟᴏsɪɴɢ ᴍʏ sᴀɴɪᴛʏ, ᴀᴍ I?

Oʜ ᴡᴇʟʟ, ɪᴛ's ɴᴏᴛ ʟɪᴋᴇ I ᴄᴀɴ ᴄᴀʟʟ ᴛʜᴇ Gʜᴏsᴛʙᴜsᴛᴇʀs ᴀʙᴏᴜᴛ ᴛʜɪs... Nᴏᴛʜɪɴɢ ʜᴀʀᴍꜰᴜʟ ʜᴀs ʜᴀᴘᴘᴇɴᴇᴅ ʏᴇᴛ, sᴏ I sʜᴏᴜʟᴅɴ'ᴛ ᴡᴏʀʀʏ ᴛᴏᴏ ᴍᴜᴄʜ... Rɪɢʜᴛ? Rɪɢʜᴛ.

I ᴊᴜsᴛ ɴᴇᴇᴅ ᴛᴏ ꜰᴏᴄᴜs ᴏɴ ᴛʜᴇ ɴᴇᴡ ʏᴇᴀʀ. I'ᴠᴇ ᴀʟᴍᴏsᴛ ɢᴏᴛ ᴇɴᴏᴜɢʜ ᴍᴏɴᴇʏ ᴛᴏ ᴘᴀʏ ᴏꜰꜰ ᴍʏ ɢʀᴀɴᴅᴘᴀ's ᴅᴇʙᴛs, ʙᴜᴛ ᴀꜰᴛᴇʀ ᴛʜᴀᴛ I ᴡᴏᴜʟᴅ ʙᴇ ꜰʟᴀᴛ ʙʀᴏᴋᴇ. Sᴛɪʟʟ ɴᴏᴛ ᴇɴᴏᴜɢʜ ᴍᴏɴᴇʏ ᴛᴏ ꜰɪx ᴛʜᴇ ʙᴀʀɴ ᴀɴᴅ ᴄᴏᴏᴘ... Gᴏᴛᴛᴀ ᴋᴇᴇᴘ ᴍʏ ʜᴇᴀᴅ ᴜᴘ ᴀɴᴅ ᴡᴏʀᴋ ᴀ ʟɪᴛᴛʟᴇ ʜᴀʀᴅᴇʀ.

I ᴄᴀɴ ᴅᴏ ᴛʜɪs!

The front door nearly snapped off its hinges from the way Jill slammed it shut. Boy was she exhausted, and it showed, there were bags under her eyes and they weren’t about to disappear no matter how far she could sink into her bed.

“If it wasn’t for the fact that I got a good haul out of a day’s work, then I would never do this again. At least not all in one day... My feet are sore from scavenging all over the place and I nearly impaled myself on a branch when I was chasing that stupid Emperor Dragonfly. I don’t know how anyone else might be able to do this every single day unless they’re hooked up to several energizer batteries... I’m just glad I was able to sell everything off so I don’t have to worry about anything for the rest of the day.”

- -

Expenses

[No Expenses] Lives on Forget-Me-Not Farm.

Profits

[+1,500G] For working at the Sunset Ranch.

[+1,000G] For working at Moonshine Ranch.

[+1,000G] For being the owner of Forget-Me-Not Farm.

[+500G] For updating your Biography / Diary pages.

[+500G] For updating your info in the Character Information doc. 

[ +4,500G ]

New Balance: 9,500G

- -

Minigames

[Foraging] 23,300G

[Crittercatching] 5,720G

New Balance: 38,520G

Eᴠᴇʀ sɪɴᴄᴇ I ᴍᴏᴠᴇᴅ ɪɴᴛᴏ ᴍʏ ɢʀᴀɴᴅᴘᴀ’s ꜰᴀʀᴍ, I ᴋᴇᴇᴘ ʜᴇᴀʀɪɴɢ sᴏᴍᴇᴛʜɪɴɢ ᴍᴀᴋɪɴɢ ᴡᴇɪʀᴅ ᴀs ꜰᴜᴄᴋ ɴᴏɪsᴇs ɪɴ ᴛʜᴇ ᴀᴛᴛɪᴄ, ʙᴜᴛ ᴛʜᴇʀᴇ’s ɴᴏ ᴡᴀʏ ɪɴ ʜᴇʟʟ ᴛʜᴀᴛ I’ᴍ ɢᴏɪɴɢ ᴜᴘ ᴛʜᴇʀᴇ ᴛᴏ ꜰɪɴᴅ ᴏᴜᴛ ᴡʜᴀᴛ’s ɪɴ ᴛʜᴇʀᴇ. I ᴋɴᴏᴡ I’ᴍ ɴᴏᴛ ᴄʀᴀᴢʏ. Iᴛ’ʟʟ ᴍᴏᴠᴇ ᴡʜᴇɴ I’ᴍ ᴍᴏᴠɪɴɢ, ᴛʜᴇɴ ɪᴛ sᴛᴏᴘs ᴡʜᴇɴᴇᴠᴇʀ I ᴛʀʏ ᴛᴏ ʟɪsᴛᴇɴ ꜰᴏʀ ɪᴛ... Lɪᴋᴇ ɪᴛ’s ɪɴᴛᴇʟʟɪɢᴇɴᴛ ᴇɴᴏᴜɢʜ ᴛᴏ ɴᴏᴛ ɢᴇᴛ ᴄᴀᴜɢʜᴛ ɪɴ ᴛʜᴇ ᴀᴄᴛ.

Aʟʟ I ᴄᴀɴ ʜᴏᴘᴇ ꜰᴏʀ ɪs ᴛʜᴀᴛ ɪᴛ’s ᴊᴜsᴛ ᴀ ꜰᴜᴄᴋɪɴɢ ʀᴀᴄᴄᴏᴏɴ ᴀɴᴅ ɴᴏᴛ sᴏᴍᴇ ᴄʀᴇᴇᴘʏ ɢʜᴏsᴛ ᴍᴏɴsᴛᴇʀ ᴏʀ ᴡʜᴀᴛᴇᴠᴇʀ ᴇxɪsᴛs ɪɴ ᴛʜɪs ʜᴇʟʟsᴄᴀᴘᴇ ᴡᴇ ᴄᴀʟʟ ʜᴏᴍᴇ.

FRITZ... Sʜᴏᴜʟᴅ ʏᴏᴜ ʀᴇᴀᴅ ᴍʏ ᴅɪᴀʀʏ ʟᴀᴛᴇʀ ʙᴇᴄᴀᴜsᴇ ɪᴛ ᴅᴇᴄɪᴅᴇᴅ ᴛᴏ ᴄᴏᴍᴇ ᴅᴏᴡɴ ʜᴇʀᴇ ᴀɴᴅ ᴇᴀᴛ ᴍᴇ, ᴘʟᴇᴀsᴇ ʟɪɢʜᴛ ᴍʏ ᴅɪᴀʀʏ ᴏɴ ꜰɪʀᴇ ɪᴍᴍᴇᴅɪᴀᴛᴇʟʏ ᴀɴᴅ ᴍᴀᴋᴇ sᴜʀᴇ ᴛᴏ ʜᴜɴᴛ ᴛʜᴀᴛ ᴛʜɪɴɢ ᴅᴏᴡɴ ᴛᴏ ɢᴇᴛ ʀᴇᴠᴇɴɢᴇ ꜰᴏʀ ᴍᴇ. I ᴍᴇᴀɴ ɪᴛ, ʏᴏᴜ ʙᴇᴛᴛᴇʀ ɴᴏᴛ ʟᴇᴛ ᴍᴇ ᴅᴏᴡɴ ᴏʀ ᴇʟsᴇ I’ʟʟ ᴄᴏᴍᴇ ʙᴀᴄᴋ ᴛᴏ ʜᴀᴜɴᴛ ʏᴏᴜ ꜰᴏʀ ᴛʜᴇ ʀᴇsᴛ ᴏꜰ ᴛɪᴍᴇ.

Jill’s parents had an uncanny ability of making her love them and hate them simultaneously, so it wouldn’t surprise her at all if they told Aurelia where to find find their daughter while also informing her of how messed up her situation is at the same time. The last thing she needs is an old friend’s pity being thrown into her face. It’s embarrassing enough as is that she hasn’t been able to fix up the old warned down barn or even the coop that looks like a tornado ran straight through it, when she’s had several months to work on them personally. But no, her parents don’t understand how she feels (not that they care to try anyway) and they’re more than happy to tell everyone she knows about her failures as if they’re actually achievements. Seriously, they fucking SMILE when they talk about these things that bother the shit out of their one and only child!

Hopefully, Aurelia got the information she needed and left immediately before they could expose any other humiliating information that the nun doesn’t need to learn about.

- -

Fritz was out for the day, so Jill took this opportunity to clean up the shabby shack they call a house. Dishes, washed and put away. Floors, swept and mopped. Laundry, folded and put away. Everything looked as nice as it possibly could be, but she felt unsatisfied anyway since she had hopes of doing something more with the place. Maybe an extension to give them more space on the main floor or even a basement would do, then they could figure out which one of them would end up moving into the new space... But that required money, which she certainly didn’t have. Yet. Someday soon, she’ll get that extension and actually venture into the attic to fix it up too!

The brunette was sitting at the dining-room table as she daydreamed about her future aspirations when a weak knocking sound came from the front door. She ignored it at first, thinking it was just the wind, but the knocking only creased both in volume and speed. Her peaceful expression was replaced with one that practically screamed murder because she had no idea why anyone would be so eager about getting her attention like this, not unless it was Fritz and he was locked out in the cold like a little puppy or something... Eventually she chose to get up and answer the door, opening it just enough to get a glimpse of the person standing outside.