Spring - 7 - xxx1
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That's my line! The mayor's on my lawn at 6 AM!
"What is it?"
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"...the square tomorrow. Join us, if you like."
"...What is the sowing festival?" Are there free seeds in it, perchance?
"All the more reason for you to attend."
He adds with a cheery smile as he goes.
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"Sweet! A turnip crop!"
I pick all the turnips before bringing them to the shipping bin. I'm hoping to get a solid string of funds coming in from here -- I even bought a spare bag of seeds from the shop, since it's closed on a sunday.
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...But I hold onto one. Just one. I got the feeling...Like I could need it. Call it a hunch.
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He's an older guy, so he's probably met me when I was a kid. That sort of thing just follows.
"Well, it's..."
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"And you...are..."
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Already leaving. Stellar manners, Mr. Man.
Elli's not at the bakery today, so it looks like I'm carrying that flower for dead weight. Great...
But I do say hello to her granny on my way.
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"What do you mean by that?"
"Well, for example... You've plunged completely unprepared into a new life, certain you'll be able to face it head-on. At my age, I'm not sure I could change my life. Change, too, is something to envy the young..."
"No, I think a lot of people my age are afraid of changing their lives. The future...looks so big. But I was more afraid of not changing, in the end... Besides... I have at least a little faith.."
"I see...Well, I think there's something to be said for having faith. For the rest of us, there's always Parson Brown."
Oh, yeah...There is a church, isn't there?
"Well, it
is Sunday, so maybe I'll check it out."
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Apparently only the mayor and his wife need faith. I wonder what they worship here -- the city I'm from didn't really worship anything in particular.
The parson's just finishing up his service here.
"Hey, I was wondering..." I slide around the pews and ask the mayor's wife in a hushed tone. "What happens at the Sowing Festival? No one's saying."
"It must seem a little mysterious to an outsider." She titters behind a gloved hand.
"I found it a little odd myself..."
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"A king is selected at the Harvest Festival in the fall."
And sacrificed when things go bad in the winter, huh? ...Well, probably not today, but once upon a time, right?
Anyway, it looks like the man in charge is done, so let's introduce ourselves.
"Hi there. I'm Fox."
"Ah, I'm Parson Brown...I've heard a bit about you."
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"Thanks..." Always, always... "Say, what is the church for, exactly?"
He directs my gaze to the statue of a woman in the alcove behind him. She's a beautiful young-looking woman in a flowing robe...But I...
As I stare, I realize...That she looks very familiar.
"She's a local goddess of nature and the harvest; most of the locals call her The Harvest Goddess."
He pauses as if expecting me to make a crack. But really, his words are just an atonal drone in the back of my head.
Where did I see...
"A long time ago, she wandered the mountains freely, and attended her own festivals...But it's been a long time. To an outsider, it must seem like our goddess is a lie."
My father thinks all gods are lies at best and frauds at worst, so I can't really compare.
All I know is...
I've seen that woman. She's the goddess I saw when I was a kid, the one that all the psychologists said I wasn't crazy for making up, that answer that always dissapointed my dad.
...Did I really just see the statue here, and think I saw the real thing?
"How did they used to get in touch with her?"
"She had a spring, in the mountains. We used to throw offerings to her, and she would emerge...But we lost track of the spring a long time ago."
"So no one can see her."
"Correct."
What a pity...
"...I don't think she's a fake."
But I don't know what I know.
I head off to the library to read my thoughts away.
...And there's another kid here today, a little boy.
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"Nice to meet you. I'm Fox."
"Hey, you run that farm, right Mr. Fox? That's so cool!"
"Please, Kent, don't call me Mister."
"Ok, then how about Bro?"
"...Sure, Bro's fine by me."
"I'll tell my brother that, too. Hey, can I come by and see stuff sometimes?"
"Sure, Kent. Sure."
"Awesome! Farms are so much better than dumb potion shops!"
...I'm not sure I want to know.
"Hey, Maria."
She ducks away. Did I do something wrong?
"Oh, P-please don't come tommorow..."
"Because of the festival?"
"T-that's right...But even if it weren't a festival, you couldn't come."
"And that's because?"
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"I see. Thanks for the heads up, Maria. I hope to see you tommorow anyway."
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...That is not someone I expected to see here.
"Hey, Popuri. What are you doing all the way out here?"
"Oh, don't worry; I'm not lost."
"That's not what I asked."
"Oh, well, then... Anyway, I like coming out here. The animals are all very friendly, and Gray and Ann are good friends of mine."
"Who?"
She points to...Mr. Angry Cowboy. Who sees us looking at him, meets Popuri's eyes for a moment, and turns stiffly away.
What a weirdo...
I end up going back into the mountain for a second run at shippables...
When I end up going to a quieter stretch of forest than usual.
There, flowers bloom peacefully. Someone once built a little bridge over the stream, but it's kind of falling apart now. It does a good enough job at holding my weight.
...But it's only a bit of a stream, isn't it? The water just bubbles up, as if from the center of the earth, sparkling in the light as it swirls and moves, as a sunbeam moves out from a spring cloud to strike it, turning my vision dazzlingly white with the reflection, the details of the glade lost to the glare.
Everything is still and quiet here, and I can't help but feel like something here's an omen.
"Well, just one test, OK? Just because I have an offering."
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...Maybe I did dream her...
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Or. Not.
She rises up, leaving a trail of water trickling off her robes -- she's completely dry, but the water sparkles like diamonds as it falls off of her. She's exactly what I rembember, and she greats me with a smile.
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"these days, you know that...Fox?"
"...You know my name." Ug. I sound like an idiot. What the heck do you do when you meet a goddess. Do you bow?
"Of course I do, silly! Didn't I tell you -- you and the land are connected. And because you're connected to the land, you're connected to me."
...
"Ummm...I sort of..." 'I sort of wasn't sure if you really existed, except I sort of was. That's wonderfully articulate, Fox. I settle for something goofier. "It's very nice to see you again."
"And you! I was worried you had forgotten me! I'm so happy to see you've grown into a generous young man, to give offerings to a goddess like me <3."
I blush, which only makes her laugh and drape an arm around my shoulder.
"Well, I suppose on this reunion, since you've given me a gift from your own hands, I should give you one, too!"
"You don't really need to..."
"Nonsense! How else will I make sure you stay a..."
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I'm not sure spirituality works that way, Miss Goddess...
"...Well, I could use a little help with the girls here. I don't get country girls; they're so pleasant it's hard to read them."
"Well, tell you what! If you finish your treasure hunt, I'll make what you find into a tool...A magical tool to divine their hearts."
"Divine their hearts? That sounds a little...invasive."
"Nothing like that, silly boy <3. You'll just get to understand something special. And its magic will last as long as you need it to. How's that?"
"Well, I'm not sure it's right for me to ask anything from a Goddess, right?"
She shakes her head, almost sadly.
"No, Fox...You are my worshipper, and I am your patron. It's my duty to help you. When you're good to Momma, Momma's good to you, after all <3."
...When did a goddess get to see
Chicago?
"...I'll do my best."
"Alright! Your wish will be granted!"
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I run and drop some herbs off, and decide to maybe hit the beach for fishing...
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When I notice Karen standing by the water.
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"Hey. I'm surprised to see you here."
"...The sea is just very pretty. It's not a big deal... But I always feel free, just sitting here by the water."
"Yeah...It's big enough that it feels like you could go on forever."
"...You're sometimes pretty smart, you know that? Just don't let it go to your head...You better get going. It's getting dark."
...I was going to... Oh, nevermind. I do have work to do, after all.
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Wow. My money situation's suddenly a lot better.
I do my chores.
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I'd "Finish that treasure hunt" if only it weren't so late...
So for tonight, it's time for bed.
Spring - 8 - XXX1
It's a festival day, and I get the impression a festival may take a while... So I get my chores done in the morning.
...And try to finish the treasure hunt. I trace the line of the dog house and the tree with my eye until I hit on a spot on the edge of the field.
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This looks likely.
I dig and dig and dig and wonder what past-me's arms were made of...
And I dig up this.
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Some 'magical tool.' ...But I bet when I buried it, it worked. Is the hunt not complete until it works?
But first, I need to rush to the square. It's getting late!
By the time I start, ceremonies are underway.
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"Please sow the seeds. Good luck."
How much luck does it take to drop stuff from a hot air balloon, really?
Still, it looks like everyone else has balloons, too. I wonder if I'll get a balloon.
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"What hard masters."
So that old man runs the potion shop... Seems I'm learning all sorts of things.
"Who are you going to choose for an assistant?"
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So this must be Kent's brother he mentioned? They don't look alike.
"No problem. I don't like high places!"
He says that with a big smile that makes me think... He's totally lying. I get the impression that a kid like him thinks high places are totally amazing.
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And so the two of them rise up in their big balloon, with the slow grace of a celestial body, like the sun rising. Behind me, Kent waves his hardest. Even I wave.
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He comments to me when he sees me there.
"Well, I bet he's really excited, though...I'm actually an only child, so I think it's kind of awesome that you let him go."
"...I'm just doin' what I'm s'possedta..." He muttered, looking away a little shyly. I laugh -- I guess I'm getting mature enough that I find the shyness of a kid being praised a little funny.
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"This year, so they'll fly towards the mountains. It'll be a great sight, and the mountain wind will tear all the bags open."
"Bags?"
"You'll see."
Man, everyone's so cryptic about this. Or at least the guys are. I guess what seeds a man sows are his own business, huh? ;p
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"It's....adorable?" It's a balloon. But if a girl asks if something's cute, say yes. That's one of my rules.
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"Probably not. It's not exactly a practical sort of method, is it?"
"It works fine for dandelions."
"I guess... But I bet even they don't have a lot of sprouts. Just some."
"Even just a few would be nice."
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"Sure, sure..." Who would I tell?
"We never have enough mountain walnuts for a pie, so I'd like some improvement one day."
"Well, I guess it's good to plan for tommorow."
"It's what the spring is for, I think. Being ready for a good year."
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"It would be nice...But there's never any shortage, is there?"
"N-no, not really... But whether there's a shortage or not, things that make the world a brighter place are good things. What makes a flower good isn't that they're pretty; it's that when a person sees them, and they become happier...That beauty matters."
She stares up at the sky, and I admit...In that moment, maybe her beauty matters. I try not to think about girls who aren't into me like that in that sort of term...But a guy can't help but look.
She catches me watching and turns away, blushing. Before she can take it back, I add, softly,
"I think you're right."
She nods and smiles.
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"And on the clouds, too <3. And maybe even in places like the caves... It's be fun."
"What would the flowers root onto on the clouds? Don't they need soil?"
"They could be like cloud bromeliads...The whole sky would become the tropics. It'd be great."
"So they'd be on a tropical vacation now?"
"And then, maybe he'll stay..."
She shakes her head, wiping off the wistful expression that appeared on her face.
[color=palevioletred["You got it!...But even if that can't happen..."[/color]
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"That flowers will blossom everywhere. My prayers are no good if I don't mean everywhere, right?"
"I guess..." I'm not sure there's any god who's that literal.
...But even so, that's a really cute dream.
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"I put in some grass seeds. I hope they reach your farm."
"So do I. Fodder-grass is pricey!"
We laugh.
"Grass is really more my style, but everyone does flowers."
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"...Eh, flowers are useful, when you get down to it. Circle of life and all...But totally."
We nod.
Anyway, it looks like the Florist is the one to talk to about this sort of thing...
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"To let the balloons go?"
"Wait, don't I get a balloon?"
"Of course! You're just the last one, since you showed up late."
She hands me a white balloon.
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And we let them go. They all rise up almost in unison, little balloons with erratic flights, weighted by the seed bags. They're exactly like dandelions, spreading out so that the whole mountain will see seeds. Maybe.
But against the distant, white mountains, the colors of the balloons...Seem really beautiful. I watch them go for a while. The lands will be covered in seeds, with any luck, and it'll really feel like spring.
Well, I hope you like that, Miss Goddess.
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