Archive of Our Own

Chapter Text

Sebastian jiggled the knob of the community center’s backdoor. It didn’t budge. Rotten luck. Lewis must’ve discovered that people were sneaking into the abandoned building that way and closed it off. Muttering under his breath, he rounded the back of the building. One of the windows had been busted out ages ago. Abigail had thrown a frisbee just a little too hard back in middle school and been grounded for days. Lewis had probably boarded it up by now, but there was no harm in checking. If he couldn’t get into the community center, he would cut his losses and crash with Linus.

A wry smile spread across his face as he saw that Lewis hadn’t bothered to repair the window. He must’ve figured no one would be dumb enough to squeeze past shards of broken glass. In the dim light, he gingerly reached an arm through the shattered pane and felt for the catch. Bingo. Looks like Linus would be spared a roommate this evening. Pulling his hoodie over his head, he gripped the top of the broken pane through the plush material and shimmied it open.

His backpack went through first, sending up little clouds of leaves in its wake. He swung a leg over the sill and dropped awkwardly into the main room of the community center. It was dark inside, with floorboards missing in places and a hut in one corner. A heavy coating of dust and grime clung to every surface.

Picking his backpack up, he picked his way across the floor to the little hut. “Hello? Little friends?”

There was no response from the hut. The Junimos must’ve turned in for the night. Still, it’d be rude to not leave them a gift. Reaching into his backpack, he pulled out a slightly bruised Wild Plum and placed it near the door. “Pardon the intrusion, I’ll be gone in the morning.”

He picked a room with no windows and (mostly) solid flooring and spread his blankets out for the evening. Using his backpack as a pillow, he pulled his phone out of his pocket and, grimacing, switched it back on. The damage was about as expected. Cracks webbed across the screen accompanied by green lines. At least, he could still get texts, of which he had about a dozen: some from his mother, most from Maru, and one from Demetrius. Sebastian narrowed his eyes as he read: You’re being ridiculous. Just come home.

“This is technically your fault,” Sebastian huffed. He opened one of Maru’s texts, and without reading it, responded: I’m staying at Sam’s tonight. He set his phone on the floor and rolled over to face the wall. Snuggling down in his blankets, he shut his eyes tight on the day and silently hoped for a better tomorrow. Just as he was drifting off, he felt something climbing up onto his shoulder.

He opened one eye a crack and could barely make out a small green Junimo with a leaf dangling from its stem in the dim light. “Came to wish me goodnight, huh?”

The Junimo blinked.

“Well, come on then.” He patted the space next to him on the blankets. The Junimo scaled down the blankets like a mountain climber and settled itself next to his backpack contentedly. Ever since he and Robin had come to Stardew Valley, he had seen the Junimos. The little apple shaped creatures almost seemed to follow him, always hiding just out of his mother’s view.

She hadn’t believed him when he’d told her. Nobody had. They’d laugh at his story and play along until he was ‘far too old for fairytales.’ When they were children, Sam and Abigail had claimed they too could see the Junimos, but they never quite described them right. As his friends had grown, the Junimos had faded into nothing more than fond memories of childhood make-believe for all but him.

Sighing, he patted the little Junimo on the head and closed his eyes. “Sleep tight, little friend.”

“Seb!” Someone was shaking his shoulder. An annoyingly bright light was slipping under his eyelids. Sebastian whacked the hand away and rolled over onto his stomach. “Shtop.”

“Nu-uh, wake up.” The shaking was more persistent this time. “I’ve been looking for you for hours, dummy.”

He opened his eyes and was immediately blinded by a flashlight. “Turn that off!”

He pushed the flashlight away and sat up, rubbing his eyes to make the spots disappear.

“See, that wasn’t so hard, was it, Seb?” As his vision cleared, he could make out Sam kneeling next to him. The little Junimo lurked just out of Sam’s view. “Now, would you care to explain why you’re sleeping on the floor of an abandoned building?”

“For the normal reasons,” Sebastian replied. He pulled the blanket back up over himself and shut his eyes back. “I’m fine. Now, let me go back to sleep.”

“Nope, use your big boy words and tell me what happened.” Sam jerked the blanket off of his best friend and dropped it in a heap out of Sebastian’s reach. “Maru’s nearly half-mad with worry. She called me almost as soon as she found out you’d gone.”

Grumbling, Sebastian pushed himself back up and crossed his arms. The little Junimo patted his leg encouragingly. “Like I said, it’s the normal stuff.”

“So Demetrius.”

“Yes.”

“Care to share anything else?”

“You’re not going to leave until I tell you,” huffed Sebastian.

Sam crossed his legs and set the flashlight on the floor. Its light made their hunched shadows seem massive against the wall. “Nope.”

Sebastian pressed his lips into a thin line, turning his gaze to the side. The Junimo blinked up at him and patted his leg again. Taking in a deep breath, he let his hands fall to his lap. “He...broke my phone.”

Sam’s face deepened into a frown. “Well, that’s new behavior.”

“It wasn’t on purpose. He wasn’t paying attention and put an encyclopedia down on top of it,” continued Sebastian. “I’ll have to replace the screen. I asked him to pay for the parts. He said he wasn’t to blame, I should pay for it myself. And then he went on about the usual stuff. How long am I going to live in their basement? When am I going to get a real job, go to college, et cetera, et cetera. And then it turned into an argument. Mom took his side, and here I am, sleeping on a floor.” He fell back against his backpack. “So, the normal reasons.”

“You do realize that running off like this only adds fuel to the fire, right?” Sam asked, rubbing his temples. “This didn’t help you a lick in high school, so what makes you think it’s going to now?”

“I know, Sam,” Sebastian groaned, “I know, but that house has become almost unbearable lately! I pay rent, I do my half of the chores, I stay out of his way. What do I get? Fights and nitpicking every fifteen minutes.”

Sam patted his shoulder gently. “Could always see if Gus could rent you a room.”

“Ah, yes,” Sebastian replied, exasperated, “And lose what little savings I have left.”

The Junimo nuzzled his side, eyes drooping in what Sebastian took as a sign of sorrow.

“Plus, I don’t want to leave Maru there alone,” he murmured, expression softening.

“I think she understands as well as I do that you’d be happier away from Demetrius,” Sam replied. He stood and tucked the blanket under one arm. “Come on, let’s go back to my place.”

“I’ll be fine here.” Sebastian waved him off. “I’ll be sleeping on a floor either way, so…”

“Maru said you told her you were with me, and she’s been asking for pictures.” Sam crossed his arms, eyes glinting mischievously. “You wouldn’t want to make me a liar, would you?”

“Guess not.” Sebastian got to his feet and gathered his things. He looked around to bid goodbye to the little Junimo, but it had disappeared. Shame, he would bring an extra plum by later. Shrugging his backpack on, he followed Sam out towards the main room. “How did you get in, by the way?”

“Had a spare key for the backdoor.” Sam shrugged. “Mom used to clean the community center back when she was our age, so she had one lying around for me to ‘borrow’. I figured you’d be here, if I couldn’t find you anywhere else. You?”

“You know that window Abigail broke?”

“Yeah?”

“Lewis didn’t fix it.”

Sam snorted as he opened the backdoor into the night. “Figures.”

Sebastian took one look back, just in case the little Junimo was lurking in the shadows of a door way, but the hall was empty.

“You good, man?”

“Yeah, yeah.” Sebastian adjusted his backpack as he followed Sam out onto the overgrown grass surrounding the door. “Just sore.”

“Just come to my place first next time.” Sam shook his head and locked the door back. “Saves us a whole lot of time and trouble.”

“Promise.”

As they walked down the dim streets towards Sam’s house, neither one of them noticed a little hand slipping out of Sebastian’s backpack and clipping the flap into place.

Chapter Text

“Move over, you big brute.” Sam tried to shove Sebastian over on the bed. “You’re hogging all the space.”

Sebastian gave a little half-smile and intentionally pulled more of the blankets over to his side.

“Oh, now you’re just being a jerk,” Sam muttered, sitting up, “I share my bed with you out of the goodness of my heart, and this is how you repay me.”

“Maybe,” Sebastian replied, “You should just get an air mattress, and then we wouldn’t have this issue.”

“You wanna pay for it, since you’re the one who’s gonna use it?” Sam answered, “You were the one who didn’t want to sleep on the floor.”

He ungracefully crawled over Sebastian and fell onto the carpet with a thump. He stood, rubbing his back, hair sticking up in various directions.

“You could have just asked me to move,” Sebastian yawned.

“You gonna get up anytime soon?”

“Yeah, give me ten minutes or so.”

“Great, I’ll go see about breakfast then.”

Sam trudged out into the living room, shutting the door behind him. Sebastian stretched lazily, then took his phone from the nightstand. A frown spread across his face as he checked his messages. There was a voicemail from his mother and a new text from Maru. He kicked the blankets off and swung his legs over the side of the bed. Maru simply wanted to know what time he thought he’d be home. He didn’t open the voicemail.

For one brief moment, he considered not going home, but only for a moment. There was nowhere else he could go. He tried to stay at Sam’s as little as possible, so as to not put unnecessary stress on Jodi and Vincent. There was no way he could afford to rent a room from Gus, at least not right now. His only option was to go back home. He ran a hand through his hair and opened his emails to check if he’d gotten any responses to his most recent round of applications. None.

“I’m never getting out of here,” he whispered. Standing, he picked one of the cleaner looking sweatshirts out of Sam’s ever growing pile of laundry and padded over to the door.

In the living room, Vincent was stationed on the couch, watching the morning cartoons.

He looked up at him when he entered, cereal bowl in one hand, and furrowed his brow. “When did you get here?”

“Last night,” Sebastian replied, tugging on Sam’s sweatshirt. He moved towards the kitchen.

“I think your momma was talking to my momma this morning,” Vincent continued. His attention drifted back to the TV. “I dunno what they were talking about, but she seemed kind of mad.”

Sebastian felt his stomach twist into knots. “Your momma or my momma?”

“My momma.”

Sebastian smoothed his sweatshirt. “It’s probably nothing for you to worry about, Vincent.”

“Uh-huh.” The cartoons had stolen what was left of his attention.

Sebastian walked through to the kitchen and sat down heavily in a chair. Sam stood at the stove, frying eggs. “Coffee?”

“Yes, please.”

Sam filled a mug and nudged it across the table towards him. “You know where we keep the milk.”

“Thanks, man.” He moved over to the fridge and topped the mug off.

For a moment, there was nothing but the sound of eggs cooking on the stove and Sam’s quiet humming. The calm of the kitchen reminded Sebastian of vague memories of tranquil mornings in his home. He frowned. The only real time frame he could match with the memories was several years ago, when he was young and Maru was nothing more than a baby. Had it really been that long since they’d be able to enjoy breakfast in relative peace? No tensions? No awkwardness?

The sound of Jodi entering the kitchen woke him from his stupor.

“Morning, Sam, Sebastian.” She moved over to the coffee maker and poured herself a cup.

“Morning, Jodi,” he replied, “Thanks for letting me stay last night.”

Jodi shrugged. “It’s no trouble.”

Sebastian took another sip from his mug. As much as he appreciated the peace of Jodi’s home, he hated being a bother.

“Robin called this morning,” Jodi said, matter-of-factly, “She wanted to know if you were over here. Said you’d been dodging her calls.”

Sebastian let his eyes drop to his socks. “Did she?”

“Yes, she did.” Jodi pulled a chair out from the kitchen table and sat. “Said you and Demetrius had a spat last night.”

“We might’ve.”

Jodi narrowed her eyes. “Come on, Seb. We’ve played this game more than enough times now.”

“Yes, we did have a fight.” Sebastian replied, leaning back against the counter. “No, I didn’t start it. Yes, I tried to diffuse the situation. He got upset, I got upset. Mom took his side and made everything worse. No, I did not tell them where I was going. Yes, I am aware that it wasn’t really the best decision. I needed some space from them, they are very hesitant to give me any. Did I miss anything?

“No, not that I can think of,” Jodi answered. She started running a finger along the table’s grain. “I did have a word with your mother, probably too hard of a word. She said she’d talk to you when you get back home.”

“Hm.” Sebastian took another sip of his coffee. He loved his mother, but time had strained the relationship. Gone was the easy conversations they once had, now reduced to nothing more than pleasantries if they did talk at all. She had done little to curb the decay of his and Demetrius’ relationship during childhood and was unfortunately reaping the results. Not that Sebastian held himself or Demetrius guiltless in the situation, but often he wished his mother had stepped in more in his younger years.

Sam put a plate loaded with fried eggs on the table followed by a plate of toast. “Better eat before it gets cold.”

For a while, they ate quietly until Jodi spoke up again. “I’ll be going to Zuzu City for a few weeks at the end of Fall to visit my sister.”

“And she’s leaving Vincent and I here,” Sam sighed dramatically. “To survive all on our own.”

Jodi shook her head. “Oh, please. You’re perfectly capable of living without me for two weeks.”

She turned back to Sebastian. “But the point is, there’ll be extra space here for a bit. Sam can sleep in my bed, and you can take his. It’s not a long term solution, but you’ll at least be able to take a break from Demetrius.”

Sebastian laughed dryly. “He’ll find some reason to be angry about it, I guarantee you.”

“Well, he’ll probably be mad one way or another, so what’s the harm?” asked Sam. He shrugged and added more eggs to his plate. “Here, at least, you’ve got some peace from him. Plus, we can come up with some kind of workable excuse.”

“Like what?”

“Like I can’t cook or something.”

“Not like I can cook.”

“We’ll workshop it.”

“I’ll talk to Robin about it first,” said Jodi, “She’d probably be on board. But, you have to promise me something, Seb.”

Sebastian stopped eating. “Yes?”

Jodi put a finger in the air. “This is the last time you run off without telling someone. I understand that you need space, believe me, I do. But from now on, tell Maru before you leave. You’re always welcome here, any time of the night or day. I don’t think you understand how much it scares all of us when you just disappear. Especially your mother.”

Sebastian wrapped his hands around his coffee mug and tried to smooth over the shock in his heart. “Yes, ma’am.”

Breath catching uncomfortably in his throat, Sebastian climbed the hill towards his house. The chances that this would be unpleasant were high. This was the first time he had run off in years, but he knew what to expect by now. Demetrius would huff and ignore him like a child, throwing caustic glances across the room. His mother’s anger would linger for a half-hour or so, but would diminish into quiet relief. Maru would eventually slip away from her projects to come talk to him once the fuss had died down. Deep down, he had a feeling that this time, things would be worse than normal.

His hand hesitated on the knob of the front door, and considered whether he should go in through the back. Whichever way he went, he would have to pass Demetrius’ lab to get to his room. If he went through the back door, he’d land directly in Maru’s room, and he had no idea if she was in today.

Sucking in one last breath of free air, he eased the front door open as quietly as he could and was relieved to see that Robin was not at the front desk. He slipped his shoes off, holding them in one hand, and immediately made for his bedroom as fast as he could sneak. He had almost reached sanctuary, when a voice came down the hall. “Seb, that you?”

Sebastian straighten and turned to face his mother, face taunt. “Yep.”

She was still wearing her pajamas, a strange occurrence for this time of day. Her hair was in desperate need of a brushing, but she seemed in no hurry to tend to it. Her eyes, normally so clear and cheerful, were red-rimmed and puffy. “Why don’t you go put your things down and then come to the kitchen. We need to talk.”

Sebastian nodded hesitantly and opened the door to his room. She didn’t seem upset; drained probably fit her demeanor better. Regardless, her behavior did not match his expectation, and it was unsettling. He placed his shoes by the stairs and dropped his backpack on his bed, begging for any form of delay. Unpacking. Perfect. He would unpack his backpack.

Undoing the flap, he pulled out the blanket he’d used last night and threw it into his dirty clothes hamper. Then, he upended the contents onto the bed and began to sort through them.

Extra socks. Hamper. T-shirt. Hamper. Wallet. Desk. Granola bar. Desk. Lord of the Eastern Wastes, Volume 2. Top shelf, left hand side. Apple. Apple?

Sebastian picked up the apple, confused. It was a bright, cheery green and a little smaller than his fist. He usually never packed fruit just in case it went bad. When had he put an apple in his bag? As he turned it over in his hand, the apple sprouted little arms and legs. A set of large, round eyes blinked up at him, and the Junimo waved excitedly.

“What’re you doing here?” breathed Sebastian, lifting the little Junimo to eye level. “You’re not supposed to be here.”

The Junimo paid him no mind and hugged his thumb, rubbing its head against it like a cat.

“No, no, no!” Sebastian rushed up the stairs towards his bedroom door. “I’ve got to take you home, you can’t stay here! What if someone sees you?”

Worse, what if Demetrius saw the Junimo? What would happen then? His mind flooded with images of the poor little Junimo shoved full of probes or dissected into tiny apple pieces. He had to get it back to the community center! Now!

He put one hand on the door, ready to jerk it open and bolt for the front door, when his mother knocked. “Seb, you coming?”

Sebastian recoiled on the stairs, holding the apple to his chest. “Yep, just...unpacking. I’ll be up in a minute.”

The Junimo wriggled dangerously in his hands, and Sebastian silently begged his mother not to open the door. Much to his relief, she didn’t. “I’ll be in the kitchen when you’re ready.”

“Right, thanks, Mom.” Sebastian crept up the stairs and threw the lock. He could hear the faded, yet strained, voices of Robin and Demetrius through the door. Heart twisting, he slunk back down the stairs and looked at the little Junimo cupped in his hands. Its eyes were pleading with him.

“Alright,” he relented, “You can stay, just for tonight. But I’ll have to take you back in the morning. And you can’t leave my room, ok? That’s very important.”

The Junimo nodded several times and gave a little dance in his hands.

Sebastian’s face broke into a half-grin. “Guess I ought to give you a name for now. Unless you can tell me your own?”

The little Junimo stopped dancing and shrugged.

“How about Smith, then?”

Smith nodded vigorously. Sebastian set Smith down on his desk and dug around in his frog-keeping supplies for an observation box. Finding one that he no longer used, he pulled the lid off and laid it on its side near his computer screen. He took an old t-shirt from his wardrobe, folded it, and lined the box. “There you go, you’ve got a little bed now.”

The Junimo happily tottled over and nestled itself into its new makeshift home.

“Well, now that you’re settled in,” Sebastian said, “I’d best go upstairs.”

Smith nodded, eyes drooping.

“No need to worry, friend.” He patted Smith’s head and moved towards the stairs. “I should be an expert at this by now.”

Taking in a deep breath to calm himself, he left the relative safety of his room and headed for the kitchen. Robin sat at the table, hands folded in front of her, while Demetrius stood making coffee with his back to them.

“Hey,” started Sebastian.

“Hey, hon.” Robin patted the chair next to her. “Let’s talk.”

She looked back at Demetrius pointedly, who gave a passive-aggressive grunt, and left the kitchen without another word. For a while, nothing but the burbling of the coffee maker filled the uncomfortable silence.

After several minutes, Robin took a deep breath. “I should start by apologizing.”

Sebastian nearly fell out of his chair. “I’m sorry?”

“No, Seb.” She rubbed her temples wearily. “I said I should apologize. I’m sorry. I’m sorry I took Demetrius’ side last night. I’m sorry I didn’t listen to you and assumed all the fault laid with you. And I’m terribly sorry that you feel uncomfortable in your own home. As your mother, it should have never reached this point.”

“Um, apology accepted,” Sebastian replied hesitantly. “Thank you.”

“I tried to convince Demetrius to pay for your phone, but he’s not budging,” Robin continued, dropping her hands back to the table, “So I’m taking it out of our joint account. Buy the parts you need and just let me know.”

“You really don’t have to do that,” said Sebastian, “I’ll just—”

“No.” Robin shook her head. “We’ll pay for it. It’s his fault; if he won’t pay on his own, we’ll both pay. He’s also agreed to try and maintain peace. And he will be apologizing to you later.”

Sebastian had his doubts about that. If anything, Robin probably strong-armed him into agreeing. “Alright.”

She sighed and moved over to the coffee maker. “Just...just promise me you’re not going to run off again.”

She took a mug from the cabinet, a horrifically lopsided one he realized he had made back in elementary school, and set it uneasily on the counter. “I nearly had a heart attack last night, when I went downstairs and found an empty room. Back in high school, I always knew you’d come back, y’know? But you’re an adult now. You work, and you’ve got your own money, your own bike. There’s nothing preventing you from just leaving and never coming back, like you always said you would. So when you left yesterday, I really thought that was it, Seb.”

She waited for the coffee pot to beep and filled the mug with an unsteady hand. “I really, really thought you’d gone.”

Sebastian pushed his chair back and took Robin’s hand. “I’m sorry I scared you. I shouldn’t have run off that late. If I’m ever leaving for real, I’ll tell you.”

Robin buried her head in her son’s shoulder. He’d outgrown her long, long ago. “And you’ll say a proper goodbye?”

“I’ll give you all a proper goodbye,” Sebastian replied, “Even Demetrius.”

Robin laughed. “Oh, I’d pay good money to see that.”

She wiped her eyes and picked up her mug. “So, all good then?”

“Yeah, all good.” Sebastian smiled.

“I’ll let you get back to your computers, then.” She gave him a watery smile and headed towards her bedroom.

As Sebastian passed Demetrius’ lab on his way back to his room, he caught sight of him fuming over his lab equipment and wondered how long this fragile truce would last.

Chapter Text

“You have to go back today.” Sebastian looked down at the little Junimo standing in front of his keyboard. “I’m sorry, I know you want to stay, but it’ll be safer for you if I just visit you at the Community Center.”

Smith’s leaf drooped, and he looked up at Sebastian with sad eyes. He put his little hands together in a begging motion.

Sebastian’s heart twisted painfully. It had been nice, having someone in his home that truly seemed to understand him, but Smith had to go home today. They’d been lucky so far, but luck wasn’t enough. One stray glance, one family member entering without knocking, and it would all be over. Granted, the Junimos seemed to be masters of stealth. They’d been his playmates for years, and Robin had been none the wiser. Sebastian wasn’t willing to take the risk; he no longer had the protection of childhood innocence. It simply wasn’t be safe for him to stay any longer.

“Look, I promise I’ll visit every day,” Sebastian replied. “Every single day, and you can tag along with me to the Lake. You just can’t stay here. Got it?”

Smith seemed to sigh, then nodded.

Sebastian patted him on his head gently. “I really am sorry, Smith. It’s just...not safe for you here.”

“Seb?”

Smith dove into the safety his little bed as Maru peeked around Sebastian’s bedroom door. “Mind if I stay down here for a bit?”

“No, not at all,” Sebastian replied, scooting a little more of the tshirt over Smith. “I’m working on something important right now, so I can’t talk a whole lot, though.”

Out of all the members of his family, Maru was the only one he willingly allowed in his room for longer than two minutes. She came down the stairs and took a seat on the stool by his desk. She’d taken extra care with her hair and clothes today. She must have a date with Sam later. “What’re you doing?”

“Coding.”

“Coding what?”

“A thing.”

Maru rolled her eyes. “What does the thing do?”

“Stuff.”

She huffed and gave a half-smile. “Just tell me what it does already.”

“Alright, alright.” Sebastian shifted his screen so she could see. “It’s a log-in system for a shopping website.”

“Ooh, is it for a job?” Maru asked, scrutinizing the lines of code with untrained eyes.

“Yeah.” He turned his screen back around and continued working. Maru watched him silently. She got up from the stool and started combing through his bookcase. Picking up a book, she absentmindedly flipped through it, and then placed it back on the shelf.

“So…” She picked up another book and turned it over to read the back. “You gonna come back upstairs any time soon? Haven’t seen you in a few days now.”

Sebastian shrugged. “I have been upstairs.”

“When?”

“Midnight last night?”

She shook her head and put the book back on the shelf, in the wrong place, he noted. “You gonna come join us for dinner tonight?”

“We both know that’s a bad idea, Mar.” Sebastian leaned in closer to the screen, trying to avoid her gaze. “Demetrius is itching for a fight, and I’m not going to give him one.”

It had been two days since their uneasy truce had begun. Demetrius had been more passive-aggressive than normal, like the idea of peace was somehow repugnant to him. He found more fault than usual with everything that Sebastian did. He was sleeping too much. He wasn’t sleeping enough. He hadn’t washed the dishes correctly. He’d folded the towels wrong. Anything and everything easily devolved into a point of contention for him.

Sebastian was currently taking bets on how long the ‘peace’ would last. Sam bet a week. Abigail put money on three days. Smith didn’t have any money to speak of, but he’d threw a couple of sunflowers seeds down on four days.

“Fair enough.” Maru shrugged. “Are you at least going with Mom today?”

“Where?”

“To the old Aspen farm.”

Sebastian squinted and turned back to his work. “Why would she being going there? It’s abandoned.”

“Not anymore,” Maru replied. “Someone’s taken ownership, just came to town a few days ago. I think she’s a relative of Old Man Aspen.”

“That doesn’t explain why Mom is going.” Sebastian had the uncomfortable feeling she was going to try and introduce him to the new farmer.

“The old house is apparently more or less shambles,” said Maru. “The farmer fixed some of it, but she came by today and asked Mom for her services.”

“So you’ve met her.”

“Briefly.”

“Thoughts?”

Maru nearly fell off the stool. She leaned toward her brother, a stunned grin on her face. “Seb, are you interested in someone new?”

Sebastian shrugged and tried to appear absorbed in his work. From his bed, Smith raised an eyebrow.

“It’s not a crime to be curious,” Sebastian replied, redoing a section of code. “The last newcomer we had was Elliot, and that was ages ago now.”

“If you’re curious, then you should just go meet her,” Maru answered. “It’s not going to kill you to make a new friend.”

“Yes, it will.” Sebastian sagged dramatically in his chair. “See? Even the thought of it kills me.”

“Well, I’ve already said my hellos,” replied Maru, taking no notice of her brother’s antics, “So Mom’s probably going to try and drag you to ‘help’ her with construction.”

“Ah, yes,” continued Sebastian. He sat back up in his chair. “The town carpenter and her grumpy goth assistant. What a combination.”

“This is not a good idea, Mom.” Sebastian stood in their garage as his mother loaded his arms full of wooden planks. “I don’t make a very good welcoming committee.”

Less than an hour after Maru had left, Robin had knocked on his door and asked him to come with her. Somehow, she’d got him up the stairs and out into the garage where she stored most of her equipment. Her things took up most of the space, but a very small corner of it had been conceded for Sebastian’s bike. A much larger corner had been spared for extra lab equipment. Maru blessedly preferred to keep most of her things in her room. Otherwise, there barely would have been room to move.

“That’s why you weren’t part of the welcoming committee,” Robin answered, “But you still need to introduce yourself.”

“Or, hear me out,” said Sebastian, “I help you drop this off, and then I go.”

The sooner he escaped, the sooner he could bring Smith safely back to the Community Center. Robin and Demetrius would be none the wiser to the little magical freeloader. Smith was snuggled securely in the front zippy pocket of his backpack, far enough away from his laptop and charger to not be bruised by it. He’d made sure to leave it unzipped just a bit, so the little fellow could breath. After returning Smith to his home, he planned to hide out at Sam’s for the rest of the day.

Robin shook her head and sighed patiently. “All I’m asking of you is to say ‘Hi, my name’s Sebastian’, and then hold some nails for me. I promise I’ll leave you in blessed solitude for all of tomorrow after this.”

Sebastian frowned with thought. The likelihood that she would let him wriggle his way out of this was slim-to-none. He’d just cleared up one argument; he was not in the mood to get into another. He nodded. “Ok, fine, I’ll go.”

“Wonderful, that’s all I’m asking,” replied Robin. She wiped her hands off on her pants and stood up. “Though, if you want to be extra friendly, you could always invite her to go play pool with your little trio on Friday.”

“No, thank you.” Sebastian shook his head. “Perfectly happy with my Friday nights already.”

“Just be friendly, please.” Robin picked up her tool belt and strapped it around her waist.

“I’ll be friendly, don’t worry.” Sebastian replied, deliberately pushing the comment to the corners of his mind. She probably didn’t mean to hurt his feelings. “I’m not some sort of hooligan.”

Robin opened her mouth, but closed it a second later and finished adjusting her tool belt. They took the well-worn path behind their house through the mountains and down into the overgrown farm.

Old Man Aspen had died years ago, when Sebastian and his friends were in high school, and the farm had been the victim of neglect ever since. Rocks and weeds blocked most of the path to the cabin. Trees covered the ground where rows upon rows of radishes once grew.

Sebastian remembered Old Man Aspen as the smiling grandfather with a beard like Santa Claus and hard caramels stashed in his pocket. The whole town, even those who didn’t know him well, had attended his funeral. He knew that Aspen had a son, and he’d mentioned a grandchild at some point, if he remembered correctly. He wondered which member of his family took over; he’d never met any of them. Aspen had always left Lewis or Marnie in charge of his farm and visited his family during the holidays.

The old cabin loomed into view, a tarp secured across a large swath of the roof. He would meet the new owner soon enough. Together, he and Robin dodged the rotten boards on the front porch and approached the door.

“You can put those by the door for now,” Robin said, jerking her head to a solid-looking section of planks close to the door. Sebastian gratefully set his load down. His arms were starting to feel like jelly.

While he got the boards settled, Robin knocked. From somewhere in the cabin, he could hear a dog barking. The door opened, and a young woman stepped out onto the porch. She looked to be the same age as him, though a good deal shorter and with a much more muscular build. Behind her, a large, night black German Shepherd stood barking. Sebastian took a small step back and barely missed putting his foot through a rotten board.

“Sit, Hades.” At the farmer's command, Hades huffed through his nose, cast a suspicious amount of side eye at Sebastian, and sat. Sebastian made a mental note to keep an eye on the dog.

“Hello,” Robin said, smiling. “I’m here to do a bit of assessing and get that roof patched.”

The farmer nodded, face impassive, and moved out of the doorway to let them in. Hades continued to track Sebastian with his eyes as they entered. Robin seemed to be above suspicion.

The inside of the cabin wasn’t nearly as bad as the farm outside. He could see a couple of quick patch jobs here and there, but all in all, it seemed mostly solid. Minus the gaping hole in the roof. The farmer had pushed all of the furniture into one corner in order to keep it from getting rained on.

“You said you have a ladder, right, Aspen?” asked Robin. She crossed her arms and stared up at the hole, assessing the damage.

“I do, but it’s just a little too short to reach the roof.” The farmer scratched Hades behind the ears.

“And it was like this when you came?”

Aspen shook her head, loose curls swaying as she did so. “No, this happened sometime yesterday, while I was out working. Stray branch fell through the roof. I took the liberty of dragging it out.”

Sebastian stuck his hands in the front pocket of his hoodie, trying to figure out the right time to introduce himself. Much to his relief, His mother took the liberty of breaking the ice.

“Oh, this is my son, by the way.” She waved a hand behind her in his general direction as she stared up at the hole. “He’s going to be helping me.”

Sebastian pulled a hand out of his hoodie and held it out to the newcomer. “I’m Sebastian.”

“Eugenia Aspen.” The farmer shook his hand firmly, then let hers drop back to her dog. “You’ve already met Hades.”

Hades snorted and glared.

“So where are you from?” asked Sebastian, running through his mental checklist of ‘getting to know you’ questions.

“I moved here from Zuzu City,” she replied.

Sebastian barely kept a look of confusion from coming over his face. “What made you leave?”

Why would anyone move to Pelican Town of all places from Zuzu City? It seemed nearly a utopia to him. No more same-old, same-old, something new around every corner, the significant distance it put between him and his family. His only real regret would be leaving his friends and Maru. He and Robin had lived there back when he was a toddler. He didn’t remember much of it, but he longed to go back. He longed to go anywhere that wasn’t in Stardew Valley, but he had promised himself that if he ever got enough money, he would buy a ticket for the next bus to Zuzu City. It was strange, to miss something he didn’t even remember. Often he wondered if it was just nostalgia for the past, for a time when things didn’t feel so bleak.

Aspen shrugged. “Joja did. They’re not particularly nice people to work for.”

Her stony expression melted for a moment as she glanced around the cabin. “I grew up on a farm. It was just time to head back to my roots.”

“Hm.” Sebastian nodded. “Well, um, I hope your move was easy.”

“Well, I’ve only been here for three days, and there’s a hole in my roof, so…” Aspen let her voice trail off.

“Ah. Right.”

“Speaking of that,” Robin said, moving over to them, “Let’s get a jump on fixing this. Come on, Seb, I need you to hold the ladder for me.”

He nodded to Aspen and followed Robin outside. The ladder was leaning up against the building. It was roughly half a foot short of the roof. Setting his hoodie and backpack gently on the ground, he held the ladder with a solid grip and watched with baited breath as Robin climbed.

“Don’t do anything dumb, Mom,” he called as Robin tried to get to her foot up on the roof.

“I’m not going to,” Robin grunted. “I’ve been doing this longer than you’ve been alive.”

She successfully swung her leg up and pulled herself up onto the roof, panting. “There.”

Sebastian breathed a quiet sigh of relief and released the ladder. Robin tore the tarp off the hole and placed it to the side. “It’s actually not as bad as I thought.”

“Glad to hear it.” Aspen’s voice was audible through the hole. A few seconds later, she emerged onto the front porch with a pickaxe in her hand and Hades at her heels. “I’ll be clearing some rocks nearby, if you guys need anything.”

“Thanks, Aspen!” Robin waved. “I’ll have this done in a jiffy.”

Sebastian spent the rest of his morning passing boards and other building supplies up to Robin. He was just tall enough for her to reach if he climbed up a few rungs of the ladder. It was tricky business, holding a tool or board in one hand and working his way up with the other. While they worked, Aspen made several trips in and out of the cabin.

After his fifth trip up the ladder, he realized they’d be lucky to be done by late afternoon. Hopefully, he would be able to get Smith back to the Community Center today. He eyed his backpack warily. Smith was probably sweltering inside.

Sebastian wiped his forehead with the back of his arm. “Hey, Mom?”

“Yeah?”

“I’m gonna run and get some water,” Sebastian yelled up. “You good for a few minutes?”

Robin flashed him a thumbs-up over the edge of the roof. Sebastian picked up his backpack and climbed up on the porch. He knocked on the half-open door. “Aspen? You mind if I get a glass of water?”

Aspen was not in the cabin, but Hades was curled up in a ball next to the bed. He didn’t seem nearly as threatening now that he was asleep. Sebastian had no idea how he could sleep with the racket going on above. Sebastian set his backpack on the table out of the dog’s reach and unzipped the front pocket a little wider to let more air in.

“Sorry, buddy,” he whispered, “I’ll get you home soon. It’ll be cooler in here for now.”

Smith looked up at him gratefully and used his little hands to open the pocket a little wider. Sebastian found a glass in one of the cabinets. Surely Aspen wouldn’t begruge him a drink. It was unbearably hot for early Summer, and the weather channel anticipated no end to the heat for several days. He drained the glass and started the sink again when he heard something jingle.

Turning back towards the table, he saw Smith’s bright, unmistakable green against the backdrop of dark fur. Smith stood just near the dog’s head, playing with the tags on his collar. In spite of the water, Sebastian’s throat went dry.

“Smith,” he hissed. He set the glass down on the table and inched his way quietly towards the dog. “Smith, that’s enough, come here.”

Smith turned towards him cheerily and beckoned him to come closer, jingling Hades’ tags one more time. Did he have no sense of self-preservation?

“Smith, this isn’t a game,” he whispered. He was so close to grabbing distance. “Please, come here. Please!”

The floorboards creaked. “Hades, you almost done with your—”

Sebastian froze. Smith froze. Aspen froze, eyes passing from Smith to a half-crouched Sebastian back to Smith. Her face blanched. Sebastian gulped. There was no way she couldn’t see that the apple had eyes, arms, and legs.

“Not another one of these little frog things,” she breathed, reaching for the broom in the corner.

“Aspen—” Sebastian didn’t have to be Demetrius to figure out what her next move was. “Aspen, it’s not a frog. He’s not—”

Smith made a terrified chirping sound and ran for Sebastian’s hands. Aspen brought the broom down mere inches away from the little Junimo, accidentally nicking Hades in the process. The dog awoke with a start, barking, and immediately charged for the moving speck of green. Sebastian yelped and dove for Smith, barely grabbing the little apple before Hades jaws clamped down. His head connected with the bed painfully and the broom came down on his back.

“Hey, watch it!” Sebastian pushed the broom away and scrambled into a sitting position. Hades was much too close for comfort, growling low. Aspen grabbed his collar and narrowed her eyes. “What is that thing?”

Robin’s head popped in through the hole in the ceiling. “Everything ok down here?”

“Yeah, yeah.” Sebastian got to his feet quickly, head throbbing, and tucked Smith behind his back. “Just found a, uh, rat.” He threw a pleading look at Aspen.

Aspen narrowed her eyes further. “Been having pest problems since I moved in.”

“Oh, dear,” Robin replied, “I’m sure Pierre will have something to help with that. He’s got just about everything you’ll need at his store. And if he doesn’t have it, Joja certainly will.”

Aspen’s expression darkened at the mention of Joja. “Thanks for the tip, Robin. Do you mind if I borrow Sebastian for a moment? Need a hand moving some stuff.”

“Yeah, I’m good for a while.” Robin fitted another plank across the hole. “I’ll yell if I need anything.”

Aspen turned back to Sebastian and jerked her head toward the door, Hades at her side. A sinking feeling settled in his stomach as he followed her outside.

Chapter Text

Heart in his throat, Sebastian followed Aspen down the steps and out towards a patch of land thick with trees. She had managed to clear a decent swath in front of her place, so they had to walk a bit farther than expected to be both out of eye and earshot. He held Smith close in the pocket of his hoodie, partially out of precaution and partially for comfort. He seemed to have stilled Aspen’s hand for now, but there was no telling what she would do once they were alone. Much to his luck, she hadn’t brought the broom with her. Hades, however, looked thoroughly put out.

Stopping where the trees were the thickest, Aspen crossed his arms and turned to him. “Ok, spill it. What is...this”—she gestured towards Smith— “Apple thing?”

Hades barked as if to second her question. Upset by this affront to his dignity, Smith crawled out of Sebastian’s pocket and up the front of his hoodie like a spider. He scrambled onto his shoulder, perching with one hand gripping the fabric for balance and the other waving furiously in the air. A string of vicious chirps exploded from the tiny Jumino for almost a full two minutes, and it seemed he didn’t plan on stopping. Sebastian could only suppose they were expletives. He really couldn’t say he blamed him.

“Well, first off,” Sebastian replied, once Smith stood panting on his shoulder, “He’s not an apple; he’s a Junimo and his name is Smith.”

Smith chirped again to underscore Sebastian’s words and crossed his arms in a huff.

Aspen raised an eyebrow. “That’s not very helpful.”

“They’re forest spirits, more or less,” Sebastian answered. “They’re harmless, and they like trees and plants and they—”

He then realized, that despite being followed around by Junimos his entire life, he had never seen them really do a lot of magic. He turned to Smith. “Actually, what do you do?”

Smith pointed to a tree and mimed growing it, then waved his hands and began to sway side to side.

“Yeah, that’s what they do,” replied Sebastian, nodding.

Smith smacked his forehead and shook his head in frustration. First, a narrow escape from death by broom, and now this. Clearly, this was not his day.

“Very illuminating,” Aspen replied dryly. She dropped her hands to her hips and sighed. “I keep seeing them in my house, ever since I’ve moved in. Your friends have been strolling around like they own the place, and they won’t leave.”

Sebastian’s jaw dropped, aghast. “They’ve been letting you see them?”

“Do they normally not let people see them?” replied Aspen, cocking her head to the side.

“No.” Sebastian shook his head, trying to shake off the shock. “I think I’m the only one in town who can. Well, was. This is strange, very strange.”

Nobody in his life had ever seen a Junimo. Even when he’d try to show them to people as a child, they’d disappear right as he opened his hands.

“Look,” said Aspen, rubbing her temples, “You’re some kind of Junimo whisperer, right? Why are they in my house in the first place? Actually, scratch that; I don’t care. Can you get them to leave me alone? Nothing I’ve tried has worked.”

Sebastian raised an eyebrow and crossed his arms. “Have you tried talking to them?”

Aspen clenched her hands into fists and gritted her teeth in an impressive display of self-control. “I thought I was going crazy, at first. Then, I thought they were some kind of mutated frog. No one’s first thought when seeing an apple with arms and legs is ‘oh, they’re some kind of forest spirit; I should talk to them!’”

Sebastian uncrossed his arms. She was right, he realized. If he’d first seen the Junimos as an adult, he didn’t know how he’d react. To him, it was completely normal for a Junimo to climb up his jeans leg to have a chat or wave at him from a potted plant. They were a regular and expected part of his day, but for someone who’d never seen one before... He let out a breath. “That was insensitive of me, I apologize.”

“Apology accepted,” Aspen replied, a slight tone of shock replacing the frustration. “Do you know how to get them to leave me alone?”

Sebastian looked at Smith. “Any thoughts? They really seem to be bothering her, and that’s not like them.”

Smith rubbed his chin and then steeped his hands together like a roof. “House? Home? Oh, the Community Center! Good plan.”

“What does the Community Center have to do with anything?” asked Aspen. “There’s not anything there, right?”

He hesitated. She wasn’t completely hostile to the Junimos, but she was by no means friendly towards them either. How much could he safely tell her without risking Smith and the others? Granted, the chances that anyone would believe her were slim, but there was always a chance.

“It’s just—” His mind scrambled to come up with a plausible excuse; he’d never been a good liar. “Every now and then, a Junimo might pass through if you’re lucky. They’re very transient beings, really.”

He thanked his lucky stars that that did seem plausible. She narrowed her eyes at him. “Well, let’s go then. The sooner we talk to the Junimos, the sooner they’re out of my house.”

She started off in the direction of town. Hades huffed through his nose and followed her. Sebastian cut her off, holding up his hands defensively, and tried to quell his panic. “No, no. No need for you to come. It’d probably be better if I went alone.”

“Absolutely not,” Aspen answered, “I want this handled, and I want to make sure it’s handled, so I’m coming along.”

If she went into the Community Center, there was no way she wouldn’t see the Junimo Hut. Most people thought that it was Vincent and Jas’ play fort, but she could see the Junimos. She would know where they lived, and who knows how that would go? She could not set foot in the Community Center.

“Really, they might not react well to both of us being there,” he replied, hoping he appeared more convincing than he thought. “It should just be me. Y’know, Junimo whisperer and all.”

“I thought you said they were harmless.”

“They are!”

“Then why don’t you want me to come?” Aspen scowled and leaned in.

Sebastian tried hard not to swallow. “Well, it’s just—Um, ah, well—”

She closed the little distance between them, so they were nearly nose to nose, and put her fists on her hips. “Out with it.”

He let his hands drop and locked eyes with her, expression turning serious. “Look, if I talk to the Junimos for you, you have to promise me that you won’t tell anyone anything about the Community Center or the Junimos. Not a single word. There’s very little likelihood that anyone will believe you, but I’m not willing to take that risk. They’re my best friends, and I won’t do anything that'll endanger them.”

Aspen held his gaze for a moment, then she glanced to Smith, holding onto the collar of Sebastian’s hoodie. She sighed and stepped back, rubbing the back of her head. Her stony demeanor softened. “Alright, I promise. I won’t tell anyone anything ever about the Junimos.”

She held out her hand. “You have my word, and an Aspen never goes back on their word.”

Sebastian let out a sigh of relief as the tension fled from his body. He shook her hand. “Thank you, Aspen.”

“Alright.” She stepped around him to leave. “Let’s get this over with then.”

“Hey, Aspen?”

“Yeah?”

Sebastian jerked a thumb back in the direction of the cabin, a wry smile forming on his lips. “My mom’s still on your roof.”

A few hours later, Sebastian was laying on the carpet of Sam’s bedroom, arms crossed over his face. He and Aspen had agreed to go to the Community Center after band practice.

“Was meeting the new farmer really that stressful?” asked Abigail. She poked one of Sebastian’s arms with the toe of her shoe.

“It was—” his mind flashed back to Aspen swinging a broom over her head like a weapon “—intense.”

“She seemed nice enough when I met her,” replied Abigail. “A bit distant, maybe, but no worse than you.”

“Ok, ouch.”

“Have you met her yet, Sam?” Abigail said. She poked Sebastian again, and he pushed her foot away, annoyed.

“In passing,” Sam answered. Sebastian could hear him setting up his amp. “I think she just needs some time to get used to the town and all. I bet the dynamic here is very different from the city.”

“Oh, I guarantee it is.”

“Wouldn’t mind getting to know her better,” continued Sam. “There’s not too many people our age around here.”

“What about—”

“Elliot, Shane, and Leah do not count, Seb,” interrupted Abigail. “Shane has a retirement account, we just celebrated Elliot’s thirty something birthday, and Leah has a big girl job.”

“I have a retirement account. Heck, Sam has a retirement account.” Sebastian pulled his arms off his face and looked up at her. “It’s called ‘financial stability’.”

“I guess our saving grace is that we haven’t turned thirty-something yet.” Sam shrugged. “That’s the only thing separating us from old men.”

“And the fact we don’t have big girl jobs.”

Abigail sighed. “I didn’t say they were old, just they weren’t around our age.”

Sebastian pushed himself up on his elbows. “Well, you’re not wrong about that.”

“Come on, guys.” It was Sam’s turn to nudge Sebastian with his foot. “Floor time’s over, let’s get practicing. We’ve only got about an hour before my mom comes back.”

Sebastian stood up and trudged over to the keyboard. He was distracted all throughout practice, to the point were both Abigail and Sam commented on his lack of presence of mind. After missing his intro for the fifth time, Sam spoke up again. “You sure you’re good, man?”

“Yeah, yeah.” Sebastian rubbed his face. “Just a lot on my mind.” Like revealing the home of Junimos to a possible threat. Aspen had promised, but he knew as well as anyone that words usually held as much water as paper.

He sighed, flexed his fingers, and put them back on the keys. “Let’s go again; I’ll get it right this time.”

“Why don’t we just call it for today?” Abigail replied, putting her drum sticks to the side. “Sometimes, practices are just a bust. Nothing wrong with that. I’m kind of hitting my limit, too.”

Sebastian unsuccessfully tried to ignore the fact that he was the sole reason that today’s practice when sideways.

“Agreed, I’ve got to get ready for my date with Maru, anyway.” Sam shut off his amp and placed his guitar back on its stand.

“Y’all going somewhere special this evening?” Sebastian asked. He stood up from the keyboard and reached for his backpack. “She was pretty dressed up this morning.”

“We’re going into the Calico Desert for a night out,” Sam said dreamily. “There’s this restaurant she’s been wanted to try, and I just managed to get reservations. I’m surprising her for our anniversary.”

“Well, I’m sure you’ll both enjoy,” said Abigail, jumping up.

“We should,” Sam answered. “Just have to keep an eye on the time. I was told to have her back no later than ten-thirty.”

“Demetrius gave his grown daughter a curfew?” Abigail raised an eyebrow.

“He tends to be a little overprotective about Maru,” Sebastian replied. “I take it that he still hasn’t warmed up to you?”

Sam shook his head and shifted from foot to foot. “Not one bit. You think after a year, he’d realize that I’m not a bad influence, but no dice.”

“Cheer up, buddy,” said Sebastian. “He’ll clue in one day.”

“That’s the hope, at least.”

Abigail stretched and headed for the door. “Well, I’m going to go bother my mom, since your mom’s not available.”

“Ok, have fun.” Sam waved as she left.

Now that it was just them, Sebastian started to fidget nervously with the straps of his backpack. “Hey, Sam?”

“Yeah?”

“Can I get the Community Center key from you?” asked Sebastian.

Sam raised an eyebrow. “Why, you gonna hole up there again tonight?”

“No, not tonight, I don’t think,” Sebastian replied. “I left something in there a couple of days ago, and I just wanna go back and grab it.”

“I don’t mind, but I’ll need it back tomorrow,” said Sam. They walked out into the kitchen where Sam took the key from a kitchen drawer.

“Thanks, I appreciate it.” Sebastian reached for the key, but Sam held it just out of his reach.

“You remember our agreement, right?” His eyes turned concerned.

“Yeah, I remember,” Sebastian replied, “If I’m leaving the house for the night, I tell someone first.”

“And you’ll actually do it?” Sam pulled the key further away.

Sebastian shook his head and laughed quietly. They really were going to hold him to that. “I’ll actually do it, I promise.”

Sam dropped the key into his hand. “If you don’t keep to it, I’m not going to loan you the key anymore.”

“When have I ever not kept my word?”

“Do you really want me to answer that?”

Aspen was already waiting for him near the Community Center door, thankfully sans Hades. She nodded in acknowledgment, but almost immediately turned her attention back to the decrepit building.

“So…” said Aspen, crossing her arms. “How do we get in?”

“What’s your opinions on breaking and entering?” Sebastian asked.

Aspen narrowed her eyes. “It’s not my preferred method, but if it’s the only way...”

“Nah, I was joking.” Sebastian pulled the key out of his pocket. “I borrowed a key from Sam, so we should be able to get in legally...Legally-ish.”

Aspen raised an eyebrow, then motioned for the door. “Lead the way then.”

Just as Sebastian was about to take her around to the side door, a man’s voice called out: “Is that Eugenia I see?”

They froze, eyes meeting briefly, and immediately tried to look anything but suspicious. Lewis trotted up the hill, smiling broadly. “It is! How are you settling in, my dear?”

“Pretty well, all things considered.” Aspen took Lewis’ outstretched hand and shook it. “I honestly though the old place would be worse off, but I got lucky, I guess.”

“Well, your grandad took very good care of it,” said Lewis. His grin drooped. “I’m sorry I couldn’t make it to the funeral. I desperately wanted to be there.”

“It’s alright.” Aspen turned back to face the Community Center. “Life happens.”

Lewis bumbled around to find something to say for a few minutes, before realizing Sebastian was with her.
“Oh, Sebastian!” he said, elbowing him playfully. “Finally left the house, have you?”

Sebastian scowled. “Yes, I do that on occasion.”

“Well, uh,” Lewis flubbered around, “Good to see you getting some sun. What are you two doing here?”

“Sebastian was just showing me around town,” Aspen replied. “He was just telling me that this was the Community Center?”

“Ah, yes it was.” A fond smile touched Lewis’ face as he stared up at the building. “It used to be such a wonderful place, but, well, all good things must come to an end. Your granddad and I spent a considerable amount of time putting the place together, but that was ages ago now.”

Aspen slid her eyes from Lewis to Sebastian. “Any chance we could see inside?”

Lewis shrugged. “I don’t see why not. I fancy a trip down memory lane myself.”

As Lewis made for the door, Aspen gave him an incredibly smug look as if to say See? No B&E required. Sebastian rolled his eyes.

Lewis took a heavy key ring from his belt and flipped through it, muttering, “Now which one-no, not that one, or maybe...Ah-ha!” He triumphantly slotted a key into the lock and waved back to them. “Come on, kids! Gonna let this old man outstrip you?”

Sebastian motioned for Aspen to go first, and followed behind her up the hill and into the Community Center. Practically nothing had changed since Sebastian’s overnight stay a few days ago. The Junimo Hut stood in the corner, a dry plum pit left on the threshold. More leaves had blown in through the broken window. They had accumulated in small piles here and there across the floor. Lewis walked to the middle of the room and turned slowly on the spot, taking the old place in. A strange melancholic look settled over his features like the dust on the nearby mantelpiece.

Sebastian coughed politely. “Everything ok, sir?”

“Oh, what? Yes.” Lewis started from thought, then nodded several times as if to clear his head. “Just lots of old memories in this place. I didn’t think...I didn’t think it’d gotten that bad. Shame I’ll have to…” His words trailed off into a frown.

“Sir?”

Lewis resumed his smile. “It’s nothing, lad. Now, what have we here?”

He moved over to the Junimo Hut and studied it, eyes shifting back and forth from the hut to the broken window. Sebastian visibly tensed. Aspen raised an eyebrow.

“The kids must’ve gotten in again,” continued the mayor. “I’ll have to get Robin to board that window up. You’ll pass along the message, won’t you, lad?”

There went their only stable method of ingress. Sebastian nodded. “Of course, sir.”

“Well.” Lewis straightened, his posture almost painfully rigid. He took the Community Center key from his ring. “I’ll leave you two to look around. Mayoral duties to do, and all that. Good to see you, Sebastian. Glad you’re here, Eugenia. Lock up when you’re done.”

With that, he pressed the key into Aspen’s hand and headed out the door. Aspen tossed the key into the air and caught it. “I take it the window was your handiwork, then?”

“Actually, no, it wasn’t.” Sebastian frowned. He lowered his backpack to the ground and opened the front zippy pocket to let Smith out. “But if it is boarded up, we’ll have no reliable way back in and out.”

Smith chirped gratefully and nuzzled Sebastian’s hand, before climbing out of the pocket. He ran across the leaf-strew floor on his little legs for the hut.

Aspen shrugged. “Do we need one?”

“You may not, but I do,” Sebastian answered. “I tend to use this place as a...sort of hide-out. Plus, we may not solve your Junimo problem today.”

“Fair point. Why don’t we just make a copy of the key?” asked Aspen. “We’ve got two now; that’s one more than needed for copying.”

She followed Smith over to the Hut and stooped to look inside. Smith chirped angrily and put his hands against her big brown boots, trying to shove her backwards. He had very little success. Aspen acquiesced and stepped back. “Sorry, it is rude of me to intrude on your home.”

She gave him a pointed stare. Smith blew a raspberry at her and disappeared into the hut. Sebastian rubbed his temples. At least this headache would be over soon. Hopefully.

“If I take a key to Clint, then the whole town will know about it by the end of day,” Sebastian said. “Sam is bound to figure out I copied his key.”

‘Why don’t I just do it then?” Aspen replied. She headed a little ways down one of the halls of the Community Center and poked her head into one of the rooms. “I’ll say it’s for a lock on my farm, and I urgently need a copy.”

He opened his mouth to reply, but snapped his mouth shut the next second. She made an incredibly valid point. They would have a guaranteed way in and out of the Community Center, and no one would question the new farmer needing a couple of spare keys. “That’s...actually a pretty good plan.”

“It’s settled then; I’ll go after we’re done here.” Aspen said. She lingered at the door of the old Craft room, where Sebastian had slept a few nights ago. “What on earth is that?”

Sebastian joined her at the door. Had he really left a spare pair of socks lying around? What he saw from the doorway definitely wasn’t a pair of socks and it definitely wasn’t there two days ago. Curious, he came further into the room, followed by Aspen.

In the middle of the floor was a wood and gold object, shaped almost like a plaque of some kind. He crouched to inspect it. It was covered in some kind of writing he didn’t recognize. How strange.

“It looks like some kind of artifact,” Sebastian said.

“Is this...normal Junimo stuff?” offered Aspen.

“No, never seen anything like it.” He tried to pick it up to get a better look at it, but it seemed almost glued to the floor. “It’s stuck.”

“Here, let me try.” Aspen bent down and wiggled her fingers under the plaque, but no matter how much she pulled, it wouldn’t budge. Huffing, she sat back on the floor. “I don’t think that’s going anywhere.”

“Well,” said Sebastian, “I’ve got no idea what it is, but I’m pretty sure it’s Junimo-related. Looks magical, and all.”

“Thank you for that very professional assessment.” Aspen stood and dusted herself off. Sebastian was about to deliver a crushing reply, but Smith chirped loudly from the door. Sebastian shook his head and headed over to him. “Anything, Smith?”

Smith chirped and shook his head. He tented his hands over his eyes and acted like he was looking for something and then shrugged.

“They’re not home today?” Sebastian asked. He put out his hand and Smith climbed onto it, holding onto his thumb as he brought the little Junimo up to his shoulder.

Smith hopped off and nodded. He shot Aspen another dirty look, which she promptly ignored.

“Well, Aspen,” said Sebastian, heading for the door, “Looks like you’re stuck with the Junimos for a while longer.”