Chapter Text
Elise
The weathered wood of the porch gave slightly with a soft squish beneath my rain boots. Rotting wood. Fantastic. The cabin had seen better days for certain, the scene before me drew up fond memories of the summers I'd spent here as a little girl. With Grandpa Arthur gone and no one left to tend the land, the farm had fallen apart.
My rainboots squeaked as I shifted my weight to find my footing along the uneven planks. It wasn't raining today, but I had decided to take over the farm a mere two days ago, with little time to pack. I elected to travel to Pelican Town in the clothes I couldn't fit in my suitcase but refused to part ways with; bright yellow rainboots, a lime-green mohair shawl I crocheted and embellished myself with tiny golden sequins, and a white-and-navy bucket hat sporting the Zuzu City Tunnelers logo. A fashion icon I was, indeed.
Everything else (aside from my books) had been sold online or dropped off at a local donation bin before my departure. If I was going to start over, I figured it might as well be from a clean slate.
The mayor of the town, Lewis, had emailed me instructions on how to find the farm from the bus stop, so I hadn't anticipated a damn personal escort as I disembarked, where she'd feast her eyes upon my mess of an outfit. Fuck, what was her name again?
"Sure, it's a bit overgrown," the lady-whose-name-I-had-forgotten chirped, snapping me out of my spiraling thoughts. She gestured her hand towards the sea of weeds and overgrown pine with an optimistic wave "...But there's some good soil underneath that mess!"
As she turned to face me, the early morning sun shone through her fiery-red hair, almost making it appear as though it glowed.
"O-oh it's no bother." I stammered, offering her an awkward tight-lipped smile, a learned defense mechanism I adopted over the years. I had always been self-conscious about my smile (my teeth, more specifically) but it got worse after overhearing my old boss in Zuzu City laughing about "the chick in HR with a tooth gap big enough to slot a penny through."
As if.
My mother always made sure to remind me how beautiful and unique she thought I was. "One day you'll meet someone who loves every little thing about you," she'd hum every morning as she braided my hair, "Even that sweet little gap."
Little. Not even remotely big enough for a penny. Penny! That was her name.
"Thanks, Penny. I got it from here." I remarked, relieved that I'd managed to remember her name. I made a mental note of it so I wouldn't forget again. Penny. Penny. Penny for your thoughts. Heh. if I had a penny for every thou-
"Oh," the probably-not-penny-named woman remarked, her expression faltering to one of mild confusion "Penny lives in town. I was just talking about the folks over there, everyone is super excited to meet the new farmer. I got first dibs!" She gave a good-natured nudge my way.
Crap. Not Penny. I could feel the heat rushing to my cheeks and immediately reached for a stray lock of hair, winding it around my finger like I always did when I got nervous.
"I'm sorry," I mumbled, staring down at my rainboots. "I think all the travelling did a number on me today. What's your name again?"
"Oh, no bother," She swatted the apology away "I'm Robin."
Robin. Robin. Batman's Sidekick? No - Red hair, like a red robin bird. Yes. Got it. I sifted through any mnemonics I could think of to ascribe that name to that face and tucked it away for the next time I'd run into her.
I turned my attention over to what Grandpa had left for me, letting my eyes slowly pan over the neglected inheritance one detail at a time. Calling it a mere wreck was an understatement. The weeds were so tall that their own weight bent them back down towards the very dry soil. Cracks webbed through the brittle stone path with tufts of grass peaking through the uneven slabs. The weathered fence posts looked soggy and waterlogged, leaning slightly to the side.
Jeez, Grandpa, a bitter laugh caught in my throat. I found myself reaching into my jeans' pocket to tap my fingers over the letter I had folded up in there. I read it several times on the bus ride over to town to remind myself why I escaped the city. I had memorized his words. His handwriting.
Dear Elise, If you're reading this, you must be in dire need of a change...
I was. Very much so. But what if I was biting off more than I could chew? What if I was trading in one miserable life for another?
Robin seemed to catch on to how my expression had fallen at the sight of the farm "I know it looks like a lot... But just take it one step at a time, Elise."
I fought against the lump in my throat and gave her a slight nod, still vacantly staring out at the land but acknowledging her words. One step at a time.
"Ah, the new farmer!" An older man with graying hair and bushy eyebrows suddenly appeared beside me from... The front door? Was he just inside my home? What the hell? He gave me a crooked smile, both thumbs enthusiastically held up. Mayor Lewis, I presumed. Mayor or not, what the hell was he doing inside my cabin moments ago? Did he have keys to my place too...? Freak alert.
"I was hoping you'd find this place alright," he lingered a few feet away, expectantly waiting for a response of some sort. I gave him a big thumbs up in return and offered a sheepish smile his way, still weirded out by the fact that he was doing yoba-knows-what inside my home.
"...Right." He cleared his throat, his gaze trailing over my mess of an outfit. "You know, everyone's been asking about you."
"So I've heard, Robin was just filling me in." I responded matter-of-factly. "I'm really looking forward to getting to know the folks around here, sir."
"Oh, please, just Mayor is fine!" He beamed, obviously preening at the title. He clasped his hands behind his back, rocking forward onto the tips of his toes before letting out a low whistle, drawing the note out as his eyes scanned the land. "So...You're moving into your grandfather's old cottage." His voice dipped, a slight contrast to the perky tone he met me with so as to not address the disgusting, creaky, rotting elephant in the room.
"The one and only." I replied flatly, my gaze drifting towards the moss-flecked roof which looked like it was a singular rain pellet away from caving in entirely.
"It's a good house," Lewis insisted with a fierce nod. "Very 'rustic'."
Rustic? Really?
Robin snorted beside me. Almost as though she had read my mind, she chimed in "Rustic? That's one way to put it..."
The Mayor shot her a glare that cautioned her into not continuing. I let out a giggle, covering my mouth before it would've turned into the snort I always let out when laughing, to no avail. "Looks worse than whatever state grandpa 'n grandma are in right now." I leaned in to whisper to Robin, who gaped her mouth open in shock before permitting herself to laugh at the remark as well.
"Oooh, I like this one, Mayor!" She exclaimed before wrapping a strong arm around my shoulder and pulling me into a side hug.
"I'm sure you do..." he cautioned. "Anywho, I'd better leave you to settle in. I'll be back tomorrow morning to check on your progress, Miss Elise." The mayor pivoted around on his heels and began walking the short distance off my farm.
"Actually, about that..." I slipped out from under Robin's arm, looking away from the tangled fields. "I think I'll start tackling all this tomorrow. Could you point me toward town instead?"
Robin's bright smile returned once again. "Of course! Remember the way back to the bus stop?"
I nodded.
"Great! Just keep walking past it. You'll find yourself in town. It's about a 10 minute walk, give or take." She explained, adjusting her tool belt. "It's Monday, so a lot of folks are running errands." She turned with a quick wave and began to make her way towards the northern trail.
"Oh, Elise!" Robin's voice echoed from afar "Welcome to Pelican Town."