The Runaway: A Stardew Valley Story

Better Angles

Elliot

Leah slings a bag down onto my desk. It's floppy and covered in dirt like all her other bags. There was a time when I would have chided her for this, but my seaside shack never stays clean anyways. Sand always finds a way in no matter how much I try to sweep it out or seal the cracks.

"What is so important, Elliot? I was in the zone!" Leah's hands grip at thin air as if the zone were something right in front of her to be held.

I frown. Leah hasn't finished a sculpture in over a year, and I hadn't meant to keep her from her work. That's one of the perks of our friendship. We understand the need for creative distance from time to time.

Deciding to keep things brief, I ask, "Have you met the new farmer?"

"New what?"

"Farmer."

Leah scoffs. "Men aren't my type, remember?"

I tsk. "Bold assumption that only a man can til the land. I bet you'd be intrigued to know that Junox is in fact a woman. A very beautiful woman, at that."

My friend's mouth tightens. Leah has been hot and cold with her ex for years now. The fact that her eyes do not light up with excitement probably means this is another warm season. I'll have to ask her about that over wine soon.

"Are you suddenly interested in this Junox?" Leah asks trying to deflect the heat in my gaze away from her love life. "I do remember you swore off men after... what was his name again?"

"Hugo, and I've only just met the poor damsel." I cross my arms. If Leah hasn't met Junox yet then perhaps my inquiries are pointless. I need someone with an artist's eye for detail to confirm my suspicions.

Leah raises an eyebrow in shock. "That wasn't a no, Elliot."

The truth in her statement makes me pause. It was not a no. I've dated my share of women and men since college without much preference, but instead of examining the underlying meaning of my own subconscious feelings, I choose to focus on the matter at hand. I am interested in Junox as a peculiarity.

Why would someone with no knowledge of farming come here to do just that?

"I would like to add her to my research," I finally admit. "She might prove to be the very inspiration my novel has been lacking."

Leah groans. "Fine, but one of these days you're going to have to stop treating people like lab rats and actually experience romance. If you want to write what you know, you kind of need to learn a thing or two."

"Says the woman who hasn't learned what the block caller function is."

Leah's high cheekbones turn rosy with rage. "Did you just call me in here to piss me off? Does your little novel need some more action?"

My gaze falls to the old wooden floor. Driving the one friend I have in this place away probably doesn't bode well for me, and I will need to fill Leah in eventually. I just don't have the eye for this sort of scrutiny.

"Does the name Joy Hornsby ring any bells?" I finally ask with a sigh.

The artist gives me a slow look up and down through narrowed eyes. "Should it?"

"No, but I'd like you to keep this photo in mind when you do finally meet our new farmer," I say as I toss a copy of Fabulous Magazine that I stole from the library at Leah's head. She misses the glossy periodical completely, and it smacks the floor with a thud.

"What the hell was that for?" Leah bends down to snatch the magazine from its crumpled state. She points at the cover depicting an elegant waterfall proposal. The print promises the big scoop behind the fairytale wedding to come next summer. "Joja Corp?" Leah reads off.

"You won't find many full-face photos of Ms. Hornsby," I ignore the question. "The main focus is on the Joja Corp brat, but you're better at all of those angles and whatnot than I'll ever be."

"Are you just going to leave me in the dark on this?" Thin fingers grip Leah's waist as she gives me a look of contempt.

"Until you give me your unbiased opinion, yes."

Leah stares at the cover with pursed lips. She glanced from the couple in the photo to me then back to the couple. "Then you promise to tell me what's going on?"

A pinky finger with two silver rings for embellishment raises itself to my level in challenge.

"I pinky promise," I swear and wrap my own slender pinky around hers.

Thank you all for your patience with a little break last week! Have a wonderful New Year!