Lew Zealand
Helper
Don't walk home. It gives you time to think of things. This one popped out today and now I have to write it. Because I don't like have anything else to write about. Sheesh... Enjoy!
__________
__________
Approaching the base of the volcano, Abigail considered the events leading up to this crossroads in her life.
_____
Abigail had been practicing with her sword in the basement when Mom came down yet again to ask nobody in particular what all the racket was.
"Really Mom?" Abigail responded with an eyeroll. "You know exactly what I'm doing down here, you don't need to play it up. I'll clean up the dummies when I'm finished."
"Abby, it's such a nice day outside," Caroline pleaded. "I really wish you wouldn't coop up down here and just go out and get some fresh air. Your father wishes he could do the same every day."
"Pfft!" Abigail snorted, "Dad could do that whenever he wanted, he's just too worried someone'll... cut a hole in the back of the house and sneak in when he's not looking. The door opens to the town square, he can be outside and see who comes and goes whenever he wants!"
"Don't change the subject, dear," Caroline admonished. "Just clean up here and go out, you look even paler than usual."
"Yeah OK Mom." Joke's on you giving out compliments like that. The basement was getting hot and stuffy so it was time to go out anyway, but Abigail delayed another 20 minutes so it wouldn't look like she was actually listening or following directions. But once Mom's footsteps upstairs started back down the hall from the kitchen, she grabbed her bag, sword, and some rock candy snacks, making a scene parading out of the basement and then the house.
Considering a walk to the dark woods that the not-so-new-anymore farmer girl had hacked open recently, Abigail decided that visiting the slimes in there was still something left for another time. So she proceeded to the town graveyard for some breezy, shady, and hopefully less-sweaty sword swinging. After practicing for a bit, trying not to nick her weapon on the grave markers, Abby spotted Penny walking the kids back from school and retreated between the trees for some privacy. Jas' hair always bothered Abigail as it was almost the same odd awesome shade of purple as hers but ever since arriving at Pelican Town, Abigail thought that maybe she stood out just a little less than before. Only a tiny bit. Jas is only a kid, probably be gone before long anyway.
And no chance she'll ever win the Egg hunt!
Well, and look who's approaching now, little Miss Popular Brunette Haley-wannabe Farmer. Just because some old guy you barely know leaves you a free farm and you swing into town from the big city all Miss Important and I can play farming and make lots of g while the rest of us live in a room with our parents... Abigail didn't know where she was going with the thought and didn't have much time to finish.
She wandered out from under the overarching trees, not making immediate eye contact.
"Hi Abigail," Bobbi said. "What's up?"
"Hi Bobbi," Abigail replied somewhat unenthusiastically. "Not much, just avoiding the parents and poking bugs with my metal stick." She swung her sword around casually, trying not to seem that she cared.
"Your have a sword? Cool!" Bobbi said, eyeing Abby's blade.
"It's nothing," Abigail said a little guardedly, but still perking up a bit. "It's not like I'm doing anything exciting with it. Like slaying dinosaurs." Abigail paused. "Gunther told me they're all dead but I bet he's just not looking hard enough."
Bobbi smiled, saying, "Well there are a few fun things to swing a sword at in the Mines and sometimes they even drop cool things--" Bobbi's face quickly flashed through raised eyebrows and a defocused look. Abigail knew this was farmer girl's brain slowly churning through a thought, but that sometimes there came something useful out of it in the end. Best to wait a bit. One time she'd received an amethyst after being patient and who knows what she had hidden in that pack? Blackberry Cobbler? Maybe a particular jewelry thi-
"Abigail!" Bobbi blurted out.
"Hi, I'm still here," Abigail made a scene looking for other Abigails in the local vicinity.
"Yes. Sorry," Bobbi recovered, "I have a thing that maybe you might like. I got it in the Mines a while ago and maybe you'd appreciate it."
"Hey, if it's from the Mines, I'll ask Mom to cook it up for dinner," Abigail said, running with her favorite joke. But then remembered complications. "Uh, unless it's a cave carrot. Maybe Leah likes those." Abigail wrinkled her nose, making a gross face before she realized and stopped.
"No, you big silly, it's here." Bobbi fished out something from her pack that Abigail didn't immediately recognize, especially since right next to it she caught just a glimpse of a thing of wondrous beauty. That thing looked like a delicately carved purple sword hilt with maybe even a purple blade attached to it. But her brief view was covered in a flash as Bobbi produced the other thing from her backpack. "It's a bone sword. Wanna try it out?"
As Bobbi handed over the sword, Abby asked, "So is it for chopping up the feeble bones of your enemies?" Gathering steam, she added, "Before or after you've dispatched them!?"
"Uh, well, I suppose it works both ways but no, it's made of bone. Well, apparently." Bobbi squished her mouth and nose up, making a very skeptical face. It was almost cute. "At least, that's what Marlon said when I showed it to him but I'm not sure that guy ever tells the whole truth about anything. Apparently he's got some sort of CCTV setup in the Mines, even though the stupid elevator barely works and then only after I do repairs on the landings. I swear the place is his personal amusement park."
When Abigail received the sword from Bobbi, her hand shot up an inch or two before recovering, attempting to counteract the sword's weight but instead finding it to be almost unnaturally light. It moved very easily through the air, so well controlled. A few jabs, parries, a number of swings and Abby was in love.
Turning back to Bobbi, she said, "This is wonderful after that old clunker I've been using." Abigail's eyes narrowed. "Which I got from Marlon after badgering him for like 8 years! He probably talked to dad about it and put, like, lead in it to make it heavier! I've got some tricks for that guy next Spirit's Eve..." Abigail smiled in a not entirely welcoming way.
"Hey, don't forget to include me in any tricks you play on him, I'm not missing out on any of that!" Bobbi exclaimed. "Please keep the sword, I'm learning to use something else which is kinda bigger and, well, it'll eventually be better. Probably."
Looking down at the new sword in her hands, Abigail said, "Hey thanks, Bobbi. This is really cool." She put the sword down and gave Bobbi a hug. "Maybe even cooler than the amethyst."
"Mmmmmmm... maybe!" Abigail finished, reconsidering.
"Have fun practicing, Abigail, I'll catch ya later!" Bobbi said.
"I will, and you can call me Abby, OK? Friends, ya know? That's sorta what they do," Abigail asked.
"Friends, eh? Soooounds suspicious... but I think i can do that, Abby," Bobbi replied with a smile, hamming it up just a bit, and turned to go.
Abigail started her rounds again and found with the new balance of the bone sword, that her previous training didn't quite transfer perfectly but she soon got the hang of it. It was no longer a fight just to wield a sword. No longer straining to control the movements. And now just a little different when trying not to injure herself as the heavy momentum was replaced with quick, agile movements. Which got her nicked faster at the beginning but eventually allowed more natural actions, like it was finally listening to what her arm was telling it to do instead of balking with a mind of its own. Trying the blade on some leaves, she also found it quite a bit sharper than her old sword.
Marlon. Probably dulled it down after dad asked so little baby girl won't hurt herself.
Confidence growing with the acquisition of an actually decent weapon, Abigail thought,
"I'll show them."
__________
__________
Approaching the base of the volcano, Abigail considered the events leading up to this crossroads in her life.
_____
Abigail had been practicing with her sword in the basement when Mom came down yet again to ask nobody in particular what all the racket was.
"Really Mom?" Abigail responded with an eyeroll. "You know exactly what I'm doing down here, you don't need to play it up. I'll clean up the dummies when I'm finished."
"Abby, it's such a nice day outside," Caroline pleaded. "I really wish you wouldn't coop up down here and just go out and get some fresh air. Your father wishes he could do the same every day."
"Pfft!" Abigail snorted, "Dad could do that whenever he wanted, he's just too worried someone'll... cut a hole in the back of the house and sneak in when he's not looking. The door opens to the town square, he can be outside and see who comes and goes whenever he wants!"
"Don't change the subject, dear," Caroline admonished. "Just clean up here and go out, you look even paler than usual."
"Yeah OK Mom." Joke's on you giving out compliments like that. The basement was getting hot and stuffy so it was time to go out anyway, but Abigail delayed another 20 minutes so it wouldn't look like she was actually listening or following directions. But once Mom's footsteps upstairs started back down the hall from the kitchen, she grabbed her bag, sword, and some rock candy snacks, making a scene parading out of the basement and then the house.
Considering a walk to the dark woods that the not-so-new-anymore farmer girl had hacked open recently, Abigail decided that visiting the slimes in there was still something left for another time. So she proceeded to the town graveyard for some breezy, shady, and hopefully less-sweaty sword swinging. After practicing for a bit, trying not to nick her weapon on the grave markers, Abby spotted Penny walking the kids back from school and retreated between the trees for some privacy. Jas' hair always bothered Abigail as it was almost the same odd awesome shade of purple as hers but ever since arriving at Pelican Town, Abigail thought that maybe she stood out just a little less than before. Only a tiny bit. Jas is only a kid, probably be gone before long anyway.
And no chance she'll ever win the Egg hunt!
Well, and look who's approaching now, little Miss Popular Brunette Haley-wannabe Farmer. Just because some old guy you barely know leaves you a free farm and you swing into town from the big city all Miss Important and I can play farming and make lots of g while the rest of us live in a room with our parents... Abigail didn't know where she was going with the thought and didn't have much time to finish.
She wandered out from under the overarching trees, not making immediate eye contact.
"Hi Abigail," Bobbi said. "What's up?"
"Hi Bobbi," Abigail replied somewhat unenthusiastically. "Not much, just avoiding the parents and poking bugs with my metal stick." She swung her sword around casually, trying not to seem that she cared.
"Your have a sword? Cool!" Bobbi said, eyeing Abby's blade.
"It's nothing," Abigail said a little guardedly, but still perking up a bit. "It's not like I'm doing anything exciting with it. Like slaying dinosaurs." Abigail paused. "Gunther told me they're all dead but I bet he's just not looking hard enough."
Bobbi smiled, saying, "Well there are a few fun things to swing a sword at in the Mines and sometimes they even drop cool things--" Bobbi's face quickly flashed through raised eyebrows and a defocused look. Abigail knew this was farmer girl's brain slowly churning through a thought, but that sometimes there came something useful out of it in the end. Best to wait a bit. One time she'd received an amethyst after being patient and who knows what she had hidden in that pack? Blackberry Cobbler? Maybe a particular jewelry thi-
"Abigail!" Bobbi blurted out.
"Hi, I'm still here," Abigail made a scene looking for other Abigails in the local vicinity.
"Yes. Sorry," Bobbi recovered, "I have a thing that maybe you might like. I got it in the Mines a while ago and maybe you'd appreciate it."
"Hey, if it's from the Mines, I'll ask Mom to cook it up for dinner," Abigail said, running with her favorite joke. But then remembered complications. "Uh, unless it's a cave carrot. Maybe Leah likes those." Abigail wrinkled her nose, making a gross face before she realized and stopped.
"No, you big silly, it's here." Bobbi fished out something from her pack that Abigail didn't immediately recognize, especially since right next to it she caught just a glimpse of a thing of wondrous beauty. That thing looked like a delicately carved purple sword hilt with maybe even a purple blade attached to it. But her brief view was covered in a flash as Bobbi produced the other thing from her backpack. "It's a bone sword. Wanna try it out?"
As Bobbi handed over the sword, Abby asked, "So is it for chopping up the feeble bones of your enemies?" Gathering steam, she added, "Before or after you've dispatched them!?"
"Uh, well, I suppose it works both ways but no, it's made of bone. Well, apparently." Bobbi squished her mouth and nose up, making a very skeptical face. It was almost cute. "At least, that's what Marlon said when I showed it to him but I'm not sure that guy ever tells the whole truth about anything. Apparently he's got some sort of CCTV setup in the Mines, even though the stupid elevator barely works and then only after I do repairs on the landings. I swear the place is his personal amusement park."
When Abigail received the sword from Bobbi, her hand shot up an inch or two before recovering, attempting to counteract the sword's weight but instead finding it to be almost unnaturally light. It moved very easily through the air, so well controlled. A few jabs, parries, a number of swings and Abby was in love.
Turning back to Bobbi, she said, "This is wonderful after that old clunker I've been using." Abigail's eyes narrowed. "Which I got from Marlon after badgering him for like 8 years! He probably talked to dad about it and put, like, lead in it to make it heavier! I've got some tricks for that guy next Spirit's Eve..." Abigail smiled in a not entirely welcoming way.
"Hey, don't forget to include me in any tricks you play on him, I'm not missing out on any of that!" Bobbi exclaimed. "Please keep the sword, I'm learning to use something else which is kinda bigger and, well, it'll eventually be better. Probably."
Looking down at the new sword in her hands, Abigail said, "Hey thanks, Bobbi. This is really cool." She put the sword down and gave Bobbi a hug. "Maybe even cooler than the amethyst."
"Mmmmmmm... maybe!" Abigail finished, reconsidering.
"Have fun practicing, Abigail, I'll catch ya later!" Bobbi said.
"I will, and you can call me Abby, OK? Friends, ya know? That's sorta what they do," Abigail asked.
"Friends, eh? Soooounds suspicious... but I think i can do that, Abby," Bobbi replied with a smile, hamming it up just a bit, and turned to go.
Abigail started her rounds again and found with the new balance of the bone sword, that her previous training didn't quite transfer perfectly but she soon got the hang of it. It was no longer a fight just to wield a sword. No longer straining to control the movements. And now just a little different when trying not to injure herself as the heavy momentum was replaced with quick, agile movements. Which got her nicked faster at the beginning but eventually allowed more natural actions, like it was finally listening to what her arm was telling it to do instead of balking with a mind of its own. Trying the blade on some leaves, she also found it quite a bit sharper than her old sword.
Marlon. Probably dulled it down after dad asked so little baby girl won't hurt herself.
Confidence growing with the acquisition of an actually decent weapon, Abigail thought,
"I'll show them."
event and obtained the Galaxy Sword, that she would think Abby would appreciate a better sword, one that's easy for a smaller person (Abby's sprite is quite short) to handle. And the Bone Sword just fit.
