Lew Zealand
Helper
For some reason my head has decided that Farmer Bobbi and Emily have a backstory, not so much where they first met but where they found each other. Oh and that I should write it too, it seems. We'll see how far this goes. Part 1:
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Bobbi bounces out of bed unusually early this morning, hastily dressing in the outfit she'd picked out the previous evening. It's supposed to be warmer today though as it's still Winter, that's only a relative comfort. Aaand it's supposed to rain in the afternoon. Not snow though! Hm, but snow would have been fun, too. Heehee!
Bobbi's outfit isn't the warmest thing she owns but her woolen overcoat should make up the difference, finally that sheep comes in handy. Well, that's not fair as Emily loves wool and over the past few days Emily had swiftly and surprisingly become the center of Bobbi's existence, a dark horse who had planned the most seemingly random of meetings away from the Valley and surprised Bobbi at her weekend Winter class. Bobbi had been wanting to finally finish her degree which years ago was sacrificed at the altar of competitive Rocket League play on one of the Zuzu City amateur clubs. Thanks to that dubious choice of now ex-career, she'd abandoned 3 total career paths and was in no way going to drop this fourth one as a farmer. Probably. It seemed to be going pretty OK so far. And now with some unexpected blue-haired help, maybe she could even reclaim one of the lost third.
Except Emily's hair is different now, part of the clever plan to surprise Bobbi at the beginning of her second-year Psych class.
The previous fall during one of her rare trips to the Saloon, Bobbi had mentioned pondering going back to school when Emily asked what she farmed in the Wintertime. She hadn't really been thinking of Winter activities much and was planning on either hibernating or optimizing her sleep schedule, half in jest and half because of.....
That kind of brain slowness that affected her during those short Winter days. She didn't like to use the word that sometimes people associate with this but suspected it was a contributor. Maybe it's the whole thing. But she was in denial of it even as snoring an entire season seemed a reasonable plan for her future. Emily had jogged the thoughts of a more constructive option which Bobbi had been alternately been ignoring and absently considering. Not really at the planning stage yet. But one thing Bobbi knew how to do was use her big mouth to articulate reasonable-sounding plans and that's what came out when Emily asked her fateful future question.
So now Bobbi was committed to re-entering school as an older person as she didn't want to seem wishy-washy in front of everyone in the Saloon, even if Emily was likely the only one paying attention as a cordial barmaid will do. Bobbi didn't notice that Emily was taking more than a passing interest as she was often oblivious of interplay between people unless she was actively paying attention, and as only an infrequent Saloon attendee she didn't know what the typical etiquette was.
Clint knew and he noticed. Whether he put it all together into a cohesive analysis of the situation is anyone's guess though he seemed to be almost as thick-headed as Bobbi so it's likely both were completely in the dark about Emily's attentions. Clint knew enough to be jealous though. If only he knew that Bobbi's seeming ease with Emily was borne from massive ignorance spiced with a little nervous empty bravado about going back to school.
Nevertheless Emily paid attention to Bobbi's ideas and Bobbi found talking out the ideas with her to be a great help in organizing her thoughts. They never flowed or made much sense, or even were compelling enough to follow through to the next step when Bobbi was attempting them back at the farm, but when talking them through with Emily during her downtime at the bar, everything seemed so... Reasonable. Doable. This can happen.
I will do this.
A few weeks later after Winter's first blanket of snow discouraged Bobbi from doing much on the farm other than petting the animals, she took the bus to Zuzu and walked the final 15 minutes to Ferngill Regional College. It hadn't changed much in the decade-plus since she'd last been there. She felt more than a little nervous as she was now an old person in her mid-30s, recalling the wizened Ecology grad student who'd TA'd her Bio lab the last time she'd been on campus. Who was 31, with lines on her face. No longer young. Well, she was skinny and all while Bobbi was slightly larger shaped, and that totally fills out those creases, right? It's all still baby fat right? Not the fat-fat of an older person.
Stop thinking that way Bobbi, just be yourself and drop the 'old' bit. This type of encouragement could work for upwards of 5 minutes sometimes. Maybe people would just think she was auditing the class or maybe a TA or staff. Ruminating through her winter-mood thoughts, she fetched her class schedule and map from her bag and joined the throngs shuffling into the building and through the door into the lecture hall. One of them who'd been standing just inside the hall saw Bobbi fixated on her list and asked if this was the right 2nd year Psych class, shoving their class list over Bobbi's. Recognizing the same text, Bobbi said, "Yup, looks like it."
The other person said an excited "Thanks!" and as Bobbi looked to see who she was talking to, her deadened senses detected... something. She wasn't sure which one got the message through first. Smell is powerful in an unfamiliar environment and was registering something but hearing had already sent information back a few seconds before, which had been ignored in typical morning Bobbi fashion. Sight had picked up the person immediately in her peripheral vision but didn't register anything familiar. But senses can be fooled.
As Bobbi turned to the person, they were still shrouded by neck length brown hair cascading down past their downturned face still fixed on their overlaid class schedules. The other person turned towards Bobbi revealing first a nose, then a wide toothy smile and glittering light brown eyes bracketed by smile lines.
Bobbi instinctively smiled back before her brain put all the pieces together.
Bobbi was never particularly good with puzzles and usually needed help. But she got there eventually.
"E-Emily?" Dumbfounded, Bobbi's mouth forgot to close. This was not an entirely new phenomenon.
Emily was practically bouncing out of her shoes as she hopped and laid a giant bear hug on Bobbi, who was still trying to figure out what was wrong. Something was wrong and it wasn't even Emily being in a place that she-- she--- couldn't be? Why is she here?
Wait! Hair. Hair wrong. Emily hair wrong.
"What did your hair?" So suave. "Your hair's brown!" Hey that's a sentence, we're getting somewhere.
"I colored it last night after work," Emily exclaimed into Bobbi's hair, her shorter friend still trapped arms straight down in the bear hug. "All part of the plan to surprise you here! And it worked, you didn't even know it was me! I mean did you, it didn't look like you did." Still hugtrapped.
Bobbi's brain was still stumbling but making do. "No I- you- this is the most random thing ever but you planned it so it's not the most random thing ever but you planning it is like the mostest random thing ever!" Rambling. Also a very Bobbi trait. "But why are you here, and wait, you're in this class?! Now I'm super confused." Brain working better than before but still hewing to it's usual slow progress when putting things together.
"I'd been meaning to take some classes forever," Emily started, mostly releasing Bobbi but steadying her as she still looked a bit dazed. "There's more to life than bartending and the fashion and design classes here are supposed to be pretty good. And in you come to the Saloon with plans of going to Ferngill RC. It seemed you weren't sure at first but then you seemed to be very sure and, well," Emily leaned in to Bobbi and whispered, "it was a sign." Back to her normal voice, Emily continued, "For me to finally take the classes. Gus said I can come in a little later and make it up on the weekends if I want."
Bobbi was holding Emily's arms absently now as Emily had never fully released her and was listening, partly detached from the world. There was this conversation and there was something happening farther outside this two-person bubble, people filing past and maybe some other stuff. But at this point there was a story happening and that was everything.
"I saw your class schedule and made sure I got the same first class," Emily explained. "So we could start here together!"
"You did this for me?" Bobbi asked simply.
"Well- yeah. I mean it's for both of us, but I'm here because of you." Emily replied with a simple smile. "It seemed while you were planning it out like you were looking forward to it, but you also seemed a little scared. Scared is no fun. Having a friend with you is way more fun."
Everything crashed in on Bobbi, all the stress she'd been avoiding and ignoring, the Winter doldrums, the crushing uncertainty, this wonderful person in front of her. She started crying and Emily immediately grabbed her into not quite the bear hug of before and pulled Bobbi to the side, away from the trickle of students filling the now buzzing lecture hall, and patted her back as she let it all out.
Bobbi got control of herself as quickly as she could and apologized for making a mess of Emily's coat shoulder. "It's OK Bobbi, I got another one over here, just in case," she quipped, pointing to the other side. Emily was hoping for at least a smile to brighten the mood and wasn't disappointed.
Bobbi took a deep hitching breath, rubbing her eyes clear, and mentally thanked Yoba that she never wore makeup or eyeliner because that would have been a spectacular look to start off the semester with. As they turned to search for a pair of adjacent seats in the well-occupied lecture hall, Bobbi glanced to her side and asked Emily in only a half-hesitant voice, "Um, so is that your real hair color?"
_____
Bobbi bounces out of bed unusually early this morning, hastily dressing in the outfit she'd picked out the previous evening. It's supposed to be warmer today though as it's still Winter, that's only a relative comfort. Aaand it's supposed to rain in the afternoon. Not snow though! Hm, but snow would have been fun, too. Heehee!
Bobbi's outfit isn't the warmest thing she owns but her woolen overcoat should make up the difference, finally that sheep comes in handy. Well, that's not fair as Emily loves wool and over the past few days Emily had swiftly and surprisingly become the center of Bobbi's existence, a dark horse who had planned the most seemingly random of meetings away from the Valley and surprised Bobbi at her weekend Winter class. Bobbi had been wanting to finally finish her degree which years ago was sacrificed at the altar of competitive Rocket League play on one of the Zuzu City amateur clubs. Thanks to that dubious choice of now ex-career, she'd abandoned 3 total career paths and was in no way going to drop this fourth one as a farmer. Probably. It seemed to be going pretty OK so far. And now with some unexpected blue-haired help, maybe she could even reclaim one of the lost third.
Except Emily's hair is different now, part of the clever plan to surprise Bobbi at the beginning of her second-year Psych class.
The previous fall during one of her rare trips to the Saloon, Bobbi had mentioned pondering going back to school when Emily asked what she farmed in the Wintertime. She hadn't really been thinking of Winter activities much and was planning on either hibernating or optimizing her sleep schedule, half in jest and half because of.....
That kind of brain slowness that affected her during those short Winter days. She didn't like to use the word that sometimes people associate with this but suspected it was a contributor. Maybe it's the whole thing. But she was in denial of it even as snoring an entire season seemed a reasonable plan for her future. Emily had jogged the thoughts of a more constructive option which Bobbi had been alternately been ignoring and absently considering. Not really at the planning stage yet. But one thing Bobbi knew how to do was use her big mouth to articulate reasonable-sounding plans and that's what came out when Emily asked her fateful future question.
So now Bobbi was committed to re-entering school as an older person as she didn't want to seem wishy-washy in front of everyone in the Saloon, even if Emily was likely the only one paying attention as a cordial barmaid will do. Bobbi didn't notice that Emily was taking more than a passing interest as she was often oblivious of interplay between people unless she was actively paying attention, and as only an infrequent Saloon attendee she didn't know what the typical etiquette was.
Clint knew and he noticed. Whether he put it all together into a cohesive analysis of the situation is anyone's guess though he seemed to be almost as thick-headed as Bobbi so it's likely both were completely in the dark about Emily's attentions. Clint knew enough to be jealous though. If only he knew that Bobbi's seeming ease with Emily was borne from massive ignorance spiced with a little nervous empty bravado about going back to school.
Nevertheless Emily paid attention to Bobbi's ideas and Bobbi found talking out the ideas with her to be a great help in organizing her thoughts. They never flowed or made much sense, or even were compelling enough to follow through to the next step when Bobbi was attempting them back at the farm, but when talking them through with Emily during her downtime at the bar, everything seemed so... Reasonable. Doable. This can happen.
I will do this.
A few weeks later after Winter's first blanket of snow discouraged Bobbi from doing much on the farm other than petting the animals, she took the bus to Zuzu and walked the final 15 minutes to Ferngill Regional College. It hadn't changed much in the decade-plus since she'd last been there. She felt more than a little nervous as she was now an old person in her mid-30s, recalling the wizened Ecology grad student who'd TA'd her Bio lab the last time she'd been on campus. Who was 31, with lines on her face. No longer young. Well, she was skinny and all while Bobbi was slightly larger shaped, and that totally fills out those creases, right? It's all still baby fat right? Not the fat-fat of an older person.
Stop thinking that way Bobbi, just be yourself and drop the 'old' bit. This type of encouragement could work for upwards of 5 minutes sometimes. Maybe people would just think she was auditing the class or maybe a TA or staff. Ruminating through her winter-mood thoughts, she fetched her class schedule and map from her bag and joined the throngs shuffling into the building and through the door into the lecture hall. One of them who'd been standing just inside the hall saw Bobbi fixated on her list and asked if this was the right 2nd year Psych class, shoving their class list over Bobbi's. Recognizing the same text, Bobbi said, "Yup, looks like it."
The other person said an excited "Thanks!" and as Bobbi looked to see who she was talking to, her deadened senses detected... something. She wasn't sure which one got the message through first. Smell is powerful in an unfamiliar environment and was registering something but hearing had already sent information back a few seconds before, which had been ignored in typical morning Bobbi fashion. Sight had picked up the person immediately in her peripheral vision but didn't register anything familiar. But senses can be fooled.
As Bobbi turned to the person, they were still shrouded by neck length brown hair cascading down past their downturned face still fixed on their overlaid class schedules. The other person turned towards Bobbi revealing first a nose, then a wide toothy smile and glittering light brown eyes bracketed by smile lines.
Bobbi instinctively smiled back before her brain put all the pieces together.
Bobbi was never particularly good with puzzles and usually needed help. But she got there eventually.
"E-Emily?" Dumbfounded, Bobbi's mouth forgot to close. This was not an entirely new phenomenon.
Emily was practically bouncing out of her shoes as she hopped and laid a giant bear hug on Bobbi, who was still trying to figure out what was wrong. Something was wrong and it wasn't even Emily being in a place that she-- she--- couldn't be? Why is she here?
Wait! Hair. Hair wrong. Emily hair wrong.
"What did your hair?" So suave. "Your hair's brown!" Hey that's a sentence, we're getting somewhere.
"I colored it last night after work," Emily exclaimed into Bobbi's hair, her shorter friend still trapped arms straight down in the bear hug. "All part of the plan to surprise you here! And it worked, you didn't even know it was me! I mean did you, it didn't look like you did." Still hugtrapped.
Bobbi's brain was still stumbling but making do. "No I- you- this is the most random thing ever but you planned it so it's not the most random thing ever but you planning it is like the mostest random thing ever!" Rambling. Also a very Bobbi trait. "But why are you here, and wait, you're in this class?! Now I'm super confused." Brain working better than before but still hewing to it's usual slow progress when putting things together.
"I'd been meaning to take some classes forever," Emily started, mostly releasing Bobbi but steadying her as she still looked a bit dazed. "There's more to life than bartending and the fashion and design classes here are supposed to be pretty good. And in you come to the Saloon with plans of going to Ferngill RC. It seemed you weren't sure at first but then you seemed to be very sure and, well," Emily leaned in to Bobbi and whispered, "it was a sign." Back to her normal voice, Emily continued, "For me to finally take the classes. Gus said I can come in a little later and make it up on the weekends if I want."
Bobbi was holding Emily's arms absently now as Emily had never fully released her and was listening, partly detached from the world. There was this conversation and there was something happening farther outside this two-person bubble, people filing past and maybe some other stuff. But at this point there was a story happening and that was everything.
"I saw your class schedule and made sure I got the same first class," Emily explained. "So we could start here together!"
"You did this for me?" Bobbi asked simply.
"Well- yeah. I mean it's for both of us, but I'm here because of you." Emily replied with a simple smile. "It seemed while you were planning it out like you were looking forward to it, but you also seemed a little scared. Scared is no fun. Having a friend with you is way more fun."
Everything crashed in on Bobbi, all the stress she'd been avoiding and ignoring, the Winter doldrums, the crushing uncertainty, this wonderful person in front of her. She started crying and Emily immediately grabbed her into not quite the bear hug of before and pulled Bobbi to the side, away from the trickle of students filling the now buzzing lecture hall, and patted her back as she let it all out.
Bobbi got control of herself as quickly as she could and apologized for making a mess of Emily's coat shoulder. "It's OK Bobbi, I got another one over here, just in case," she quipped, pointing to the other side. Emily was hoping for at least a smile to brighten the mood and wasn't disappointed.
Bobbi took a deep hitching breath, rubbing her eyes clear, and mentally thanked Yoba that she never wore makeup or eyeliner because that would have been a spectacular look to start off the semester with. As they turned to search for a pair of adjacent seats in the well-occupied lecture hall, Bobbi glanced to her side and asked Emily in only a half-hesitant voice, "Um, so is that your real hair color?"
