[Jaykobell]

[ Move to Sekudui Farmlands once the event is over, please! ]

In all respects, it was a perfect morning; the best possible opening to a wonderful day. The sun was hot and high in the sky, and the quiet town was ready to tackle another day of hard and rewarding work.

Such were also the expectations and intentions of a young man walking down one of the many dirt roads littered through the town.

It was a little bit of a tedious walk, considering the sun and the lack of clouds. Still, he pressed on; given enough time, he would adapt to this temperature. Truthfully, he didn't have a choice but to adapt, considering where he was going.

This path in particular lead him just a little ways away from the town, and down into rows of empty fields ready for crops, and pastures who were begging to welcome a slew of different animals. With a fresh season rolling in, the farms in the area were getting ready to get their business running at full force. And in order to do that, they needed help.

That was where he came in.

It had been a stroke of luck. Having left his previous job behind just a few months prior, his parents had suggested that he volunteer to work at a brand new farm. The owner had just moved in to town, and so, it felt like the right thing to do to offer some help in getting her settled in — including her business.

All those thoughts, admittedly, had distracted him during the walk there. Before he knew it, he had crossed the entrance, and he was just mere feet away from the door. While a little nervous, he was also confident.

Once in front of the door, he took a moment to run a hand through his hair. The short, black strands were covered in sweat from the walk here, leaving little to a good impression in that department. While he remained charming, his red cheeks were a little distracting. He couldn't lie: he was used to working in a building with air conditioning. This whole situation was a little different, to say the least.

But despite all that, he took a deep breath. With a bit of renewed confidence, he knocked on the door.

[zapdragon555]

Even after two full days, Jennifer still felt like a stranger in the small farmhouse. She'd allowed herself to sleep in, after the previous night, sitting up late and wondering whether or not she'd made the right decision to move all the way out here, abandon her old job... The first night, she'd dreamed of being locked in her own old cubicle, the walls closing in, so tight she couldn't breathe, and woke up in a cold sweat. Last night, she dreamed of nothing, and it was one of the most blessed emptinesses she'd ever experienced.

The knock to the door is what woke her. Jennifer shot up in bed, her eyes glued shut with sleep, and she rubbed at them furiously as she stumbled out of bed in her nightclothes. "Coming!" she called, nearly tripping right over her cat, which she'd brought from her tiny apartment back home--her old home, she reminded herself. This was her home, now.

It still didn't feel real.

"Coming sorry--here," she said as she opened the door, and her blood went cold at the sight of no one she'd been expecting. She'd been expecting the postman, or maybe a package with no one there, something of the sort--but no, it was a handsome, dark haired man who looked like he'd been out in the sun, and there she was in a loose nightshirt and pants that were falling apart. "O--oh," she finally uttered, blue eyes taking on a wild, embarrassed friendliness, something forced to cover up the flush on her face. "H-hello! I'm... hi, I'm sorry, I was just, ah... who.. are you?" she finished on a question, rapidly combing her hands through her light brown curls in an attempt to chase off the bedhead.

[Jaykobell]

Granted, he didn't look much better than the one who had opened the door, if only in a different way. It almost looked like the simple walk here had drained him completely. It was a little embarrassing.

He had also expected her to know who he was; and so, her question left him a little taken aback. "Oh, uh, I..." he mumbled for a moment. "I — I'm Alliott. Alliott Colchuster!" he introduced himself, and he did offer a hand — seconds before realizing he had to be sweaty as can be. But it was too late to take it back; that would be rude.

"I live in town!" he explained. "My parents suggested I come help you out there! The townsfolks felt like it would be nice to help you as a welcoming gift." Was he saying too much now? Oh. "I-if you need it, of course." Far from him to insinuate that she couldn't do things on her own. Had anyone discussed this with her beforehand? Despite the good intentions, the whole thing felt a little awkward.

[zapdragon555]

Jennifer's eyes flickered with recognition, and then a deep embarrassment, hurriedly getting her hands out of her own hair to clasp Alliot's hand between her own and shake it. "Oh! O-oh, gosh, right! Yes, ahh... I had a letter in my mailbox saying someone would come over! I'm... Jennifer, hi," she said, breathless, hurriedly letting go of his hand once she realized she'd been holding it and shaking it for far too long.

"It's great to meet you, Alliott," she said, finding her smile, inching behind the door a little, as if to start closing it, but not quite yet. "I'd... you know? Yeah! I'd love a little help clearing out that plot of land out front. It's full of rocks and old logs and it's starting to maybe look like more than a one-person-job. You know?"

She paused, then flushed, a nervous laugh spilling out of her. "Wait one second, please, I just rolled out of bed. Uh, can... can I get you something to drink? I'll bring it out as soon as I'm decent."

[Jaykobell]

Alliott blinked at Jennifer's hand shake, not quite expecting this level of forwardness. That being said, it was nice to hear that Jennifer had been advised of his showing up. It made this whole thing a lot less awkward.

For the most part, he let Jennifer speak out her answers before saying anything else. At the mention of how she needed help with the land out front, he grinned just a little bit. He had certainly noticed that it was due for some trimming and cleaning, but not that he would've said anything to Jennifer's face. The state of unkept on this land wasn't her fault in the slightest.

He'd started opening his mouth to say something, but he was interrupted by Jennifer offering something to drink. "Oh, uh," he mumbled, taken a little by surprise. "I mean, water would be great," he admitted with a bit of a sheepish grin. "I hadn't expected the walk here to be that long. If... If I can bother you just for a glass first, I'll get to work out there right after! I'll start clearing up that land up front for you."

[Event posts end here]

[zapdragon555]

"Sure thing, sure thing!" Jennifer piped, practically squeaked as her embarrassment over showing up to the front door in her pajamas finally got the better of her, and she let the door shut with a click in Alliott's face. Hurriedly she practically flung herself towards her dresser to pull out clothes for the day, grabbing a piece of plain white bread from the kitchen on her way for some kind of nutrients. Not much, certainly, but she was in a hurry!

Before long she was dressed in overalls and a plaid shirt, her short, wavy curls pulled back into a messy bobtail, carrying two glasses of water. She held one in her teeth, balanced in the crook of her elbow, as she opened the door and shimmied out side, and handed Alliott the one that currently wasn't clouded by her breath. "Sorry for the wait," she said sheepishly, once she'd secured the other water glass in her hand once more. "I swear I'm not usually like this, hah... I honestly haven't overslept in years. First time in awhile..."