Frogs in the Rain (Stardew Valley // Sebastian)

In the Water

Sebastian wasn't sure what he was supposed to expect that afternoon, but meeting Emily Burnap, Sam's neighbor, was definitely not on his imagined list. The woman sat on the edge of the dock, dipping the tips of her toes in the water as her short, azure hair bobbed in the breeze. She wore a pastel blue t-shirt and white shorts that day, which was much different than her usual ruby gown. Meanwhile, Nix and Sam stood in what Sebastian guessed was Elliot's, the local poet's, boat. Sam knelt on one of the benches, a rope in hand as he secured the dinghy to the dock. Next to him, seated near the engine and wearing an old, weathered, grey t-shirt, Nix was busy applying sunscreen to her fair skin.

Emily was the one to look up as Sebastian drew closer. She smiled brightly, revealing a row of slightly-crooked teeth. "Hi, Sebastian!"

"Look who finally decided to show up," Sam joked, giving the rope a small tug. "We were starting to think you'd forgotten."

Sebastian looked down at his watch. "I was only ten minutes late. I would've been here sooner but Demetrius..." He trailed off, reaching his hands into his pocket before stepping around Emily and boarding the boat. He handed the bottle of iron pills to Nix, who looked up at him while squinting her eyes in the sun. "Uh, he wanted you to have these."

"O-oh, thank you," Nix replied, coughing slightly as she took the bottle. She turned her head towards the sea. "Harvey also sent me some a month ago."

And, in fact, the doctor had. Nix simply woke up one morning and looked inside her mailbox, where she was greeted with a small package from Harvey containing a similar bottle of pills and a note. The letter, to her dismay, instructed Nix to schedule an appointment with him if her skin did not darken after a few months of taking the medication. Just like Sebastian's stepfather, it seemed the doctor had suspected anemia to be her plight. Of course, neither of them knew the real reason, and Nix didn't expect them to. In truth, she never wanted them to find out. She looked towards Sam, who was scrambling to make sure everything was ready for their trip. With a heavy heart, she wondered what he would say if he found out what she really was... What her father was.

She cleared her throat and handed the bottle of sunscreen to Sebastian. "Do you need some?"

Sebastian sat on the bench across from her, hesitantly grabbing the bottle. "Thank you."

She blushed immediately afterward. "I hope you don't mind I invited Emily. I wanted to thank her for making my dress yesterday."

Emily beamed. "I'm just happy to be here."

"Okay, I think we're all ready," Sam announced before motioning for Emily to sit down. Once she was inside the boat, having taken a seat next to Sebastian, Sam untied the rope tethering them to the dock and carefully sat beside Nix, right next to the engine. The pair turned towards the contraption, attempting to start it so they could reach open waters. Sebastian watched them, studying the contours of Nix's back as she leaned over the water. For some reason, he was reminded of his nightmare.

"Has anyone ever told you you'd look great in green?" Emily asked him suddenly.

He only half-considered Emily's question, still peering over at Nix as she fiddled with the engine. Her mossy braid slumped over her shoulder, dipping towards the water as she pulled something out of the propeller. "Y-yeah, yeah..."

Emily looked at Sebastian curiously before her gaze shifted to Nix. She glanced back and forth, each flick faster than the last until she sucked in a deep breath, holding up two opposing fingers and bringing them together. "Oh."

Sebastian stared daggers at her, a look that only meant "shut up." And Emily did exactly that, covering her smile with the palm of her hand before pretending to notice an interesting fish swimming along the ocean floor.