http://archive.is/vY9l9

After thousands of years, a peace was finally made between the forces of humanity and the Demon Lord herself. They two lived separate from one another, licking their wounds from what seemed like an eternity of war. This was over a hundred years ago now, and times have changed. Thirty five years from the present, many nations of the world offered small pockets of low-population lands for the mostly nomadic Mamono to migrate to, though a peace had been assured, many people still held fear of the humanoid creatures known as monsters, and so they began to move away from these areas. But even though many families fled, some stayed, refusing to give up their homes, your grandfather was one of these people.

He was an exceptional farmer, having inherited his parents' farm at a young age, he spent his entire life working those fields and looking after his livestock. The two of you were close, but the fear your parents had of you being snatched up by a monster meant that he always had to come to where you were.

But sadly, when you were only twelve years old, your beloved grandfather past away. In his will, he gave his possessions to all his family, but one thing was left to you, his most prized possession, his farm.

You spent years trying to find yourself, but you didn't feel at home anywhere. The city life made you depressed, and college felt like you were wandering from place to place with no goal. One day, you looked into your desk and found the deed, grandpa's home… And something came over you.

You made the arrangements, packed what you had into your truck, and made your journey north towards what you had hoped was your new life. Your parents consented, but it wouldn't have mattered even if they said no. Now, at the age of twenty, you begin the first chapter and what might be the rest of your life!

It was very exciting to you. You've never seen a Mamono in person before…

But that leaves one final question. Who are you?

Experienced Farmhand:

You grew up on your parents farm up north. After helping your dad plant crops and care for animals, you basically took over in your teenage years. Agriculture became your life, whether you wanted it to or not. Because of this, you are more efficient and can get work done in half the time. But since your life consisted of being either isolated on a farm or in school, you're lacking in social skills.

City Slicker:

You grew up in the big city, far away from the monster zone. Your parents were big into business and didn't really have time for you, but you had lots of friends and spent most of your time finding things to do on the street. But other than bagging groceries and working on the docks, you're not really that attuned with your green thumb. Making friends and talking to people comes naturally, but you'll need to spend more time working on your farm.

Rural Town Boy:

You grew up in a small town far away from any city. Your life involved going to school and dicking around with your friends. Your parents are humble folk, and tried to be in your life as much as possible. You spent a few years playing sports on and off, but none of them never stuck.

Your farm experience is limited, due to just helping nearby farms for some pocket money from time to time.

Your social skills are okay, as well as your farming skills, but you don't really excel in either.


The trip was long, you didn't even know things could be so remote. You only had to stop a few times for gas, but for the most part it was smooth sailing. You kept glancing at passing cars, curious to see who, or what was driving, hoping to see some fuzzy ears or more than two arms or something.

It became a lot less crowded when you turned off the highway, if the map was right then you only had about four more hours to drive before you got there.

Three hours and thirty minutes later, you passed through a small town, there you got to see one of these “monsters” up close as they walked across the highway or over the street. They're…A lot more feminine than you expected. Did monster men exist? You weren't actually sure.

One of them smiled and waved at you as she crossed the street, she had charcoal black skin, and what looked up wolf ears and a tail, as well as paw-like hands. You awkwardly waved back before continuing when the light turned green.

Down the road for a few more minutes, and then a straight left from there, you spotted it on the side off the main road and down a dirt trail. Your heart began to pound, like you found a city made of gold. Slowing down on approach, there was another car on the side of the road near the house. A moment later, you saw something sitting on the porch of the house, upon closer inspection you noticed it was a man.

He was old, older than grandpa when he passed, he sat on the stairs leaning forward against a cane. He had a long beard that must have fallen to at least his stomach. The top of his head was bald, but he had long, white hair wrapping around from ear to ear, as well as large eyebrows of matching color. The only description you could actually give him is “Wise sage.”

You parked the truck and stepped out, the man stood up from his seat rather easily and made his way over to you.

“Ah. Hello!” He greeted, his voice low. “You are Michael's Grandson then?”

“Yeah…” You nodded. “That's me.”

“Then this is for you.”

The old man reached into his pocket, murmured as he rummaged around before drawing a keychain with a audible “Ah!”

He handed you the keys and rested both hands back on his cane.

“These are all the keys you need.” He told you, pointing each out. “That one is for the house, that one for the tool shed, the garage and-…Actually.”  He rubbed his beard. “I don't know what the last one is for.”

The old man shook his head.

“Oh. How rude of me!” He suddenly spoke again. “I should introduce myself. I am Leonard, your grandfather was a good friend of mine.”

You shook his hand and introduced yourself.

“Now then.” Leonard took a deep breath. “Would you like me to show you around, or are you okay on your own?”

Take a tour?


“I wouldn't mind being shown around.” You told Leonard.

He nodded and turned his back to you, beckoning you along. “Come on now. You've already seen the main house, that is where you'll be living from now on.”

He led you along, but you moved at a slower pace, considering the old man walked with a cane. He stopped at the barn first, a few yard away from your house to the east.

“Well, I don't need to explain this to you. From what I've been told, you're quite the farmer yourself.” He tapped the wall of the barn with his cane. “Michael didn't use this all too much, only rented it out to ranchers who didn't have space for some animals. You can house about…I would say six big animals before it would get crowded.”

The two of you continued, and as you walked, you spoke up with a question.

“What did my grandpa usually grow?” You asked.

Leonard rubbed his beard and pondered on it. “Mostly carrots, I believe. Though he did have land for a good pick of fruits and veggies.”

“Carrots?”

“Well, yes.” Leonard nodded. “Lobo city has a very lively centaur race-track scene. So Michael cut a deal with them and would drive out a shipment of carrots for their athletes whenever he grew them. He even had a sponsorship card at their stadium.”

“Really…?”

Leonard presented you your tool shed next, going inside with you to show you where everything is.

“You got your hammers, axes, hoes, and sickles on the walls.” He explained. “Never understood why the old coot never got a weed whacker or something like that.”

You looked them over, they were good tools, if not rusted to hell. With a little bit of work you could get them back into working shape. Once Leonard showed you where everything else was, the two of you moved on.

The next building actually caught you off guard, a small home with a little porch and three steps leading to the door, it was a cabin size, no more than one room and maybe a bathroom.

“That's a place for a farmhand or two to stay.” Leonard explained. “When Michael was getting older, he had to start relying on other people to help out with the farm. Its kind of pointless, since most people drive, but it still came in handy once in awhile.”

Leonard stretched and patted his back with a fist. “That'about covers it. Time I start heading back, I figure.”

The two of you made your way back, you decided to ask a few questions.

“So, hows the town folk around here?”

“Well, depends on which town you mean.” Leonard answered. “Since we got three n'all. Seeing as you came from the west, you probably came through Barnsley. Its a nice enough town, just a walking distance from the beach. Other than that, there's also Warringston down south, and Everton to the east. I live in Everton myself, nice enough town, good people, and a pretty forest you can walk through when you got the time.”

Before you reached the car, you decided to ask another question.

“What…Was my grandpa up to in the last few years?”

“Oh, not much.” Leonard sighed. “He usually kept to himself, unless he needed help around the property. He came into town once in awhile for a drink, but he mostly liked to be by himself. Some of the monsterfolk took a liking to him, but he never really had interest in dating since his Maggie past on…”

He was talking about your Grandmother… You didn't really know her, since she died while you were still very young.

Leonard coughed and moved to the driver door of his car before turning back to you.

“Now then, before I go… Do you have any other questions?”


“Yeah, a few.” You said, looking around the property. “Did grandpa ever have to deal with intruders?”

“Intruders?” Leonard had to think on it. “Hmmm…Some boys from Everton snuck in once to tip one of the cows he was looking after. I guess nobody told them that tipping cows isn't really a thing you can do…”

He suddenly snapped his fingers. “Oh! But there has been reports of break ins around the three towns as of late. Nothing serious has been stolen, just food.”

“Just food?” You asked. Not really a kind of break in you've ever heard of. “And uh… About the monsters?”

“Yes?” Leonard raised his brow.

“What kind… I mean, are there different kids out here?”

“It's mostly beastmen out these parts.” He explained. “A lot of other kinds of monsters don't like leaving the cities. But we have them from all over the place here, even some that came from over seas. Other than that, I know a few Arachne live in Warringston… Hmmm, there is are a few succubi in Barnsley as well…”

Leonard suddenly came to life. “Oh! Mayor Natashya!”

“Natashya?”

“She's a…hm…What are they called.” He pondered. “The blue skinned ones. Demon, I believe they're called. She's been the mayor of Everton for about five years now. But other than that, I don't know of any other kinds of monsters, but then again, I can't be expected to know everyone.”

“Well, what about neighbors?” You asked.

“From here? The closest thing you have to a neighbor is a Annabelle Ranch. She's one of those, Minotaurs I believe they're called. She took over her father's ranch a few years back. Her father and your Grandpa never really saw eye to eye, but they did do business. She's around fifteen minutes south of here, a good place to go if you're looking to buy cattle.”

So, Grandpa had issues with someone in this area? Though, it sounds like they had a change in management as well.

“What about crop rotations?” You asked.

“Well, I couldn't say on that.” Leonard said with a sorry expression. “I worked here for only a year, and that was when Michael's parents were still running the place. All I know is that he sold a lot of carrots and grew other things on the side, like tomatoes in the summer, and potatoes. Business is good here, however, rural folk already like their veggies, now add hungry monsters on top of that.”

“Well… I guess that's all I have to ask.” You told him.

“Then I guess I'll be on my way.” Leonard smiled and shook your hand. “Its nice to finally meet you, Michael spoke well of you.”

As Leonard was leaving, he stopped with a sudden “oh!” and turned back to you.

“By the way. If you're going into the forests north of here, please be careful. More than you usually would in the woods.”

“What? Why?” You asked.

“There are werewolves in those woods.”

That had to be the most ominous thing you've ever heard in in your life.

“Can you…Elaborate?” You asked.

“Right! You're from the North!” Leonard sighed. “There are a few werewolves in these parts that…Decided that they wanted to go back to the old ways. So they prowl the woods now and hunt for men. Keep in mind! They haven't been successful in their hunts, and they DO go home from time to time. But I would still be careful.”

With that last warning, Leonard said his goodbyes, and drove off down the road back towards his place. The sun is starting to go down, and it is getting late. But where you go now is up to you.


You hop up the stairs and unlock the front door. Your hand hesitates on the door knob, almost like you didn't want to go inside. But with a deep breath, you persevere and open the door, stepping inside. The cool smell of dust and stagnation filled your nostrils as you stepped inside, you almost had to cough. In the years that your grandfather owned this place, you had never actually seen it…

To your right was the living room, to your right the kitchen, and straight ahead was a hall leading to the back door and a turn to what you assumed was the basement. Hugging the right side of the wall leading to the back were the stairs that lead to the second floor, with only one door being visible. But the hallway of the top floor seemed to go further, so you went up the stairs and found three more rooms down the hall.

You went through each room individually, looking for signs of any intruder or squatter. But the place looked as abandoned as can be… It was in good shape, just dusty, though it has only been a few years, it is a miracle that weather didn't take its toll on the place…

There was some furniture left behind, covered in white drapes. There was a couch as well as a TV stand with an old tube TV in the living room, as well as a fire place build into the wall. The dining room, that was attached to the kitchen,  had four chairs and a dinner table, and the kitchen still had an oven, fridge, and microwave, though no cutlery to be seen. If they were stolen, it was a long time ago, since even the drawers were covered in dust…

The study also had an empty book shelf, as a well as a desk, there didn't seem to be a computer or anything like that. You knew your grandpa had one, since your parents and him would voice chat constantly, but it seemed to be gone now. There was also a map on the wall above the desk, showing the surrounding area, though it had some extra sketches on it, marking some other places…

You found the way to the basement behind the stairs, it was dark and ominous, but luckily the lighting was modern and it brightened up fully with the flick of a switch. A cold room, furnace, and laundry room, with machines still there. But something else caught your eye, a lounge of sorts. There was a couch down here as well, including what looked like a bar and a mini fridge. There was a plastic fish nailed to the wall, covered in dust from neglect, as well as a few fishing rods without lines sitting in the corner.

[Experienced farmhand]

You took the time to look things over, seeing if there was anything you actually needed to prepare. The damage was…Superficial at best, but it didn't sit right with you to leave it as is. Going outside, you noticed some shingles on the roof were missing, and there was some water damage around the house. The hand rail to the stairs was wobbly, and the door to the basement was swinging on its hinges. The lounge downstairs also had some splinters in the bar that ruined the wood, but that would take some preparations to fix.

-

No matter how long you looked, you couldn't find the door for the extra key Leonard gave you. Even the toolshed and the barn revealed nothing. You were angsty to find some kind of intruder in the area, maybe one of those monsters, but the place was completely abandoned…You were completely alone.

Finally, you entered the bedroom and took a look around. Just a bed covered in a white drape, and a single night stand. You rubbed your eyes and face and threw the white drape off, when suddenly something hit you in the chest lightly.

You looked down to see what it was as it hit the ground, a single envelope with your name on it… You sat down on the bed and picked it up, opening the envelope to find a letter and some money inside. It was addressed to you, from Grandpa…

“Its all yours now.” It said simply. “Make me proud.”

You smiled sadly and put the letter into the desk. Inside the envelope was also an extra 1000G you felt a twinge of relief that nobody took this envelope. Or maybe they just left it out of respect.

Mixed with your money, that puts you up to about 1500Gs in start up cash.

“Thanks, Grandpa.” You said to yourself before putting the money into the desk as well.

You went back to your truck and got your things, leaving it out in the bedroom as you put your bed sheets on, and then went to bed…

After eating a meal you brought with you, you headed outside. Taking a walk around the property, you survey the area.

[Experienced Farmhand]

You notice large plots of land has grooves in it, like it was worked on at some point in time. It's clearly been years since anything has been planted here, and the top soul had become hard and dry. Digging into it with your hands with some effort, you feel the soil underneath is soft and whatever rocks you do find are small and barely noticeable. This field was used some time ago, and with a little bit of work, it could grow some good stuff again.

Right now, with your skills and tools, you should be able to handle two fields of 24 plants each. But now comes the main problem… Getting supplies.

In all the hubbub about moving, you didn't actually ask Leonard about where you could buy farming supplies.

 The only way to find out now would be to go into one of the three towns and look or ask around.


At this paint, there were only two options. You could either drive around aimlessly, or you could ask around. Each town was almost the same distance, so it was easier to pick one at random and go from there. In the end, you picked Warringston, the southern most town from you.

Getting into your truck, you went down the dirt road and to the main one, taking the pathway south to the town.

>>391379

On your way to town, you noticed the sign on the side of the road. “Annabelle ranch: Livestock and supplies!”

Remembering what Leonard said, you decided to pull in and introduce yourself, they could probably help you with your problem as well. You pulled up onto a makeshift parking lot and stepped out, already you could see a woman sitting on the stairs of the main house itself.

She waved to you as you approached, so you figured she was the one that owned the place. But as you got closer, you noticed the less than human features on her body, and was quickly reminded that not everyone in this area was human, something you somehow forgot. The woman stood up and hopped down the stairs, her landing making a particularly loud thud.

She was at your level now, and only about a meter away from where you stood. About a few inches shorter than you, her long, silver hair was tied back into a pony tail. She looked at you with sapphire blue eyes and a rather welcoming smile. You somehow noticed the small scar on her cheek right under her left eye. She also wore a pair of green overalls and a orange t-shirt underneath, and although you only looked for a split second, you noticed her rather impressive bust size underneath all that.

You were more taken away by her other features. A pair of beige horns sat on her head, and her ears did not look human at all, infact, they were more like cow ears. They matched the color of her hair, as well as the tail that swished gently behind her. The parts of her legs you could see were covered in short fur, the color also matching her hair with a few darker spots every so often. Her face was also rather pleasant, you would even go as far as to say she was cute. Very cute.

“Well, howdy there.” She said with the same smile. “What can I do for you today.”

[Experienced Farmhand]

You gulped down the sudden lump in your throat and tried to speak as best you could. You didn't want to stutter or break, so you tried to sound as natural as possible.

“H-heey– Aherm.” Good job. Idiot. “I mean, Hi, hello. Are…You Annabelle?”

“Nope.” She said with a shake of her head. “Got the wrong girl. I'm Marybelle, her sister.”

“O-oh… Well.”

“I can still help!” She assured. “What do you need?”

You were lost in her voice, a noticeable twang followed her every word. But your first impression with an actual monster was going less than stunning. But you were suddenly taken out of your trance by a snap of the girl's fingers.

“Hey, wait!” She said. “You look familiar…You wouldn't happen to have known Michael?”

You nodded. “He was my grandpa.”

“I knew you looked like someone!” Marybelle said with a clap of her hands. “My Pa and Michael may have thrown a big stink with one another. But he was always real nice to me and my Sis'…I'm sorry he's gone.”

“Yeah…” You felled a sudden twinge of melancholy, but it was swiped away by the words of the monster girl.

“So, what can I help you with?”

“I-I'm.” You managed to catch your stutter this time. “I'm looking for supplies, actually. To grow some things on the farm.”

“You're taking over, huh? Well good for you!” She congratulated. “Here, come with me.”

You followed Marybelle to the end of the dirt road leading to her house.

“What you want to do is go back the way you came.” She told you. “And then take a right. Everton has a farming supply shop that handles most business between here and some others out of the area. Its called Ched's, its on the other side of town if you follow the main road.”

You thanked her and said your goodbyes before heading back to your truck.

“Hey wait!” She called back. “Whats your name?”

You managed to give her your name without stuttering, good job!

“I'll tell my sister you came by! Nice meeting you!”
With that, you went back on the road. You followed Marybelle's instruction and ended up in Everton. The road leading into town and the town itself was surrounded in forest, trees so tall you could barely see the sun above them. The town was sleepy, with few people walking around or driving. As you searched, you noticed some particular shops and novelties. There was an internet cafe on the main street, as well as a regular cafe across from it. A restaurant sat two buildings down, cut off from the cafe by a post office. There was also a candy store and a gift shop as well. At the corner was a hotel with a bar strapped to it simply called “Martha's”.

Finally, at the end of the road, almost outside of town and going into the forest was Ched's Farming supply. You parked in front of the store and stepped out, moving towards the door before something caught your eye.

There was something rustling around in the bushes at the road's end, very loudly in fact…

>Investigate

>Ignore it and go into the store.


You've heard…Stories about monsters, maybe someone was just getting to know each other in the bushes…Not a good place to do it, once you thought about it, but you've heard stories of worse. Still, you approached cautiously, maybe because you're a pervert, or maybe just because you felt like yelling at people for doing it in public, who knows. As you approached, you began to hear a voice, you couldn't make out what it was saying, but it was clearly feminine.

You saw two things sticking out of the bushes at this distance, what looked like two tails wagging in the air, but as you got closer, you could make out what the voice was saying.

"I know I dropped it somewhere!" The person complained, ruffling through the bushes.

You leaned to the side to try and get a good look at the woman, though you could only see her backside through all the thicket.

“Excuse me?” You spoke up.

“NYAAA!” The woman lept out with a frightened scream, causing you to stumble back and almost trip over.

“A-Are you okay!?” You asked.

She slowly turned around, revealing her face to you. Her eyes were large, and colored a shade of emerald, you noticed right away her large pupils slowly began to recede into cat-like slits. Her medium length brown hair almost touched her shoulders and her bangs were almost low enough to cover her eyes.

After that, you quickly noticed the cat ears atop her hair, as well as the very inhuman hands she clutched at her chest, covered in a brown fur with vanished black stripings, each hand, or paw, had only three fingers and a thumb, with claws that slowly retreated from where finger tips would be on a regular human hand. You had thought that maybe someone else was In the bushes with her, but the reality was that both tails were hers, standing on end from the sudden shock.

She was wearing a simple dark blue t-shirt and a pair of denim shorts that cut off at the knees, with her legs from the knees downward being covered in fur matching her arms and ears and very cat-like paws for feet. The lady was much shorter than you, and could have been mistaken for a teenager, if she wasn't one, that is.

“Are…Are you okay?” You repeated.

“oh…Oh! Ye-yeah, I'm fine.” She tried to reassure. “I was just…Looking for something.”

“Looking for something out here?”

“Y…Yeah.” She nodded.

“Well, what is it? Maybe I can find it.”

“Its…” She hesitated. “Is a…-mumble-”

“A….?” You repeated, curiously.

“A…handheld…”

“Like…A phone or a PDA?” You asked.

“No…Like…” Her face turned beat red. “Like a video game handheld…”

“Well…” You rubbed the back of your head. “I haven't really messed with video games since I was a kid, but…”

You took a casual look around, and something caught your eye. A black square a few meters away in a completely different bush.

“Is that it?”

“Is what i- ack” She froze as she spotted it, her face turning an even deeper red.

Without a word, she meekly scuttled over to it and picked it up before returning to you.

“Th-…Thanks.” She muttered.

“How did you even lose it?” You asked. “What are you even doing with that all the way out here?”

“I-Its none of your business!” She shouted, but before you could react properly, she clutched the game in her hands and ran off.

You watched her leave, a sudden surge of smug satisfying came over you.

[Experienced farmhand]

You just talked to a girl without making a fool out of yourself!


You finally entered the store, welcomed by a clerk at the front. He wasn't wearing a uniform, but just a nametag that said “William”

“What do you guys have on seeds?” You asked him.

“Not much, just the spring catalog for now.” he explained. “Most people are just looking for flowers, or aren't looking to stock up for the summer.”

William took a step back and got out of your way so you could read the backboard prices.

Note: Each bag will cover 3 spots, meaning you'll have to buy 8 bags to cover all 24 slots in a field.

Turnips: 120G

Potatoes: 150G

Cucumber: 200G

Cabbage: 250G

Strawberries: 120G

Grass:100G

You currently have 1500G, keep in mind you will still need to feed yourself as your crops grow.


you made your purchase, two bags of potatoes and four bags of strawberries. The price came out to 780g, leaving you with just 720G to your name.

“There you go, feller.” William said, handing you a receipt. “Just take that into the back and talk to Scott, he can help you load it.”

“Alright, thanks.” You said, pocketing the receipt.

“Wait, hold on.” William stopped you. “Do you already have a Almanac?”

“An Almanac?” You asked. “Why?”

“Well, mostly just to keep track of the moon, out here.”

“Is that important?” You asked.

William paused for a moment. “Oh! You're new! You don't know!”

“What?” You were suddenly worried. “What don't I know?'

“Well.” William took a sharp breath through his nose. “You know what, just take one, on the house.”

He handed you the almanac he had on the little stand beside the counter. “Monsters get a little weird during the full moon, so just be careful when that's coming up.”

You looked at the book, then to him before leaving the store. Afterwards, you picked up your supplies and started heading back home. You spent a few more hours dusting and cleaning the house before you went to bed.

–

[Experienced Farmhand]

The next morning, you went straight to work at the crack of dawn. The tools were old and rusted, but with a little bit of work you managed to get them into working order with some WD-40 and sand paper you found in the tool shed.

You dug into the soil to break up the top soil, which had not only hardened over the years, but sprouted an annoying amount of weeds as well. Once the top soil was dug into, you began to rip out the weeds at the root. This continued until you created a nice patch of land you could work with.

The potatoes were easy enough, you could usually just toss the seeds into the soil, but you wanted to be a perfectionist. You planted each seed separately, pushing it deep into the soil with your finger. In a lot of parts, you can buy Strawberry plants and put them into pots in your house, but they wouldn't grow as well as they do from scratch.

Even then, many people have them in doors, but if you do your duty, you could grow them outdoors no problem. With your experience, it only took two hours to dig, plant, and water your lot. You wiped the sweat from your brow, and only now noticed the violent rumbling in your stomach…

You put your had on your gut, you didn't even stock up on food yet. Any of the three towns probably have a grocer. Its up to you to pick which one.

>Everton: East.

>Barnsley: West

>Warringston: South


You decided to head back to Everton for the day, with all the field work done, you should probably stock up on food and other things. Leonard also told you to come by if you needed some help, so you might hit him up on that.

It was only a few minutes into town when you found his place, mostly because he was sitting in a rocking chair on his porch. You parked on the side of the road and got out to greet him. Leonard squinted to see who it was, but it quickly recognized you soon after.

“Ah! Hello!” He greeted. “How goes the farmin'?”

“Pretty good.” You told him. “Planted some spuds and some strawberries, see how those grow.”

“Hmm.” Leonard rubbed his chin. “Fresh strawberries would fetch a high price on the farmer's market.”

“You guys have one of those?'

“Certainly, in Warringston.” Leonard said. “It runs for most of the year, we got fellas coming in from out of the county to sell. But nobody takes the time to grow strawberries.”

You might have to check that out sometime.

“Oh, by the way.” You said. “I need to pick up groceries. Have any recommendations?”

“Groceries, huh?” Leonard pondered on it. “Well, all three towns have a grocer. But I like the one in Barnsley.”

“Really?”

“Beach-side Foods, its called, right along the beach, as the name implies. But, if you're in a hurry, The Antler is just a few blocks down from here. Or you can go to Frog Hole Foods in Warringston.”

“Any difference between the three?” You asked.

“Prices and products, mostly. Some places carry brands the others don't. Frog Hole likes to stock things from Monster owned companies, but Beach Side is mostly human owned, while The Antler has a mix of both with a little bit of locally owned on the side.”

Leonard grumbled and patted his back with his fist before sitting back down.

“How're you for money?” He asked, he seemed worried under his bushy eyebrows.

“I still got a bit.” You assured. “But I don't know if it will last me till harvest.”

“Hmmm.” Leonard rubbed his chin. “Well, if you're hurtin' for change. There's a notice board in all three towns that usually have people needing favors for cash. Its kind of a tradition out here, need something done, spare a little bit of money, its a system that works.”

“Really…” You took a mental note on that.

“Oh, by the way.” You spoke up again. “Before I go.”

“Yes?”

“The mayor. That Natashya lady…”

[Experienced Farmhand]

“Is…Is she single?”

You could feel a sudden icey chill go down your back as Leonard began to glare daggers into you. The short man suddenly felt like a giant looming over you with his glare.

“Why? Are you interested?” He teased.

“N-No. Just…Just wondering.” You stammered. “I…Gotta go.”

You could swear you heard Leonard laughing to himself as you said goodbye and left. Back into your truck, you began to drive around the block.

You could just go to the Antler and get it over with. Or you could go for a drive to the others.

It was your call.


The Antler was obviously the best option, but that Frog place had your curiosity as well. You decided to pick up what you needed here, drop them off at home, and then go check out the Frog Hole in Warringston, it was on the way anyway.

The Antler wasn't hard to find, considering the giant pair of Antlers above the entrance. You parked and went through the sliding doors, the store itself was actually quite nice, a quaint little store that never updated from the twenty five years ago, giving it a homely feel. You grabbed the cart and started going through the aisles, picking up what you needed, or just wanted to have.

The walls were lined with pictures of the Antler's heritage, from the store founder to the current owners of the store, there was also a statue of a fat chef smiling with a plate of buns in his left hand. The lighting was dimmer than what you were use to, but it wasn't uncomfortable or made it hard to see.

Dairy, grains, some snacks, all you needed now was meat and salt, while the butcher was simple to find, the aisle with the salt seemed to allude you, for some reason it wasn't marked on the sign…

“Hi there!” A voice spoke up from behind you. “Need help finding anything?”

You were turning around to greet the worker, but then you realized something… That voice sounded familiar… You only caught a glimpse of her from the corner of your eye before your brain registered who it was.

When you turned your face to her, the girl suddenly let out a squeak in surprise, her two tails stood on end and the fur on her ears frizzled. It was the girl from yesterday, now wearing an apron with the Antler's logos over a dark blue polo shirt and a pair of jeans.

“Oh hey, its you!” You greeted her.

The girl with cat ears froze up completely, her face turning a shade of red. She stumbled on her words for a moment before someone else came from around the corner.

“Ako!” Another female voice called out. “Is something wrong?”

The new girl was also wearing a apron over a polo shirt and jeans, only this time her shirt was pink with long white stripes. She had almost the exact same animalistic features as her counterpart, save for dark blue eyes and a small scar along her cheek. Other than that, she was taller, almost as tall as you, and her face, while similar to this “Ako” was slightly older and more mature. You made out that she was the older sister, or at an extreme case, the mother.

The new woman looked at her shorter counterpart, and then to you, her paws at her side and her tails swishing curiously.

“Oh? Who's this?” The older woman asked.

“He…Well.” Ako stuttered, trying to regain her composure and make a proper answer.

The older woman looked to you again, and then back to Ako before a mischievous smile plastered across her face. She stepped closer to Ako with her paws locked behind her back.

“Is he a boyfriend you haven't told me about?”

Ako squeaked again, this time freezing up completely. Maybe it was time for you to step in before the older woman manages to kill the poor girl with a heart attack… Or…

>Defuse the situation.

>Have a little fun.


“Oh yeah, totally dating.” You piped up.

Ako turned to you with a audible “Huh!?”, her tails standing on end again.

“Seeing movies, hand holding, the whole shibang.”

[Experienced Farmhand] You managed to pull the joke off without a hitch, though the older cat woman gave you a look with a raised brow.

“Really?” She asked, looking at her sister, then to you. “Think I would know if my sister was seeing someone. She's not one for secrets.”

“And besides.” The older sister took a step closer and leaned in, you felt a jolt run down your back when you felt her breath against your ear as she whispered. “Our family likes to share.”

You felt a sudden lump in your throat, but with a big, audible gulp, you managed to swallow it. The older sister stepped back, her mischievous grin and sultry voice making way for a more welcoming, professional demeanor.

“So, what can we help you with?” She asked, her hands locked behind her back.

“I…er…” You shook your head. “Salt. I was looking for salt.”

“Aisle 6, right beside the rice.” She stated.

“Thank you.” You managed to say before following her instructions.

“Have a nice day!” The older sister waved you off.

“Y-yeah, have a nice day!” Ako added.

You collect your things and pay for all of it, leaving with about 100G worth of groceries. Ako's sister smiles and waves as you leave, you managed to wave back.

Driving down the main street, you noticed the board that Leonard was speaking of. You parked the truck and went out to take a look, there were some papers tacked to the board, but not all that many. Looking them over.

Wanted: Green spry, 25g per sprout.

-

Wanted: One piece of Orc fruit, 150g reward.

Orc fruit? Green spry? You've never heard of any of these…

Wanted: Looking for help moving furniture, 250g payment. 194 Beachview blvd, Barnsley.

-

Those seem to be the only choices, at least here in Everton. Its up to you if you want to take them, or any for that matter.


You can move some furniture no problem, that's easy money. You take the notes off the walls and return to the truck. It took about 45 minutes to leave town, drop your groceries off at home, and then go to Barnsley. The place wasn't that hard to find, considering it was on a street called Beachview, that narrowed it down to 2, maybe 3 places.

You found the place and knocked on the door, there was nothing but silence from inside, maybe they weren't home? But a few moments later, you heard an audible clack on the floor from inside, followed by a raspy female voice.

“Just a minute, please.” The voice asked.

The door opened a few seconds later, looking forward you only caught the top bun of someone's hair. You had to look down at the woman that came up to your stomach in height at best.

She was an elder lady, carrying herself on a cane, wearing a scarf and a baggy dress. She smiled up at you with squinted eyes and a wrinkly, almost turtle like mouth.

She was a regular human, something that, for some reason, surprised you.

“Yes, young man? How can I help you?” She asked.

“Oh. I uh.” You showed her the hand written paper.” I found this in Everton about furniture moving?”

“Oh! Of course!” The old lady stood aside and invited you in. “I'm so glad someone is taking the time out of their day to help me. Such a nice young man.”

The old lady led you into the living room and pointed out a few things that needed to be moved. Clutter that was just taking up space for her book shelf and favorite rocking chair at this point. You got to work right away.


[experienced farmhand] Nothing really gave you all that much trouble, as lifting hay stacks, tilling soil, and working with animals had made you quite the strong man. The only thing that gave you any kind of trouble was the couch that the lady asked you to move from one wall to the other, which you moved by lifting one end and moving it, then the other. The arm chair and empty book shelf were moved to her garage, and an dining table was moved into the basement.

The work only took you a little over an hour, and after your payment, and a plastic container of cookies, you were on your way again, 250G and several cookies richer.

“Oh, by the way.” You stopped before you left.

“Yes? What do you need, dear?”

“Do you know anything about orc fruit or green spry? Some other people were requesting them on the board in Everton.”

“Oh yes, Green spry is really important in a lot of dishes here.” She explained. “Tastes especially yummy on fish or crab.”

The old lady rested on her cane as she pondered. “Orc fruit is hard to come by, though. You'll have to go deep into the woods to look for that.”

You took what she said into consideration, maybe it was worth checking out. The two of you said your good byes and you went on your way.

You walked out to the passenger side of your truck and put the cookies into the back seat, trying to stop yourself from eating them all on the way home. After that, you went around the truck an-

“L-LOOK OUT!”

You only managed to take notice of the warning last second as something came crashing into you and high speeds. You felt the wind knock out of you as you toppled over on to the ground. Luckily, you didn't hit your head…Too hard.

You groaned and tried to sit up, only to find a weight sitting on your waist. Opening your eyes, you finally noticed the woman sitting on top of you, moaning in pain and rubbing her head.

“Ow…” She complained.

You were once again knocked back into feeling like a fish out of water, as you encountered yet another non-human woman. The first thing you noticed were the pointed dog ears on top of her head, shaded brown as the same as her hair. Her skin was a lighter chocolate, though you didn't know if that was natural, or a tan.  Her hair was curly and messy,  a sweaty head band strapped around her forehead.

The second thing you, instantly, noticed was her body. She was wearing active wear in the form of a dark blue sports bra that covered her impressive bust, and a pair of matching shorts that hugged tightly to her curvy waist. Her exposed stomach was flat with a noticeable tone, and you felt what feelt like a bushy tail brush against your legs.

She finally got a grip of herself and looked down at you with big blue eyes, finally realizing that she was straddling you. Her face turned red and she immediately jumped to her feet.

“I'm sorry, I'm sorry!” She apologized profusely, grabbing your arm as you got up and helped you to your feet.

You noticed that, like the other monsters you met, this one also had animal like hands, almost paws, that almost wrapped around your entire forearm when she grabbed you. Her claws were in the open and didn't seem to retract. They were large and actually pretty intimidating. You're just glad they didn't land on your body when she crashed into you.

Now, back to your sense, you got a good look at her face and quickly noticed that, like the others you had met, she was also very beautiful. Though this one had a more rough, tomboy look to her than even Marybelle did. The cheek on the left side of her face had a white band aid covering what you assumed was a cut, and her almost button nose had a deep scar across it. But it was like it accentuated her beauty.

[Experienced farmhand] You managed to stop yourself from blurting the word “Cute” like some sort of crazy.

“Y-you didn't get too hurt, did you?” She asked.

The girl didn't let go of your arm yet, she looked at you with worried eyes. You were fine, but you felt yourself caught in a situation you didn't know you wanted to be in.

>Reassure her.

>Play it cool.

>Work off this somehow.


It did hurt, bouncing off the concrete like that, but you're a tough boy, you can ignore the pain.

“Oh, I'm fine.” You reassure her.

“Really?” She asked again, clearly still worried.

“Yeah, I'm a tough guy.” You assured her again. “I've had worse happen to me back home on the regular. Used to get hit by trucks for fun.”

She blinked and then covered her mouth to laugh.

“Well that's good to hear.” She said with a smile. “But now that you mention it, you don't look all that familiar. Are you new in town?”

“To the area, yeah.” You confirmed. “I'm taking over my Grandpa's farm out-”

She gasped in surprise, covering her mouth before speaking again. “Are you Michael's boy!?”

You had to stop for a moment, but nodded. “Yeah, that's me.”

“Its great to finally meet you!” The girl took your hand in her paws and shook almost furiously. “Your grandfather was a good friend with my family!”

“What, really?” You asked.

She nodded her head ecstatically. “Yup, I even figured out Santa wasn't real when I realized it was him under the costume.”

“That's…” you tried, and failed, to suppress a laugh. “Actually kind of hilarious.”

“I'm Rory, by the way. “ She said, finally letting go of your hand.

You tell her your name in return.

“I used to come out there all the time with my family and just feed the animals and brush the horses.” Rory explained with a nostalgic smile. “It hit everyone pretty hard when he passed away… It probably wasn't that easy for you, either.”

“No.” You confirmed. “It wasn't.”

You took a step back and looked around. “So, were you just out for a run or what?”

“I'm actually training.” She explained with a nod and a wiggle of her left ear. “There's a huge track and field event going on in the city in a few months, and I want to give it my all!”

[Experienced farmhand] You didn't know exactly how to ask this, so the words came out awkward at best.

“So is that like…A thing for…Er… Or is that just something you like to do?”

“Hm?” Rory tilted her head. “Oh? No, I just like to do sports, it keeps me fit and active!”

She realized you wanted to ask and took the hint. “I'm a Kobold, by the way.”

“Right!” You gave her a finger point. “Of course!”

Rory laughed and put her hands on her side. She seemed to think about something for a moment before speaking.

“Hey. Do you mind if I stop by and take a look at the place?” She asked. “Just for old times sake, you know? I haven't been there in awhile.”


“What, do you mean like, right now?” You asked.

“Oh no! Nothing like that!” She corrected. “Just, in the next couple of days, if that's okay.”

You had to think if you put any of your dirty mags away. You're pretty sure you did…

“Well, I don't see a problem with that.” You said. “Wouldn't hurt to have some company from time to time.”

“Yay! Thank you!” Rory cheered with a clasp of her hands together. “I won't be a bother, I swear!”

“Don't worry about it!” You tried to assure her. “I'll see you when I see you, then.”

Rory nodded and began to jog in place. “Then I'll see you around!”

She began her jog again before turning back to you and waving. “Nice to finally meet you!”

You waved her off and watched her leave, trying not to let your eyes trail to her finely tone behind.

[experienced Farmhand] It didn't work. You felt your face go flush before you hurried back into your truck.

Green Spry and Orc fruit can both be found in the woods, the closest being just north from your farmstead. But that might take a day, if not more, it might be easier to look for them later. You made your final trip to the town of Warringston in the south to take a look at this Frog Hole place.

It wasn't…Hard to find, considering the giant frog statue on top of the building. You parked out front, gave the frog one more look over and went inside.

You took a look around the store, there was a dim blue light that almost gave you an uncomfortable vibe lighting the aisles. There was only one cash register sitting on a old fashion counter, like a general store from the 1800s. There was a woman manning the counter, wearing a simple red T-shirt and a pair of jeans.  Her hair was a short, light tan color, and her skin was a myrtle green, and she held a cellphone in her hands, with each hand only having three fingers and a thumb. Her eyes were a light amber, with sideways slits for pupils being a few shades darker.

“Frog hole, huh?” You mentioned.

“Yuh.” The cashier said bluntly. “This is a hole. And I am the frog.”

“Oh, you own the place?”

“Sure do.” She said, sitting up. “I live upstairs as well. Been running the place for a few years now.”

The girl at the counter stood up from her see and placed her hands on the counter.

“So, what can I get ya?”

“Well, what do you have?”

“Oh, you're new, aren't you?” She commented. “Judging by your getup, you're some kind of farmer, huh?”

“You guessed right.”

“Hm…” She crossed her arms and looked around. “Well, if you fancy yourself a fisherman as well, we got lures, bait, and rods in the back…”

She looked around some more. “Or maybe yer looking to grow some monster fruits?”

“Monster fruits?” You asked.

“Lotsa them are illegal. But I'm packing some of the more legal ones behind the shelf. Only seeds, though.”

“Well…Whats so monstrous about them?” You asked.

“Do stuff to you.” She explained bluntly. “Not like some of the crazy stuff like demon fruit. But you can get some buzz going.”

The cashier stretched and then leaned against the counter. “So, whaddya say? Wanna take a look?”


“Wait a minute.” You stopped. “Are these drugs?”

“What? No.” She said swiftly. “They're just…You know. Like pick me ups. They're not illegal or anything, they're just…Different.”

“You're making them sound like drugs.” You accused.

“They're not drugs!” She protested. “Jeez, you're really not from around here, are you?…Look.”

She went out from behind her counter and approached one of the freezers against the wall. She opened the door and pulled out a single fruit from one of the cardboard trays sitting near the top shelf.  It almost looked like an orange, but something was off. It had very visible bumps under its skin, and a stem that broke off into two different directions, almost like a pair of horns.

“Take this with you. Eat it when you have the time, or save it for a full moon, or don't eat it at all, I'm not your ma.”

She waved you off. “Get out of here. Come back when you're less twitchy!”

You seemed to have offended her… It'd be better if you did what she said…

You finished what you wanted to do today, though you feel kind of bad about the last part. You headed back home, just in time as the sun began to set.

Your house was kissed in an orange glow as the sun continued to set, bathing the land around you in a warm twilight. You stood outside your house and took in a deep breath, the fresh air filling your lungs. With a smile, you entered your home with a yawn, kicked off your boots and went into the kitchen.

Only to be met by six pairs of eyes staring back at you.

You froze in place, looking at the six, short women rummaging through your kitchen, one of them even chewing on a piece of toast you had just bought earlier that day. They all looked at you with large, wide eyes, their naked, mouse-like tails completely stiff, and their round mouse ears completely frozen.

Your brain was slowly putting 2 and 2 together… All things considered, you were the first to move…

So, what did you do?


You did your best to remain calm, making sure not to do any sudden movements or come off as too threatening or violent. You took a deep breath and brought your hands up.

“Okay, lets talk about thi-”

“CHEESE IT!” One of them yelled, with no hint of pun or irony.

The group scrambled, some even being as brave as to scramble past you, others through the backway into the hall. You chased after them and saw that all of them went out the same way. You could only clench your teeth when you finally realized that you forgot to close the back door.

You went back around the house and looked around after they left. Everything you brought with you when you moved in was still there, only the food was touched, and even then they left most of it on the floor in the package when they were caught, only three slices of bread were missing all together…

You thought about calling the police, but quickly realized that you didn't have a phone, or even a cellphone for that matter. If something seriously were to happen, then you'd probably bite it pretty quickly…

You sat down and thought about it. Did you lock the backdoor before you left? You had to have, right? Maybe they picked it? Maybe it slipped your mind…No matter, what's done is done, you doubt that they would come back here again after being caught. It might be good to go to the police with it, considering you're technically a witness to a crime now.

It was getting late, and you didn't want to go looking for the sheriff's office in the dark… You went to bed that night and…Locked the door.

Just to be safe… You slept surprisingly well that night.

Three days until the next full moon.

-

You got up early and watered your plants. It didn't take long, and you, once again, had the rest of the day ahead of you.

You leaned against the fence and thought about it…

You haven't touched the barn, and the shed is still kind of a mess. You could probably get some work done on those.

…But you also remembered the event from yesterday. Maybe you should see the police, just in case.

Its up to you.


You stretched and stood up from your seat on the stairs, it was probably a good idea to take a look around. So you trailed along the property, hoping to find maybe some crumbs or trash or something.

[experienced farmhand] You have experience looking for animal tracks and other abnormalities on the land, and noticed right away the stomped down, unmowed grass behind the house leading into the distance. You followed it for a few minutes, they were running in a straight line, which helped to press down the tall grass further. You followed further, expecting to find the trail going into the woods or into some kind of hide out, but instead they suddenly stop, and turn westward. The only thing you know in that direction would be Barnsley.

The tracks from there went on for some time until they suddenly turned into two lines. They had a vehicle? That just raised further questions…You shook your head and returned to the house.

Just to be safe, you took another look around the property. Making sure that nothing was hiding in the barn, Back at home, the barn had a single sliding door on each end of the barn, but here, they were double doors on each end that could be pushed or pulled out.

'Very old school, gramps.' You remember thinking to yourself when you first saw the barn.

You went inside and took a look around, making sure there wasn't any kind of hideout in there. Outside of an old shovel against the wall and the old hay strewn out along the ground, there wasn't anything out of the ordinary… Except for a single book.

You found it on a bench near one of the stables, for some reason, you didn't notice it before. 'Immortals of Terra' the title read, you looked the book over and read the synopsis.  It was a science fiction story about an immortal who was related to some great Emperor, and it was up to him and reunite the empire. There seemed to be monsters in it as well. You've never heard of this series before.

Was it your grandfather's? You didn't take him for a Sci-fi kind of guy… The book was covered in dust, so it was sitting there for quite some time.

Other than that, the barn was clear, no signs of life inside. The barn itself did need work, however, though that would require more resources.

Maybe it would be best to go to the police… And you might also prepare for the “full moon”, whatever kind of preparation that would be. Maybe better locks on the door? Leonard probably knows a locksmith, you decided to go pay him another visit.

Everton started to grow on you a bit, maybe it was just the small, sleepy feeling it had, surrounded by forests and not much traffic on the road. There were people out and about, but not so many that it felt suffocating to you. In fact, all of the towns were slow in their own way. You looked out the driver seat window as you strolled towards Leonard's, watching the few people that passed.

You noticed a girl walking down the street, a rather short one, at that. She was wearing a brown coat and a red scarf around her neck. She was holding her phone in her hands and seemingly texting someone with her nubby fingers, her wrists covered in a light gray fur, and two, round ears, adorned atop her head. You looked back to the road, but then suddenly did a double take with a furrowed brow when you realized that you recognized her. She was wearing different clothing, but you didn't need a piece of toast in her mouth to notice that the girl walking casually down the side walk was one of the intruders from last night.

You weighed the options in your head…


[Experienced Farmhand] A part of you kind of wanted to take it to the Sheriff, but something in your mind told you to confront your little home intruder. So you took the truck around the corner and then came back, you didn't even really have to follow her like a creepy stalker, since she went into the corner store a moment later.

You parked and followed her inside, trying to be as casual as possible. You spotted her at the magazine rack, looking over some kind of outdoors magazine before you approached her. You stood beside her and picked out a random magazine, something about video games, you didn't care.

“Hey.” You started, reading it over.

Her tail stopped swishing back and forth, she looked up at you with a glance. “Uh…Hi.”

“How are you doing?” You asked.

“Pretty good…”

“Cool.” You flipped a page. “Any reason you broke into my house yesterday?”

She froze entirely, her eyes widening with a quick “Eep!”

She actually didn't recognize you, which was weird since you were wearing clothing that matched your clothing from yesterday. She didn't move, keeping her eyes on her magazine, it wasn't like she could just run, you were in the way and it would probably make a scene.

“We…Well…Which house was yours?” She suddenly cursed herself for not denying it.

“Which house was mi- how many did you break into yesterday!?”

“N-no I meant over a week! I swear!” She protested, turning to you.

“That doesn't make it better!”

The two of you spoke in hushed tones, the clerk at the front looking over from time to time to see if something was happening.

“Why are you stealing food anyways?” You asked. “What, are you poor? Do you need a job?”

“I…I actually have a job.” She admitted, looking away. “We all do…Its more like, well… For the fun of it.”

“The fun of it…”

“Y-yeah! The thrill! Like micefolk of old!”

You glared down at her, your usual awkwardness with women having given way for a stern sense of JUSTICE.

She began to prod two of her nubby fingers together with an embarrassed smile. “Its really fun…”

“I wouldn't really call it fun.” You accused. “If I buy you guys a pack of cheese, will you knock it off!?”

“Hey, that's discrimination!” She protested. “We're Mice girls, not actual mice!”

She sighed and started to crumble under your stern glare. She clasped her hands together and looked up at you with pleading eyes.

“Look…Please don't report me…” She begged. “There aren't that many mice girls in town, they'll find me right away! I could lose everything…”

“Then why did you keep doing it?” You asked.

“Because…” She seemed to think on it, but can only go with one answer. “We're stupid…We got away with it a few times and just kind of…Liked the thrill, I guess.”

She pleaded at you with her big, scarlet eyes. “Please. I promise we won't do it again! Just don't turn us in…”

You crossed your arms and thought on it…


“Alright fine.” You agreed.

Her eyes lit up and she smiled, almost jumping in for a hug before you stopped her.

“But you're not getting off that easy.” You explained. “There are things that need to be fixed on the farm and harvest is going to be coming up sometime in the future, and I'm gonna want some help.”

“…Farm work?” She suddenly seemed disappointed, like a child that was just punished. “Do I have to?”

“If you want to keep the police out of it.” You told her.

She pouted. “Fine… I'll tell the others whats going on.”

The girl reached into her hand bag and drew a note pad and pen, she scrippled down a number before ripping the paper and handing it to you.

“And just so you don't suspect me of lying.” She mumbled as she pulled her phone from her bag as well and went into the information tab, showing you her phone number. “See.”

“Alright, fine.” You agreed, taking the paper. “Then I'll bother you when I need you.”

You left with an awkward goodbye, buying a drink from the store to not look too suspicious.

Going back to your destination, you decide to bother Leonard again, though he always seems happy to have your company. You sit down on his porch with him.

“So. What do you need to ask me?” Leonard asked.

“I kept getting warnings about the full moon.” You told him. “But nobody is giving me much detail, like its something I should already know…”

Leonard first perked an eyebrow, then suddenly his other rose as well.

“Oh dear. You don't know, do you?”

“…No?” You responded slowly. “Should I?”

“Get comfortable, son.” Leonard started. “You're going to need to know this.”

Leonard began to explain what happens during the full moon. During the day, they, that being the monsters, begin to change, they become more withdrawn, like they're thinking about something. Then, as the sun goes down, they change completely, becoming almost ravenous and looking or men they care about, and try to. Well, you got the idea, especially with Leonard coughing and trying to avoid explaining any further.

To put this into gameplay terms. At full noon, monsters will start hunting men they're interested in. I'll roll a die for every monster the MC knows by name, though there will be a modifier depending on how good your relationship is. If you want to pursue things further or avoid contact is up to you guys, though they might not remember, or at least pretend to not remember, the next day.

You thanked him, and after some more talk, you headed back out. The news stuck with you a bit, is this always a problem for the people in the three towns? You guessed thats what they meant by “prepare”.

You have some time, maybe its time to go to the store and gather some supplies. Or ask around for advice.


You wanted to ask some questions, but didn't really know anybody…So back to Leonard's… He was still where you left him, and didn't seem to mind you coming back.

“You're new in town. You should be fine.” He waved off your concerns. “But checking the windows and deadbolt never hurt on a full moon. They won't smash through windows or anything like that unless the hurtin' is real bad. Just don't go opening the door for any of them during a full moon and you should be fine…Should be.”

“Should be?” You asked.

“Should be.”

That wasn't very reassuring.

“Just take some extra precautions!” He said again. “You'll be fine! You just moved out here anyway, its not like you've met anybody yet!”

Leonard was wrong…But maybe he's right, you didn't really make much of an impression so far. Sure you kind of teased that one girl with the two tails, and had a nice conversation with Rory, but other than that, its not like they really know you…

Guess that's the best you were going to get. You say you're goodbyes again and go on your way.

Money is running short, so whatever you possibly could buy to help you out would be minimal, for now you just head home and see what you can do with what you have.

You found some boards in the basement, as well as nails in the shed along with the hammer. Seems a bit extreme, but it's an option… Going back in the house, you looked at the old dresser by the front door. You pushed it in front of the door and simply looked at it for a bit… Yeah, could work, you guessed.

After placing the dresser back, you started to look around for a bit.

[experienced farmhand] Outside of the windows, there wasn't really any structural weakness, you could just put something in front of them if you were really paranoid. You couldn't seem to find a reason to get scared and lock everything down. Nobody else seemed all that worried about the full moon, maybe you were just overthinking it…

You looked out the top window and noticed a car was pulling into your property. You went down stairs and stood outside on your porch as it parked in front of your house.

Rory stepped out of the driver seat a moment later, she was wearing a regular pair of jeans and a hoodie right now, though you still have the image in your head of her work out attire.

She approached with a smile. “Hey.”

“Oh.” You said with a hint of surprise. “Hi.”

“Was just heading home from Warringston, thought I'd come visit.” She explained. “I'm not…Intruding, am I?”


“No, not at all.” You welcomed her. “Come on in.”

The two of you went to your kitchen table, she sat down in a chair while you flushed around for something to serve. In the end, she just settled on water, trying to avoid anything sugary while she was training. She settled on some sparkling water you had in the fridge.

[experienced farmhand] You…Didn't know what to talk about, your head kind of spinned for a moment while you decided what would be the best way to continue a conversation. It hit you a second later.

“So. You said you came out here a lot.” You asked.

“Yeah, a bunch.” Rory flicked her thumb on her bottle awkwardly. “My mom kind of…Had a thing for your grandpa for a bit. But Michael kind of let her down gently, even after all those years, he was still in love with his late wife.”

“I see.” You commented.

“But my mom thought it was good for us to visit, we weren't the only ones at least.” She explained further. “We weren't the only ones, but we still came to visit when everyone else stopped. He always seemed happy to have us, and liked to put us to work on the farm.”

“Oh, you have some experience then?” You asked.

“Yup!” She stated proudly. “Well… At least with moving hay squares and feeding the animals. But Michael still taught me how to do things.”

“That's pretty cool.” You complimented. “So I could bother you to come help from time to time.”

“Don't get any ideas.” She huffed. “Unless you're paying, that is.”

The two of you laugh. You take another sip of your drink and look around the house, suddenly being reminded of something.

“That reminds me.” You say. “People here keep warning me about a full moon in the next few days.”

“Oh, yeah, that is happening, isn't it?” She spoke so casually about it. “Are you afraid of finding home intruders or something?”

You wanted to comment about the mice girls, but you kind of promised not to bring them up. But the way that Rory said that.

“Is there a way I can, like, tell if I have a chance of getting these home invaders?” You asked.

“Well, not really.” She leaned back in her chair and put her hands behind her head. “There's an unspoken rule  not to mess with someone who's married or dating, though.”

You were actually almost embarrassed to admit it.

“I'm actually single.” You just blurted flat out.

“What, really?” She seemed surprised.

“Why is that surprising?” You asked.

“Well I just figured, being on a farm and all that you brought someone with you. And she was in town or something.”

“I don't see the correlation myself.” You admitted. “But no, I'm single.”


It was only for a moment, and you almost missed it. But Rory's tail seemed to wag for just a second, you would have missed it if you blinked or looked away. She leaned forward again and stood up in her chair.

“Well, we can take a look around, I guess.”

You showed Rory around, but she didn't seem all that worried of your situation. You explained that, you guessed, if things got bad you could put furniture in front of the door. Then she explained that some monsters could go through walls if they really wanted to.

“Monsters usually only attack someone they're interested in.” She explained. “I hear its different in the city, but everyone knows one another out here so its a lot more controlled. You should be fine, since you're new and all. Just don't walk around with your pants down in front of lit windows. Or keep your lights off all together, go to bed early, something like that.”

“I'll keep all that in mind.” You told her. “Thanks.”

“No problem!” Rory responded with a smile. “Its not as bad as some people make it out to be, honest.”

She took a deep breath and stretched. Suddenly, she stopped, her ears perked up and she suddenly had an idea. She put her hands behind her back and leaned towards you.

“Hey.” She said with a big grin. “Do you want to go outside for a bit before it gets dark?”


“Alright, sure, lets go.” You agreed.

Rory seemed really happy now, almost too hiddy to stay on the porch when you closed the door behind you. She didn't really have to say anything, you just followed along as she walked, or skipped, around the property.

“Hey, come on, I wanna show you something!” She said excitedly, gently grabbing on to your wrist for a moment to pull you along.

The sensation was…Surprising. You didn't know if you wanted to call them hands of paws, they were articulate, and she could probably do things most humans can with them, but they were so large…And soft. You followed her behind your house and through the field.

She hopped the fence easily and you followed behind, when you past the fence she beckoned you along and began to run. You could keep up with her, but you could tell by her stride that she wasn't really putting much effort into it, considering when you met she was out for a run, you weren't really all that surprised. This stride continued until you reached the forest behind your house.

You didn't really think about it, but a few moments later you remembered some stories you heard, and thought that maybe it wasn't such a good idea. But you then remembered that you were both in a house. With no one else there, in the middle of nowhere with little chances of someone else showing up. So you discarded the ideas.

You went only a little ways into the woods, following Rory as she began to examine the trees like she was looking for something. Suddenly, her face beamed and she ran for a hollowed tree a few meters away.

“Whats up?” You asked, approaching her.

“Please still be here…” She whispered, reaching her hand into the tree.

You almost wanted to stop her, not that she got bit by something, but then she gasped in excitement and withdrew her hand. In it was a steel cylinder, large enough to be held in both hands. Rory got on her knees and started twisting it open.

“Its a time capsule I made as a kid.” She explained. “I wanted to open it a hundred years from now, but that's way too long.”

“I bet.” You commented.

She opened the cylinder with a pop, revealing the contents inside. It wasn't that full, a few pieces of candy, a Rudy Rock trading card, a teddy bear, and a baseball with a cut in one of the stitching.

“Do you like baseball a lot or something?” You asked.

“Well…Kind of.” She seemed embarrassed.

You paused.

“Like a do-?”

“No!” She protested. “I just like to throw it back and forth…You know?”

You continue to simply stand there and think about it.

>Offer to play catch.

>Other option.


You took the ball from her hands, throwing up into the air with your left and catching it with your right.

“C'mon.” You told her. “Lets throw it around a bit.”

Rory blinked, but followed along. You told her that you didn't have gloves, so you'd have to just use your hands. It didn't seem to bother her, but her hands were visibly larger than yours, so she might not have use of a glove at all.

It started out easy enough, just throwing the ball back and forth, nothing really exciting, until you decided to make things a bit more interesting. You began with a underhand toss into the air, just above Rory's head. She caught it no problem, as expected, and tossed it back. Standing still, you tossed the ball up and down in your hands.

“Lets make it a bit more interesting.” You wagered. “How fast are you?”

“Pretty fast.” She boasted. “Why?”

You threw it a bit farther this time, causing her to back pedal to catch it. She gave you a look and threw the ball back. You stared off into the distance, a small smile appearing on the side of your mouth.

“Alright, go long.” You told her, tossing the ball high and hard.

It flew over her head, and almost instinctively, Rory chased after it. She made a slight hop and caught it in her left hand, sliding along the dirt with her feet before tossing the ball back.

“Challenging me or somethin'?” She asked, putting her hands on her hips.

“A little.” You admitted.

You threw it a bit further this time, and again Rory caught it. The third time was even farther, Rory didn't seem to have a problem catching that either. The fourth one was a curve ball that veered to the right, which she caught with a leap before landing on one foot and positioning herself with a hop.

“C'mon!” She shouted, throwing the ball back. “Give me something harder!”

You shrugged took the ball in both hands.

[Experienced Farmhand] You raised your left leg before preparing your throw. Stretching it out, you dug it into the dirt below and positioned yourself for a mighty throw. You pulled your arm back and then moved forward with your body, rocketing your arm forwards soon after and firing the ball off with a spin.

The ball flew over Rory's head and she gave chase after it, faster than you've seen any regular human move. She managed to get in front of it and leap into the air, catching it with her right hand. She moved with the impact of the ball, flipping backwards in mid air before landing on her feet, stumbling, and falling on her bottom.

“Yeah!” She called out as she stood back up. “How'd you like that one!?”

You could see her tail wagging frantically from where you were. Rory noticed soon after, and forced it to stay down again.


After the throws, the two of you made one more stroll around the property. Rory collected her things from her time capsule, and by the time you returned to the front of your property, the sun was beginning to set, blanketing the fields and roads with a calming orange glow.

The two of you stopped by the fence, and Rory hopped up and sat on the post naturally, like she sat at that spot a thousand times before.

“Man, this is…Nostalgic.” She commented. “Like nothing changed. Like I'm still a little kid.”

“Yeah?” Is all you asked, leaning against the post beside her.

“Yeah. Its not as busy, sure, but it was still nice…”

Rory looked around the property again. It was old now, the animals were gone, the fields were just starting to grow crops again, the paint on the shed and barn had chipped away, and some of the windows were cracked, or just flat out broken. She frowned, but only for a moment before smiling again.

“You know. I think you can make this work.” She told you.

“You think so?”

“Yeah. A bit of elbow grease and hard work, you can probably get this play thriving again in no time.”

“Well.” You shrugged. “I appreciate your confidence. I'll do my best.”

“I look forward to it.” The Kobold hopped off the post and brushed herself off. “I guess I should get going.”

She turned around one more time before she left.

“Hey, uh. You should come over some time. We could watch movies or just hang out or something.” She walked backwards towards her car. “Its the house with the big light house sticking out of it on the beach. Y'can't miss it.”

With one more smile, Rory skipped to her car, gave you one more smile and a wave and drove off. You saw her off with a wave of your own, and then went inside.

You sat in the kitchen for some time, and then realized you should probably get some books, or cable, or some movies…Or something to do at night…

–

The night came and went. Two days until full moon.

After breakfast, you did your rounds as usual, preparing for the day ahead.

[Experienced Farmhand] Right away you noticed something was…odd. The vegetables and fruits you had planted were growing, but growing faster than you expected. You narrowed your eyes as the strawberries you planted, several stems already protruding from the dirt in all directions. You stoop up and adjusted your hat, you almost wanted to mutter “What in tarnations?” Like some of the folks back home do…

Either way, its a new day, and without a set goal, its up to you where you want to go.


The shed still needs to be cleaned, same with the barn. You knew it was something you needed to do…But you didn't want to do it alone. Luckily, you had free labor this time around!

You had her phone number, all you had to do was find a way to contact her… You were never much for cellphones, but it shouldn't be that hard. Before you did anything drastic, you took a look around the house.

In the corner of the cellar, you did find an old telephone, dusty, corded, beige colored, and with a punch dial. You gave it a look over, it should work, right? The problem wasn't really if it worked, but if you had a line to your house.

You plugged it into the wall and just stared at it for a minute or so. Finally, you picked it up and put it to your ear. You were getting a tone, which surprised you, you're pretty sure this place wouldn't have a line set up or anything like that. Either way you punched in her number and waited.

It was ringing…It rang twice before someone picked up.

“Hello?”

“Hey, its me.” You said. “The farm guy.”

“O-oh. Whats up?” She asked.

“I need some help on the property today. Get your friends and come on over.”

She sat quiet for a minute before sighing. “Fine…We'll be there in a few.”

She hung up, and so did you. You began to question why your phone line was still active.

Just as promised, a light blue van arrived at your place forty five minutes later, and out came the mouse and her friends. They all seemed either tired or upset with what had transpired.

“Alright. We're here.” The leader pouted. “What do you need?”

“I need some things moved and dusted in the shed and barn.” You explained. “There are a few old hay bales in the barn that also need to be tossed out. They're square and not too big, you should be able to lift them.”

They grumbled, but complied, and discussed it amongst themselves over who would be doing what.

“Hey!” You called out to the one you caught in the store before she could drudge off. “Whats your name anyway?”

“Cassie.” She responded bluntly, before going to do her duties.

You went to work as well, dusting and carrying out whatever. The back of the shed had a pile of rotting wood that you got help with moving. Once that was settled, the rearranging and actual cleaning begun. You went to check the barn, only to find Cassie having trouble lifting a rather large square of hay. She dragged it little by little across the ground, but it was constantly getting caught on the ground as she struggled.

She was small, but you guessed you didn't figure that she would be that much weaker…

>Help her out.

>Let her struggle


You decided it would be better for everyone if you pitched in a bit more, afterall, you didn't want to come off as some kind of tyrant. You approached Cassie and lifted the hay square for her, you didn't expect her to actually hold on.

[Experienced Farmhand] She squeaked in surprise as you lifted both her and the hay on your shoulder, laying on her stomach as you carried them out of the barn. You noticed almost right away, but didn't want to just drop her, so instead you crouched down and let her get off before putting the hay with the rest.

Cassie brushed the hay out of her clothing and patted her knees down. She eyed you up and down with a hand at her side.

“Well.” She said. “Aren't you just a tall glass of water.”

[Experienced Farmhand] You didn't know how to respond, so instead you just gave her a thumbs up and went back to work.

“Mr Farmer man!” Another mouse approached you.

She looked at you with only one eye, as the other one was hidden behind her violet hair. She had something in her hand, and she handed it to you a few seconds later.

“I found this in the barn–” She said, pointing at your hand. “Under that hay you lifted!”

You examined what she put in your hand. It was… Another key, like the one Leonard gave you. You narrowed your eyes, two keys and you had no idea where they even went. You thanked her and pocketed the key, actually not expecting them to hand over anything they find.

The work went much faster than expected, giving you time to look over the garden again. Cassie joined you after clean up.

“Whatcha lookin at?” She asked.

“Something's weird about these plants.” You explained, though you weren't really giving her preesence any mind, preoccupied with your thoughts. “Fruits and veggies don't usually grow this fast…”

Cassie blinked and looked at the stems. She reached down and took some of the dirt in her hand. Suddenly, she jolted slightly, like a tingle ran down her spine.

“Ooh, tingly.” She exclaimed, dropping the dirt. “That's…Weird.”

She had to rub her hand. You gave her a look and touched the dirt yourself, but you didn't feel anything.  Cassie took a cautious step away, giving you a look.

“You got weird dirt.” She stated bluntly, before joining the others.

The work was done, and after eating, the Mice girls prepared to leave, a deal was a deal, but you expected to call them again in the future. You were saying your thanks and good byes when you noticed they were whispering to one another, something about the “Farm guy.” which was clearly you. But before you had a chance to inquire, they hurried off back to the van.

“Well, it was fun, I guess.” Cassie told you. “We'll see you when we see you.”

They drove off, leaving you alone on the property. You leaned against the fence, there was still much of the day left for you to decide what you wanted to do.


When in doubt, visit Leonard. You made sure everything was in order before heading into town, and once again you found Leonard in front of his house, this time tending to his garden.

“Well well.” He said with a laugh, taking off his gloves. “Do we need to get a hotline made?”

You shrugged and produced a jar of dirt you brought with you from the farm.

“There's something up with the soil at my place.” You explained.

Leonard narrowed his eyes on the jar and looked it over, tilting his head to one side. “It looks like regular old dirt to me.”

“All of my crops are growing faster.” You explained. “Faster than they should. This girl I know, Cassie's, she touched the dirt and said it tingles.

“That's…Hm.” Leonard rubbed his chin. “That's new to me.”

Leonard paced about, thinking, he seemed to be invested in this as much as you now.

“There is a man I know.” He explained. “His name is Herbert. He's not the most…Sane person, but things like this are his specialties.”

Leonard took a notepad from his front pocket and scribbled into it. “He lives on the outskirts of town. And I mean it when I said he was an oddball. He's not dangerous, though, at least I think he's not.”

You took the address from his hands. After exchanging some pleasantries for a bit, you say your goodbyes and head out on the road.

You found the place, though it wasn't easy. His house, or rather shack, was between two overgrown trees, camouflaged behind the bushes and leafs. It was quiet, you couldn't even hear the animals, and every brain cell was telling you you were going to get murdered… But Leonard vouched for the guy…

>Go in.

>Don't risk it.


Nothing ventured, nothing gained, you've always wanted to try dying anyway. You approached the front door and went to knoc-

Suddenly, the door flung open and you were met with the sight of two barrels from a shotgun aimed back at you. You froze up and instinctively put your hands int the air, leaning back as the barrels were almost touching your nose.

A man leaned out to the side from behind the sights of his weapon, his eyes were large and crazy, he didn't blink ot take his eyes off you. His beard was unkempt and raggy, and his hair, or what was left of it, stuck out from the sides of his red trucker cap. He was chewing on something, you couldn't tell what it was. He was wearing a padded vest, with a checkered red button shirt underneath, as well as ripped jeans and a pair of boots that had seen better days.

“Alright, boy.” He said from between chewing. “Who sent 'ya?”

“Sent me?” You asked.

“Yeh, which gov'ment group you with? You a spook? A spy? Some'kind 'a military assassin come to kill me?”

“No sir.” You said, shaking your head.

“'den who sent 'ya?” He asked again.

“Leonard did, sir.” You told him.

“Leonard?” He asked.

“Y-yeah…”

“Well shoot, why didn't you say so?” He asked, putting his shotgun against the wall beside him. “Name's Herbert.”

You took the hand he offered you and gave him your name.

“Come on in, bud.” He welcomed you. “Take'a seat? Y'want a beer 'er somethin?”

“uhh, no thanks, I was sent here to get your help about the soil on my farm.” You informed him.

“Soil on the far-…? Yer Michael's boy aintcha!” He said with an accusing point.

You confirmed, Herbert laughed and slapped his knee.

“That ol' coot.” He sighed before changing his tone. “Terrible loss fer' everyone.”

Herbert rubbed his hands together. “'kay den, you bring any of d'dirt?”

You nod, handing him the jar. Herbert eyes it over, rubbing his chin before opening it up. He sniffed it and stuck his fingers in, pinching some soil and tasting it, which made you wince a little. You seemed to examine the taste in his mouth before mouthing “tastes like dirt to me” before looking at the dirt through the side of the glass jar.

“I had a monster girl help me on the farm yesterday.” You explained. “She said it felt tingly.”

“Tingly, huh?” Herbert pondered.

A moment later, he drew a pack of matches from his pocket, broke one off with one hand and then lit it against his boot. Without warning, he dropped it into the jar.

POOF!

You jumped back a bit, but Herbert didn't seem phased. The dirt let out an eruption of a small, purple, mushroom cloud that spread out from the jar and dissipated.

“What the hell was that!?” You asked.

“That's new.” He shook his head. “It doesn't usually do that…Unless its manure, then th'explosion is bigger.”

“Yeah, but what was that?”

“Not'so sures myself.” Herbert admitted. “Tells ya what. I'll hold on t'this fer ya. Do a little research, maybe a bit of…Experimentation. You head on home now, I'll's comes to ya, ya don't have to come to me.”

You sighed, you didn't really want to fight the crazy man over a jar of dirt.

“Alright, uh… Keep in touch, I guess.”

“Yeh, yeh.” He nodded, enamored by the jar. “Drive safe.”

You went back to your truck and sighed, there was still plenty of time left in the day, what happened now was up to you.


Returning home, you decided to once again search for the locks for these keys you have come across. You started in the house again, looking anywhere that might have something hidden, like a lock box or a trap door. After some long searching, you found nothing in the cellar save for a little box with a lock on it found under the bottom shelf on the wall, but the lock was already unlocked and there as nothing inside, it seemed to just be a keep sake of sorts, both of your keys were too large for the lock anyway.

There was nothing on the main floor, you checked for secret compartments in the walls, checked the closets, checked the closets again just in case, drawers, cupboards. The same was for the top floor, there was nothing to find. You thought that whatever it was, maybe someone stole it, but you actually didn't know what you were looking for, not that you could.

Was it a chest of some kind? Or a door? You didn't know… And you didn't know where to start.

The shed had nothing as well, and the barn held no clues.

Defeated, you returned to the house, but you still held on to some hope, you put the keys in the drawer of the desk in the study, to not lose them. But by the time everything was done, it was already getting late. And was time to go to bed…

-

A new day starts, and tonight is the night of a full moon. You still didn't know what to expect or even look out for. You watered your plants and cleaned up before planning out the rest of your day…


A new day starts, and tonight is the night of a full moon. You still didn't know what to expect or even look out for. You watered your plants and cleaned up before planning out the rest of your day…

You still didn't exactly know what they meant when the full moon was explained to you. [experienced farmhand] because you're dense.

But still, you wanted to be prepared, Rory said that fortifying shouldn't be necessary, but could you trust her? What if she wanted to eat you? Is that a thing monsters do? You mean…They are called monsters, after all.

You decide that its time to maybe bunker down, but…You didn't want to be stuck in the house doing nothing all night. Rory said she likes movies, didn't she? Or something along those lines, maybe she can lend some to you for a bit? That's probably a good place to start…

You went into town, and it was…Upsetting. The sidewalks were empty and the streets were vacant, everyone seemed to be at home, the few people that were out seemed to be in a hurry, nothing frantic, but they weren't willing to stick around.

Rory didn't give you an address but her instructions were clear as day, following the road, it was impossible to miss.

You were actually…Kind of jealous of her home. A light house, and a very well kept one at that. It was a picturesque white, with red painted side linings and blue trimmed windows. The light house was a similar color and a red roof, you kind of wanted to go inside and look out into the ocean. But you'd probably have to ask before doing that…

You drove up the drive to her house and parked to the side, exiting the driver seat with a slam on the door and approaching her front door. You raised your hand to knock on the do-

The door suddenly flung open.

Rory was staring back at your surprised face, her eyes wide and her cheeks blush. Her mouth was open somewhat, but she quickly closed it a few seconds after making eye contact with you. She was wearing a baggy hoody and sweat pants, you were actually almost sad that she was covering her curves.

“Hi!” She said suddenly.

“Oh…hi.” You responded.

“How are you!?” She asked, letting go of the door and standing in front of the open doorway.

“I was, uh. Gonna bunker down for the night.” You explained. “Thought maybe I could borrow some movies…?”

“Oh sure, I got a bunch, you can take as many as you want!” She seemed frantic in her words, taking a deep breath and putting her hands on her hips.

“You wanna come in? You should come in, come on in, you can pick them out, we could hang out for a bit!”

She seems pretty adamant on this…


[Experienced Farmhand] She's acting strange…Tense, and on the edge. Something is wrong…Is there an intruder? Is someone holding Rory hostage!?

“Alright, I'll come in to “Hang out.” You agreed.

“Oh oka- I mean, good! Great!” She nodded, stepping aside.

You stepped in cautiously, not knowing what to expect. You wanted to go back for your tire knocker or iron, but you didn't know if you had time.

“Here, this way.” Rory beckoned you along. “I wasn't expecting company, sorry that everything is such a mess!”

You looked around, it was mostly clothing and exercise equipment strewn about. A burglar? She opened the door to her living room and you immediately jumped in with your fists at the ready, scanning the room for this intruder… Nothing, was he hiding?

“You're eager for those movies, huh?” Rory asked.

Her face was still red, and she was rubbing her left arm. Her breaths were deep and long, and she seemed to be avoiding eye contact.

“Huh…” You rubbed the back of your head.

“Acting like you were getting ready for a fight.” She laughed. “Come on, sit, sit!”

You nod awkwardly, looking around the room again before moving around the couch. But as you stepped to your left, you felt a wind against your back, Rory suddenly yelped behind you. You turned around and noticed that she was tripped slightly over the couch, like she leap at it out of nowhere.

“Silly me!” She laughed. “Just tripped over my own two feet!”

“Hope that doesn't happen when you run.” You commented.

“Only sometimes.” she said with another awkward laugh.

You sat down on the couch, not wanting to impose on her rather impressive collection of movies. The TV itself was surrounded by shelves, the back wall being covered in them, there had to be thousands of movies there.

“I like to watch movies when I'm home, nothing big.” She explained, sitting down beside you.

Rory clamped her hands against her pant legs, tapping them casually while still avoiding eye contact. It was like she was waiting for you to try something…So you spoke up.

“So, about the movies…”

Rory finally turned her head to you and looked you in the eyes. Without saying a word, she nodded energetically and then got up. She went through the rows upon rows of films and began to pick them out before you could even say anything.

“Here, these are all pretty good. They'll keep you busy!” She told you, dumping a tower of movies into your arms.

You began to look through them and noticed a pattern right away. They were all human on monster romance flicks.

“Uh…Well.” You coughed.

“Oh, right, stupid me.” She laughed, slapping herself lightly on the forehead. “Chick flicks, right? What was I thinking.”

Rory went back, again not letting you pick them out, she came jumped back on the couch a few minutes later with another pile of movies. These ones were a lot more agreeable, except one stuck out. It was still a romance movie, again with a human and a…Kobold.

[Experienced Farmhand] She must really like this one. You'll give it a try.

You spent a few more minutes talking to Rory, but she seemed antsy, you felt like you were intruding…

“Well…I better go.” You tell her. “It was fun.”

“Oh…Oh! Sure, yeah, sure! It was fun!” She nodded, hopping to her feet. “But we got stuff to do, right? Can't just putz around all day!”

You went for the door and put your shoes back on. With a final goodbye, you left with the movies under arm. Rory waved you off and then sighed heavily, returning to the living room. She sat down on the couch, looked around like someone might catch her before smelling the back seat where you were sitting.

“You're so weird, Rory…” She complained, laying on her side with both her arms clenched between her legs.

You went down the road and went back into town. Rory seemed weird…Guess thats what the full moon does, why is everyone so worried about that?

Maybe you should head home, unless you had other plans.


Better to bunker down, you guessed. Going home was quicker than usual, considering the lack of traffic, not that traffic was ever a problem, but now even less so. The ride home was as casual as its always been…

It was past noon by the time you got home, and you made your preparations for the night… So you stood in the main hall of the house and took a look around. No locks were broken or damaged, the windows were all easily locked, and you did so. And finally…Just to be safe, you pushed some drawers in front of the front and back door. Now no one can sneak in and eat you while you're sleeping!

The day went on, the sun was beginning to set, and you had yourself a nice, hot dinner before settling for the night. You were about to settle down for the night, when you found a problem…You didn't have a DVD player.

You cursed, maybe you could have got one from town or borrowed a spare from Rory. But undefeated, you took another look around.

The top floors were devoid, all the closets and drawers were either empty or filled with your things. Luckily, you were more fruitful in the basement. On the very bottom corner of the back shelves, you saw something that caught your eye. A black box with slots and buttons. At first you thought it was a VHS player, but you quickly noticed the disc tray with the DVD logo.

It had RGB and power cables as well, it was ancient, but hopefully it worked.

After setting everything up, you pressed the power button, and a few moments later the logo appeared on your TV. You sighed with relief, your night saved.

You rummaged through the movies, and spotted the romance one Rory left with you. Looking it over, you decided to give it a watch. The DVD loaded up right away and played Ads from movies that came out years ago, but luckily it wasn't long, and you could soon get into the movie.

The movie was fiction, and told a story of a love that could never be between a soldier and a Kobold in a world where their societies were at war. There were “Male” Kobolds in this movie, but they were either just regular Kobolds dressed as men or guys with bad make up and props. All in all, it wasn't a bad movie, but it didn't really answer any of your questions…

You went through two more movies after that before you decided to call it a night…Nothing really happened, nothing out of the ordinary at least. You were put at ease and felt safe enough to try going to bed. You went to bed and slept without incident…

Day 2 of the full moon, you get up a bit later and water your plants. Their coming well, surprisingly well, they're probably going to be ready to harvest in a few days, less than a week at best. You were still surprised, but had no leads to work off until that crazy old coot came back to you with answers.

Outside of that, you noticed you were running low on groceries, so maybe its time to go to the store…


Quick stops, get in, get out, no messing around. You got ready, and then got into the truck and went into town. The Antler was the only market in the three towns you were familiar with, so you may as well just head there.

The Antler was quiet, as to be expected, it wasn't all that lively when you were there the first time. But nobody was moving around, the store was very much open, but you couldn't see any of the employees. You grabbed a little basket and went to work grabbing some supplies.

Sometime into your shopping, you noticed someone behind the counter at the deli, sitting in a chair and rubbing her own arm. Taking a step closer, you notice it was Ako, she was mumbling to herself and moved from rubbing her arm to hugging her tails close to herself. She noticed you a moment later and her ears stood up.

“Oh, hello!” She waved at you with a smile. “What are you doing?”

“I'm…Shopping.” You told her.

“Yeah…Yeah that makes sense.” She went back to distracting herself before speaking up again. “Don't stick around too long, I mig- my sister might get some ideas…”

“Alright then…”

You heeded her warnings and got what you needed, taking paying at the till and then leaving almost as quickly as you came. On your way back home, you spotted the library… You didn't have a computer or internet set up, so this was probably your next best bet…


The library was, thankfully, open, it was mostly empty, but there was someone working the front. You went inside, looking down as you dusted off your shoes, only to look up and freeze in shock. Your heart skipped a beat at the sight of what, at first, you believed was some kind of giant spider. The abdomen was a dark, almost purple color, with a red streak that swerved like lightning. Each leg was intimidating, looking like they could stab through your with little problem. It was only after a few seconds you realized the person attached to it.

The upper, human part, of the spider was a dark haired girl with glasses, she looked young, and had light brown eyes. She was wearing an orange turtle neck and seemed to be focused on her novel.

She looked up at you, almost surprised to see you.

“Oh, hello there.” She greeted. “Need anything in particular?”

She seemed rather calm, not unlike the others you saw today and yesterday.

“No, I–” You regained your composure. “I was just gonna have a look around.”

“Alrighty…But don't stay too long.” She warned. “Things are probably gonna get a bit crazy on the streets tonight. It was quiet last night, but I'd still be careful.”

“I'll keep that in mind.” You told her.

She nodded and returned to her book, one of her legs lifting and then dropping on the gray carpet with a noticeable THUD.

You went down the aisles of books, eyeing each and every one and trying to find what you were looking for. Would that be in the animal section? Is that racist?

You eventually found what you were looking for in the biology section of the library. “Monster life and you!” it was called.

You found a nice quiet corner and began to flip through it.

You eventually found a section on the full moon and how it effects Monsters. Finally, your questions would be answered…Do they eat human flesh? Just get violent? What was this thing everyone was so worried about.

“Each full moon cycle, Monsters can sometimes go through a change.”

Here we go…

“Much like a menstrual cycle for human women, monsters ten–”

Wait. What?

You continued to read… Sensitive areas, heightened emotional state, flushed cheeks , a desire to find a male and-…

[Experienced farmhand] Its Estrus. They go through Estrus.

You almost screamed it in surprise, but stopped yourself and slammed the book shut. Your eyes were wide,  and your lips pursed shut. It didn't occur to you at all… Sure, they had animal parts on them, but you didn't think they had…THAT.

You shook your head and put the book back, taking in a deep breath and thinking back on a few things. That explains why Ako was acting so funny at the Antler…And how Rory was at her place.

You being there must have been like a ticking time bomb that could walk waltzing into her house…

You had a sudden twinge of guilt, and with a deep sigh, you made your way out of the library. The spider librarian was still reading her novel, not paying you any mind.

“Have a good day.” She said as you opened the door, waving as you left.

You waved back and headed to the truck, reversing from your parking space and driving down the road back towards home..

-

The day came and went, you spent it indoors, finally understanding what was happening now. You made the proper arrangements before eating, spending some time watching some more movies, and then finally going to bed…

2:00 AM, the night went by again completely uneventful. You slept, curled up in your blanket…When suddenly.

Something fell down downstairs, the sudden slam jolted you awake. Your heart pounded for a moment in your chest as you stood up straight. You inhaled sharply through your nose and looked out through the open door of your bed room.

Something caught your eye, but only for a second, what looked like two glowing orbs flashed at the door way so fast, you didn't even know if you really saw them. Was it really there, or was it just your mind playing tricks on you after being so rudely awoken…

You should…Probably go check out what happened downstairs…Right?


You closed your door and put your foot in front of it, no idea how long that will hold, but you had hope. With blanket in hand, you removed the sheets and ripped them a bit, making longer strands for you to work with.

[experienced farmhand] You tied the knots expertly, tugging on them to make sure they will hold, and with a nod, you prepared for battle.

Without warning, you slammed the door open, launched down the hall, and leaped down the stairs. You didn't turn on the lights, not wanting to blind yourself. You heard yelps of surprise as you bellowed a low battle cry, flinging yourself at a humanoid shape in the dark. It struggled in your grip, but you managed to wrestle it down and tie its arms and legs together with one fell swoop.

A very female voice cursed as you left her on her stomach with arms and legs tied behind her back. You saw a second shape move in the dark and lunged forward, struggling with the second intruder for a moment before catching them in a hold around the neck. You noticed right away that your intruders were weaker than you…And noticeably smaller…And then it hit you…

The lights turned on, you flinched in pain as the world burned to life around you, and when your vision cleared, you were met by five eyes staring back at you, with the sixth currently in your grip. Very familiar eyes…Very…Mousy eyes.

“What the fu-” You stopped. “Are you serious?”

“Guys…Help.” The mouse in your grip wheezed, pulling at your arm and kicking her legs. “He's actually really strong…”

Cassie was standing the closest to you, it was her pony-tailed friend you had in a headlock.

Your eyes locked with Cassie's, they all had the same flushed cheeks that Rory and Ako had.

“Okay…” she gulped. “Lets be reasonable about this…”

Be reasonable?




You took in a deep, long, sharp breath through your nose and rubbed your eyes. With crossed arms, you looked down each and every one of them, making sure to glare at Cassie last. She seemed to jolt at your glare, but she didn't move.

You finally let go of the other mouse, who gasped for air and fell to the ground, rubbing her neck. You heard her say something about your grip under her breath before joining the others.

“Okay so…” You sighed. “Why me?”

“We thought you'd be easier to ge-” The pony-tailed mouse beside Cassie spoke up before getting smacked in the mouth.

“Because I'm isolated.” You finished. “Right.”

“Well its not all that.” Another one added. “It was Cassie's idea to “visit” you tonight.”

“H-hey!” Cassie went redder than she already was.

“So, you're not just here because the moon made you horny?” You asked with suspicion.

The group remained quiet, until one raised her hand.

“I'm here because I'm horny.” She admitted honestly.

You stood in silence, looking at the honest mouse girl with your arms crossed.

“Yeah, me too.” Another one admitted.

“I'm kind of liking this whole tied up thing now…” The one you hog tied also admitted.

Cassie suddenly hushed her friends, though it was obvious why they were there.

“L-Look, we'll just be on our way, okay?”

As she turned to leave, you spoke up. “Hold on…”

Cassie's tail stood on end, her ear twitched and she turned around slowly to look at you. “Y-yeah?”

“Before you do anything stupid again. You may as well work some of that frustration off.”

The mice girls suddenly became excited, looking at one another before looking back to you with expected grins.

“I have some work that needs doing outside.”

Their expressions suddenly turned to horror and disappointment. You saw them look to one another, no doubt deciding if they could maybe take you down and just risk the jail time. But after looking at your stature, they decided against it. After a little bit of bartering, they gave in and followed you outside.

You spent the night with them, making sure they didn't slack off, or the best you could work with how little sleep everyone was getting. Since the shed and barn were mostly done, it was easier to just send them into the field and do other work, ripping weeds and removing large rocks mostly, not point in tilling the fields, at least not yet.

By the time the sun rose, everyone was out like a light somewhere on the property. Two of the girls were sleeping in the hay bales in the barn, the one you had tied up earlier was just lying on her back in the field, you found two more sleeping on the porch, and finally Cassie, who was curled up on the stairs leading into the house…

You were tired as well…Obviously… But.

You decided whether you should just leave them lying around…


Well…Can't just leave them lying around.

Heading back inside, you go looking around for blankets to hand out for your “guests”. Luckily, you knew you had a few, extras you brought from home and a few left behind in the house, you wrangled six of them and got to work.

You could feel the pressure on your eyes, and the force on your body begging you to go to sleep, but you've been through worse, you could tough it out. The weather outside seemed like it would be nice all day, so leaving the two in the barn probably wouldn't hurt. You put a blankets over them, with the second immediately bundling and curling up under the blanket with a content sigh.

Next, you went into the field and tried to pick up the mouse girl that fell asleep in the field, but every time you tried she hapaered something under her breath and batted your hand away. After the fourt time you simply shrugged and put the blanket over her. Hope she likes beetles.

The next two were much easy to handle, with one even wrapping her arms around you like a child as you carried her in. At first you wondered if it would be easier to put them all in the Farmhand house, but it was too late now, and you weren't willing to carry six women, no matter how small, all the way over there in your condition.

Instead, you put the two on the couch and gave them blankets before returning to Cassie. She was curled up where you left her, still sound asleep. She was the easiest to carry, even if she didn't wrap her arms around you, but instead curled up in your arms, her tail flicking back and forth as you carried her up stairs and laid her down in the guest room. She turned over in her sleep after you draped the blanket over her, completing your task.

You rubbed your eyes and sighed, it you could barely keep going, but you still found it in your power to return to your room.

First things first, you went to lock your door, only to find that the old fashion knob didn't really have a lock. You were too tired to care, however, but you did wonder how grandpa managed all these years…

Finally, you stripped down to your boxers and shirt, and fell into your bed with a loud sigh. After tucking in, the world around you grew dark, and you drifted back to sleep.

The sun was barely peaking over the horizon when you went to sleep, you didn't know how long you slept, but it was high in the sky when you were disturbed, so perhaps noon? You heard a knock on your door, and could only open a single eye halfway.

“Nnhuh?” You asked, looking around the room.

The door opened and you turned your head to it. You were still too far gone to make any rational decisions that weren't just you mumbling orders that only made sense in your head.

“Hey.” It was Cassie at the door, she stepped into your room and closed the door behind her.

“Oh. hi.” You greeted her, your eyelids moved in a half blink, and half trying to stay open.

“Just wanted to say, sorry for breaking into your house…A second time.” She said.

“Its okay.” You didn't know if you meant it, but your brain was running on auto pilot at this point.

“Thought I could make it up to you.” She said. “You know, for not calling the cops.”

“How?” You asked.

You saw a blur move around your room. Suddenly, you felt your blanket rise and then drop again. There was a weight on you, sitting on your waist. It was a pleasant sensation, and you closed your eyes to go back to bed.

Then you realized what had just happened, and like someone switched the ignition in your brain, your eyes suddenly opened wide, and you sat up against the back of your bad.  You felt two hands press against your chest, and something that felt like a tail brush against your bare legs under the blanket. Cassie straddled you, looking deep into your eyes, she wasn't panting or flustering, but seemed rather calm in her actions.

“Come on, what do ya say?” She asked you.

[Experienced Farmhand] You froze up completely, the heart in your chest pounding furiously, like it wanted to get out. You breathed sharply through your nose, but even that was shakey. You didn't know what to do…

Cassie's hands brushed up your chest, wrapping her arms around your neck and pulling herself close. Her lips were only a sliver away from yours, her breath warm against your mouth.

“It'll be like nothing happened.” She whispered. “Tomorrow we'll just…Go about our days as usual. What do ya say?”

You fought every fiber of your being to not just squeak like a jittery farm rodent. You tried to find it in yourself to answer her…