Stardrop Saloon - Blog Posts

Shane, My Beloved

Shane had never considered himself a romantic person. In fact, Shane never considered himself at all, really. He had a routine that he followed, didn't think about how he worked a minimum-wage job at thirty-three, and when pretending that everything in his life was totally fine got to be too much, he drank. A lot. It was almost certainly unhealthy, but it got him through the day - for the most part.

When the new farmer moved into the dingy cottage north of his aunt's ranch, he didn't think much of it. He went to Joja Mart that day, same as always. He stocked the shelves, same as always. He saw the other town drunk wandering the aisles of Joja, same as always. He went straight to the Stardrop Saloon after closing, same as always. He saw the drunk again, same as always. He saw all the other Monday regulars at the Saloon, same as always.

But.

There was someone new today. It must be that new farmer, Shane thought to himself. Where did they move from? Was it Zuzu City? Somewhere across the Gem Sea? Hmm, I can't seem to remember... Whatever. It doesn't matter anyways. Not like I care. Even if I did, everyone always leaves. No use getting to know anyone new, Shane finally settled on that thought and took another sip of his beer.

Suddenly, a shadow crossed the floor to his corner by the bar. After introducing themselves to the local chef and the blue-haired barmaid, they seemed to walk toward Shane. He looked up. The farmer was staring at him, obviously exhausted from a hard day's work and socializing, but, curiously, appeared to be satisfied. Happy, even.

This perplexed Shane. He understood that his niece and his chickens and the boy with the bright yellow hair were all happy, but this was because they had never left Pelican Town. They didn't know what else was out there. They were blissful out of ignorance, not out of true joy. This farmer, they seemed different. They certainly weren't ignorant to the richness of city life. So why? Why did they seem so content? He had half a mind to ask them right out when the farmer asked him a question first:

"You're Shane, right? You work at the Joja Mart? I have to ask... Is it because you hate the shopkeep in town as much as I'm beginning to?"

Shane laughed out loud. He couldn't remember the last time he'd done that. It felt nice. The farmer smiled, bigger, this time, somehow. It made Shane feel... Well. He didn't know how it made him feel, but he knew that it was a feeling that he'd not had in a very long time.

He finally answered the farmer's question after a moment. "Unfortunately, my employment at Joja is not a condition of my spite, much as I wish it were. The store in town doesn't keep any staff at all. That's why the store's closed on Wednesday."

The farmer nodded and said "oh well. I simply had to ask." Then, after a short pause, they said "I'd better head off, I have some more planting to do tonight." And with that, they turned on their heels and walked out of the Saloon.

Shane watched the door for a long time after the farmer had closed the door. He hoped that they would turn around and run back inside. He hoped they would trip and fall over the threshold on their way out the door. He hoped they'd leave and never return.

He didn't know anything about the farmer but after this interaction, he knew one more thing about himself:

he was totally and utterly fucked.

teehee I love Shane ok anyways im thinking I might make this into like a series but we shall seeeeeeeeeeee xoxo