.

(Reference another song in this chapter called 'Dance of the Wild Faeries'. Give credit where credit is due, after all. I'm not as happy with this chapter as I have been with others, but hopefully you all enjoy it. Sorry for the long delay. I've been lacking a lot of motivation these days.)

Spring

The stranger came into the valley with no fanfare. He gave plenty of notice for the mayor to be on standby with the carpenter. In fact, he expected it.

He stepped off the bus looking disdainfully around, highly out of place here. Lewis and Robin could only blink blankly at the well-dressed, well, city slicker was probably the best way to describe him. Urban boy way out of his element it seemed, wearing a designer suit with a cellphone glued to his face and a bored and unimpressed expression.

"Sir? Are you still there?" he asked into said phone. "Uh-huh… Sorry to put you on hold, sir. I had some business to attend to… That's right sir, I'm here right now in Stardew Valley. I have to say, so far I've been quite unimpressed with the locals. They seem like a docile and unfashionable sort of people," Robin and Lewis started, eyes widening, and exchanged shocked and offended looks before scowling back at him, crossing their arms. He covered the phone with his hand. "No offense," he mouthed with an impersonal smile before turning back to the call. He walked away from Robin and Demetrius to the other side of the bus so as not to be overheard. "The children look sickly, and all the young men are delinquents from what I've seen so far," he said. From what he'd seen the few times he'd brushed through here in the past, actually. "Although, they are displaying our corporate logo, which you'll be pleased to hear, sir." At least the busses were. He listened then snorted with laughter a bit. "Yes, sir. It definitely won't be a problem to get these country rubes to sign the paperwork… We'll have that new Joja Hypermarket up and running in no time. Then maybe we can discuss that new… Yes sir, we'll talk about it later… Same dump it's always been of course. I can't imagine why you ever wanted to build here, but I mean, I'll see what I can do to fix what was lost…" Read 'your screw up', in place of 'what was lost', he inwardly threw in. "Yes sir, goodbye." He hung up then came around the bus again.

"Friend of yours?" Robin icily asked.

"Boss," he replied.

"And you are…?" Lewis fished.

"I'm fairly sure I specified who I was when I was making arrangements to come to your little… slice of heaven here," he said, looking disdainfully around. "My name is Dobson."

"If you're so put out over our little slice of heaven, why even move here?" Robin demanded a bit testily.

"Because where there's nothing, there's opportunity," Dobson replied. "But I'm really not obligated to speak with either of you about my reasons for coming here. I have the money and I'm paying, that's all you need to know. Now where's this dumpy little farm I spent good money on?"

Robin, scowling, looked ready to deck the young man. Lewis grimaced, moving between them and putting on a cordial grin. "Right this way, Mr. Dobson. Follow me," he replied. Dobson did so without protest. "We have various farms up for grabs here as you're probably aware. A common farm, a mountain farm, a wilderness farm, and a forest farm that belongs to our resident farmer. If I'm not mistaken you had requested the wilderness one? With respect, Mr. Dobson, might that not be a little, err… far removed for you? I can give you the common one instead."

"Far removed? I think I can handle it," Dobson replied. "I mean, how hard can working a tiny little farm possibly be?"

Stardew

Dobson gaped in horror at the plot of land. Robin was taking no small amount of satisfaction from it. Even Lewis couldn't help but smirk. "Have fun Mr. Dobson," he said, patting the young man's shoulder. Chuckling, he walked away with Robin leaving Dobson solo with no clue where to begin. Dobson scowled after them then looked back at the farm, shifting uncomfortably. Oh boy… He tentatively approached it. He guessed he should, um, check inside? Maybe just scope the land first day here? He walked up to the rickety door and reached out, touching it to open it. It fell off a hinge and swung limply open. He gawked. Oh Yoba…

He swallowed and went into the house. He gasped in horror, hand going to his chest like he was about to have a heart attack. What even was this?! A bed, a TV with a crappy rug in front of it, a rickety boarded window, a fireplace, a fridge, and one counter with a microwave on top was all that was there. He looked around hoping for more. There was a plant, some tacky decorations… All in all, it looked like someone had thrown something together spur of the moment with bits and pieces gathered from a dump! There had to be more. He saw a ladder leading up probably to an attic, and a trapdoor heading down into presumably a basement. He honestly didn't know if he had the guts to explore either place. Maybe he'd run into a serial killer who'd murder him or some monster that was going to devour him alive.

He grimaced, played eenie, meenie, mynie, moe to choose, and landed on the basement. "Oh wonderful. This gets better and better," he said out loud to no one. He headed for the trapdoor and pried it nervously open. He looked around, a precursory check, and climbed into it carefully. One room. Well that was… quaint. And lame. More tacky decorations. They had master decorators here, he snarked to himself. He sighed, heading back up and tossing his hands in the air. Basement wasn't a death trap. Good to know. Maybe the attic would hold par for the course. He climbed up and was immensely relieved to find it clear of infestation or intruder. Just as tacky as the rest of the place, if not more, but it worked. Wait… Oh good god, there wasn't a bathroom in this house! He almost passed out from the horror. Hell no! He would walk to town in the middle of the night before he defecated in a hole dug in the ground! It wasn't happening! Ever! "Are they kidding with this?!" he freaked. First thing on the agenda was a house upgrade.

"Ugh, garbage!" he shot, kicking something across the room and storming back to the main level. Maybe in the morning everything would look better? He almost laughed at the thought. "Wives tales," he grumbled, examining the bed carefully. He grimaced. What if it had insects in it? Eww… He took a deep breath and threw back the covers. He gagged. They looked like they hadn't been changed for years! Floor it was, he dryly decided. He looked at it and grimaced. You know what? Bed was better. He threw off the dirty sheets and lay on the mattress. He felt like he should toss off the covers, but the damn door was still broken so he'd probably freeze to death without them. Heck, he might freeze anyway. Maybe that would be a blessing. He sighed, resolving himself to a long stretch of hell.

Stardew

Things did not look better in the morning. Because why would they? He was in a crappy shack in a dumpy town on a garbage farm overgrown to the point there was probably no point in cultivating it anymore! And he was terrifyingly certain something had been feeling out the broken door last night! He needed a sword, a gun, something. And a phone for that matter! How was anyone suppose to get emergency help out here?! That door needed to be fixed effective immediately. And he needed to figure out how to start working his crap land. What kind of stupid idea had this been? Stupid, stupid, stupid!

He dug away at a dusty trunk and pulled out a few tools, laying them on the ground and looking them over. "Oh ho ho, this is just perfect," he said. Sarcastically, in case that wasn't obvious. A beat-up watering can, a dented hoe, a splintered axe, and a loose-headed pickaxe. Oh, and a rusty scythe! Which incidentally was the closest thing to a reliable weapon this dump had! He could kill Grim Reaper style if it came down to it. He sighed heavily. Well, the hoe and the watering can would be absolutely pointless until he got the mess outside cleared up. Oh, there had to be a better way! He should find the carpenter woman. Maybe she would have something that would be of some use! And if not, the General Store might. The shops opened at nine he believed, so if he left now through the backwoods, he might get there just as it was opening up.

Sighing heavily, he rose, dusted himself off, and headed for the door. He frowned at it. It now dangled uselessly from one hinge. Yes, the meddling whatever from the other night had broken off a second hinge, which didn't bode well if the pattern stuck; so really either way he'd needed to drop by Robin's shop. Besides, he had to investigate prices for house renovations and farm buildings and the like.

The spring day was nice and warm, refreshing really. The air was sickeningly clean, and so far, that was the only plus he'd come across in this stain-on-the-map town—laugh, laugh—but perhaps with a little exploration he'd find another positive or two. Unlikely, but possibly! He walked down the road listening warily to the forest, on constant guard. It was something he'd learned living urban most his life on top of his time drafted into the miserable Gotoran army. Always watch your six. And seven, and eight, and nine… Basically just watch everywhere! And always be listening. Use every sense you had as well as you could.

It seemed he didn't need it when a few minutes later he was in the general area of the shop. He frowned in distaste on seeing the tent set up and the presumably homeless hermit living in it. Yuck. He sighed, rolling his eyes. Maybe that would be the guy who did him in, he wryly thought. Shaking his head, he went down to the shop and walked in. Robin was behind the desk. She smiled at him, but the smile bordered on fake and taunting. "Good morning Dobson," she greeted cheerily. "How was your first night? How goes the farming?"

"I need hinges. Two of them. The door is falling apart," he replied.

"Are you sure you can handle placing hinges?" she asked like he was a child. He ground his teeth, fuming, and bared them before schooling his expression into an icy grin. "I'm sure I can look it up," he replied.

"Ooh, see, the thing is out where you are there's no service," she replied. His jaw twitched. Well just fu… fudging great.

"Give. Me. Hinges," he said. "And let me see what else you have to offer. Gods, it's like you're all barbarians living out here! No toilets? Really?"

"Again, only the farm," she sang out, sliding over a catalogue of services she offered.

He sighed, closing his eyes and rubbing his temples. "Fine. Fine!" he said. He grabbed the catalogue and began flipping through as she got the hinges he needed.

"I'll give you three, so you can replace them all. Listen, if you don't know how to do it, I'll come over and install them for you. No charge," she said, softening a little.

"No thank you," he replied curtly. He gasped on seeing a tractor garage she was offering. That was perfect! A tractor!

"Is the tractor included?" he asked.

"The price pays for it all, yes. If you just want the garage, or just want the tractor, it's cheaper," she said. "But if you want both, you pick out the tractor you like from my selections and I order it in for you. If you want something nicer than what I have, that cost is going to factor in."

"If a basic tractor gets it done, it gets it done," Dobson replied. He frowned a bit at the price. Well, so much for house renovations if he got this. At least until he started earning some money. But with the tractor on hand he could maximize his total profits all the quicker! A tractor was a perfect investment! He could live in discomfort for a while for a tractor that could double as a mode of transportation. "So I supply the materials, you do the work?" he asked.

"Mmm hmm," she replied. "It'll take three days or so, but before you know it, you'll have your tractor.

"Can't I buy the materials from you?" he asked.

"Most of them. You'll have to go to the blacksmith for the rest though, and to my daughter Maru for a battery," Robin said.

Dobson tensed and looked quickly back at her. "Your-your daughter is who now?"

"Her name is Maru," she replied.

He blinked. Okay. So, Robin was the mom of his probably future sister-in-law. Things just got better and better. "Is she here?" he asked after a moment. Admittedly he'd wanted to scope out his brother's love interest for a while now.

"She is. Buy the materials you need from me, buy the battery from her, then head to the blacksmith. He closes early so don't delay. Then if you make it back here before closing time, I'll get myself prepared and start work tomorrow. But uh, the hinges I'll do today how about? While you're gathering materials."

Silence. "Yeah. Yeah, that works," he replied. Ugh, his funds were just draining away, he ruefully noted. Oh, this had better pay off! Either in farm productivity or Joja productivity. Who even had driven the corporation out, he dryly asked himself? Hmm, it was probably the supposed 'elf'. Another issue he had to deal with. He turned to Robin. "Let's do this then." She smiled, nodding, and they made the exchange. Once things were set up with Robin, the woman left to fix his door and he went to find this Maru girl Harvey blabbed about incessantly.

Stardew

He found her in a… lab? With her father. Demetrius, he believed. Another potentially invaluable resource. That he would take advantage of if Harvey refused to. "Hello?" he said, knocking lightly. Maru and Demetrius both paused, curiously looking over at him. "I was told to come here to purchase a battery pack," he said.

"Oh, you must be the new farmer," Demetrius said, smiling at him. "Hopefully you're not… Well, let's just say we haven't had a lot of luck with new arrivals these passed few years."

He would have to pry more into that later, he decided. "So I do get battery packs here?" he asked.

"Yes. I'll set you up," the young woman, Maru, replied, wiping off her hands. He looked her dubiously over. He frankly didn't get the appeal. Seriously, were those overalls? Talk about a bad fashion statement. For anyone. The poor girl would be laughed out of the city if she ever showed up there dressed like this. But then what really did he expect from a pack of country bumpkins? "Something wrong?" she asked, snapping him out of is. She looked vaguely annoyed, so she'd probably spotted the disdain in his eyes.

He forced a cordial smile. "No, nothing," he replied.

She frowned but let it go, walking out. He followed. "So… you came here to be a farmer. Huh. You uh, don't look the traditional part," she said.

He bit back a biting remark. Future sister-in-law, future sister-in-law, future sister-in-law… Nope, here it came. "Well neither do you and look where we are," he bit.

She shot him a sharp look then sighed and smiled ruefully. "I suppose I deserved that," she admitted. Good. She had a thick enough skin to admit when she'd messed up. He harrumphed. Silence. "Wait here. I'll get it from my old room," she said. She left him in the hallway. He took the time to think about how to breach conversation with her. Soon she came back out. "Here you go. I'll ring you up at the till," she said.

"Thanks. Need it for a tractor," he said.

"Wow. That's an expense," she remarked.

"But worth it, if it's worth its weight in gold," he replied. "So… old room? I guess you've flown the coop?"

"Yeah, but dad has the best lab in town so I'm here almost as much as I'm at the place I live in now. An apartment building. We converted the old Joja Mart to a complex when it went under," she said.

"There a particular reason you moved out? It's not cheap, after all, and if the lab you need is here…" he began.

"It's… complicated," she replied, grimacing a bit. "It's not really your business, but I mean, it's not going to kill me to tell you. Some… rumors started floating around about the guy I liked, and dad lost it. Took to trying to keep us apart, took to occupying all my time so I couldn't see him as much. He didn't approve already, there's a sizable enough age gap between us to raise eyebrows and he wasn't impressed with that, so the rumors were kind of the final nail in the coffin. Drama, arguing, drama, tears… I just had to get away. Let's just say the past couple years haven't been great for Pelican Town… But I think things might finally be turning around, so with luck you won't be marred by everything that was happening." Dobson was quiet. He had been deeply, deeply marred by one part of it all… Horribly marred… She wrapped up the battery and gave it to him. He paid silently. She tilted her head at him. "You… look familiar somehow," she said.

"Oh?" he asked.

"You, well, you remind me of my boss, Dr. Harvey. He's the town physician," she said. "Probably the glasses and the hair." She frowned a bit curiously. Okay, she was getting suspicious. Time to deflect and leave.

"Yeah, well, I'm sure plenty of men out there wear glasses and have similar hair," he said, turning and walking away before she could scrutinize him better and figure it out. There was no way Harvey hadn't told her about his siblings at some point or another. Or hey, maybe the guy really was that tight lipped. If so, kudos to Harvey. Of course, the village would figure it out soon enough, but he kind of wanted to be the one to drop this bombshell on his brother. Probably tomorrow, while he was waiting for that tractor. He'd take the day and wander around town meeting everyone. From the lowest churl to the second highest totem on the pole. He'd already met the topper. He'd uh, start with Harvey though. Now to go to the blacksmith and buy up the last few materials he needed for this ridiculous tractor that was breaking his bank.

Stardew

Maru was distracted the next day at the clinic, ponderously tapping her lips with a pencil as she thought about the new farmer in town. There was something about him… He'd looked a lot like Harvey. Harvey had talked about a brother and sister, he'd told the whole town when they'd been baying for him after the rumors of espionage started. Could it be that… But why would Harvey not have mentioned that his brother was moving to town? You'd think he'd at least tell her. And the man hadn't seemed to know her, but surely Harvey had mentioned her to his family! Right? They were engaged now after all.

"Maru, have you seen my clipboard?" Harvey asked, coming out of the back office.

"Hmm? Oh! Oh, right, uh, here it is," she said, picking it up and handing it to him with a sheepish grin.

He raised a curious eyebrow at her then shrugged, taking it. He smiled. "Thank you, love."

"Of course, doctor," she replied, smiling back. He turned to go, flipping through it. She hesitated. "Uh, Harvey? Is there… something you've forgotten to tell me?" she asked.

"I dare say I've 'forgotten' to tell you a lot of things," he replied, alluding vaguely to his… not so legitimate activities.

"Right, of course that, but… but I mean something that has no reason to be kept secret," she replied.

He looked back at her, visibly confused now. "Is… something going on?" he asked after a moment.

"N-no, nothing. It's nothing," she replied. He knew she wasn't being entirely truthful and looked like he was going to push, but he apparently decided now wasn't the time for it what with patients starting to come in, so shrugged and went back into the office. She sighed and looked over before starting on seeing the new farmer passing by in his cleanly pressed suit. She really hoped he had work clothes along with him, or that getup he wore wasn't going to stay clean and pressed for long. She called the first patient, Alex, to go inside.

It was a little under ten minutes later that the new farmer entered the clinic. She started, frowning curiously at him. Okay, he could not look this much like Harvey coincidentally! But it still didn't make sense. Wouldn't Harvey know his own brother was moving into town? If anything, that should be cause for excitement! She would have thought the doctor would have been talking nonstop about it. On the other hand, he'd just come back from the grave, so to speak, so maybe he wouldn't know after all.

"Is he almost done in there?" the farmer asked, leaning on the counter and jabbing a finger on it. In his other hand he held a cup of freshly brewed coffee. Harvey's favorite.

"Okay, I'm just going to come out and say it. Are you my boss's brother?" she asked.

"Uh, yeah. Yeah, I am," he replied, shrugging.

"W-well doesn't he know you're here? Why would you have kept that quiet? It's great!" she said, grinning excitedly at him. "He's talked about you and your sister really fondly. He'll be ecstatic to see you!"

"I have my reasons. Suffice it to say I'm not so sure 'ecstasy' will be what he feels upon seeing me," Dobson replied. "Is he almost done or what?"

"Oh, yeah, of course. Wait in the hall and when the patient comes out, just go right in and surprise him!" she said.

"That was my plan," he replied, holding up the coffee.

Stardew

Dobson headed through the doors and went into the hall to wait for the patient to come out. In only a couple of minutes he did, striding out like he felt on top of the world. Dobson watched him go passed then headed to the examination room, pushing in. "Maru, can you run out and check to see if Evelyn is still coming in for her appointment?" he asked.

"The old lady? She seems nice enough, but her husband? One foot in the grave. Sure we can't push him the rest of the way in?" Dobson replied.

Harvey yelped, literally yelped, and jumped about a foot in the air which was impressive considering he was sitting down. He spun around, mouth dropped, and shot to his feet. "Dobson?!" he exclaimed.

"Hey big brother," he replied, smirking and shoving the coffee into his hands. "Brought you something."

Harvey looked down at the coffee, startled, then at him, then at the coffee, then at him again. He blinked. "Wh-what are you doing here?" he finally found the words to say.

"I moved," he replied. "Into town. Onto the Wilderness Farm. I'm going to start a farm! Isn't that great? Oh lucky me."

Harvey seemed for a moment like his brain had broken at these words. He didn't quite compute what had just been said. "You're… going to start a farm," he finally replied. "Here. In Pelican Town. In the wilderness."

Dobson didn't answer, starting to seem a bit uncomfortable and anxious. "Yes," he finally replied.

"Have you lost your mind?!" Harvey blurted before the yes was even fully out of his brother's mouth. "You don't know the first thing about farming!"

"What's there to know? You clear, you dig, you plant, you water, you pick!" Dobson said.

"Dobson, that's not how farming works!" Harvey exclaimed. "You can't seriously think it's that simple! What put this braindead scheme into your…? Oh my god." He remembered Dobson's cryptic remark to him and Carmen about having a plan for how to keep them all together instead of spread out until the heat died down. Dobson shifted a bit. Harvey looked at him. "Oh my god!" he exclaimed. "Are you serious?! Of all the plans you could have possibly had, your brainchild was to move to the country to start a farm?!"

"Not entirely! I'm also here overseeing Joja Mart's interests," Dobson replied.

"Joja Mart. The place the elf king ran out. The place he curses the very mention of. The place he isn't going to let poison his perfect world," Harvey flatly said.

"Yeah. That one. I'm on my way to the top, brother dear, and I plan to get there no matter whose throat I have to cut; and it's going to give me immense pleasure to cut the throat of Stardew Valley if need be to get this hypermart thing up and running. Do you have any idea the payday I'll get out of this?! We're talking a massive raise, a major bonus, and a promotion, Harvey. Look, it's not like Joja Mart is going to destroy the valley!"

"The farming valley whose livelihood centers on local produce?!" Harvey shot.

"At worst the country rubes move to the city and get back into the real world!" Dobson shot.

"This is their real world, Dobson!" Harvey said.

"Okay, fine! I'll push for the hypermart not to be directly in town… Just on the way," Dobson said.

"Dobson!" Harvey shot.

"Convenience is the future, bro, not cute little mom and pop shops," Dobson replied.

"I can't believe you!" Harvey yelled.

"I'll figure it out, okay?! I'll come up with something that works for everyone. That's more than Morris was willing to do for you all!" Dobson said. "Trust me."

"How am I supposed to trust you on this when a big fat paycheck, a whopping bonus, and a guaranteed promotion is the bait that scumbag Morris is dangling in front of you?!" Harvey shot.

"Drink your coffee bro, I have seeds to buy!" Dobson shot, turning and storming agitatedly away.

"You don't know what you're doing Dobson!" Harvey insisted, going after him. "You won't last a week out here. I mean look at you! You're in a high-priced suit and designer shoes! What, is that your work clothing now?"

"It will be after I get that pay raise," Dobson sang back, waving tata to his brother. Harvey followed him to the door looking seriously concerned.

"Do you have a weapon at least?! The Wilderness Farm is in the middle of a monster mecca! I don't know what you were thinking choosing it! I don't want my kid brother getting himself killed," Harvey pled. Maru looked concerned, not sure what was happening but knowing it probably wasn't good.

"I have a rusty scythe," Dobson replied, pausing and wincing a bit.

"A rusty…? Oh son of a bit… You, upstairs, now," Harvey ordered, pointing. Dobson frowned, thought about disobeying, then sighed, begrudgingly shuffling passed his brother to go towards Harvey's flat.

Stardew

Harvey threw up his hands in exasperation. "I mean… at least you and your siblings are going to more or less be in the same place?" Maru lamely offered. The travelling merchant, whose name she still didn't know, would probably continue to come and go, but she was here usually anywhere from two to three times a week, so she couldn't go far!

"Oh joy," Harvey dryly replied.

Maru winced. "I can't tell if you mean that or not," she said.

Harvey sighed. "I love my brother, I love him dearly, but to say he's insufferable is to be generous. Most people can only take Dobson in small doses, if they can take him at all. He's ruthless, cutthroat, ambitious, determined, condescending, rude, and a dangerous enemy to have. He doesn't care who he has to step on to reach his goals, most of the time. Ideal for corporate cutthroats, they'd fall all over themselves to have a guy like him on their team, but not so ideal for, well, anyone else. Let's just say he's not in the valley to make friends. And that will be glaringly obvious soon enough."

Maru was quiet. "So… nervous about having a younger version of you around?" she teased. He gave her a look that screamed 'don't even joke'. She giggled and came around the counter, draping her arms around his neck and kissing him. "You know, I still don't know the name of your sister."

He smiled a little. "Her name is Carmen," he replied.

"Sandiego?" Maru teased.

"She's on par," he replied with a grin. "Now I should go after my brother before he gets impatient." Maru nodded. "Check up on Evelyn for me will you darling?"

"I'm on it, boss," she replied, smiling at him. He nodded and headed up the stairs to go after his brother.

Stardew

Harvey entered his flat only to see Dobson poking around his radio and other effects. "Model airplanes? Really? What are you, ten?" Dobson bit.

"It's a hobby," Harvey replied, frowning. "Besides, a lot of them were gifts."

"I remember this one. I gave it to you when you learned you couldn't become a pilot," Dobson said wistfully, taking one down and examining it. "I wanted to make you feel better."

"And you did, and it's among my most treasured models, so kindly put that down," Harvey replied, smirking a bit and taking it from his brother. Dobson crossed his arms smiling amusedly at his sibling. Harvey grinned back and put it back in its place before leaning on his desk and sighing, bowing his head. "I'm not upset you're here, you know. Just to get that clear. Well, I am, but not for the reasons you might think I am."

"More concern for me than dismay I've moved in?" he asked.

"I wish you'd told me sooner," Harvey said, frustratedly drawing a hand through his hair. "I could have helped you get settled in, set things up for you… I could have been prepared."

"Yeah, I should have. They don't even have a toilet there, Harvey. Not even a toilet! Or an outhouse! What kind of primitives are these people? And where are the washing machines? What, do they still use washboards?" Dobson demanded.

"Oh you are beyond not cut out for this," Harvey said with an exasperated sigh. He unlocked a drawer, felt around, then opened a secret panel. Dobson started in surprise. Harvey reached in, pulling out a gun and some ammo and handing it over to his brother. "For the monsters," he said. "Speaking of, do you understand the danger you're in out there, baby brother?"

"If I can handle people, I can handle mere monsters," Dobson replied.

"Don't do that, please," Harvey pled, rolling his eyes hopelessly.

"What?" Dobson demanded.

"There are far more good people in the world than bad," Harvey said. "Listen, if something goes wrong do you have a way to contact me?"

"Does anyone have a phone here?" Dobson asked.

"Yes. It's more common than you think," Harvey replied, chuckling in amusement.

"Laugh it up," Dobson replied.

Harvey's smile fell slowly. "So, is that a no?" he asked.

"No. I have a cellphone. But what would really be handy for certain 'other' occupations is an internet signal. Any strings you can pull there?"

"I'll see what I can do, but Carmen's probably your best bet with all her smuggled goods. Write to her and ask her to find something for you," Harvey replied. Dobson nodded. Harvey sighed again then pulled him into a one-armed side-hug. "Good luck, okay? Please try not to get yourself killed."

"I'll be fine!" he insisted. "The hard part will be the clearing."

"Oh you naïve thing," Harvey replied, smirking a bit worriedly. Dobson huffed and turned, walking out after tucking the gun away on his person somewhere out of sight. Ammo ran out, so the scythe was still his most reliable weapon, but this would come in handy for a while. Ammo could be bought of course, but out here it wasn't going to be forthcoming and would require a trip into the city. A slingshot would be a better bet than the gun would be. He'd have to look around for one. Now, onward to the General Store.

Stardew

Pierre, standing behind his counter, looked curiously up when the door opened. He started. Someone he hadn't seen before had come in. The newest farmer, perhaps? "Yes sir, I'm here right now sir…" he was saying into a cellphone. "Yes sir, at Pierre's General Store, was it? The place that belongs to the guy who punched you out?" Pierre started, straightening up. No. It couldn't be! "Bad taste sir, my apologies… What? …Oh, yes sir, I'm looking around right now. It's a dinky little dump…" the man said. Pierre looked offended, mouth dropping in outrage. "The produce doesn't even look nice. Like it was pulled right from the ground. It probably was, but if I may, sir, that is in fact the trend these days. Homegrown produce, real and natural and untainted. Buying local and all that you know… I know, it's a ridiculous notion! But it's here to stay and that's the fact of the matter… Yes sir, completely ridiculous sir… Yes, everything in this pathetic shop is local… No sir, not a single thing commercially produced in the place. It's actually a bit sickening. I'll bet they don't even have a health inspector who comes through… I know, it's disgusting. But it's what I'm stuck with now… Thanks for the good luck wish. I'll need it in this rundown, backwater town… Yes, goodbye sir."

The man hung up. Pierre glared icily at him, seriously thought about booting him out, then decided money was money. It was sickly satisfying to see a Joja Stooge have to stoop so low as to actually give money to him. "I hope you know I relished that punch," he icily stated to the man.

"I'll just bet you did you violent little thing you," Dobson replied. "Be grateful he didn't press charges, rube."

"You're fixing to follow in the footsteps of your boss," Pierre replied.

"Yep, but I will press charges so, ooh… check. Your move," Dobson replied. Pierre's jaw twitched. "Then make that checkmate," Dobson replied, smirking victoriously. Pierre punched the counter angrily, gritting his teeth and glaring daggers.

"You are…?" Pierre growled.

"Dobson," he answered. "Now mind your own business while I browse." After a few minutes, Dobson shrugged. "Nope, nothing here worth buying. I'm going to have to figure something else out it seems. Disappointing."

"Go to hell," Pierre bit.

"Cute," Dobson replied. "Hmm… Actually, how much for the backpack?"

"Five thousand," he flatly replied.

"I'll be back for that, then," Dobson replied. "Tata."

"Go to hell," Pierre sang in response, giving a disgruntled wave.

"Touchy, touchy," Dobson all but purred, obviously thriving on the biting remarks. He left the shop, shutting the door. He didn't need seeds right now anyway. Not until he'd cleared the miserable farm. Fortunately, the tractor should be ready tomorrow or the next day. Then he could get to work.

Stardew

He was immensely happy to see the garage built to standard with the tractor inside. Immensely. And now his door was fixed on top of it, so really it just got better and better! He took out the manual and began reading through it. Okay, multiple features, uh huh… Good for hoeing, watering, cutting, breaking, planting, clearing… Perfect! He read quickly how to operate it, looked at it, then climbed onto the tractor. "Alright, let's see how you do," he said. He drove it out of the garage without trouble, stopped it, then read how to attach components. He would start with cutting, he decided. There were more trees here than rocks. It took him an hour or two to figure it out, but eventually it paid off, him panting tiredly. Finally! "Okay, let's try this again," he said. He climbed on and started driving. It handled well so far, but the attachment he had, had trouble cutting down the trees he noted with a frown. And the really big logs and stumps. Apparently he'd still have to upgrade his tools. Just perfect. Oh well, this was worlds better than doing it by hand. He sighed, shaking his head in exasperation, but went with it nonetheless. This was pretty easy so far! He could totally get behind this if it remained this cooperative. Ugh, annoying debris. He hated it.

He finished out the day having cleared about half of the farm. He had a good amount of materials to show for it too, which was a bonus. He'd store most of the wood and rocks since apparently Robin needed to be supplied with materials before she would do the work you paid her to do. An acceptable sacrifice, he determined. As long as she did it well. He felt his phone buzz and frowned, pulling it out curiously. Carmen, he saw! She was in town! Good. Maybe his sister had something more productive on her to plant than Pierre seemed to. He had time to get there still, and even if he didn't, she'd open for him. He was her brother after all. He parked the tractor and leapt off, setting off immediately for Cindersnap Forest.

He arrived there in not too long. She was just preparing to close. "Carmen!" he called out, jogging towards her.

She started, turning in shock. "Dobson?" she exclaimed in shock, stunned to see him. "What are you doing here?"

"I live here now," he replied. "Bought a farm in the wilderness," he replied.

She stared at him like she couldn't believe she'd heard that, then looked like she was concerned for his sanity, then seemed to recall what he'd vaguely murmured to her and Harvey about a plan to keep them all close together. "This was your plot?" she hissed to him, pulling him close. "Are you crazy?"

"No! I can handle a piddly farm," he indignantly replied.

"Gods, Dobson!" she protested.

"Look, do you have a decent seed or not?" he demanded.

"I can't believe this. I can't believe you! I shouldn't even be encouraging this, but if you're really set on this… please tell me you aren't," she said.

"I am!" he stated.

She grimaced, pinching the bridge of her nose and shaking her head. She sighed. "Coffee beans," she said. "From one seed many will spring. It is a crop that can increase incrementally. The seeds make you profit enough under the right circumstances, and if you refine them into coffee with a keg, they'll bring you a good deal of income."

"Sounds good! Let's do that then," Dobson said eagerly. "I'll take a coffee seed… And a rare seed just because."

"You're in over your head, brother," she warned, handing them both over.

He paid for them, rolling his eyes. "Whatever sis," he said. "Thanks."

"Does Harvey know?" she asked.

"He reacted about as miserably as you. And now you're probably going to go visit him and the two of you are going to talk behind my back and put down my ambitions," Dobson said.

"This isn't even a genuine ambition of yours! It's a front!" she exclaimed. "And it's a front you don't know the half of. You have no idea how difficult a farm can be."

"Guess I'll figure it out quick then!" he replied, marching angrily off.

"Dobson!" she called after him. She sighed, rubbing her face. "If you need help promise you'll ask," she said, throwing up her hands. She couldn't deter him from something he'd set his mind on. No one could. Maybe rarely, but not most of the time.

"I know, Carmen," Dobson replied, waving dismissively. She shook her head hopelessly after him...

Stardew

Things were not going according to plan. The coffee bean matured slowly, then he had to plant more which matured slowly, then more which again, matured slowly, and most of the beans he had to ship to even hope to bring in a profit! Most of his money was being made from wood and foragables, for goodness sakes! He'd in fact taken to planting trees on his farm so he could mass cut them down when they matured. He'd gotten strawberries from the egg festival—which he'd won by the way—and planted those too, and those brought in a pretty profit, but things were agonizingly slow and tedious, and he was going insane! It had been two weeks. Two. Weeks.

On the bright side he now had a copper pickaxe, hoe, axe, and watering can to show for his efforts. Which cut into his profit big time but also made things much more efficient. The more efficient he was, the more work he could do, the more profit he could bring in. He'd also gone down into the monster infested mines because he'd been told they'd been cleared—they weren't, maybe once they were but not anymore—and had gained a sword, a lot of stone, and plenty of ore. A few gems too. Mostly quartz and geodes. Which he processed and sold immediately. The tractor made things so much easier. And it wasn't easy to get the miserable thing into the mines either. He couldn't fit it on an elevator, he couldn't ride it down a ladder, so he had to follow old mine-cart tracks and hope there were no dead ends he couldn't handle. The monsters were miserable… FYI, he'd refrained thus far from telling Harvey anything about his mine excursions. Or his excursions into the 'Secret Woods' which were apparently supposed to be off-bounds because elf king. Humph, he hadn't run into it yet.

Ugh, saving up was taking forever, he dryly noted to himself as he filled up the bin. But he'd called in a couple connections and had hooked onto someone who would pay a higher price for wood than most, so now wood was turning into quite the profit gainer. Maybe he should stop farming and be a lumberjack, he dryly noted to himself. But then the coffee beans would eventually spare him having to pay three-hundred gold for a coffee every time he wanted to do something nice for his brother and bring him his favorite morning picker upper. Which was two times a week at most. Didn't want to spoil Harvey too badly now, did he? He shut the bin and went to clean up in the pond because perish forbid the ridiculous house have a sink! He needed to get ready to go to dinner with his siblings anyway. They were going to eat at Harvey's place instead of the saloon because hey, he wasn't here making friends and the townspeople weren't exactly his biggest fans right now, ever since stupid Pierre had spread the word that he was working for Joja. He'd become the most detested resident in Pelican Town overnight! Well, he'd already been there, but now he was definitely cemented in that place. Harvey had been making it a point to keep him away from the others. They didn't even know yet that he was the guy's brother, for goodness sakes, but that was probably for the best anyway. He sighed and went inside to get ready to meet his siblings.

Stardew

"You appear here and ask me to remove a bullet from your side like it's the most casual thing in the world?" Harvey bitterly bit at his sister, who he was currently removing said bullet from. "I told you to stop taking that pass! Come by water, Carmen. It's safer."

"That pass is quicker, passes some major suppliers of mine, and often has refugees wandering through it alone and scared," she replied through gritted teeth. She gasped as he pulled out the bullet. "Most painless bullet removal I've had," she said.

"I'm good," Harvey replied with a smirk, though not an amused one. He sighed and set to cleaning the injury, disinfecting it, and wrapping it while clinging tightly to her hand so she could squeeze when she was in pain. "They're going to catch onto you if you keep taking that route," Harvey said. "Considering they haven't already. This implies they have," he said, gesturing at the wound.

"I'll think about it," she relented with a sigh.

"Do. I don't want to lose you. None of us do," Harvey said. He rose, holding the bullet in the tweezers and going to dispose of it. "Lay low, sissy. At least for a little while," he warned as he went. "Dobson or I will give you the all-clear when it's safe again."

Silence. "So… He's actually doing this. This farm," Carmen remarked after a while, examining the dressing Harvey had put on her. Excellent, she noted to herself with pride. As always. He was very, very good at his job. "How is it going for him?"

"Dobson likes instant gratification. He's impatient and doesn't like to wait. It's going too slowly for his liking, in short, but it's going nonetheless. Just… I'm afraid he's starting to take unnecessary risks. Maru mentioned seeing him heading for the monster infested mines, Marnie remarked she spotted the new farmer going into the Secret Woods… I need to have a serious with him about that," Harvey replied with a sigh.

"How does the village like him?" she asked.

"They don't," he wryly answered. "At all."

"Do they know he's…?" she fished.

"No. Yoba no," Harvey said with a chuckle. "And they won't for a while yet. Just Elliott, Maru, and Kent, and they can keep a secret.

"I have yet to meet the belle of yours," Carmen remarked. "Officially… Why are you keeping her from us, Harvey?"

"I'm not," Harvey replied with a frown. "It's just…" He trailed off.

"If you don't trust that Dobson won't use her, at least trust that I won't," Carmen said with a sigh.

"I… I'll bring her by tomorrow, alright?" he relented with a sigh. "But we were trash-talking Dobson, not me."

"We weren't trash talking!" she insisted. "We were expressing concerns that our preppy city boy couldn't hope to live out even a single year in this 'backwater town', as he calls it, without going insane. The man's wardrobe consists of pressed suits and designer shoes for goodness sakes!"

"He picked up some working clothes," Harvey replied. "Kind of."

"Name brand?" Carmen wryly asked.

"What else?" Harvey asked, throwing his hands hopelessly into the air. "He likes the finer things in life. Likes to dance dangerously close to living beyond his means."

"And he has a lot of means," Carmen said. "He's Morris' golden boy, don't you know?"

"His favourite stool pigeon," Harvey replied, smirking. "The man could order him to crawl on his belly like a reptile and he'd do it if the price was right." The door was knocked on. Harvey looked over. "There he is. Presumably. Who is it?!"

"Open the door, Harvey," Dobson replied, sounding annoyed at the question.

"As if you'd do differently, brother dear," Carmen called out.

Harvey smirked hopelessly at her then went to open the door. "About time," he said.

"I had farming things to finish up," Dobson said, shrugging.

"You've cleared it by now I assume?" Carmen asked.

"I cleared it the first week," Dobson replied.

"So, you've been spotted by the mines you know," Harvey said.

"Don't trouble yourself over it," Dobson said, frowning at him. "Is this an actual dinner or frozen dinner?"

"Actual," Harvey replied, frowning. "Carmen helped me with it. We used produce from your farm in fact."

"Who else's produce is being sold? The Elf King's?" Dobson asked.

"No. That he keeps closely guarded. Mostly," Harvey replied.

"You do know I'm not buying this elf king, right?" Dobson asked, sitting at the table.

"I guessed. If you did, you'd be steering clear of the secret woods," Harvey said, frowning.

"What, you're spying on me now?" Dobson demanded.

"In a town this small, everyone knows what everyone is doing. Remember it," Harvey replied, folding his arms with a frown. "I'm serious, Dobson. You're playing dangerously."

Dobson rolled his eyes and looked over at Carmen, who was getting up from the couch and wincing a bit. He noticed the dressing peek out from under her shirt and started. Frowning, he asked, "What happened?"

"I came through the pass and was shot," she replied.

"I told you to avoid the pass! We both did!" Dobson said.

"I know what I'm doing. Your jobs are espionage, sabotage, and surveillance. I do the ground work," she replied. "But Harvey's made your point. I'll lay low for a while and avoid it for some time. The armies are being spotted skulking around it, perhaps looking at it as a potential weakness. A breach into each others' territories. I'll have to contact the Underground and suggest an alternate route."

"I've uncovered a few possibilities," Dobson said.

"As have I," Harvey added.

"The more avenues the better," Carmen replied, sitting at the table.

Harvey brought over the food and sat with them. "Are you both doing alright for money?" he asked in concern.

"Business is good. I'm well-set," Carmen replied.

"I'm scraping by," Dobson replied.

"Your version of scraping by or normal peoples'?" Harvey asked.

"Normal people's!" Dobson indignantly replied. "I've been working here two weeks and barely have ten thousand G. But things are starting to pick up finally, so that's something."

"Focus on supplementing our parents, Harvey. I'll focus on supplementing our work, Dobson will focus on supplementing himself," Carmen said.

"Oh put a lid on it Carmen," Dobson said. "Soon enough I'll be wealthier than either of you, either through my farm or through Joja."

"You're already wealthier than either of us. Morris of course can't let his little golden goose starve now, can he?" Harvey replied.

"You're both just jealous," Dobson grumbled. Silence as they ate. "What's the Flower Dance?" he finally asked.

Harvey looked up, raising an eyebrow. "A dance?" he replied like it was obvious. Dobson gave him a dirty look. Harvey sighed. "It's an annual dance where people pair up with each other, most often the objects of their affections and most often the younger townsfolk, and dance to a traditional song together in a line. A synchronized slow dance, in a way. If you don't find anyone to dance with, you're on the sidelines like a wallflower," Harvey said.

Dobson stared at him blankly then winced. A date. Ooh… "Is one necessary?" he asked.

"Anyone who's anyone will have one, Dobson," Carmen said in mock horror. "It's all but a status symbol!"

"No. It isn't. Please Carmen, don't troll him," Harvey said. "It's not necessary to have a partner for the dance. Without one you'll just be on the sidelines is all."

"An outcast and reject," Carmen added. Harvey gave her a scathing look. She smirked. Dobson grimaced uncertainly.

Stardew

Harvey sat in the community center wincing, surrounded—he wasn't surrounded personally—by an angry mob. To be fair it had taken them longer than he thought it would to get sick of Dobson. He was impressed how long they'd taken it frankly.

"He called me a delinquent!" Sam protested angrily.

"He called me a boozing outcast!" Shane shot.

"He called me little lost vampire boy!" Sebastian said.

"He called me muscles for brains!" Alex said.

"He called me beach hermit Fabio," Elliott said in disgust and appall.

"Now I'm sure he didn't mean…" the flustered Lewis began.

"Space case," Haley said.

"Nut job," Emily said, sticking up her hand.

"Pathetic edge Lady," Abigail said.

"He's… creative?" Lewis lamely offered.

"He stole candy from Vincent!" Jodi angrily stated. "Snatched it right out of his hand!" Harvey could have face-palmed.

"I mean, in his defence he was… trying to preserve Vince's teeth?" Maru lamely said, glancing nervously at Harvey to try and read his reaction. He seemed unfazed. Almost relieved, like he'd expected this and it had taken too long to happen for his comfort.

"He was cruel to me when he caught me scrounging for food the other night!" Linus said.

"He calls you the gaudy mayor," Leah put in, speaking to Lewis. "And he calls Marnie the gaudy mayor's special friend!"

"He what?!" Lewis, flustered, demanded while blushing deeply.

"He doesn't belong here," Pierre more ominously stated. "He never belonged here. He's a Joja stooge! Tell them what you found, Sebastian."

"You have no idea how often I pushed the boundary of legal and illegal to get this info. Pretty sure I broke it once or twice," Sebastian wryly said. But it had been good money.

"I'll bail you out if the fuzz comes for you," Pierre replied, brushing it off while Robin looked shocked and horrified.

"The fuzz? Really? Catch up man," Sebastian replied, rolling his eyes.

"Sebastian, you didn't!" Robin exclaimed.

"Anyway, you were right," Sebastian said to Pierre, quick to ignore his mother's appall. "Dobson works for Joja Mart. He's Morris's right hand man, his closer, his big money maker. If Morris wants a job done, he goes to Dobson. Dobson's the company's big trump card," Sebastian said. "He's ruthless, smart, efficient, cutthroat, and will walk over his own grandmother in spiked shoes to get what he wants… Okay, maybe that's a bit gruesome, but still. Joja has plans for a hyper-mart out this way. That's why Dobson's here. He's getting the lay of the land."

"Joja Mart's been driven out," Lewis said, shocked at this development.

"Hence the reason Morris has sent in his dog," Pierre said. "To fix his screwup and finish what he started. Like I said, he doesn't belong. Why are we tolerating this man's presence in our valley? He doesn't have a clue, he obviously hates this place and everyone in it, and he's ultimately just here to stir up trouble! We've had enough trouble the last few years. I advocate running him out. Driving him so insane he just has to leave. I mean, who does he think he is?"

Harvey winced again. "He's… my brother," he spoke up then. All eyes went to him in shock. He blushed red and raised a hand up to cover his face. "He's my petty, insufferable little brother," he muttered sheepishly again. "He actually moved here to be closer to me and to our sister. Joja's mission was just the cherry on top." Utter silence. "I'll talk to him. See if I can check his behavior. And even if I can't, I'll keep a tight leash on him, alright? I'll take full responsibility for my brother," Harvey said. Silence. They all just left wordlessly, obviously stunned by the news say for the few who already knew the truth of it, namely Maru, Elliott, and Kent. Harvey groaned, leaning back in the chair and shoving the heels of his palms against his forehead trying to figure out how to deal with his sibling's… quirks he'd say.

Stardew

Harvey stopped by the farm to see his brother, who was finishing watering plants in annoyance. "Hey Dobson?" he said.

"I hate romantic holidays," Dobson grumbled, pulling out a letter and shoving it at Harvey. An invitation from the mayor who also suggested he find a date in so many words.

"No woman ever has caught your attention? Or man?" Harvey half-teased.

"No, and it's unlikely anyone ever will. I'm going to be totally alone there looking like a moron!" Dobson said.

Harvey grimaced, shifting. "If you really get desperate, I'll be your partner for it," he finally said with a sigh. "Just so you're not totally alone on the sidelines missing out on all the fun of your second big festival."

"Then we'll both look like morons," Dobson replied.

"Maybe, but you're my brother so I can deal with it," Harvey replied.

"Maru will be on the sidelines," Dobson pointed out.

"She won't mind," Harvey replied. In fact, she'd probably think it was hilarious and take a bunch of pictures. Besides, dancing with Dobson could help humanize him to the rest of the town.

Dobson was quiet. "Okay," he finally relented almost vulnerably. Gratefully for certain.

Harvey smiled. He hesitated a moment when Dobson went back to the plants. "So… how are you getting on with the townsfolk?" he asked after a moment.

"I hate them, they hate me," Dobson replied flatly.

"It would help your case to tone down your condescension and at least try to get to know them, you know," Harvey said. "You might find you actually really like them."

"And become countrified like you? No thank you," Dobson replied.

"Liking the people and getting along with them doesn't make you countrified," Harvey replied, rolling his eyes. "You're always going to be a city boy at heart."

"Attachments are counterproductive to big goals," Dobson said. "I'm just fine with being the pariah. I get more done." He finished watering and looked at Harvey. "That why you came?" he asked, wiping off his hands. "To ask me to play nice with the other children? What, was there some town meeting?" Harvey grimaced. "Oh my god there was," Dobson said, rolling his eyes and sighing.

"You came this close to being run out, Dobson," Harvey said, making a small gap with his fingers. "You have to at least try to settle here. Goodness knows how long you'll be sticking around."

"Hopefully not long," Dobson said.

"Can't you give it a fair chance?" Harvey pressed.

Dobson sighed heavily, bowing his head. "Fine. I'll try to be 'nicer'," he relented.

"Thank you," Harvey said. "You can start with Alex and Haley's wedding today. They wanted it today because they want to dance the Flower Dance as husband and wife. It's very sweet I think." Dobson grunted, brushing him off. "Don't be Kent," Harvey said.

"Um, no?" Dobson replied. "Don't even suggest I'm like that jerk. He tried to beat me to a pulp at the saloon."

"Probably because you said or did something insulting towards him or his family," Harvey flatly replied. Dobson narrowed his eyes coldly at Harvey. "I suppose you're not going to confess what you did then?"

"Get out," he icily said, pointing. Harvey smirked, chuckling, and left with a wave. In not long he was joined once more by Dobson for the wedding.

Stardew

The next day was the Flower Dance. Dobson arrived at it last. And stopped dead in his tracks on seeing a man he'd never seen before hanging back close to the edge of the woods and just… watching. Him specifically. Looking wary and unimpressed. He stared at the man a moment before grimacing and turning away, heading towards his brother and trying to ignore the feeling of eyes boring into his back. "What's with the man at the edge of the woods?" he questioned.

"What man?" Maru questioned, looking over. She saw no one.

Dobson looked and started. Sure enough, he wasn't there anymore. "Th-there was a man there," he said, puzzled.

"It might have been the farmer," Penny remarked, smirking cryptically. "The other one."

"The other farmer?" Dobson asked.

"The elfin king," Penny specified. No use hiding it, after all. Dobson had probably heard through Harvey.

"Still not buying it," Dobson said.

"Neither did Shane. He learned the hard way. Try not to make the same mistake," Maru said.

"This is just ridicu…" Dobson began. He yelped upon seeing the man again, watching even closer at hand. They turned. This time they saw him as well.

Dobson blinked and frowned, starting to march towards him. Harvey caught his arm, holding him back. "Don't," he warned seriously.

Dobson looked like he was seriously thinking about defying Harvey, but then relented with a sigh. "So… d-do you want to be dance partners?" he asked his brother a bit sheepishly.

"Aww…" Penny and Maru both said, clasping their hands together.

"Shut up," Dobson grumbled, blushing deeply.

Harvey chuckled. "Of course," he said reassuringly to his brother. "Too bad Carmen never comes to these things. You could have asked her instead." Dobson shrugged.

"Guys," Penny warned. They looked over. The farmer was approaching them.

He stopped near their group, looking at Maru. "I would offer you companionship, should you wish to dance rather than stand aside," he said to her simply. They all started in surprise. That… was the first time he'd ever offered to dance with anyone before, rather than alone. Perhaps out of… sympathy? It was hard to tell.

"Would you have done the same for Dobson?" Maru asked almost timidly, blushing nervously.

The farmer looked Dobson over warily. "Perhaps," he answered. "Though I should doubt he would wish to dance with his rival farmer."

"What rival? I don't see you selling your produce to the villagers," Dobson replied. The farmer tilted his head, summing him up warily. Harvey looked momentarily horrified. "So much for elf king," Dobson pushed when there was no retaliation.

"What possible reason would he have to sell his produce to us when he gives it freely to all his people?" Penny put in, frowning angrily at Dobson.

"Because you're all helpless without a farmer around, it seems, and if he's actually the faerie you claim he is, and all his people are faeries, they can grow produce out of the ground for themselves whenever they choose to," Dobson replied.

"We claim that he's an elf whose people are fairies and junimos. And other," Maru corrected. She looked at him. "And I would be honored to dance with him."

He nodded to her and turned back to Dobson. "You have been to the Secret Woods," he said.

"What, you going to threaten me away from them?" Dobson asked. "You don't own the forest."

"Um, Dobson? He does," Penny said, quickly trying to do damage control. "He's an elf. It's his domain. Stop antagonizing him!"

"Elves aren't supposed to walk among people so freely," Dobson said. "They're afraid of them and disdain them more than I disdain all you."

"Afraid?! Disdainful? How dare…" Penny began.

"He is not in err," the elf put in cryptically before walking away without elaborating further, them watching after him stunned. Dobson looked triumphant.

"I hope you know he's going to make you eat your disbelief," Maru said, frowning at Dobson. Dobson scoffed.

Stardew

The couples were lining up for the dance now. Dobson was vaguely annoyed he was the only guy in a lineup of girls—he stuck out like a sore thumb—but he guessed it was either him or Harvey. He would have preferred it to be Harvey. Maru was standing alone looking vaguely nervous, searching for her would-be partner and looking ready to walk off if he didn't come. Where was he anyway? The music began, she was about to leave, then all at once the wind picked up, flower petals soaring through them swirling in the sudden breeze and forming something of a funnel in the spot where he should be… And among them he appeared… Fully arrayed as the king he was!

He wore no disguise anymore, put on no illusion of a farmer, he was just there. There in his lengthy cape and his crown of branches woven with spring flowers; there with his long hair draping down and his pointed ears plain for all to see. There in royal garb of a silvery material they had never seen before, tall and proud and beautiful. Maru could only gape in shock and disbelief, knees going weak. Dobson could practically feel his brother's jealousy spike from here, Harvey suddenly looking immensely horrified he'd let this happen. Dobson could only gawk in disbelief, suddenly feeling really, really uncomfortable that he'd crossed… that.

He moved towards her. She was frozen in place. He took her hand, guiding her some steps forward, and placed his hand on hers in the air. He began to move slowly around. She stumbled at first before starting to follow his lead. The others started to snap out of the shock and move to the music as well, but all eyes remained on the elf and on Maru, trying to process what was happening. Well, at least no one was focused on his and Harvey's out-of-place dance. Seriously, he would have preferred to move like the girls than dance like the rest of the guys given the way the lineup worked.

Maru and the elf danced long after the rest of them had run out of stamina. Harvey was locked on watching it now, looking a little nervous. "How can she keep going?" Dobson heard Haley whisper to Alex in wonder.

"Look at who her partner is. He's making sure she can," Alex replied. Soon the two stopped the dance.

Maru seemed to snap out of a sort of daze, shaking her head and catching her breath. She blinked up at the elf in shock. "Th-thank you," she breathed. He bowed his head to her and moved to the sidelines silently, observing the rest of the festival.

"He'll be the last to leave," Harvey murmured to his brother, who could only stare. "Then he will dance again in the fairy ring, his people with him. If we delay, he'll start regardless. We'll all fall asleep watching and wake up in our beds tomorrow. It's happened before."

"This is insane," Dobson said.

"What was insane was your antagonizing him. No more, Dobson, I'm serious," Harvey said, frowning at him. For once he didn't seem inclined to argue.

Stardew

When his brother came bustling into the clinic covered in dirt with twigs sticking out of his hair, and looking immensely excited, Harvey knew he was not gong to like what he heard. "Bro! Bro!" Dobson said, coming right up to the counter and slamming his hands on it almost giddy. "The Secret Woods is a goldmine! Endless wood, varied foragables… I found an iridium quality spiceberry of all things! Iridium, Harvey!" He pulled it out, showing it off. Harvey gasped upon seeing it. "And there were more. Not a lot, but more! I'm netting over twenty thousand gold a day, practically, by foraging and foresting that place! Why did no one tell me this awesome secret sooner?"

"I told you not to go in the Secret Woods!" Harvey protested in alarm. "Dobson, you're not in a normal forest there. You're in the elf king's domain! Its his trees you're harvesting, his produce your foraging, his…"

"Oh bully for him! He's not doing a single thing with anything he has. But I am. And it's bolstering your miserable economy, so I don't see the harm in it. If anything, he should be pleased the things he grows are actually being useful now. He hasn't come by to stop me. I avoid mysterious lights, I avoid potential sounds of singing or laughing… I'm handling the woods just fine. And the mines, Harvey! The mines! Why on earth is no one mining them? They're rich in ores of copper, iron, and gold! To say nothing of the sheer amount of geodes let alone the gemstones discovered down there! There's infrastructure already in place. What is that clueless mayor of yours doing refraining from using it as a resource?"

"Trying to keep people alive?" Harvey bit. "The mine is also infested with monsters!"

"Which bring in a pretty profit themselves!" Dobson argued.

"Are you seriously going into the mines alone and trying to fight monsters?" Harvey hissed at him.

"Actually, I avoid them at all costs, but it's not like they're immortal," Dobson replied with a huff, starting to pluck twigs out of his hair in disgust. "Not the point. The point is I injured myself in the forest and need a potion or powder or something," Dobson said.

"You what?!" Harvey demanded.

"A few bruises and scratches, dear brother, not a concussion or broken bones or anything such as that, of course not!" Dobson replied. "Oh, oh Harvey, I have the money to finally upgrade that dumpy little shack they have the audacity to call a home! And the materials for it too. And I did! And now it's finished. I can actually go home and bathe, finally. Bathe. In an actual bath instead of in that miserable, icy cold pond on my farm. And no more transit into town if I need to relieve myself! Also, a place to build smelters to process the ores I find in that mine. And the next upgrade will be bigger still! I need to get to harvesting again. The coffee beans are finally starting to turn a profit as well! The sooner I can build a keg, the sooner I can really make money off them. And stop spending it on three-hundred G coffees for you." He placed said coffee down for Harvey.

"Dobson, you have to stop this!" Harvey all but pled as he handed over a few health elixirs and powders. "You're going to get yourself killed! Please! Can't you just farm like a normal person would?"

"No, Harvey, I can't. The inflation rates in this miserable republic are ridiculous! The sooner you people have a hypermart the better. I've been scoping out a place on the other side of the tunnel. You know, where the gas station and firehall are? And the diner?"

"I've rarely been through the tunnel to that part of town, but I know what you mean," Harvey replied with a sigh.

"Anyway, it would be somewhere over there. If I pitch it just right to Morris, he may let go of the idea of building it in the middle of this place," Dobson said. "I've already started developing business plans for it and the like."

"You're going to run Pierre out of business!" Harvey protested. "Or crash this economy further."

"Not if I can convince Morris to purchase local to stock his shelves. For instance, use Pierre as a supplier," Dobson replied. "I have a plan for that too. Might save me a bit of local hate. Most people in Pelican Town will probably still buy Pierre, for what it's worth. Mostly city folk will be making the trip out to the hypermart. Anyway, I need to go bathe. Tomorrow is another long day of harvesting the woods."

Harvey was quiet. "You're really getting into this," he remarked after a moment.

"Ah, I'm into the money in it," Dobson corrected. "The work is for the birds. I'll see you later."

"Just… be careful," Harvey pled again in concern. Dobson waved him off, leaving with the health elixirs and powders. Harvey watched after him, deeply concerned and with a bad feeling pricking at him…

Stardew

"Dobson? Dobson!" a terrified voice broke into his thoughts, fuzzy and distant sounding. "Please, please respond! Wake up!" He grimaced, shifting a bit. He was having a hard time opening his eyes, though, and didn't know why. "Oh, thank goodness. For a minute I thought… You had me so scared that… I was so worried I had lost…" the voice said again before trailing off. His brother's he recognized now that it was a little clearer. He felt a gentle and coaxing hand on his shoulder and his eyes fluttered open weakly. He winced at the bright lights, adjusted slowly to them, and blearily blinked up at his sibling who was hovering over his bed looking as white as a sheet, sick, and nothing short of petrified. The stress and worry and pain creasing his brother's face… The man looked like he'd aged thirty years. "Please, please, please be so much more careful in the future. Never ever go there again. I'm begging you," Harvey whispered weakly, gently placing a hand on his brother's forehead and brushing back his hair. Dobson made a mewling sound he immediately regretted, but it felt so nice. He remembered their parents used to do that whenever they'd been sick or injured as children. He grimaced in distaste at the noise he'd made.

"What… what on… wh-what happened? Why am I here?" Dobson asked. Wow, was that his voice? It sounded so weak and hoarse.

"He brought you back in such terrible shape. I had to perform emergency surgery to save your life," Harvey replied, voice wavering a bit. He drew a shaking gasp, closing his eyes tight. "I don't know what I would have done if I'd lost you…"

"Who brought me back? From where?" Dobson asked. He felt like he'd been hit by a train.

"The elf king… He brought you back from the secret woods. You had been… been swarmed by monsters… They were tearing you apart when he rode onto the scene and began cutting them down. You were… it was…" Harvey began. He stopped to take another breath. "You'd been mauled. I almost didn't realize it was you at first. Fortunate for you, most of that blood was from the head and not your face, like I'm sure you're concerned it was." He smiled weakly at the crack.

"Bite me," Dobson bitterly grumbled.

Harvey's smile fell. Silence. "Don't go there again. Ever. This isn't a metropolis; I don't have a second doctor to spell me for conflicts of interest, I don't have anyone to fall back on in emotionally distressing situations… Do you have any idea how hard it is to perform emergency surgery when you can't breathe?" he asked, sounding hollow and angry and scared and pained and traumatized all at once.

Dobson looked over at him with a slight frown, a bit concerned. He winced on realizing just how empty his brother looked, how blank his eyes were, how weak he seemed; like at any moment he was going to faint… He looked away. "Now imagine how painful it is to feel like that all the time. Imagine how hard it is to go on or even function when you're left believing your brother is dead and you don't even know where the body is. At least I came back. I somehow doubt you ever planned to dead or alive."

Harvey was silent. "Don't you dare," he darkly and icily replied.

"Consider us even," Dobson bit coldly back, shooting him a sharp look and trying to sit up. He winced, falling back on the bed in pain. Harvey let out a shaking breath, letting him down gently.

"We'll talk later," Harvey said. "For now, just… just rest for a few days. I need to… to keep an eye on you in case-in case I did something wrong or in case you become infected or in case you take another turn for the worse or any one of the million other things that could possibly go wrong because I couldn't think clearly for the panic."

"You may want to work on that, bro. You're emotionally attached to everyone here," Dobson said.

"But not everyone here is my brother," Harvey replied. "Carmen will be hearing about this, and she'll be sure to stop you from entering those woods whenever she's around to be able to."

"She can't catch me every time," Dobson defiantly replied.

"No, but she might catch you just enough times to spare you your life," Harvey replied.

Stardew

Dobson hadn't originally planned to have much for pity on Harvey regarding the doctor's concerns over the forest and the mines. Within a couple of days, though, guilt had begun to prick at him. When he'd ended up in the 'hospital' again, there had been a blow up that resulted in Harvey storming away furiously to retire to his apartment. Dobson had stewed a while before sucking it up and deciding to go up and apologize. He'd peeked in the door and saw his brother fighting back tears, balled hands rested on his forehead as he assumedly prayed, Dobson guessed. Probably for his safety and recovery. Which had in turn struck a chord with him and he'd relented finally. Now every so often—read fairly regularly, like once or twice a week—he would ask Harvey to walk with him around town.

'Walk around town' was basically a thinly veiled euphemism that actually meant 'explore dangerous monster-infested areas together so we have backup in one another'. So now he was travelling to the caves and woods with Harvey and a lot of the time seriously wondering how he'd gotten so far without him. Having a doctor in your 'questing party' was only the best investment ever, he decided then and there. Bonus points if that doctor was related to you. It made them more desperate to save you. And drove you to be extra careful not to die, because you really didn't want that kind of guilt to be tossed onto your loved one's head. He knew first hand now what that kind of guilt felt like and he would resent his sibling evermore for putting him through it too. He had definitely found himself being more cautious since teaming with his brother. Sometimes sister if Harvey wasn't available and Carmen was.

He and his brother were on their way to the Secret Forest. They had stopped to pick up Carmen on their way. She was just closing shop and getting a couple of things. "We aren't going deep into it, Dobson," Harvey warned as Carmen came out to join them. "Not this time. I don't like to even approach that place, let alone walk into it."

"Because a mythological fairy creature lives there?" Dobson sarcastically replied. "Fine. If you're afraid of fairy tales, fine."

"You saw him, Dobson," Carmen stated. "You looked him in the eyes, and you knew what he was."

"And he did me no harm or anyone else, so forgive me for doubting he's any sort of a threat these days," Dobson replied.

"Don't talk nonsense," Harvey sharply said.

"I must agree with Harvey. You're saying things you don't mean and challenging a power you can't comprehend. For your own good, stop while you're ahead," Carmen added in concern.

They kept on going in silence for a while. Bats were starting to come out, which was annoying, but these ones seemed to be ignoring them. Mostly. Suddenly Carmen stopped, staring at a bat flitting nearby. Her brothers turned curiously. "Carmen? What is it?" Dobson asked.

"That… bat just spoke to me," she said, looking deeply disturbed. Harvey and Dobson exchanged looks then turned to said bat warily.

"A clearing close in the forest you'll find; a fabulous banquet, a faerie ball! Close your eyes and you open your mind. Then the veil will disappear and you'll see it," it squeaked out.

"What. The hell?" Dobson said, disturbed. Music suddenly was heard, distant but there. They turned quickly in its direction. Far, far in the forest there was a faint glow… "What the hell?!"

"Come and play as the wild faeries play in a magical circle, a faerie ring. You won't want to leave and forever you'll remain where the vision is bright as a spring day," it said.

"We need to go. Now!" Harvey quickly said, looking quickly away and forcibly turning Dobson to look away too, then Carmen.

"Come and dance the wild faerie dance. Spin in a circle as fast as light. Once you begin you are caught in a trance and the world can grow old in a single night…" the bat sang temptingly.

"We got the hint!" Harvey replied, ushering his siblings quickly back the way they'd come. He froze, gasping. The path they'd taken to get here had vanished! "There… there was a path there," he said. Dobson and Carmen were both pale now. They knew there had been too. They looked at their older brother fearfully. Harvey looked uneasily back. "Oh no…" he said. They turned too. Carmen screamed. Dobson shouted a curse. Sitting perched in the branches were humanoid figures looking down on them with unreadable eyes and expressions!

"Those who seek us surely find us, see the trail we leave behind us;

Some bewildered, some enlightened, some are brave, and some are frightened.

Are we kind or are we vicious? Nectar poison or delicious?

That, my sweet, you will discover; faerie foe or faerie lover," they eerily chanted.

"Just-just let us go. Please," Carmen fearfully said as the three of them backed away. "We didn't come here intending to disturb you."

"If we make it out of this alive, you are never, ever going in this forest again without permission of the king," Harvey hissed at Dobson scathingly.

The faeries glared down at them from the trees darkly. A creature then emerged from the forest. They looked quickly up. A white stag! The faeries looked down at it and shrunk to normal size, flittering down to the creature and perching on its antlers as it stared at them icily. "Please. Forgive us," Carmen said to it. "Let us go home." It tilted its head and looked contemplative. Suddenly eerie music was heard. A terrifying sounding violin, screeching away utterly beautifully. They caught their breath. A glazed look started to come to Carmen's eyes, her stepping in the direction it seemed to come from. The stag made a sound then turned and pranced swiftly back into the forest, presumably to investigate the sound. Harvey turned. The path was back!

"We can go," he said. "Hurry."

"Harvey," Dobson nervously said. Harvey turned and started. Carmen was walking in the direction of the violin. Dobson gave him a worried look then went after her, taking her arm and gently steering her towards the path again, moving her along quickly. "You've made your point," he said to his brother numbly.

"Finally," Harvey replied with a sigh of relief. At least now Dobson might start to get a clue. Oh this was going to be a long year...