Frogs in the Rain (Stardew Valley // Sebastian)

Oh, But She Can Dance

Sam Walker sneezed, catching the snot with the elbow of his sleeve. Next to him, Sebastian Holt snorted.

"Real impressive." Though his voice was monotone, Sam could still sense the stifled laughs caked between the words. "That's sure to win her over."

"You act like this is a date." Sam snatched a napkin from the table and wiped at his nose before tackling the stain now wetting his sleeve.

"And you act infatuated with her," Sebastian retorted with a slight smile, bringing his drink to his lips. Through his puffy eyes, Sam couldn't tell if his friend was drinking water or something else.

"I'm not," Sam groaned. Then, he shot Sebastian a sly grin. "But you could be if you stopped avoiding her like the plague."

"I'm not avoiding her, I've just had a lot of work to do these past few months," Sebastian sighed. "Joja Co. commissioned me to make a ton of new models for their website. It ended up being so much work that I almost quit." He thought for a moment, his black bangs hanging in his eyes. "I'm grateful for Nix. She kept you guys out of my hair during all of that."

"You're gonna be even more grateful when you meet her," Sam promised. "She's definitely something."

...

Back at the Capricorn Grove, Nix was busy twisting in the mirror. Behind her, conducting the contortions with a spin of her finger, was Emily. The girls were studying the long, white, flowery dress Emily had made, considering whether or not it fit Nix correctly.

"How does it feel in the front?" Emily asked.

"It feels fine," Nix replied rather apprehensively. She looked over to her friend, who was also wearing a white dress.

"Good, because it looks beautiful. I think we're ready to go," Emily declared with a grin.

Nix eyed the mirror, pinching the skirt between her fingers. The shade matched her skin nicely, the fabric flowing down to her ankles. Beneath the train, she was still wearing her combat boots. She quite liked how she looked, and Emily even braided her hair behind her as though she were a princess. Somehow, however, she doubted Emily's words.

Because Nix looked like a frog.

And humans didn't like frogs.

They left the farmhouse together, hurrying across the empty acres and into the forest, not stopping until they saw the flags that indicated where the Flower Dance would be. They entered the small clearing, waving to all who turned their heads. To Nix's comfort, most people smiled at her. Only a handful of people turned up their noses in disgust or shot grimaces in her direction. She was beginning to learn their names, and she said their titles in her head with each distasteful stare: Haley, Alex, Harvey, Pam, George, and Clint.

I'll just avoid them specifically for the rest of my life, she told herself with a gulp. She spotted Robin across the clearing, and the woman grinned. At least she isn't scowling at me like I thought she would.

That doesn't mean she likes you, a little voice in the back of her head shouted.

Nix shook the thought away as Emily steered her towards the river. "Isn't that Sam over there?" She pointed towards the buffet table in the corner of the field.

Nix peered over and smiled. Her friend was wearing a blue suit, just like some of the other men. "Oh, yeah!"

Emily began to giggle before ordering Nix to turn around and fixing her braid. Then, with a pull and a little shove, Emily pushed Nix in the direction of her dancing partner. It was at this point that Sam noticed her, and he waved her over with a wide grin. She approached, catching more stares from the group surrounding him. Standing next to the table was Abigail, who gave her a very friendly wave. Beside Abigail, a man with long, black bangs studied her. He was very pale, but not as pale as her, of course. His round, bony jaw contoured his thin lips quite well. A neutral expression gripped his face, and Nix couldn't tell whether or not his inquisitive glances were positive or negative. It made her a tad uncomfortable, admittedly.