Chapter Text
By mid spring, Danny had procured a growing stock pile of resources.
Enough wood stacked for both the coming winter, and a sizable rock pile for any projects. Slowly, he was coming into his own. There was still a large amount of the farm to contain, areas he hadn't had the chance to clear out yet still infested with overgrown. But he figure'd he'd clear it out as he needed, to save on energy and wasted time.
Each morning he took time to visit the shrine at the edge of the farm, both curious and intimidated. No one had ever mentioned it being here. And even on the hottest days, the stone structure was cold to the touch. The only summation he could make was that his grandfather had put it in, before his declining health. It felt morose.
Foraging what he could on his explorations both in and around town helped get some money in his pockets, but Danny’s main goal was to get a chicken coop up and running. He’d already set up a place for the future chickens to safely roam, that would connect with the coop itself. With the stippling funds he had and the pace he was going, it’d take him months to get it, so after watering the next growing batch of parsnips, along with two newly planted rows of jazz flowers and cauliflower, Danny made his way to the mines.
He’d stopped by earlier that month, and was given a worn down sword by Marlon as a gift, yet he hadn’t been brave, or desperate enough to actively explore too far. Danny had made it to the fifth floor, covered in grim, dirt, and bits of slime, made sure the bag he’d brought with him had no tears and hightailed it out of there. His inexperience had him think it’d be pretty easy, at least at the start. The monster parts he kept, in a separate chest outside of course, as Marlon had explained that they could come in handy down the line, if he didn’t feel inclined to sell it. Now though, he knew he couldn’t just keep shying away from the mines, and he was starting to get sick of the taste of fish. He'd definitely be stopping at the salon for a beer the next chance he got.
The elevator down didn’t make him feel much better, with every creak making him think the support cables would snap. How long had this even been here?
A trio of green slimes greeted him as the doors opened, trying their best to catch him. He reflected the first two, as they bounced off the dull blade in an almost cartoonish manner. The third however, dodged him, crashing into his left side with enough force to nearly bole him over. The slime was somehow hot and cold at once, making his exposed skin tingle as if covered in ants, on top of being incredibly sticky. He only killed one of the other slimes as it rushed him by jutting his blade out at the right angle, stabbing the creature directly in the face. It melted away into a pile of useless steaming goo, falling to the floor with a gross splat .
The second one went at him next, though he was able to get out of its way in time. The slime that had hit him was at Danny’s feet, gearing up to strike him again, yet he was faster, with a single downward thrust finishing it off.
As long as I stay alert I’ll be okay. Marlon had said something similar; He wondered how far the man had delved down here himself. He was curious about the man’s eyepatch too, but he’d avoided asking about it, fearing it was a touchy subject. Maybe when he reached the bottom, if he didn't die in the process, Danny’d finally ask.
The final slime tried again, only to once more fail, with Danny rushing to corner it against the wall, slashing at it with enough force to slam it into the wall as it fell to pieces on impact. As he started picking at the veins of rock on the floor, he kept an eye out for more, to no avail. Nothing else bothered him, minus a few easy to kill bats. He kept the scraps of their wings too, his pack starting to get rather heavy. Danny had seen the upgraded one in Pierres’ and resolved to buy that too. It was becoming apparent having a system for everything, from the farm, to other activities, required a good deal of planning.
As he descended, luck seemed to be on his side as he found several veins of copper, and a variety of precious stones. The monsters stayed the same, more slimes, as well as those odd bugs that always flew on their own paths, not bothered by his presence. It made him feel a little bad about cutting them down. The rock crabs weren’t too much of an issue either, easier to deal with if you just aimed for the legs.
Once he’d finally made it to the tenth floor, Danny let himself take a much needed break. His legs were sore, his shoulders strained. And while he’d brought some food to keep his energy up, he was reaching his limits. It was getting harder to keep his eyes open, and he had no way of knowing what time it was down here. Minutes? Hours?
Get up. Don’t pass out here, too dangerous.
He inspected the chest in the room, finding a surprisingly nice pair of leather boots inside. He glanced at his shoes, the mid-sole and heel starting to separate at their seams. The boots needed a good cleaning for all the dust, so He tied them to his pack with a makeshift rope he’d fashioned out of the numerous weeds he’d found. It had been a tedious process weaving the fibers together to get an end product that was halfway usable. With the loot secured, he took the elevator to the surface, greeting at the mines’ mouth with a black sky full of stars. It was hard to see, the moonlight his only real guide as he made his way home, passing Robin’s house.
Danny made a mental note to start working out in the mornings. If he was going to keep delving into the mines he’d need the strength to make it out alive.
---*---
In the dark, Sebastian’s comforting silence was broken by footsteps. He was coming back from hanging out at Sams’ place, when Danny came into view. He looked, quite frankly, like a mess. Covered in dirt and who knows what else, the man walked with a tired gaunt, clearly exhausted, with a stuff bag slung lazily over his shoulder. And were those boots hanging off the side?
“Busy night?” The words came out before he could stop them.
Dude, he’s clearly tired, leave him alone-
“Yeah.” Danny’s words were strained, “Totally passing out when I get home. But it’s good to see you again.”
He remembered him? They’d exchanged words once, and that was weeks ago.
Sebastian's eyes already adjusted to the dark, he took the sight of Danny in full; dirty black shirt, with dried slime residue on the shoulder to the elbow, an equally stained brown jacket slung over said shoulder, and jeans crested with dried spots of mud and mining debris.
Without another word the man wandered off into the dark, leaving Sebastian with the stars as company.
Damn, He couldn’t help himself, I didn’t think he’d actually go down there.
The only one who ventured into the mines these days was Marlon, and he was a seasoned delver with decades to show for it.
Robin greeted Sebastian when he walked in, “Welcome back. Have fun at Sams?”
“Same as always.” He grabbed a soda from the fridge, “I saw the farmer a second ago. He looked rough.”
“Danny? Did something happen?” Her voice turned to concern. When was the last time she’d sounded like that towards him? When he started shutting himself in the basem*nt more? After her and Demetrius got married? He didn’t remember anymore. His mothers voice had started to resemble a strangers, like in some sci-fi flick. Their distance was becoming too hard to ignore.
“I think he went to the mines, he was a mess.”
“Oh gosh, hopefully he gets home okay.”
“I guess.” It was hard to feel for someone he barely knew. They met twice now, only exchanging a few words. He wanted to like him, but would that even be possible?
Sebastian retreated to the basem*nt, thoughts swirling. He was only able to be close to Sam cause they were the same age, and that was true for Abigail as well. In private they all talked about the new farmer with curiosity, bathed in the salons' familiar golden light.
“They seem nice enough,” Abigail had summarized, “They’re probably nervous. New town, full of new people. I would be if I was them.”
“Then that just means they need to get out more.” Sam posited, “Can’t spend all day just working.”
“They don’t have anyone else though,” This was Sebastian, “As far as we know they live alone. No parents to help keep the lights on if a payment is late, or water the crops if they're out doing something else.”
Abigail finished her soda, throwing the can in the trash from the other side of the room. It bounded on the edge, then landed with the rest of the trash, “ That sounds lonely. You’re independent, but everything is on your shoulders. Do you think they’ll ever stop here? Just to relax?”
“I hope so,” Sam tossed his empty can next, “Can’t be in tough work mode all the time. Gotta let loose at some point,” He’d playfully wrapped an arm over Sebastian's shoulders patting him on the back, “Just like you right?”
“Yeah, yeah.” He couldn’t help but smile. It was true, as much as he didn’t want to give Sam the satisfaction. And privately, he hoped Danny would stop by soon too.
In the dark of his bedroom, Sebastian made a note for himself, sticking it on the edge of his monitor;
Become friends with Danny
He slept that night with butterflies in his throat, his dreams of a spring day, and a familiar face casting out a line into the sparkling blue.
