An Archive of Our Own, a project of the Organization for Transformative Works
Title: Purple Thread of Fate Chapter 1: The Fated First Meeting
Fandom: Story of Seasons: Grand Bazaar
Pairing: Jules/Farmer (Original Female Character)
Word count: 2438
Warnings: None
Fic Summary: The red thread of fate is commonly thought of as an invisible red cord around the finger of those that are destined to meet one another in a certain situation, as they are "their one true love".
This particular thread, however, has taken on a purple hue, and it entwines the fates of the calm and gentle private tutor Jules, and the spirited and hard-working new farmer, Lila.
Chapter Summary: While Jules was enjoying a cup of tea and a good book at Café Madeleine, a strangers arrives…but she certainly wasn't a stranger by the time Jules headed home for the evening.
It was a slow afternoon at Café Madeleine, and Jules was taking advantage of the quiet atmosphere to enjoy a nice cup of tea and his newest book. Lifting the cup to his face, he breathed deeply of the calming scent of chamomile before taking a careful sip. It tasted delicious, as usual, and a smile crossed his face as he picked up his book to continue reading.
"Welcome, my dear!"
Glancing up when he heard the door chime and Madeleine's greeting, Jules watched as someone unfamiliar walked into the café and up to the counter. Her striking purple hair was tied up into a messy ponytail, and her eyes were of the same shade of color; they seemed to sparkle as she happily chatted with Mina. Her vest and shirt were a bit disheveled, and Jules thought he saw some dirt and fur clinging to them, and to her green slacks as well.
After she had ordered something, the stranger gazed around the café. When her eyes landed on Jules, they went wide and she gasped.
"That book!" she exclaimed, rushing over to the now startled Jules. She stood in front of him and clenched her fists in front of her with a beaming smile on her face. "I'm reading the same one!"
Jules blinked slowly. "Really?"
The stranger gave him an energetic nod. "Yeah! It's about a person who gets shipwrecked on an island and becomes a farmer, right? It's so good!"
"Well, color me surprised!" A wide grin slowly spread over Jules' face. How fortunate for him to find someone else in this town who loves to read! "I didn't think anyone around here would have heard of it."
"They're really missing out then!"
Jules nodded, and set his book down before folding his hands over it. "Actually...I don't think we've met yet."
"Oh, right! I haven't introduced myself," the stranger said, beaming as she held her hand out to him. "I'm Lila, the new f-" She cut herself off as she stared down at her hand, which was covered in a thick layer of dirt. Jules watched as her face flushed a bright red and she hugged her hand against her chest.
"Ah, sorry!"
Jules heard Madeleine chuckle, and she called out, "Lila, dear, come wash your hands over here."
"Thanks!"
Lila rushed behind the counter to the sink and started scrubbing her hands clean. Jules brought a hand to his face to stifle a chuckle when her brow furrowed and tongue poked out between her lips; she sure was taking this seriously.
When she was satisfied, Lila rinsed her hands off and dried them with the towel that Mina handed her. Returning to the table, she thrust her hand at Jules again and beamed.
"Here, now we can do this properly!" she said, clearing her throat, "I'm Lila, the new farmer!"
Jules couldn't help but let a chuckle slip this time, and he took her hand. "Good to meet you, Lila. I'm Jules, a private tutor."
"Nice to meet ya too, Jules!"
With that, they shook hands, and Jules took note of how dry and calloused Lila's skin felt. After she let go, Jules turned to rummage around in the satchel that he had brought with him. Lila tilted her head curiously as he pulled out a small bottle and handed it to her.
"Here, take this. I noticed that your skin is rather rough, so this lotion should help keep it from getting too cracked," he explained. Lila took the bottle without a word and stared down at it with wide eyes, causing Jules to worry that he may have offended her.
"A-Apologies, Lila, I didn't mean to assume-"
"Wow!! This is great!!!" Lila suddenly exclaimed, letting out an excited 'whoop' as she jumped up from her chair and rushed to Jules' side. She pulled the stunned man to his feet and wrapped her arms around him, giving him the biggest bear hug he'd ever received and lifting him off of his feet; her small frame was hiding some serious strength.
This was...certainly unexpected, and Jules felt his cheeks heat up as Lila set him back on his feet. He could only stare at her with his mouth slightly agape, and the smile slowly fell from Lila's face to be replaced by a mortified look.
"Ack! I'm sorry, Jules! I, uh...got a little too excited, hehe..." Lila let out a nervous laugh as she tapped her index fingers together and stared at the floor. Jules finally recovered from his stunned state and quickly shook his head.
"No, no, it's quite alright," he said, rubbing at the back of his neck when she looked back up at him. "I was just surprised. You're quite an excitable person, Lila."
Lila groaned, smacking her hands against her face and slowly dragging them down. "Ugh, how embarrassing...A-Anyway, sorry about my dirty hands, I just, er, have a bad habit of forgetting to wash up before heading into town after work."
"I think that just attests to your devotion to your job. I admire that."
"You do? Really?"
Jules' smile widened when Lila's cheeks flushed pink; he found that to be quite endearing. Mina suddenly appeared at the table and set a plate down in front of him, and a mug across the table.
"Here's your poached egg, Jules! And your hot chocolate, Lila. Would you like to order some food too?"
"I sure would! I worked up an appetite harvesting all my turnips today!" Lila said with an eager nod. "I'll have the curry rice please, and a big helping!"
"Coming right up!"
Lila sat back down across from Jules, and he asked, "So, have you been settling in well, Lila?"
"Oh, yeah!" Lila beamed and crossed her arms over her chest. "It took a little time to get used to this farming business, but I've done a lot of manual labor type jobs before, so I had that going for me at least."
Jules could picture that, considering how easily she had lifted him up earlier. "Then am I correct in assuming that you don't have any prior farming experience?" When she nodded, he added, "That's quite bold of you."
"Well..." Lila pursed her lips, and Jules swore he saw her eyes darken for a split second, "I really needed a big change in my life. Moving here and taking the farming job...It's a brand new start for me, one that I hope will work out."
"I'm sure it will," Jules blurted out as soon as she stopped speaking. Lila stared at him with wide eyes, and even he was surprised at his own outburst. Clearing his throat, he felt his cheeks grow warm as he elaborated, "What I mean is that you haven't been here all that long, and yet it seems like you've taken to farming like a professional already."
Lila continued to stare at him, and Jules hoped that he hadn't offended her in some way. However, a beaming smile slowly spread across her face and she let out a deep sigh.
"Thanks a lot, Jules. That...makes me feel less anxious about it."
"You're welcome, I am happy to help in any way that I can."
Lila giggled and lifted up her mug of hot chocolate. "Cheers to our first meeting!"
Jules smiled and held up his teacup. "Cheers."
They clinked their cups together and took a drink. Meanwhile, Mina brought over Lila's curry rice, and she wasted no time shoveling it into her mouth. Jules brought a hand to his face to stifle a laugh, before he too focused on eating his neglected egg.
"Whew, I'm stuffed!" Lila said once her plate was clean. "That was super tasty!"
Jules nodded in agreement. "Madeleine's dishes are always delectable."
"Did you get enough to eat, Jules?" Lila sounded worried, so Jules quickly alleviated her concern.
"Yes. I don't have a large appetite. It's understandable for you to have one, Lila, due to how rigorous farm work can be."
"Heh, you're not wrong about that!"
Jules hummed and tapped his chin. "That being said, I'm surprised that you have time for reading at all with how much work running a farm is."
"Actually, I only really read right before bed," Lila said with a shrug. "It helps me relax so that I can sleep better."
"Ah, I see the logic in that. Tell me, what was the last book that you finished, if you don't mind me asking."
"Not at all! You see, it was a novel about this pirate crew who..."
As they talked about the plot, Jules became completely engrossed in the conversation. He couldn't remember the last time that he had conversed so extensively with someone about reading - or anything, in fact - and he had to admit that he was surprised that it was the new farmer that he was having this conversation with; he should know better than to judge a book by its cover.
"...so then the captain lifted his sword and-"
"Ahem. Sorry to interrupt you, dears, but it's closing time."
Lila turned to Madeleine when she was cut off, and Jules looked at the clock on the wall with a look of regret on his face. "O-Oh no! Derek's dinner..."
"No need to worry so much, Jules. I sent Derek home from his early shift with a hearty and healthy meal," Madeleine said.
Jules let out a sigh and shook his head. "Still, I should go back and-"
"Ahh!!!" Lila's outburst startled Jules, and he watched her shoot to her feet with her hands pressed against her head. "I forgot! I needed to buy seeds from Miguel!"
Fumbling with her bag, she quickly tossed the money to cover both of their meals onto the table. "Here ya go, Madeleine! Jules, your meal's on me!" Jules opened his mouth to protest, but Lila was already sprinting to the door, and in a flash, she was gone.
Jules slowly closed his mouth, and Madeleine stifled another laugh as she gave him a pat on the back. "She's quite the spirited one, isn't she?"
"That's...an apt way to describe her," Jules decided, smiling when he heard Mina start giggling from behind the counter.
"Go make sure she's okay, dear," Madeleine said. "Miguel is more strict about closing time than I am, after all."
Jules nodded. After bidding her and Mina farewell, he left the café and stepped out into the cool spring night. He walked over to Miguel's and found Lila leaning her forehead against the door and mumbling to herself.
"Didn't make it?" Jules asked as he approached. Lila turned her head towards him, and the heavy pout on her face forced him to stifle a laugh.
"No..." she grumbled, letting out a frustrated groan and lightly tapping her forehead against the door. "I really wanted to get a new batch of turnips planted first thing in the morning..."
"You have my sympathies." Jules bowed his head at her. "If you'd like, I could buy the seeds for you and bring them to the farm before I head to work tomorrow."
Lila gasped and jerked upright. "No, no, no! You don't have to do that!" she protested, waving her hands frantically in front of her.
"Please, Lila, I insist," he said. "I owe you for dinner, after all."
Pursing her lips, Lila opened and closed her mouth a few times - which Jules found to be rather amusing - before finally sighing and slumping her shoulders.
"Urg, fine..." she mumbled. Her purple eyes met his own and a shy smile crossed her face. "I, er, used the money I was gonna buy the turnips with to pay for your meal anyway, so this, uh, works out..." As she rubbed at the back of her neck, Jules couldn't hold back a laugh this time.
"You know, Madeleine described you as 'spirited', Lila," Jules said. Lila tilted her head at him, confused, and he continued, "and I happen to agree with her."
"Uh...O-Oh, well...t-thanks..." Lila sputtered as she covered her face with her hands. "So embarrassing..."
"It is my fault that you didn't make it here in time, as well." Jules averted his guilt-ridden gaze. "I apologize for taking up so much of your time."
Lila gasped and vigorously shook her head. "Oh don't apologize for that, Jules!" Her hands shot out suddenly and she grabbed both of Jules', yanking on them so that he stumbled very close to her. So close, in fact, that his lips almost brushed her forehead...and would have brushed against her lips if he hadn't jerked his head back just before Lila's face tilted up so that she was looking him in the eye.
"To tell you the truth...I had a lot of fun talking with you tonight," Lila said, giving his hands a squeeze; Jules thought he felt his heart skip a beat. "That really...made me feel like I'm starting to belong here."
"You do belong here, Lila. I'm certain of that." Jules gave her a reassuring smile and nod. "I had a great time too."
Lila beamed at him and finally let go of his hands, taking a step back. "I'd love to talk about books with you some other time. If you want to."
"I'd like that," Jules said. "Actually, would you like to come and see my book collection sometime? I have a few titles that might interest you."
Lila's eyes went wide and seemed to sparkle. "Oh my gosh, I'd love that!" Jules chuckled when she started bouncing excitedly on her toes, and he held his hand out to her.
"I'm looking forward to it. It was nice meeting you, Lila. Have a good night."
Taking his hand, Lila gave it a firm shake. "Me too, Jules! Goodnight!"
With that, Lila spun on her heels and ran off. Jules watched as she crossed the bridge and paused, glancing over her shoulder to give him a final wave before rushing back to the farm.
Jules stood in the town square for a while, reflecting on how eventful this night had been for him…and how oddly cold his hands felt right now. He never imagined that he would have found a fellow avid reader in the new farmer, but Jules was happy that he did, and for once, he actually enjoyed having a long conversation with someone.
As he finally made his way home, he found himself looking forward to buying turnip seeds of all things...or rather, the fact that doing so would allow him to see Lila again so soon.