A Ranch Story: Prologue Pt 1, Choose Your Own Adventure Forum Fanfic + Game Options

[Baby]

The Very First Choice You Have To Make Forum, What Girl Will You Play?


(IMG:http://i1076.photobucket.com/albums/w443/HMBabyDoll/HMCYOA-Characterselected.jpg)

Prologue: The Road Not Taken

Part 1:

The place was such a mystery to the young girl in the orange jumper. She had never seen such a place before, the city was built of stone into the mountain side, the scenery was so beautiful and colourful for her curious eyes. This was the first vacation she had ever been on, she didn't know places like this existed before they arrived earlier in the day. Natsumi was from the city, her father was an office worker in one of the tall glass buildings and her mother worked in a small grocery store. Being that they were only a middle class family, this would probably be the only vacation they would ever take.
"You can go play in the sand if you want, Natsumi, just don't go far, your father and I are going to take a nap." her mother told her, the beach was just along the road from the town and it was vacant, even on such a beautiful day.
Natsumi, carrying her bucket and scoop went down the beach a little and sat down in the soft sand, she wiggled her hands and feet until they were under the cool sand, she sat staring out at the ocean for a while, listening to the seagulls and the waves. Feeling that she had just about had enough of sitting there she filled up her bucket with sand and started pouring it all into a pile.
"You're doing it wrong" came a voice from behind her, she jumped at it, not expecting company.
"Hey! You scared me! and no I'm not!" she said, stubborn. When she turned to scowl at whoever was talking she found herself staring up at a boy about her age. He had blonde hair and eyes as blue as the ocean behind her. "Who are you?" she asked. She hadn't seen any kids her age in town, a couple taller, probably older ones, but he looked right her age and height.
"Lemme show you" he said sitting down, he was wearing nice clothes, but he didn't seem to care that he was dirtying them when he took her bucket and filled it with water getting his pants wet. "Like this" he said throwing the water over her sand pile.
"Hey!" she said again complaining "I was... Oh" he had cupped sand up with his hands creating a square house in the sand. "wow!" she took to doing the exact same thing. The two sat in silence sculpting, his houses small and square while she built tall strait towers. Playing with the boy she forgot all about the time, and in building her towers she forgot all about the boy as they played in silence. When she finally looked up the sun was getting close to the water and the boy was gone.
"Hey.. H-hey..." she called a bit, he was gone. But where was he? Wasn't he there just a moment ago? She got up off her knees, she would find the boy, but which way did he go? Being that she hadn't seen him in town she headed out towards the fields, and the forests.
As she walked it got dark, and as the forest path disappeared without her noticing she became lost.

"HELLO!!" she called loudly "HEY! This isn't funny.." she said the last part more to herself, the forest was completely dark now. She would have to turn ba-- When she swung around to head back, she realized that she didn't know where back was. The forest had enveloped her without her knowledge. "Daddy says when your lost look at the stars" she said weakly looking towards the heavens, but there was no sky, only endless trees. "And Mommy says follow your heart..." she said weakly, not quite the right situation, but it was all she had.. So she started trudging back the way she thought she might have come, the forest never really changing, but she refused to cry, she didn't want to be so frightened that she would give up.
Finally something happened, she found a path, but this was certainly not the path she'd come from, this path was split into two directions.

In one direction she could see a softly glowing moss lighting the path, it was clinging against the side of a drop too high for her to climb onto. The light was welcoming, she could see that path better.

In the other direction there was a path of stones, smooth and flat perfect for walking on, but nothing like anything she'd seen in the town, the stones looked old, dirty and forgotten. The path was welcoming, though dark, someone had to have placed those rocks.

(IMG:http://fc07.deviantart.net/fs71/f/2012/172/b/f/harvest_moon___prologue_the_road_not_taken_pt1_by_hmbabydoll-d549szw.jpg)

(Added 05/11/12)
Natsumi carefully stepped onto the rocks, then marched forward along the path, it was a bit before she couldn't see properly, but when she realised how dark it had become she slowed, even feeling the tiny cool taps of rain beginning she was nervous, pressing forward at a painfully slow pace. It only got worse from there, the rain became heavy and the sky cracked with the roars of the storm that had rolled over. The stones were becoming slippery and she was getting very frightened, storms were not her favourite thing. Adrenalin starting to make her chest hurt she picked up her pace until she was almost running, a big mistake because she couldn't see and it didn't take long for her to trip and fall.

The storm lit up the sky in her hazy consciousness, a figure hovered above her, black in the dim flash of the sky above her. The sky darkened again and she noticed faintly a white glow illuminating a dark face, then the glowing spread to a mark on their face, she barely was able to process it before her vision blurred and she lost consciousness again.

Natsumi sat up in bed, holding her head, her vision blurred her head reeling-- the nightmare again, but this dizziness wasn't normal-- "Oh.." she shook her head, it was the rocking of the little boat she was on that was making her head spin-- that's right she was on a barge heading for her new home-- She could hear the sky outside cracking and roaring with the oceans tides, it was rocking the boat dangerously-- she would have to think about it in the morning, her head was still spinning so she lay back into her cot and fell into a lucid sleep.

(Added 06/11/12)
Meanwhile, On Deck. --The map, destroyed by the water that had washed through the Captains quarters was causing quite an issue. He knew that he was on the right track, but with all of his equiptment damaged he would need to make a decision, if they were lucky they would hit the island, if not they would shoot past and be taken away from their destination. Under these conditions he would have to be careful. (Yes I know this part seems ridiculous but the choice that wins WILL effect the story.)

What should the Captain do? Continue North through the worst of the storm OR Angle North-East and avoid the head of the storm.

(IMG:http://i294.photobucket.com/albums/mm112/chiharu-nakayama/ocean.png)

[Mizukithepanda]

I'm generally far more inclined to redheads, but Toya's outfit design is better.

A question I never got around to asking before you made this, are the only marriage candidates guys?

[Baby]

Doesn't have to be, it's the way the forum steers her. She could fall in love with anyone, male, female.. I'm not typical HM biased.

[sweetwitch]

I love Toya : ) though I was torn between her and Narumi

[Baby]

4 Votes so far :D Actually, 3 since mine was a null vote.

[Daniella]

A FARMER WITH HIGH HEELS!?

I would pick Toya, but since I don't really like the long hair, I picked blondie.

[Baby]

I was trying to give a variety of styles. There's a reason each are dressed the way they are, everything about them is made for a reason and has cause and effect. (affect?)

[Rebecca]

Not only is Toya's outfit better, her entire idea is more practical for a setting like this. Ponytails to keep her hair out of the way, and a wardrobe you can easily do work in as well as travel for extended periods.

[Baby]

I like hearing everyone's thoughts on the designs too.

[ZBoy]

This is a very clever idea. I'm really looking forward to seeing how this plays out.

I picked the red head.

[Twilight Wandere...]

Picked Natsumi because she's the most adorkable looking.


True, there is taking the farming idea into effect, but Toya looks (and her name sounds) too manly to me. :|


And really, think about it. When was the last time a female protagonist had pants? Wasn't it AnWL? And even then, she had a skirt apron thingie. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/lalaexdee.gif)

For all we know, she COULD be a rancher. And for some reason, in my mind, rancher = dress. And I really like that dress anyway. It's cutesy. D:

[Mizukithepanda]

Actually the female protagonist of Welcome to the Wind Bazaar wore pants. The female protagonist of Twin Villages also had several outfits with pants. (the Konohana default, the work clothes, and the cool outfit) And most recently, the female protagonist of Hajimari no Daichi wore pants.

But yeah, I do agree that Toya's an oddly masculine name.

[Noviwan]

lol brunettes got no votes odd aint it.

[Twilight Wandere...]

Actually the female protagonist of Welcome to the Wind Bazaar wore pants. The female protagonist of Twin Villages also had several outfits with pants. (the Konohana default, the work clothes, and the cool outfit) And most recently, the female protagonist of Hajimari no Daichi wore pants.

But yeah, I do agree that Toya's an oddly masculine name.

Really? I think I got Wind Bazaar's girl confused with Twin Village's... (IMG:style_emoticons/default/lalaexdee.gif) I didn't get very far in Twin Village's either, though, so that explains how I didn't know about that.


The ranch outfit... Didn't that look kinda like a cutesy dress? That might be what I'm thinking of...


And yeah. I thought Toya was... very masculine. :| Which is funny. I'm sure if you took her out of those clothes, she'd look much more pretty, maybe even prettier than Natsumi.


Also, another reason that I think I voted Natsumi... Natsumi = the way Americans say Natsume. I think that's funny. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/lalaexdee.gif)


Novi: I think people don't like her because her clothes are very impractical. Personally though I'm not fond of her hair. It kinda looks like Sasuke's... :|

[Daniella]

Actually the female protagonist of Welcome to the Wind Bazaar wore pants. The female protagonist of Twin Villages also had several outfits with pants. (the Konohana default, the work clothes, and the cool outfit) And most recently, the female protagonist of Hajimari no Daichi wore pants.

But yeah, I do agree that Toya's an oddly masculine name.

If overalls are pants, then Claire from More Friends of Mineral Town and some other things wore them too.

[Mizukithepanda]

Yeah, they are and she did. The female protagonist of Magical Melody also wore pants. I was just pointing out the most recent examples I could think of since Twi said she thought the last one was the girl from AnWL.

Twi, you're right. Her Bluebell default was a European style country girl outfit with a long, checkered skirt, a blouse, vest, and work boots. What outfit you started with (skirt or Japanese style capri-type things) depended on what village you chose to start in. I wouldn't have included her if one of her defaults didn't have pants though.

[Baby]

The MM girl wears short shorts.

[Twilight Wandere...]

I never really count shorts as pants. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/lalaexdee.gif)


You're right, though. I think I was thinking Rune Factory when I said that, for some reason. :| Anyway, although it may SEEM impractical, I think if I were farming, I'd prefer dress to pants. MainlybecauseIwouldn'twanttopeelpantsoffmybody.

[Baby]

When I lived on a farm and worked the fields I would wear shorts normally if I was gardening, and waders or overalls in the field

Just how we rolled.

[Twilight Wandere...]

True, you don't want like... snakes to bite you or something else in the field.


But personally, I avoid pants. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/lalaexdee.gif) If I can. *wink wink nudge nudge?*