Ready to start a new life

[Prier]

‘It looks like I’m in the right place,’ thought Lillet as she cautiously looked around the town square. Lillet Criel was finally in Juniper Village after nearly a month of preparing to leave home. As nervous as she was about being on her own for the first time, there was something calming about this place. She could already tell that she would feel much better living here than she did back in the city.

“Let’s see… Dr. Tenare said something about taking a look at Bustling Boulevard,” she mumbled to herself. She glanced around a bit before spotting a sign across the street from the town square. Her eyes lit up, and the girl quickly made her way over to the small group of houses. She carefully began looking each one over as Dr. Tenare’s words began playing through her mind.

‘Moving to Juniper Village will do wonders for your health. There’s no pollution there. It’s also much quieter there, and it’s not that difficult to find fresh produce. You’ll need to eat as much as you can to get more nutrients in your system. Housing? I suggest you take a look at Bustling Boulevard first. You won’t have to walk too far to find anything that you might need. It’s also close to the clinic in case of an emergency.’

Lillet cringed at the word ‘clinic’. While she knew that there would definitely be times that she would need to visit them, she hated to be there any more than absolutely necessary. ‘Note to self,’ she thought. ‘When I start looking for a job, don’t even bother with the clinic.’ The young woman sighed and continue browsing the lots that were for sale.

[Jack]

Sheldon Smithson, the mayor of Juniper Village, slowly and coolly made his way down the cobblestone streets that surrounded town square after returning from assisting a new-comer in town. A lot of new townsfolk had been arriving recently, mostly due to the fact the town was only recently settled. The house he had just given to the young man he was helping was in the 'Bustling Boulevard' neighborhood, and Sheldon wanted to give it one last examination before leaving it to the newcomer for good, since it was a very old house, and hadn't been inhabited for some years.
However, as he was making his way towards the back of the neighborhood, where the house was located, he spotted another unfamiliar face walking along the sidewalk. She wore a very elegant, lacy dress and had lovely black locks of hair draping down her back. He approached her quickly- always excited at the arrival of a new resident.
"Why hello, young lady!" he cheerfully greeted her as he stepped up behind her. He wore a smile from ear-to-ear as he began to engage the girl in the proper welcome.
"I'm Sheldon Smithson, the Mayor of this lovely little village. I don't believe I've ever met you before- are you in need of a house? We have several vacant ones in this very neighborhood, if you're interested." he explained, saying far too much at once, like he always did when he got excited.

[Prier]

Lillet had been so focused on looking each house over that she failed to notice the man that was walking towards her. In fact, she didn’t realize he was there until he opened his mouth to speak to her. "Why hello, young lady!" The girl nearly jumped, surprised to find that she was no longer the only one there. However she managed to quickly regain her composure. She turned around to look at whoever had come over to talk to her.

The man was fairly short and appeared to be in his mid 50’s. He introduced himself as the mayor. Perfect! If anyone could help Lillet out here, it would be the mayor. “N-nice to meet you,” she greeted slowly. Her voice sounded timid and a bit weak. “I’m Lillet. Lillet Criel. I’m here to find a place to live…” She wasn’t really used to socializing with people she didn’t know. It didn’t look like it would be an easy task to get used to living here.

[Jack]

Sheldon's smile widened, the corners of it hidden underneath his mustache.
"Perfect! Let me show you to a vacant home right around this area." he said, gleefully. He practically marched across the neighborhood, overwhelmed with excitement at the thought of two new townspeople in one day. He lead Lillet to a house very similar to the one he 'sold' before it. It was small, but with a decent-sized lawn, with all the necessities of a modest home already found inside. He held out his arm, showcasing the house.
"Well, Lillet, here's the house- it isn't very large, and it hasn't had anyone live in it for a long time, so I'm willing to offer it to you at a pretty low price- how does free sound?" he said, smiling all the while.
"If there's any questions you have about it, I'm sure you can find the answer in a book in the bookcase, which you'll already find inside, along with many other furnishings." he explained, leaning against the mailbox.

[Prier]

Lillet quickly followed after Sheldon. He was certainly enthusiastic about his job, which was something that she could respect. She suspected that he had been running Juniper Village for quite some time. The edges of her lips curved into a tiny smile as she watched him march her through the neighborhood. It kind of reminded her of watching the neighborhood kids playing in the street when she was younger.

Finally they reached the vacant house. Lillet’s eyes lit up as she gazed up at it for several moments. It looked warm and inviting. Sheldon said that it wasn’t very big, but she didn’t mind at all. She didn’t need too much space, and a larger house would only be more work to manage. Lillet fished her wallet out of her pocket when the mayor mentioned the word ‘price’ only to shove it back in when he told her that it was free. “Thank you very much. A-are you sure I can simply have it for free?” she asked. It seemed a bit strange that he would simply be giving it to her. Then again, Dr. Tenare mentioned that Juniper Village was in serious need of new residents. ‘If they’re looking for more people then I suppose it makes sense. Maybe I shouldn’t look a gift horse in the mouth,’ she thought to herself. “Well, I appreciate it.”

[Jack]

Sheldon smiled, then nodded at her question.
"Certainly- think of it as a very large welcoming gift." he explained, sentimentally rubbing the house's siding. He then turned to Lillet, smiled warmly, then got another excited look on his face as he got an idea.
"Say- you just arrived in town. Would you by chance be in need of a job? There's plenty of places in town for you to seek employment, if you are." he said, waving his arms around, to exemplify that there truly were jobs everywhere.
"I'd be glad to help you find something you'd be interested, if you want, or you could simply start to explore town on your own until you find something. Either way, I'm always available for you whenever you need help." he explained as he pointed in the direction of his mansion, showing he would usually be found there.

[Prier]

Lillet nodded eagerly to Sheldon when he offered to help her find work. She hadn’t planned on looking for a job until she had gotten settled. However, she knew that she would adjust better to her new life if she started working right off the bat. “Thank you for the offer. I took a look around the village a bit before I came to find a house,” she explained.

Lillet thought for a moment as she recalled her little walk around Juniper Village. She had passed several shops. A lot of them looked like they would be too much for her to handle though, given her weak physical strength. ‘Let’s see… I know that farming and the blacksmith are out of the question. I don’t want to bother with the clinic. I’m not old enough to drink, so the bar isn’t a good idea either.’ Lillet thought carefully about her options, thinking about if she would be cut out for each one. After a few moments she decided to speak up. “Umm, w-would the café or the gift shop be looking for workers right now?” Not only was this Lillet’s first time living alone, but it would be her first time working too. She was never able to apply for work before since her parents always insisted that she stayed home.

[Jack]

Sheldon smiled ecstatically and clapped his hands together gleefully.
"I'm sure they both are- how about we head to one of them now and I can help introduce you to the owners." he suggested, his hands now still. He began to head towards the entrance, which was also the exit, of the neighborhood, and pointed to the north. He turned his head over his shoulder and called to Lillet, happily,
"The gift shop is closest- we can head there first. You'll love Wendy; she's a lovely young woman, much like yourself." he said as he briskly walked through the snow which had recently begun to fall on the quiet little town.