Chapter Text
Deep breaths. In and out. Hold…release. Look to the blue sky and sparse white clouds. The rolling waves and sea birds keeping pace alongside the wooden boat.
Silver the Hedgehog had never been so far from his place of origin before. His old home now long gone as the vessel he rides pulls into a new port. He had no regrets however. It was high time that he finally did something for himself and get his adult life together. The most perfect job opportunity had come his way and he was no fool to ignore such a gift.
A simple news clipping. How a job request came from a place so far away, Silver didn’t question. It was an opening for a gardener. Silver adored his plants and he knew he’d be able to do well in that kind of labor. Other people around him tried to scare him off. The listing was older - having to be put back up over and over again as no one stayed with it long. The young hedgehog wasn’t afraid of the rumors though. Who cared if the place was haunted or the village full of “weirdos”. The job looked to pay well and gave Silver a chance to work in a field he knew he enjoyed. Besides, Silver looked to one of his open palms, he was strong enough to keep himself safe if needed.
A shrill whistle from the boat pulls Silver from his thoughts. The port was no longer just in view as the boat pulled in proper. Mobians were bustling about to accommodate the new arrival. Things looked quaint, and despite the bustle it wasn’t all that loud. Silver can’t help the grin that creeps over his face as he takes in all the new sights. He is nothing but giddy as he departs the boat - having to keep his powers in check not to just float up and fly off to go explore.
“What an eager young man.” A feminine chuckle from behind makes Silver jump and his quills flare from surprise. With a quick head snap, he sees a white bat. She’s in a sharp dress with heart motifs and a dark lace umbrella shielding her from the sun. The shade seemed unnecessary, but Silver figures it complements her dress nicely.
“Um, hello.” The hedgehog waves with one hand while his other attempts to smooth his fanning forehead quills back into order.
“A little birdie told me you are the new flower boy.” The bat starts to walk, only stopping when she realizes Silver wasn’t following. With a tilt of her umbrella he quickly gets the hint and they start heading to the town together.
“Is that kind of news exciting for this town?” Silver questions.
“Well, we don’t get new neighbors very often, but I’d say I’m a bit more interested than most of the others.” The bat chuckles, “Want to make sure the new staff can even make it to their first day.”
“O-Oh!” Silver pauses, “Are you Shadow, ma’am?” He remembers the letter he had received upon asking for the job. His new boss was someone named Shadow. They lived in the only manor in the town and warned they didn’t do face-to-face often.
“Ha!” She laughs, “No, the name is Rouge, hon. I’m just a good friend of your new boss is all. So you’ll see me around. Honestly, I think he’ll like you.” She gives Silver a once over with her eyes that makes him shiver.
“Thanks, I think?” Silver nervously chuckles, unused to this kind of attention.
“Look, if you can get the camellias to bloom again I’ll be eternally grateful.” Rouge hums and looks over her shoulder as if looking for someone new.
“Bloom again? Is the garden doing that poorly?” Silver asks, a sudden serious look falling over his muzzle.
“Poor things just need more attention than just Shadow and I can give.” Rouge shrugs while still looking away.
“I’ll get the garden in top form! You’ll see!” Silver curls a hand into a fist as he makes his exclamation. Which seems to get Rouge to chuckle as she gives him a quick glance from the corner of her eye.
“I’m sure you will sweetness. Now I can see Amy is finally on her way. I’ll leave you in her capable hands for now. Go settle in, Shadow will get instructions to you by the morning.” Rouge flexes her wings and takes off. In the time it took Silver to blink from the action, he’s met with a new face. A short pink hedgehog, dawned in a red vest and matching headband.
“By any chance are you Silver the Hedgehog?” The new hedgehog smiles and puts her arms behind her back while tilting forward.
“I am.” Silver nods.
“Welcome! I’m Amy Rose, your lovely guide to this wonderful town! I’m going to lead you to your new house and explain the local rules on the way.” Silver’s suddenly assaulted by pink as one of his elbows is grabbed and he starts getting dragged along.
Amy’s a chatterbox. For the first few sentences, Silver’s at a loss on what she’s talking about. Something about a bakery? And what’s that about the mailman? By the time she slows down into more serious topics the pair are practically at his new house.
“Just make sure you stay inside when it’s sundown until sunrise. Preferably your own home, but if you're someone’s guest they’ll take care of you if it gets too late. There’s a high concentration of magic and chaos-influenced folks around here so things can get dangerous at night. As long as you follow curfew everything will be fine.” Amy is happily humming despite the long warning she just gave.
Instead of asking questions, Silver lets himself get distracted by his new home. A quaint wooden building. A few empty window planters and bare bushes decorate the front. He already knew there was furniture inside, as well as his things, seeing as it was all sent before him days back.
“Take care Silver. If you need anything just write me a letter or come see me at my bakery.” Amy gives the other hedgehog a quick tap on the shoulder before waving goodbye.
“Oh, uh, bye then.” Silver waves back and is left at his front door. So much for asking any questions. With a deep breath to restart his thoughts, Silver opens the door and readies himself to work. Time to open boxes and put things in their places.
An open living room with a little couch, rug, and low table. An easy to get to kitchen with all the usual appliances. A master bedroom, a guest room, and a restroom. All was more than enough for a hedgehog all on his own and he was more than thankful he could have this space to himself. It takes almost no time to put his things away; dishes and utensils in kitchen cabinets, a blanket and a few pillows for the sofa, clothing and books to his bedroom, and some plants strewn about the home. When finished the hedgehog blissfully collapses on his couch. Just as he shuts his eyes to give himself a mental well-done, a sharp knocking from the front door reaches his ears.
“Ugh!” Silver groans and debates on whether or not he should get up. He could just open the door with his psychokinesis…
He ends up at the door, opening it normally with an attempted friendly smile on his face. No need to start off on the wrong foot with neighbors. At his door is yet another new hedgehog, this one blue and sporting a white cap and red jacket tied around their waist.
“Yo, new guy! Shad’s wanted to make sure you got this letter before tomorrow.” A letter is suddenly shoved into Silver’s chest, “I’m Sonic by the way. Fastest guy around! If you need anything delivered just let me know. Hope you get to stick around, you’re the most fun seeming one yet. Something tells me he’ll like you.”
Silver has to blink as Sonic drops rapid-fire information at him. “Thanks, good to know.” Is all he can reply as he properly takes the letter. Not to mention now two people have said that Shadow will like him? Was that a testament to his boss's temperament or Silver himself?
“Don’t worry, Shadow’s a good guy, just, moody. If you can work with that you’re golden. Now see ya!” Sonic rubs at his nose and gives a cocky grin before running off; Silver’s eyes widening as true to the blue hedgehog’s words, speeds off in a literal blur. Fast indeed.
With his new visitor already gone, Silver shuts his door and returns to his couch. He carefully opens the envelope and takes out its contents. A single metal key and a handwritten letter that smelled like lavender are revealed to be inside.
-Your hours are your own. A shift can start no earlier than sunup and no later than sunset. As long as the plants are tended to and thrive, your work will be seen as adequate. Pay will come bi-weekly. Should you need anything, leave notes by the tools. Do well.
I will be watching,
Shadow.-
Silver already knew the job would be atypical, so he wasn’t too surprised by the instructions. Being able to work his own hours meant he could have all kinds of freedoms that he’s never experienced before. He loved plants, and with how daunting the garden was rumored to be, he was sure to find himself actually enjoying wasting his time amongst the various foliage. But still, the option to actually have the time to maybe make friends for once was a nice option to have. Blaze would be proud of him, he thinks.
“Speaking of Blaze, I should let her know I’ve made it safe and sound. Plus I should start dinner!” As Silver gets up from his couch yet again, he’s happily humming while heading to his kitchen. With a silent thanks to Amy making sure his fridge had all kinds of things for his arrival, he gets to meal planning. As he goes about his evening, Silver can’t help but be a bit curious of his new boss.
How often did the people he tried to hire abuse the self-hours schedule? Was Shadow so awful that it scared people away from such an easy job? Or was the garden just too much for a single gardener? Not to mention the way Shadow ended the letter, ‘I’ll be watching’. Was it just from somewhere in the manor? Hosting events that Silver would have to work around? Or was it an empty saying and Shadow wouldn’t even be around? By the end of his train of thought, Silver decided to brush all his questions away. Just do the job first, anything after that he’d figure out along the way.
When late evening rolled around, Silver would go out to place a letter in his mailbox. Already he could tell a difference in the air as the sun got close to setting. It was quieter and it almost felt as if the air was colder. Home lights were all on and a small ringing sound could be heard. Perhaps a curfew warning? Upon walking back to his house Silver faintly picked up the sound of something new, a deep howl that did not sound like a typical Mobian’s and made his whole body unconsciously shiver.
…Maybe he should just pretend he hadn’t heard that?