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himeofshyness · 20 days ago

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Hey Mousey! (◕ᴗ◕✿) How have you been? It’s been so long since my last request, I hope you're doing great, staying safe, and healthy wherever you are!

Anyway, here’s a little idea/request I wanted to share with you and maybe turned it into a fic. If I remember correctly, you once made a post about The Farmer casually making Foxbloom honey and I haven’t been able to stop thinking about the chaos that would cause! Since Foxbloom is an enchanted flower known to cure any sickness or even lift curses, it makes sense that the magical and adventurer communities would go wild trying to get their hands on a single jar of that “miracle honey.”

Sooo, here’s the headcanon scenario I’d love to see with your Farmer Julian and my Farmer Cerise:

Julian just innocently makes Foxbloom into honey like it’s no big deal. Cerise (who is a chocolatier farmer and not realizing the magical significance) buys a few jars and uses them in her chocolate velvet truffles. She starts selling them, completely unaware she’s just turned a legendary magical flower into a sweet, decadent confection.

Now I would like to see the reaction from the Adventurers and Magic folks! The Wizards, Mages, Combat Guild members, even random traveling sorcerers, everyone’s freaking out over her chocolates. People are suddenly feeling cured, energized, or having their curses lifted just by eating one of her truffles. Rumors spread fast. The Ministry and Orden end up placing bulk orders like 25 dozen boxes. Cerise is just trying to mind her business and live her peaceful, chill farm life, and now she’s buried under requests from powerful magical institutions and the unexpected magical marriage proposals, because they love her chocolates.

And she still has no idea why… until Julian finally explains the truth about Foxbloom honey. And when she realizes she accidentally made enchanted chocolate? Yeah, she’s not happy.

(Also, I think this is the first time I’ve made an idea that includes both of our farmers! I just love imagining the kind of chaos that could come from combining a legendary flower and turning it into sweets. Julian unknowingly unleashing a magical market crash, and Cerise getting caught in the aftermath.)

Hey hey, Hime 👋 I'm doing good, thanks for asking 😊💖

I've seen a few of your stories and fics about this foxbloom honey madness before and it reignited that spark I felt when we first mentioned this headcanon! So inspiration hit me in the butt and I decided to write a short (heh 😁) story. Thanks so much for the ask, and hope you're having a great day too!

_________________________________________

"It's just a honey..."

The news spread through the guilds and magical organisations of the Ferngill Republic like wildfire: a miraculous treat made by a certain farmer from Stardew Valley not only tasted divine, making even the most experienced confectioners envious of such skill and selection of ingredients, but also had incredible properties. Severe wounds, which without the intervention of elixirs and spells should heal within six months - completely healed, incurable diseases - disappeared from the moment a piece of truffle melted on the tongue. A surge of strength, a feeling of vigour, women claimed their winkles disappeared and they looked 10-20 years younger, some mages even noted that their mana, completely drained, was immediately restored as soon as they tasted the chocolate. The incredible phenomenon, which sold for a ridiculously low price, attracted more and more people, the sceptics who had tested the magical chocolate on their own experience immediately joined the rest of the group of people, filling letters with requests. The wave took over the Castle Village, where the chocolate had reached through resellers (who didn't yet know that they were selling a cure for all diseases and the elixir of youth in one truffle for nothing), and there were already fights and a couple of destroyed shops in the local bazaar.

Finally the Ministry of Magic, the main magical organisation, responded to the mess and turmoil, urging the locals to calm down or they would take more drastic measures to restore order. The chief wizards and witches have issued a decree to restrict the supply of goods from Stardew Valley until they can figure out what these truffles are, whether this is another attempt at fraud, or whether the sweets are potentially dangerous. In the meantime, those same wizards and witches were secretly sending requests, making enquiries for over a dozen boxes of chocolate. Some for tests, others to taste this chocolate at their own risk. All in shock confirmed the words and cries of the ordinary people: the chocolate is indeed miraculous, but for the sake of preserving order, they announced that it was a fake. Except that no one believed them, and requests continued, now bypassed into the law.

**********************************************

A tired Cerise had no sooner opened the mailbox door than a huge number of letters poured out onto the snowy ground, unable to cope with the cramped space of the small iron box. She raked up all the papers with irritation, took off her winter outerwear and walked into the house.

"Guess what we got again," she turned to her sister and threw the letters into a huge pile of the same letters that had already reached somewhere around two metres high.

"Letters, what else can we get?" Rosemary replied casually, sipping her green tea on the sofa in the living room, looking at this very "pile" that had formed beside her, dangerously promising to come crashing down on her. "Nah, wait, more bombs might come though." She chuckled slightly, remembering her older sister's face as she caught the unexpected "gift" from Kent as a thank you for her friendship.

"Thousands of requests for a box of truffles, over a hundred offers to buy back the recipe, and a dozen marriage proposals! I'm already happy in my marriage, thank you very much!" The pale-blonde farmer paced back and forth, throwing her hands up in the air and resenting this chaos over her chocolate. Rosemary could have sworn there was steam coming out of Cerise's ears because of the anger.

"Well, didn't you yourself want people to enjoy your chocolate creations?"

"That's not the reaction I was counting on! I think I'm going to ask Jio to accompany me all the time, because I have a feeling that in addition to letters, people will be coming to our house." She sighed tiredly as she sat down next to Rosemary and gratefully accepted a cup of hot tea from her.

"Why my truffles, anyway?" Cerise drained half of her cup and set it on the side table next to before leaning back tiredly on the back of the sofa. Rosemary decided to follow her older sister's idea and relaxed on the sofa with her as well.

"You said you decided to change something. Now try to remember exactly what you changed."

"But that's the thing, I didn't really change anything," she looked into her little sister's violet eyes. "Dried lavender flowers, as always, the homemade heavy cream, only fattier, cocoa beans from our trees, honey I bought from Julian, and condensed milk- !!!!!!"

Cerise rose abruptly from the bed.

"The honey I bought from Julian...." She muttered, slowly, minting each word. A thin smile formed on her face, sweet and at first glance nothing threatening, but Rosemary knew her sister all too well.

"I think it's been a long time since we've visited our dear neighbour, don't you think? He always said he was glad of our company." She turned again turned her gaze to her younger sister.

"Get dressed, Rosemary, we are going to visit Gildergreen Farm right now."

**********************************************

Julian was overjoyed that his dear neighbours had decided to visit him this weekend, for what could be better than sitting around the fireplace with friends, chatting and warming up with a hot cup of chocolate.

What he definitely didn't expect was Cerise about chasing him around the house, promising to strangle him and hide his body where no one would find it.

"I don't know what you're talking about! Let's calm down and- Woah!" He deftly dodged a napkin bag flying over his head and ran into the kitchen where Cerise ran after him. They both made a few circles around the table, and this rather comical scene reminded Rosemary of that old cartoon where the big cat chased the little mouse.

"You tell me where you got that honey, or help me Yoba, I'll give you Hell on Earth!" The eldest of the Valroux sisters paused for a second and glared angrily at Julian.

"This is just the regular honey I always made!" The blond-haired man shouted, slightly out of breath from all the chasing. Cerise was taking deep breaths as well, not from fatigue, but in an effort to calm her nerves and not do something to her friend that she would regret afterwards.

"Cerise started selling her truffles to everyone and people went crazy for her chocolate. Like, literally." Rosemary decided to become the mediator and voice of reason in this conflict. "We have suspicions," she thought the word "suspicions" wasn't too appropriate anymore, as since her sister had already decided for sure that Julian was to blame for this chaos, "that your honey she used in her chocolate is the reason people are so obsessed with her sweets."

"Wait, what does that have to do with me?" The young man with multicoloured eyes didn't get it. "My honey is of the highest quality, yes, but maybe it's because Cerise is so good at making chocolate."

The pale-blonde woman slammed her palms down on the kitchen table, the only object that separated her and Julian.

"My truffles have somehow started to heal people's wounds, cure all sorts of diseases and are seen as an elixir of youth, mana restoration and all sorts of miraculous properties! All I've changed in my recipe is the new variety of honey I acquired from you."

Julian was silent for half a minute, looking back and forth at Cerise and Rosemary, and then said quietly: "Maybe it's something else? A different kind of cocoa bean, or-"

Before he could add anything, Cerise jumped over the oak table, ploughed him to the floor, and bent both his arms behind his back, holding them with hel right hand. Julian was an experienced adventurer, but Cerise was an ex-assassin who still knew how to take her enemy by surprise.

"Ow! What are you doing? I- Hey, hah! Cu- hehe! Cuhuhuht it out!"

Cerise didn't want to hurt her friend too badly after all, but to receive information and just in retaliation for all the stress he'd unintentionally caused her, with the free hand she reached to Julian's side, quickly moving fingers amd making him squirm under her steely grip.

"What kind of honey did you use, tell me, now," she wasn't going to slow down, and Julian was already turning into a laughing mess beneath her. Rosemary decided not to interfere or get in her older sister's way: she remembered from childhood that Cerise could be merciless in the tickle war.

"Foxbloom! It's- hahaha, it's foxbloom!"

"What?...."

Both sisters are aghast at this response.

"Wait, foxbloom? The foxbloom?" Rosemary asked.

Julian took advantage of Cerise's confusion and finally broke free of her grip, moving away from her to the other end of the kitchen.

"I found- phew..." Julian rubbed his tortured side, his face is tired after the forced laughter. "I found this flower in the Ridge Forest and was able to plant it on my farm."

"But this flower is a legend, Jio said-"

"That almost no one could find it." Julian interrupted Cerise. "Yeah, i know, your husband told me the same thing. But I managed to find foxbloom somehow, and I was even able to plant it in my garden. It's a very beautiful flower, terribly finicky though."

The trio were silent for about ten seconds or so before Julian spoke again:

"The honey came about by accident. I set up a bunch of bee houses on the farm, but the bees started acting really weird... They were all drawn to collect nectar only from the foxbloom, and they had been working on the honey itself for three whole seasons! From early spring, when I planted the flower, to the last day of fall! But the liquid gold I got was worth it - the amber color, the taste is just indescribably wonderful, and the quality is the best. My little buzzing helpers did their best!" With pride in his voice, he said the last words. And a little more quietly added: "I didn't think at all that I could also get honey from this flower, I just liked the way the foxbloom was showing off in the garden. The bees are happy too, this honey is definitely enough to get them through the winter."

"You've tasted honey, right?" Rosemary asked, as she realized her older sister was still recovering from the shock. "Haven't you noticed anything out of the ordinary? Healing of any illnesses, wounds, some other magical crap, no?"

"Well, I've been sick with a cold recently, and black tea with honey and lemon has always been a great preventative. At least that's what my mom always told me..." He replied with sadness in his voice, remembering the days when she was still alive. "But I thought it was the paracetamol that helped me so quickly."

Cerise silently took a step forward, Julian automatically took a step back, and scrutinized his face, adorned with freckles.

"Your scar... It's gone."

"What?..."

Rosemary also stepped closer to the man and took a good look.

"Damn, she's right. That scar on your nose, it's gone now." The red-haired girl pulled a little mirror out of her pocket and held it out to Julian, who looked at his own reflection in disbelief for half a minute.

Placing the mirror on the kitchen counter, he reached under his sweater, groping the skin on his back. To his utter shock, the huge three stripe scar was gone as well.

"Seriously, you just noticed that now?" The surprise and confusion on the blond-haired man's face had already given Rosemary an answer.

"I don't understand..." He began to weakly excuse himself. "It's just honey..."

"Just honey?!" Cerise's voice cut through once more, returning to the fury that had been there when they arrived at Julian's house. She grabbed a kitchen chair standing next to her, and Julian automatically put his hands out in front of him, trying to defend himself. Rosemary was already at the ready to catch the oak furniture her older sister had decided to use as a weapon.

"Ahem."

The trio turned at the sound behind them and stared in surprise at Magnus who had come out of nowhere.

"I apologize for entering here uninvited and disturbing your, hmm, conversation," with those words the old wizard nodded to a startled Julian, "but I sensed Cerise was here and the matter is important." With a flick of his hand, the chair in Cerise's hands glowed blue and disappeared to a place unknown to all but Magnus himself.

"I'm sure you know perfectly well what I mean." Magnus was slightly taken aback by the angry look of the young woman he mentioned. Angry as a bull, she pointed her finger at Julian and shouted:

"Ask him about all this madness!"

Rasmodius glanced questioningly at the owner of the house.

Julian sighed.

"It's a long story..."

"Well then, I will ask all of yours to proceed to my tower, there with the others we will discuss everything."

"The others? Who else is there?" Rosemary asked Magnus, who instead of answering cast a spell - and all four of them found themselves in his tower.

"The fuck- what are they doing here?" Rosemary asked Magnus again, her hand pointing to the familiar five residents of the Castle Village.

"Could ask the same thing," Isaac turned dryly to the wizard from Stardew Valley, "I thought we were only dealing with one of the sisters."

"Oooh, this is interesting~" as always in her repertoire, Camilla stepped closer to the three farmers, a sly smile on her perfect face.

"Hey guys," Alesia greeted the incoming farmers, and her act was followed by Lance and Jadu standing nearby, nodding silently to the old acquaintances.

"Well, shall we start?" Lance decided to inquire.

All present heard someone slowly ascending the steps and saw a familiar face, adorned with wrinkles and a black eye patch.

"Now we can begin. Well, who would like to start?"

"Let me...." Julian said tiredly, feeling like a whole wave of not-so-kind words were about to rain down on his head. "I'll try to tell you everything quickly."

**********************************************

The conversation he wanted to fit into half an hour at most stretched into a full two, with constant comments from Cerise herself, then questions from Magnus and Camilla while the others listened to them, and finally all the questions were answered.

"Why am I not fucking surprised..." Isaac cursed under his breath and facepalmed, trying to get some distraction from the headache that had started from all of this.

"How could you be so... irresponsible! It's a magical flower! Everything about it, the nectar, the honey, the petals - all has magical properties!" Magnus paced back and forth, pouring scoldings over the young man's head. Marlon crossed his arms over his chest, staring silently at his ward, and somehow his silence made Julian feel worse than Magnus's tirade, which just a few minutes ago he'd claimed he had "no words". There are words. And they're mostly profanity.

Julian had nothing to say for himself, and Cerise, who had enjoyed the satisfaction of justice a little bit, felt a twinge of conscience for her friend, seeing him red like a tomato. The rest of the group stood and thought about their own thoughts while Rosemary rested on a sofa not far from the others and read a book about the elements, as she was bored with this meeting.

"So what's next?" Marlon finally raised his voice and asked Magnus and Camilla the question on everyone's mind.

"The decision isn't just up to us, we have to confer with the others," Camilla replied, putting her index and middle fingers together and leaning them against her temple, and closed her eyes. Magnus did the same as his colleague, and the room was filled with silence for a moment, broken only by the soft gurgle of green liquid from Magnus' cauldron.

"Ah, that will do! What do you think, Razzy?"

"I think it's about time you acted your age and stopped calling me that word," the old wizard replied to his colleague.

"What is the Ministry's verdict?" Jadu questioned cautiously.

"The old farts weren't too happy with all that fuss," Magnus grumbled at the fact that Camilla had completely ignored his request to behave properly by calling important wizards of the Ministry "the old farts." "Cerise's name is cleared of almost all responsibility since she didn't know about the honey, and Julian faces a life sentence in a Castle Village dungeon and complete confiscation of property under the law for unauthorized distribution of magical items."

Julian swallowed nervously and his face turned white with fear. Everyone present, except the witch and Magnus, tensed and looked anxiously at the guilty farmer. Cerise was already ready to yell in protest.

"Buuuuuuut....."

She just loved making dramatic pauses, Yoba help us all, Alesia thought.

"We have come to a compromise. The Ministry will turn a blind eye to this... unpleasant situation if you, my dear," she pointed a finger at Julian, "agree to supply all the guilds, mages circle and our apothecaries with a jar of your miracle honey each as a cure and alchemy ingredient and stop selling anything related to foxbloom. How do you feel about that?" The blonde smiled radiantly, seeing the look in the man's unusual eyes relax.

"That's fair, i think," Julian nodded his head in agreement. "No problems, and the honey will serve for good deeds."

"What about all the harassment of my sister? People still think it's her truffles that are the magic ones." Rosemary tore herself away from the book and turned to everyone present.

"Not anymore. Before our meeting started, someone confessed to me that they had done experiments on Cerise's chocolate and accidentally blabbed that it was about one particular ingredient," Alesia crossed her arms over her chest and looked a little judgmentally at Jadu, who was now trying to make himself as small as a mouse.

"In my defense, I didn't realize I'd be listened to," the sniper and the young mage were suprise that Lance started to speak, deciding to take his friend and colleague's responsibility. Magnus looked very surprised and definitely didn't expect the pink-haired adventurer to do such a thing, but Camilla gave him a sly look, guessing what the noble man was trying to do.

"Don't worry. I took all letters to Julian and Cerise under my personal control long ago."

"I don't think you're doing a good job," Rosemary responded again, "we have a mountain of these requests at home now. Hell, now we have enough paper to stoke the fireplace."

"I think it's time for someone to shut up and stay out of the conversation," Isaac replied rudely, for which he received an obscene gesture from the red-haired woman, as if to show where he could shove his precious opinion.

Camilla turned her head toward Rosemary.

"Oh, my dear... Those letters Cerise received were only a drop in the ocean. There were many more. Some even from the Gotoro Empire."

Everyone looked at Camilla in surprise.

"From... the Gotoro Empire?" Cerise couldn't believe that the whole truffle situation had gone so far that even their national enemy had gotten wind of all this.

"That's right, only two. One with a marriage proposal, the other threatening to wipe everyone the hell out if we don't deliver hundreds of boxes. You're right by the way, my dear Rosemary," Camilla turned to the farmer resting on the sofa again, "those letters burn well in the fireplace, hehe~"

"So, problem solved?" Marlon summarized. "Did everyone say everything they wanted to?"

"Just one more thing." Julian turned to Cerise. "Sorry. For, well... everything."

"Already forgiven," she smiled softly, unable to hold a grudge against her friend any further.

Camilla clapped her hands together, her beautiful face once again adorned with a snow-white smile.

"Well, then we've decided everything! The laws we'll approve, maybe the locals won't fear the Ministry so much, but they'll definitely fear me." The farmers who didn't know the witch that well sometimes felt goosebumps at the sweet yet threatening voice of the Castle Village main witch. "We will reassure everyone that the honey will be delivered to guilds, mages, and others peoples in need solely as medicine and alchemy experiments under strict control, and no one will have a problem until someone starts selling honey products again!"

The smile on Julian's face slid down sharply at the realization of a small but very, VERY important detail.

"Yeah, about that...."

Everyone tensed up again.

"What is it?" Marlon asked his ward calmly but sternly.

"Well, nothing serious, but we should hurry up and intercept the entire supply of mead I gave for sale to Lewis yesterday..."

Marlon raised his eyebrows.

"And the sause."

Isaac covered his face with his hand again.

"And royal jelly."

Alesia prayed quietly to Yoba.

"And essential oil"

Lance shook his head with a smile.

"And flower tea."

Jadu continued to listen with genuine interest.

"And a couple of environmental dyes."

Magnus tried his best not to yell again. Cerise, on the other hand, relaxed a little, knowing that still, as heartless as it sounded, it wasn't her problem now, and Rosemary with Camilla was frankly laughing at all the craziness.

"I thought it was just honey..."

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himeofshyness · 21 days ago

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Summary: After bringing home a rare Foxbloom seed from Ridgeside Village, Cerise passes it to her sister Rosemary, who secretly cultivates the mythical flower and turns it into honey. When Cerise uses that honey in her chocolates, she unknowingly sets off a frenzy among magical guilds, the Ministry, and adventurers who believe the Foxbloom can heal any wound or curse. All Cerise wanted was to make sweets but now she’s at the center of a magical free-for-all, and Rosemary’s next idea might cause even bigger trouble.

A/N: This fic was inspired by the Ridgeside Village mod for Stardew Valley, where I came across the Foxbloom flower. I headcanon this lore about the fabled flower, a mythical bloom said to appear only in places of strong spiritual energy, believed to heal even the gravest wounds or curses. Then I stumbled on the idea of Foxbloom honey, and my brain immediately went, “What if my farmer OC, who sells chocolates, accidentally used it in her chocolate truffle recipe?” Cue magical guilds, ministries, and adventurers scrambling for a taste and Cerise just wanting to make sweets in peace.

𝙲𝚑𝚊𝚙𝚝𝚎𝚛 𝟷: 𝚃𝚑𝚎 𝙵𝚘𝚡𝚋𝚕𝚘𝚘𝚖 𝙲𝚑𝚘𝚌𝚘𝚕𝚊𝚝𝚎 𝙲𝚛𝚒𝚜𝚒𝚜

It had all started a few weeks ago, during one of Cerise’s many trips to Ridgeside Village. Jio had come along, not because he didn’t trust her but because she kept slipping away into Ridge Forest, a place still teeming with stray monsters despite the Spirit Realm’s cleansing after Gabriella’s fall. Cerise was adamant that she could take care of herself and honestly, she could. But Jio’s concern didn’t just fade away. His frown and watchful demeanor were his way of showing he cared and Cerise despite her fierce independence, found that endearing. She knew he wanted to spend time with her, even if his official excuse was “Making sure you don’t get eaten.”

As they ventured deeper into the woods, the air grew heavier, thick with an enchanting magic and the soft murmurs of the trees. That’s when Cerise caught sight of it.

Tucked away in a lush patch of moss beneath an ancient cedar, the Foxbloom blazed with vibrant red and gold, seeming to pulse in harmony with the forest. Tales had been told of flowers like this, sprouting from the very spots where fox spirits once frolicked under the moonlight, their petals glimmering as if spun from starlight and memories. Five petals, shaped like flickering flames, unfurled like a fox’s tail, each one dancing as if a tiny ember was trapped within. In the center, a gentle amber light throbbed softly, casting a warm glow that caressed her skin like a silent invitation.

She stood there, completely still, half expecting it to disappear like a fleeting dream. They said the Foxbloom couldn’t be grown, it could only be discovered by those with pure hearts or those weighed down by destiny. According to the legends of Ridgeside, it would show itself to lost souls, guiding them back home. Some even murmured that it thrived in those fragile spaces between worlds, where mortals could momentarily touch the spirit realm.

Cerise knelt down carefully picking just a few blooms, enough to cherish but not so many that she’d harm the patch. One of them would find a home in a pot on her windowsill, its soft glow serving as a gentle reminder of that magical moment in the forest. The rest she fed into her seed maker, creating precious handfuls of Foxbloom seeds. She knew just the person to share them with: her sister Rosemary, whose talent for turning unusual crops into delicious delights was truly unmatched.

Rosemary was on a roll with her experiments. In just a few days, she transformed the Foxbloom nectar into a jar of amber-gold honey, fragrant and faintly glowing. As a gift, she gave it to Cerise insisting it would be perfect for creating the most delightful chocolate truffles ever.

At the time, it had seemed like nothing more than a sweet gesture between sisters. But now...

The farmhouse kitchen was a whirlwind of clinking jars, parchment-wrapped truffles, and stacks of enchanted scroll-mail from various magical guilds, each sealed with urgent crests and entirely above Cerise’s stress tolerance. She stood at the counter, arms crossed, eyes twitching slightly as she stared down an especially aggressive letter from the Ministry of Magical Health, demanding yet another shipment of “curative confectioneries.”

“Rosemary...” Cerise said, voice tight like a violin string moments from snapping, “Tell me again... why are people suddenly treating my chocolates like divine relics?”

Continue reading the rest here:

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himeofshyness · 27 days ago

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𝙰 𝚃𝚊𝚜𝚝𝚎 𝚘𝚏 𝙻𝚎𝚐𝚎𝚗𝚍: 𝚃𝚑𝚎 𝙵𝚘𝚡𝚋𝚕𝚘𝚘𝚖 𝙵𝚒𝚊𝚜𝚌𝚘

Okay, so I was doing some research on the flower Foxbloom from Ridgeside Village while preparing for my next fanfic, when I stumbled upon an image and noticed something interesting, Foxbloom Honey. That got me thinking. Honey is a sweet, viscous food substance made by bees from nectar collected from flowers. And this can be harvested for human consumption as a sweetener and in cooking. In other words, this can also be used for making sweets like chocolate. So, what if my farmer Cerise, who runs her own chocolate business, decided to use Foxbloom honey in one of her signature treats?

At first it’s innocent enough. Cerise infuses the honey into a rich ganache, creating a velvety chocolate truffle with subtle floral warmth and a mysterious aftertaste. She wraps them in her usual packaging, puts a few jars on display at her stall, and sells them like any other product. What she doesn’t realize... is that this seemingly simple addition is about to send the magical community into a frenzy.

You see, Foxbloom is just a legend, a mythical flower that only blooms in areas thick with spiritual energy, said to hold healing properties beyond comprehension. Old folklore whispers that when distilled or consumed properly, it can heal even the most fatal wounds or lift powerful curses. So imagine the shock when out of nowhere, some humble farmer not only manages to cultivate it but also turns it into a sweet treat that melts in your mouth.

Word spreads like wildfire. Within days, magical guilds, alchemists, and even the Ministry begin placing bulk orders, desperate to get their hands on her “miracle chocolate.” Poor Cerise who only ever wanted to make chocolates in peace is now being hounded by letters, scrolls, messengers, and magical contracts.

It doesn’t stop there. Cerise starts receiving unsolicited magical marriage proposals. From mages, adventurers, high-ranking sorcerers. One guy sent her a cursed ring with a note that said “You are my truffle soul.”

“Should I be flattered or deeply concerned?” Cerise mumbles, holding the latest scroll at arm’s length.

Rosemary is sipping her coffee calmly, “I vote concerned. Also, should we bomb the Ministry?”

To make matters more chaotic, Magnus and Marlon show up both trying to help manage the situation like it’s a full-blown arcane emergency. Magnus warns Cerise that using ingredients like Foxbloom, especially ones with ties to otherworldly energies should be handled with caution even in chocolate. As for Marlon, he points out that someone might try to steal her secret recipe or worse, twist it into something darker. Neither of them are particularly amused and both make it painfully clear that this entire mess could’ve been avoided with a little foresight.

Meanwhile, Cerise is clearly pissed. She’s not part of any guilds, didn’t sign up for this magical bureaucracy, and now she’s probably on some Ministry watchlist just for experimenting with her baking. She keeps smiling but it’s that thin smile, the kind that makes grown warriors step back. If the chaos keeps piling up, she’s starting to worry she might end up hating chocolate altogether.

And then there’s Rosemary, the true instigator, who not only planted the Foxbloom but turned it into honey and handed it over to Cerise like it was a perfectly harmless gift. Now she’s just watching the circus unfold with arms crossed while sipping coffee, like it’s the best show she’s seen all month.

And then because the universe wasn’t done mocking our poor chocolatier, Camilla decides to drop by, because of course she does. The most powerful figure in Castle Village, shows up looking effortlessly amused. “All this fuss over sweets?” she says, already helping herself to a piece of the controversial chocolate. To be fair, she does try to help as she casually weaves a stabilizing charm around the chocolates with a flick of her fingers, as if it were nothing. She tries to help smooth things over, suggesting containment runes and some calming brews for the more uptight guild members but she doesn’t exactly tone down the sass.

Cerise does her best to stay civil, though there’s still a lingering grudge there. After all, this is the same witch who “borrowed” Rosemary without warning and dragged her off to the Crimson Badlands, leaving Cerise to wake up to an empty house and near-heart attack. It wasn’t exactly a pleasant morning. Still as chaotic as Camilla is, they get along. Somehow probably because Cerise has made peace with the fact that ever since moving here in Stardew Vallet, weird and chaos has just become her normal.

And now, thanks to one magical flower and a little too much sisterly generosity, Cerise and Rosemary have become unofficially branded as culinary outlaws. And Cerise? She is so not having fun.

(So, this is my headcanon of the Foxbloom. Even though the description on the wiki is a bit short, you can still piece together some magical lore behind this fabled legendary flower.)

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himeofshyness · 30 days ago

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𝙵𝚛𝚘𝚖 𝙲𝚊𝚕𝚖 𝙴𝚡𝚙𝚕𝚘𝚛𝚊𝚝𝚒𝚘𝚗 𝚝𝚘 𝙰𝚋𝚜𝚘𝚕𝚞𝚝𝚎 𝙲𝚑𝚊𝚘𝚜

Okay, so here’s what happened.

After I installed Stardew Valley Expanded, I told myself I would start a new save file just to get a proper feel for the mod. You know, ease into it slowly, explore the changes from the beginning like a sensible player. That was the plan. It really was. But after a few in-game days, my patience gave out entirely. I got too curious, too eager, and decided to leave Rosemary's savefile for just a bit.

Instead, I went back to my first and most accomplished farmer, Aleia. Out of all my save files, she’s the only one who ever completed the Community Center, unlocked Ginger Island, and actually reached True Perfection aka reaching the Summit, which meant she had done absolutely everything the game had to offer. It just made sense to bring her back. I hadn’t touched her file in months, but the moment the game loaded, it felt familiar and exciting again, like catching up with an old friend who now has even more chaos to offer.

(Yoo check out those "arrows" up in the screen. Sooo many items need to be picked by my farmer)

I started wandering around the valley just to see what had changed. I visited Sprite Spring and Junimo Woods, and eventually made my way into the Highlands. That’s where the situation changed from casual exploration to full-blown survival mode. The monsters in that area aren’t just stronger, they’re meaner, too. Bully Rex, in particular, was an absolute nightmare to fight. No matter how hard I hit him, he just wouldn’t go down and I found myself constantly running around, dodging attacks, and slamming Life Elixirs like they were water. To make matters worse, those one-eyed monsters kept popping up from the ground with no warning, like they were personally offended by my existence. It wasn’t even about exploring anymore, it became a battle just to make it out alive.

At some point during my exploration, I remembered that Aleia had already finished the Volcano Dungeon. And that meant I could trigger the volcano cutscene. I didn’t even hesitate. I rushed to the spot because there was someone I really wanted to see.

Lance (´⊙ω⊙`)！

I had been waiting to meet him in this expanded save, and finally seeing him appear on my screen was exactly the moment I’d been looking forward to. He looked just as intense and composed as I imagined, a powerful combat mage standing calmly in the middle of molten danger like it was nothing. There was something quietly captivating about him, and I couldn’t stop staring. For a moment, I just let the scene play out, completely drawn in.

But then the unfortunate truth hit me. I couldn’t romance him.

Aleia was already married to Sebastian. She's too loyal. They had children. A house. A stable life. She was locked into a future that didn’t involve mysterious mages with a volcano lair. And Lance? He was supposed to be for my other farmer, who by the way, still hasn’t finished the Community Center or even set foot on Ginger Island. She’s busy with her garden and dealing with some confusing magical thing going on with the Wizard. Meanwhile, Aleia had already conquered the entire map and now had to stand there pretending Lance wasn’t radiating some kind of pixelated spellcaster charm.

It was disappointing, but there was nothing I could do, I can't break my SDV universe.

After all that emotional conflict, I turned my attention back to progression. I finally got my Nexus set up in the Enchanted Grove, and from there, I started unlocking more warp runes across the valley. I’ve made it my new mission to reach the Crimson Badlands, because apparently I haven’t had enough close calls with death yet. I want to enter that harsh desert wasteland and take on Apophis, the massive serpent boss that looks like it could delete me with a single bite. I don’t even know how many phases the fight has or how much health it takes to bring him down, but it’s clearly going to be intense.

At this point, I’m marching into battle with no real plan, just a bag full of bombs, some magic rock candy, and a deeply unhealthy stockpile of Life Elixirs. I’m not sure if I’ll survive it, but I guess that’s part of the fun.

Wish me luck. I’m going in.

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himeofshyness · 1 month ago

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Summary: In the heart of the Highlands, a joint field study brings together two adventurers, Lance and Rosemary, as they investigate the unusual behavior of monsters peacefully dwelling under the veil of a concealment spell. As they traverse rugged terrain, shimmering caverns, and forgotten paths, their expedition leads to more than rare discoveries. Something quiet and unexpected begins to bloom between them.

A/N: This fanfic is inspired by one of Lance’s heart events cutscenes from the Stardew Valley Expanded mod. I’ve added my own twists and personal touches to the narrative to reflect how I imagined things might unfold beyond what the game shows. Honestly, the first time I saw that cutscene, my brain instantly went: “Wait… is Lance asking my farmer on a date?”, or maybe I am just being delusional, hahaha! But that moment sparked this story idea, and I couldn’t resist fleshing it out into something more.

So with that, I hope you enjoy reading this story as much as I enjoyed writing it!

The wind carried the crisp scent of pine and damp earth as she climbed the weathered stone steps of the Highland Outpost Tower. Her boots landed with quiet thuds against moss-covered stone, the cool mountain air brushing her freckled cheeks. She moved with ease, used to steep climbs like this. The path was tiring, but she didn’t mind. It was the kind of effort that left her chest warm and her mind clear. She stopped for a moment to push back a loose strand of rose-red hair that the wind kept blowing into her eyes, then glanced upward. The rooftop came into view, framed by the deep blue sky and the endless stretch of mountain ridges beyond.

Her name is Rosemary, a determined farmer who had experienced more than her fair share of life. She wasn’t just here to take in the scenery. No, she had come to explore the highlands, to see what had changed, and perhaps to see someone again.

As she stepped closer, her thoughts drifted back to their very first meeting, right there on top of the volcano at Ginger Island. She had been feeling exhausted and a bit on edge, and when a figure emerged from the mist, she instinctively threw a mega bomb at them without a second thought. He dodged it with surprising ease, and his calm voice caught her off guard even more than his sudden appearance. That was the beginning of it all. An explosion, confusion, and a quiet dinner under the stars. That was when she met Lance, a combat mage from The First Slash Clan, a moment that would be etched in both of their minds forever.

And now, here he is again.

Lance stood at the edge of the rooftop, a solid silhouette against the expansive sky. It was as if the mountain itself had shaped him. Calm, steadfast, and determined. His bright pink hair sparkled in the sunlight, blazing like fire against the gray stone and the vibrant green trees below. Clad in his usual mage attire, complete with a signature blue cloak that fluttered gently in the breeze, he remained motionless, arms-crossed and eyes locked on the horizon. It felt like he was in tune with something only he could sense.

When her footsteps reached his ears, he turned without hesitation.

The moment his eyes locked onto hers, something shifted in his expression. The sharp lines of his face seemed to soften, and his gaze lit up with a warm gentleness that she had come to recognize. It felt as if he had been waiting for her all this time.

“You made it.” Lance said, his voice low and even, yet clear in the alpine wind. “Come up. I want to show you something.”

Rosemary rolled her eyes, a half-smile tugging at her lips. “Better be worth the climb.” she muttered to herself, shaking out the tension in her legs before she pushed open the heavy wooden door. It creaked with a familiar groan, revealing the inside of the tower, just a bed, a desk cluttered with scrolls, and supplies neatly stacked against the walls. Her eyes landed on the wooden ladder that stretched up toward the rooftop hatch. Without wasting a moment, she stepped over and climbed swiftly.

When she stepped out onto the rooftop, Rosemary felt her breath hitch, not because of the height but because of the breathtaking view that spread out before her. No matter how many times she visited the Highlands, she always found herself pausing to take in the beauty of the land once more.

The Highlands stretched out in every direction, an untouched wilderness filled with rugged peaks and sprawling pine forests, where shadows lingered in the valleys and rivers sparkled like silver threads under the afternoon sun. The wind playfully tugged at her coat, bringing with it the soft melodies of distant birds and the gentle murmur of waterfalls far away. And there, nestled between two sunbaked cliffs, was the entrance to the Highland Cavern, dark and gaping like the mouth of some ancient beast resting beneath the stone.

For a moment, Rosemary stood there in silence, completely taken in by the wild breathtaking beauty surrounding her. This wasn’t just any beauty that sought admiration, it demanded a deep respect. And somehow, Lance had sensed that she would need to experience it for herself.

“Impressive.” Rosemary said, placing her hands on her hips as she scanned the vast landscape before her. There was a blend of genuine admiration and a hint of skepticism in her voice, the kind she reserved for Lance whenever she sensed he was up to something. “But I doubt you called me here just to sightsee.”

Lance’s lips twitched slightly, almost forming a smile but not quite, more like a brief spark of amusement flickering across his usually calm face. “Sharp as ever. No, we’re going on a field study.”

Rosemary raised an eyebrow, a mix of intrigue and caution flickering across her face as she crossed her arms and studied him closely. “Field study?” she echoed, her voice laced with curiosity, yet her tone held a hint of skepticism.

“I want to study how monsters behave without putting ourselves in danger.” Lance explained, his voice steady and thoughtful. “To achieve that, I’ve set up a concealment spell. It’ll render us invisible to them, as long as we don’t get involved.”

Rosemary’s eyes lit up with interest, the idea clearly catching her curiosity. “So, we just stand around and watch monsters go about their business? That sounds pretty simple!”

Lance let out a soft chuckle, already beginning to form the spell. He raised a hand and whispered an incantation just above a murmur. A delicate shimmer began to form around them, barely noticeable like the heat rising off a sun-warmed stone, before it vanished into thin air. He stepped a bit closer, his face a mask of calm and unreadable intent. “Hold onto me.” he said, his voice steady and authoritative, the kind that comes from someone who’s been through this routine more times than he could count.

Before Rosemary could even think to ask why, he gently placed a reassuring hand on her arm. In an instant, the world around them began to twist and change, the Highland Tower disappeared beneath them in a brilliant flash of golden light and swirling wind.

Continue reading the rest here on my AO3:

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himeofshyness · 1 month ago

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𝙼𝚢 𝙵𝚊𝚛𝚖𝚎𝚛 𝙰𝚌𝚌𝚒𝚍𝚎𝚗𝚝𝚊𝚕𝚕𝚢 𝙶𝚘𝚝 𝚊 𝙱𝚘𝚢𝚏𝚛𝚒𝚎𝚗𝚍 𝚆𝚑𝚒𝚕𝚎 𝚆𝚊𝚒𝚝𝚒𝚗𝚐 𝚏𝚘𝚛 𝙷𝚎𝚛 𝙲𝚛𝚘𝚙𝚜 𝚝𝚘 𝙶𝚛𝚘𝚠

There are many reasons why I wanted to download Stardew Valley Expanded. The new areas? Gorgeous. The gameplay? Addicting. The achievements? Chef’s kiss. But let’s be honest here: one of the top-tier reasons I clicked that download button was because I get to date not one, but two painfully attractive men in this mod: a certain mysterious wizard and a ridiculously composed combat mage. Yes, you know exactly who I’m talking about. And to top it off, I downloaded Romanceable Rasmodius Redux Revamped mod because well, dating the Wizard? Worth it. That mod doesn't just let you romance him, it gives you dialogue, events, drama, depth and everything you didn’t know you needed in your tower-bound man.

Now here’s the situation.

I’ve got two active farmers to play Stardew Valley Expanded in their save files: Rosemary and Thalia.

Let’s start with Rosemary. Poor girl. Her goals were humble: complete the Community Center, unlock Ginger Island, climb Mount Kohldur’s volcano, and finally meet the combat mage of her dreams. Just a clean, monster-slaying romance route, nothing too wild. But while waiting for her precious, temperamental premium crops to grow (because obviously gold-star produce takes its sweet time), she thought she’d befriend the Wizard. Just a little “Hey there, cool tower. Nice cauldron.” Nothing romantic. Just lore.

But then disaster struck.

One day, during a flurry of clicking and mild sleep deprivation, it happened. The Wizard confessed. Yes, Magnus Rasmodius, in all his elegant, arcane glory, looked my girl in the eye and told her, “You have enchanted me, Rosemary”. And I panicked. She hadn’t even given him a bouquet yet! Rosemary just stood there, holding a Magic Rock Candy like it was a cursed object, while internally screaming, “Sir. This is not your route. My heart belongs to a man who does field studies about monster crops and wears combat gloves.”

And the worst part? He didn’t just confess once. He asked three times. Three. As in, “Are you sure you feel the same? Really sure? Like absolutely sure-sure?” And me, being the overly empathetic, soft-hearted chaos gremlin I am, chose all the positive responses. I didn’t even mean to lead him on. I just didn’t want to break his pixelated heart. So now…

She accepted.

And now Magnus is out here acting like they’ve been in a committed relationship for three enchanted decades. He calls her “My love” every time she hands him something. I gave him a gift and he blushed. And not just a polite blush, a full romantic sparkly eyes blush. Rosemary, meanwhile, is silently panicking like, “Oh gods. I have a boyfriend now. A wizard boyfriend. And Lance doesn’t even exist in my save file yet.”

Meanwhile, in another save file where chaos hasn’t taken over, Thalia is thriving. She’s already met Magnus. Their relationship is progressing at a calm, well-paced 4 hearts. She’s on the Hidden Love Interest route (because I like to suffer, apparently), and yes, the requirements are a little extra, but it’s fine. It’s all going according to plan. No awkward confessions. No clicking mistakes. No emergency emotional spirals. Just soft magical vibes and a well-earned love story that unfolds with every carefully unlocked scene.

Thalia’s over here sipping tea in her farmhouse like, “Hmm, yes. Dialogue depth. Let me savor this moment while I continue to build a healthy, respectful, slow-burn romance with my future wizard husband.”

Meanwhile, Rosemary? Rosemary is just trying to survive. She’s pretending not to notice the imaginary death glare Thalia’s sending her from the other save file. The kind of look that says “You stole my man,” Thalia crossed her arms and voice flat. “He’s not technically my man yet, but still.” Her eyes narrow like she’s calculating spell damage.

(I'm so sorry its in gacha! Like I said I'm not good with art.)

Rosemary, clutching a daffodil like it might protect her from emotional shrapnel, stammers, “I-I didn’t mean to! I was just trying to give him a gift and then he blushed, and then there were dialogue options, and I panicked! Thalia, I panicked!”

And honestly? She kind of did.

Rosemary’s daily life now includes awkward small talk with her accidental boyfriend, internally screaming every time he says something romantic, and waiting for her damn crops to finish growing so she can finally escape to Ginger Island and meet Lance. And maybe, just maybe break up with Magnus without causing a dramatic tower meltdown.

Her internal mantra on loop:

“Just survive until the crops turn gold. Just survive until Ginger Island. Just survive until I meet Lance and gently, responsibly break up with the Wizard like an adult.”

That is, assuming Magnus doesn’t propose first. Because at this point? Anything’s possible.

I didn’t mean for this to happen.

But also... he’s really cute when he blushes.

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himeofshyness · 1 month ago

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𝚂𝚃𝙰𝚁𝙳𝙴𝚆 𝚅𝙰𝙻𝙻𝙴𝚈 𝙾𝙲 𝚆𝙴𝙴𝙺

𝙳𝙰𝚈 𝟷: 𝙼𝚎𝚎𝚝 𝚖𝚢 𝙾𝙲

It’s OC Week over at @stardewfanficwritersguild, and they’re hosting a super fun event, so of course I couldn’t resist joining in! 😄 I decided to try out this cute OC template sheet. Originally, I planned to post this on Day 1 of the event, but life got in the way with some unexpected drama and distractions, so I wasn’t able to finish it on time.

Also, I’m sorry it’s in gacha style, I'm not very good at drawing 😭😭😭 but I still wanted to introduce you all to my farmer OCs! I actually had plans to include more of them, but time's moving too fast, so for now, I’m starting with just two. I’ll try to make templates for the others sometime this week!

So here they are, Cerise and Rosemary, my farmer sisters! They’re each played on different save files since they focus on different game expansions: Rosemary is from Stardew Valley Expanded, while Cerise is from Ridgeside Village. If some of their love/like/hate gifts seem unfamiliar, that’s because they’re a mix of items from the base game and the expanded mods.

If you want to learn more about them, you can check out their stories on my AO3 or here on my Tumblr!

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himeofshyness · 1 month ago

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Got this absolutely adorable Stardew Valley themed mug as a birthday gift from my cousin! 🥹☕ I’m totally using this for my morning coffee from now on. The little Junimos on it are just too cute?? I swear I’ve seen this Junimo art before somewhere but I can’t remember the artist 😭 If anyone knows who made this lovely art, please let me know so I can give proper credit!

Also hey guys, guess who’s back! 👋💖 Be prepared for more SDV/FOM content coming to the blog soon! Sorry I went a little quiet for a bit. I got completely hooked on this new movie Kpop Demon Hunters (yes, it’s exactly as amazing as it sounds) and let me tell you... the songs are living in my head rent-free. Which is giving me a hard time to write fanfics. Especially Soda Pop. My gawd?! 💿🎤💥 Anyway, I'm slowly crawling out of writer’s block, so stay tuned!

#stardew valley #sdv #stardew valley art #sdv art #customized products #fields of mistria #fom #stardew valley expanded #sve #hime's thoughts✯#hime's fanfics #himespace✧#hime's thoughts #kpop demon hunters #kdh

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himeofshyness · 1 month ago

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drop this sunflower🌻 into the inboxes of the blogs that make you happy! lets spread a little sunshine ☀️

Hewwo Hime :3

Aww this made me smile. Thank you for the sunshine! 🌻 You're such a sweetheart. I hope you're doing well over there too, and that today’s been kind to you 💛 Sending good vibes your way!

#himespace✧#hime's thoughts✯

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himeofshyness · 3 months ago

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Ahhhahsvdamsbdjzn! I love it! Thank you, Mousey! Tbh I kinda imagine the farmer doing some challenges to their future grandkids.😍🌾

Hey there, Mousey! (◍•ᴗ•◍) It’s been a while since my last request. To be honest, I get these random ideas every time I play SDV. I just can’t help it! The way you write stories related to SDV and its mods is absolutely captivating. I keep rereading your stories because they always brighten my day. Keep up the incredible work, and don’t forget to take care of yourself! (｡･ω･｡)ﾉ♡

Anyway, here’s my request: Do you remember the Master Cave? I’m not sure if anyone has ever made this request before, but what if the Farmer decided to introduce the Master Cave to their spouse? How would the SDV & SVE bachelor/ettes react to it?

Hewwo Hime :3 Good to see you again, and thank you so much for the kind words aaaaaaaaaa glad you like my writing 🥹❤️

No one has asked me about Mastery cave, so you first! Thanks again for the ask, and have a good day 💕

_________________________________________

SDV bachelors/ettes:

Heh, Alex likes what Farmer's grandpa has done for them. Loads of secrets and useful recipes to make their job easier, not to serve everything up on a silver platter though, but to encourage determination and a desire to achieve something more. "Look at all the things you've achieved! Your Grandpa would definitely be proud of you." And an athlete is proud of his spouse, inspired by their accomplishments and wanting to be the better too. A better man, a better spouse, a better father..... "Hey, are you going to do something like that for our grandkids too?" Farmer looked into Alex's eyes, smiling slyly and winking.

Shane was a little confused. What is this place... Was the cave always there? And no one has ever noticed a door in the woods? There's some kind of patterned wall inside, and immediately the calm song from the music box started playing. "The cave with the secrets my Grandpa left me." Huh, interesting, and quite touching too. Shane, by the way, can't find this music box, where the heck this music came from... "Oh, it's not a music box, it's Grandpa's spirit." Ah, alright. ....The fuck, wha- "Honey, it's magic." ????? Okay? Like- WHAT.

It's just incredible - a secret cave, closed off from prying eyes, made by the older generation for posterity, with hidden secrets and treasures! Why had Elliott's beloved never told him about this place? Oh wait, it must be a private matter of their family, he shouldn't have been so insistent on answering... "Well, you're my family now too." Elliott listened with pleasure and attention to both how Farmer discovered this cave and how long it took them to succeed, assigning each of the Mastery. They both sat in the dark cave for a couple of hours or so exactly, immersed in conversation. The writer would thank his spouse for sharing this with him and ask permission to put the event in his memoirs.

"Did your grandpa do all this as a challenge? I mean, that's pretty cool, but why exactly? Like, a family tradition or what?" Farmer could go on for hours telling Sam why their Grandfather did all this, but decided to just silently give the musician the letter they themself had found here in this very cave. Sam took the time-yellowed piece of paper and read the words carefully. 'Make me proud!' was signed at the end, and he handed the piece of paper back to Farmer. So cool.... secret cave! Sammy seems to be thrilled, not really with the wall with the Mastery itself, but more with the very fact that Farmer's grandfather made a secret cave in the valley!

"See? I told you it was true, hon!" Farmer let go of Harvey's hand, allowing the doctor to move closer to the wall and touch the engraved symbols. That scythe of purple metal the doctor had never seen, that fishing rod of the same metal.... Harvey's spouse was telling the truth, but the doctor still finds it a little hard to believe in magic because he believes in science and modern medicine. Still, he'll be surprised and interested in both the cave and how their grandfather decided to leave them his inheritance in such an unusual way. And a little startled by the sounds of the music box, because w- what does it mean, dear, that his spirit is here???

Sebastian's eyes widened in surprise as he saw a patterned door magically appear in the rock wall he and Farmer had approached. Had this door been here all along? And why had Sebastian never seen it before. "Because my Grandfather made it so others couldn't see it." Entering the small, dark cave, Sebby immediately walked over to the smooth stone wall, reading the inscriptions. "Mastery... Is that what you were talking about?" Farmer nodded. That's so cool and misterious. Your old man is cool, making everything like that." Farmer knew their husband would love this place.

Strange... Leah knows this part of the forest very well, as it's one of the best places to gather nature's gifts, where large colonies of edible mushrooms usually grow, but she's never seen this mysterious door. She would even think that her spouse was playing a joke on her and had somehow managed to put just a door in the wall here, but upon entering the cave and seeing the magic torches light themselves, decorating the dark room with a warm glow, the young artist opened her mouth in surprise. These paintings on the wall are so beautiful, handmade by a real master..... Did their Grandfather make them? For Farmer?

At first Penny tensed a little and squeezed her spouse's hand tighter as they entered the cave together, because Farmer's words "I want to show you a special place" in her mind implied some beautiful meadow with flowers, not an enclosed space in the rock. But she quickly forgot her fear as the warm light from the torches illuminated the beautifully painted stone wall. "The Mastery.... What is it, dear?" Farmer explained to their wife with a warm smile that this was their Grandpa's legacy, until their conversation was interrupted by the beautiful melody of a music box. "Ah, Grandpa's spirit has decided to pay us a visit!" That's... kidna creepy, but Penny tried not to show the panic on her face.

Wow, how cool is that? Abigail had explored every corner of the valley, every cave, every hiding place, but she'd never seen this door! Although it was right under her nose! Look at that, this place is neat. And it's pretty chilly in here - a great place to cool off on a hot summer's day! That painted wall and the pedestal with... the nightcap? "Yeah, that's Grandpa's, the last time I felt his spirit, his hat appeared here..." Ghosts?! That's fucking awesome! And Farmer didn't tell her about this? Their own wife? Abby pouts playfully and looks forward to hearing stories from her spouse, especially ones that mention spirits and magic.

Emily walked slowly along the wall, looking at the engraving and smiling. To be honest, Farmer was a little surprised that their blue-haired spouse was not frightened by the rather dark and cramped cave. "On the contrary, dear! I feel such a warm and kind aura here." Farmer recalled how not long ago, after achieving full Mastery, they felt a light touch of a hand on their shoulder. Yeah, they understood what Emily meant.... "And that's how you managed to make so many feathered friends?" Ah, now she was talking about all the parrot eggs they were able to get on their adventures thanks for the Combat Mastery.

The cave was quite dark and the only light was the flash from Haley's camera. "Creepy..." but she was in no hurry to leave the cave her spouse had shown her, and continued to take picture after picture. Haley would be so engrossed in her camera until she felt a chill on her neck. "Eeeep!" Startled, she immediately leaned into Farmer without leaving their embrace. And Farmer hugged her tightly, thinking that now Grandpa was giggling at his little prank. Anyway, Haley actually like this cave, so many pictures for the exhibition!

Maru excitedly looked around the cave, reading the stone inscriptions, shifting her gaze from the wall to her spouse. "The Sword, the Axe, the Watering can, the Fishing rod, and the Pickaxe.... Symbols of all those skills you know perfectly. Did your grandfather leave you some special task?" And just as Farmer was about to tell their wife about it, she turned her gaze excitedly... to the mushrooms growing next to the wall. "Wow, dad said this species of mushroom was extinct, but look, there's a whole colony of them!" Yeah, so cool... Farmer pouted a little, but afterwards still managed to tell Maru about their great adventure.

SVE bachelors/ettes:

When Farmer pointed their hand toward the door, Magnus' gaze was full of confusion. Why was his beloved showing him... a rock wall? But as soon as Farmer touched the doorknob, the wizards felt a flash of magic. A secret seal, inaccessible to prying eyes, how interesting! And placed, apparently, by a very powerful mage, since even he could not see this mysterious cave for so long living in the Valley. This wall and pedestal, hmm.... He's interested to hear from Farmer what they have to say about this cave and their grandfather while he examines the cave himself.

"Your Grandfather was an incredible man, and you worked hard to succeed in achieving Mastery, my love," Lance said with a smile as he looked at the patterns and symbols on the stone wall of the cave. Mystery and secrets right close to their home, who would have thought.... The adventurer was particularly interested in Combat Mastery, with an inspirational quote from one of the great warriors engraved on it. And also can't help but notice the faint stream of light magic hovering in the air. "Was your grandfather an adventurer by any chance?" The pink-haired man would love to hear his spouse's story and about their grandfather, and how they had achieved such a level of skill.

Wait, Victor had already read about something like that... Yes, some experienced mages made such kind of walls with challenges for newcomers to pass the tests and gain valuable experience. And his spouse was able to achieve that too, because they claimed all kinds of Mastery and got useful magical items and recipes. Which points to one of two things..... "Was your Grandfather a mage!? Or was acquainted with one of the mages?" Either way, the spaghetti lover's eyes glowed with delight, showering Farmer's head with a bunch of questions.

Olivia had to admit, the mysterious dark cave left behind by her spouse's Grandfather didn't sound as enticing and intriguing as it did more tense and frightening. Nevertheless, she still decided to give it a chance, maybe it's not so bad, and magic is not completely alien to her, there was a case in the past... The former Joja accountant was looking at the inscriptions on the smooth stone wall, listening to Farmer's stories about the achievements of Mastery.... Until she was scared to death by bats (how and when they managed to settle here is a mystery even for Farmer). Quite interesting, but Olivia will refrain from going there again after meeting the ‘cave residents’.

"Dear, you can let go of my hand." Sorry, Farmer, but Sophia's not going to do that, because even though the cave is small, it's still a little intimidating. The kind of painted walls she'd seen in one of the manga about a group of witch girls searching for the secrets of a great wizard to obtain magical artifacts. "Well, my story is somewhat similar, heh.... Would you like to hear it, dear?" Of course she does! Just one thing... can they at least leave the door open? Sophia's a little uncomfortable with the cave atmosphere.

Oh, Claire's spouse had chosen the perfect place for a date, the woods were especially beautiful this time of year! Except... Where are they going? They passed their favourite clearing, where- Is that a door? "I've wanted to show you this for a long time. You asked me the other day where I got my unusual scythe from. That's where it came from." And Farmer pointed with his hand to the wall in the cave where it said "Farm Mastery.’ "All of this is my grandfather's legacy..... Oh, you hear the music box? That's him paying us a visit! My soul, are you all right? You've gone pale..." Claire loves her spouse very much, but this presentation of slightly shocking information made her kidna scared and uncomfortable.

"Wow... How long has this been here?" Well, maybe the cave itself has been here for a long time, but the door with the magical seal and the wall with the Mastery has definitely only been here since Farmer's Grandpa lived here. Despite the cave being a little dark, cramped and damp, Scarlett finds it quite cosy. "I can't explain it, but here I feel... calm, or something. You know what i mean, right?" She said, looking at the wall covered in patterns. "Probably because Grandpa's spirit is here now, watching us, and smiling." Hey, that's- hold on, spirit???

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himeofshyness · 3 months ago

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Okaaay, so I have some very good news, I finally got myself a new laptop! (｡♡‿♡｡) That means big memory, no more lagging, and all the space I need to download my favorite games and the mods I’ve been dying to try out. First on the list: Stardew Valley Expanded! I seriously can’t wait to dive into the full gameplay experience and (of course) date/marry the handsome combat mage. 💘 Once I’m done with that run, I’ll be installing the Ridgeside Village mod on a brand new save file, because let’s be real, that mod is huge and I don’t want to get overwhelmed. Gotta mentally prepare myself for this long, modded adventure and hopefully win over a certain ninja hot elf who lurks in Ridge Forest. 🌲💫

BUT WAIT! THERE’S MORE! I also can’t wait to finally download Fields of Mistria!!! Like... hold on Caldarus, my sweet, handsome dragon future husband. WAIT FOR ME!! 🐉💞 I’m coming for you! AHHHH!! And don’t worry, March, I haven’t forgotten about you either. I do want to date/marry you... I just need to think of a new OC farmer to match your tsundere vibes. Priorities, okay??

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himeofshyness · 3 months ago

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𝙲𝚊𝚕𝚌𝚞𝚕𝚊𝚝𝚎𝚍 𝙲𝚑𝚊𝚛𝚖

Jonghyuk: I'm actually good in math, but I sucked in geometry. Though I can make a good angle.

Giselle: Oh really? I thought you only specialized in twisting words, not shapes.

Jonghyuk: Though if you prefer it the other way around, you'd make a cute little angle. Isn't that right, Giselle? *smirk*

Giselle: *blushing heavily, and is having a crisis inside her mind, she gives him a friendly slap on his chest* Very funny.

Jonghyuk: Seriously though, can I have the braincell for today? *winks*

Giselle: *crosses her arms, trying to suppress a smile* Only if you promise not to misuse it with more cheesy lines.

Jonghyuk: No promises. But hey, with your brilliance and my charm, we'd be an unbeatable team.

Giselle: *chuckles* You're impossible.

Jonghyuk: Yet, here I am, making you smile. Mission accomplished.

Inspired:

#Jonghyuk♡Giselle???#himespace✧#hime's skits #stardew valley #sdv #hime's farmers #stardew farmer #jonghyuk sbv #jonghyuk sdv #sunberry village jonghyuk #jonghyuk and spanner mod #stardew valley mods #sdv mods #stardew mods #sdv fandom #farmer giselle

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himeofshyness · 3 months ago

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Summary: Giselle never imagined that a simple swim in a secluded cave would lead to such profound revelations. Beneath Jonghyuk’s smile and wild charisma lies a deeper story, scars marked by experiences he keeps to himself. Yet, in the serene embrace of the cave with gentle water and dimming light, those layers start to peel away. Moments of vulnerability dance between laughter and silence, allowing them to gradually connect, not through grand speeches but in the quiet truth of truly being seen.

A/N: This fanfic was inspired by one of the cutscenes from the "Jonghyuk and Spanner" mod especially that cave scene that really stuck with me. The way they portrayed vulnerability in that moment felt so genuine and I wanted to dive deeper into that theme in my own unique way. The koi metaphor, the gentle beauty hidden amidst the chaos, and the notion that healing doesn’t erase pain but rather creates space for new experiences, all of that inspired me to write this story.

Well then, enjoy reading the story!

The morning in Sunberry Village was bathed in a gentle golden light, with the fresh scent of dew-kissed grass blending beautifully with blooming flowers and the soothing sound of water cascading into the riverbeds. Spring had once again graced the town with its enchanting charm but for Giselle, there was something more profound in her stride as she walked away from the path that led to the entrance of Sunberry Farm. After taking a good look at the farm layout, she found herself deep in thought. Should she go for it? The land was stunning, brimming with possibilities. Another stretch of earth to cultivate her bee farm, perhaps even introduce a rare exotic flower that would bring about a whole new kind of honey. The idea teased her mind, though she hadn't made a decision yet.

As she walked past the cozy silhouette of the Cat Café, still deep in thought, her boots tapping softly as she descended the familiar stone steps toward the waterfall's base. That was when she notice something, a flash of skin and an unmistakably muscular build caught her eye. Her steps slowed. There sprawled on the grass patch beside the waterfall, was a man fast asleep. His arms were folded behind his head, and his muscular frame rose and fell slowly with each breath. The sunlight caught on his skin, and Giselle had to blink twice before realizing it was Jonghyuk.

"Is he really sleeping here of all places?" Giselle muttered under her breath, voice tinged with a mix of confusion and amusement. Her eyebrows lifting as her gaze lingered on the relaxed features of the man.

Without lifting his head, Jonghyuk cracked open one eye lazily, the corner of his lips twitching upward with amused nonchalance. "Don't you know it's impolite to stare?" he murmured, his voice deep and relaxed. "When you look at me like that, it makes me feel shy."

Caught off guard, Giselle blinked and turned her face away ever so slightly, the tips of her ears flushing. "I was just minding my own business." she replied quickly, folding her arms across her chest, trying her best to appear unaffected.

Jonghyuk chuckled softly as he shifted slightly in the grass, clearly enjoying her reaction. "Hey, I wasn't mad. I like feeling shy. You should keep looking at me."

A roll of her eyes betrayed the slight smile tugging at her lips. She shifted her stance, casting her gaze down toward him again, perhaps a bit more boldly this time.

"I'm just messin' with ya." he said with a grin, finally sitting up and stretching his broad arms behind his head. "I came to relax by the waterfall and lost track of time. The sound of the water crashing down on the rocks helps me meditate. You should try it sometime."

Giselle tilted her head slightly, watching him curiously.

"It’s funny…" Jonghyuk continued, his tone softening a little. "I was thinking about you earlier, and now you’re here. Actually, I have something I wanted to show to you—!"

But before he could finish his sentence, dark clouds rolled in without warning. A heavy rain burst from the sky, soaking them both in seconds.

"Ahhh! It's raining!" Giselle exclaimed, instinctively trying to shield herself with her arms as the cold drops drenched them both.

"Holy shit!" Jonghyuk exclaimed, leaping to his feet. "The forecast didn’t say anything about there being a shower today!"

"We should take shelter." Giselle urged, already looking toward the café.

Jonghyuk gave her a firm nod before rising to his feet. "Follow me. I know a place that can keep us dry."

She barely had time to object before he was already moving, heading not towards the café, but rather toward the waterfall itself.

"Where are you going?" Giselle shout after him, staring at him like he’d gone mad. "The Cat Café is just up ahead!"

Turning to her with a boyish grin, Jonghyuk simply said, "This way is faster! Trust me."

Hesitating only a moment, Giselle’s eyes narrowing in suspicion. But the rain was growing more intense by the second. Huffing softly, she trailed after him, watching as he approached the stone face behind the waterfall and just like that disappeared. The farmer raised an eyebrow. "What the—?"

She followed cautiously, the mist clinging to her clothes and eyelashes as she slipped behind the cascading water. Her breath caught as the stone gave way to a hidden opening. Behind the waterfall was a cavern, wide and glowing faintly with natural light filtering through cracks in the rocks. A small lake shimmered in the center of the cave, its surface rippling gently from the rainfall outside. She stared in awe.

Jonghyuk turned to her, his expression warm. "You're in luck, Giselle." standing a few steps ahead. "I've never brought anyone here before." He closed his eyes briefly, taking in the scent of wet stone and the whisper of falling water. "This is one of my secret hideouts."

Her lips parted slightly in wonder. "This place is so pretty."

"I know, right?” Jonghyuk said, glancing around. "Sunberry is filled with pockets of hidden gems. I bet there's plenty of other sights just waiting to be uncovered."

Jonghyuk wandered toward the lake’s edge, his shoes kicking aside smooth pebbles. "I love coming here every now and then to clear my mind. I forget all my problems whenever I'm near water. The cascade drowns out all the loud noise in my head."

His voice grew softer. "It’s like at any given moment, I can just drift away." Jonghyuk stared out at the water as if seeing something far beyond its surface. "I can't help but wonder if it's okay to let go and just let myself fall."

Alarm rose in Giselle’s chest. His tone had shifted and the melancholy laced in it didn't go unnoticed. "That sounds dangerous." she murmured, stepping closer.

Jonghyuk glanced at her over his shoulder, the ghost of a smile on his lips. "Well, that's my reality, and yeah, I'm okay with escaping it once in a while to live in a better one." His eyes dropped. "But at the end of the day, we have to pick ourselves up." He chuckled faintly, as if at a private joke. "I was never a perfect puzzle to begin with, but someone has to pick up the pieces."

The smile he gave her then was gentle, but something in it made her chest tighten.

"Now that we're here." Jonghyuk said after a pause, his voice taking on a lighter edge, "There's only one thing left to do."

Without warning, Jonghyuk straightened up, grasped the hem of his shirt and yanked it over his head in one fluid motion. Giselle's eyes widened in alarm as her cheeks flushed a bright crimson.

"What are you doing!?" she gasped, immediately covering her eyes.

A low chuckle escaped him. "Relax, Giselle. I do this all the time."

She peeked between her fingers, meaning only to check if the coast was clear but instead caught an accidental glimpse of Jonghyuk’s well-toned muscles and defined abs as he shed his soaked pants and shoes, leaving only his boxers. Her breath hitched, and she quickly snapped her hands back over her eyes, the blush on her face deepening to a furious red.

"I'd rather not trudge back home as a soggy wet mess." he added casually before running toward the lake and leaping in with a cannonball that sent water flying everywhere.

He surfaced moments later, water cascading off his shoulders. "C'mon, Giselle! The water's fine. It's already pouring outside, so it won't hurt to get a little more wet. We can always drop by my place to dry off after we're done."

Still flustered, she glanced around and murmured under her breath, “It’s just water… not like I needed an excuse to cool off anyway.”

She kicked off her boots and, with a hint of reluctance, peeled off her drenched shirt and skirt, revealing her snug shorts and bra. Her skin shimmered softly in the light, effortlessly drawing attention. Jonghyuk paused mid-stroke in the lake, his eyes following the graceful curve of her waist. A grin spread across his face as he let out a low appreciative whistle.

"Really?" Giselle shot back at him, one eyebrow raised though a blush crept onto her cheeks.

Jonghyuk only grinned in reply, entirely unapologetic. "Just calling it like I see it." he replied, the water gently lapping against his chest as he swam a bit closer, his eyes sparkling with mischief.

Feeling encouraged by his relaxed demeanor and the playful twinkle in his gaze, Giselle rolled her eyes but couldn’t suppress the small smile that crept onto her lips. She dipped a toe into the water, shivered at the chill, then took a deep breath and stepped in. With a smooth motion, she dove beneath the surface, the cool lake water enveloping her in a refreshing embrace, washing away the lingering warmth on her flushed cheeks.

"This feels nice." Jonghyuk said, floating on his back with a relaxed smile that mirrored the gentle lapping of water around them. The soft light filtering through the curtain of rain outside gave the cave a serene, almost sacred atmosphere as if they were momentarily hidden away from the outside world.

Giselle let out a soft hum in response, the sound nearly swallowed by the quiet rhythm of raindrops tapping against the stone. The cool air of the cave and the steady rainfall wrapped around them like a comforting cocoon, creating a fleeting moment of peace that neither of them wanted to disturb.

Jonghyuk drift a little closer in the water, let the silence stretch before he spoke again, his voice softer this time. "So… this might sound like a silly question."

Giselle tilted her head slightly, curiosity lighting up her face. "What is it?"

Jonghyuk drifted lazily in the water, his eyes following the soft ripple of the cave lake as if the rhythm of the rain outside had lulled him into some tranquil trance. Then with a slight tilt of his head toward her. "But I just really wanna know. Do you like dragons?"

Giselle blinked, surprised by the sudden turn in the conversation, but her lips curled faintly as a memory surfaced. "Yeah. Dragons are cool. I have a cousin who has a liking to dragons." she said, her tone casual, though her thoughts had already slipped away to a distant afternoon in childhood, running through the garden with her cousin, pretending to summon dragons and wield magic, their laughter echoing through the air like forgotten spells.

At her answer, Jonghyuk lit up like sunlight breaking through storm clouds. "Great! Well in that case. I wanna show you something."

Without waiting for her response, he turned around in the water, swimming with purpose toward the far side of the cave where the stone wall rose. He glanced back over his shoulder with a grin, lifting one hand from the water to beckon her closer. "Come here."

With curiosity pulling at her, Giselle swam alongside him, her eyes narrowing with intrigue as Jonghyuk turned away without saying a word, showing her his back. The water around them glimmered softly with the cavern's glow, casting dancing shadows across his skin. As she floated there, Jonghyuk’s voice broke the silence, low and calm yet tinged with something deeper lurking just beneath the surface. "Look closely... You can feel it, if you want."

She took a moment to pause not because of the offer itself, but due to the captivating sight before her. The smooth curve of his shoulders, the way the water cascaded over his muscles and the quiet strength he exuded all struck her at once. Instead of getting lost in that mesmerizing moment, she redirected her attention to what he was truly revealing. With a hint of hesitation, she reached out, her fingertips gently brushing against his skin as they began to explore the vibrant tattoos that decorated his back.

"Wow! Is that really a dragon?" she whispered, her eyes sparkling as her fingers traced the graceful curves of the creature that spiraled down his back. "Isn't that a koi fish? And check out that gorgeous lotus flower! They're so pretty."

Her eyes were drawn to the stunning artwork etched into his skin, vibrant lines that seemed to come alive with every breath he took. As her fingers gently traced the curve of his back, she discovered something more subtle ridges and uneven textures hiding just beneath the ink. The shift in her expression was slight, but her voice took on a softer tone.

"They’re on top of scars?"

Jonghyuk didn’t turn to look at her. His shoulders remained still, though there was the faintest tremble in the breath he drew. When he finally spoke, his voice was softer heavy with memories and the weight of old wounds. "Yeah... I tried to cover them up a long time ago..."

She didn’t say a word, just kept her hand gently resting on his back. Her fingers lingered for a moment before settling against the inked skin, tracing not the vibrant swirls of color this time but the faint raised lines beneath. These were old scars, faded yet unforgettable, intertwined with the shapes of koi, lotus petals, and dragon tails. Giselle didn’t bombard him with questions or offer empty reassurances, she simply stayed close, a quiet comfort amidst the soft patter of rain and the shadows of the cave.

"Have you ever heard of that one folk tale? A fish that swims up a waterfall turns into a dragon. They rise up against the injustice in the world and defend what they love."

His words drifted softly in the air between them, and Giselle imagined the image, small determined fins battling the force of rushing water, climbing to heights that seemed impossible. This was a transformation achieved not by magic, but through sheer persistence. She remained silent and Jonghyuk continued, voice low and even.

He drew in a breath. "For most of my life, I was like a fish out of water. It felt as if I was going against the current, like the world was out to get me."

Giselle stayed quiet just listening. Her gaze was fixed on the curve of his shoulder, noticing how the ink seemed to shimmer with significance now that she understood what was beneath it.

"Life is a constant struggle, but you just gotta keep going against the tide... no matter what." His words floated through the cavern like ripples on a calm lake, echoes of years shaped by struggle, delivered with the tired determination of someone who had faced more than most could imagine.

His voice became distant like he was speaking to another time. "Long story short, I was in the darkest period of my life when I almost lost my sister. Fought tooth and nail to keep her safe." The confession tumbled out of his mouth, not with any grand gesture but heavy with the weight of a memory, something that still hurt but had long since stopped bleeding, buried beneath layers of time and ink, yet never truly forgotten.

Across from him, Giselle’s face changed, the spark in her eyes fading as concern took over. The playful curiosity that once danced there was gone, replaced by a softer, more empathetic look. She didn’t utter a word but the silence that hung between them was anything but empty. It was filled with a deep understanding.

"A lot of nasty things were permanently engraved into my body in the process. Slurs and cutting words etched into my back and left arm, all for the world to see." His voice held steady, but there was a certain emptiness to it as if he had come to terms with the harshness of those scars yet could never fully escape the pain they brought.

"I needed something to ground me. Something to help me feel like I regained control over myself. Some people would want to leave the scars behind. I welcome them to it. But not me..." His voice was soft, each word felt heavy, as if he were pulling them from a hidden place deep within, a place that rarely basked in the warmth of sunlight. He kept his eyes down, tracing the intricate ink designs that spiraled around his arms, beautiful patterns that masked deeper scars.

His voice broke slightly. "I—I can't... If it was just pain... Then pain defines me. I am proud of who I am, but.... Dammit." That one word, bursting with frustration and tinged with curses, slipped from his lips.

He took a moment to pause, his body trembling just a bit as if simply standing upright was an enormous challenge. His hands were loosely clenched at his sides. "The scars... my failures... I never wanted anyone to see them again. Especially my family. The ink covers the scars, but it won't erase what's left behind."

He focused on calming his breath, inhaling deeply as if that simple action could help him find some clarity. "They'll remain on my skin forever, but at least behind the tattoos, I can link it to do better things moving forward." Though his voice remained soft, there was a subtle strength returning to it, like a man rising after kneeling for too long.

He finally turned to her, a smile gracing his lips, but there was a quiet sadness lurking just beneath the surface, like the last glimmer of twilight before nightfall. His voice carried a subtle hint of longing, a small yet unmistakable ache wrapped in casual conversation. "So yeah, I think dragons are cool."

With a calmness that contrasted the weight of their conversation, he glided through the water, inching a bit closer to her. The ripples trailed behind him like a gentle whisper, steady and soft, as if the ocean itself was paying attention. "Thanks for listening, Giselle. And sorry if I got a little heated."

She smiled softly, her expression radiating warmth and kindness, clearly touched by the importance of the moment. The light in her eyes wasn’t about pity, it was something much more profound, something that conveyed a sense of understanding. Acceptance. "It's okay. I really appreciate you trusting me with this part of your life."

His grin came back, this time lighter and filled with a playful spark that seemed to chase away the shadows still hanging around him. There was a sudden brightness in his eyes, a hint of the person he was beneath all the scars and burdens. "But now’s the time to let go of all our worries. Be present in the moment and just have fun!"

Giselle felt a wave of relief wash over her as she noticed the tension easing from his face, and she stayed close by his side. Her fingers moved gently, tracing the delicate ink of the lotus flower that gracefully adorned the scars on his skin. There was a reverence in her touch, but a deep understanding, as if she were deciphering a language etched into his flesh that no one else had bothered to explore. For a while, they both remained silent. The cave around them seemed to pause, enveloped in the soothing sound of water cascading from the nearby falls. The steady rhythm of the water filled the air like a gentle lullaby, making the outside world fade into a distant memory. In that serene moment, it felt as if time had folded in on itself, leaving only the fragile stillness they shared.

Her hand lingered, resting softly against his back as her eyes traced the intricate designs of ink. "I never noticed before." she said softly, her voice barely above a whisper. "You always seem so... so carefree." The tenderness in her words carried a deeper weight. "But beneath it all, you’ve been carrying this."

"Guess I’ve become pretty skilled at pretending." he said, his voice dropping to a soft murmur, each word sinking like a stone in still water. "When people only notice the surface, it’s easier to show them something bright. Something wild. It helps me breathe a little easier."

The water swirled gently around them, its warmth wrapping around Giselle’s skin as she leaned against the mossy stone wall beside him. The natural cave offered a comforting intimacy, a little haven away from the chaos and judgment of the outside world, lit only by the soft glow of light filtering through the falls. For a moment, she stayed quiet, just soaking in the tranquility that surrounded them. Then, after a brief pause, her voice broke the stillness, rising softly above the sound of water crashing against the rocks. "You don't have to pretend around me." she said after a pause. "Not here."

He turned his head slowly and deliberately until his eyes finally met hers. For once, there was no cocky grin on his lips, no hint of the usual mischief that often sparkled in his gaze. “Thanks.” he said softly, his voice nearly drowned out by the distant roar of the waterfall. "You’re... different. Not just the kind of different that runs a quiet farm filled with sunflowers and honey jars. But the kind that makes people feel noticed. Safe."

A soft breath escaped her, almost a laugh, as she pushed her wet hair out of her face. The droplets clung to her lashes like delicate silver threads. “I don’t know if I’m that great. I still don’t know if I should buy the farm. I’m still trying to figure out what I want.” Her gaze drifted to the lake beyond, where the water shimmered softly beneath the veil of the waterfall, rain light filtering through like liquid glass. "Maybe we’re both just trying to swim upstream in different ways."

Jonghyuk took a moment before he spoke. He just watched her, his gaze softening with an emotion that was hard to read, then he smiled. "Then maybe we can be koi together. Help each other climb the waterfall."

The words took her by surprise, and she turned to look at him. Slowly, a smile began to spread across her lips, reflecting the tenderness she felt. “That sounds... less lonely.”

A silence fell between them, not the kind that hangs awkward or heavy, but a silence that felt well-deserved and soothing. The cave wrapped around them, filled with the rich aroma of damp stone and wild moss, while the gentle roar of the falls drowned out the outside world. The lake sparkled with the light of raindrops falling from above, creating a space that seemed to hold its breath alongside them.

Just when Giselle was starting to fully embrace that tranquility, Jonghyuk’s cheeky grin popped up out of nowhere, like he was never really done being playful. "So, now that we’ve had our little emotional moment..." With a quick flick of his wrist, he sent a playful splash of water right at her.

"Hey!" Giselle squealed, caught off guard and trying to shield her face a moment too late. "Jonghyuk!"

His laughter echoed through the cave, light and carefree as he dodged the splash she sent his way, grinning like the charming rogue he always pretended to be. "You were looking way too serious. I thought I’d bring a little balance to the universe."

"Balance, my foot!" she shouted, lunging at him with both hands, ready to get her revenge.

The cave echoed with laughter as they splashed through the shallows, water glinting around them like scattered light. Their footsteps sent ripples across the lake, and the weight of earlier confessions faded into the mist, replaced by the carefree joy of the moment. For a while, nothing else existed, only the rhythm of water, laughter, and something quiet and unspoken growing between them.

When their breath finally gave out and their limbs tired, they collapsed in a soaked heap by the lake’s edge. Giselle leaned back against the cool stone, damp hair clinging to her shoulders. Droplets traced down her cheeks as her breathing slowly matched Jonghyuk’s, calm and steady in the hush that followed.

"I’m really glad I decided to follow you today." she said softly, her voice barely rising above the soothing sound of the waterfall.

Jonghyuk turned his head to look at her, his eyes heavy with fatigue but softened by something more profound. A quiet warmth, a gentleness that stripped away his usual bravado. "I’m glad you noticed me."

And then, everything around them fell into a peaceful stillness. There was no need for more words, just the soothing sound of the waterfall, the gentle rhythm of their breathing and the shared tranquility that came from letting their defenses down. In the cozy shelter of the cave, with the water flowing like a curtain between them and the outside world, they sat side by side, perfectly content in the silence. Whatever had weighed them down before now felt lighter, swept away by the rain and the comforting presence of someone who simply chose to stay.

#Jonghyuk♡Giselle???#first time writing for sunberry village #hime's fanfics #hime's farmers #himespace✧#stardew valley #sdv #stardew farmer #sunberry village #sunberry village jonghyuk #jonghyuk sdv #jonghyuk sbv #stardew valley fanfic #sdv fanfic #stardew fanfic #fanfic #sdv fandom #sdv fanart

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