#But well... that requires Stardew to settle down | Explore Tumblr posts and blogs

nostalgiclittlespace · 4 months ago

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hello friend!! may i please request a flip!cg! haley x flip!regressor! farmer! reader (stardew valley) fic where the reader accidentally gets themselves hurt from overworking? if possible, they're receiving comfort from either a cooking or gardening accident. thank you so much!! have a wonderful day ˚ʚ♡ɞ˚

Super cute, idea! Relationship between Haley and reader is unspecified, though implied they are married and living on the farm together. It was really fun to write them as flips and include caregiver and little vibes from them both 😋 Hope you like it! (Title is from a Melanie Martinez song)

SFW AGE REGRESSION FIC. DNI IF NSFW, KINK, PROSHIP, OR SIMILAR. DO NOT REPOST TO OTHER SITES.

Title: Frosting of my Heart

Pairing: Flip/CG!Haley & Flip/Regressor!Reader

Wordcount: 1012

Description: You’ve been working very hard lately, and most recently wanted to surprise Haley with her favorite cake. A small mishap in the kitchen led to an injury, but Haley is always there when you need her!

TW: Knives, blood, and cuts (accidental) Not super graphic, but it’s there

Frosting of my Heart

While the rest of the world fell to chaos, Stardew Valley remained virtually untouched. You lived here now, in the quaint Pelican Town. You were happy to have settled here, to have inherited your grandfather’s peaceful farm and enjoy a calm, lovely life in your own bubble.

Speaking of being in your own bubble…

Today, you had been a bit spacey. Even if Pelican Town was its own small paradise, it still required serious work. You were regressed and tired after a long day’s work, filled with caring for your animals and harvesting. You had intended on taking a nap that afternoon, but there was just so much to do! And even after you finished your chores, you wanted to bake Haley her favorite treat, just because you loved and appreciated her! She had gone out for the day to visit her sister in town, so it was the perfect time to cook up a surprise.

So, after a quick shower and turning on your favorite music, you dashed around the kitchen, hardly paying attention to what you were doing. You knew the recipe for Pink Cake like the back of your hand now, since you had made it so many times. It didn’t take very much concentration to measure flour or crack an egg, so your tired, distracted headspace continued on.

Soon enough, you got the cake in the oven, and you could begin preparing the frosting. You wouldn’t need to do too much yet, as the icing wouldn’t be applied until the cake was fully cooled, but you could at least get started on slicing the cherries you used. They provided a perfect flavor and color, a rich and natural pink.

As the scent of homemade cake floated through your small kitchen, you sliced and diced cherries into fine pieces. All you could think about was how happy Haley would be when she smelled it when she walked in the door.

Nothing else existed or mattered within these walls of distraction, and–

Ouch.

A sudden pain in your finger snapped you back to reality, reflexes taking over. You looked down to see a red liquid on your finger, and for a split second you chalked it to be cherry juice. But as the pain fully sunk in, you quickly realized your mistake. You had accidentally cut yourself.

Your eyes welled up, frightened by the blood and knowing Haley always told you to be careful with knives if you were regressed. What would she say? More pressingly, where was she so she could bandage it up and kiss it better?

As if the universe heard your prayers, the front door swung open that very moment. Haley stood in the doorway like an angel from the heavens, a halo of golden blonde hair and a cheerful smile. She stepped inside, not yet noticing your peril.

“Hey, love,” she greeted happily. “How was life without me for a day? Let me guess, you missed me terribly?...Why are you holding your hand like that?”

“I got a cut,” you admitted in a small voice, feeling like a deer in the headlights as Haley’s eyes widened.

“You’re hurt!? Why didn’t you say so!?” she exclaimed, hurrying towards you and snatching your hand to inspect it.

Haley’s brow furrowed in concentration as she stared intently at the cut on your finger. You froze with bated breath, as if awaiting news that this centimeter sized wound would be your demise.

“You need a bandaid. You’re lucky it’s not too deep, otherwise we’d have to run to Harvey’s clinic!” Haley said, already dragging you to the medicine cabinet to find supplies.

“I’m sorry,” you mumbled, already feeling bad for worrying her.

“It’s okay. It was an accident,” Haley waved you off, standing on her tiptoes to reach the disinfectant spray and a colorful bandaid. “Let’s go sit down and get you patched up.”

With that, Haley guided you to the dining table, where she took a seat across from you. You braced yourself for the brief sting from the antiseptic spray, which Haley always insisted on using whenever you got an injury, no matter how minor. She seemed to have learned something from the resident doctor, as she would always spew facts about the germs that your animals and soil carried, which you worked with every day, and the importance of preventing infection, even in the most minor of injuries. Thankfully, it only hurt for a few seconds, and Haley wouldn’t chastise you for whining while it did. Instead, she wrapped your finger in a clean tissue to stop the bleeding, then pressed a kiss on top of it. That alone made the pain ease.

“How did you get hurt anyway?” she asked.

“I wanted to make you a cake,” you explained weakly. “I was cutting the cherries.”

Haley hummed, nodding. “I thought something smelled delicious in here. Pink Cake?”

“Uh-huh,” you nodded.

“Well, thank you very much for making it, love,” Haley smiled.

She removed the tissue from your finger, surveying it once more to make sure it wouldn’t bleed anymore. Satisfied, she reached for the bandaid and unwrapped it; it was in your favorite colors with a heart in the center–a design Haley let you pick out last time you were at Peirre’s General Store. (She had picked a pretty pink pack for herself)

“Hold still,” Haley ordered as she wrapped the bandage. Not too tight, and not too loose; it felt like a small hug and safeguard for your battle wound. “There, all better!”

“Thank you,” you said, feeling much better now that there was no more blood or loneliness. In fact, the farmhouse returned to its usual calmness. Once again, you could return to your bubble, where anything frightful couldn’t touch you.

“How about I help you finish cutting the cherries,” Haley suggested. “You are too little to be handling knives by yourself, you know.”

“Okay,” you nodded. “After that can we go play?”

“I’d like that. Want to have cake for dinner too? As a treat for all your hard work?”

“Yes!”

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bitegore · 4 months ago

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# oh??? that also sounds so cool!!!!!, Ik for a fact that I'd play the hell out of smth like that, even tho I'm awful at combat, actually I think that'd only elevate the experience with the helplessness, anyway!!#that sounds like it'd do such a good feeling of unease and terror before the switch, and that switch would bring such an interesting crash of absolute panic down on the player when they're already in such high alert, jdgftsgbjdgduv, yeah very interesting very horrifying!!! (tags modified slightly to be a little easier to read)

Grabbing you. Talk about evil game design with me. Hi. You get it.

This is ofc one of my awful evil very-bad-no-good ocs, so I obviously know what her deal is, but the thing about the.

Well actually let me start at the beginning.

(also GOD DAMN this got wordy, so here's a cut.)

In its purely joke-level form, this started as a sort of mean-spirited jab at the spectre of the "I wish this game was in an alpine village rescuing my neighbors' cats" school of thought, which I was kind of unfairly conflating with Stardew Valley, which i was also unfairly conflating with Animal Crossing. At the time I was so sick I thought animating would be easier than drawing, so we're clear. I know those are three different games with only some vague crossover and not one coherent concept when I'm not sick, I promise, and also I don't even have anything against either of the actual games lmao. But conceptually, the idea was that - well, Erica has the demure pretty girl thing down, that's part of her character concept, that she looks like a demure pretty girl exactly as long as it takes for you to write her off as "not a threat" and then she kills you. So I was thinking to myself that it would be really funny to put Erica in a game that looked like a cozy resource management sim, and then just let her start wreaking havoc 3/4ths of the way through the game.

(That has been its own idea since forever - that most of my OCs work pretty okay as deuteragonists or primary villains, but Erica would be incapable of not coming off like a very boring side character until a late-game twist where she suddenly reveals herself to have been orchestrating all manner of problems and nursing some awful grudges behind a pleasant facade.)

Anyway the construction I came up with first was: resource management & character-driven dating sim, but then at some point, Erica starts killing characters and then she kills you and skips town. The only kind of combat system I like playing is the soulsborne-style kind that requires you to pay a lot of close attention to timing and spacing, so that's the kind of combat I was imagining. And. Well, like you said, I sure thought that it would be fun to play, actually, too.

So I settled on some mechanics.

The first part of the game is riffing very closely off games like Stardew Valley and Harvest Moon, where you have a farm, and you grow your crops and raise some animals, and then you take them into town and trade them for money and maybe points with some of the NPCs you get to interact with. You have an enemy set up - Erica's dad, petty nobility and autocrat of the town who no one likes - who will send saboteurs your way and try to price you out, but you can scare them off. There's a tutorial character (tall redhead with red sunglasses who doesn't talk much and spends most of the game writing in a notebook or making graphs; if you know my OCs you might have an idea who that is but don't worry about it!) who gives you the farm and all but demands you get into some sort of conflict with this petty noble, helps you set things up, and then generally goes about ignoring everyone and reading books while sitting around so you can click on him for tooltips if you want reminders of how the controls work. There's also a weird monster in the forest you keep hearing about and sometimes see the eyes of. Most if not all of the NPCs are neutral-to-friendly outside your established enemies, i keep going back and forth on if there should be any explicit Not-Affiliated-I-Just-Don't-Like-Outsiders characters but like there's enough going on and I want the players to get to at least the middle.

That's because, at some point about halfway through the "growing season", Erica's brother disappears off the face of the earth. The bad guy sends his cronies to run about town for a while asking the NPCs if they know anything, but the NPCs openly love you and kind of hate him, so you hear about it basically when he sends someone to your door with an apology and a letter asking you to look into it, because he cares more about his son than he does about keeping his economic stranglehold over the town or whatever. You can, like, turn this down, but if you don't, you get access to a second part of the game: PUZZLES!

(This is because the entire game is a puzzle, but we haven't gotten there yet. Kind of thing you're supposed to solve on the second playthrough.)

Anyway, Erica's brother is the first to die, but not the last. Next up is the post officer, so news can't leave town. Very scary. Then NPCs start dropping like flies but in an order that doesn't matter because I'm not introducing all of my cast here. But what you get to do is go to the scene of their (either last sighting or grisly murder), and there you get to get two pieces of "information" (old notes, 'this looks like zyx's handwriting', footprints that don't match a certain kind of shoe, etc) spelled out for you by clicking on the right items, and one puzzle you have to solve - like a cryptogram or figuring out what the code to a safe is with a note written over it - to get a third piece of information. You also get a list of 20 scenarios that might have happened, or a list of live NPCs you could blame for the murder. You have to match the right scenario to the right murder, and if you get it wrong, you only lose access to that scenario but it doesn't tell you what the correct one was, only that you were wrong, because I want to force you to do the other thing instead. Which is - if you think you know who did it, you can confront them. It'll only hurt your relationship a little, unless you're right about who it is, in which case Erica goes and does what you see above and then she KILLS YOU!!!!!!!! >:3

Well, not necessarily.

It's the kind of game where you're supposed to want to build up a relationship with the characters (so you care about them turning up dead and want to stop it from happening and all) so Erica is another character you can have conversations with, and stuff. She's actually positioned to be relatively important - she'll give you insider information if she likes you on her dad's business ventures, and she's romanceable! (But watch out.) This means that it would only be fair if I added a secret option where like.

Okay. Erica's deal is that she wants to look defanged, so that when she starts killing people, no one thinks it could possibly be her. So she watches her words, and she watches her mannerisms. Underneath that, she is a seething bloodthirsty person who hates almost everyone around her, has a ledger of slights a million incidences long she intends to repay tenfold in blood for everyone around her, and she also has the means to carry it out. What she doesn't have is a way to get away with it without someone pointing out that she did all this and it following her around. Which means: she is absolutely playing a particular role. But if you encourage her to get mean and bloodthirsty, she'll decide you like her mean and bloodthirsty because you are mean and bloodthirsty, which means... well, maybe you can be an accomplice and not a total 100% murder victim or nothing. So like. If you went the "man Erica your dad kinda sucks I think I want to kill him" route and didn't try to romance her!!!!!!!!!!!! then she'll invite you to go kill everyone in town with her actually. That's a different thing, this is long enough so I won't get into the mechanics of that one but it's a crowd rush (obviously) and designed to be a lot less Extremely Fuckhard.

But like, normalstyle, first she goes "wow omg that's such a hurtful thing to say! what's your problem :( my fucking brother is dead and you said i did it? what's WRONG with you? LOL SIKE yeah i did that shit and it was awesome. and im going to gut you like a fucking fish now" and then she hard-cut drags ydou into soulsborne-style boss combat.

She's got three phases! Uh... let me just copy-paste from my working document for this, actually, it's easier than describing it all casual. Please ignore the all-caps.

PHASE I: SPEED She is INVARIABLY FASTER THAN YOU. She has a small handful of common melee attacks that involve darting and lunging toward you. She has two less-common melee attacks where she comes close and stabs at you multiple times for combo damage, but does not block or defend herself, opening herself up to attack and knockback, which she is susceptible to. She has one rare melee where she feints and then hits you with the stick of her cane, dealing a mild bludgeoning damage but inflicting knockback, and then following up with her knife while you are dazed, dealing combo damage again. She has a dodge that triggers randomly. This phase lasts until her health is at 50%, and then the animation and then second phase is triggered. PHASE-CHANGE ANIMATION: MUH EPIC KNIFETOSS ERICA stops to inform you that she's kind of impressed, actually, she thought you'd be mincemeat by now. She then throws her knife aside, and switches her grip on her cane so that she can swing it like a bat. She does not have I-frames during this time, so she can straight up just be whacked at here. PHASE II: HAMMERTIME ERICA uses her cane as a WAR HAMMER (large, slow, blunt weapon) to deal HEAVY DAMAGE and DEBUFFS slowly. She is about half as fast as you. She has a most common melee attack that is just whacking you with her hammer. This STUNLOCKS you after a KNOCKBACK. She has a less common melee of sweeping you with the butt of her hammer, which deals KNOCKBACK, and then bringing the hammer down on you while you're stumbling in a twofer. This STUNLOCKS you. She has a least-common ranged attack that only triggers like, once per every fifteen minutes or something, where she just straight up kicks something off the ground in your direction. This is homing and cannot be dodged. It deals some minor damage but is mostly just a random thing to bother you with if you're playing ridiculously cautious. She has no dodge here. This phase lasts until her health reaches zero. PHASE-CHANGE ANIMATION: WELL NOW YOU'VE DONE IT ERICA gets annoyed and flings her hammer down, but before you can react, she is shapeshifting into her fox form. This one DOES have I-frames for coding reasons.

PHASE III: HEY GUESS WHAT IDIOT IM NOT A VAMPIRE AFTER ALL! ERICA turns into her FOX FORM, the STRANGE FOREST BEAST! This comes with a SECOND HEALTH BAR about the same size as the first, but ERICA's RESILIENCE is higher! She uses her FOX FORM as her weapon (unarmed melee is the fastest kind of weapon and she has teeth. which are basically blades). She has multiple hand grapples. She has multiple swats that deal KNOCKBACK (no stunlock). If you're really bad at dodging, she can pounce on you with both hands, which deals DEVASTATING DAMAGE, STUNLOCK, and KNOCKDOWN (not KNOCKBACK, which is a stumbling); this comes with a short period where she holds still, laughing, and you can attack her if you want. She has a mouth grapple that allows you to cheese her by utilizing the last couple seconds you have mobility to stab her through the mouth; this is very hard. The grapple deals DEVASTATING DAMAGE and inflicts BLOOD LOSS, a mechanic that only appears for this boss fight and saps your health. She can bite normalstyle, which deal HEAVY DAMAGE. She moves VERY QUICKLY because she moves at the regular speed she walks at but she is now about 5x the size of her usual sprite, which means she covers ground much faster - and she's FAST in her first phase. You have to know WHERE she's going by LEARNING HER ATTACKS or you are just FUCKED fucked. At the end of this phase, if you beat her, Erica laughs, and then collapses to the ground. WINNING the fight on the first run triggers an ANIMATION: Erica, laying down, says "Wow. I really underestimated you. You and I, we must be more alike than I thought. Fair's fair, I guess. Should've done my homework." Then she coughs and slumps. As soon as the camera is pointed away from her, there's a rustling sound, her laugh sounds, and when you turn back, she's just gone. WINNING the fight AFTER the first run triggers a different ANIMATION: ERICA, laying down, says "Ah... you've - oh, you've beaten me. Woe is me... took you long enough, but truly, I have been bested," and then she more dramatically coughs and slumps. As soon as the camera is pointed away from her, a voice line plays - she says "Sike! You don't have it in you!" and when you turn around, she's just gone.

So you see. She's kind of mean once the jig is up. She's not like that before this. But also like, even if you win you don't win. On account of this isn't the end.

Also if you don't guess that she's killing people, or you just fully ignore the entire mystery (you can get involved after the first invitation!), there's a different thing that happens. One day you come into town and everything is just on fire, and also Erica is covered in blood (see: above LOL) and holding a knife. my girl is killing people. no longer up for debate. When she sees you, unless you were doing the secret pro-murder route (which means you have to succeed at a conversation first and if you answer the wrong way she does still try to kill you) she just goes to try and kill you pretty much instantly. If you win at the conversation you get to kill everyone with her again. But either way, at the end of this one, there's still nothing to do, really. Except go home.

So you go home. Your tutorial guy is still there. He's still not talking to you. Your farm is just on fucking fire though. If you click on him, the usual tips menu is replaced with text that says something along the lines of "Tips: LOL".

There's a-- it's not a cutscene because you CAN technically interrupt by attacking them if you want, it's just a terrible plan because you'll aggro them both at once. But Erica shows up and it's basically a cutscene. She and your fucking tutorial guy (he's 'the redheaded man' on account of he never tells you a name lmfao) have a conversation that makes it very clear they were working together this entire time. Like, here's a piece of that exchange:

ERICA: You were right about schemes, turns out. ERICA: They're so rewarding to finish. THE REDHEADED MAN: Nothing like knocking down the dominos, huh? ERICA: Mm... I don't think I'd say dominos. It's too juicy. ERICA: Bringing a real mean plan into fruition. THE REDHEADED MAN: Fruit, huh. ERICA: You nurture it, watch it grow, and then when you taste it... ERICA: ...It's the sweetest thing in the world. THE REDHEAEDED MAN: You're wasted on murder. You could be a poet. ERICA: I'm multifaceted. I can do both.

Then at the end of this they agree that you're like, a perfect patsy, and fuck off to go travel the world now that someone else is going to stand accused of all their murders, since you're a stranger from out of town who showed up, openly had a conflict with the guy who ran the town, and then there were ~all those murders~. Anyway, roll credits!

Then like. There's a second thing I was thinking about and... well, honestly, almost definitely want to keep because it would be a little miserable otherwise. Which is that you can just swing a weapon at anyone at any time, but the game won't like, prompt that basically ever unless someone starts it. That's because unless you swing it at Erica or one of the enemy characters, nothing happens and they just go "[player name], what was that for? ow!" or something.

With one other exception. Which is the tutorial character, our late-game turncoat.

If you swing on THE REDHEADED MAN, he dodges and takes off his glasses. This triggers one of the only directly-triggerable voice lines. THE REDHEADED MAN: I assume that that was an accident. If you swing on THE REDHEADED MAN a second time, he dodges again and throws his hair out of his face. This triggers another voice line. THE REDHEADED MAN: What are you doing, [PLAYER]? If you swing on THE REDHEADED MAN a third time, you can actually hit him, revealing the health bar. It is fucking ridiculously huge (actually, the same amount of health as ERICA, but visible all on one bar). THE REDHEADED MAN: Are you fucking stupid, or are you smarter than I think you are? THE REDHEADED MAN: I guess we'll find out, hm? This will trigger the SECRET HAVEN FIGHT.

yeah okay that tells you his name, this is my oc Haven. in the actual story with him and Erica they DO work together to kill everyone in Erica's hometown, starting with her family but certainly not ending there; they don't quite do it like this though. Also of note is that this is the only character in the entire game who swears, because I think it's funny to have a marker on the game for profanity but it's for a route that only happens if you do something that the game doesn't tell you to do.

Anyway I haven't ironed all the mechanics of this fight out yet because I'm not sure how to make the character work while also making the fight, like... theoretically beatable. me when i have a character who likes to use mind control to tell people to hold still so he can disembowel them and then i need to make you fight them and have some way to win:

But that's what I got.

And i can't even lie. If this was a game someone else made and I could get through the resource management part without getting horribly bored I'd have such a good time with the rest of it. As long as I get the combat system right anyway.

also of note is that there's wolves who will steal your livestock and troublemakers who will steal your crops on top of the saboteurs and you can get in scuffles with them all if you want, also that there are ghost stories you can collect that are all actually about erica in her guise as The Scary Forest Monster Fox or haven/tutorial guy in weird costumes breaking into people's houses at night, there's a polyam grocer couple that wants you to be their third super badly and will bribe you for it, there is an anachronous lesbian biker gang, and you can get 'chaos jobs' that you can pick up that occasionally include 'break a window in xyz's house and we'll give you twenty bucks'. also that our tutorial guy can't be prompted to speak but, if you spend a lot of time around certain characters, has rare voice lines that trigger *eventually* that are like. mild catty insults except for erica. who he likes so he says something complimentary instead. I have a lot of things going on here.

Dont worry about it!

Stardew Valley-inspired Erica animation, drawn sometime in January while I was sick as a dog. This took ages, and all because I wanted to animate the bloodstains moving properly. The framerate isn't even quite right lol.

#hi everyone im talking to the person whose tags these are BUT you can jump in if you want.#anyway you can see why this is a back-burner 'not for a long time' project.#also most likely it won't be 2d when i finally do it. mostly so the fight stuff will be easier.

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theresattrpgforthat · 3 years ago

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Is there a ttrpg for recreating the vibes of games like Stardew valley? Farming mechanics aren't a must, this is mainly the small town farming community vibe and other aspects like the social aspect of games like those.

THEME: Small Town Farming

Here is a small selection of cozy games to warm your heart, with little-to-no violence and the opportunity to enjoy living out your cottage-core dreams!

Cozy Town, by Rae Nedjadi.

This game is an opportunity to sit down with friends and create a lovely town together. You’ll play out an entire year of this town, across sweet spring, sunny summer, soft autumn, and snuggled down winter. Together you’ll explore what makes people, and the communities they’re in, feel safe and cozy

If you like games that make you go "aaawww" and feel all soft and full of happy sighs, this is the game for you and your friends! The rules of this game are guided by the game A Quiet Year with a splash of Dream Askew, both by Avery Alder.

This is a game that will focus more on community and less (if at all) about farming. It is a GM-less game for 3-6 players (with a solo option), that requires no prep at all and gives all of the players a say in what the town looks like and how events unfold. This is a game that takes a lot of inspiration from Stardew Valley, and if you really want to focus on non-violence, you should absolutely check it out.

Under Hill, By Water, by Rise Up Comus

Under Hill, By Water is a stand-alone game with parts and procedures familiar to fans of old-school TTRPGs. It's explicitly a game about the quiet pastoral life of halflings so a lot of fat from dragons and/or dungeons has been trimmed off. There are tons of flavourful randomizers to make sure your halfling's life is quiet, but never boring.

The book for this game has 3 chapters. The first chapter focuses on Character and Town creation: PCs focus characters and the GM can create the home town. The second chapter covers the rules - there will be elements of adventuring in this game, but there will also be resting in the firelight as you wind down from the day’s adventures. Chapter 3 outlines the four seasons and provides random tables for events and scenarios that upset the peaceful life of your little hobbits.

The creator of this game has provided a Template Kit for anyone who wants to create their own supplements for this game, and some folks have already taken up on this opportunity, including the cozy adventure, Of Mushrooms Meet & Marvellous, by deserted gm, a game about a cooking competition. If you want a small, cozy adventure with a bit of a challenge, you might like this game.

The Land Whispers, by Jessica Osborne

"You left your old life behind to settle in a vast and distant wilderness. It is untamed, but it is beautiful, and with time, it whispers stories of old to you. Play to reflect on where you came from, and to learn about the lifethat the land itself has led."

A collaborative, peaceful, settlement-based RPG where you and 1-3 other players build a homestead in the wilds of a distant landscape and, by purpose or by chance, begin to discover the secrets of the land you live on.

Build a quiet home for yourself and your friends or family, discover a great secret hidden within the land, and tell stories of the land and the people who came before you. All you need is a deck of cards and the guide book.

This is a cozy game, but it has the potential for some depth: your characters are living on top of a secret and they have to play to figure out what is going on. This is a GM-Less game, so it works very well for a group in which everyone wants equal say in what’s going on. This is also a game in which lore is generated by the group, rather than set out for you beforehand.

Take Root - Perennial Edition, by Katy Koop.

congratulations! you all have achieved the dream. you have a farm. the world is nothing but possibility, at least for this next year. you will work on your farm, foraging in the wilderness, and fighting through the caves for a year, until the harvest festival in the beginning of the next spring. make choices every day to win the festival.

Take Root is a solo or multiplayer farming game, using a six-sided dice and a journal or tracker of some sort to help you manage your inventory. If you use the multiplayer version, one person will play as the “mayor”, and be in charge of narration and the bank, while the other players will play farmers. There is a goal in this game: to win by gaining the most points. Your players will farm over 4 seasons, and at the end of the year, compete in the harvest festival to determine who has the most impressive achievements.

This game feels very much like a tabletop version of Harvest Moon, where you can farm, buy materials, and adventure in the forest to find interesting items. It’s about 16 pages in length, carrying information about basic rules, the kinds of items in the town, a list of NPCs, and templates for character sheets and inventory trackers. This game has less mechanics that help with community building, so any social role-play you do might have to be imported using your imagination.

Mectors, by Chubby Crow Games

After the war, thousands upon thousands of bipedal mechanized fighting vehicles (or “Bimechs”) were left scattered across the land. Many were brought back to the capital cities to be repaired or scrapped, but the majority of them were too damaged to be easily transported. With the war won, the victors simply left their mechanical refuse in the battlefields to rust and wither. Across the nations, in communities that had lost great numbers of working folk, these Bimechs replaced rudimentary tractors and mining equipment. Nobody knows who was the first to call them “Mectors”, but the name caught on and spread. The war ended over a century ago, and while the world still bears its scars, it has also healed. The capital cities still skirmish from time to time, but those fights rarely extend into the farmlands and mines of the common folk.

In Mectors, players take on the role of a farmer, miner, fisher, carpenter, or some other worker in a labor intensive field. Mector Owners come from all kinds of backgrounds. Some own a Mector that’s been in their family for generations. Others came across theirs recently, through purchase or luck. And a rare few have managed to piece their own together using scraps from decommissioned Mectors, but this is even harder than it sounds. No matter how they got it, they now have a powerful tool with a long history. This game is built on the Charge system.

This is a really interesting setting in that you have these big mechs to pilot around, but your goal is to make the land around you feel like home. I’ve described this game as a “beating swords into plowshares” kind of genre, and it still really sticks out to me in terms of how unique it is. Mectors is set in a larger world built by the author, Harper Jay. If you want to learn more about the broader setting, they have a free Into the Heartland primer on the game page for you to download and flip through, along with at Town Sheet and a Character Sheet for the game. This is an excellent option if you want to engage in farming and community building, but want a community already built before you start.

Banda’s Grove, by Pandion Games

The planes intermingled, not neatly defined, but patched and twisted into each other, all radiating out from where Banda stood. You can find the springy ground and dazzling colors of Alohi blended with the cold, snowy lands of Cluthar. The dry grasses and stone of Ágil folded around the dense, lush blues and floating fauna of Pese Malosi. The peoples are just as wonderful and varied as the planes they inhabit.

From the journal of Ranger Murie, First of the Grove

A crackling campfire, a cozy cabin, friendly company, a primordial quantum being in the shape of a white-tailed prairie dog, and making s’mores. There’s really nothing quite like living at Banda’s Grove: The Quantum Convergence of Campgrounds. Banda’s Grove is a diceless, cozy, slice of life RPG with collaborative, legacy map drawing for 1+ players. A community-building game of discovery, quasi-magical quantum science, whimsy, and wonder!

This game is described as “Stardew Valley meets Outer Wilds” in the game description. It’s a game where you can escape to a place weird yet unthreatening: there is no violence in Banda’s Grove. Your players are campers that explore a strange place while building new facilities, add onto the lore, and earn badges to improve your character. The author takes reference from Wanderhome, Outer Wilds, and Cozy Grove. You can check out the press kit here, and pick up some community-created content here!

#game recommendations #dnd #tabletop games #cozy games #indie ttrpg #asks #thank you for your patience

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astra90x · 3 years ago

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Flufftober Day 20 - Bedtime Stories

@flufftober

Fandom: Stardew Valley

Pairing: Sebastian x Reader

Word Count: 862

Reader Pronouns: She/Her

This is one chapter of an entire linear story! It can be read separately but is better when read as a whole. Enjoy!

❤❤❤❤❤♡♡♡

Usually, with how much work you do in a day, falling asleep is more than easy. You work your body to its limits to keep your farm going, and when your body gets the opportunity to rest, it embraces it gratefully. However, as you’ve gotten deeper into winter, and you’ve spent more and more time each day sitting inside or doing things outside that require little energy, you’ve found it increasingly harder every night to fall asleep.

Tonight has been the worst of it, so far. You’ve been in bed since midnight and it’s almost one o’clock now, but you still don’t feel any closer to falling asleep. Your eyelids want to do anything but close. Sighing, you roll over for the millionth time, trying to get comfy enough to become tired.

After another twenty minutes and still no luck, you eventually decide to just give up and grab your phone. If you’re going to be awake, you might as well do it scrolling mindlessly through social media.

However, when you pick up your phone, you realize that it’s opened onto a conversation you had with Sebastian—the one after your Solarian Chronicles game. You flick through the messages, a smile forming as you reread what was your first “real” text conversation with him. You’ve had a few since, but none as long at this one. It’s wonderful to read through your old messages and realize how far you’ve come.

You move your finger to the corner of the screen to exit your messages, but through your half-lidded eyes, you miss the button by a fraction of an inch and hit the one next to it instead.

The call button.

Oh no.

The phone starts ringing before you know what’s happening, and you frantically move to hang up, but your finger is hovering just over the button where you hear a low voice say, “...hello?”

“Um, hi,” you reply quietly. You’re a little afraid that Sebastian will be upset with you for interrupting his night, so you add, “I didn’t mean to call, sorry.”

“That’s alright, I wasn’t asleep yet.” Though you don’t doubt that Sebastian was up this late, the grogginess of his voice implies that he’s at least in bed. Your guilt doubles. “Why are you up so late, though?”

“I’ve been having trouble sleeping for days,” you groan. “Tonight’s been the worst of it, I don’t even feel tired yet.”

“I’d offer to sing you a lullaby if I thought that would help,” Sebastian chuckles. You resist the urge to blurt out that a lullaby from Sebastian would help. Anything to hear that singing voice again. “Is there anything I can do, though?”

“Mm, I don’t know,” you respond. You like the idea of Sebastian helping you to sleep, but over the phone, you don’t know what to suggest. Options are, unfortunately, limited.

“Would it help if I told you a story?”

The suggestion catches you a little off guard, but after considering it for a moment, you think that listening to Sebastian talk would relax you enough to help you sleep.

“If you have one to tell,” you reply. “And if you don’t mind, of course.”

Sebastian laughs. “Not like I’m doing anything else with my time. If it’ll help, I’d be more than happy to.”

You settle down into your covers as Sebastian’s end of the phone goes silent, but after a minute, he says, “Ah, okay, I know what to tell you. I hope you don’t mind nerd stuff.”

“Nerd stuff is great.” You can almost hear Sebastian’s smile as he launches into a story. It sounds like one of his Solarian Chronicles campaigns, with a storyline involving a kidnapped princess, a brave knight, and a dragon. Not only that, but he names the princess (Y/N), and the knight Sebastian. You figure he’s only doing it to add some extra personality to the story, but it makes your chest feel warm and fuzzy anyway.

Sebastian describes the adventure for almost half an hour, and though you’ve gotten incredibly invested in the story, you can feel your tiredness growing with each passing minute. First, you submit to closing your eyes, then you have to fight to keep your consciousness as sleep creeps its way in. Eventually, you’re unable to fight any longer, and you drift off to the lull of Sebastian’s voice.

~~~

Sebastian keeps talking for another few minutes before he realizes that you’re asleep. He quiets his voice down and slowly phases out his words so as to not stop abruptly and wake you up with the sudden silence. He listens to your rhythmic breathing for a moment and smiles softly to himself.

Though Sebastian isn’t feeling super tired himself yet, he gently sets his phone to the side and gets himself comfy within his bed, not doing anything except listening to you on the other end of the phone. He knows that he should probably hang up now that you’re asleep, but for some reason, he can’t bring himself to.

He sits silently for what must be at least twenty minutes, just enjoying your invisible presence, until he too falls asleep, the phone call still active.

❤❤❤❤❤♡♡♡

#flufftober2022 #day 20 #stardew valley #sdv sebastian #stardew valley sebastian #x reader

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theanimeview · 3 years ago

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Muffy: Will You Give Her A Wonderful Life?

Source: https://www.pinterest.com/pin/harvest-moon-a-wonderful-life--568227677956353515/

By: Casea Smith | @coffeewithkrow

On one fateful Christmas day, I got Harvest Moon: A Wonderful Life. This was not only the first farming simulator I ever played but also the first game I had ever played that allowed (or, in this case, required) you to marry someone. It was revolutionary to me as a child, and it opened my mind to a new way of thinking about what video games can be in general.

As you can imagine, the announcement of A Wonderful Life’s remake (now under the franchise Story of Seasons) left me bouncing with joy and anticipation. With every teaser, the wait until summer simply feels longer and longer. While I wait, what better way to kill time than to write about my usual choice to marry: Muffy.

For clarification, in the Story of Seasons version, her name is “Molly.” Molly is the same character as Muffy, but, for this post, I will be referring to her by the original name of “Muffy.”

Muffy is an interesting character. She is easy to judge with one’s first viewing with internalized misogyny. She works at the bar and comes off as very bubbly and flirtatious. Muffy certainly stands out against the countryside background with her bold make-up and red dress, but there is more than meets the eye to this young lady.

In the subsequent game, Another Wonderful Life, you play as a female instead, allowing you to see things from a different perspective as same-sex marriages in video games weren’t an option in those days. So instead of always marrying her, I had to sit on the sidelines and experience the tragic progression of Muffy’s love life.You see, as the oldest of the bachelorettes, all she wants is to settle down and have a family with the love of her life. The problem is, there isn’t anybody in the village who has caught her eye, nor do they seem interested in her that way either, so she dates boys from the city.

Well, every year, you can catch Muffy standing on the bridge watching the sunset. At first, she’s there to re-examine her heartbreak over men not taking her seriously, and not wanting to settle down. Time passes again, and she tells of a man that cheated on her, and how he chose the other woman over her. Each passing year becomes bleaker as she ages. Meanwhile, you have already chosen your mate and are watching your son grow up while Muffy is found at the bridge mourning over what could have been year after year.

Source: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=62DNLYrtj2M&ab_channel=ch0colatemilk

As a child, I felt helpless and completely willing to marry Muffy if only the game would allow it. So, whenever I re-play A Wonderful Life, I tend to feel a twinge of guilt when I decide to marry someone other than Muffy.As I try to figure out which candidate I will choose, I can’t help but wonder if it is even healthy to decide on Muffy out of guilt since I know she won’t marry anyone else or move on in life if I don’t choose her–it’s quite reminiscent of Penny from Stardew Valley in a sense.

Yes, their situations are vastly different considering Penny is living in a trailer with her alcoholic mother, but lots of people decide to marry Penny because they feel the need to rescue her. If more people knew of the progressing destruction of Muffy’s dreams, would that motivate more people to choose her out of the different candidates?

It might not be the healthiest reason to pick someone, but I don’t think it’s an invalid reason. Not to mention, the focus on the guilt can make it seem like you’re ONLY choosing them because of their trauma, when in reality you might see them as more than that.

However, after a long reflection, I believe that there are other reasons to like Muffy and marry her beyond pity or guilt. She is very sweet and is the only one to approach you first. A good-looking new farmer is in the valley, and she is not going to pass up the opportunity to make something happen. She also blossoms into the motherly role quite beautifully; it’s quite endearing to see her enjoying life on the farm with her husband and son. However, comparing Muffy with the other bachelorettes, I can’t help but think that she really is the best choice!

Celia is an obvious choice as she is also a farmer, and the child she bears will more naturally have an interest in running the farm, but, as a kid, I was disappointed by the fact that she doesn’t seem to farm anymore after you marry her (at least not that I could tell). It’s as though a major passion of hers is gone.

When it comes to the quiet and cold Nami, I always felt like I was tying her down and keeping her from being the traveling spirit she is, particularly when I know that she would be off traveling had she not married me in that playthrough. She’ll even express such feelings from time to time, and it would break my heart as her in-game spouse.

But now, with the Story of Seasons's remake, there are many candidates to choose from, as gender is no longer an obstacle when it comes to marrying someone. Though, I hope that those of you reading this and planning to play the game will give Muffy a chance if you haven’t already. If not, I’d love to hear your takeaways from her character, too!

#A Wonderful Life #Story of Seasons #Harvest Moon #Muffy #SOS #AWL #HM #HMAWL #SOSAWL #Analysis

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flowersbby · 5 years ago

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Drawn to You | Corpse Husband x Fem! Reader

Warning: Makeout, This is a lil long (I got carried away)

Word count: 3859

It was a typical night for you. You had your music playing faintly in the background while you were writing notes for your anatomy & physiology class when you felt your phone vibrate violently on your desk, which caused your French bulldog, Royal, to wake up from his snoring slumber on your lap. With an annoyed huff, you pick up your phone and notice your best friend Rae had texted you numerous times.

Rae 😴

Hey!

Among Us!

Now!

Need 10th person!

Pleaseeeeee

You stared at the messages for a minute. You were confused on why she asked you of all people. You were the opposite of the many streaming friends she had who were loud, funny, and all around GOOD at games. Your shy character would not fit well on her stream and you knew that. Plus, the only games you’ve played are Stardew Valley and Animal Crossing, which requires no communication with people and you preferred it that way.

You

Why me? I’m in the middle of writing notes.

Rae 😴

There’s this person I want you to meet!

He’s really nice and you’ll warm up to the group in no time, I promise!

I won’t let them be mean to you 😤😤

They’re nice ppl anyway so they wont be mean lol

You

Okay.. let me load up my discord

Rae 😴

Yayy!

I already bought among us for you last time I was over so you’re good to go!

‘What? When did she find the time to buy the game for me? We were literally together the whole time she was here.’ You thought, but quickly dismissed it and loaded up discord. Right as you got online, you got an invite from Rae. You quickly grabbed your headset and adjusted your mic before joining the call. You petted Royal in an attempt to calm your nerves as you saw 9 peoples profile pictures appear in front of you. You only recognized Rae’s, of course.

“Hey, (Y/N)!” Rae exclaimed, “Guys, this is my best friend (Y/N)! Introduce yourselves!”

“Hi, I’m Toast!” Said the man with the toast icon. You smiled at his profile picture. You found it cute.

“I’m Jack!” Said an Irish voice. You know Jack. You used to watch his videos a lot.

“I’m Poki!” Said a girl with a really sweet voice, “Nice to meet you!” You were about to say hello back when someone else chimed in.

“Hello, I’m Felix!” You recognized that Swedish accent. He was the most well known YouTuber, of course.

“Nice to meet you!” Said a really soft voice, “I’m Sykkuno!” His voice reminded you of an anime boy. You smiled to yourself.

“Hi, I’m Lily!” Said a really cute and high pitched voice.

“Hi everyon-” You went to introduce yourself properly until you got cut off.

“I’m Corpse.” Said a deep, attractive voice. Your eyes widened for a second, his voice catching you off guard.

“H-hello,” You attempt to say hello again but this time you’re a little shaken up by Corpse’s voice, but you get it together by petting Royal once again. “I’m (Y/N). It’s nice to meet you all!”

“Your voice is so adorable!” Says Lily. You smile at the fact that someone who’s voice is equally as adorable complimented yours.

“Thank you!” You respond, “Your voice is adorable too, Oh my God!”

Lily giggles at your compliment. “Alright!” Exclaimed Rae, “Ready to play (N/N)?” You quickly realized you forgot to load up Among Us before hand. You were silently kicking yourself for not doing such a simple thing. Now they’re gonna have to wait longer to play because of you and they already waited long enough for you to join the discord call.

“Um..” You stall as you hurriedly click on the Among Us icon. “I’m so sorry. I forgot to load it up.. but it’s loading right now!” Your eyes are glued to the screen as if it’ll make the game boot up faster.

“That’s okay.” Said Corpse in the most kind voice. “It won’t take that long.” You feel heat rushing to your cheeks just by hearing his voice. Who is this man and why is he making you feel like this?

They all agreed with Corpse and continued chatting about whatever they were chatting about before you joined the call. You were half listening as you were trying to figure out what to do as the game loaded up. Just as you were about to ask Rae, Corpse sent you the game code through a private message. You typed “Thank you!” as you quickly entered your name and then the game code.

“Woo! (Y/N)’s here!’ Said Rae happily. “Choose your color and your hat!” ‘Where do I do that?’ You thought to yourself but quickly found it. You wanted to be pink but it wouldn’t let you choose it.

“Why isn’t it letting me choose pink?” You asked.

“It’s because Corpse is pink.” Explained Lily. “He took it from me too.” She said with a sad, but funny, tone.

“I can be a different color.” Corpse said and quickly changed his color from pink to white.

“Oh, Thank you!” You said happily and picked a flower to match it.

“No problem.” He said and you could hear the smile in his voice. It made butterflies appear in your stomach.

“Are you kidding me?!” Said a laughing Lily. “I literally ARGUED with you about letting me have pink!”

“I sense something happening...” Cooed Rae in a sing songy voice. The whole group then erupted in “Ooooo’s”. This made you blush. You covered your face even though they couldn’t see you and Corpse chuckled, which only made you blush more.

Before the game started they all explained to you how to play so you wouldn’t be lost. This calmed your nerves a bit and when the game started you were happily going around the ship completing your tasks. Watering the plants was your favorite so far since you found it satisfying how the plants grew. You saw Corpse run up to you and you made your character step away a bit because you didn’t want to get killed. He instead ran circles around you and you decided to follow him for the rest of the game for safety. You both encountered Rae and Toast by the vending machines but didn’t think much of it and waited for Corpse to finish his task. Until Rae killed you and Toast killed Corpse. “A double kill?!” You shouted to yourself, causing Royal to wake up and slowly get off your lap. “I’m sorry buddy..” You said to him as he laid down in his dog bed. You turn your attention back to the screen as someone found you and Corpse’s dead bodies.

“Um, bodies found by the vending machines.” Said Felix who didn’t sound all too confident. “Jack where were you?” He asked.

“I was in..” As Jack was about to explain himself you heard a ‘pop’ emit from your headphones and saw a red dot by the messages icon. You clicked it and saw it was a message from Corpse. You completely stopped caring about the arguing going on through your headphones as Jack was trying to claim innocence.

“I like your flower :)” It read. You smiled big and immediately typed back.

Your fingers hovered over the keys thinking about what to type back but you settled on a simple “Thank you :D”.

After two games or so everyone got tired and decided to head out. You all said your goodbyes and watched as each person slowly began to leave the call. You didn’t want to leave until you were sure everybody was gone. Everybody left but Corpse. “Hey..” He said, sounding a little shy but it was probably just because he was tired.

“Hi!” You said a little too excited. You immediately wished you could reword what you said a little calmer.

“So, uh..” He began, “Could I possibly get your number? For Among Us games I mean?” He didn’t sound too sure of himself but him asking this made you beam with excitement.

“Of course.” You said calmer than before, “But I don’t know what help I’d be as I’m terrible at this game.” You giggled.

You typed in chat your number, your fingers shaking slightly. “Nah, I liked playing with you.” He said more confident, “You make it more fun. Even though I haven’t ever spoken to you before.” He chuckled. You smiled at his words. Butterflies formed in your stomach hearing him laugh.

You and Corpse chatted a bit more until he decided he should go, but you wished you guys could have kept talking the whole night. You felt this connection with him that you couldn’t put into words. It felt so easy for you to talk to him and you didn’t feel as nervous around him as the others you met today. There was something so calming about him that washed your fears away. You shook your head from the thoughts and told yourself that you just met him today, you shouldn’t get ahead of yourself but it was hard not to.

You were laying in your bed scrolling through twitter when you got a text.

xxx-xxx-xxxx

hey its corpse

is this (Y/N)?

Your heart skipped a beat. You were excited Corpse texted you so fast, hoping you two could continue talking.

You

That’s me!

I thought you were going to sleep?

Corpse🥺🖤

nah i hardly ever sleep i just left because i didnt want to keep you up

i really enjoyed playing with you

You

I enjoyed playing with you too

We should play together again soon

Corpse🥺🖤

definitely

You’ve begun to become really good friends with Corpse over the past week. You and him would facetime each other whenever you could. You always were on facetime with him, actually. Whenever you were studying, you guys were talking. Whenever he was editing, you guys were talking. When you were about to go to bed, you guys were talking.

Right now, you guys were facetiming as you were studying for an upcoming exam and he was trying to stay awake. You liked having him around when you were studying even if it was through a phone. You didn’t feel pressured to talk or have to worry about an awkward silence with him. It was comfortable silence.

You started to worry that you were keeping him up, though. “You can go to bed if you want,” You said softly as you looked up from your textbook to the black screen propped up against a few books. “ I don’t want to keep you up. You need some rest.”

“No..” He muttered, “I like having you around..”

“I like having you around too Corpsie but we can talk when you wake up.” You told him a little sternly in an effort to convince him to go to bed.

“Can I ask you something?” He asked out of the blue.

You paused before answering and shifted your gaze to the black screen once again. “Yeah sure, go ahead.”

“Do you want to maybe stay over here for a bit?” He asked, “Whenever you’re free, I mean. If you don’t want to I get that too I just feel so drawn to you I want you closer to me. Is that weird? I’m sorry if that’s weird. Actually, forget I said-”

“I’d love to come over.” You told him with a smile. “When would you want me to be there?”

“As soon as possible.” He said in his raspy, tired voice. Butterflies formed in your stomach and you felt your heart skip a beat. This man was something else.

“I can be over there in the morning..” You start, “I just have to pack and everything. Is it okay if I bring Royal? I don’t want to leave him with my sister.” You look over to Royal sleeping peacefully on your bed, snoring away.

“Hell yeah!” Corpse exclaimed, “I love animals! Bring him over.” You giggled at his excitement.

Corpse ended up falling asleep soon after and you ended the call. As you were getting ready for bed you began to think of what Corpse’s place would be like and what you guys would do. You were definitely going to show him Stardew Valley, that was for sure. You pondered the thought of you finally confessing to him that you wanted to be not just his friend, but girlfriend. You’ve been wanting to do it for awhile now but you get too scared and end up chickening out, so you figured if he liked you like you like him, he’d make the first move. You started to make up scenarios in your head about finally hanging out with Corpse in person as you drifted off to sleep, hearing Royal snoring peacefully in the background.

It was the next morning and as soon as you woke up you changed into your favorite outfit and began to pack. You didn’t know how long you were staying for but you decided to pack about 2 weeks worth of clothes just to be on the safe side. Royal was sitting on the floor watching you as you hurried from your closet to the suitcase on your bed. You were happily humming as you were excited about the day. You heard your phone buzz and you quickly grabbed it from your bed as you saw the name pop up on the screen.

Corpse🥺🖤

hey :)

heres the address:

You

Thanks! and hello 😊

You two texted until you were ready to go. You were definitely NOT looking forward to driving two and a half hours from LA to San Diego but you were so excited to see Corpse that the dread of the long car ride washed away.

You put Royal into his harness and plopped him in the back seat. He looked at you confused since he rarely ever gets to go for rides in the car. “We’re going to see a friend!” You tell him while petting his head. He then laid down and began to close his eyes.

After what seemed like forever you were finally outside Corpse’s apartment. You grabbed Royal and attached his leash to his harness and then proceeded to grab your giant (and heavy) suitcase out of the trunk. You struggled getting the suitcase up the apartment building stairs but you managed. You felt a sense of relief that his apartment building had an elevator so you didn’t have to deal with more stairs. The ones at the entrance were enough. While you were waiting for the elevator to take you to his floor you took this opportunity to text him.

You

On my way up!

Almost immediately after you sent it he read it. He started typing but the three dots quickly disappeared. Before you could question it the elevator doors opened to his floor. “Come on, Bud!” You said to Royal and motioned for him to go ahead. Royal got up from his sitting stance and lead the way. After passing 2 other doors, you were at Corpse’s. You knocked two times.

You heard shuffling on the other side and the door knob turning shortly after. Before you knew it, Corpse was in front of you. His eyes were looking at yours. You immediately smiled. “Hi.” Corpse said with a slight smile as well.

“Hi..” You said shyly. You didn’t know how to react now that he was in front of you and not behind a screen. He stepped aside and motioned for you to come inside. You entered his apartment and set your suitcase by the couch. Royal was pawing at Corpse’s leg, begging for pets.

“Aww, hi buddy!” Corpse said excitedly. “He’s so well behaved.” Corpse was talking to you now.

“Yeah, it took work though.” You laughed slightly. “Your place is really nice.” You said as you looked around. You noticed all of his mirrors were covered up, but you decided not to ask him about that. He probably had his reasons.

“Thank you.” Corpse said as he looked at you. “You look pretty.”

You blushed and turned your head away from him so he couldn’t see your pink cheeks. “Thank you.”

Corpse cleared his throat, “So uh, I don’t have a guest bedroom so I’ll take the couch for however long you want to stay.”

You quickly shot your head at him. “No no no I’m not letting you sleep on the couch in your own apartment.” You argued with him.

“Well, I’m not letting you sleep on the couch.” Corpse stated.

“Then we’ll share your bed.” You said with a shrug and headed towards his room to set your suitcase down, Royal following closely behind you. You didn’t see anything wrong with it. You and Rae share one whenever you guys sleep over at each other’s house and you thought this was no different

“O-okay.” He responded and quickly followed after you, “So, this is my room.” he said as you and him both entered.

“I like it!” You exclaimed as you looked around. You liked how dark it was in there. You smiled at him and he smiled back at you. That smile.. You thought and quickly fumbled with your suitcase as you set it down by his closet. Corpse came closer to you.

“Can I give you a hug?” Corpse said a little shyly, as if I’d say no.

“Of course!” You said and wrapped your arms around his neck. He was taken aback but quickly put his hands around your waist. You caught a whiff of his mild cologne which made you want to stay in the hug a little longer. You didn’t want to be weird though and pulled away from the embrace.

“I’m really happy you’re here.” He said as he looked into your eyes. I could kiss him right now, oh my God. Your mind raced, but you managed to get out some words.

“I am, too.” You said.

It’s only been about a day since you’ve been over at Corpse’s. Sharing the bed seems to be no big deal as he barely seems to sleep. You so far liked being there with him.

Right now, you were on the phone with an overly excited Rae.

“You’re at his HOUSE?!” She yelled excitedly in your ear. Your face cringed a little bit from the yelling.

“Yeah,” You told her, “He has a really nice place.” You said as you scanned his living room.

“I knew you guys would hit it off!” Rae said, “I should be a matchmaker or something.” You blushed at her comment.

“Nothing’s happened yet.” You said quietly, not wanting Corpse to hear you.

“Girl, you’re at his house.” Rae said in a obvious tone. You rolled your eyes.

“This could just mean he likes having me over as a FRIEND.” You told her. You were hoping that wasn’t the case though and Corpse did have feelings for you. You smiled at the thought.

“You are so oblivious.” Rae said with a sigh, “Anyway, I gotta go workout. Love ya! Hope everything goes well!” She said the last part in her sing songy voice.

“Love you too!” You said back and ended the call. What do I do now? You thought. Corpse was streaming so you couldn’t hangout with him right now and your physics class isn’t till a few hours. You were hungry, though, and decided to cook some lunch for you and Corpse. It’ll be a nice surprise for him. You smiled at the thought.

You made your delicious Dorito taco salad that you love so much. You made a bowl for Corpse as well and took it to his room where he resided. He didn’t seem to be streaming anymore and was just scrolling through Twitter on his computer.

“I come with food!” You say as you place the bowl down in front of him. You seem to have startled him as he jumped slightly when you spoke. He examined the bowl suspiciously.

“What is this?” He says cautiously of your creation.

“It’s Dorito taco salad.” You explain, “It has crushed up Doritos, of course, shredded chicken, lettuce, olives, and sour cream in it.” He seemed to be skeptical of it, which was a given every time you made it for someone new, but people ended up loving it when they tasted it. You were confused as to how many people found it weird since your mom made it for you when you were a kid a ton, so you were used to the delicious lunch dish.

“Okay.” He said and took a bite of it. His eyes lit up. “Oh my god, this is so good!” He exclaimed and took another bite. You giggled with excitement that he loved it like you did.

You both ate together and laid down on the bed as you talked about random things that were going on in your lives. You guys were laughing at a joke Corpse said until Corpse got serious.

“I have to tell you something.” Corpse said and looked into your eyes.

“Okay,” You said confused, “Go ahead.”

He took a deep breath. “I like you.” He confessed, “Like, romantically. I have for awhile now actually and I don’t know what it is about you and I thought I was done with love but you make me feel so happy and different from anyone else I’ve talked to. You don’t have to feel the same way but I couldn’t keep my feelings in for any longer.”

You paused for a moment. Is this actually happening? Are you in a dream? “I like you too, Corpse.” You say softly. His eyes beam with excitement..

“Really?” He asks.

You laugh at his bewilderment. “Yes, really!”

He tackles you in a hug on the bed. You giggle from his excitement. He’s on top of you and he lifts his head up from your neck to look you in the eyes. You get a rush of emotions as you see the care and love in his eyes as he’s looking at you.

You blurt out what you were thinking in that exact moment. “Kiss me.”

He leans in and kisses you softly. One hand is holding him up on the bed as the other is cupping your cheek. You take one hand and tangle it in his hair. This causes him to deepen the kiss with you. The kiss turns rough. You’re both so in the moment you don’t want to come up for air but you guys manage to keep going by taking in air when your lips part for brief moments. The hand that was cupping your cheek is now next to your head, taking the responsibility of holding him up. The other hand is trailing up and down your thigh, squeezing your thigh tightly ever so often. You eventually break the heated kiss and look up at him. You were hoping he could see the love you had for him in your eyes.

“I liked that.” You say smiling.

He chuckled at your words. “I like it too.”

#corpse x reader #corpse husband x reader #corpse husband #corpse #fic #fanfic

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turtlepated · 4 years ago

Text

When it Rains in the Valley

Stardew Valley fic - ShanexFemaleFarmerOC

NSFW - One shot

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You could have happily stayed curled up in bed for another hour or more, but even though your eyes were still closed and your body still relaxed and warm below the quilt your mind was dragging itself awake.

Sighing softly through your nose, you burrowed deeper into the mattress and allowed yourself just a little bit longer before getting up and beginning your day. Eyes still shut, you began to mull over the plans that had begun forming the previous night as you dropped off to sleep. The wheat field would be ready to harvest soon, and there was the irrigation system to fine-tune before replanting with a new crop. Rows of corn stalks packed with ears that would need to be picked before the crows got at them. And of course there were the chickens that would need feeding and cows that would need milking.

The list was never ending, crops to tend to, repairs to be made, wood to gather, fruit to be made into jams and jellies, vegetables canned and preserved. You were proud of your modest little farmstead, even if it did require all the work and attentiveness you could muster.

With another gentle sigh you began building up the will to hoist yourself out of bed, going still when a soft, rhythmic sound met your ears. You stilled, frowning into the pillow, recognition coming slowly into your still-sleep-muddled brain. Just as you worked out what it was, you felt the mattress shift beside you as a heavy form settled at the edge of the bed, an arm reaching across you to brace against the comforter.

A familiar scent and a waft of warm breath across your cheek as a kiss was pressed there, the ticklish scratch of stubble against your skin that made goosebumps sweep up your arms. You didn’t open your eyes, but you couldn’t contain the smile that stretched your lips as another kiss landed on your temple.

“It’s raining.” Humming, you rolled onto your back, caged between the arm braced against the mattress at your side and the warm, solid body that perched on the edge of the bed. Even in the semi-darkness of the stormy, pre-dawn morning you could see him; his dark hair damp and sticking up oddly in a few places, his ratty blue Jojamart jacket nowhere to be seen. He smelled faintly of rain, crisp and tangy mixed in with the rich, earthy aroma of clean hay and the heady, somewhat spicy scent you’d come to associate with just him. As you were taking him in he did the same to you, his forest green eyes roving your form with avid interest and a profound fondness that made your breath catch in your throat. When your eyes met he grinned lopsidedly, lowering his face back to yours and favoring you with soft, languid kisses to your cheeks, your chin and nose and forehead, not stopping even when you giggled and squirmed at the tickle of his scruff.

“I thought that’s what it sounded like,” you murmured in response, curling a hand around the top of his shoulder as he drew back enough so you could look at one another. Shane shifted then, reaching up with a hand to brush a stray fall of hair off your forehead.

“I had an idea,” he said, his voice soft and low, making you shiver. You raised your brows at him, an invitation to continue.

“You won’t need to water the fields today,” he went on. “And I just came in from taking care of the animals. I know you wanted to fix up the irrigation in the wheat field, but you can’t do it in the rain…. So the morning is pretty wide open...” You were grinning now, the hand on his shoulder gradually working its way up the curve of his neck while his own hand likewise began to wander, feeling for the top of the blanket and peeling it back enough to find the hem of your sleep shirt which had ridden up in the night.

As his fingers splayed across your stomach, sliding in no particular hurry up towards your ribcage, your hand caught him by the back of his neck, urging his head down to you. You could see and hear him swallow as he complied, not quite able to shake his nerves even though this had been his idea. Craning your neck, you kissed the tiny furrow between his eyebrows, soothing away the worried lines on his features. “What did you have in mind?” you teased, able to discern the flush creeping up his neck and blooming on his cheeks even in the low light.

Abruptly the large, warm hand on your torso slid up to cup your breast, kneading gently, the short, blunt thumbnail toying with your nipple until it hardened. When you let out an appreciative purr and reciprocated by raking your nails through the fine, buzzed hair at the base of his skull, Shane shuddered and dove down to capture your mouth in a heated kiss. You broke apart long enough to kick yourself free of the covers as he clambered fully onto the bed, toeing off his wet shoes before settling at your side, supporting himself on one elbow so he could lean over you.

Things stilled for a moment between you. Excitement was sparking through your body, waking you fully, every inch of skin prickling attentively in anticipation but you were transfixed by the awestruck look on his face, as if he still couldn’t believe something like this was happening to him. His eyes were riveted to you, flitting all over, seemingly unable to settle anywhere for long. You watched his tongue dart out to wet his parted lips, his chest rising and falling quicker despite the fact that all that had transpired so far was a hot kiss and copping a feel.

Shane tended to get lost in his own head, and for most of the time you had known each other that could be a treacherous place. But you knew just how to bring him back to the here and now. Smiling, you reached up to touch his face, loving the rasp of his whiskers against your palm. He turned to press his lips into your hand, a rush of warmth spreading from the center of your chest outward.

“C’mere,” you breathed into the space between you, meeting his mouth halfway as he leaned down to kiss you. You sighed into the kiss, drinking in the smell and taste and feel of him in the soft give and take that followed, quickly growing more demanding and desperate as you all but tugged him bodily on top of you. Fingers delved into his hair, scratching his scalp as your legs tangled together: yours bare but for cotton sleep shorts, his in old jeans from where he’d gone out to the coop and the barn. The rough texture against your calves and thighs was rapidly causing arousal to pool, bubbling like molten metal, in your pelvis. Shane had rucked your shirt up practically to your neck, squeezing and massaging your chest while breaking off from your lips to kiss a chain across your cheek to the sensitive spot behind your ear.

“Fuck,” he gasped, hot breath blasting against the side of your neck. “You’re so beautiful. How are you so beautiful?” You felt yourself flushing under his murmured words of praise, struggling to get your shirt off and out of the way. Noticing your wriggling, Shane backed off and took the bunched material in his hands as you sat up enough to slip your arms and head out. His lust-blown eyes grew impossibly larger as he distractedly dropped your shirt and lowered himself, chest to chest, pressing you down into the mattress as he ravished your exposed neck and collarbones and shoulders with single-minded attention; lips and teeth and tongue, a mix of heat and chill as his breath ghosted over the dampened skin before pressing hot, open mouth kisses anywhere he could reach.

You mewled softly at his ministrations, your blood scorching as it roared in your veins, your pulse thumping in your chest and in your ears and between your legs. Sighing his name you tipped your head to one side, offering him more room which he gladly accepted as he sucked marks along the column of your throat. You crossed your ankles around one of his, gripping his leg between yours, an exhilarating swooping sensation in the pit of your stomach at the prominent bulge that pressed into your hip through layers of fabric.

“Mmm, too many clothes,” you managed to say, your hands fumbling for the bottom of the ill-fitting polo shirt he still insisted on wearing, saying it was a waste to wear anything else because it would only get dirty. Shane sucked in a breath as your hands tugged the hem from his waistband and you felt him tense all over.

“Wait, wait,” he stammered. “Just… gimme a second, okay?”

You let out a sad little huff as he lifted himself off you to sit uncertainly back on the side of the bed, sitting up to fix him with a knowing look as he dithered about looking anywhere but at your face. As many times as you had seen one another naked, Shane still got self-conscious sometimes about his physique. As a former athlete, he was even more uncomfortable with the soft chest and rounded stomach that had resulted from the hours he’d logged in the corner by the fireplace at the Stardrop Saloon. You didn’t mind it in the slightest, point of fact you had found him incredibly attractive ever since your first meeting when he waspishly snapped at you to leave him alone. Telling him that you liked the way he looked was all well and good, but he never quite seemed to believe you.

Anyway, showing him was much more fun…

The line of his shoulders was tense as you rose onto your knees, scooting your way across the bed to him. You felt him jump slightly as you leaned against his back, your face angling into the curve of his neck as your arms wound around him. After a beat he relaxed into your embrace with a long sigh, distracted from whatever train of thought was trying to steer him away from you.

“Let me help?” you mumbled against his neck, asking permission but also assuring him that it was what you wanted. You smiled when you felt and heard his breath hitch slightly, your lips ghosting across his skin as he swallowed and nodded his consent. Fingers spread to caress his chest, you slid your palms down the curve of his abdomen towards the bottom of his polo, which was still partially guarded by the arms folded over his middle.

You paused when your fingertips met his forearms, chuckling under your breath and shifting closer, pressing more firmly against him and resting your chin on his shoulder.

“Shane? Honey?” you whispered, tucking your face into the side of his neck and kissing softly at the space behind his ear. A tiny moan issued from between his parted lips, but you had his attention again. “It’s okay.” Slowly, he allowed your fingers to delve past his arms to the hem of his shirt and beneath.

Working slowly, keeping up a steady stream of praises and confirmations muttered into his ear and neck and the side of his head, you shucked off his shirt and cast it aside. Without the fabric separating you, your breasts flush against his bare back, your hands skating up and down his stomach and chest while your mouth worked along the curve of his shoulder, Shane couldn’t keep himself quiet; moans and gasps and whispered curses.

Grinning wickedly against his heated skin, you took a bit of his neck carefully between your teeth while raking your nails through the dark hair that dusted his pecs, circling his nipples and experiencing a sense of satisfaction when the dual sensations drew a choked off cry from him, his back arching and his head falling back over your shoulder.

Your ploy worked, but your triumph was short lived. With his inhibitions now thoroughly forgotten, Shane spun in your arms and caught your lips in a searing kiss as he surged forward back onto the bed, driving you ahead of and then under him as one arm encircled your hips while the free hand kneaded at your chest. Another thrill went through you at his sudden ardor, your hands resuming their stroking and petting as he again broke off the kiss to nip a matching mark on your own neck that made you hiss. You shuddered afterward as you felt his tongue, hot and wet, gently lapping at what would surely be a bruise.

“Hah, still too many clothes,” you breathed against the shell of his ear with a grin. You felt him hum into your skin as an answer, shifting to get his hands and knees under him to raise off of you. His eyes were practically glued to you as you shimmied out of your sleep shorts and underwear, smiling coyly at him as you dropped them carelessly over the side of the bed and lay fully naked before him. For a beat all he seemed able to do was simply gape at you and a nervous flutter started up in your stomach.

In the next instant he settled himself beside you and you threw a leg up and over his hip, pulling flush against him and a little thrilled by the fact that you were now bare while he was still half dressed. Shane began moving, himself and you, scooting his way to the center of the bed and then rolling onto his back and pulling you with him so that you now straddled his waist. His hands both came up to grasp at your ass, fingers digging deliciously into the flesh before sliding up the curve to grip your hips, holding you tight against him as your mouths moved against one another.

You hummed into him as one of his hands roved back over the curve of your ass, the other pressing into your back, holding you to him. The wandering hand didn’t stop at the crest of the rise, continuing on downhill and between your legs where you were already growing pleasantly wet. Two fingers brushed at your lips and you felt Shane smile into your kiss as he noticed it as well, pressing them in just a little further. You gasped into his mouth at the minor intrusion, feeling the rumbling from deep in his chest as he chuckled.

In revenge for his teasing you rolled your hips, grinding against his pelvis and grinning at the groan that escaped him. His hands immediately left your body and fumbled with his button and fly, squirming to work them down his hips without unseating you. Your grin widened at his desperation, but you obligingly raised yourself up onto your knees so he could lift himself off the bed and work his pants down.

His stiff cock bobbed as it slipped free of the constraints of his clothes, coming to rest flush against his soft stomach. You eyed it hungrily, glancing at his face through your lashes. His cheeks were reddened, the fringe of hair over his forehead already sticking to his skin with sweat. When he saw the look you were giving him his blush darkened and he swallowed hard.

Without further stalling you took him in your hand, hearing him suck in a breath through his teeth as you gave him a squeeze before settling yourself down beside him and wrapping your lips around him. Shane’s eyes shut and his head dropped back against the pillow with a muttered curse as you languidly sucked him, lavving the flat of your tongue against the underside of his cock, humming as you went.

“Ah shit, baby, just like that!” he gasped, one hand burying itself in your hair. He shuddered when you took him in deeper, hollowing your cheeks and earning a drawn out groan as his fingers tightened against your scalp. You pulled your head back, letting him slip from between your lips and replacing your mouth with a fist, stroking his spit-slick member until his hips began to judder. Abruptly his hand flew to yours, stopping your ministrations.

“‘M not gonna last long if you keep that up,” he rasped, his chest and shoulders pleasantly flushed. “It’s your turn. C’mere.”

As you repositioned yourself, Shane kicked himself free of his pants, reaching up to discard the pillow under his head and guiding you to straddle his face. “If you need to stop, let me know,” you urged him, but Shane needed no concerns. Raising his head he stroked your slit with his tongue, from cunt to clit, making you gasp at the contact.

From then on he dove in headlong, mouthing your mound with his lips while his tongue sank through your damp folds. He sighed through his nose and groaned into you, the vibrations making your insides clench deliciously as you breathed his name. Shane teased your clit with the tip of his tongue, tracing around and around it until you keened and gripped his hair. You were sopping by now, between his mouth and your own arousal, and ready for more.

You batted his hands away from where they held you in place by your hips, moaning for him to stop, that it was becoming too much. He let his head fall to the mattress, his chin coated in your slick and his own saliva, his chest heaving almost in time with your own.

“Wanna come with you,” you managed to say, reaching down to tenderly glide your fingers through his hair. He leaned into your touch, nodding once. Raising yourself on trembling knees you scooted back down his body until you straddled his waist. Shane tensed when you took his cock in your hand, stroking him lightly as you lined it up with your entrance and sank slowly down onto him. Your moans tangled together until you were seated against his pelvis, taking a beat to catch your breath before you started to move against him.

The burn, the stretch of his cock filling you were delicious, scratching an itch that had been building since he first woke you up. “So good,” he hissed. “You feel so good, baby.”

“Mmm, so you do,” you purred, rocking in his lap. His hands gripped your thighs, fingers clenching against the plump flesh. Your own hands smoothed up his stomach to his chest and back, stroking and petting as you rode him a little faster, chasing the finish you were both desperate for.

Shane didn’t seem able to keep his hips from rising to meet you, with each upward thrust his cock struck at the perfect angle that made you moan. Your head lolled back on your shoulders as you picked up the pace, feeling his body tensing under you. “Are you close?” you asked, looking down at his flushed and sweating face. He nodded, releasing your leg with one hand and bringing it up to his mouth. Licking the pad of his thumb he reached between your legs and circled your clit. The added stimulation made you moan obscenely and increase your pace even more. As you rutted against him Shane grunted with each stroke, his thumb unrelenting in its teasing of your already sensitive clit.

Pleasure had built to a fever pitch in your body as you lost your rhythm completely, thighs screaming from the exertion as you bounced up and down on his cock. “Fuck, Shane! Fuck, baby, I’m coming!” At last the tightly wound spring in your pelvis broke loose and you cried out as waves of euphoria swept through you, your pulse thumping and your muscles aching in the best way.

As your pussy clenched and unclenched rapidly around him, Shane came right behind you with a hoarse cry of his own, his whole body going rigid for a moment or two as he rode out his release before he finally relaxed, sagging into the bed and gasping for air. When you trusted your rubbery legs to support you, you swept yourself up and off his hips, his softening and leaking cock slipping from you as you settled down at his side.

He wound an arm around your neck, tugging you closer for a lazy, sloppy kiss that you happily returned.

This was why you loved the rain.

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Just something that always crosses my mind when it rains in Stardew Valley. Thought I’d share!

#stardew valley #stardew shane #shane x farmer #shane x oc #stardew valley fic #i love my sad chicken husband

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bubble-tea-bunny · 6 years ago

Text

where the grass is greener

[sebastian x reader]

author’s note: just a quick thing i wrote over the last couple days, idk where the sudden inspo came from but enjoy <3

word count: 4,532

The twinkling lights of Zuzu City are the stars of some faraway galaxy, and Sebastian wishes he were an astronaut.

He’s yearning for the great beyond, and that’s the natural course of things, isn’t it? To look past the edges of the world within reach, and hope to one day explore the unknown, a search for life, for the future, for a place to call home. The rolling hills of the valley never seem more restrictive or suffocating than when he stands here, high on a cliff, elevated enough to view the bustling city. For a while now he has felt an urge deep in his gut to go there and experience a life so different from his own as it is currently, with the noise and the vastness. The mountains are walls keeping him contained and in the hours that bleed into days that bleed into weeks, he resolves that he’ll break past them when he’s older, and he’ll set course for his goal, for those glittering skyscrapers. What should he name his space shuttle?

Winters in Pelican Town are a special kind of cold, colder than normal due to the basin-like structure with the mountains on either side. The cold crawls in, settling at ground level, and the heat rises and seeps out. Pelican Town, sitting right in the middle, is forced to deal with the remaining chill.

This morning, the tip of Sebastian’s nose is flushed red from the harsh winter wind. His preference for not wearing scarves leaves him with nothing with which to shield the sensitive skin of his face. It may reasonably be believed, then, that this is cause to hasten his trek to the town center, but his decision to take the long way into town serves evidence to the contrary.

An old man had once owned the large farm to the west, but since his passing, the weeds have festered, and the few buildings on the property are in various states of disrepair. Sebastian walks by on occasion, observing the debris and decay. In winter, the weeds have rotted away and left the wide field barren save for rocks and stray logs. But by spring, they’d be back, and perhaps the new bursts of color from the trees still standing there will lessen the eyesore the steading has become.

Some nights Sebastian comes here to sit with himself and think because he knows he won’t be disturbed. No one comes this way anymore. He likes to sit on the edge of the porch and observe the expanse before him. The small house behind him has darkened windows, once illuminated with a soft yellow glow in the late hours. If Sebastian were to pull open the door (which would require some tools, given that it’s been boarded up, though acquiring them wouldn’t be an issue given his mom’s profession) and glance inside, there would only be cobwebs and silence.

The ponds on the property are frozen and snow clings to dead tree branches and Sebastian can see it all even without the aid of lights, for there are hardly any in this tiny town. Instead, the moon is the main source, a gentle white glow washing over the farm. Sebastian takes a long drag from his cigarette and exhales steadily. The cloud of smoke looks like a puff of air similarly breathed out in cold weather like this, except without the numbness he loves to find in the stick between his fingers. His brows furrow and he glances down, flicking off the ash. It lands on his jeans. Is he just tired all the time, or has he been carrying a pack of sleeping aids in his pocket?

Tired of this place… Sebastian huffs, is faintly amused, is exhausted.

Spring arrives and with it, another year bundled together with another bout of wishful thinking. Sam’s sitting by his desk, one leg crossed over the other and strumming lazily at his guitar. Sebastian sprawls out on the bed, staring at the ceiling and focusing on the sensation of the blood rushing to his head. They’ve been looking into securing a small gig in the city, nothing too big, but something to get their name out there. It stirs Sebastian’s thoughts of moving to Zuzu City permanently, and he loses himself in them as Sam experiments with riffs for the opening of their newest song.

A wrong note is plucked and Sam curses under his breath, then with a heavy sigh he sits up straight to stretch out his spine. During this momentary break, he seems to remember something, for once he relaxes, he grabs Sebastian’s attention.

“Hey, did you hear?”

Sebastian hums and he isn’t certain whether it’s meant to be a hum of question (Hear what?) or of half-hearted approval (That progression sounded good). Perhaps it’s neither, merely a signal to show he’s actually awake, listening for whatever Sam has to say.

“Someone’s moving onto the farm this week.”

Upon this revelation, Sebastian feels a mild irritation. He’d enjoyed having time to himself on that property. It offered an isolation he couldn’t get anywhere else in town, since he was basically the only person to bother passing through. The only ones to know about his late night visits to the abandoned farmstead are Sam and Abigail, but they don’t interrupt him when he’s there, understanding his need for space. Now, however, Sebastian would have to return to the train tracks.

“So the old man did have relatives after all,” he comments quietly.

The reason nothing had been done to the property is that no one in Pelican Town had the authority. After the previous owner’s death, the land had come into the possession of his family. The news had been passed along to said family a while ago, but there wasn’t a response, nor did anyone even come to appraise the farm with the intention of selling it. So there it remained, untouched for months, long enough that some grew skeptical that anyone would ever come to reclaim it.

Sam chuckles. “Guess so. But you have to wonder why now.”

“Yeah…”

If Zuzu City is a galaxy, you’re an asteroid drifting away from that system into the vacuum of space, floating aimlessly until you’re pulled into the orbit of another. And perhaps it is your aspirations and dreams of what you hope to find in this sleepy town that reside within the shooting star Sebastian sees pass overhead a few nights later, outshining the rest who hang in place.

Though if Sebastian’s honest, he has no idea what dreams might involve the valley and the town. It might be a great place for tourists to visit, sure, to bask in the quiet and the freshness, a temporary change of pace from the city. But for him, the quiet is too overbearing to stay here, and he wants to get away. He’d like to switch places with you. You, for some reason, have growing interest in the country life, and he has always had vested interest in the city life. A fair trade, right?

You’ve got quite the fixer-upper to take care of, that’s for certain. However, the sheer amount of work it will require to get the farmstead in an acceptable state doesn’t appear to deter you. You make many trips into town to buy supplies, and Sebastian has seen you when you stopped by his mom’s shop, the two of you working out blueprints for adding a new water well here or a chicken coop there.

The first time he spotted you had been in passing as he ascended the stairs from his room with the plan to get lunch from the kitchen (his first meal of the day). He heard the front door open and close and his mom’s friendly greeting, and he turned to see you walk right up to the counter she stood behind.

You didn’t look like someone from the city. He wouldn’t have guessed that you were if he hadn’t been told previously by Sam, who’d heard it from his mom, who’d heard it from Pierre. You wore a yellow t-shirt beneath light blue overalls (scuffs and dirt marks already marred the denim), the bottoms of which were rolled up neatly, and a pair of dirtied work boots. A red backpack sat on your shoulders and you had your hair pulled back into a messy ponytail.

He briefly listened to your conversation, and you sounded bubbly, excited as you shared your ideas for repairing the farm. And he still might not understand why you had the dreams you did of leaving the city and coming to Stardew Valley, but they’re yours, and you’re making them real, and he’d never fault anyone for that.

Day by day, new life is breathed into the steading you’ve come to call your own. The rocks and logs have been cleared out and you’ve set aside a small section to grow crops. There’s a fenced off area designated to be the site of a new chicken coop, with work beginning tomorrow. You even have a dog now, a stray Marnie came across and brought to your doorstep. Her name’s Daisy. She follows you into town sometimes.

Sebastian sees you often but hasn’t talked to you, other than a curt hello during your first meeting. The short of it is that he doesn’t have much interest in being your friend. He likes his small friend group, and when he isn’t hanging out with them, he’s perfectly content to be alone in his room. Maru brings up over dinner how nice you are, having stopped by the clinic earlier to drop off a basket of strawberries. Then she turns to him and mentions how he really should talk to you because You’ll like her, she’s sweet! But instead of convincing him, it does the opposite and only continues to dissuade him, and he merely sighs, shrugging noncommittally.

Sam and Abigail have taken a liking to you too. They wave you over on a Friday night at the saloon, and you join them in the game room. You excuse yourself from a conversation with Gus and walk over, but once you see Sebastian, you slow down, standing by the doorway. Grinning politely, you lift a hand to wave and give a quiet hello. Evidently you’ve been able to sense Sebastian’s disinterest in you, having kept a similar distance as he at any other time. But tonight, given Sam and Abigail’s invitation, such a distance would be impossible to maintain.

The two of them tell you to relax, and Abigail assures with a laugh Don’t worry, Sebastian doesn’t bite! and you chuckle good-naturedly but Sebastian can surmise you are nervous. For Sam and Abigail’s sakes, he will be a good sport and be friendly. He’s not so childish as to carry on as if you aren’t there. So with a smile, he grabs another pool stick for you.

“We can reset the game,” he informs you as you gently take the stick. “Sam was getting his ass kicked; I was expecting him to ask for a do-over soon anyway.”

“Wha—I was not!”

After that, Sebastian is considerably less averse to speaking with you if you happen to run into each other. He’s still curt, and never tries to carry on a conversation longer than the basic hello’s and how-are-you’s. You don’t push or pry either, to get him to open up, and he appreciates that. You understand he likes his space, and you let him have it.

Ultimately, it’s Sam who encourages him to get to know you better, and he won’t take no for an answer. She’s got plenty of stories to tell about the city, he remarks. I’m sure she’d be happy to share them if you asked.

Sebastian begrudgingly agrees to have an actual conversation with you the next time he’s able to, and he already knows he can’t lie and pretend that he has because you’re friends with Sam, and Sam will inevitably ask if you and he have talked lately. Though ironically, after this, Sebastian doesn’t see you a lot. The end of the season has you scrambling to harvest and ship the remaining crops, and your farm has grown quickly since you’ve been here, which means you’re out in the field most days.

It isn’t until the final day of summer that Sebastian gets the chance. The appearance of the moonlight jellies has everyone out on the beach this evening. Multiple lanterns have been placed on the water to provide better illumination, both for the purpose of viewing the jellyfish and to ensure no one accidentally slips off the edge of the docks. You’re one of the last to arrive, looking tired but satisfied as you speak with Elliott. You make your rounds saying hi and sheepishly brushing off comments on your diligence in preparing the farm for the next season.

Conversations die down to quiet murmurs as the ethereal glow of the jellyfish illuminates the water. Sebastian notices you in his peripherals coming to a stop a few feet away, sitting down and letting your feet dangle over the edge. He hesitates momentarily, but takes a deep breath, resolving himself to just do it, and, sticking his hands in his pockets, he walks towards you.

His boots thud quietly on the wood but if you notice, you don’t react. Not until he talks.

“No Daisy tonight?”

You blink and glance up to see him standing next to you, at a far enough distance that you don’t need to crane your head back painfully to meet his eyes. At his question, you smile lopsidedly and shake your head.

“No, she was too tired to come. She’s been working hard all day.” Usually Daisy accompanies you to the beach, running up and down the shore while you get comfortable on the docks, fishing rod and bag of bait in hand.

Sebastian smiles too, then points at the space to your left. “Mind if I join you?”

“Oh, of course!” You scoot over slightly as Sebastian sits down. The jellyfish are closer now.

“I was thinking of bringing her tomorrow,” you continue the original topic regarding your dog. “To take in that crisp fall air.” The humidity of summer had been fading this past week, leaving in its wake a colder, fresher breeze.

“I bet she’d really like that.” Sebastian might not have much to say, but what he does, he finds himself saying with ease. Perhaps it’s due to to the relief of tension now that he’s finally talked to you past a few courteous remarks, that he’s no longer anticipating the moment because it has already come to pass. And suddenly the prospect of talking to you more doesn’t seem so bad, despite his initial reservations.

“I hope so,” you respond quietly. You flash him a quick smile, then you both turn your attention on the ocean.

The approaching jellyfish are soundless, and with everyone silent, all that can be heard is the gentle lapping of the waves on the support beams of the docks. Spots of light move beneath the surface, the blurry forms of moonlight jellies venturing closer. They pass beneath your dangling feet and the lanterns on the water are poor competition for these creatures.

Sebastian feels you tap on his shoulder a couple of times to grab his attention, and he glances at you. But you draw his attention back to the jellyfish, pointing at one in the distance. Whereas most of the jellies are blue, as is their natural coloring, you’ve spotted a lone green jellyfish. Sebastian smiles and whispers you have a good eye. He’s not sure if anyone else has noticed, but he doesn’t bother to speak up, the silence so full of awe and wonder that he doesn’t want to break it.

The jellyfish congregate near the docks, as if to say goodbye, then slowly they drift back out to sea, and maybe the galaxy called Pelican Town has its own twinkling lights right here.

Green leaves fade to brown in the following days. They detach from the branches and float to the ground, and they’re the satisfying crunch beneath Sebastian’s shoes. The temperature has dropped quickly, and many townsfolk are bundling up to fend off the impending winter chill. The Stardew Valley fair comes and goes, and Sebastian doesn’t understand quite how to appraise the grange displays, but from the passing comments he overhears from Lewis, you put up an impressive arrangement for your first year. However, you don’t win, coming second to Pierre (it was close though).

Sebastian waits to the side as all the participants are given ribbons. You saunter over to him afterward, red ribbon in hand, and Sebastian pulls out his hands from the pocket of his hoodies to clap a few times. You smile shyly and rub the back of your neck, muttering a thanks.

“Hey, not bad for your first go of it,” he commends.

You shrug as you glance down at the ribbon. “I’ll win next year,” you resolve, and he doesn’t doubt it one bit.

The next event on everyone’s minds the second the sun sets on the valley fair is that of Spirit’s Eve. Sam, in particular, has begun to brainstorm costume ideas, first only for himself until he proposes a group costume—for him, Abigail, Sebastian, and you. He starts rattling off movies and games from which to draw inspiration, and Sebastian guesses he was meant to give his approval (or disapproval) for each idea, but Sam is listing them so quickly, excited as he is, that Sebastian hardly gets the opportunity to speak up. But he’s fine with simply listening.

“We really should have a costume contest,” Sam murmurs, voice low in a way that Sebastian isn’t sure if he’s talking to himself. “I wonder if I could ask the mayor to have one this year…”

Sebastian chuckles before he sits up and stands from Sam’s bed. He stretches his arms above his head and glances out the window: it’s completely dark out. The daylight is minimal this time of year, so this fact isn’t satisfactory evidence for the time of night. Rather, it’s the glance at the alarm clock on the nightstand that alerts Sebastian that it’s time to leave, for it’s growing late.

“I think I’m gonna head out,” he announces once Sam’s rambling has quieted down.

Sam nods and stands up as well to walk Sebastian to the front door, but pauses with his hand on the doorknob of his room as he twists around.

“You wouldn’t be taking the long way to your house, would you?”

Sebastian tilts his head. Walking past the farm? He hasn’t done that since you moved in. “I wasn’t planning to. Why?”

“Well it’s just my mom patched up one of [Name]’s shirts and asked if I could give it to her when I see her, but I figure if you’re going to pass by tonight…”

Sebastian nods. “Sure.”

With a smile, Sam picks up a folded long-sleeve from his desk and hands it to Sebastian. “Thanks, man.”

It feels strange to make his way towards the bus stop instead of the park on his way back. He hadn’t taken this route for almost a year, having never been one of the people to pay a visit to your farm. He’s not sure why he never did. Perhaps he didn’t want to be a bother. You’d always given him his space, and he figured it would only be right for him to do the same in return. Though unlike him, you never shy away from visitors, always glad to greet whoever comes over for a quick chat. So perhaps you won’t mind. Hopefully. The last thing he wants is to be in your way.

He’s unsure if you’ll even be awake at this time because you work a lot, and it leaves you exhausted. You don’t tend to stay up late. But as he approaches your farm, he not only spots the light shining through the windows, he sees you sitting on the edge of the porch, right where he has sat so many times prior.

He calls out your name to grab your attention and you look over, smiling when you see him.

“What’s up?" you ask as he comes closer, and your smile widens when he holds out your shirt. “Oh, Jodi’s fixed it! That was fast… I’ll have to bake her a cake to say thanks.” Then you turn to Sebastian and thank him for dropping it off.

But he’s not in a rush to leave, and he inquires what it is you’re doing staying out here so late. You shrug. Just basking in the quiet I guess… and taking it all in. You motion to the field, and Sebastian understands why you’re content to sit and observe the fruits of your labor. He hardly recognizes the expanse, so different from the way it was just a year ago. You’ve poured your love into it and it shows.

“You deserve to be proud of it.”

You smile and the lack of lights conceals the reddening of your cheeks at the compliment. Momentarily your eyes are downcast at the ground, but then they slide back up to observe Sebastian standing there. You take the thermos next to you and hold it out.

“Hot chocolate. Want some?”

He glances at the thermos but shakes his head no thanks, and you retract your hand. The nights are increasingly colder as winter nears, and even if he’s wearing a hoodie and jeans, you’re certain that he’s feeling the brunt of the weather. You speak up again.

“Okay. But it is cold and, well…” You grab the edge of the large, fluffy blanket around your shoulders and stretch out your arm to extend it. “There’s room for two.”

Sebastian catches on to your efforts to ensure he doesn’t freeze, and while he isn’t bothered to stand in the chill for a few minutes, he appreciates your gestures and agrees to this one, closing the gap between you in a several short steps and settling down on the porch. You drop the blanket around his shoulders as well, and both of you look out on the farmstead. In place of weeds and stray rocks are crops and pastures for the animals you’ve started raising. You’ve mentioned before they can be a handful given how many there are when there’s just one of you, but you’re happy to have them. And Daisy helps with the herding at the end of the day, so it could be worse!

The silence is comfortable, but Sebastian finally breaks it.

“Why’d you leave?”

You glance at him, confused as to what he’s referring to. He elaborates.

“The city.” He turns his eyes from the field to you. “What made you want to come to the valley? I mean… it’s so quiet, too quiet sometimes. I’ve always wanted to move to Zuzu City. I want to get away from here. But you did the exact opposite.”

This is the most he has ever opened up to you, and it surprises him how easily it slips out. But it’s too late to take back the words now, as they hang in the air between you, and his breath catches in his throat because, frankly, he’s embarrassed. He’s never this quick to share his feelings, his thoughts, his one wish to leave this sleepy town and not look back. And he’s worried what you’ll say, what you’ll think, of the candidness springing up from nowhere.

You don’t respond immediately, which fuels his concerns even more, but he realizes it’s the time spent putting your own words together carefully, as you smile gently, a reassurance that it’s okay to talk about these things. You’ll listen to whatever he has to say, and you’ll still be there even if he says nothing.

With a deep sigh, you face forward again to survey the farm. And you explain to Sebastian that you’d been in the city your whole life. Before your grandfather passed away, he left you a letter with explicit instructions only to open it when you grew tired of the hustle and bustle, of the fast pace of the city and the same thing day-in, day-out at your corporate job. I thought I could handle it, you muse, but I just cracked one day. One boring day… I can’t even remember if it was a Wednesday or a Friday because they all felt the same. You chuckle dryly.

Sebastian is watching you closely, patiently waiting for you to continue. You’ve followed his lead and opened up, and he has found himself intensely curious to discover more about you.

You take another deep breath, acutely aware of the crisp air that floods your lungs. “In the letter, he called the valley the place where he truly belonged. And I thought maybe it would be the same for me.” You stay quiet after this for several moments, both of you contemplating what you’ve said, but then you perk up and look at him. “Of course, if you want to go to Zuzu City, if you truly feel you’ll thrive there, then go. I’m not trying to dissuade you.”

It’s Sebastian’s turn to give you a smile of reassurance. He has taken no offense to the story you shared. He understands where you come from. People are different, have different desires and goals. But he’s not ready to turn the conversation on himself, still wanting to focus on you, if only for a minute or three longer.

“Is it the same for you?” he inquires quietly. “Do you feel this is where you truly belong?”

It’s a reasonable follow-up to your story, yet it still gives you pause and you mull it over. Even before you speak, Sebastian can already see the answer in the softening features of your face, as you stare at the field you have worked so hard to turn into something worthwhile. He’s not sure what you’re thinking, but he’d like to have penny for your thoughts because your eyes slide towards him now, and they are fond and your smile is soft and he wonders if it means anything.

“Yes,” you state finally. “I think it is.”

You watch each other, and the corner of Sebastian’s lips lifts in a small smile, unable to be contained after witnessing yours. His chest tightens and he wonders if all this—the town and the valley and him and you—if maybe it means everything. Because the air seems fresher and the moon seems brighter and he finds he doesn’t want to lift off in his space shuttle if it takes him farther away from you. So maybe he’ll stay on the ground just a little longer.

He drops his gaze to the thermos you hold. “I’ll take some of that hot chocolate if you’re still offering.”

You laugh and nod, twisting off the lid. “Yeah, here, hold on…”

The autumn evening is beautiful, and for once, the valley feels like home.

#stardew valley imagine #stardew valley sebastian imagine #stardew valley x reader #stardew valley sebastian x reader #stardew valley #bubble-tea-bunny #queue

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oswaldsirius · 6 years ago

Text

Canis Minor

Pairing: Sirius/Celeste

Word Count: 3268

Summary: A mysterious letter from a grandfather she never knew brings Celeste to an overgrown farm that is suddenly hers. Knowing nothing about farming and next to no one in the small town next door, she’s going to need help to keep both herself and the farm afloat.

A/N: I’m sure a few of you who follow me or @kashimalin have seen a screen cap or us talking about the fact that we made a multiplayer game of Stardew Valley with Celeste and Sirius in it. Well. We wouldn’t be us if we hadn’t made an entire AU around it so that’s what this is. Half based on events in the game and half making it up as we go!

Prologue

This was a mistake.

Pursing her lips, Celeste stared at the sign proudly declaring where she was. Somewhere she’d never been in her life. Somewhere she’d never even heard of until a few weeks ago. She fished the crumpled letter out of her purse and read it again. Not that it mattered, she knew what it said.

She glanced over her shoulder as the bus started up and realised this was her last chance to leave. She could go back and it would be fine. It would-She shook her head and turned away. It would not be fine. It hadn’t been fine in a long time and she was done pretending it was. This wasn’t what she’d been planning on, but it was better than any other option she had in front of her.

Celeste lifted her bags and walked away from the bus before it moved. The letter had had instructions on how to get here and who to talk to. All she had to do was find them. And pray that they knew who she was.

The path from the highway was well worn but it made her question a lot of things. Why wasn’t there a road? Was there a road somewhere else? Why didn’t the bus go all the way into town? Where was the town? Was it really this small? Was she really going to do this?

“You must be Celeste.”

Turning at the voice, she clutched at her bags and stared at the man approaching her. “Who are you?”

“Blanc Lapin,” he said, smiling. “I believe your grandfather told you about me in his letter.”

Celeste blinked at him, unsure whether to believe him or not. “I didn’t know I had a grandfather so why should I believe you knew him?”

“My dear, I know you’re confused. I know this is a lot to take in, especially since your grandparents and mother weren’t on speaking terms anymore. But I’m only here to help you.”

Her heart ached in her chest at the mention of her mother. Four years and it still hurt. “Why?”

“I knew your grandfather a long time and what happened never sat right with him. He spent so long trying to find your mother and then you. He wanted to make amends before he passed but alas.” Blanc sighed and shrugged. “Some things aren’t always meant to be.”

She fidgeted with her bags before her shoulders slumped. “I would have liked to meet him.”

“And he wanted to meet you. You can’t imagine his surprise when he found out he had a granddaughter.” Blanc chuckled. “He wouldn’t stop talking about you.”

But he didn’t know her. It felt surreal to know someone she had never met had felt that way about her.

“But we can talk about Ambrose another time. You must be tired. I was asked to help you get settled and that’s what I’m going to do, my dear. Come this way and I’ll show you your new home.”

She hesitated before following him. It was starting to get dark and she didn’t have many more options in the moment. Exhaustion was starting to weigh on her with every step she took away from her old life. The bus ride had been more draining than she’d thought. Or maybe it was all the emotions she’d felt on the way here. Either way, she was glad to be going somewhere she could rest.

He led her along a dirt path in the growing dark, completely sure of where he was going. The quiet sounds of the forest rose up around her as they walked and she suddenly missed his banter. What if he wasn’t who he said he was? What if he was leading her into a quiet place to kill her and leave her body to the wolves? Were there wolves here? Surely there had to be. What was she going to do if she saw a wolf?

“Here we are!”

His voice jolted her out of her thoughts and she skidded to a stop beside him. Blanc was looking at her expectantly, but she wasn’t sure where they even really were. Looking at the little house they’d stopped in front of, her heart thumped madly in her chest. From anxiety? Excitement? She couldn’t tell at this point but it was pounding all the same. She took a few steps toward it before stopping. “It’s really mine?” she asked, twisting to look at Blanc again. The letter had said it was but she wanted to be sure.

He smiled at her, his entire expression gentling. “Your grandparents worked hard their entire lives and it showed. The house and the land are completely paid for and left to you in their estate.”

The words nearly brought tears to her eyes. How many times had she struggled to make payments on her tiny apartment and now she owned a house and property? “There aren’t any requirements?” she asked, her voice wavering.

“I think they’d prefer it if you didn’t tear it down,” he teased. “But beyond that…there is one.”

She’d started to smile before she stopped. One? What was it? Oh, she had known this had to be too good to be true! “And what is it?”

“Me.”

Celeste jumped at the new voice, spinning toward it and nearly losing her balance as she did. Grasping the railing at the base of the stairs to steady herself, she stared at the tall man that was walking toward the house and tried not to think about the bags she’d just dropped. Where had he even come from?! And how had he done it so quietly?! “Y-You?” she echoed, hating herself for the stammer.

He stopped a few feet from the stairs and gave her a faint smile. “I’m Sirius Oswald,” he said in greeting. “And I’m not really a requirement, more of a stipulation.”

She looked at Blanc in confusion when he chuckled.

“Your grandfather was finding it difficult to maintain the farm on his own as he got on in years,” Blanc explained, still smiling. “Sirius here was new to town once just like you and made a deal with your grandfather. Room and board in exchange for help around the property.”

She couldn’t help it. She glanced around at the erratic and scattered mess the land looked to be. Maybe it was just the growing dark, but she didn’t think it was.

“That was done on purpose,” Sirius said before she could comment. “Ambrose wanted you to have a blank slate to do what you wanted with the place. It’s your land so you have final say.”

Chewing on her lip, she looked back out at it. She didn’t know the first thing about running a farm or managing her own property. She knew that it couldn’t stay like this but beyond that? Her gaze flicked back to Sirius and she flushed as she saw that he was watching her. No, it felt more like sizing her up. She didn’t blame him. She was a complete stranger who owned this place now and had no idea what she was doing. Her brow pinched. Was that why the stipulation was there? To have someone help her get her feet under her?

But the way he was watching her made her wonder if it was more than that. “Well, I’d be grateful for some input from someone who’s already worked here, who knows the best way to go about it,” Celeste said, giving him the best smile she could.

He was still staring but she was fairly certain the corners of his mouth had kicked up. “I’ll do the best I can, Miss…?”

She stared at him, horror filling her. “You don’t know my name?” she squeaked.

Oh, she didn’t like this new smile one bit! He was clearly laughing at her! “No. Your grandfather never mentioned you by name.”

Probably because they’d never met and she hadn’t even known that he’d existed. Or that he’d known she existed. But her embarrassment was nearly overwhelming now. “Celeste,” she pushed out, grateful her voice at least didn’t crack. “Celeste Morreaux.”

“Nice to meet you, little lady.”

Oh, dear. Before she could say anything, she swayed a little and gripped the railing again.

“I think, my dear, that you should get to bed,” Blanc said, looking at her in concern. “You’ve had a long day and you have longer ones ahead of you.”

She wasn’t sure she liked that either, but there was nothing she could do about it now. She’d agreed to this and she wasn’t going to back down.

“It’s been well kept while we waited to see if you’d come,” Sirius said. “House is clean and the bedding is new. There’s not a lot of food in the fridge but you can come to my place in the morning if you want something more or different.”

“Your place?” she murmured, glancing over her shoulder at the door. “You don’t stay here?”

He shook his head. “No. I’ve got a cabin in the south western corner of the lot. Close enough to hear a shout but far enough to feel like I’m on my own.”

That was oddly comforting. She hadn’t liked the thought of being completely alone out here. She was used to the hustle and bustle of the city, of knowing that there were people all around her. The house wasn’t that close to town she didn’t think and it was eerily quiet here. But knowing that someone was within shouting distance? “Thank you, Sirius.”

His smile returned to that first one he’d given her. “Get to bed, little lady. We can plan out what you want to do in the morning.”

“Thank you,” she said quietly.

“Don’t worry about details,” Blanc said. “There’s plenty of time to figure that out. Get settled in and we’ll sort out the rest.”

Pressing her lips together, she nodded and picked up her bags again. The door was unlocked so she slipped inside quickly. A flick of the lights and an open room greeted her. She chewed on her lip, unsure how she felt about that before deciding it wasn’t the time for it. After making sure the drapes were drawn, she dug for a pair of pajamas and swiftly changed into them. The only thing that mattered right now was the bed.

She turned back the thick quilt and sheets after switching off the light and snuggled into the bed. It was soft and Sirius had said the bedding was new but what about the rest of it? She’d have to ask in the morning. There was going to be so much to do in the morning but…. She smiled into her pillow. She was oddly looking forward to it.

Closing the door of his cabin, Sirius leaned back against it with a quiet sigh. A single light in the kitchen lit up most of the space and he closed his eyes against it.

Celeste Morreaux. He’d spent days wondering what her name actually was once Blanc had told him she was taking the farm. The wily bastard would only smile when he asked, saying that if Ambrose had wanted him to know he would have told Sirius.

Rubbing his chest, he frowned at the ache there. Ambrose has made a strong impression on him in the last two years, helping lay the foundation of his new life in the valley. He’d been there to listen when the memories had been weighing him down, understanding almost more than anyone else in the sleepy town because he’d fought as a young man as well before settling here. It had hurt far more than he’d expected when Ambrose had passed away.

His mouth twisted and he stopped thinking about that. Despite being in the last years of his life, Ambrose Morreaux had lived every day to the fullest and he’d retaught Sirius to do the same. To find joy in the small things again because wasn’t that what they’d fought for? To protect the moments everyone had?

He opened his eyes and glanced at the kitchen table. A simple white envelope was sitting propped against the vase in the middle of it, taunting him over the last weeks as he’d waited for the mysterious granddaughter to make her appearance. Now she had and he was free to follow the last instructions Ambrose had given him in his final week.

Crossing to it, Sirius took the letter and sat down in his worn armchair. He turned it over in his hands, studying the handwriting on the one side every time it came into view. They’d been sitting inside Ambrose’s cabin, watching the winter sun sink below the sea of trees that had overrun the property. It had been quiet, peaceful, as most of their nights in the season were.

But he could remember the heavy sigh that had tumbled from Ambrose suddenly. The sound had seemed to carry all the weight of his years, all the regrets he had in his life and more. It had startled him, worried him. It was the first time in two years he’d seen the man actually look his age. It was why the words had stuck, it was why Sirius had followed them precisely as Ambrose had pressed the letter into his hand.

“Only after she comes, Sirius. Promise me that you’ll read it if the little one comes and that you’ll do this old man the one last favour in it. Promise me.”

He’d promised without hesitation. Ambrose had given him the chance to start over his own way, in his own time, and he knew he’d do almost anything for him. Even if he’d only found out about his granddaughter the week before, he’d promised.

Slipping his finger under the flap, he broke the seal and pulled out the folded paper inside. A deep breath and he started reading.

Sirius,

All things come to an end. A farmer knows that better than anyone as we watch the seasons change. But we also know it’s not really an end, merely a new beginning for something else. That’s what I found when I came to this sleepy valley all those years ago: a new beginning. It’s what you found when you came three years ago. Although I might have forced it a little on you but I saw too much of myself in what young Lancelot had told me about you to let you flounder. And now it’s what I hope the little one finds if she comes here.

I won’t lie, Sirius. What happened between mother and daughter should never have happened, not over what it did, and my greatest regret was that I wasn’t there when it did. I loved my girls with everything I had and in a day I lost my little one. She slipped through my fingers without me even realising and made it hard to find her. Lisette was a stubborn woman and she tried to take the cause of that argument to the grave but I wouldn’t let her. I’d spent years wondering just what had happened and I had to know. Broke my heart when I did and a part of me almost wished I hadn’t pressed. But I did and it set us on the path we’re on now.

Or should I say you. Because if you’re reading this I’m surely gone. It pains me to write this because I know if you’re reading it, I’m gone and she’s there. The granddaughter I was denied knowing because of an argument. But I can’t change what happened. What I can do is ask for your help with this last thing.

Help her.

She’s a small thing, but she’s been hurt far more than she should have in her short life. I wish I could be there to help her, but I’m leaving that to you. Help her heal the way you have on the farm, Sirius. Help her find herself. Help her for the grandfather that couldn’t.

I know it’s a lot to ask but I’m still asking it. Because I believe in fair trade, do this for an old man and the part of the lot you’ve tended as your own will be just that. Blanc is aware of the conditions in the will and I’ve set aside some acreage for you to do as you please if you simply help her. The cabin is still yours until the end of the year no matter what you decide as per our previous agreement.

You’re a good man and it’s been an honour and a pleasure knowing you, Sirius Oswald.

Ambrose Morreaux

He read the letter a second time and let it fall in his lap. Help her? How? “Damn it, Ambrose,” he muttered, glancing out the window.

There were no lights on the property and too many trees between them, but he knew where the house was. He had gone along with everything Ambrose had wanted in the six months leading up to the older man’s death. It had hurt, letting the farm become overrun. He’d pushed back a little and had had a small plot of land near his cabin to work in the fall. But the farm was large and there was a lot to do even for someone who had done this before. For someone who’d never been on one before?

Sirius closed his eyes and sighed. He’d at least grown up on something similar, had known how to handle himself when he’d settled here. Poor Celeste hadn’t even known she’d had one in the family. Now she had one that was an utter mess and only a single week before they hit planting season.

But she must have known all of that and she’d still taken the farm.

He thought about that. She’d taken the farm even though she knew nothing about it. What had Ambrose said? She’d been hurt as well? Was the farm meant to be a healing place for her? How was he supposed to help her heal when he wasn’t sure he was fully there himself?

Glancing into the kitchen, he hummed softly. Maybe healing wasn’t what he needed to focus on. There were other, simpler things to start with. Like breakfast. He’d offered to make it for her, inviting her down to his cabin, but perhaps he should meet her half way. The farm wasn’t huge but it was big enough someone could get turned around if they didn’t know where they were going. It would be a good chance to talk with her and show her a little bit of what she’d signed up for. Maybe he could ask a few of the questions that were cluttering up his thoughts while they walked.

He pushed out of the chair to do a quick sweep of the kitchen. There was enough there for a nice breakfast for two. He would have to buy more groceries from town after but it would be a chance to take her in and show her around a little bit too. He’d learn more from spending time with her and getting to know her. More than she would probably realise she was giving him.

Flicking off the light, Sirius crossed the room to his bed and crawled into it. The answers wouldn’t come from him merely sitting in the house after all. He’d get them from working with her, from taking to her, from helping her. “Alright, old man,” he muttered, smiling faintly into his pillow. “We’ll do it your way.”

#ikemen revolution #ikerev #ikerev fanfic #sirius oswald #sirius/oc #celeste morreaux #blanc lapin #celestial #celestialdew #my writing #fic: canis minor

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danganronpawritings · 7 years ago

Note

I'd love to see Chiaki for the fluffy alphabet prompt, thank you.

A fluffy gamer… enjoy ^^/

A = Attractive. What do they find attractiveabout the other?

She likes that you are honest and genuine.You aren’t manipulative or try and guilt trip her, nor do you push her to dothings. You respect her and her boundaries.

B = Baby. Do they want a family? Why/Why not?

She likes kids, but isn’t fully sure if sheis ready for the responsibility of being a mom, plus, childbirth is painful, soif she did have kids, she would prefer to adopt.

C = Cuddle. How do they cuddle?.

She will be the settle spoon and often justsnuggle up to you, doesn’t matter the position, just snuggles.

D = Dates. What are dates with them like?

She likes going out to eat and just talkingat cafes or coffee places. Yes, sitting at home and playing video games are funtoo, but playing video games you are too concentrated on the game to reallytalk to each other.

E = Everything. You are my ____ (e.g. mylife, my world…)

You are not only the person I love dearly,but also my best friend.

F = Feelings. When did they know they werefalling in love?

When she found how genuine you were. Youweren’t manipulative nor are you selfish or have any ulterior motives to dothings, you are a truly kind and genuine person.

G = Gentle. Are they gentle? If so, how?

She is a VERY gentle bean.

H = Holding Hands. How do they like to holdhands?

.She does like holding hands, but not muchelse PDA. She finds it fun to swing your hands as you walk as well.

I = Impression. First impression/s?

She really wasn’t paying attention much, busyplaying a phone game, but she thought you were okay.

J = Joker. Are they into pulling pranks?

She will occasionally pull a cute prank onyou, but it’s not a prank like Ouma, much more wholesome. She is the type toleave cute sticky notes in random places for you to find. She is definitelymore of a trickster in-game though. Her pranks are still nothing that hurtthough. Say you both are playing Minecraft, and you really like oak wood, andHATE birch. She will go in your house and replace random blocks with birch wood(Aphmau ref anyone?)

K = Kiss. How do they kiss?

Gently and soft. She really doesn’t care forthose messy, sloppy, French kisses. She finds gentle sweet kisses much moreromantic.

L = Love. Who says ‘I love you’ first?

She will wait until you say it, for fear thatyou don’t feel the same. She is very considerate of those she cares about andwould hate to move too fast or pressure you to do anything.

M = Memory. What’s their favorite memorytogether?

It was the very first time you beat her inSmash Bros. You were so determined to beat her and practiced hours upon hoursto git good, and refused to let her go easy on you. No, you beat her fair andsquare, and you were so proud of you.

N = Nickel. Do they spoil? Do they buy theperson they love everything?

She will occasionally spoil you, but won’tget you a whole bunch of unnecessary things that you want that she knows thatyou only want on impulse, but will put in a drawer when you get home and neveruse again.

O = Occupation, dream job?

A videogame tester. That is her dream job,but if she can’t do that then really anything that is stay-at-home and digital.Digital is a must, stay at home is preferable but not required.

P = Petnames. What petnames do they use?

She isn’t big on the common and cheesy petnames like ‘kitten’ or baby’, so she will call you things that she just thinkssound cute, but are often completely random like 'sunset’ or 'cheesecake’

Q = Quaint. What is their favoritenon-modern thing?

She really likes the medieval times. Mostlybecause she plays a lot of fantasy games based in that time, but she reallylikes the simplicity of life back then, along with the freedom they had. Whenyou point out that feudalism was the main form of government back then, sheexplains that wasn’t what she was talking about. People lived in small villageswithout all the infrastructure and could hunt, fish, or explore wherever theywanted, and it was the perfect setting for an adventure. You can’t really dothat now.

R = Rainy Day

Rainy Day= pillow fort+ videogames

S = Sad. How do they cheer themselves/othersup?

When she is sad, she doesn’t really want tobother others, but she needs to get things off her chest. She will go up to youand ask to talk, if she sees you are busy in any way, she will wait tillanother time. She hopes that you do the same if you were sad as well, and wouldcome to her just to rant. She will always put down everything the moment shesees your eyes gloss over or lip quiver.

T = Talking. What do they like to talk about?

She likes talking about games and animeherself, but really enjoys hearing you talk about something you are passionateabout.

U = Unencumbered. What helps them relax?

Coming home, taking off her shoes and jacketand bra, and lounging on the couch playing a really laid back game like Stardewvalley or Harvest Moon.

V = Vaunt. What do they like to show off?What are they proud of?

Although she is SHSL Gamer, she is more proudof being Class Rep and being able to unite and lead her classmates to worktogether.

W = Wedding. When, how, where do theypropose?

She would never propose, she would be tooscared of pressuring you. She would always wait for the other person topropose.

X = Xylophone. What’s their song?

She loves the Pokemon theme song, it’s somotivating, and the empowerment the song gives her spreads to all aspects ofher life, so she can be the very best.

Y = You. You are the ___ to my ___ (e.g. thecookies to my milk, the macaroni to my cheese)

You are the Link to my Zelda, the Mario to myPeach, Daisy to my Luigi.

Z = Zebra. If they wanted a pet, what wouldthey get?

A tomodachi or neopet. JK she already has 10of those, she would probably want a bunny or something cute and small. Cats arepretty self sufficient as well, so they would be cool too.

~Mod Anju

#chiaki namani #mod anju #danganronpa imagines #mechamiles

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sodomymcscurvylegs · 8 years ago

Note

Steam Sale is upon us. Any recommendations?

Aw, man, quite a few! I’ll list some off the top of my head:Don’t Starve + Expansions: Super fun and cute 2D survival game. I’m not a big fan of survival games because they all basically play the same and I’m not a masochist. But, Don’t Starve has simple mechanics, a robust crafting feature, and a lot of charm. Totally awesome.Sonic & All-Stars Racing: Transformed: The Best kart racer ever made, bar none. While Mario Kart 7 and 8 have gliding and some underwater sections and even anti-grav, they don’t really amount to much in gameplay design. Transformed basically uses the Diddy Kong Racing idea of different vehicles and refines it to perfection. Dynamic tracks that change each lap, land, air, and sea racing each with their own unique physics, awesome SEGA characters, and it looks beautiful on PC.Castlevania: Lords of Shadow Ultimate Edition: A bit of a God of War clone, but with better controls and a really compelling world and plot. A lot of fun and graphically gorgeous on PC, with the only negative being a couple of pre-recorded cutscenes that don’t look too well on a computer (since they’re pre-recorded in 720p at 30fps).Bayonetta:Not as perfect as the second one, but still one of the best action games ever made. The PC port is on sale for $15 and it’s one of the best PC ports in recent years; runs like butter and looks gorgeous.Mad Max:Currently playing it. Very fun open-world game with excellent atmosphere and entertaining combat (very similar to the Batman Arkham games, but takes more skill because you have to account to spacing). Lots to do, including building up your perfect vehicle and building and customizing Max. Great story and world development too. A total hidden gem; reviewers ragged on it and gave it shit scores, but it’s been holding a very high score on STEAM since release (rightfully so).Ori and The Blind Forest: Definitive Edition:Graphically and artistically gorgeous, and unlike every other indie game out there that settles for being a semi-serviceable puzzle platformer, Ori is actually a challenging Metroivania style game with a lot to give. The story is phenomenal and the soundtrack is magical as well. Absolutely must buy.Stardew Valley: Basically Harvest Moon for adults, with adult themes and more adult characters. It also adds a couple of nice features, like mining and basic combat, and it’s pretty much a perfect evolution to Harvest Moon. It also has a very strong community that makes some really cool mods.Middle-Earth: Shadow of Mordor:A really great LotR tie in game that plays like a mix of the Batman Arkham games and Assassin’s Creed, with an added dynamic of unique enemies that hold influence over the world, and how you deal with them determines said influence. An orc you fail to kill will rise in rank and so on, and you can even manipulate and have agents working for you to help take them all down from within. You can’t go wrong with it for $4.Subnautica:Pretty much what No Man’s Sky should have been. It’s still in early access, but you basically land in an alien world made up of virtually almost nothing but water and now have to learn to survive by crafting weapons, supplies, and your own underwater base. As you get better and better at it, you can explore further depths and environments, each with their own unique biomes. It’s full of atmosphere and excellently designed wildlife. Lots of amazing creatures, some truly terrifying. An adventure from start to finish.Portal and Portal 2:The two greatest puzzle games ever made. They require a lot of thinking and problem solving, all while giving the player a really entertaining world full of humor and mystery. Both are truly masterpieces, and the first one is fairly short so if you’re looking for a smaller adventure, this is it.The Talos Principle:Another puzzle game, but where Portal focuses on humor, The Talos Principle focus on questions of existence and consciousness, and it does this while providing yet another good puzzler with a lot of critical thinking and problem solving required. Excellent atmosphere and world design as well.This is off the top of my head. I’ll add more as I remember. :)

#adorkable-bear

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aromatickindling-blog · 8 years ago

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Hmm, I’ll sort this out into the Stardew Valley Farmer as villager prompt with visuals and less words one day...

Green

Appearance:

Green's an average sized young woman with minty hair tied up into a messy ponytail, part of her side swept bangs awning her sharp aquamarine eyes. If you're observant, you can see slight bags under eyes, covered with foundation powder to avoid questions from people. Her wardrobe's quite functional, filled with different boots for all occasions, thick working gloves, shade hats, winter fur caps, and cargo pants in different neutral colors, working well with her cotton button jackets. Her favorite happens to be the dark green formal jacket with a popped collar. The equipment she carries on her hip belt is well-taken care of, polished to the nines before being covered in all sorts of filth. She does have a strong liking for long scarves, goggles, and small, subtle hair pins, though.

For some reason, her freckles tend to appear in curves and triangles; she has one that looks similar to Orion's Belt that she brings up as a conversation piece if she has to do small talk. Of course, she does take pains to cover up the scars she's gotten from her spelunking adventures in the mines and the Skull Dungeon. A Serpent pack left a particularly nasty one stretching down her left calf to her ankle. She prays to Yoba no one notices.

Summary:

An ambivert erring on the side of introverted behavior, Green's the one of the twin grandchildren of Stardew Valley's previous farmer, come to take over Smaug farm. Thanks to years of neglect and her grandfather's 'brilliant' idea of staking land in a wilderness full of monsters, she's got her work cut out for her. Worse yet, with the Gotoran-Ferngill Republic conflict in full swing, she's especially reluctant to open up to anyone in the Valley. However, with the Adventurer's Guild and the Museum in town, she'll be able to settle in. Yet if anyone bothers getting to know her well enough, they might detect a hint of loneliness in her eyes.

At her Grandfather's grave, Green has planted an orange tree and told him:

"If I can't see myself becoming part of the community here, Grandpa, I'll at least keep my part of the deal. I'll make sure the farm is up and running smoothly by the end of the second year. If the war continues...if Sage isn't back home here at that time, and I'm still unable to find someone I can trust here...I'll come after him. I'm sorry Grandpa, but I hope you can understand me on this. Mayor Lewis can take over the farm; it'll be a great source of revenue for Pelican Town...they'll need it more than I do. But thank you...for giving me an out from my former job. It was suffocating."

...For some reason, every Friday and Sunday Green never fails to greet the traveling cart merchant. Apparently, the two exchange letters; strangely, the writing doesn't match the merchant's personal chicken-scratch. After the bus has been repaired, you might even catch a glimpse of her with a strange bodyguard speaking about a "Mr. Qi." Who is this Mr. Qi, anyway?

Love: coffee, hazelnuts, goat cheese, poppy, fairy rose, dinosaur egg, all fossils and bone artifacts, duck feather, thunder egg, all soups, bone flute, mead

Likes: all flowers, all fruit, dried starfish, ornamental fan, ancient sword, fiddlehead fern, all dwarf scrolls, iron bar, copper bar, maple bar, lava eel, void salmon, honey, garlic, hot pepper, cloth, arrowhead, wine

Dislikes: truffles, truffle oil (don't ask), super cucumber (once again, don't ask), beer, pale ale, morel mushroom (she's reminded of that one frog with all the holes in its back. And bot flies, the spawn of the underworld)

Hated: wicked statue, skull brazier, elvish jewelry, prehistoric hand axe, golden mask, Robin's axe

Personality:

Green's the quiet observer of the twins, almost akin to a shade behind her brother's bombastic front. She's not the type to normally initiate conversation either, so only when she is required to, when she wants to give advice, or when she needs information will she, reluctantly, start one with a person. She's very polite about it too. But, you may have found her committing a social faux pas during the first year when she climbed on everyone's houses for a bird feather or little critter. Mayor Lewis chewed her out harshly for it. From then on out, it was only natural cliffs, rock faces, and trees she would climb onto, if not her own farm buildings.

She is often found doing work on the farm, at the museum with Gunther, or training with Marlon at the Adventurer's Guild during the day, almost always with a cup of coffee and the occasional maple bar. Once Smaug farm is up and running, she does build a small training arena in front of the greenhouse. Don't ask why. When evening arrives, she disappears into the mountains and doesn't return home until 1:00 am in the morning. Some days may involve her leaving for Calico Desert early in the morning until 1:00 am. Shane often swears he would see blood leaking out of her when she was returning home at night. No one believes him thanks to how well Green dresses her wounds. This can only last so long with how she's burning the candle on both ends. On the weekends, no one is capable of tracking her down while she's out on her foraging hikes, much to her relief. Even better is during those evenings when everyone is at Gus's Saloon, when she can sneak into the Community Center to repair it with the Junimos before going home to refine sketches, put away gathered inventory, and generally wind down for the night with a tune from her harp, a nice hot soak, and a quick gaming session. Only on Sundays does she dare oversleep to offset the lack of it during the weekdays.

Once more comfortable with people, she becomes more straightforward with her answers, although any questions regarding her family or her spelunking episodes are deflected or redirected to another topic. Outgoing villagers are more likely to get to this point. Snarky jokes will be made about the topic at hand, light teasing may occur if she is addressed directly, and, if it pops into her head, a few puns. Don't ask about her hikes or finds, she will become quite detailed with the scientific basis for everything she came across.

Yoba help her if any of the single townsfolk become interested in her. Poor Green won't know what to do with herself, all her secrets might be spilled into the public square with that kind of relationship. What should she do now, how much of her activities should she cut back to spend time with them, what will they think of her once they find out what she's been trying to hide from the villagers, will their relatives approve of her, how long before they find out about her hiding her wounds from plain sight, do they like mint breath or coffee breath, are they allergic to poppies and fairy roses, will they mind her fossil collection, should she pick up cooking again, video game nights or movie nights, are they up for hiking, are they not okay with PDA, do they like cuddling, will they not mind her wrapping her arms around them as a greeting, do they like nuzzles, nape kisses, why her, and why are they even interested at all?! THESE ARE ALL IMPORTANT QUESTIONS...at least in her mind, they are. This is why she comes off as aloof, not only as a deterrent for anyone interested, but also as a result of her trying to strangle any feelings of affection that might develop for anyone else. Also, Yoba help the poor sap that does start to develop a crush on her; her lack of self-care and time during the weekdays is sure to wear on them.

But, she is more than willing to make adjustments for them should they accept her, all of her. Green's probably going to ask them to come out to the beach at night near the solitary rock to spill her heritage as a half-Gotoran, half-Fergillan to them, mental escape routes calculating in her head but another part of her pleading this will be okay and she's just paranoid. From there, if accepted, she will tell about her brother and her parents, how Sage left for the army after a nasty spat with her regarding the Gotoran conflict, how her Gotoran Father died for helping the Ferngillan side, and how her Ferngillan Mother's MIA, probably in an underground resistance movement against the Gotoran government. She's only had her brother as a social crutch before he left, and it's the main reason why she bottled herself up. Why bother with people if all they're going to do is break your heart once you're close with them? But, she'll admit she was wrong, and then apologize for unloading all of this onto to them, and for not trusting them as much before. From there, she'll become more and more honest to them about her activities.

The letters she was swapping with the merchant happened to be correspondences with her brother, usually curt and to the point. She makes it a priority to leave out any bitterness from his leaving her since he's in danger and needs all the help he can get. As for Mr. Qi...money is great and so is spelunking. That's all I'm going to say, other than it's a dangerous profession that has left her with a number of gashes...all of which she's refused to go to Harvey's for, much to her partner's dismay. As for the music drifting near the railroad tracks at night, it was her playing a couple tunes her father taught her on her mini-harp. She might even offer to serenade them from time to time.

Despite her insecurities about herself, Green's quite the affectionate lover, offering sweet words in their ear, leaving small gifts for them after she visits their house, engaging in conversations more often with them, and giving out subtle public displays of affection, whether it be the joining of their hands, brushing their shoulders clean, a lingering look, or a soft caress on the back of their hand if they're slightly agitated. It's still quite confusing to her what to do and she'll hesitate early on about it, but she'll slowly ease into it...and wonder how the hell did this happen??? Then not care and nestle in close to them at night after pressing a kiss to their neck. Grandpa works wonders in keeping his grandchild in Stardew Valley. What a magnificent bastard he is.

Inventory:

· Mini-harp

(You can hear the notes of a melody off near the mountaintops during the night, drifting down onto the railroad tracks...)

· Obsidian knife

(A memento of her brother, before he left for Gotoro. Held closely to the hip, sometimes the chest whenever she thinks of him. It's as though the essence of the sea has imprinted onto this knife.)

· Lava katana

(Can't go wrong with cauterizing deliberate wounds on monsters. Makes it less messy! Smells horrific...)

· Herb satchel

(Most remedies have plant-based compounds to thank for their use. After trips to the mines or the Skull Dungeon, its strangely lighter. Smells strongly of mint.)

· Pack

(Contains most essentials, from food to water to tools and, of course, a loaded first-aid kit. Got to be prepared for all sorts of insanity the spirits bring about when they're angry. For some reason, the pack smells of pine needles.)

· Sketchbook

(Contains all sorts of colored sketches of landscapes, plants, monsters, rocks, animals, and even pressed flowers...wait...some of the villagers are sketched in here too? Has a light floral scent.)

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aurimeanswind · 7 years ago

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Let’s Get Down to Business (’To Defeat the Huns’)—Sunday Chats—1/21/18

It’s time to get back to work! Or, er, writing. All writing and no games makes Alex a dull boy.

Uh...

God, sorry, how do i do this again? Oh yeah. Opinions. And stuff.

Okay.

Deep breaths.

Post Game of the Year

I think the GOTY season is both great and not great. It’s easy to get upset with the “hot takes” and there are a lot of folks that use the opportunity to tell you exactly why your favorite game shouldn’t be game of the year, but then, I don’t see a lot of folks just enjoying their 10 or whatever favorite games of 20-whatever. What I set out to do on our Irrational Passions Podcast Game of the Year Deliberations, Five Days, Four Hosts, Three Mistakes, Two Fights, One Winner, Podcast Spectacular™ was highlight the moments I liked and enjoyed and veer more off of what I disliked. I think there is plenty of room for that discourse, and I’m not saying I am a shill who just loves everything, but there is just so much drowning negativity out there. And hey, I know I’m on Twitter too much, and that fuckin’ place runs rampant with it, that’s my own fault, but I’d rather be a well-thought opinion as to why I like something rather than the guy that hates Wolfenstein, or Nier, or whatever. It’s part of why I love being “The Persona Guy” so much, because people know I love it, and they come to me to talk about how much they love it or don’t with me. I love that.

So anyway, long and short, I think GOTY went really well for IP. We actually had an editorial meeting about all of the content and what we liked/didn’t like/could do better next time, and it was really productive. I’m a big fan of the stuff that happened, especially how we handled guests this year, and I’m curious to see that grow in the future.

If you missed it, the front page of IrrationalPassions.com is going to be highlighting our Game of the Year 2017 content for the next week or so, so go check it out!

What I’ve Been Working On

Since I have been in GOTY I haven’t been doing Sunday Chats or much else, but I am settling back into work, and am maybe expanding my day-job-work over there in my personal life. We’ll see how that goes, and how much time that removes from games for me (hopefully not too much!), but that’s all hypothetical right now.

I am excited to say I am launching a new project next month. It’s a new show and as I’ve been thinking about all my pieces of content, IPP, Alex Talks, Case Study, and now this new show, it’s been a weird concept of what do I want to lean on, what do I want to continue, et cetera. In a perfect world I can do them all together, but I know that’s just not possible. I’m looking at monthly content and what I can do around that, but we’ll see. I want to do everything! I want to make stuff that will get me hired into video games! But I want to make sure I’m doing stuff that I love doing, and at the center of all of that is having deep and meaningful conversations, whether it’s long, thought-out essays conveyed in audio, written, or video form that engage you and I in a conversation, or an actual, recorded conversation.

So that’s what’s up. Without giving anything away, stuff is in the pipeline, and I’m hopeful that people will take notice, and you all, my loyal readers, will dig it.

What’s on Tap

VIDEO GAMES.

I’ve been playing a lot, so I am going to go back and highlight just some gems I want to talk about from the last three weeks.

The Witcher 3

So I rebought Witcher 3 to see all of its glory on my Xbox One X. Boy, that’s a motherfucking video game.

For point of reference, I just got to Novigrad and have been starting the strings of quests there, which is kind of my least favorite part of that game (chasing Dandelion around, specifically) so hopefully I stay with it.

It’s really cool to appreciate this games innovations on another level after seeing stuff like Assassin’s Creed Origins and Breath of the Wild.

I’ve actually been switching between this and Breath of the Wild, and while I still think BotW is the far more interesting world and game that I like spending time in, I was surprised at how comfortable that switch (aha! Puns!) is. The games are very different and both good in their own ways, and really scratch two different itches.

I will say, AC Origins is definitely the game that came closest to The Witcher 3 as far as formatting its side quest content, but it still didn’t get close enough.

Okami HD

I’ve now replayed this game basically to completion. I would have finished it again too, as I’m just before the final boss, if a week after release they hadn’t gone and synced the trophies in the PS4 re-release to the PS3 one, in which I already have the platinum. So I’m no longer earning anything on the PS4 version, which is a bummer.

Still an excellent game. It’s really odd playing a game where you’re actually a four-legged creature just running around doing dog-stuff. It’s cool, and it’s something I haven’t seen a lot of 3D games do, or at least do well.

Stardew Valley - Switch Edition

I put about 78 hours into my Stardew Valley town on PS4, and now, 60+ hours into my Switch town, I’m definitely sick with the small-town-fever.

I really love this game, and it scratches my “I wanna live in a small town” dream-itch in just such a righteous way. I love it.

I didn’t expect to take to it so hard on Switch, but there is something about cuddling up with this game in bed and losing myself to it that is just so intoxicating.

Questions

As always, look for my tweet on Sunday afternoons with the hashtag #SundayChats in it, reply with your question, OR ANSWER, depending on what I’m feeling that day, and be a part of the Sunday Chats shenanigans!

Now I’m more curious about this snake research you were doing...?

Hrm, now this is a great alt-universe theory. I’m going to assume that it’d be in place of Cedric, so it’d be Harry and a Slytherin as the champions, which does throw a lot into question.

I think it would have. In a few ways. One, we have to assume it’d be a 7th year Slytherin, so in short, someone we don’t know. It’d be a great opportunity to characterize someone, who, say, isn’t a dick, like Malfoy, who is kind of our avatar or stand in for Slytherin characters. It’d be great to see that character and Harry develop a not-antagonistic relationship. Like, I think Harry would have still told this person about the Dragons, because that’s still just the kind of person Harry is, and I think we would have seen less shit from the Ravenclaw/Hufflepuffs to Harry because of the assumed distaste for a Slytherin champion. I don’t think it would have effected the fight between Harry and Ron though.

Where it becomes super interesting is, assuming they are a good or normal or upstanding person, do they still tell Harry how to get into the egg? Knowing that Mad-Eye was the one who told Cedric, I say yes, since they themselves didn’t get that information on their own, much like Harry with the Dragons, and I believe strongly in the pay-it-forward mentality.

The other big question is: would they have died? If they don’t, that wildly changes the rest of the books. Harry’s PTSD in the fifth book would be, still severe, but different. What would happen to them? Would they have escaped with Harry? Would that bond make them unbreakable friends? I’d imagine so. Or after a year of tension and not talking, they’d bury the hatchet, and then the repercussions for that are massive, in that I think Harry would lead a bond between all Slytherins and Gryffindors.

Goddamn. This may be too good a question to answer in a simple Sunday Chats, but yeah, in short, I think the repercussions would have been very different.

YES!

Great video game.

I’ll say this, you get essentially experiences for feeding the animals out and about in the world. DO THIS. It’s not too expensive and and will totally be worth it in the long run.

Also, get as MANY demon fangs as you can. AS MANY. You get them from using your slash ability on enemies who are flying into the air after they hit zero hp. They’ll drop a demon fang, which is a type of currency you can use much later in the game, and having a big stockpile will do you a ton of good.

Outside of that, have fun! Talk to everyone! It’s like a Zelda game, so tons of people have problems or off side quests you can initiate by talking to them. You can get the platinum pretty easily in one play through, so if you’re curious about that, hit me up.

Haha, well, how about Kinda Funny Prom? I can see it hit you with the eh vibes too. Though I’m very bummed you won’t be able to make it. I’ll be sending you good vibes from there, okay?

Oh, and I am sending you selfies. Hella selfies.

But yes, I was very, hrm, I guess, unsettled, for lack of a better word. It’s like getting invited to a costume party, where I just want to hang out with my friends. Now there is all this pressure and requirements and this feeling that you’re going to be shown-up. Plus, I don’t really clean up well, so like, I know I’ll feel super self-conscious the whole time, but that’s just me I suppose.

Then again, it’s another thing of well, I know when I’m there, and I’m in it, I’ll have a great time, but that’s a pretty big hump to get over, and I hate that I feel like I’m being forced into it, because, well, I am.

I suppose, if nothing else, I’ll just go for the weekend and then not go to KF Prom itself, but I haven’t decided yet. We’ll see.

Here is another, relevant example though, hearing about how things were being handled in the Harry Potter movies, starting with the third. No Marauders? Oh okay. Cool. Trash. Adios. Again, very much a me thing, but this is such a good question and I can’t think of a great example. I’m sure it’s out there, if I think of it I’ll let you know.

Listen, I love Tom Hanks as much as the next guy. He was in a Carly Rae Jepsen video, he, by all accounts, its a super cool dude, and I wanna hang out with him.

But Tom Hardy is a mountain of a man.

That man looks capable of actual murder. Not to say he would, he also seems like a lovely chap, but in a fist fight?

Nah.

Hardy, all the way.

Lol you’re great Nato, but also SO MUCH BOOTY AND OR TREASURE.

I talked about it a bit earlier, but I think the Guest Roundtables is a huge stand out. Those worked really well, felt good to do, and were a good reflection on a handful of cool games from the last year.

The criticism that Jarrett lodged that I sort of agree with is that there was just too much content. He said how could anyone reasonably consume all of it? Well, that’s never been my intention, I want it all out there so the audience can pick and choose what they want to hear themselves, and then go from there. But I think that’s a fair criticism. Written top 10s, guest and ours, our top 10 podcast, the five day goty show, and 10 podcasts on 10 games. It’s a ton, so why not just cut it down next time around, right?

Next year I think focusing on highlighting guests would be good. Either in just written or just podcast form. But we’ll see, we’ll have to start those conversations earlier this year.

Not at all! We just had our editorial meeting about it and I am V EXCITE.

I’ve been very lax on myself, not forcing myself to write at all. In fact, I’ve barely written a thing over the last month. Which has been, kind of nice, in the grand scheme of things. I think that’s okay. Rest is really important, and I can already feel my creative juices swirling around.

I think my feelings about writing are very much the same, but I have a better appreciation for it now. I feel like I need to write with more purpose now, and I don’t need to set arbitrary time or character limits on it. Once I get back in the swing fo writing complete things, maybe I’ll have a better grasp on how that feels.

I think it’ll review very well and I think it’ll do very well in the states. I know that may seem surprising, but the betas, the reception to them, and the time of release, are all in Capcom’s corner. Honestly, it’s a very strategic and smart release for them. I’m quite impressed at how shrewd it is. They’ll do great.

It’s just a bummer because I see so many folks talking about how it’s clicking with them or how satisfied they were with it, and after doing the three hunts in the beta with a group of three friends, I had fun but... well, I felt nothing. It just totally did not click with me. No satisfaction, no excitement, and I couldn’t wait to be done playing it, just because how it felt did zero favors for me. I’ve always had a cursory interest in Monster Hunter because of my cohosts who are so into it, and after finally playing it I just... don’t anymore, haha. I know that is a bummer, and trust me, no one is more bummed than me that I don’t get to get in on the Monster Hunter party, but more power to the folks out there playing! it think this game will do very well. It’s finally time for the Hunters to shine in the west!

This is a great question! I’d probably own an italian restaurant, and out of spite, I’d call it “O’Neill’s”, spelled the correct way. Sick of seeing all these goddamn pubs called “O’Neals” with their goddamn sheleighlies or whatever (is that offensive? Oh god I’m sorry Amy Gils) so we are doing it the right way.

And yes, I understand the absurdity of an italian food restaurant with the name O’Neill’s, that’s the whole bit. But I love italian food. It wouldn’t be just limited to that though.

I’d absolutely hire the retired Gen and Greg Miller as my head chefs. Meaning we’d have a ton of awesome stuff on the menu. I’d make my aunt’s secret pasta sauce, my mom’s secret brownie recipe, it’d be super good.

Oh, and we’d have only the best beer, curated by the best beer goddess in the business, Jazz Foster. Duh.

Also like, Beer Goddess is a thing, don’t ask questions.

No, it’s just not going to happen. I think there are plenty of players out there totally unaware fo the drama and fallout that dug MGSV and will get Survive and have a good time. Hell, I played the beta this weekend and had a good time with Logan Moore. Save for it crashing every time I went into the pause menu.

But that franchise just has too much baggage. People are going to tear it to shreds no matter what, but like, also, vote with your wallet. If that game ultimately doesn’t do well, then Konami is less likely to try and do another one, and I know a ton of hypocrites out there are going to just go and buy the game so they can shit on it on the internet. Be better then them. Go play a game made by a small indie developer, or talk about a game you really dug, that maybe folks aren’t talking about enough, like Hollow Knight, or Butterfly Soup.

Well duh, I am doing that RIGHT NOW

Happy birthday dude <3.

I’m not sure what you mean in this context. Like if you’re pitching an editor with a different ideology then you? Differing “goals” is I guess what’s throwing me off here.

I think you need to really sell why your stance is valid for that prompt, and as with everything, know your audience. If you’re doing a pitch, know the editor, know what they’re looking for, either in your, or in that pitch or prompt. They’re your audience, and your pitch is what you need to sell. You’re not necessarily selling the piece, you’re selling why the piece is special and why you need to be the one to write it.

I hope that helps?

I, unfortunately, haven’t been reading a lot of good stuff lately, so I can’t make any solid recommendations at this time, but Jarrett recommended a lot of good stuff in his Top 10 Write up, some “required readings” on all of his favorite games of the year.

http://irrationalpassions.com/jarrett-greens-top-10-games-of-2017/

That’s all I got. I deleted my Facebook account the other day, so really I am living my best life on the internet now, and I’m ready for this year. I’m not going to be doom and gloom. Things will be hard, but there are great games coming that I can’t wait to discuss and exacerbate myself talking of, and there will hopefully be great things to go along with those games.

Thank you all so much for reading, as always. I will try and get more into the swing of writing this every week like before, and also writing and producing cool stuff on top of that.

It’s 2018, or 20-great-teen as me and my friend Brandt Ranj have coined it, so let’s make this year great, together.

Keep it reeeeeeal.

#video games #the witcher 3 #metal geal survive #sunday chats #sunday #my favorite day #beer #okami #okami hd #monster hunter world

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