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spacesapphi · 26 days

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Guys... Can I talk ab the Marnie lore for the main story I'm writing for my interp of Stardew...

Too bad, doin it anyways

Marnie Lore Doc is Here!!!

This mostly goes over her backstory as in what she was like when she was younger, all the basic story points of what happened with her leading up to the parts that I'm writing about in my fanfics (there will be no spoilers here)

CW for some talks of health and death

Everything is below the cut!

Marnie and her sister Mona were born in 1959 (Stardew in my writing takes place around 2010) and grew up in the ranch house in Pelican Town. The farm had been in the family for generations now, the Yoder family taking great pride in their roots as PA Dutch people. The girls’ father instilled the ideals of working hard and taking pride in said work from a young age, having them help out on the ranch when they were as young as 5.

The girls were each other's best friends growing up, and they grew extremely close. They knew each other's deepest secrets and biggest dreams, and supported each other wholeheartedly. Mona was the first person to know that Marnie wanted to be a textile artist instead of a rancher. It wasn’t like she didn’t like the animals, she loved them! But life in the valley felt too stagnant for her, and she felt like she could only truly excel if she made something of herself out in the world. Mona supported her wholeheartedly, giving her praises and critiques on her works, and overall being her biggest fan. Her father wasn’t exactly so excited about this, however. He worried that going out into the city would change his daughter too much, make her forget her roots. Not to mention, the ranch needed to be cared for. It took a lot of convincing from Marnie, and Mona assuring him that she’d take over the business for him to finally come to accept that choice.

She worked for the ranch through highschool and into her early 20’s to save up to go to her dream college, a fabulous arts institute in Zuzu City. It was incredibly expensive, but she managed to save every spare cent to pay for her classes. She was so proud of herself, as were her father and Mona. Unfortunately, the year before she was set to go didn’t go as planned for anyone. Their father passed away unexpectedly, leaving Mona as the sole caretaker of the ranch. Marnie offered to stay home, to push off college and help Mona with the work, but she kept insisting she could handle it, telling Marnie to pursue her goals. Reluctantly, she agreed to go forward with college, thanking Mona for being so kind and understanding.

The first year away at college was interesting to say the least! The valley was so small and tight knit, and it was jarring seeing so many people all crammed into one place like in the city. Marnie felt like a true fish out of water. People in the city commented on her clothes, how she ‘talked funny’, and how her mannerisms were ‘odd’. She started feeling like maybe she made a mistake, and almost went home during orientation week. However, she changed her mind after meeting her roommate, Pamela Finch.

She was an… odd woman to say the least. Pam dressed in all kinds of bright, funky clothes, wore heavy makeup and had her blonde hair teased to high heaven, the poster child of the 80’s. She didn’t seem to take many things too seriously, just ‘going wherever the wind took her’. College was her dad’s idea, as he wanted her to do something big and important with her life. But Pam? Her dream was being a trucker, driving all across the country with nothing but the open road and the radio to keep her company. Though in many ways they were opposites, Marnie grew to enjoy her company. They were both considered ‘odd’ by people in the city, just in different ways. Pam was like another sister to her, a fun and rowdy one who got in all sorts of trouble. They were great for each other, though. Pam was able to mellow out a little and Marnie was brought out of her shell through their friendship.

On top of gaining a new friend, Marnie would soon gain another family member! She and Mona made it a point to call each other at least 3 times a week, updating each other on their lives. Marnie typically was the one with the most exciting news to share, as the valley often was not exciting, but Mona actually had something interesting to share. She was going to have a baby, and Marnie was over the moon at the thought of being an aunt. When she asked who Mona was seeing, and when she would meet the lucky man, Mona got standoffish. The man pretty much ghosted her when he found out, and Mona didn't want to talk about it. Marnie got the hint quick and wouldn’t bring it up again.

The next spring, right after the Spring semester let out, Marnie went home to meet the baby for the first time. This baby would be her little nephew Shane, and he was the cutest thing she ever saw… though she was a bit taken aback at his purple hair. The shock wore off quickly, Marnie claiming that such a unique trait was the mark of a future artist like herself! She absolutely adored and spoiled her nephew, and was so pained to leave him and Mona to go back to the city once the Fall rolled around.

When she got back, she dormed with Pam once again, who proudly announced that she had gotten married over the Summer! The two barely knew each other for two months, but she swore they were in love. He was the man of her dreams, a wild and handsome trucker who promised to take her all over the country with him as soon as she was out of college. Her dad was not happy about this, almost disowning Pam over it, but he eventually came around to it and reluctantly accepted his daughter's choice.

The next school year was exciting, consisting of many elaborate projects and even gallery showings for Marnie! Mona showed up to every single one she could, always telling her sister she was gonna go far with this. It gave her the motivation to keep pushing herself above and beyond, making more conceptual pieces, always inserting symbols of the culture she grew up in and loved so much. She promised her dad she wouldn’t forget her roots, and stuck by that promise.

In her Junior year, Marnie found herself getting considered for a grand opportunity, an apprenticeship with one of the greatest artists guilds in the country. The job would almost guarantee herself a spot in the art scene. She was ecstatic, overjoyed! Pam insisted they go to a party that night to celebrate… and Marnie learned quickly that she did not enjoy the party scene, especially after she got stuck with a nasty hangover in the morning.

She chose to work even harder on her art, improving steadily to prove that she deserved this apprenticeship, and her spot in the art world. Her dreams were coming true before her eyes, and she couldn’t possibly be more excited. Whenever she called Mona, she had the most enthusiastic voice, chattering away about all her plans and projects, everything that kept her so busy. But perhaps she was too busy, at least too busy to realize Mona was progressively beginning to sound more tired and unwell with each call.

Mona convinced herself she was able to handle the ranch and a child, but it was becoming clear she couldn’t. The stress was taking a toll on her health, and she was already starting to go gray in her twenties. She was getting weaker as time passed, the strain of it all having disastrous effects. She refused to tell Marnie though, knowing she would drop everything to come back home, give up and turn back when she was so close to touching the stars. Marnie noticed when she came back home though, seeing how much older and tired her sister looked. She insisted she was going to stay home, Mona telling her no, and a fight broke out between the two over it. Marnie eventually agreed to go back to school and finish her degree, though she felt uneasy about it.

Senior year was nerve wracking. All the work she had put into this degree was under intense scrutinization, the apprenticeship on the line. All those sleepless nights and days spent squirreled away in the textiles studio were finally paying off. Marnie was noticeably off her game this year though, her thoughts too preoccupied with Mona's health. She was also afraid she was going to fumble this, make a fool of herself in front of everyone and lose the opportunity. But to her surprise, and relief, she was chosen in the end. Upon graduating she would start the apprenticeship, and join the greats in the art world! This should’ve been the happiest time in her life, and it could’ve been if not for the devastating call she got just after graduation.

She and Pam were clearing out their dorm, talking about the future and all the exciting things they had planned. They had graduated just a few days ago, and the excitement was still buzzing in them (though Marnie couldn't help but feel disappointed that Mona couldn't come).

Pam was talking about starting a family with her husband, so excited about the life she saw ahead for the two of them. And Marnie would be on her way to New York, living the high life in the big city and throwing her life into her work. Pam promised to visit her if her work ever brought her to the state.

Marnie chattered on about her plans once she got to the city, getting interrupted by the phone ringing. It was a call from back home. The town doctor was on the line, informing her Mona was hospitalized, and the outlook wasn’t good. Life ground to a halt immediately. Marnie packed the rest of her things as fast as she could, rushing out the door without saying goodbye to her roommate, speeding home as fast as she could.

She didn’t leave Mona’s side once in her last moments, the two talking about life, regrets, and what the future would be like. Marnie scolded her for not opening up about how bad it actually was, and for insisting she go back to school when the stress was legitimately killing her. Mona told her she just wanted her to follow her dream, but if her dream came at the cost of her sister, her best friend, Marnie didn’t want it. Mona asked her to take care of Shane, and Marnie promised she would. By the next morning, Mona was gone.

Marnie of course had to turn down the apprenticeship, moving right back into her childhood home instead of that flashy apartment in the city she had looked forward to. Getting back into the rhythm of ranch life, and adjusting to life with a toddler was difficult, to say the least. The guilt of knowing this is just how Mona felt for so long weighed on her heart, and she promised herself she would do her best to make up for that. As time went on, life began to get easier, though it was never the same. Having no support system, no close friends or any family here was so hard. But she had her nephew, and knowing that he needed her kept her going.

About two years later, a very familiar woman moved into town, trailer hitched to the back of a pickup truck. When Marnie realized it was Pam of all people, she was overjoyed. Finally, she had a close friend, a familiar face back in the valley with her! She had a baby of her own too, a little girl named Penny that she just adored. Pam explained how her husband had walked out on them recently, and she decided to settle back here for a simpler pace. She was going to take over the bus driving job as well, a position that had very recently opened up! The two talked about the past few years, exchanging stories of the highs and lows of it all. Neither of them expected to be here in Pelican Town, living such similar lifestyles after having such lofty goals and dreams. Pam seemed to find the humor in it though, and expressed that she hoped Penny and Shane would grow up to be good friends. (They would not </3 )

The next few years were a whirlwind. The ranch was a lot of work of course, but there was so much more too! She’d been invited to an aerobics group with all the other ladies in town, won the valley fair quite a few times, had a short, fleeting romance with the man running the saloon, her nephew came out to her as trans (Marnie was actually the one to pick out the name Shane!), the old farmer next door had struck a wonderful business deal with her, and she surprisingly found herself happy in this spot in life.

This life wasn’t the one she had planned, that was for sure. There were still many things that she regretted, so many things she wished she could’ve done and achieved. She still grieved too, grieving the loss of her opportunity and her sister. But despite it all, and through all the future troubles and misfortunes that would befall her family, she couldn’t help but keep a glimmer of hope that everything would be okay in the end. And with time, it would be.

#stardew valley #sdv #sdv marnie #Stardew Valley marnie #MARNIE I LOVE UUUU BEST VILLAGER #i have so many thoughts ab her #i wanna write n draw about her and Pams college adventures so bad i have ideas #i love the idea of marnie being into art and being really good idk why #the hcs of Marnies family being PA Dutch and Shane being transmasc mean so much to me u have no idea #anyways im cringef but free #or whatever the kids say

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