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themerrypanda · 1 month ago

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I first wrote this a couple years back for a Discord group, finally published it to AO3 a few months ago, then forgot to post it here. Until now! So, here it is: a Stardew Valley flower dance fic about Maru.

(My OC Kim from Addicts Anonymous appears in this too, but this story is mostly about Maru. It takes place after the events of Addicts Anonymous (at least half a year, I haven't yet determined precisely how long after), but it does not require reading that fic first to understand this one.)

Title: Lady of the Sciences and the Sweet Pea

Word Count: 2,460

Summary: During a semester at university, Maru returns to Pelican Town for the annual Flower Dance to visit her family and pay forward a favor once done for her.

Maru had to wake before sunrise to make it to the earliest bus from the university to Pelican Town.

Thankfully, she could spend most of the time on the bus asleep.

It was about 8:15 AM when the bus pulled into the familiar valley she called home. Right on schedule, right on time.

She hadn’t told anyone that she was coming. When she realized this day landed during her spring break, she knew she wanted to visit home, but she also knew she didn’t want to be forced into performing in the Flower Dance. And so silent she remained. At this point, the only way she would be made to dance was if Doctor Harvey asked, and she was pretty confident that he would be dancing with the psychiatrist friend he hired last winter.

Maru took the less traveled backroads to the field where the town held the Flower Dance. Odds were good no one else would be here; her mom typically leaves early to help with decorations, and often she would ask her dad and Sebastian to help too.

With that in mind, it was that much more of a surprise when she heard someone walking the same road. Maru peered around some trees and there found Leo, walking alongside Linus on their way to the Flower Dance. It was hard to believe that he was found shipwrecked on one of the Fern Islands just a few years ago. Leo had grown so much since. He immediately took a liking to Linus, who made his transition from Ginger Island life to Pelican Town life easier by being another person who lived off the land and teaching Leo how he can continue with that lifestyle.

He must be just about the right age to dance this year, Maru realized.

“It’s not fair.” Leo kicked a stray rock. He wore a traditional baby blue suit that looked like Emily customized it to be just his size. “I asked Jas first, and she said yes. But yesterday Mayor Lewis said that because Vincent’s older and lived here longer, she should dance with him. But I turn thirteen in the summer!”

“Peace, Leo. You can still dance with Jas after the first dance.”

“It’s not the same.”

It was at that inopportune moment that Maru stepped on a thicker twig that made a loud crack! Leo’s eyes widened, and immediately Linus spotted her.

“Good morning, Maru!” Linus smiled and waved at her. “I did not realize you were in town.”

“Just for today. It was supposed to be a surprise. School’s on break.”

“I see. Were you planning on dancing today?”

“No.” She glanced at Leo, who looked pointedly away with a frown still on his face. “At least, not as of this morning. Forgive me for listening in, but I heard Leo is without a dance partner.”

Leo scoffed in a manner that sounded more like a squawk. “Only because the mayor hates me.”

“He doesn’t hate you…” Linus chided gently.

“And even if he did, he can’t stop you from dancing if you have another dance partner, right?” Maru asked.

“But I’m twelve.”

“I’m not.”

It took Leo a second, but Maru knew he understood her scheme when Leo mouthed, “oh.” Then he smiled, a mischievous grin she knew he must have learned from his friend Vincent. Then he remembered something that made him frown. “There’s still one problem. This year, every couple has a flower.”

“There’s a daffodil over here.” Maru offered.

“I think someone already has a daffodil.” Leo countered.

“Does the cherry blossom tree next to Marnie’s ranch still have flowers?”

“I think they’ve all fallen already.”

“Hmm… there’s got to be something else we can use…” Maru scoured the ground. There were plenty of dandelions growing among the tree roots. Fine enough for a flower crown, but not for a corsage or boutonniere. Until finally she spotted…

“How about an early sweet pea?”

Leo appeared from the other side of a tree and found the sweet pea, bloomed just a couple days early from its usual time. “That works! Don’t you need a dress though?”

“I got this.” Immediately she sent a quick text to Emily.

Surprise! I’m in town. Do you still have my flower dance dress? Think sweet pea purple for the sash.

Maru pressed send. “There.” Emily would hopefully see it early enough. In a couple minutes, Maru will call anyway.

“Alright!” Leo jumped and fist-pumped.

“Wait, you’re still forgetting one thing.”

“Oh, right!” Leo reached down, gently pulled the flower so he could have as much stem as possible, and extended it to Maru. “Would you be my Flower Dance partner, Maru?”

“Of course!”

Right there, her phone buzzed, and Maru quickly whipped her phone back out of her pocket to read a message from Emily.

Of course! Meet me at my place ASAP.

It was about 8:55 AM when finally Maru made it to the field with Emily and Haley to her left and Leo and Linus to her right.

Her old flower dress had been altered so that the cuffed puffy sleeves were removed, leaving behind a simple what Emily called a classic bateau neckline. Apparently Mayor Lewis was finally persuaded to allow variations in the style of dress the women could wear, much to every girl’s pleasure, as long as its color stayed cream. The puffy sleeves could be quite annoying, and the looser dress code allowed for more ways to accessorize than just jewelry, make up, and the sash color around the waist. Emily had removed the blasted puffy sleeves from every dress and changed the entire dress according to what each dress wearer wanted. As she wasn’t expecting Maru to be back in town, she hadn’t gotten around to adding anything new to Maru’s dress, but offered her pearl earrings to borrow. Maru thought her dress was perfect regardless.

Haley’s dress was modified to have a V-neck and a top layer of white tulle around her skirt. Her jewelry matched her sunflower scheme. The moment she spotted Alex she ran up to meet him and practice their dance steps. She had hoped to practice sooner, but she was nice enough to remain longer so she could quickly make a boutonniere out of the sweet pea for Leo.

Emily’s dress looked just like Maru’s, but with the addition of a slit in the skirt, sheer bell sleeves that cut off above her wrists and a blue jazz flower featuring as the centerpiece of her collar. She went up to see Gus and make sure he didn’t need help with the refreshments.

The first to spot her was Vincent and Jas, who quickly ran up to Leo.

“Leo! You came!” Jas cheered. Her dress had a very poofy ballgown skirt that reminded her of those old princess and Barbie movies.

Vincent made eye contact with Maru. They were nearly the same height now. Just another inch or two and Vincent would then become the taller one. He glanced between her and Leo, then his jaw dropped and he gasped.

“No… Maru’s your dance partner?” he asked Leo.

“Yep! As of half an hour ago.”

“Lucky! Haha!” Vincent then turned to Maru. “If I had known you were coming, I’d have asked you!”

Leo and Maru looked at each other knowingly. Without a word, they agreed that neither would be offended if they did change dance partners at the last minute.

“You can still ask her.” Leo suggested cautiously.

Vincent first turned to Jas, and they too had a silent agreement. Finally, Vincent cleared his throat, as if to make a show. Maru braced herself for a fit of laughter.

“Dearest Maru, lady of the sciences and of the sweet pea…” Vincent bowed so exaggeratedly low his hair grazed the grass, then he extended a hand to her. “Might I have the honor of dancing with you on this fair day, for the annual Flower Dance?”

She tried so hard. And still, she broke. Her hands gripped her sides as she laughed loudly.

“Yes, of course! Ahahaha!” There was something she could always count on with the Clark brothers: they knew how to make just about anyone laugh.

“Sweet!” Vincent Clark shot back upright to his feet in a jump and cheered. Leo removed the boutonniere that pinned the sweet pea to his coat, and extended it to Vincent, who in turn pulled his deep purple fairy rose out of his suit pocket, and exchanged the flowers.

Jas took the opportunity to whisper into Maru’s ear two words: “Thank you.”

“Maru?”

Maru smiled at the familiar voice and turned to see Robin standing beside Demetrius. “Hi Mom! Hey Dad!”

“I didn’t realize you were coming today.”

“I decided at the last minute. Surprise!”

“Everyone!” Lewis announced from the other side of the clearing. “We’ll be having our Flower Dance in just a few minutes. Could the dancers and their partners line up please?”

Maru mouthed to her parents that she would talk with them later. Vincent and Maru followed Leo and Jas to the middle of the clearing. Vincent made sure he was standing by his brother Sam, which made it so Maru was standing next to her closest friend Penny.

“Sam! Miss Penny!” Vincent loudly whispered to them, and they both turned to see him with not the dance partner they were expecting.

“Maru!” Penny squealed happily. She looked lovely with the orange poppy sewn onto her sash. Her dress now had an elegant layer of floral-patterned lace on the bodice. “It’s so good to see you!”

“Great to see you too! We got to catch up after the dance.”

About eight couples were lined up for the dancing. Maru found herself admiring the variety of dress styles lined up with her. Across from her brother Sebastian stood Abby, whose dress was more like a cape with its high-low skirt and asymmetric neckline. A summer spangle adorned her purple hair where she usually had a green ribbon. (Have they finally started dating yet?!?) Leah looked like a forest sprite with her petal skirt and sleeves. Her sash was a pale pink that matched the tulip in Elliott’s breast pocket. Them, alongside Penny’s lace, Haley’s tulle, Jas’s ballgown… Maru couldn’t name the style of the dress Harvey’s dance partner wore, but it looked gorgeous.

“Kim’s sarong kebaya is probably my greatest fashion triumph yet!” Emily exclaimed to her dance partner. “Typically that long and narrow skirt can limit movement, but I made the skirt longer around the ankles than at the waist, so while it looks like a traditional skirt when stationary, it flares and allows for greater range of movement.”

And Sandy’s pantsuit seemed to blend in next to Kim’s dress, or at least it looked similar enough that it hid itself from Lewis’s judging eyes. He queued the music without making any fuss. Or he was in a rush to get it started.

Maru followed the familiar music as she bounced on the balls of her feet and swayed her skirt. Vincent followed along as best he could, but Maru felt that what he is performing is a result of having watched the dance often but participated in only a couple of times. Still, the dance was passable, and assuming the mayor didn’t mind the last minute couple addition and partner swap, he would not bring dishonor to his family’s name today.

Though Leo also occasionally stumbled, he looked more in practice. Jas happily followed his lead.

With Elliott and Haley being the best dancers of the men and women respectively, everyone else performed to their usual standard. Except Harvey, which surprised her. Once the formal Flower Dance portion was actually complete, he and Kim freestyled as if they had been practicing for years. Not even her parents’ dancing could compare, and that was saying something.

The next most amusing thing to see was Lewis realizing what changes happened without his noticing and authorization, and his face contorting as he wondered whether to interrupt the Flower Dance to correct everything or to just let it go. To her relief, he let it go.

When the first dance was complete, Maru stormed up to her friend Doctor Harvey.

“You’ve been holding out on me this whole time!”

Harvey looked dumbfounded when Maru stormed up to him after the dance. “Er… what?”

“The way you were dancing there! Harvey, I was your dance partner ever since you moved to Pelican Town, and never did we dance like that.”

“Well, I needed to make sure you could do the basic dance moves.”

“You never said you were a professional. That was amazing!”

“I wouldn’t say professional, but…”

“Thank you.” Kim cut him off with a pleasant smile. Her hair was twisted up into a bun and adorned with their flower: a red hibiscus. A matching flower sat in Harvey’s breast pocket. Kim looked even more pretty than Maru had imagined. And Harvey looked at Kim with such admiring eyes, lovestruck if Maru had to guess. Whatever he felt for her, Maru hoped with all her heart that Kim felt the same about him. They looked so happy together.

“We started dancing in med school. We’d go to dance classes to get a break from studies. He had always picked it up faster than I expected.”

“You flatter me, Kim.” But he continued to smile. “It’s good to see you too, Maru. Was your visit planned?”

“Nope. I hadn’t told anyone I was coming.”

“Yet you managed to find your own dance partner today.”

“Funny story… I made it into town less than an hour before everything started, and found Linus and Leo on their way here. Leo was upset that Lewis was going to make Vincent be Jas’s dance partner instead, so I offered to be his. And we changed it all up last minute so everyone could be happy. Apparently there was a lack of eligible girls in town when I left.”

“Well, I’m glad you could make the not-so young ones happy.” Kim said.

“I like to think of it as paying it forward. When I got old enough to dance, it was boys that were scarce, and me who was going to be left out. Then this old guy new in town stepped in, and suddenly I too could have a dance partner.” She smiled with a wink to her colleague. “Thanks, Harvey.”

She heard her mom call her name. Time to talk with everyone else, she supposed.

“I’ll make sure to see you again before I leave so we can actually catch up.” She started off, but not before waving back. “It’s great to finally meet you, Doctor Kim.”

“It’s nice to meet you too, Maru!”

#stardew valley #sdv maru #maru sdv

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