Chapter Text
The sun was shining and the air was warm on the first day of spring. Her head against the bus window, Fern watched green forests and little farms rushing by, and the occasional glimpse of the sea. She shuffled her feet in her new boots, they're sturdy but uncomfortable. She'd have to get used to them. As she nervously twirled her long brown hair, she caught sight of a single sign on the side of the road, reading "Stardew Valley .5 miles". She was almost there. She tried to calm her nerves as she wondered what is to come. the bus entered a dark tunnel then emerged from the other side, coming to a halt at a small bus stop. She thanked the bus driver and, gathering up her bags, stepped out of the doors. She saw a tall, smiling woman with flaming red hair waiting a few feet away. "ah, you must be Fern! welcome to Pelican Town!" she said. "I'm Robin, the town carpenter." she guided Fern down a small dirt path from the bus stop, as they discussed the long journey she took from the city. she lead her to the front of a large property, with overgrown flowerbeds and a large, weathered cabin. shocked, Fern turned to look at her. "this..is the farm?" she didn't remember it being this.. run-down. Robin laughed, "yes, it is a bit of a work in progress, huh? with the right tools, though, you'll have it looking good as new in no time." as she looked around at the mess of weeds and broken fences, she saw an elderly man enter the farm. "well, well, if it isn't Fern!" he said with a chuckle. "welcome! I am the Mayor of this town, Lewis." he shook her hand firmly. "oh..um, hello Mayor, sir." Fern mumbled absently, still thinking about the state of her farm. for the next ten minutes or so, the Mayor and Robin explained to her the basics of the farm, and Robin guided her to a pile of old, rusted gardening tools. "your grandfather left these for you," she said, gesturing to them. "We also left some seeds, you can plant those to start once you get this place cleared out." eventually they both left, as dusk approached. She entered the cabin and turned on a light, coughing in the dust. it was a small room, with a little table and chair, a small kitchen, and a bed. She sat down on the bed and unpacked her bags, made the bed, and organized a bit. She didn't have much, tomorrow she'd have to go into town to buy some supplies. She laid down in the rickety old bed, and eventually she closed her eyes and drifted off to sleep. that night she dreamt of strange, small green creatures who spoke to her in a language she could not understand. they danced around her mind until she was awoken bright and early the next morning. She rolled out of bed and put on her new jeans and boots. It was very different from the office attire she was so accustomed to, but looking in the old dusty mirror she felt very confident. She felt like a real farmer. She tied back her wavy brown hair and walked outside, garden tools in hand, and began to clear up the farm. She got on her knees and pulled out weeds, digging out the old dry dirt to reveal soft fresh soil. She gathered sticks and wood into piles, and placed them into an old shed she found. She had a feeling she might need them later. the hours passed by and the afternoon approached. She began feeling hungry, her hands sore and the sun hot on her back. She decided to take a break, she'd fixed up a decent portion of land in front of the farmhouse. She planted the seeds she was given yesterday, then went inside to freshen up. She decided to walk into town, after putting on some clean clothes and washing the dirt out of her hair. She wandered down the dirt path into town, and eventually came to a large stone courtyard. She saw a few houses scattered around, what seemed to be a general store and clinic, and a large brick building with a sign that said "Stardrop Saloon". She noticed some people walking around, and they all paused what they were doing and stared at her. Her face reddened and she hurried away from the stares into the small general store. the bell dinged as she opened the doors, and she was met with a grinning shopkeeper staring from the front of the store. "well HELLO there, you must be the new farmer!" he said, waving happily. "I'm Pierre, welcome to my store! would you like to buy something? anything? I have MUCH to sell!" he stared at her eagerly and she nodded slowly before backing away into one of the isles. 'well he sure is friendly,' she thought to herself, perusing the shelves of supplies. She gathered a bag full of food to purchase, along with some kitchenware, and a few more packets of seeds to plant. as she exited the isle towards the till she walked headfirst into another person, stumbling backwards with a gasp. They reached out and caught her before she fell, and started apologizing rapidly. "I'm so so sorry, are you hurt??" They asked. She brushed her hair back out of her eyes, and got a better look at them. She saw a tall man with long tresses of red hair framing his lightly freckled face and strong jawline. As she stared into his bright green eyes, she realized that she never answered his question. Flustered, she looked away from his gaze and shook her head quickly. He looked like he was about to say something else, but before he could she hurried away, her face red. Once she returned home she organized the food she bought, and made herself something to eat. Afterwards she planted the new seeds that she bought beside the old ones. The package said they take about a week, so she wouldn't have to wait long for them to grow. She decided to explore a little, wandering around her property throughout the grass and over logs. There was a lot of work still left to be done, but that was a job for tomorrow. She found an exit on the other side of the farm, and walked out into a beautiful forest. She spotted another farm, with a cattle pen and a big red silo. She also saw a lake, and a woman standing by the water scribbling something on a piece of paper. She decided not to disturb her, and continued down the path. She ended up back in town again, and wandered around for a few hours, getting to know the place. She found a large store, much bigger than the one she was in before, and shuddered as she read the name on the front. JOJA MART. JOIN US, THRIVE. She had seen that sign before, in the big city. It was where she had worked, before she came here. She tried to shake the memories of that place, it's not her life anymore. She hurried away from there and wandered down to a small, quiet beach. She spotted a little cabin in the corner, and she wondered if anyone lived there. She walked down to the docks and sat on a bench, watching the sun set over the ocean.