Archive of Our Own

Monster AU

Monster Valley

[Y/N]’s grandfather had sent a letter.  He gifted them his farm and requested help to repair Stardew Valley back into a prosperous, lively town again.  Moving is a big deal.  From smoggy crowded city to a remote countryside.  Will it be a potential utopia or a disastrous endeavor?  [Y/N] thinks it’ll be a good change nonetheless.  Better than living in a tiny apartment and going to work for a dead-end job every day.  New people, new job, maybe some adventure.  It’ll be interesting!

Packing their bags they catch a train (the only one) that’ll transport them to Stardew Valley.  The sky is clear and cloudless.  Apple-red.  Wooded mountains are purple-burgundy.  “I’m no doctor or scientist,” [Y/N] read the letter again.  “How can I help the residents of Stardew Valley?”

Steam cloaks the train as it approached the platform.  Midnight’s inky darkness falls over [Y/N] as they drag their heavy luggage case along.  An owl called overhead.  Dreary and eerie.  It feels as if danger lurks close by.  No.  Can’t be.  It’s just like every other rural territory.

Is this really the beloved town mentioned in the letter?  The train hissed as it left the station hurriedly, as if afraid to stay in these feral, dilapidated woodlands.  [Y/N] glanced at a map and followed the path to their new home.

Towering gnarled trees surround [Y/N] on either side of the road.  There’s no wind.  No movement.  Everything natural is adorned in immeasurable shadows instead of colorful whimsy.  They can hear only their footsteps.  An eerie cold draft whips across the back of their neck.  Are they being watched?

The world suddenly spins.  [Y/N] hits the ground.  A mysterious figure looms above and pins them down.  An axe blade glints under faint moonlight.  Silver eyes glow venomously.  “What’s a disgusting human doing in Stardew Valley?”  He spat.

[Y/N] glanced at their captor.  Plum-colored skin, pointy ears, sharp teeth, and dark ebony hair.  No way!  Are the ancient legends true?!  Monsters are real?!

The shadow elf grinned sinisterly.  He lifted the axe-

A giant furred beast collides into him.  The two rolled.  The shadow elf cursed and said, “This is my kill, Alex!”

[Y/N] gasped.  The beast stood on two legs, his limbs muscular and adorned in cedar-brown fur.  It’s a werewolf!  Alex ignored the shadow elf’s death glare and tossed him.  Under his playful gaze is dangerous warning. “Sorry Sebastian.  I can’t let you.  Hunting humans is forbidden, remember?”

“Since when?!”

Sebastian lunges at Alex who merely evaded the attack and chuckled.  He effortlessly gripped the axe blade with his claws.  The monsters’ muscles trembled as each struggled to get the upper hand.  White fangs flash into an amused smile.  “Since that old farmer lived here.  Mayor Lewis made a law that monsters can’t hunt human game in Stardew Valley.”

Sparks explode from claws and axe blade.  Clang!  Clang!  Clang!  “That old dwarf ruins all the fun!  It’s just one human!”

A fireball flies overhead like a comet.  Sebastian flinches from the blinding light.  Another monster joins the fray. 

“Hey Sam!  Glad to see you!”

Scorching flames emit from an elemental’s body.  Even a few feet away [Y/N] can feel powerful heat from the fire.  Sam winked and summoned helixes of flames from his hands.  “C’mon Sebastian don’t be like this.  I love sparring as much as the next guy –but you can’t hurt any humans!”

“Yeah!  Didn’t you and Abigail already kill enough sacrifices this month?”

Bewildered and horrified by this bizarre conversation, [Y/N] slowly backed away.  A knife hissed by and cut their neck. 

“Get them to safety Alex!  I’ll handle Sebastian!”

The werewolf latched onto [Y/N] and dragged them into the woods.

Alex dropped [Y/N].  He wagged his bushy tail and tilted his head side to side.  His round nose twitched.  “Sorry about Sebastian.  He’s moody but a good person.  Hey I recognize that scent!”

[Y/N] stood up and grabbed their luggage.  “My grandfather asked me to take over his old farm.  But he never told me-”

“That we’re monsters?”

They nodded.

The werewolf laughed.  “Sounds like something he’d do.  It’s not as magical if you don’t see it for yourself.”

“Right.  Magical.”

“Mayor Lewis mentioned someone moving to Stardew Valley.”

“I have to help the town.  But I don’t know how.  You’re all super powerful and awesome!”

Alex’s eyes shine knowingly.  “If you’re even a sliver like him, you’ll fit right in with us.”

“Your house is this way.  C’mon!”

[Y/N] had to run at full speed just to keep up with the werewolf.  Their lungs are on fire and their guts feel like they’d been in a longstanding boxing match.  Ahead is a creaky, ominous-looking, weathered farmhouse.  Alex’s lumbering form hardly fit on the porch.  His ears hit the ceiling. 

“Thanks for rescuing me.  I’m [Y/N].”

“No problem!  And, as you know I’m Alex.”

“You should meet everybody tomorrow.  We all hang out at the bar on Wednesdays and Thursdays.  Oh and if you like gridball we should play sometime!  I’m human at dawn and usually hang out at the beach.”

“Sure, that’d be cool Alex.”

“Alright!  See you later farmer!”  The werewolf howled and ran away.  [Y/N] shook their head and laughed.  They didn’t expect a werewolf to be so friendly. 

The house is small compared to the yard.  They’ve never farmed anything.  Maybe tiny house plants but nothing this complicated!  Tools are stored in a box with a bow along with vegetable seeds.  [Y/N] wondered what the future will be like among monsters in Stardew Valley.  Being the only human –it’ll surely be extraordinary!

For a small town it’s tremendously energetic.  At first [Y/N] thought that it had been a trick, a prank pulled because they were from a faraway place.  No.  Everybody is actually a monster.  [Y/N] is introduced to many –excluding those who only appear at night.  Mayor Lewis is a dwarf.  He explains how [Y/N]’s grandfather had been the only human accepted into Stardew Valley.

How he had lifted a curse.  He befriended tiny lost forest sprites that repaired Stardew Valley to its unique, polished quality.  The sprites have fled again though for an unknown reason.  Without them to guard the town, the residents will perish.  [Y/N] must find them and bring them back to town hall and the curse will be banished.

[Y/N] accepted the task but thought a warrior or adventurer would be more substantial in solving the mystery than a commonplace, novice farmer.

Clinking glasses.  Buoyant conversations.  Sweet-smelling food.  Even a town of monsters likes the warm atmosphere of a diner.  [Y/N] orders [drink] and [food].  It’s one of the few eatable dishes for humans.  They kindly meet the rest of the others who’d they had missed on their daytime route.

Maru is an upbeat, savvy inventor, and really smart!  She’s an android.  Sipping on oil she discusses which ores one should use or discard when crafting high quality robots.

Abigail is a spirit.  She talks about a spell book that is in her pale, almost see-through arms.  Pages include entries about sacrifices, curses, and how to summon otherworldly beasts.  Abigail moves glasses across the bar.  Some fly while others explode into shards.

Haley is a proud and arrogant half-deer, half-human monster.  Her form is human but there are hints of deer characteristics.  Her golden wavy hair elegantly falls over milky dappled skin.  She brags about her stylish expensive clothes.  [Y/N] sighed.  Is she ever going to say anything besides the newest gossip?

Elliot is a flirtatious male dryad who lives on the beach.  Pretty poetry pours from his lips like honey to drink.  His sophisticated style is very interesting.  He’d probably be cool talking about philosophy or know a whimsical tale.

Sam and Alex wave as they walk to the arcade.  Sebastian huffed and curtly nodded in greeting as he followed.  [Color] eyes drift to a dark shadowy part of the bar.  A man is wearing a vintage suit and drinking beer.  His gaze is a murky purple.  Mysterious.  He’s not as longwinded as the other patrons.  “What being are you evaluating, [Y/N]?”  Maru inquired.

“Oh uh,” they blushed.  “I was just wondering who that guy is.”

Maru’s eyes flickered different colors as she analyzed.  “That is Shane.  A vampire.”

“Wow!  Immortal huh?  He must’ve seen a lot of cool places…”

Shane is mysterious.  His expression is taciturn.  He narrowed his eyes at the human staring at him.  “What do you want?”

“I’m the new farmer.”  [Y/N] nervously tucked [color] hair behind their ear.  “You’re Shane right?” 

The vampire made a noise between a hiss and a scoff.  “Yeah I guess.  Why talk to me anyway?  Don’t you have anyone else to bother?”

Does Shane hate humans?  Or is he normally this cold?  [Y/N] isn’t discouraged.  They can tell there’s something splendid under Shane’s stony exterior.

It’s slow progress.  [Y/N] gifts beer or pepper poppers.  They find out things about Shane.  They sometimes share drinks at the small pond in the woods.  [Y/N] thinks they’re finally chipping away at Shane’s indifferent disposition. 

One night while returning home from the mines [Y/N] runs into Harvey.  “Have you seen Shane?”

“No.”

“Oh, this is terrible!  I was busy at the clinic all day and didn’t realize-”

“Whoa, whoa.  What’s wrong Harvey?”

“There’s a blood shortage.  Fortunately I always save enough for emergencies.”  The doctor unlatched his brief case and handed [Y/N] some blood bags.  “Can you help me search for him?  He needs these urgently.”  Harvey sighed.  “A vampire is dangerous if they haven’t drunk blood for long.  Take this it’ll be better than your sword.”  He gave them a slip of paper with a symbol on it.  “The talisman will stun him if he is in frenzy.”

Unlike a vampire, [Y/N] has trouble seeing through the gloom.  They hike through weeds and a maze of trees.  Stumbling onto the dock [Y/N] sees a shadowy figure thrashing.  Crushed beer cans lead a pathway to Shane.  His dull gaze turns alarmed when he sees the farmer.  “Stay…away!”

They only waver for a second.  Then take a step towards the vampire.

“I said stay away!”  His sharp fangs glimmer like crescent moons.  Blobs of tears escape eyes that convey agony.

“You’re in pain, Shane.  I have something that’ll help.”  [Y/N] grabbed a blood bag from their backpack.

He shook his head.  “I’m afraid I’ll attack you.  Vampires are unbelievably strong.  You’ll be safer just leaving me here.”

Sadness warps [Y/N]’s expression like clay.  “Even if you do –I’m going to help you.”  They’d toss the bag from this distance but it’s undoubtedly not durable.  So unfalteringly, they stepped forward.  The dock creaked underneath their footsteps.

In one movement Shane got up to his feet and lunged.  [Y/N] hits the deck.  The rough surface slices their legs and arms.  [Y/N] thrashes trying to push a frenzied vampire away –no luck.  His grip is secure and indestructible!  [Y/N]’s desperate escape is hindered by waning strength.

Wielding the talisman they blindly hit Shane.

The vampire withdraws and staggers backwards.  A hand clasps scorched flesh.  Wheezing, Shane glances at [Y/N] thankfully.  The frenzy perished.  [Y/N] helps Shane up and gives him a blood bag.

Shane drinks the blood like a tired athlete.  Blood drips down his neck.  It’s silent for a long time as he crushes one bag and goes to the next.  Life, or what can be considered life because Shane’s a vampire, returns to his eyes.  Wiping blood from his mouth he glances at [Y/N] thoughtfully.

“I’m sorry.”

Their bows furrowed.  “For what?”

“That I almost shredded your neck.  That you had to help me at all.”  He rubbed the talisman burn that already started to heal.

[Y/N] smiled sweetly.  “I couldn’t just let you suffer when I could help.”

“Even a vampire?”  Shane spat the word venomously.  He didn’t like being a vampire.

They nodded.

Shane chuckled bitterly.  “I…I wasn’t drinking as much blood as I should’ve been.”

“Why?  Because of the blood shortage?”

“That’s one reason.”  He curled up and stared at his reflection in the pond.  Shane’s voice rings resentfully.  “I’m a new vampire.”

“I was turned into a vampire ten years ago.  Marnie, Jas, and Harvey help me but I still have trouble.  I mix blood into food and drink but…” Shane trailed off.

Why was Shane turned into a vampire?  Do all vampires have a hard time like that?  What happens when they refuse to drink blood?  They frenzy but then what?

“So Harvey and Lewis told me to stay in Stardew Valley until I get better.  Away from humans.  It’s scary though.  It takes years, decades even, before a vampire can control blood frenzy.”

The lumbering man trembled.  A shaky smile unfolded on his face.  “That’s what it must be like for a starving animal.  I hate it.  I have super speed and strength, I don’t need to sleep or eat.  I can live forever.  But when a vampire doesn’t drink blood it’s terrifying!  Like when Abigail pranks people.”

“Or when a shadow elf tries to kill you the first day you move to a new place?”  [Y/N] joked.

Shane laughed.

“You’re not alone Shane.”

“You’re not a vampire, [Y/N].”

“I know.  I may not understand the fears of being a vampire but you were human once.  I’ll be here for you.  Just like Harvey, Marnie, and Jas are.”

“Well,” Shane looked up to view the approaching dawn above dark treetops.  “You’re brave enough to live in a town full of monsters.  If I was still human I wouldn’t.”

“Thanks.  I just wanted to experience a change in life I guess.  To make a life worth remembering.  To not stay in the same dull nothingness that I had been in the city.”

Shane smiled.  Maybe someone understands him after all.

“And Shane?”

“Yeah?”

“If there’s another blood shortage I can-”

“No.  I couldn’t.  I’d be afraid that the next blood frenzy will be-”

“Shane.”

He flinched.  Their fearlessness is stunning! 

“Don’t be afraid to ask for blood.  Okay?  I can ask Harvey to extract some.”

“You’d do that for me?  Really?”

[Y/N] smiled and nodded.

Shane’s heart fluttered.  He thinks that the world isn’t so dreary now.  No longer is he just waiting until time loses its meaning.  Could he actually be falling for the farmer?  It’s different than the despair that he’s used to feeling.  The next nightfall, when the daytime withers into murky darkness, Shane is sure he’ll buy the farmer a beer.