Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

Y/N hated it here.

Her heels made empty rhythmic clicks and clacks on the soulless tile floor as she made her way to her cubicle, dipping and side-stepping around coworkers who stood in the way.

‘Just focus on walking and it will be fine,’ she told herself. ‘Everything will be fine.’

A smile was pressed on her face, forced, but no one would know that.

Y/N rushed to get to where she needed to be, attempting to ignore everyone around her, yet still feeling their stares boring holes through her.

Finally stepping into her designated area, she sat at her desk. Her seat was barely comfortable at best, and miserable most days. Her work computer was old, box-like and faded, likely bought and installed decades ago, but it still ran… relatively smoothly. Or at least as smoothly as an office computer can get.

After adjusting her skirt, oh how she disliked this skirt, she got to work; pulling up files, emails, and the like.

Minutes feel like hours, and the past however many days have felt like years. Her life felt like stuffy, humid air; she needed to breathe, and this stupid desk job at Joja of all places had a rope around her throat.

Y/N groaned, leaning back in her chair and pressing her fingers against her forehead. She hated it here.

She was stuck. She had no clue what to do. She got herself in this mess, though; she deserved it, yet she was looking for an out.

Taking a quick peek at the cubicles around her, no one seemed to share that sentiment. They were all either hard at work or conversing with others around the water fountain. Everyone looked content, or at least relatively neutral to the work environment they all found themselves in. She had the feeling that it was all a lie; no one could possibly be happy just sitting in front of a screen and punching random numbers in a document all day, every day, every month, every year.

She looked back at her computer, sinking into her seat. She was mentally exhausted, if the bags under her eyes were anything to go by. She needed an out, but as far as she knew, there was none.

Her thoughts wandered; where had her life gone, and how did she end up here?

She remembered hanging out with her friends in high school, carefree and ignorant of the looming threat of adulthood. She wondered where her friends are now, as their friend group had dispersed when most of the group had gone to college. Hopefully they were happy with where they’d ended up.

Next her thoughts trailed to middle school, where puberty had really messed with many of her peers. Her friends would gossip, joke and chat throughout their lunch period. Friendships started and ended frequently. The gym locker rooms were an embarrassing experience overall.

She remembered being in elementary school, oblivious to the goings on and fighting between the Gotoro Empire and Ferngill Republic. She remembered hearing adults talk about it in hushed whispers, always whispering, as though someone may be watching. She remembered being sent to her Grandpa’s farm sometimes back then, where she would help with the crops and animals. She… wait.

Grandpa.

Y/N’s eyes widened, a memory flooding back.

She had only just hit double digits at the time. Grandpa had gotten weaker in his last few years, but he’d always tried to move around and get something done. Seeing her Grandpa in his bed, not making an effort to get up and walk around, it felt alien to her. That wasn’t like her Grandpa. Her parents knew his time was near.

She remembers his voice; warm, loving and calm, even when he was nearing his end.

“... and for my very special granddaughter… I want you to have this sealed envelope.”

She’d blinked back tears as a crisp envelope had been pressed gently into her hands. Her fingers slid to the purple wax seal, carefully, and her grandfather sat a hand on hers.

“No, no,” he said with a chuckle. “Don’t open it yet… have patience.”

Y/N looked up, a tear threatening to slide down her cheek. Her grandfather wiped it away.

“Now, listen close…”

“There will come a day when you feel crushed by the burden of modern life… and your bright spirit will fade before a growing emptiness…” Grandpa explained, before being interrupted by a cough.

“When that happens, my dear,” he says, a knowing glint in his eye. “You’ll be ready for this gift.”

Y/N had nodded, before the tears began to flow, and Grandpa had pulled her into one of his famous hugs. Oh how she missed them.

“Now, let Grandpa rest…”

The letter.

Where is the letter?

Y/N jolted upright and out of her seat, her eyes darting around her workspace. She opened drawers, digging through meaningless paperwork and files. She needs to find the letter.

Then she saw it, a royal purple wax seal, keeping the secrets of a yellowed envelope locked inside.

Grandpa’s letter.

Her name was written with care on the front in pen, as though the letter was calling out to her, reassuring her that today was the day Grandpa had told her of. Carefully, she peeled the wax seal and opened the letter, pulling out a crisp and yellowed paper.

Dear Y/N,

If you’re reading this, you must be in dire need of a change.

The same thing happened to me, long ago. I’d lost sight of what mattered most in life… real connections with other people and nature. So I dropped everything and moved to the place I truly belong.

I’ve enclosed the deed to that place… my pride and joy: Stardrop Farm. It’s located in Stardew Valley, on the southern coast. It’s the perfect place to start your new life.

This was my most precious gift of all, and now it’s yours. I know you’ll honor the family name, my dear. Good luck.

Love, Grandpa

P.S. If Lewis is still alive say hi to the old guy for me, will ya?

Y/N wiped the tears from her eyes, and sure enough, she noticed the extra paper in the envelope. The deed to the farm.

After swallowing hard, she knew she needed to act.

She got up, swiftly packed her things, and walked into her boss’ office.

“I quit.”

Chapter Text

Y/N leaned against the window of the bus, her eyes fixated on the trees and buildings that flew past her gaze.

She’s really doing it. Never in a million years did she think she’d ever come back to Pelican Town after Grandpa’s passing. How long has it been..? About ten years or so?

She hadn’t expected to burn out at that job at Joja so fast, either. Then again, she’d been there for almost two years, and quite a bit of the work had been piled onto her. She just hoped that she would do well at her Grandpa’s farm.

The bus hit a bump and her head bounced, hitting the window hard and tearing her from her thoughts. She rubbed her head absentmindedly, noticing a sign outside the window.

Stardew Valley
0.5 mi.

Her eyes lit up. She’s almost there. Her heart begins to race in anticipation, the slight worry of if she’ll even fit in takes over her mind. Quickly, she banishes those thoughts. From what she remembers, it’s a nice town, so she should be welcomed easily if memory serves her right. Plus, she’s stayed there before, so maybe a few of the locals remember her, if they’re still there.

Before she knows it, the bus is hissing to a stop, and she falls forward slightly in her seat.

“Pelican Town.” the bus driver calls out, and Y/N quickly stands. Grabbing her very few belongings, she thanks the driver and steps out of the bus.

She’s hit with the clean earthy smell of the valley, a smell she’s dearly missed from living in the city for so long. There are many trees surrounding the small bus stop, much more than what she’d see back in the developed and urban Zuzu City. The sun feels warm on her skin and the breeze is cool and refreshing, neither nippy nor frigid. A small smile makes its way to her face; she’s back.

“Hello!” a voice calls out.

Y/N quickly looks around before her gaze falls on someone new; a woman with ginger hair pulled into a slightly messy bun. She’s wearing a yellow long sleeved shirt with a brown vest, some green pants, and some neat brown boots. The woman wore a big smile on her face as she walked closer to Y/N from the path in front of the bus stop.

It’s Ms. Robin, a familiar face that Y/N hasn’t seen since Grandpa passed.

“Y/N, it’s so nice to see you again!” Robin said, her face practically glowing from her smile.

“Hi Ms. Robin!” Y/N returns, accepting a hug from the older woman.

“How have you been?” Robin asks.

“I’ve been doing okay. I’m glad to be back, though! I’ve missed this place so much.”

“Well, we’re glad to have you back too. It’s been a bit cloudy since you were last here; nothing bad, but you made the town a whole lot sunnier when you’d stay with your Grandpa.”

Y/N nodded, remembering how often she’d be called cheerful, sunny or helpful when she was a kid. Robin’s eyes widened, as though she’d forgotten something.

“Oh! Speaking of which, Mayor Lewis is at the farm right now. Here, let me help with your things. Is that all?”

Y/N blinked, and glanced down at her belongings.

All she had was a rolling backpack, a small duffel bag, and a purse, each filled with clothes, personal products or other essentials. The only real “luxuries” she owns are a phone, a pair of headphones, a drawing pad and some art supplies like pencils and markers. Other than that, and the clothes on her back, she had nothing to her name. She barely even had any cash on her, which was stored securely in her purse.

“Uh, yeah, that’s all.” Y/N replied, feeling a bit underpacked, but that was all she owned. Despite her job at Joja Corp. being comparable to an accountant, she wasn’t paid nearly as much for her services, and had only made enough to just barely get by.

Robin, however, doesn’t notice any signs of sheepishness or reflection; if she did, she brushed it to the side.

“Alright then, let’s not keep the Mayor waiting for too long. I bet you’re exhausted.”

Y/N nodded along, as she was right. So Robin grabbed Y/N’s rolling backpack and led the way to Stardrop Farm, with Y/N trailing behind with the rest of her things.

~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~

“Woah!”

Y/N’s eyes had landed upon the overgrown state of her Grandpa’s old farm. Bushes and weeds had grown over, logs and stones littered the property, and there were so many trees that the farm could probably be reclassified as a forest.

A low whistle was heard, and a new voice spoke up. “Yep. A bit sad, isn’t it?”

Turning to where the sound came from, Y/N spotted an old man standing on the cabin’s porch; the Mayor, Lewis.

“It’s… just a bit different than I remembered.” Y/N responded, her shoulders drooping a little. Was it out of disappointment? Grief? Only Yoba knows what she was feeling at that moment.

“I mean, sure it’s a bit overgrown, but there’s some good soil underneath that whole mess.” Robin said reassuringly, putting a hand on Y/N’s shoulder. “With a little dedication, you’ll have it cleaned up in no time!”

Y/N smiled at Robin as the mayor made his way down the porch steps. 

“It’s a pleasure to see you again, Y/N.” Mayor Lewis said with a slight nod of the head. He held a hand out to the side, about four and a quarter feet or so off the ground. “I remember when you were… oh, about this high! How you’ve grown since then.”

“It’s nice to see you again too, Mayor Lewis.” Y/N smiled.

Lewis smiled back, before turning to face the old cabin.

“Well, what do you think? Is it how you remember it?”

“Hm, not quite. I was a lot smaller back then, of course.”

Mayor Lewis let out a small chuckle, as did Robin. It’s like they never changed since back then, laughing at the small quips she’d make.

“Well, I hope it’s at the very least comfortable. I’ve done quite a bit of cleaning and Robin has made sure the walls, plumbing and whatnot are in tip-top shape.”

“Other than a few holes and some pipes needing to be replaced, everything should be exactly the same as it was left.” Robin added.

“Thank you! Thank you both!”

“You’re very welcome! Anyway, you must be tired from the long journey. You should get some rest.” the Mayor said.

Y/N nodded, the exhaustion beginning to creep up on her. But she’d be fine, for now at least. Hopefully.

Mayor Lewis and Robin make their leave, with Robin heading to the right and Lewis to the left towards the bus stop.

“Y/N,” Robin called. “There’s a path over here that leads up the mountain and to my carpenter's shop. Feel free to stop by at any time!”

“I will, thank you!” Y/N called back, taking note of that.

“Oh, and one more thing, Y/N,” Mayor Lewis said, tapping on a big box that sat on the path, garnering Y/N’s attention. “If you ever have anything you need to sell, just place it in this box here. I’ll come by during the night to collect it and I’ll return the revenue to you before morning.”

“Got it!” Y/N says, giving the mayor a thumbs up.

Mayor Lewis chuckled, before making his way toward the bus stop once more. At that moment, Y/N remembered something else. Something else that was on the letter from Grandpa.

“Mayor Lewis?” she called.

He stopped in his tracks, quickly turning to face the young amateur farmer. “Yes?”

“I remembered something; Grandpa says hi.”

Mayor Lewis’ face softened, and a small smile formed. “I see. Thank you, Y/N. Goodnight.”

“Night!”

And with a wave, Mayor Lewis continued on his way, leaving Y/N alone.

What now, Y/N thought to herself. Well, time to head inside of course.

Grabbing the rolling backpack from the bottom of the stairs, she pulled it up and into the house. Once stepping inside, she immediately knew – she was home.

To her left sat a potted plant in the corner by the door. The pot was familiar, but the plant itself was obviously not. She assumed that was Mayor Lewis’ doing.

Up ahead of her sat her Grandpa’s old TV, which was practically a big box sat on a big table. She remembered watching cartoons and home movies on the old thing when she was young. Are the tapes still lying around somewhere?

Before she could continue her thoughts, she kept her gaze moving, setting her sights on the corner of the room where a nice oak table and chair were set up near a red brick fireplace. An ornamental bowl sat upon the table, a relic from Grandpa’s past. Next to it sat a box with a blue ribbon and a tag, and she took a mental note to check it out later. A painting of a tree was hung on the wall above the table, and Y/N remembered that it was a painting she herself had made as a child for Grandpa.

Blinking back tears at the memory, she looked in the last corner of the main room, to her right. There sat her Grandpa’s bed, along with his old plush comforter. They were obviously cleaned recently, as not a speck of dust or dirt was on either of them. Next to the bed, on the oak floor, lay a fluffy red rug.

Y/N nodded absentmindedly to herself, her exhaustion catching up with her after she laid eyes on the bed. Checking the time on her phone, it was around 7:30 pm. She could go to bed early, she reasoned, she has a long first day ahead of her tomorrow.

She wouldn’t ever get to unpacking if she didn’t do it now, so she set straight to work.

She unpacked her clothes, leaving out her pajamas, and packed them carefully into the drawer below the TV. She didn’t have a dresser yet, so it would have to make do for now.

Taking her essentials and care products into the bathroom near the TV, she changed into her pajamas after sorting her things away and brushing her teeth.

Then, she sat her drawing pad and art supplies on the table, right next to the ornamental bowl and mystery box. She also put her headphones carefully on top of the pad, being careful as to not break the cord somehow.

Putting her rolling backpack, duffel bag and purse in the closet near the front door, she sighed before glancing around the room again.

Sleep. She needs sleep.

She steps toward the bed, flopping on top of it, but gently enough to avoid the ever slim chance of breaking it somehow.

Sinking into the plush comforter, she sighed and allowed herself to be taken to dreamland.

Tomorrow, her new life begins.