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Sucrose has her work cut out for her. When she was left this land by her late grandfather, she had jumped at the chance to move out of her stingy apartment in the city and to the eccentric little Pelican Town. She’d visited now and then when her grandfather was alive, often enamored by the plethora of flora and fauna she could find on the farm and surrounding woodlands.
She hadn’t expected the run-down condition of the farm, but in hindsight it makes sense that her grandfather wouldn’t be able to keep up with the work in his old age. Still, the land is overgrown, and the farmhouse is a little… small, to say the least. It will definitely take time and work to get the place in working order, especially with the lofty goals Sucrose has set for herself: rather than focusing on profit, she aims to farm a variety of crops to experiment on and enhance, and for that she’ll need a lab.
She sets her hands on her hips as she stands in the doorway of the farmhouse, looking out across the land. It’s late already, the bus taking her into town having arrived near sunset. And, well, it’s no matter. She steps out of the farmhouse and gets to work, crouching down and picking weeds.
—
When Sucrose had arrived in town, a few familiar faces had greeted her at the bus stop. She hadn’t visited Pelican Town in years, the last time having been when she was a teenager, but even so, she was greeted by Jean and Kaeya with smiles and hugs. They were a bit older than Sucrose when she came to visit her grandfather as a child, but they usually humored Sucrose in her shenanigans—chasing after crabs at the beach, or dunking her hands deep into the mud in the forest looking for bugs.
Jean had encouraged Sucrose to introduce—or reintroduce—herself to the rest of the Pelican Town residents, though the thought completely slips her mind when she wakes up bright and early the next morning, more concerned with making the farm liveable.
The next few days pass like so: Sucrose doesn’t leave the farm, weeding and tossing rocks into a big pile, planting the meager amount of seeds that she’d found in a cupboard in the farmhouse (which would hopefully still grow), and fishing trash out of the lake.
It doesn’t occur to her that she hasn’t seen a single soul in several days until she hears the crunching footsteps of someone approaching.
“Sucrose, long time no see,” the person says, and she whips her head to see her closest friend from Pelican Town, Albedo. While the other children had humored Sucrose’s idiosyncrasies, Albedo had been in the dirt with her, sating his own curiosity as well as hers. They’d kept in touch, writing each other letters about their endeavors and discoveries. In truth, Albedo’s fascinating discoveries around Pelican Town played a large part in convincing Sucrose to come live and study here, too.
“Ah—! Albedo, hi!” Sucrose says, standing from where she’d been working, wiping sweat off her brow with the back of her arm. She’s sure she looks like a mess, dirt streaking her face and clothes, but she can’t bring herself to care. “I’m so sorry I haven’t come to say hello yet!”
“I figured you were hard at work,” Albedo says, standing with his hands tucked in his pockets. “The farm’s shaping up already, isn’t it?”
Sucrose smiles, a little exhausted. “It’s been a lot of work, and I don’t see that ending anytime soon.”
Albedo lets out an amused huff. “True,” he says, and then after a slight pause, “I just wanted to stop by and tell you that if you’re ever so inclined, you’re welcome to use my lab near the mountains.”
Sucrose’s eyes light up. “Wow, I will definitely take you up on that,” she says, excitement obvious in her tone. “I eventually want to have my own lab here, but that is… a future goal, to say the least.”
Albedo nods. “Seems like a good goal for you,” he says. “Oh, and another thing that may interest you: since your last visit, there was an earthquake that opened up the entrance to an old mine system in the mountains. There’s quite the variety of interesting creatures dwelling there.”
Sucrose can’t help the way her mouth hangs ajar. “Really?!”
“Slimes, skeletons, ghosts, what have you.”
She could practically burst with excitement at the prospect of studying local monsters. She’s nearly inclined to drop the conversation right this second and head to the mines.
Albedo, apparently, can sense as much. “It’s dangerous, though. You shouldn’t go alone. There are adventurers that will—”
Whatever Albedo says next goes in one of Sucrose’s ears and out the other. She’s practically buzzing. Her mind begins to run amok with the possibilities: could she use the monster parts to enhance her crops? What properties could she—?
“Sucrose, are you listening?”
Sucrose squeaks, “Yes!”
“At least tell me you won’t go into the mines without a weapon, alright?”
She nods vigorously. “Where do I… um, get one?”
Albedo thinks for a moment. “Come by tomorrow. I’m sure Kaeya has something lying around that he can part with, so I’ll talk to him.”
“Thank you!” Sucrose exclaims, “I’ll see you tomorrow, then!”
—
The sword Kaeya could spare is… well, it’s probably past its prime. It’s rusty and kind of dull, but Sucrose isn’t too bothered by that; after all, she’s more interested in collecting samples that the monsters have left behind than fighting. Still, it cools her nerves a bit to have the sword at all, just in case. She sets a hand on the hilt for a moment before entering the cave Albedo had pointed her to.
As she climbs down the mineshaft, her heart beats in her ears. She doesn’t really have much (or any) fighting experience, though Albedo gave her a few tips after handing over the sword. He also mentioned that the monsters nearer to the surface were more of an annoyance than they were any danger, so she has little reason to be scared. And it’s not that she is scared; rather, she’s eager to get the samples and bring them back to Albedo’s lab for study.
To her dismay, she descends several levels of the mines before encountering anything interesting, save for some ore she’s sure will be useful. But when she lays eyes on the green slime bouncing around the mine floor, her eyes widen and a grin spreads across her face.
She steps a little closer, holding out her torch and observing the slime, which is honestly pretty cute. Not having noticed Sucrose, the slime continues to bounce around, leaving a trail in its wake. Perfect, Sucrose thinks, reaching into her pouch and pulling out a vial. She crouches down, sticking her torch into the dirt, and begins collecting the slime left behind, paying little attention to anything else.
So much is obvious when she’s pulled from her concentration by a loud squelching noise from behind her. She flings her head around to see a woman standing over her, the tip of her polearm covered in a telltale slimy substance. The woman looks at Sucrose with an expression she can’t quite read—is it apathy?—but Sucrose can’t bring herself to greet nor thank the woman, all the air disappearing from her lungs.
She’s beautiful. Wine-red hair frames her face, and she dons form fitting black clothing, adorned with several belts, buckles, and sheaths. Her tall figure looms over Sucrose, who is still crouched over the dirt, staring up at the woman in awe. Deep red, tired eyes trail over Sucrose’s form, as if taking her in, or sizing her up.
“That slime was about to attack you,” the woman says bluntly. “You need to pay attention to your surroundings, especially here.”
“Th-thank you,” Sucrose chokes out.
“You must be the new farmer,” she comments, outstretching a hand to Sucrose. Sucrose takes it—the woman’s skin is cold—and gets to her feet. She sheepishly tucks the vial of slime back into her pouch.
“I am,” Sucrose says, clearing her throat. “My name’s Sucrose. It’s, um—it’s nice to meet you, …?”
“Rosaria,” she supplies, then says, “I’m employed by the adventurer’s guild to patrol the mines. Without culling the monsters, they tend to… get stronger, rise to the surface.” She averts her gaze for a moment, glancing around the mine.
A thought pops into Sucrose’s mind, and in her excitement she has no qualms about blurting it out immediately: “Do you collect monster parts?”
Rosaria stares at her for a moment. “I wouldn’t say I collect them… Anything useful, I’ll grab.” She pauses, then, “I’m not crouching in the dirt for slime, if that’s what you’re asking of me.”
Sucrose blushes. “No! I just. Um.” Her nerves catch up with her. “If you ever come across anything interesting, I… would love to study it.”
“Hm,” Rosaria hums, “I’ll keep that in mind, then.”
The torch near their feet flickers, casting long shadows against the cave walls.
To fill the resulting silence, Sucrose rambles: “You must be kind of new to Pelican Town, huh? I mean, I used to visit when my—Um, I just haven’t seen you around before. Do you live nearby?”
“I’ve been here for a few years now,” Rosaria answers, leaning down to grab Sucrose’s torch and nodding her head to the exit ladder. “Let’s get out of here; it’s getting late.”
Rosaria lets Sucrose up the ladder first, but follows closely behind her. Sucrose is sure that the slime sneaking up on her earlier wouldn’t have hurt her much, but she’s thankful to Rosaria regardless for looking out for her.
When they reach the exit, Sucrose bows to Rosaria with her hands at her sides and says, “Thank you again!”
“Don’t mention it,” Rosaria responds and turns to leave. However, she stills a few paces away and says, “Wait.”
Sucrose tilts her head curiously as Rosaria digs in her pockets. She returns to Sucrose and holds out a hand, so Sucrose outstretches her own hands, palms facing upwards. Rosaria drops the item into her palms, saying, “Here, for you to study.”
The small item glows, warm against Sucrose’s skin. She recognizes it as a solar essence, though she’s never had the pleasure of seeing one outside of Albedo’s drawings in his letters.
Sucrose’s face breaks into a large grin. “This is amazing, thank you!”
“Sure,” Rosaria replies. “Have a good night, Sucrose.”
“You too!” she says, cupping the solar essence in her hands and peaking at it between her fingers. It’s emitting warmth, but something tells Sucrose that the warmth she feels in her chest is from something else entirely.
—
In an effort not to totally neglect her own farm in favor of Albedo’s lab, Sucrose only allows herself to go once per week. She knows herself well enough to know that once she gets started on researching something, little will tear her from it, and she can’t lock herself in Albedo’s lab when there’s so much other work to be done.
Perhaps needless to say, this takes a lot of self-restraint. Today, though, after she’s finished watering her crops, she heads towards Albedo’s house, the solar essence and vial of slime in tow.
It’s still pretty early in the morning when Sucrose arrives, but Albedo greets her at the door when she knocks. After showing her around the lab, he excuses himself to head into town to get some books from the library.
Sucrose happily gets to work, muttering to herself as she pokes and prods at the monster parts. She separates the slime into several dishes before adding different solutions to the samples, jotting down observations in her journal.
As for the solar essence… She holds it between her forefinger and thumb, pursing her lips. With more of them, she’s sure she could design some sort of glowing device, but with just one… Could she… crack it open…?
She sets it down and stares at it for a moment before grabbing a pair of goggles and a hammer. She fastens the goggles over her glasses, then sizes up the solar essence one more time before smashing down with the hammer.
The solar essence bursts open with a flash of light and heat, singing the tips of her hair. Hm, she thinks, waving away the resulting smoke. Noted.
As she goes to reach for her journal, though, she shrieks upon seeing a figure standing in the doorway, donned in nothing but a robe.
“Kaeya?!”
Kaeya rubs at his uncovered eye with a balled fist. “Hello, good morning,” he says, voice still bleary. “It’s nice to see you and all, but what are you doing?”
“I— um, I didn’t know anyone was here. Albedo said I could use his lab. I wouldn’t have—”
“It’s fine,” Kaeya says with a laugh. “I’m used to loud awakenings—whether from Klee or from the lab—I just didn’t expect to find you instead of Albedo in here. And Klee probably won’t be awake for a bit yet.”
She babbles, “I don’t mean to intrude, really, it’s just—Albedo went to the library, and—”
“Sucrose, it’s fine,” Kaeya insists, then asks, “Have you eaten breakfast?”
She shakes her head, but says, “Don’t worry about me, though.”
“Nonsense,” Kaeya smiles, “I’ll cook something up. That way, when Klee wakes up and Albedo gets back from the library, we can enjoy breakfast together.”
Sucrose figures it’s useless to argue, and she really shouldn’t argue anyhow, considering her stomach is rumbling. In her eagerness to get to the lab, she had neglected even a snack. Besides that, she’s also interested in meeting Klee, Albedo’s little sister, whom she’s heard plenty about in letters but has never had the chance to meet.
Kaeya excuses himself, and Sucrose gets back to work (after taking a moment to calm down). She doesn’t keep track of the time, but Kaeya—now fully dressed—retrieves her from the lab when food is ready, and she quickly takes off her goggles and lab coat to join him in the kitchen.
Klee is sitting at the table when Sucrose enters the room, kicking her feet where they hang off the chair. Sucrose smiles and introduces herself to the child, who grins back with a smile missing a few teeth.
Albedo arrives not long thereafter, setting a pile of books on the countertop. Kaeya plates the food as Albedo sits down, and Kaeya swoops down to press a kiss to the shorter man’s cheek.
As they eat, Sucrose finds herself content observing the family surrounding her: Klee excitedly talks about going “fish-bombing” later today, which apparently Kaeya had promised her. Albedo smiles fondly at the pair of them.
It all seems so natural, so easy. And Sucrose’s mind begins to wander—could she, too… have something like this? In the city, it seemed impossible to concentrate on anything but getting by. She neglected romance and friendship alike, but now… Well, it was nice to not feel lonely.
“Sucrose,” Kaeya says, pulling her from her reverie. “Can we expect to see you at the saloon tonight? It can get pretty lively on Fridays. Not to push, but…” He pauses a moment, then grins a little, “You really should introduce yourself to more of the townsfolk. They’re curious, you know.”
Sucrose blushes. “I don’t know, I’ve been pretty busy on the farm.”
“Right, of course,” Kaeya nods. “But we don’t want you getting overworked, now, do we? You should come relax tonight.”
“If you get uncomfortable, you don’t have to stay,” Albedo supplies.
Before Sucrose can respond, Klee asks, making big puppy-dog eyes, “Can I come?”
Albedo and Kaeya both chuckle and assure her that she will be allowed when she gets older. “Besides,” Albedo continues, “You wouldn’t want to miss out on your time at the library with Miss Lisa, would you?”
Klee reluctantly agrees, and, having finished eating, gets up from the table and begins to pull Kaeya away for their fish-blasting adventures. Kaeya allows himself to be tugged along, waving to Sucrose and Albedo as Klee drags him out the door.
“She’s so cute,” Sucrose says to Albedo, gathering up her dishes and walking them to the sink. She begins to help Albedo with the other dishes, but he waves her off.
“She is,” Albedo agrees, “Though she can be quite the handful at times. I’m lucky to have Kaeya around to help.”
Sucrose smiles. “It must be nice,” she says, “to have a family like this.”
Albedo glances over at her. “You’re welcome here anytime,” he says, his tone sincere.
“Thank you,” Sucrose responds, “I suppose I’ll see you at the saloon tonight?”
Albedo smiles, nods, and wishes her farewell.
—
Sucrose changes out of her farm clothes before heading to the Stardrop Saloon later that evening, instead putting on one of her nicer blouses and a skirt. She hasn’t really had the opportunity to dress up since moving to Pelican Town, so putting a bit of effort into her appearance feels foreign, but good.
Her heart beats hard as she rests her hand on the door handle of the saloon, hearing the jukebox and lively chatter through the wood. She could just turn around and go back home; after all, no one has seen her—
The door opens from the inside before she makes any decision.
“Oh,” Rosaria says, “Hey. Are you coming in?”
She holds the door open, but Sucrose shakes her head. Rosaria looks at her for a moment, then stepping around her and out onto the cobbled path outside the saloon.
Sucrose’s mouth feels dry as she turns and follows Rosaria with her gaze. Rosaria takes a box of cigarettes out of her pocket, pulling one out and cupping her hand around it as she lights it. She takes a long drag, blowing smoke up towards the sky. Sucrose watches the wisps curl and fade into the night.
“So, just… loitering, then?” Rosaria asks, the hint of something teasing in her tone. She leans back against the exterior of the saloon, continuing to smoke.
Sucrose blushes, pulling at the hem of her shirt. “I’m—I’m just a bit nervous, is all.”
“Mm.” Rosaria flicks the ashes off the tip of the cigarette. “Well, you look nice.”
Sucrose blinks at her once, then twice. “Oh! Um, thank you.”
Her mind is racing for anything interesting to say to fill the resulting silence, to prolong the conversation without just standing there, being awkward.
“The solar essence you gave me, I—” she starts, then realizes maybe telling Rosaria she smashed it with a hammer would give the wrong impression. “It provided me with some valuable information.” Evidently: Do not smash with a hammer.
“I’m glad,” Rosaria responds, “If you need more, I can get you more. Just say the word.”
Sucrose’s eyes light up. “Would you? I have an idea for what to do with some… say, five? Is that okay?”
“Sure,” Rosaria says. She puts out her cigarette in the ashtray nearby, and starts back towards the door, saying, “How about now? You coming in?”
This time, Sucrose nods, following Rosaria into the saloon. It’s certainly as lively inside as it had sounded outside: people she recognizes and those she doesn’t intermingle, some dancing to the music and others leaning against the bar.
Kaeya and Albedo are seated on barstools, and the two women approach them.
“Ah, look who it is,” Kaeya says with no bite. “I wasn’t aware you two were acquainted?”
Sucrose blurts, “Rosaria saved me in the mines.”
Kaeya and Albedo both raise their eyebrows.
“I’d hardly say I saved you,” Rosaria laughs, “It was a slime.”
“Heh,” Sucrose chuckles sheepishly. “True.”
“Chivalrous Rosaria,” Kaeya comments, “Not something I thought I’d ever say. Since when do you go out of your way—”
“Shut it,” Rosaria replies, casting him a look. He lifts up his hands, palms forward, as if to surrender.
Sucrose looks on curiously. Then, the song on the jukebox winds down, and one of the people who had been dancing approaches them. Sucrose recognizes him from her childhood; he’s Venti the bard, but… has he not aged a day since Sucrose was a child? She furrows her eyebrows looking at him.
“Is there something on my face?” he asks, wiping at his face with his hands. He laughs, then, and calls over the bartender for another drink.
The bartender—Diluc, Sucrose recalls—obliges the obviously drunk bard, pouring him a glass and sliding it across the bar. Venti happily brings it up to his lips.
“Sucrose, right? It’s been awhile,” Venti says, “How’s your grandpa’s farm treating you?”
“She’s been working nonstop,” Kaeya supplies when Sucrose’s words shrivel up on her tongue.
“It’s really shaping up,” Albedo adds.
“Hm, in that case, why don’t I buy you a drink?” Venti asks with a smile.
Sucrose agrees; she hadn’t planned on drinking, since she doesn’t really have the funds for it and needs to be up early the following morning (and every morning after that), but certainly one drink won’t hurt.
The drink does help Sucrose loosen up, just a touch. She manages to introduce herself to a few more townsfolk without completely losing her voice or tripping too much over her words. Most everyone here is kind and excited to meet their new, somewhat reclusive farmer.
When she’s had her fill of mingling (which isn’t much), she returns to Kaeya and Albedo to say goodbye. They’re still chattering with Rosaria and Venti, and briefly Sucrose entertains the idea of staying longer. But, no, she’s been awake since the break of dawn and will awaken at the break of dawn again tomorrow.
“Do you want someone to walk you back?” Albedo inquires after she’s said her farewells.
“Oh, that’s not necessary,” Sucrose responds.
“But what if there’s a slime?” Kaeya teases, looking rather pointedly at Rosaria.
Rosaria laughs a little, but Sucrose doesn’t feel like it’s aimed at her. Then, she says, “I think I’ll be heading out, too. That way I can walk Sucrose home and no one has to worry their pretty little head about it.” She lifts a hand to knock on the top of Kaeya’s head with her knuckles.
Sucrose doesn’t argue this time, allowing Rosaria to accompany her out of the saloon and towards the farm. They walk in stride, the streetlights in town giving way to the dark, dirt path that leads to the bus stop and farm. Sucrose’s social battery has drained, but Rosaria doesn’t seem to mind the silence.
As they pass the bus stop, though, Sucrose hears something that sounds like meowing. She stops, asking, “Did you hear that?”
Rosaria nods, and then they hear the sound again, like it’s coming from the nearby brush. Both women approach the bushes, Sucrose crouching down and catching a glimpse of white fur underneath the branches.
“C’mere, kitty,” she coos, holding out her hands. A little snout appears, and then two blue eyes peer at Sucrose in the dark. “It doesn’t seem like a stray,” she says softly to Rosaria.
Rosaria crouches beside her, murmuring, “Sometimes people from the city dump their pets out here, where they can’t find their way back.”
Sucrose feels a pang in her heart. “How cruel,” she says, stretching her hand a little closer to the cat. It apprehensively sniffs her before rubbing its head against her knuckles. “What a little sweetie. You know, I could use a cat in the farmhouse.”
“Hm,” Rosaria hums, watching as the cat takes a few tentative steps out from underneath the bush. “Doesn’t sound like a bad idea. It doesn’t look like anyone’s pet in town, so I’m willing to bet it was dumped.”
Sucrose frowns, coaxing the cat even closer. She pets across its back, and it begins to purr. “That settles it, then.”
“How about a name?” Rosaria inquires as Sucrose scoops the cat into her arms. It doesn’t struggle against the contact even as Sucrose stands back up.
“Hmm,” Sucrose thinks, “I’m not sure. Do you have any ideas?”
Rosaria bites at the inside of her cheek. “Well, it’s kind of basic, but you said it: how about Sweetie?”
Sucrose smiles, looking down at the cat that purrs in her arms as they approach the farm’s fence. “Welcome home, Sweetie.”
—
It’s hardly a few days before Rosaria stops by the farmhouse to drop off five solar essences. Sweetie greets her at the gate, and Rosaria crouches down to pet the cat between its ears. Sucrose’s heart swells at the sight; she stops tilling the soil to approach Rosaria.
Rosaria drops the monster loot into Sucrose’s hands, the solar essences making a twinkling sound as they collide.
“What are you planning to do with them?” Rosaria inquires, watching Sucrose tuck them into her pocket.
“It’s a surprise,” Sucrose says with a grin.
“Oh?”
“Mhm,” Sucrose says, “For you.”
Rosaria stares at her. “I’m not doing this for anything in return,” she says plainly.
Briefly, Sucrose considers asking, Then why are you? Instead, she says, “I know that. But I want to make something for you anyway.”
“Hm, okay,” Rosaria concedes. Then, she pivots, “What are your plans for the day?”
“Oh, um, nothing too interesting. I need to plant cauliflower seeds so they’ll grow before they’re out of season, and I need to collect some lumber for the construction of a coop, though that’s been a bit slow-going. I also need to— ah,” she pauses, scratching at her cheek, “Well, the work is kind of never-ending.”
Rosaria chuckles a little. “Sounds like it.”
“And you? What are your plans?”
Rosaria thinks for a moment. “I was going to ask this farmer I know if she’d like to join me for a picnic, but she seems busy.”
Sucrose gracefully chokes on her own spit. After she’s recovered, though still too embarrassed to look Rosaria in the eye, she says, “I’m sure this farmer could make some time. Um, after planting cauliflower seeds, that is.”
Rosaria smiles. “Enough time for me to pick up some food, then.”
Sucrose nods, and Rosaria heads back off towards town, leaving Sucrose’s heart fluttering in her chest. She returns when Sucrose has just finished watering her freshly planted cauliflower seeds, and Sucrose grins at the sight of her.
“Here or the forest?” Rosaria asks, a picnic basket hanging from the crook of her arm.
Sucrose glances towards a shaded patch on her farm, near a small pond. “Does that look good?” she asks, tilting her head. “I can run inside and get a blanket.”
Rosaria agrees and waits as Sucrose goes inside, washing the dirt off of her hands and grabbing a blanket as well as her own quick addition for the picnic.
With their picnic all set up, blanket laid across the ground and the food Rosaria brought served on a wooden cutting board, Sucrose produces her own haul: a salad including some carrots and parsnips she’d grown and greens she’d foraged.
Both women tuck into their lunch, Rosaria complimenting Sucrose’s harvest and Sucrose profusely thanking Rosaria for bringing cured meats and cake.
“So, Sucrose,” Rosaria starts, “What really brought you here? To Pelican Town?”
Sucrose’s tongue darts out to wet her lips. “Um, besides the obvious?” she asks with a laugh.
“You weren’t required to take your grandfather’s land. It’s a lot of hard work.”
Sucrose thinks for a moment. “If I answer your question, do I get to ask one?”
“Ha, sure,” Rosaria responds.
“Okay. The city was stifling. I was—um, pretty lonely. And Stardew Valley has always intrigued me, with its wide variety of plants and animals, not to mention monsters, to study. I might not look cut out for farm work, and maybe I’m not, but…” she trails off, scratching at the back of her neck, “Well, I just wanted a change of pace. And I’ve certainly gotten that. In the best way. I’ve been having a lot of fun, even though it is hard work.”
The corners of Rosaria’s mouth pull into a small smile.
“What about you? Why did you come to Pelican Town?”
“I guess we aren’t so different,” Rosaria says, folding her hands in her lap. “I used to live in the city, too. I was involved in some things that weren’t so pretty, and needed a change. Do you know Varka?”
Sucrose doesn’t have to think long to remember the boisterous man that used to be mayor before Jean. He was a little too much for her, even as a kid. Even so, she never thought ill of him; he clearly had a big heart and cared for the community. So, she nods.
“He’s off fighting in the war. But before that, he… well, he took me in off the streets and brought me here, taught me how to use my knowledge of fighting for good. I didn’t trust him at first,” she recalls with a laugh, “But he’s a good man. I know that now.”
“I’m glad you’re here,” Sucrose says earnestly, and blushes once what she’s said catches up to her.
Rosaria smiles, though. “You know what? Me, too. It’s a good town.”
Sucrose takes a bite of cake, savoring the sweet flavor, as Rosaria begins to pack up the leftover food and put it back in the basket. “Leaving so soon?” Sucrose asks after she’s swallowed, and Rosaria looks at her.
“Don’t you have work to do?”
“Maybe I should take Kaeya’s advice and rest,” Sucrose says, flopping onto her back. The sunlight dapples through the tree branches above them, the wind gently jostling the leaves.
“Kaeya’s advice, huh,” Rosaria says, “Usually I wouldn’t recommend taking his advice, but this time I suppose it’s sound.”
Sucrose can imagine the melodramatic and feigned offense that Kaeya would take to Rosaria’s statement, and hides her laughter behind her hand.
Rosaria lies down beside Sucrose, her short hair splaying against the blanket. She lifts a hand, looking up at the tree above them through her fingers. They sit in comfortable quiet for some time, just listening to the rustling of the leaves and the lap of the pond against the shore. Sweetie joins them, stretching out on the blanket between the two women and purring rather loudly.
All the hard work is definitely worth it for moments like these, Sucrose thinks, letting her eyes shut.
—
The next time Sucrose finds herself in Albedo’s lab, she’s intent on creating the surprise she had promised Rosaria. With five solar essences and some ore, she should be able to fashion some sort of contraption that will emit light, making it easier for Rosaria to see in the mines without torches.
She carefully melts—not smashes—the solar essences down until they’re molten, their slight glow enhanced tenfold. She had spent perhaps too much time thinking of what form this glowing gadget should take before she decided on a ring. After all, the solar essences melt down to a fraction of their original size, and with the amount of ore she has, it would be easier to make something small.
She had enlisted the help of Wagner, the blacksmith, to fashion the band out of her ore, leaving a gap in the back so that the ring is adjustable.
Sucrose pours the molten essences into a mold she had created, allowing them to harden into shape. Once they’ve cooled, she fastens the resulting glowing stone into the divot on the ring’s band. For good measure, she slips the ring onto her own finger and turns out the lab lighting, observing the amount of light produced. It’s comparable to a torch, Sucrose thinks, moving her hand around and watching as the shadows cast on the walls warp and move. Yes, this will do.
She flicks the light switch back on and clears up her station before she skips out of the lab, the ring now safely tucked away in a little cinched bag.
“Someone’s in a good mood,” Kaeya comments as Sucrose skips past.
“Hi, Kaeya!” Sucrose says, though she doesn’t slow down. “Bye, Kaeya. Work to do!”
Kaeya chuckles and waves as Sucrose lets herself out the front door, happily heading back to the farm. She really does need to collect more lumber to build a coop, so delivering the ring will have to wait for another time. However, even as she hacks away at the trees on her farm, an excited, fluttering feeling sits behind her ribcage.
—
Sucrose had missed the first festival of the spring, too busy being a reclusive worker bee on her farm to even see the mail she’d received about the Egg Festival in time. However, when she gets a letter from Jean inviting her to the Flower Dance the following day, she quickly decides to make time for this one. For one, if she missed another festival, Kaeya wouldn’t let her hear the end of it. And for two, there may be someone she’s hoping to dance with.
Her cheeks redden at the thought as she lays out her outfit for the festival on her bed. She’d been to the festival once when visiting her grandfather, but she wasn’t old enough to dance yet. She had watched in awe as the women twirled around the green field in their white dresses, barrels of flowers and blooming trees decorating the backdrop.
She doesn’t know all of the moves to the traditional dance, but when she asks Kaeya and Albedo about it, they both laugh and say that no one will mind. The traditional moves seem to have fallen to the wayside, allowing more people to join in and dance freely amongst the flowers. And, well, that’s a weight off her shoulders.
The following day, she tends to her crops before heading back into the farmhouse and changing into her white, flowy dress. The dance is in Cindersnap Forest, so she makes the trek down her farmland and through the forest to the festival grounds.
It’s decorated similarly to how she remembers, flowers lining the clearing left for the dance, the trees and bushes around in bloom, pretty pink petals whisked away by the wind. She casts a glance around the festival grounds; Venti is playing a song on his lyre, while Kaeya, Albedo, and Klee chase each other around the clearing. Klee’s laughter is loud and bright, bringing a grin to Sucrose’s face. Several other townsfolk line the edge of the clearing or mill about near the food table, where Sucrose sets down the crops she’d brought to share.
However, her heart falls when she realizes that Rosaria is not here. In hindsight, she realizes that the festival is probably not Rosaria’s type, and perhaps it was a little silly of her to assume that the other woman would be here. Still, her throat tightens and she bites at her bottom lip. The little baggie that holds the glow ring sits heavily in her dress pocket.
To distract herself from her own disappointment, she busies herself with eating some of the food laid out on the table. It’s delicious, and does help a little at raising her mood. As she reaches for more jello, though, she feels a tap on her shoulder and jumps.
“Ah,” Rosaria says, “Didn’t mean to scare you.”
“You’re here!” Sucrose exclaims, forgetting the jello as her eyes flicker over Rosaria’s outfit— unlike a white dress or the ugly blue jumpsuits that men used to be required to wear, Rosaria dons a long, sleeveless red dress with a halter top. It does figure she wouldn’t be one for tradition, Sucrose thinks fondly.
Rosaria tucks some of her hair behind her ear. “I honestly haven’t come to this festival since I moved here. Am I late?”
“Um, no, you haven’t missed the dance or anything important, really. I just, when I didn’t see you around, I figured—”
“It’s alright,” Rosaria cuts her off with a smile. “I’m glad I haven’t missed anything. Will you dance with me, Sucrose?”
“O-Of course!” Sucrose quickly responds, wiping her palms on the front of her dress.
The dance does start quite soon after Rosaria had arrived, and Sucrose is thankful she made it when she did. Townsfolk pair up in rows across the clearing, and then Venti begins to play the traditional song, but that’s where the similarities to how she remembers it end. Rosaria takes her hands, and they twirl together through the clearing, paying little mind to the other couples or the people looking on from the sidelines.
Sucrose laughs as Rosaria spins her, and in a bout of confidence, she lowers Rosaria into a dip. Rosaria smiles up at her, so beautiful, and Sucrose loses her breath, hoisting Rosaria back up before she drops her. Rosaria lifts a hand to hide her resulting laughter.
The dance is over as swiftly as it had begun, and Sucrose laments that fact, wishing for another song, and perhaps another after that. Still, Rosaria’s hand lingers at Sucrose’s side as the music winds down. “Let me walk you home,” Rosaria says, “before it gets dark.”
Sucrose hadn’t realized how quickly the day had passed, but indeed, the sun has begun to sink nearer to the horizon. “Okay,” she responds to Rosaria, not even having a passing thought of arguing that she could make it on her own.
She wishes farewell to some of the townspeople before leaving with Rosaria, Kaeya casting a knowing smile in their direction before leaning down and whispering in Albedo’s ear.
The two women walk together beneath the pine trees of Cindersnap Forest, the needles crunching beneath their feet. The trees obscure what little sunlight is left in the day, causing it to be rather dark. After they’ve made it a little ways from the festival grounds, Sucrose stops beneath a tree and digs in her pocket.
Rosaria raises an eyebrow but stops beside her.
“Your surprise,” Sucrose explains, pulling out the cinched baggie and tugging it open. “Give me your hand.”
Rosaria doesn’t hesitate before offering her hand to Sucrose, which makes her heart flutter. She retrieves the ring from the bag, tucks the bag back into her pocket, and then slips the ring onto one of Rosaria’s fingers. Its glow illuminates their faces as they both look down at Rosaria’s hand.
“From the solar essences you gave me,” Sucrose says, suddenly too shy to look up and meet Rosaria’s gaze, “I figured it would help you get around in the mines without having to worry about a torch.”
“You’re amazing, Sucrose,” Rosaria says, not pulling her hand away.
“It really wasn’t difficult—I mean, you did the hard part for me, so really, I should be thanking you—”
Sucrose is cut off by Rosaria lifting her hand to Sucrose’s chin, tilting her face upwards. All the words Sucrose had been babbling die in her mouth as she looks Rosaria in her deep red eyes.
“You’re amazing,” Rosaria repeats, leaning down to press their lips together.
Sucrose just about short-circuits, freezing in place for a moment before she remembers, right, I can move, I need to move, this is happening.
Rosaria’s lips are cool against Sucrose’s own, but soft and giving. Sucrose’s hands come to thread through the short hair at the base of Rosaria’s head, pulling her down deeper into the kiss.
“You’re amazing,” Sucrose says breathily when they part.
“Tsk. Stealing my line,” Rosaria teases, brushing some of Sucrose’s hair out of her face with the tip of a finger.
Sucrose blushes, and Rosaria presses a kiss each to her red cheeks.
The sun has truly set now, but with the glow ring, they have nothing to worry about.
—
Farm work continues as usual the next day, but Sucrose can’t stop her mind from wandering to Rosaria, to her lips, her hands, her in that red dress.
She shakes her head rapidly. There is work to be done! It’s nearly the end of the season, and there are many preparations to be done, especially if she wants to have the resources to build her own lab by the end of the year.
So, she does her best to focus on her work, tending to her nearly harvestable crops and putting finishing touches on her new coop. By tomorrow, it should be able to house some chicks, Sucrose thinks proudly.
It’s a Thursday, but Rosaria has invited Sucrose to the saloon, and she has every intention to meet her there. She manages to wrap up her work for the day by six o’clock, and she changes her clothes before heading into town.
The saloon is less lively than it would be on a Friday, but still hosts an eclectic group. Venti and Kaeya sit near Rosaria, who waves Sucrose over. As soon as she sits down next to Rosaria, Kaeya slides a drink across the bar to her.
“For you,” Kaeya says with a grin, “To commemorate you no longer being a recluse.”
Sucrose blushes a deep red, and Rosaria says, “Knock it off,” with no real bite. She puts an arm around Sucrose’s shoulders, and Sucrose relaxes at the touch.
“What, you want me to buy you one, too?” Kaeya laughs, “To commemorate your ice cold exterior being melted?”
“Tch.”
Sucrose hides a giggle behind her hand.
As it gets a bit later, the tavern fills up more and Albedo joins their little group. Sucrose allows herself to take in the atmosphere: Rosaria at her side, friends surrounding her… It couldn’t be further from what her life was like in the city. She’s so thankful for that. Suddenly, she comes to the realization that the family she had longed for has found her, in the heart of Stardew Valley.