Chapter Text
Dear Delilah,
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: Artichoke 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 girl. Good luck.
Love, Grandpa
Delilah lowered the letter from her face, tired grey gaze peeking out from behind the worn paper. A strand of pale pink hair fell between her eyes, messy and unkept. The corners of her lips turned downward ever so slightly, pinching into a frown. Perfect huh. The words echoed in her head. If anything, it looks more like a project.
She rubbed one eye with the side of her fist while proceeding to yawn under the unwelcome morning sun. It had been a long drive from Savannah, and after coming face to face with the reality of her situation, she began to wonder if quitting the stable comfort of her previous career with the Joja Corporation had been that good of an idea.
Overgrown shrubs with a colorful assortment of berries climbed over the plot, covering the soil underneath in a layer of weeds and wildflowers. Tall trees sprouted up from the greenery in all directions, and long vines wrapped around the wooden cabin that she could only assume kept her sleeping quarters. She bunched a fist around her patchwork skirt, keeping its lace trim a safe two inches from the forest floor, and dragging her suitcase along with the other hand as it caught on every little branch in its path.
Delilah had always been the kind of person to enjoy her nature through a window. Fruits were best enjoyed from a sanitized grocery store and flowers were prettiest after their thorns had already been cut. After all, nature did not induce the kind of environment that allowed for pretty dresses or high heels. And yet, she thought, anything was better than that cramped city apartment where she previously resided with her not so considerate roommate. While this farm may not have been the picture perfect version of new beginnings, Delilah felt a sense of relief knowing that she wouldn’t have to rely on anyone other than herself. Delilah was a rather reclusive, solitary person, and that was just how she liked it. She could now be alone in a world that had never felt meant for her in the first place.
As Delilah finally reached her doorstep she rested her belongings neatly by the front window and reached back over her head to tighten the floral bandanna that wrapped softly around her strawberry scented hair. After securing the headband in place, she began opening the door slowly, expecting some sort of wild animal that had been nesting within the cabin's embrace for who knows how long to jump out at her in attack. In fact, she wouldn't be surprised if the creature had reproduced enough to create an army of rabid animals who would pounce at the opportunity to eat her flesh and bone the second she stepped inside. Delilah had been told she had an overactive imagination, and more times than not this was showcased in her thoughts that were lost on all reality.
However, when she had finally worked up the courage to step inside, what she saw was much much worse. An older man, with overgrown white hair and covered in what seemed to be a makeshift dress of yellowed leaves, was sprawled out next to the fireplace while loud snores escaped from his slumber. Delilah squealed. “EEK A HOMELESS MAN!” She grabbed a nearby wooden chair from its designated place beside the coffee table, wielding it as one would a sword. It was surprisingly light.
Startled by the sudden noise, the man awoke from his deep sleep. He jumped up from his position by the fire, scanning the room in panicked bewilderment before his eyes finally landed on the small city girl who had now begun lunging towards him, chair held high. The intruder ducked out of the way as she swung her weapon of choice towards him, holding his hands up to signify surrender. “Who are you?” He questioned, a mix of both fear and confusion in his voice.
Delilah scoffed. “Who am I? I own this stuffy little house! Who are you?!”
“You own this house? But no one's lived on this farm since…” His eyes lit up in realization. “You must be Oswald's granddaughter. I knew he gave away his farm after passing away but you hadn’t come to claim your property in so long and I just thought…”
Delilah lowered the chair slightly, stepping back from a moment while her glare continued to pierce through the stranger's cowering figure. “Thought what?”
The man fiddled with his thumbs. “Well it seemed like a waste, such a nice house left without anyone to live in it. And the nights here get…cold. My tent doesn’t always offer the most warmth and…”
Delilah felt herself calm as the timid old man continued, a wave of guilt washing over her in condemnation. She set the chair back where it belonged and eased herself out of her instinctively protective stance. It seemed that the man was only trying to shelter himself from the weather outside. It even rained pretty hard the other night, if Delilah remembered correctly. He must’ve been desperate for a place to stay. Sighing, Delilah extended her hand out in greeting. “I’m sorry we got off on the wrong foot. My name is Delilah. And you?”
The man now smiled warmly, tense body relaxing from relief. He offered his own hand out to shake. “Name’s Linus.” He paused for a moment, seemingly contemplating something troublesome. “Im sorry too, it must be awfully startling to find some random old geezer sleeping in your home.”
Delilah laughed, retracting her hand. “Well it wasn’t exactly what I was expecting.” She smiled apologetically, “but seeing as I do live here now…”
Linus waved his hands to show he understood. “I know, I know, I can find another place to settle. I prefer to keep to myself anyways, you won’t see me in this house again for a second.”
Delilah pondered for a moment. While she genuinely felt bad for the old man, she didn’t feel that she knew enough about him to offer a place to stay. Maybe one day she could help, but today, she was just trying to stand on her own two feet without having to care for somebody else. So instead of a reply she just nodded slowly.
Linus made his way to the door, stopping momentarily before he left. He turned back for a moment. “It was nice to meet you Delilah.” He smiled with his teeth this time, exposing missing gaps that could only come from years without dental care.
Delilah smiled back. “It was nice to meet you too.”