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Peony woke with a start, and tried to brush off the remnants of the nightmare. Her cat thumped onto her chest, and meowed. No time to reflect when you have a hungry cat, she supposed.
She was a stray, who Marnie had found. In that way, they were similar. But it meant that Peony had plenty of time to find cat food while getting around the technicality of ‘not being able to go shopping’, which was resolved by fishing. Willie had given her a training rod at the start of Winter, which was immensely helpful.
Her alarm started buzzing, and she slapped a lilac hand onto the top, fumbling for the off switch, before pulling herself out of bed.
She brushed her hair, purple fibres getting stuck in the brush. Great. Peony grabbed a notepad in her pale pink hand, and wrote ‘shampoo’, sitting neatly below ‘working phone’, and ‘try to send a letter home???’
Having fed her pet, she went out to feed the others: her chickens, and the one that she swears is an old dinosaur? Can’t be.
Hay was easy enough to come around, what with living on a farm. Usually she just let them out (into a caged area, she’s not a monster). But it was all scything and feeding now. Thank the Grand Emperor- wait no. Thank Yoba for the silo. That’s what they say here.
As she stepped outside, boots crunching on fresh snow, she spotted something that wasn’t too uncommon. “Post!”
A letter from Shane about a recipe he found, Willy asking about the fishing, and… the Feast of the Winter Star? Getting a gift for a “secret friend?”
Now that sounds fun!
She giggled to herself as she turned the paper over.
Leah
Well that was good news! Mayor Lewis was probably being kind. Leah was the person Peony spent the most time with, and she is the new girl in town.
Still. What did Leah like? Salads. No, that’s a terrible gift. Foraging? Again, not very good for a gift. Oh!!! She liked art. Nature and art. Right. Peony can do art.
***
Peony cannot do art.
She tried to prevent the tears from falling down as she stared at the absolute mess that was once her papers.
Okay, maybe art was a bad idea. That was Leah’s thing anyway.
Oohhhh! Leah liked old books. She’d been telling Peony all about the Ferngill Classics, Janet Erey and Whispering cliffs. Maybe she’d like poetry?
Elliott was smart. He was an author! Excellent.
She waved goodbye to the animals, and ran to the beach, frost biting at her cheeks, which were flushed a darker pink.
She knocked rhythmically, humming to the ancient Gotoro song. No one here would recognise it, she was probably fine.
“Elliott! Elliott!” She was panting, “it’s me! Peony!”
The long haired man towered over Peony once he opened the door, beckoning her in, “what brings you here? We usually meet in the saloon.”
“I” oh, it felt stupid now that she said it aloud, “… wanted to write a poem?” She squeaked it out.
He looked her up and down, as if he understood all her woes (which he couldn’t, right. Please he couldn’t)
“Leah?”
She sighed, and nodded, slumping down into his desk chair.
One poetry lesson proved, quite decisively, that Peony cannot write poetry, either.
“You can’t just use flowers to mean everything!”
“But flowers do mean everything?”
It was dark by the time she left, disconsolate and alone. It wasn’t Elliott’s fault, but boy was he not built to teach.
Maybe Penny could help? She thought their names went together well.
Jas seemed to think she was a good teacher. Vincent would rather be with the bugs. She couldn’t exactly say that she blamed him. She used to run out and just sit in the flowers.
Ah well. That was a problem for tomorrow. It was late, and Penny was a busy woman.
She had her Greenhouse, at least. Joja was good for that.
Flowers to water. The tulips reminded her of Leah. It’s nice caring for flowers.
Flowers were everything for her. That’s why she named herself Peony. They had different flowers in Stardew, but they were still beautiful.
Flowers really did mean everything.
Wait! That’s it. Flowers mean everything. She should make Leah a bouquet!!
Well, closer to the festival, of course.
***
Peony could feel her heart tap dancing inside her chest, like a butterfly flitting between the flowers.
Well, she supposed that her heart was also amongst the flowers. In the, more literal sense. Of the bouquet that she clutched to her chest. Well. It was in a big box. She’d painted it pink. That was about the end of her previously tested art skills.
It was beautiful. The Feast of the Winter Star. Evelyn had truly outdone herself on the flower beds, and the tree itself shone like a bright star. She could see why this was a favourite festival for many in the Valley.
Everyone held a present as they ate, drank, and were in general merry.
Peony couldn’t quite let herself go to the festivities, however. She was too aware of her pulse and frantic heart. She was really hoping that she wasn’t sweating. How would one explain sweating, while only in a jumper, at the peak of winter, surrounded by snowflakes.
“Peony!” Leah’s voice was like a melody. An angel on two feet. Her auburn hair was tucked accessorised by a sprig of holly by her ear, and the deep blue jumper she wore highlighted her shining purple eyes.
Peony was glad that her hair was purple. Matching with Leah was, special.
Wait she hadn’t spoken and was just, staring. Oh no!
“Leah! This is so pretty!! All the flowers and the tree,” she sighed dreamily, trying to not think about Leah’s eyes.
“I knew you’d love it!” She grinned, “so, who is your secret friend? I had Vincent. It was actually really fun, since I carved him a set of wooden bugs.”
Not only was Leah beautiful, but she was also insanely skilled, and kind.
“I hope I get to see it,” she ducked her head, “and, well, I had you”
She held the box out, and sent a little prayer to every authority figure she’d ever heard of.
Leah opened the box, eyes sparking, “oh Peony… it’s gorgeous” she clutched the bouquet to her chest, and Peony ignored the jealously she felt. “and yes!!!”
Peony suddenly found herself in a surprisingly strong one armed hug.
“Watch the flowers!”
Leah giggled and stepped back, “I’ve been wanting to ask you out for a long time. I could never work up the confidence to get flowers for a florist”
Wait. What did she mean “ask you out”. What did a bouquet mean in Stardew???
“Are we… girlfriends, now?” Peony tried to not squeak.
“I prefer partners, but if you like. My ex was always calling me ‘her girlfriend’”
Peony couldn’t stop herself wrapping Leah into a hug, and she swore her face would split from smiling.