So, I haven't written fanfiction in years. HOWEVER, Stardew has had a magical, magical quality to it, and between the game and some other lovely people in this community, I've started coming up with ideas....and caved. SO! Here we are. "Home Free" is the newest addition to the Stardew fic community, written by yours truly. If you've talked to me at all, you know which route this story is going to take. If not, I won't say anything about it quite yet I live for constructive criticism, thoughts, opinions, anything. I've taken classes with lots of angry people-- I can take it. Let me know what you think! The bus ride was bumpy, as Nova expected. Whenever she took public transportation, the bus rides were rarely smooth— between the road conditions and the traffic, the city was horrid for driving, which is partially why she didn’t own a car. But this bus ride was different. She didn’t have to worry about the city anymore. Today was the day she’d been waiting to arrive for weeks. The day she moved to Pelican Town. A tiny village with a population of less than one hundred, it was really the opposite of where Nova had lived her whole life. She’d always lived in big cities— multiple. She and her parents had moved from city to city, basically following a train of doctors. Anyone who could deal with Nova’s multitude of medical problems was the doctor they went to. This specific sect of Pelican Town, Stardew Valley, would be the first place Nova had lived on her own. She decided that, really, she should be in the crisp, clean, country air instead of the smoggy city. Plus, she was twenty. The last thing she wanted to do was be stuck at home with her parents for the rest of her life. No matter how sick they were scared she’d be, she wanted to be on her own. She could take care of herself. Plus, there was a doctor in Stardew Valley. She was sure he could deal with her health. After all, he took care of a whole town by himself! That had to be insane work all in itself. “This stop, Pelican Town, sub-sect Stardew Valley.” Nova let the the bus driver give her full spiel about waiting for the bus to stop and the like, but didn’t listen to a word the woman said. After all, she was finally here. She lifted her bag onto her back, grabbed her forearm crutches, and slowly worked her way down the center aisle of the bus. The driver helped her pull her suitcase and wheelchair out from under the bus. Nova thanked her, then watched the bus drive away. She paused, just watching. “Starr?” Nova turned. A woman with red hair tied into a messy bun stood there, staring at her. The woman smiled when Nova turned. “Nova Starr?” Nova nodded. “That’s me. You must be Robin.” She’d spoken to the other woman on the phone a few days ago, when she offered to help Nova move her things in. Robin nodded. “Glowing Farm is right this way. It’s pretty close to the bus stop.” She lifted up Nova’s suitcase and put a hand on her wheelchair before turning back to the young woman. “Ready?” A smile crept onto Nova’s face. “More than I’ve ever been.” The house was quaint. Not too large, but not exactly tiny. Nova had lived in smaller apartments during her life— in fact, she was born in a smaller apartment. This house had just enough room for everything she’d brought with her, with a good amount of room to spare. Robin had made a few jokes about how small it was, but Nova wasn’t sure if she felt the same. Maybe over time she could pay Robin to make it larger— after all, Robin was quite nice, and Nova wanted to make sure she was getting enough work in this small town. Plus, a larger house is never anything to shake a finger at. As long as it stayed one floor, she’d be fine. Nova had never been the biggest fan of stairs. What entranced Nova about Glowing Farm, however, was the land. She didn’t realize quite how much land her grandfather had left her. The farm felt enormous to her— she’d never seen a farm quite so large. Of course, she hadn’t seen many farms growing up to begin with, but she knew she’d inherited quite a sizable piece of land as soon as she’d stepped onto the property with Robin. Nova knew actually working on the farm would be a slow and steady type of deal, but with all the land surrounding her, she couldn’t help but feel invigorated by just the thought of it. Today, though, there would be little time for farming, if any. Nova knew she had to clear the land if she wanted to get any decent room, and that would take plenty of time. Plus, Robin had mentioned that she should go meet Mayor Lewis and, having heard of Nova’s medical records, find time to talk to a man named Harvey, who was the town’s doctor. Knowing she didn’t have enough energy to start clearing the land in the first place, Nova figured going into town would be the best way to spend her first day in Stardew Valley. She could feel her heartbeat quicken as she headed towards town, her forearm crutches click-clicking on the uneven pavement with each time she moved them. Her feet were nearly silent, having worn her most comfortable pair of sneakers. “Hey, wait up Jas!” A young girl dashed past her, a young boy following a few feet behind. The two were then quickly followed by a redheaded woman, clearly trying to wrangle the children. She stopped short when she saw Nova, just for a moment. “I-I’m sorry about them. They don’t notice people around them besides one another sometimes.” Nova chuckled and waved the woman off. “It’s alright.” The woman smiled, then ran off after the children. “Jas, Vincent! Slow down! The library isn’t going to close anytime soon, there’s no reason to rush!” Nova couldn’t help but smile. The woman, seemingly their babysitter or teacher, looked quite caring, despite the rambunctious actions of the children. She made a mental note to introduce herself later. She headed further through town towards what Robin said was the mayor’s house. It was a sweet, blue-colored abode, two floors high. Despite the fact that this was the home of the most powerful man in the town, it was still quaint and fit in nicely with the rest of the town’s scenery and aesthetics. Nova was about to knock on the door when it flung open, revealing a tall man with a light brown mustache and thick glasses. Nova froze for a moment— he was nearly a full foot taller than her, and it felt like he was going to run her over. The tall man froze just as quickly as Nova did. His eyes flickered over her for a moment. There seemed to be a sense of recognition, but he merely stepped aside and smiled. “My apologies, miss. I assume you were wanting to talk to Mayor Lewis?” Nova nodded. “Y-yes. Sorry for interrupting.” The man chuckled and shook his head. “It’s quite alright. Please, go ahead in. I was taking my leave anyway.” He left the door open for Nova, then walked around her and down the pathway, heading towards the northern part of town. Nova smiled slightly at the man as he left, then took a step closer to the door. She knocked on the doorframe, but didn’t need to wait long until an older man entered the main hall from a side room and smiled. “You must be Miss Starr, correct?” Nova nodded and reached her hand out. “That’s right. You can just call me Nova, though.” The man shook her hand, smiling. “Mayor Lewis. It’s a pleasure to meet you. Your grandfather was a great friend of mine, you know. We’ve been protecting Glowing Farm for you since the day he said he’d leave it for you.” Nova paused, her smile fading slightly. “H-how long have you known he left it to me?” Mayor Lewis paused, then stepped further into the house. “Come, sit down. I can tell you the story in a more relaxing setting. Would you like some coffee or tea?” “Tea would be great, thank you.” Lewis nodded. He pointed towards a cozy-looking living room. “Take a seat there. Marnie will help with your crutches.” Nova stepped carefully towards the living room, not realizing until then that there was someone else there. A plump woman with long brown hair tied into a loose braid sat on the couch. She stood up when Nova entered and smiled. “Hello Miss Nova. My name is Marnie— I live on the farm just south of you. If you need help with anything, I’m always here for advice.” Nova smiled at the woman and took a seat on the couch next to her. “Thank you, Marnie. I’m sure I’ll be coming to you often enough, then.” Marnie chuckled. “I also sell animals, but you don’t need to worry about that if you don’t want them. I just happen to love the life animals bring to a farm. I probably enjoy raising animals more than crops myself, but—” she paused, then laughed at herself. “Here I go again, rambling on. My apologies, dear.” Nova laughed slightly, shaking her head. “You’re alright. I’d love to meet your animals when I have the chance. I’ve never had a pet my whole life, so I’m a bit jealous.” Marnie shook her hand dismissively. “Don’t worry dear. You’ll meet them in time, I’m sure.” Lewis walked back into the room and placed the tea on a small table next to Nova. “Peach.” Nova smiled. “Thank you.” Lewis sat in the large chair, cracking his back as he sat. He looked over to Nova, his face more serious now. “Now, Nova, I feel you need to know about your grandfather, and his legacy.”
Mmmm yess this will be good. I'm excited to see where this goes (even though I do already know who the married person shall be). I'm ready
Alright! So it is Wednesday, my decided update day, and here is Chapter One! It's a bit lengthy, but I'm quite happy with it. Again, any constructive criticism is happily welcomed, whether on this thread, via PM, or on Skype if you have mine. (If you don't and want to add me, let me know!) The house was quaint. Not too large, but not exactly tiny. Nova had lived in smaller apartments during her life— in fact, she was born in a smaller apartment. This house had just enough room for everything she’d brought with her, with a good amount of room to spare. Robin had made a few jokes about how small it was, but Nova wasn’t sure if she felt the same. Maybe over time she could pay Robin to make it larger— after all, Robin was quite nice, and Nova wanted to make sure she was getting enough work in this small town. Plus, a larger house is never anything to shake a finger at. As long as it stayed one floor, she’d be fine. Nova had never been the biggest fan of stairs. What entranced Nova about Glowing Farm, however, was the land. She didn’t realize quite how much land her grandfather had left her. The farm felt enormous to her— she’d never seen a farm quite so large. Of course, she hadn’t seen many farms growing up to begin with, but she knew she’d inherited quite a sizable piece of land as soon as she’d stepped onto the property with Robin. Nova knew actually working on the farm would be a slow and steady type of deal, but with all the land surrounding her, she couldn’t help but feel invigorated by just the thought of it. Today, though, there would be little time for farming, if any. Nova knew she had to clear the land if she wanted to get any decent room, and that would take plenty of time. Plus, Robin had mentioned that she should go meet Mayor Lewis and, having heard of Nova’s medical records, find time to talk to a man named Harvey, who was the town’s doctor. Knowing she didn’t have enough energy to start clearing the land in the first place, Nova figured going into town would be the best way to spend her first day in Stardew Valley. She could feel her heartbeat quicken as she headed towards town, her forearm crutches click-clicking on the uneven pavement with each time she moved them. Her feet were nearly silent, having worn her most comfortable pair of sneakers. “Hey, wait up Jas!” A young girl dashed past her, a young boy following a few feet behind. The two were then quickly followed by a redheaded woman, clearly trying to wrangle the children. She stopped short when she saw Nova, just for a moment. “I-I’m sorry about them. They don’t notice people around them besides one another sometimes.” Nova chuckled and waved the woman off. “It’s alright.” The woman smiled, then ran off after the children. “Jas, Vincent! Slow down! The library isn’t going to close anytime soon, there’s no reason to rush!” Nova couldn’t help but smile. The woman, seemingly their babysitter or teacher, looked quite caring, despite the rambunctious actions of the children. She made a mental note to introduce herself later. She headed further through town towards what Robin said was the mayor’s house. It was a sweet, blue-colored abode, two floors high. Despite the fact that this was the home of the most powerful man in the town, it was still quaint and fit in nicely with the rest of the town’s scenery and aesthetics. Nova was about to knock on the door when it flung open, revealing a tall man with a light brown mustache and thick glasses. Nova froze for a moment— he was nearly a full foot taller than her, and it felt like he was going to run her over. The tall man froze just as quickly as Nova did. His eyes flickered over her for a moment. There seemed to be a sense of recognition, but he merely stepped aside and smiled. “My apologies, miss. I assume you were wanting to talk to Mayor Lewis?” Nova nodded. “Y-yes. Sorry for interrupting.” The man chuckled and shook his head. “It’s quite alright. Please, go ahead in. I was taking my leave anyway.” He left the door open for Nova, then walked around her and down the pathway, heading towards the northern part of town. Nova smiled slightly at the man as he left, then took a step closer to the door. She knocked on the doorframe, but didn’t need to wait long until an older man entered the main hall from a side room and smiled. “You must be Miss Starr, correct?” Nova nodded and reached her hand out. “That’s right. You can just call me Nova, though.” The man shook her hand, smiling. “Mayor Lewis. It’s a pleasure to meet you. Your grandfather was a great friend of mine, you know. We’ve been protecting Glowing Farm for you since the day he said he’d leave it for you.” Nova paused, her smile fading slightly. “H-how long have you known he left it to me?” Mayor Lewis paused, then stepped further into the house. “Come, sit down. I can tell you the story in a more relaxing setting. Would you like some coffee or tea?” “Tea would be great, thank you.” Lewis nodded. He pointed towards a cozy-looking living room. “Take a seat there. Marnie will help with your crutches.” Nova stepped carefully towards the living room, not realizing until then that there was someone else there. A plump woman with long brown hair tied into a loose braid sat on the couch. She stood up when Nova entered and smiled. “Hello Miss Nova. My name is Marnie— I live on the farm just south of you. If you need help with anything, I’m always here for advice.” Nova smiled at the woman and took a seat on the couch next to her. “Thank you, Marnie. I’m sure I’ll be coming to you often enough, then.” Marnie chuckled. “I also sell animals, but you don’t need to worry about that if you don’t want them. I just happen to love the life animals bring to a farm. I probably enjoy raising animals more than crops myself, but—” she paused, then laughed at herself. “Here I go again, rambling on. My apologies, dear.” Nova laughed slightly, shaking her head. “You’re alright. I’d love to meet your animals when I have the chance. I’ve never had a pet my whole life, so I’m a bit jealous.” Marnie shook her hand dismissively. “Don’t worry dear. You’ll meet them in time, I’m sure.” Lewis walked back into the room and placed the tea on a small table next to Nova. “Peach.” Nova smiled. “Thank you.” Lewis sat in the large chair, cracking his back as he sat. He looked over to Nova, his face more serious now. “Now, Nova, I feel you need to know about your grandfather, and his legacy.”
I'm glad you're all enjoying it so far! I'm very excited for the chapters to come, and I plan to start writing Chapter Two today
This is cute and sweet without being saccharine. It's like the sun on a spring afternoon; warm and refreshing. Keep going, I wanna see where you take this.
Already looking forward to more! Farming is bound to be a challenge with Nova's current condition but it seems like she's ready to tackle it
