No Parallels (Stardew Valley Sebastian x Female Farmer OC)

Chapter 2- New Beginnings

Spotify Songs: Welcome to My Life by Simple Plan, Clarity by Caskets

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I finally did it. I turned in my letter of resignation to my manager, and kissed Joja Corp. goodbye. I packed the few belongings I had from my tiny apartment and stopped by my parents' house so I could say farewell to them before I departed for Stardew Valley.

My dad was excited for me since he grew up at Rosewood Farm and remembered how nice the people of Pelican Town are. My mom, however, was concerned that I would struggle to make friends since I tend to be very bashful. I reassured her that I would be fine and I would call her often.

I also made sure to say goodbye to my brother, Robert. He was sitting on his bed, playing on his iPad like usual.

"I'm going away, Bobby, can I get a hug before I leave?"

He looked up at me from his iPad with a blank stare.

"Yeah" he whispered.

I walked over to him and gave him a tight hug. I knew that he hated hugs, but I wasn't sure how long it would be until I saw him again. After a few seconds, he pulled away and continued playing on his iPad. No 'Good-bye' or 'I love you.' Nothing. I knew that he didn't know any better, but it still hurt.

And with that, I headed off to the bus station.

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I took a deep breath as I boarded the bus to Stardew Valley. This is it.

I sat down in an empty row of seats and blasted punk rock music through my headphones for the duration of the ride.

I watched as the gray steel high rises of the city were replaced by blooming trees and bright green rolling hills. It felt like ages since I had seen so much nature. When you live in the polluted, industrial big city your whole life, you tend to forget about the beauty that Yoba created.

Before I knew it, the bus screeched to a halt on the side of the road. This was my stop. I gathered up my luggage and thanked the driver. As soon as I got off of the bus, I felt the cool spring breeze hit my face. The air here smelled oddly sweet, much better than the dirty city air.

I was caught off guard by a woman with fiery red hair standing in front of me. She looked to be about forty-five years old.

"Hello there! You must be Arianna. I'm Robin, the local carpenter. It's a pleasure to meet you!" she said.

"Yes, that's me. Nice to meet you too," I replied as I shook her hand. I could tell that she worked with her hands due to how call callused they were.

"Mayor Lewis sent me here to fetch you and show you the way to your new home! He's tidying up the place right now for your arrival. The farm is right over there, if you'll follow me."

I followed Robin down a dirt path that led to my grandpa's old farm. Once we got past the thick trees and brush, I could see a clearing of land along with a small cottage.

"Here we are, Rosewood Farm!" Robin chirped.

I took a look around and quickly realized what a mess this place was. There were rocks, logs, trees, and brush everywhere. It looked like it hadn't been tended to in decades. I felt the color slowly drain from my face.

This is going to be a lot more work than I thought.

Robin must've seen the panicked look on my face because she was looking at me funny.

"What's wrong? Sure, it's a little overgrown, but there's a lot of good soil under that mess!"

I shook my head to snap out of it and smiled at her weakly. Before I could respond, Robin and I heard the door to the cottage creak open. An older man with a silver mustache and brown beret stepped out. He caught sight of me and his lips curled into a smile.

"Ah! You must be Arianna, the new farmer!" He beamed. " I'm Lewis, mayor of Pelican Town."

"Nice to meet you. You can just call me Ari," I replied flatly.

"Well Ari, everyone in town has been asking about you. It's not every day that someone new moves in."

I raised my eyebrows at his statement. They were asking about me?

"So...you're moving into your grandfather's old cottage. It's a nice house." Lewis said, looking at the tiny wooden house longingly. "I'm sorry for your loss...he was a great man."

"Yeah...he was," I mumbled, trying to fight back the tears. It had been three years without him, but the pain from his death still stung.

"I left some tools in a chest inside the cottage to help you get started," said Lewis. "Also, if you have anything that you want to sell, just place it in that box over there and I will pick it up in the evening."

I nodded at him in acknowledgement.

"Well, you must be exhausted from your long journey. We should leave you be so you can settle in and rest," Lewis sighed. "You should visit the town tomorrow and introduce yourself. The townspeople would love that."

And with that, Mayor Lewis was gone. Robin, however, was still there.

"Well Ari, if you'd like to get any upgrades, feel free to come by my house! It's north of Pierre's General Store. You can just stop by and say hi too if you want. My daughter, Maru, is dying to meet you!" She said cheerfully.

"I really appreciate that, thank you, " I replied.

Once Robin was gone, I was left by myself on my grandpa's old farm. The sun was setting in the horizon, turning the sky vibrantly orange. I walked up the steps of the old cottage and hesitantly opened the door. I was met with a single room containing a crackling fireplace, table, chair, 90s era television set, and a twin-sized bed. The space was simple and small, but it beat living in an apartment with obnoxiously loud neighbors.

I set down my bags and threw myself onto the bed. My mind was racing, unsure about the decision I made. Then, I remembered Grandpa, and I felt reassured.

This is the place where he belonged, so maybe I will belong too.