a Stardew Valley fan fiction: The Proper Care and Feeding of Souls

Under the Light of a Thousand Stars

"'Whatever our souls are made of, his and mine are the same. "

- Emily Bronte

Penny woke the morning of her birthday with the sun shining through the small windows of her very own home. The cottage she now rented from Leah was beautiful, humble and tranquil. The walls were lined with bookshelves she could not wait to fill. The air was light, the musky scent of the forest wafting softly throughout.

This simple, modest space embraced her lovingly, enveloping her in something she had longed for: peace. In this home of hers, there were no vile words, no pungent smells of sick, no disgust, no hatred, no guilt. On the small table where she ate her meals, sat a glass vase filled with the last of summer's poppies.

Lingering with her morning tea, Penny curled up in the one armchair she was able to fit into the small cottage. It was a well-loved gift from Evelyn and George, who claimed they no longer had space for it. Penny pulled the thick, old book Sebastian had given her onto her lap, gently opened it to the bookmarked page, and settled in to read.

Hours had passed when Penny heard a slight knock on her door. She looked up, noticing the glow of the late afternoon sun shining through the window. She had spent the entire day, nestled in her chair, lost in her book, completely unaware of the time that had slipped by.

Penny gently opened the door to her cottage where Sebastian stood waiting. Penny smiled bashfully, taking him in. Rarely had she ever seen him wear anything but his black jeans and hoodie. On very rare occasions, like the day he was sick, she would catch him in just a t-shirt, something that felt intimate and vulnerable to her for some reason.

This afternoon though, Sebastian stood outside her door in a grey collared dress shirt tucked into black slacks. His wild hair was tamed as much as it allowed itself to be, swept to the side just above his eyes. His dark, obsidian eyes looked down at her, glistening with a hint of mischief.

Penny's heart raced. This man. Penny understood what a privilege it was to know someone like Sebastian. The depths of his soul he was slowly revealing to her, she found them breathtakingly beautiful.

"You're all dressed up," she said with a smile.

Sebastian smiled looking into her pale blue eyes. "It's a special day," he replied, his voice, soft and deep. Sebastian reached his hand down and gently grazed Penny's arm. "Happy Birthday."

His touch sent chills down her spine. Bashfully, she stepped aside to invite him in. He paused, taking her hand in his.

"Can I take you out to dinner?" he asked smoothly.

Nerves tingled through her body. "Oh! Yes." She said. "That would be lovely. The Saloon?" she asked absentmindedly. Looking into the cottage, she mentally ran through her wardrobe in her head.

A crooked smile spread across Sebastian's face as he watched her.

"No."

Penny looked at Sebastian, confused by his response. There was only one restaurant in Stardew Valley.

"I found this Thai place in the city. I thought maybe we could go for a ride on my bike and check it out."

"Mmmm," Penny considered his unexpected plans. Going for a ride on Sebastian's bike made her nervous, but she wouldn't turn him down. Never. She smiled. "Let me change," she said walking toward her dresser. "Is it fancy?" She asked.

Sebastian quietly stepped into Penny's cottage and lowered himself into her armchair. "Uh...I don't know if it's fancy." He confessed. "But everybody says they have the best Tom Kha soup within a hundred miles."