[Gender-Neutral Reader] x [Elliott]
(Stardew Valley Fic)
[Cover illustration of Elliott: pulled from 'Google Images,' but appears to belong to 'Cleopatra-Sans on Deviant Art.' The book cover was made in Canva.]
A relatively short tale of two artisti...
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3/9. Melpomene
The salty tang of ocean water accosted your nostrils you made the short trek from your temporary quarters to the south-right corner of the beach. You'd contemplated crossing the meager boards which connected this stint of beach to the next, but the overabundance of rocky tide pools which awaited you made you reconsider.
As beautiful as the diverse ecosystem was to look at, it left little space to roll out your towel.
"[Miss/Mr.] [Name]!" a voice proclaimed from a far, and you turned your head to catch sight of the speaker. A warm smile graced your lips as you observed the frantically-waving form of one of the town's youngest residents who stood beside a taller, unruly blonde and his beach ball.
"Oh, Vincent!" you called back with a much tamer wave of your hands. "Nice to see you again."
"Likewise, dude!" the blonde beside him acknowledged brightly. He tucked the beach ball under his left elbow before flashing you a thumbs-up with his right hand. "Wanna play?"
"Thank you," you began apologetically. "But I've actually got some work to do."
You gestured to your own swathe of possessions which rested by your feet–an archaic beach towel, the print faded by years of sun, and a beige tote bag swollen to the brim with various art supplies.
"Aw, man," Vincent bemoaned with an exaggerated pout.
His older brother, Sam, leaned forward to ruffle his hair affectionately. "Don't sweat it, buddy! There's always next time."
"Yeah, I guess…" Vincent sighed heavily, then his disposition shifted and he turned to grin at his playmate. "Okay! Well, I get to serve!"
You felt nostalgic for your own youthful days in which bouncing back from disappointment felt so effortless, and you bade them farewell with a gentle promise. "Next time for sure!"
The familiarity with the high-energy brothers came from frequent visits to the beach. You only worked part-time for your uncle, so your free time was ample. When you weren't feeling adventurous–which was more often than you'd like, admittedly, you'd push yourself to create. The whole purpose for this respite from city life has been to revitalize your artistic batteries after all.
