Chapter Text
Ten in the morning is the perfect time to rise for experiencing the highlights of a day off from a grueling job. Our fluffy haired brunette pulls himself from the comfort of his blankets and, through a miracle, his exhausted self makes it to the bathroom where he readies himself for a comfortable day at home. Walking past the mirror without gazing into his own exhausted eyes. Accounting for how deep purple the bags under his eyes have become in the long months of working for Joja.
After spending weeks in the applicant pool, he supposes he should be thankful to have the job in the first place. It’s decent money. Money that he can use to help pay bills and to put groceries in the fridge. While he is by no means a picky eater, he fully enjoys the freedom of getting whatever he wants, and of course what his Mom says they need. The Joja Corporation has done a great job of creating a monopoly over Emerald City’s businesses and housing. While the prices at their grocery stores are cheaper, the strange, borderline alien ingredients do an excellent job at explaining why the prices are so low.
Though he didn’t wake up on a day off only to think about work. Upon leaving the bathroom he catches the scent of already made breakfast, the smell carrying him right to the kitchen and to a plate of leftovers. He’s sure he’s home alone, due to the lack of greeting and well, his young twin cousins not running straight into his legs and grabbing on, demanding to be swung around.
He leans against the counter, using his fingers to pick through the fried potatoes and warm scrambled egg, lifting his gaze at the sound of a page ruffling from the air conditioner warming up the apartment.
‘For once you slept in! Taking the kids to the airport. Left something for you in the living room ;P’
Oh. They’re going home?
It’s strange, but he welcomes the silence. Feeling a bit of extra relief that comes with being given a break from children. He loved them both, but he had only so much energy and hated to disappoint them when he couldn’t play.
He crunches on a slightly burnt piece of toast and walks toward the living room where he comes to a halt. His eyebrows raised with disbelief that made his heart skip.
How did I sleep through this?!
Just beyond the sofa in front of him is not one, not two, but several boxes of Christmas decorations! The tv had already been turned to some holiday special, and it was going to stay like that because the remote was gone . Though the cheesy voice acting and crude cartoons never bothered him, in fact, it lifted his mood from its rather jaded depths.
Just as the remote is one with the mess, Jesse plops down on the couch. He is fully surrounded by red bins and open boxes of lights and decor. Here, he finished his breakfast and looked around the crowded space. The tree they put up days ago with the kids could finally be decorated without the threat of broken ornaments and fighting. He wonders if he’ll see any of his siblings this holiday, but doubts it for he knows they’ve moved on from home. And having a rough, rough childhood that blossomed into a strange adulthood keeps his three siblings away. He can’t exactly blame them no matter how much he misses them.
Even without the company of family, putting up Christmas decorations has always been Jesse's favorite part of the holidays. Even while finding a tree and putting it up grew to be his responsibility. Nothing beats listening to the silly Christmas songs on the radio or tv and untangling string lights in hopes that the wires haven’t crossed.
Time passes quickly, for he busies himself in the spirit of putting up decorations and feeling elated only when the lights are dazzling. Jesse channels his inner elf as he carries an arm full of little Santa’s and reindeer, placing them strategically around the apartment's public areas to invoke just the right amount of joy and cheer. So now standing surrounded by opened bins filled with only cotton, foam and bubble wrap, their cause for being placed somewhere in the rustic, homely apartment.. He considers decorating his own room, though decides to only bring the red, green, gold and white theme into his mothers room for now and leaves her with lit up garland and scented pinecones.
He skips his own room simply because he’s generally surrounded by boxes full of his hastily packed things. Living at home was not on his plans, though for the last few months, he finds the mental break from real world living to be relieving and well appreciated. He’d been kicked out of his own apartment a few months prior, which almost cost him his job. His ex partner, having renewed the lease without him, got with the landlord, and then broke up with him before forcing him to leave!
Luckily, Joja has several stores and headquarters so he was able to transfer.
Now he earns a living behind a computer desk, book keeping and writing faux reviews of company products, or making phone calls all day.
He’s seldomly unpacked, wanting, hoping for an opportunity to take his life to the next level. He can’t picture himself at Joja Corp. forever, although he also can’t see much potential in himself now, not for anything. At least not here in the city, he feels terribly out of place. Especially now that all of his siblings have moved on in their own lives.
He has no realistic plan, all that he’s sure of is that he wants to travel. To find adventure! And… maybe find some friends who want to do the same.
In the present day, he returns to the living room, eyeing the undressed tree as he scoops up a box of ornaments and lights. For while he’s almost finished decorating, he loves to take his time with the tree.
Only considering himself finished when the bright snowflake atop the tree glitters and lights up. The green branches holding delicate, almost weightless glass spheres that glow wonderfully beside the twinkling lights.
First box of ornaments empty, onto the next..
Jesse had spent the next hour finishing up. Lights and tinsel light up the room without the need of lamps or overhead lights. The sweet smell of evergreen and scented pine cone filled the air, bringing true meaning to the Christmas cartoons that play.
That is until he spies a familiar box, for some reason tucked in amongst the oldest of decor. An old shoe box, from what Jesse could only assume is from elementary days. The cardboard was well over twenty years old, water damaged and crusty at the same time. He scoops up the box, grimacing at the feel of the exterior, though he quickly gets over his distaste and beams at the scribbled writing of two names; ‘Je s e an d Rubins secr e t bocks’
Jesse brushes his short, fluffy bangs away from his eyes, the gentle curls crowding his vision as he sets out to enjoy this short dive into the past.
He flashes a gentle smile, his mind opening up with all sorts of silly memories. With a grunt, he plops back down on the sofa and opens it up. Greeted with scribblings and drawings of him and his old friend Reuben, a stuffed toy pig he loved many years ago. So many drawings and what Jesse could just barely make out as short adventure stories. And of course, the ‘secrets’ he had as a child.
On the surface, it’s only really a bunch of paper that filled the box. Upon digging further he finds a few old faded toys, small superheros and.. a lot of little pig figures. Which made the man laugh, picking one out and holding it up in the better light. A pink little creature, its paint chipped and faded with age.
A warm, surprising feel of genuine nostalgia beats within his heart. These were his favorite growing up, and his favorite now. He decides he’ll keep this box unpacked and in his current possession, having now remembered how much he played with them. He smiles, over filled with joy seeing them now. Elation carries him through the rest of his curious findings, decorations having been forgotten.
Though all fun things must come to an end, his phone rings with its customary tone; A robotic tone repeating “Work, Work, Work, Work..”
His bubble of fun pops and he grimaces over his shoulder in the direction of his room. He knows he has to answer, Joja will keep at it until he does. It’s winter, and anyone could, and will be called in. At this point it’s mandatory for him. He’s already called off three times this month, his hours are low and his worth ethic is.. lacking. He can’t help being weighed down by life's problems, working in a department he doesn’t thrive in only exasperates his depression. As does repeatedly being singled out in morning round-ups before everyone goes to their cubicle.
Jesse sighs, putting all that he pulled from the box back in before closing it up. Following that dejecting ‘Work’ call, Jesse gently pushes his door open fully and pokes through his blankets in which he finds his cell and answers the call.
“Hel-”
“Your under-performance is embarrassing! You hardly show any passion for Joja Corporations and all the good we bring to the world. You’ve taken too much time off this quarter, so you are being rewarded with working the week of Christmas all the way until the new year! And bonus, unless you feel like being promoted to loyal, valued customer, I suggest you put on that uniform and come in right away!
…
Your hard work during the holidays is appreciated and will be compensated when you raise the bar a little higher. Think about that on your way here, Jesse.” Beep!
The grating voice of his supervisor has him holding his phone a couple inches away from his ear, the pitched and scratchy voice reaching to scrape his eardrum.The seconds ticked by until Jesse is finally able to hang up, glaring down at his phone with such disdain it makes his eyebrow twitch. All that tempered focus willing the little device to be crushed within his grasp and who’s on the other line along with it.
The call was brief, the call is taxing. The call sucks all the excitement out of him the more he listens to his supervisor grumble and fume in his ear.
Never in his life did he think he’d hate a job this much, from the daily scrutiny to downright gaslighting and silent treatment from superiors. Jesse emits the deepest of sighs, trying to accept what he’s just been told. With the biggest frown he sets the shoe box upon an already previously packed up box that's set beside the foot of his bed. One of many boxes that currently contain his unpacked life.
In another life, he’d never be forced to handle such behavior from a colleague. Even with such flaring anger within a pompous attitude, Jesse can only see the money that will be made. Money to go towards rent, groceries, and savings. His poor, poor, empty savings.
Jesse emits a brute, deep sigh groaning as he throws himself into getting ready. Recalling his uniform is being washed, all he can get dressed in regular day clothes.
Dark blue jeans, a soft brown leather belt with clasped forest green suspenders that stretch over his shoulders and complete in the back. His shirt is a cuffed flannel with a color scheme of gold and silver thread accents, the fabric patterned with dark blue, brown and black squares.
Jesse then tugs on his favored workmen's boots. They had a bit of height and the dark, worn leather skin completed the fit. Without a doubt he’ll be reminded of his lack of uniform, though when he walks to his cubicle, all the monotone voices around him will fade out into white noise.
There’s no driving in a city like this, not for anyone who isn’t a delivery driver, or public transit. Or somebody who really, really enjoys traffic and expelling exhaust from their filthy cars.
Jesse sits as close as he can to the edge of his seat, his heart weighing heavier with every bit of distance. He just wants to be home, not on a crowded city bus. Normally he’d lean his head against the window, though as of a more recent bus ride he noticed and subsequently watched a deranged man licking and scraping his teeth against one of the windows. Then Jesse saw him again, and again.. Ever since then he’s been terribly uncomfortable being even remotely close to the windows and seldomly does he ever sit while riding to work.
Glancing around though he sees different faces, normally riding when the sun is rising, he never sees any different riders other than the scattered few early birds. None like the actual bird that he’s seeing now, standing upon a pile of old takeout beneath one of the filthy seats. The food seemingly abandoned to the pigeons delight, and luckily nobody seems to care that it’s there.
Jesse cracks a smile and watches the bird pick away at its feast for the remainder of the ride. He wishes he could add to the meal, and as the bus slows he stands up to leave. Few riders exit at the same stop, Jesse amongst the last to leave and as he passes the bird he prays that nobody bothers the pigeon. Willing kindness upon it and sighing, hoping for kindness for himself. But with his lack of uniform and late comings, there’s nothing else to expect except a long, long day ahead.
A big blue rectangular building stands daunting across the road, its courtyard spotless when the sidewalk on either side has piles of bagged trash. There’s a man spraying the tall concrete fence with a power washer, another bout of illegible graffiti decorating smooth, grayish tan surfaces. Jesse glances both ways up the street and starts crossing the road with such leisure he has to jog toward the end to avoid a rushing cab.
“Morning!” Jesse greets the pressure washer man in passing, in which the burly man responds with a quick wave. The loud motor of the pressure washer continues to rumble as he walks on toward the entryway. Immediately after he steps inside he is met with deafening silence and the smell of clean floors. The plastic plants give no scent no matter how many times they’re sprayed with room spray, throughout all the rooms in the building it seems. Nothing, no scents and hardly any sound unless there’s somebody working nearby.
Jesse presents his badge, ducks his head as he passes his superiors and hurries towards his work station. He pushes open the double doors leading to the office space. The massive, warehouse sized office space. What seems like endless rows with endless stations, each operated by a single person also trapped within the Joja machine. Jesse finds it unnerving that he doesn’t truly know how many cubicles there are.. All he knows is that the sound of clacking keys and-
“Number 138, You’ve finally made it!”
Jesse flinches where he stands, looking up to the loud speaker and the screen that displays the company's logo.
“Where’s your uniform? Do you care about your great, and gracious job? We are here at Joja-...”
Jesse shakes his head and tunes the rest of the speech out, taking a deep breath and letting his blooming temper simmer down. He’s learned that yelling back at the speaker does nothing, that whoever is yapping is only observing them and not listening. So once he finally comes upon his work station he can see that there's a letter left for him. He tilts his head and reads the text with a skeptical squint.
It’s a written warning about his appearance? How did they..!? Jesse doesn’t bother looking up, the sound of a camera that’s mounted at the top of his cubicle pointed down towards him zooms in with a quiet whirr.
Jesse stares at the pink piece of paper in disbelief, even picks it up to confirm that it’s real.
This… is getting to be too much.
Jesse sniffs, the stale air drying out his nose. His dejected feelings careen through his limbs before reaching and weighing heavy in his belly. Without meaning to, the paper crumples within his grip. His frustrated defeat had him exhale all too loudly. Too bad, he tosses the paper to the side and plops down on his uncomfortable rolling chair.
“Ridiculous...” he breathes out, endlessly patient for no reason other than job security. It’s just a day.. maybe if they offered more than one uniform..! Maybe if they didn't call him on his day off!
Jesse huffs and throws his hands up before clapping them over his face, groaning into his palms as he slowly leans over his desk. His thoughts were scrambling and he could feel that sick feeling of emotion make his throat tighten and his jaw set.
Don’t cry, don’t cry, don’t cry...
His heavier emotions rose the longer he sat covering his eyes. He sits upright suddenly, his hair fluffing slightly due to the swiftness. His frown deepens as he gets to work. Better get started before he finds himself jobless for simply being human! With a harsh clear of his throat, shake of his hair and a gentle pat on both flushed cheeks, he’s ready. Jesse quickly puts on his headset and scoots in, attempting to throw himself into work even as his mind continues to scatter further. And somehow, even as his fingers drag over the keyboard. The steady clacking of his keys joined the others, subsequently putting his cog unto the Joja machine.. Settling into his depression, settling into his work.
A little later than noon time, a loud buzzer goes off that startles him out of his rhythm. The sound of people pushing their chairs and walking tells him that it's time for the workers scheduled lunch. Jesse hadn’t bothered putting together a meal before leaving, and he’s too tired to have an appetite anyway. He closes his eyes briefly, listening to a number of workers leave the office space.
He takes in a deep breath, the air briefly carrying a scent of pine and earth. The natural scent relaxing his body before it was followed with an icy chill, prickling up his spine before it blankets his mind with images of shooting stars in the open sky, and lush green grass beneath his laying body. Turning his head he sees flowers being gently rustled by the wind that carries his hair across his forehead. He can hear water, he can hear footsteps..
It’s then that somebody bumps his desk. Jesse jolts, opening his eyes and gasping in shock. He only sees the open grassland though with another blink he’s returned to the stale, cold, hospital-like office space. He removes the headset and takes careful breaths as he rubs his warmed forehead, his heart running pace as he’s taken back by that weird memory. By all those sounds and scents, and the feeling that’s come over him. He feels crawling anxiety in place of that wind chill. He glances around, scattered and a bit startled by the experience.
Memory.. That doesn’t feel quite right.
He shakes his head, putting his headset back on the desk, sitting back in his chair. He isn’t sure how much work he’s even gotten done. Distracted and depressed, Jesse searches for paper to doodle on to let the time pass faster. When he pulls open the top drawer, his surprise is taken a step further. Slowly, out of the filed paper he pulls a small letter. He turns it over once, twice, his brows furrowing as he reads the name on the front;
‘To Jesse
From Grandpa’
A letter… From Grandpa?
Jesse holds the envelope to his chest, peeking out of his cubicle and looking both ways before sitting back in his chair, eyeing the letter with raising confusion.
How did this get in here? Grandpa passed away years ago.. Where did this letter come from? And more importantly… How did it get here, in the drawer of his work file?
Jesse is stricken with an eerie, yet confusing sense of nostalgia, Such a feeling is unsettling when one is in the wrong place, like work. So for a second, he feels over the envelope with skepticism. Soon though those feelings turned into curiosity. Jesse opens up the letter, and it reads:
‘Dear Jesse, if you’re reading this, you must be in dire need of a change.
The same thing happened to me, long ago. I’d lost sight of what mattered most in life… Real connections with other people and nature. So I dropped everything and moved to the place I truly belong.
I’ve enclosed the deed to that place… My pride and joy: Beacon Farm. It’s located in Stardew Valley, on the southern coast. It’s the perfect place to start your new life. This was my most precious gift of all, and now it’s yours. I know you’ll honor the family name, my boy. Good luck.
Love, Grandpa
P.S. If Lewis is still alive, say hi to the old guy for me, will ya?’
Jesse reads the letter again, and again. His heart beating with new found life, his mind already made up before he even takes his eyes off the letter. He looks up to the camera, then down to the page. No second thoughts, The brunette straightens up with a blank stare and stands up.
Walking with confidence, head held high, he walks out of the building and towards his new life.
Home, that’s where he was headed first. The bus ride was spent reading Grandpa's letter, or watching life pass by outside the dirty window. He can only hope and believe in himself that this will work. He’s wanted nothing more than to get out of the city, wanting to be able to wake up in the morning and see nothing but trees and grassland.
The bus ride seemed shorter this time around..
Jesse waited all day for his mom to come home, spending those hours cleaning up and repacking a lot of whatever he pulled out in the time he lived at home. He’s so excited, he saw no need to keep it to himself. He hugs his mom tight as soon as she enters the apartment, explaining all that happened before and after he got to work. He talked about the letter and the deed that Grandpa gifted to him, all before she could say a word.
Though it was clear, she too was confused as to the whereabouts this letter came from, but seeing him so excited about something for the first time in months brought a warm gleam to her eyes. She takes her sons’ cheeks and smiles, vocalizing her approval before hugging him tight once more.
There was nothing else to say about it after that, they both knew that it would be finalized with a few phone calls and minor payments to the right parties. Jesse never went back to Joja and he spent all his time at home preparing to leave in the spring. Oh, and of course spending time with his Mom, watching movies every night and trying to memorize her recipes. With only a few weeks before that fateful bus ride, Jesse struggles for a while to downsize his belongings, so he puts almost all of it in storage, if not donating what he truly doesn’t need or want. He keeps out certain boxes to have sent to the cabin in Stardew Valley, his room barren of decor or personality. Just his bed, pillows, a blanket and a few big boxes lined up by the door.
Christmas comes and goes, He got his mother a hefty gift card to her favorite coffee shop, while he received a heated blanket and ‘An investment on Beacon Farms future success.’ She called it with tears in her eyes. That was the first time he really realized that he’d be leaving his mom here alone, officially joining the ranks amongst his siblings where he can’t just come home on a whim. Once he’s gone, he must stay gone until he’s made it work.
He made sure to stay up that night, letting his mom get all her feelings out, going through baby pictures and the box he found on his last day of work.
With every passing day, his heart grows heavier with grief, yet his mind is antsy to leave this all behind and experience what life may be. He’s ready to move on. To provide for himself and to make real connections with the world and the people in it. Maybe then he’ll find his heart to be a little less aching with emptiness and brooding, unsociable darkness. He must find a purpose, and a reason for his own being. He must leave the city and all her smog and snobs, he’s not made for such unkindness.
It’s impossible to not be selfish in a big city, at least from his point of view. From being conditioned to ignoring certain, yet horrible aspects of it. To being forced to walk by piles of trash every single day, watching people treat what little wild life there is so poorly and being powerless to really save, or clean up anything. He used to volunteer, but the city defunded them. He feels horrible, he feels guilty for how life has become here.. But to know that it won’t be like this always, that there’s more out there for him…
He’s ready.
It’s almost midnight. He can already hear the new years fireworks in the distance, even over the loud and celebrating crowd that congregates by one of the furthest gates. Jesse's armed only with his backpack and suitcase, standing amongst the hundreds of others waiting for their bus. He’s dressed in his winter wear, although the snowflakes in his bangs keep getting in his eyes. He keeps reading the ticket number and he’s anxious to get this right, there’s no second chancing an international bus ride. He already said his farewells, his mother not being able to handle the brisk winds and long night. He uses her comforting words to keep his confidence high, despite how clearly anxious he was. Watching as the numbers change upon this widescreen display upon the center pillar in the station was much like how he would watch the numbers change at work, constantly flipping through statistics or… He shakes his head.
All that’s over now.. I’m never coming back here. Not for a long time at least.
Only a few more minutes pass before he finally hears it:
‘Chksshh..’
“Now loading Route 451, Stardew Valley.”
This is it..!
Jesse takes his first step forward, his heart sinking into a weightless space as a wave of nauseating anxious feelings of loneliness overcome him. He takes a second in the doorway when it's his time to board, gripping the support rail and taking a deep breath. His last breath of smog and exhaust, and the crowds that push and shove in order to board or to exit. He then goes up the steps, awkwardly lifting his luggage into his arms and flashing his boarding pass at the same time. He then begins searching for an empty seat that’d be his for the next 7 hours.
There aren't very many people on board, but those who are are taking up two seats each. So he heads toward the back, smiling at a big black and white husky on one of the seats as he passes by. The dog nearly eye level with our inexperienced traveler, making him nod in respect even. As well, the dog is the only set of eyes that meets his own. He’s not normally chatty but it would’ve been nice to at least share a couple words with someone…
He finds a seat near the back, and sets his luggage up between his legs in front of him. Suitcase standing, backpack on top. His heart rate still elevated as he pats at his luggage, eager to be moving on. He already misses his mom and he knows he’ll keep missing her until he decides if he’s coming back..
The clock must've struck midnight, Jesse hears excessive booming in the distance in celebration of the new year.
He takes another deep breath, watching the outside. People celebrate in what little ways they can as buses unload and reload with different passengers. He can see cameras flashing and people taking pictures of themselves and their families. People bustling around and going on about their lives, even the bus he’s on fills out with passengers. He can’t see the fireworks, so he doesn’t bother looking. Jesse only sits back and listens to all the crowds. It took an extra three minutes more before the door closed, Jesse had his eyes up and his expression friendly as he silently offered the seat next to him.
Yet nobody took his offer. And for a moment, he sits there in disbelief as he looks around and sees every seat filled.
It’s going to be a long, long ride. He puts his belongings in the seat beside himself, digs a snack out of his bag and gets comfortable. Doomed to silence until the first rest stop, there he’ll grab some headphones..
He tenses as the bus engine comes to life and the vehicle starts moving. Jesse's heart leaps and he looks outside again, knowing this will be his last time seeing this station, a small cookie in his mouth being munched away as they pull out of the station and out onto the open road.
Goodbye Mom, I’ll miss you…
Then he exhales and smiles alone, his heart weighing heavy as the road opens up before them. The bus follows the empty, dark freeway until the headlights illuminate the ‘Now Leaving Emerald City’ sign. He stares at the sign, his heart beginning to race as they whisk by it. Leaving the city behind as if it were an everyday occurance, as if nobody else on this bus seems conflicted between anxiety and excitement.
Jesse closes his eyes as they venture deeper into what our traveler only sees as the unknown. He takes deep, calming breaths to ease his anxiety, turning his head and opening his bleary eyes. Blinking them into focus, then wiping the excess with the back of his hand. A short sniffle later, his gaze is blooming with wonder at the lights.
They're passing through vast forested hills, his eyes never leaving the window as they drove past beautiful sights throughout the night. A cold, empty night with beautiful starlit skies still being decorated by the lawless display of seemingly never ending fireworks.
Just for a moment, all the fireworks excited him, only to then remind himself that he will be celebrating almost all holidays on his own now. His heart aches, but he doesn’t give in to the wave of loneliness, he keeps eyes on the sky and his heart in the light.
He checks his phone once he’s realized the fireworks have stopped. They’ve been traveling for almost two hours non stop.. He’s not complaining though, he’s finding he’s enjoying the ride. He’s never seen such beautiful mountains, the snow at their peaks making them glow in the late night.
Jesse drums his boots on the floor, throwing another chip in his mouth as a rest stop sign comes into view. Finally.. He can listen to something other than the sounds of a traversing old bus and people occasionally coughing.
He crams the rest of his chips in, crunching audibly as he stuffs the trash into his designated trash pocket on his backpack. In a matter of another ten minutes, the bus was idling at a rest stop where Jesse and the other passengers swarmed the inside of a little store.
There was a wide variety of snacks and drinks, as well as goodies and trinkets for impulsive tourists. Jesse is one of them, going ahead and buying a small, wooden crafty looking black bear. He saw it and the simple looking face made him scoff and smile, how could he resist the silly little guy?
Incredibly, Jesse got in and out of the store in a matter of a few minutes, headphones in hand, and relieved after a quick trip to the bathroom. Jesse tears into, and tosses the excessive packaging in the closest nearby garbage can before heading back to the bus.
Jesse finds his seat and settles in, tucking his tiny companion in his shirt pocket and pulling his headphones out to use.
He finds a playlist and settles back into the seat, taking calming breaths before the bus finally moves again. But this time, Jesse's time passes a whole lot easier with music to keep him awake.
Hours pass, he’s weaving in and out of sleep, more and more folks get off of the bus as they go through transfer stations. He knows his stop won’t be coming up until it’s early dawn. His attention stays drawn to the grassy hills and patches of forest whenever he isn’t resting his eyes, or focused on finding something else to listen to. It’s only when he runs out of snacks, then he’s ready for the ride to be over.
Ding!
“Next Stop: Stardew Valley Transfer Station”
Jesse perks up, his tired eyes alert and brimming with excitement as he reads the sign that finally shows his destination. Or at least, he’s one more short bus ride away from Pelican Town once he reaches the transfer station.
He zips up all the pouches on his bag, re-checking his suitcase just before the bus finally pulls to a gradual stop. Quickly he takes the headphones off his head and dusts the crumbs off the front of his clothes. His deep blue headphones hooked around his neck as he trudged through the isle awkwardly with all his belongings. There’s still a couple passengers who’s journeys continue, those who have been on the bus before him and still reside.. Jesse finds that to be a massive relief that he’ll no longer be a part of it.
Jesse’s used to the loneliness, so he felt no qualms about not saying anything upon leaving. All he does is thank the bus driver and descend onto the concrete platform.
Not even a half hour later, he’s stepping right back onto another. Though this bus was much smaller, and the people inside
waved and smiled at him casually before turning back to their conversions or looking out the window. He’s taken aback for a moment, having momentarily forgotten what it looks like when another person smiles at you. Even if they were brief, Jesse feels a bit better already.
He finds a seat and keeps his chin held high. His mind and heart settled on one thing.. and that’s to stay hopeful, open, and determined.
He’s happy to keep his headphones off, the sounds of other people speaking, even quietly laughing..
The sound of humanity not at its most.. industrialized selfishness.
“Hiii!”
He tenses into awareness, turning head and spotting a kid and her parents in the seats across from his own.
He silently waves back, the kids smile terribly contagious with them missing two front teeth.
“Honey, don't bother that man, play your game."
He holds in a quiet laugh as he’s waved to again, the child going on and on..
Sporting a relieved, yet exhausted smile, He turns his attention out his own window. He takes one more deep breath of the musty bus air, and sits back for the remainder of the ride.
Yeah. This is... This is going to be quite the change.
Expanding grassy mountains, dense forests and the smell of the ocean so close nearby all bring Jesse back to those far, far off memories of his childhood's past. Jesse practically leans back and forth with impatience, all too ready to be out in nature and to just be off this bus! He’s ready to start his new life, he’s more than ready to find a spot in Grandpa's cabin to fall asleep.
Or well… It's my Cabin now. I hope he won’t mind me moving some stuff around, his spirit anyway.
Seven long hours of travel lead all the way up to this very moment. Jesse's throat is dry from the change in temperatures and the clean air is cold and refreshing on his smoggy city boy lungs.
He’s up, he’s going down the aisle, he’s saying bye to the other passengers, and now..
Jesse's boot meets soft, plush grass while the next scuffs fresh earth. The bus then pulls out, leaving him alone with only the items he brought. He takes his first breath of fresh, clean forest air once the exhaust clears. The morning sun has burned away all signs of a cold night, the greens of the earth and trees reflecting beautifully within his dark, curious irises. He starts slowly making his way further into what he assumes is town.
His attention is caught by plumes of clustered wild flowers, an array of soft light colors rustling gently in the open air. He notices a rather distinguished dandelion right before a chipper voice nearly scares him out of his skin.
“Hi! You must be Jesse.”
Before our traveler stands a friendly, yet tough looking person, her autumn red hair tied up in a ponytail. With parted fluffy bangs to frame her face, she smiles kindly and introduces herself as Robin.
He realizes he didn’t really reply, giving a tired nod and listening to what she has to say.
The Mayor is cleaning up the cabin? Huh? And, what does ‘local’ carpenter mean..? That Robin is the only one? That’s… pretty cool…
He opens his mouth to speak, but she continues on then turns to lead the way. His heart begins to race with anticipation, squeezing and adjusting the straps on his bag and suitcase.
The farm? Oh man, here we go!
“You might want to pick that up! It’s all dirt paths between here and town, but you’ll see for yourself later.”
Jesse takes the advice, holding up his suitcase and trekking behind Robin.
“Hey, thanks for doing this.”
“Don’t thank me yet.” She hints with mischief in her tone just as they pass through the ungated threshold onto his farm.
They walk a few more steps and Jesse begins to take in a wall of fully grown, scattered trees and hundreds of rocks littering patches of overgrown weeds and tall grass. He can smell clean water and fresh dirt, the leaves rustling with the grass in the wind.
What the hell happened to the farm?
This is what he had expected. He expected a mess, but those… Those are full grown trees!
“What's wrong? Sure it’s overgrown, but there’s good soil underneath!” She pipes up, knowing she won’t be the one doing it all.
Jesse was already so tired from the ride over, he couldn’t possibly get a head start on this now. But Robin stays optimistic, even sharing some kind words of motivation. He can only smile patiently, the exhaustion his body and mind feels weighing on him the longer he stands.
“Here we are! Your new home!” Robin puts her hands on her hips just as the front door opens. Jesse looks up at an older man with the second to largest mustache he’s ever seen. Not to mention a bright green shirt, neon sun yellow tie and brown suspenders.
“Welcome! I’m Lewis. Mayor of Pelican town. There’s been a lot of talk about you, you know it's not everyday someone new moves into town. It’s quite a big deal!”
Lewis continues on speaking, Robin chiming in with sarcastic quips of her own. Jesse seems to relax a bit as the two banter on, he can only be drawn to looking up at the tattered, old building.
“Anyway.. you must be tired. Tomorrow you should go out to explore the town. Introduce yourself, the townspeople would really appreciate it.”
He nods, and nods again. Taking a second to turn his head away to yawn big. Unable to stop himself from tearing up and huffing at the end. He opens his mouth again to apologize, yet another yawn has him covering his mouth instead.
Lewis tells him something kinda strange, but Jesse just tilts his head with a briefly confused look. He takes Lewis’s explanation for what it is, maybe it’s something he’ll understand later.
A box to sell things that the mayor will just.. come by and take?
“Well… Good luck!!” The old man then turns and leaves without another word, Robin is quick to follow.
“Yeah, good luck Jesse! Make this place useful instead of just beautiful!” Robin waves him farewell and rushes up to meet the mayor.
What a whirlwind! Jesse belts out an exhausted sigh as he throws his things on the dirt. Jesse's headphones go clamoring with his coat as it all goes crashing down.
“Finaaaalllyyyy!” Jesse yells as soon as the others are out of sight. Curiosity keeps him restless and finding the energy to run along the tree line, dirt scuffing up behind him. There’s a few ways to go beyond the wall of trees, but there were massive rocks and branches blocking his every other step.
And so, with his heart racing and his lungs full of dizzying fresh air. He decides to walk his way back, and bring all he brought inside. The door closes behind him, the dust in the air shining in a sunbeam. From what he can see there’s a table, chair, rug and fireplace. Funnily enough there’s also a neatly wrapped present on the floor and a massive chest that's tucked away near the bed.
Bed ..
This is all he needs. An old bed that creaks under his weight, a feather filled pillow and a massive quilt and comforter.
He gets his boots off, and tucks in.
His world is free of all the awful things that city life instills, he listens closely to the nearly silent morning. It’s as the world wakes, and the birds sing their songs. For the first time in years he hears actual birds and frogs, the wind carrying the calls and gradually lulling our newly named farmer right to sleep.
