i remember when your head caught flame.

Okay   …   so this was awkward. Lizzie’s luggage bumped lazily against the rough cobblestone of Stardew Valley, and she breathes in deep when the fresh breeze hits her face. She’s missed the town, missed the people, but she couldn’t say she was excited.

She’d kind of left things on a sour note. Moreso, she’d kind of been gone for multiple months. Without so much as a goodbye. Oops   …

Though Jemma hisses slightly once Malia begins cleaning the wound, it’s a bare-bones reaction. She scratches absentmindedly at the faint scar that runs across her left cheek; she’s used to stuff like this. Malia settles into silence easily enough, but silence has never been Jemma’s strong suit. “– Y’know, this isn’t even the worst of the stuff I’ve dealt with in the mines. One time this skeleton threw a bone at me, and– I already had this nasty bite on my shoulder that I had just finished patching up, and it landed right on the wound, and– guess what? Dislocated my fucking shoulder.”

She smiles once Malia hands her a new shirt to put on, and because she’s barely modest as she begins taking off her bloody shirt, replacing it for the clean one. “No, I don’t think so. I– ow, ow, ow–” She winces as she lifts her injured arm to fit it through the arm hole, “I’ve got a few bruises and stuff but, y’know, par for the course.” She grabs the ziplock bag, nodding as she dumps into her bag. “’s no prob, I can change it on my own.” She says it a bit proudly; Jemma likes showing other people she can do stuff, even if it’s the most basic shit. With the wound still stinging but patched up, Jemma lets her eyes wander around, “You have a dope house.”

malia used to be a rough and tumble kind of kid, trying to prove to everyone that she was capable of doing anything that she put her mind to out of spite. it had always been like that, especially when it came to running, all the boys trying their best to outrun her but never being able to. she had pride in that. she had scraped her knees and fallen so many times, and when she and jillian were kids would sneak off into the mines, fully not prepared for what they’d find but malia had trusted and believed in jillian to lead them the way. though there had been times when they both got burned because of it. jemma, in a way, reminds her of the good parts of her childhood, the ones where exploration of the place that you grew up was new and exciting instead of what it was now which was painful memories and bitter nostalgia. she smiles slightly at her story about the skeletons, “sounds like they had a bone to pick with you.” 

it had been a whirlwind of a month for zola. she had been called away for a special tour for ana indiana, something about a nostalgia reunion with her and some other stars when they were on the same tv show back in the day (they were children and wore awful clothes, but they were also best friends – just busy best friends). media sources these days were really banking on nostalgia as a selling factor nowadays. anyway, she was back in stardew valley, a place she can’t exactly call home yet, but that’s where her stuff was stored for the time being. she came crashing into the saloon, having lost control of her luggage and knocking over one of the chairs. “oh, shit… that’s my bad… sorry!”

I’m having a rough time.

It’s all Matty needs to hear. He sits back up, hesitating for only a moment before he wraps his arms tightly around Kiran, resting the point of his chin on his shoulder. It’s such a simple gesture, but it’s the best he can think to do - and he is starting to learn that actions can mean just as much as words. How many times, when things were bad with him, had he just wanted a hug? That simple reassurance that somebody was there? It’s something Matty knows he can give. He wants Kiran to understand that no matter what’s going on with him, he’ll never be alone.

“I didn’t know about Lizzie,” he says softly, “Maybe she’ll come back?” Perhaps it’s naïve, but it wasn’t long ago that Matty himself had left the Valley suddenly, only to return after a few weeks - it’s not beyond the realm of possibility that Lizzie’s just… taken a little break, right?

kiran wasn’t very good when it came to physical affection like this. he wasn’t one to hug people, or even hold hands. it was easy to be physical, it’s quick, and easy, but when it came to love and something more he didn’t really know how to do it. his parents never hugged them when they were kids. not really. anytime that amee and kiran were hurt they always just told each other that it was okay, and maybe they’d pat them on the shoulder but that was it. so when matty hugs him he freezes, tenses up. they’ve hugged before, but this was different. it was because matty wanted to, because kiran was hurting. he didn’t know what to do, how to act. it takes him a moment to feel comfortable in the embrace, but eventually, he allows himself to be held, giving matty a gentle squeeze. 

malia, before work had prepared everything and placed it into chafing dishes and put them into a big cooler and placed it outside of the door among a few other presents that she had gotten henry. for a couple of weeks malia had been wondering what to do for henry’s birthday, especially because she hadn’t seen him as much as she liked to get a feel of what he would want. malia knew that it was a rough time for everyone she certainly was struggling and knew that henry still was too. the night before she had gone to the store and then kiran’s to get the last minute stuff that she needed to do this. she had finley test try all the food that she had made for henry to make sure that it was good enough. @qvietlight

sofia arrives before heading to work at henry’s cottage, noticing that there are other gifts already by his door. she smiles setting the package down and a card. it had taken her a long time to figure out what she wanted to gift henry, though their partnership didn’t last very long she knew that henry was someone that deserved the world and she wanted him to know that. @qvietlight

She can’t help but smile softly at that. Gabe has always shown to be a selfless and dedicated person– he deserves a break, and she’s happy to see he’s finally getting the help he needs around the shop. “Hm, that’s good to see.” She tilts her head, glancing around the shop and taking in a deep breath. The sweet aroma fills her senses, calms her, and she thinks it must be pretty nice to work in a place like this. It would explain why Gabe always seemed so calm. When his hand reaches hers, her lips curl faintly and she squeezes it back lightly. “Me too… I’m, um, I’m sorry I didn’t come by earlier.” And she means it. He’s probably one of her closest friends in the valley, and though she knows he’s ever understanding, she doesn’t want him to think that she undervalues their friendship. Her gaze surveys the different flowers, lips pressed together in thought. “Hm… Um, do you have any purple flowers in, uh, in season?”

Elaine’s skin warms once Sofia’s hand finds her cheek. She still can’t get used to the sensation, to the fact that she’s let herself get this close to someone. There’s a part of her that feels guilty about it, like she shouldn’t allow herself to bask in this. She doesn’t know when that goes away– if that ever goes away. She shouldn’t feel this happy, even if it’s a fleeting thing. But then Sofia kisses her and the thoughts momentarily subside.

A smile teases at her lips once she feels Sofia’s weight against her, and she adjusts herself to make the position a bit more comfortable for both of them. She lets them settle into silence for a moment, munching on her sandwich and staring up at the sky as it darkens and the stars come out in all their splendor. Elaine’s free hand eventually wraps around Sofia, fingers absentmindedly brushing against her arm. She ponders on Sofia’s words. Does this mean she’s Sofia’s first… whatever they are? The moment the question appears in her head, it doesn’t leave. She glances down at Sofia, lips pursed, “– And, um, what have your books told you?”

when elaine asks sofia doesn’t know what to really tell her without feeling like it’s too much to say. that was always sofia’s problem. she was quiet but she had so much going on her mind at once, and living with the person that she does has kept her quiet in fear of speaking out what she’s feeling. she thinks a lot about her mom and died. who they were before sofia, if at one point they had ever felt this way about someone or if it had always been hard for both of them. sofia’s perception of love was so warped, fuelled on paranoia lack of trust. eventually her mom left both her and her father, who’s to say that it can’t happen again with someone else? she used to think as a child that if her mom couldn’t stay then who ever would for sofia? it had taken her a long time to get out of that spiral but sometimes she slipped back into it. 

Even if the silence wasn’t a dead giveaway, they’ve known each other for long enough now that Matty can tell when there’s something up with Kiran - it’s getting him to actually talk about it that so often proves difficult… Yes, he’d opened up a little the night he’d stayed over at Matty’s apartment, but it feels like they’ve hardly seen each other since then. Things are still so weird between them, and he hates it. 

When he’s given the all-clear, Matty flops down on the blanket, getting out the cheetos and setting them down between them so he can use his (mostly) empty backpack as a pillow. He stares up at the sky, trying to decide what to do - if he should acknowledge the obvious or let it slide.

After a moment of quiet, Matty finds his gaze drifting back to Kiran, as it so often does. He looks… sad. Lost. And the blank pages of his sketchbook have not gone unnoticed. “Hey,” he begins in a soft voice, giving Kiran’s knee a gentle prod. “What’s wrong?”

kiran had a lot on his mind. he didn’t know how to say, i’ve been staying in my house all day and barely made an effort this season’s crops. he didn’t know how to say that he misses his friend because it was so hard for kiran to make friends. he didn’t know how to say, my dad died in may and it’s always the hardest month for him because it feels like it’s just too much to bear. the only person that he had seen was really malia, and that’s because she brought him food that she made for her and her roommate. he just felt like a husk of a person, trapped in his mind thinking that everything was sort of pointless because what was the person of anything lately? he had gotten like this before, after his dad died, after he ruined the funeral, but it felt different this year. everything did. 

Despite the pain, Jemma plasters on a sheepish smile the moment the door opens– one she’s probably worn many a time when visiting Dr. Park’s clinic. “… It’s never a bad time for a house visit?” She tries, going for a shrug that’s cut short by a wince. She looks worse for wear, which is expected after a few hours down in the mines: stains on her shirt from the rubble and dirt, pieces of hair poking out of her ponytail disjointedly, and her clothes all rumpled.

“Um, so I was at the mines, you know, doing my thing, and– Well, honestly, I kinda didn’t realize I was bleeding until, like, halfway to my house? So I don’t really know what happened.” She steps further into the house, glancing around curiously before trying to stay still as Malia lifts up her sleeve. “It was probably one of those fucking bats– they have of sneaking up on you! Anyway, I would’ve taken care of this myself… but I ran out of bandages. Whoops.” Another sheepish grin– she’s probably not making the best impression.

malia doesn’t know what to say to that but she directs her to a chair as she looks over at the wound grabbing her antiseptic putting it on a microfiber towel. “this is going to sting.” she warns, looking at her in the eyes as she starts to clean off the blood. you could say a lot about malia and how she acts, but when it came to her work she was very gentle. malia often went into a trance when it came to her work, after she had successfully cleared the wound she made sure to grab another bandage and place it on the wound. “okay.” she says in a small voice. “any other wounds?” she asks. 

Art’s smile tightened slightly when Malia brought up Lizzie. Most people did, but it still hurt to hear. He felt like no one in this town without her, and even though nobody meant that, the feeling was hard to shake.

“She’s not coming back,” he said with a shrug, trying to minimize what he felt. “What’s got you so tired? Working hard?” He would much rather talk about Malia’s life than his. 

malia noticed the way that his smile tightened. understood the feeling of loving someone that was gone. she missed henry, even though he didn’t go anywhere it sometimes felt like it. she rubbed her thumb with her other finger, her other hand still holding onto the cigarette watching the smoke slowly start to rise. she’s not coming back. she sighs. “maybe she will. find it hard to believe anyone would want to leave you behind without taking you with them.” it was probably one of the nicest things malia has said in a while. she meant it. 

The only thing that makes her smile stutter slightly is when Gabe mentions Archie, though it’s a bit of a relief to here that she’s delivering an order. “– Oh, Archie works here now?” She asks with a tilt of her head. That was good, at least; she knew Gabe had needed the extra hand and, even though she and Archie still didn’t get along very well, it was nice that he had someone to help around now. At his question, she shrugs, turning to glance at some of the flowers on display. “Um… I don’t know. I’m on my break too, so I thought I’d, uh, come look at some flowers.” She glances back at him, flashes another small smile. “Plus, it’s been a while since I visited.” There’s a tinge of guilt in her voice.

Jemma narrowly misses falling into the water as she stumbles off the boat once it knocks against the pier. She takes off running down the deck, only turning to give one final wave to Willy as he ties the boat against the pier. “See you tomorrow!” She yells before she’s skipping through the beach to her cabin, quickly switching clothes and leaving once again, this time into Pelican Town. Jem still smells faintly of salt and sea as she bundles into the Saloon, taking a moment to pet Scout before heading towards the bar. Though she means to greet Arden once she spots her, she becomes temporarily distracted by the new menus, catching the tail-end of Arden’s mumbled words. “Did you make these?” She asks as she grabs one, examining it, “They look so much better.”

( @jupiterdrcps​ ) Jemma has a tendency to let herself drown in adrenaline, especially when she’s down in the mines. When she’s surrounded by monsters and slashing away at them like some swash-buckling hero, or when she uncovers the ladder to the next level, or when she stumbles upon an especially rare gem– it’s easy for her to get carried away. It’s only when she’s halfway down the hill on her way back home, sword tucked away in its hilt and midnight descending on her, that the adrenaline rush finally wears off and she becomes acutely aware of a sharp pain in her bicep.

“Shit.” When she looks down at the source, the blood from the injury has already begun seeping through her shirt. She drops her backpack to the ground and takes out her first-aid kit, rummaging through it only to find out that she has barely any supplies left. She should have really restocked. Okay, okay, this is fine, this is fine! She surveys the wound. It’s nothing too serious, at least– it was probably one of those damn bats– but it’s probably not the best idea to just leave it as is. Picking her bag, she hurries her pace as she reaches the farms. She had heard that a nurse or something lived around here; they surely had to have some supplies, right? She picks the house that looks the… nurse-iest… and jogs up to the front door, lips pressed together to bite back the pain as she knocks.

malia was juggling too much. she was only one person but it seemed like it wasn’t enough. she was downstairs at her kitchen table with her laptop open and tablet right next to it trying to do two sets of patient reports since she didn’t have time to do them earlier. she has a cup of coffee in hand as she stares at the screen. it hurts her eyes. she was tired, and she was trying to keep herself awake so she could get it done while knowing that at some point tonight she had to sleep. she feels that if she can finish before at least two a.m then she’ll be fine. halfway into the paperwork she starts to feel fatigue in her neck, she gets up and stretches trying hard not to wake up finley upstairs, sometimes forgetting that she had to be considerate now. she had been alone in this house for far too long. 

Finley and Malia seemed to be riding similar wavelengths: both miserable for different reasons. They let out a sigh as they take a seat down next to her, slouching against the back of the bench and accepting the wine with a nod of thanks. A small snort at her words. “Horrible as ever, honey.” They answer back in the same tone, taking a swig of the wine. To be quite honest, it felt kind of nice to be staying with Malia during all of this. Though there was the whole situation with Jillian, and they still had fuck all clue what they were going to do about their house– and though they had no idea what had Malia down in the dumps… well, at least they could wallow in their pity together. They lean their head back, tilting it to glance at their temporary roommate, “What about you?”