#fieldsofstardew

Keep running! Don't stop!

They had found her.

Lungs burned for air, legs were beginning to give out, sweat dripped the side of her face. Even so, she didn't look back. If she did, she'd slow down and the three men in black robes would catch her and then

No!

She shook her head, banishing the image of what would come next away.

The gods must have seen her plight, or heard her desperate, wheezing prayers. The road had been empty for a while now, nary a soul heading to the town just a few miles away. Yet, just ahead within reach, she spotted what seemed to be either a carriage or cart. Someone must be nearby.

Help.

She caught a glimpse of whom she presumed was the owner of the cart and with whatever air she had left in her lungs, she called out loudly as she got closer.

"E-Excuse me...! Sir!"

Her heeled boots skid to a halt, almost losing traction, but she caught herself before falling. Panting heavily, wheezing, she looked up at the merchant with a panicked, pleading look in her dual-coloured irises.

"P-Please... let me hide in your cart!"

She whipped her head in the direction from which she came, from the woods. They hadn't caught up to her. Yet.

A soft voice was singing as it moved down the pathway from the woman's farm towards them, holding some flowers in her arms, her pigtails swayed with her movements as the newest farmer, Usagi Tsukino, made her way into town. It was a beautiful spring day, and the blossoms were in bloom, stopping in her tracks she looked up in awe. Suddenly, a hard wall hit her causing her to stumble then fall on her butt, a soft groan escaping her lips, flowers falling around her. ' H-hey! that hurt, watch where you are going! '

upon spotting eiland that evening, after the sleeping dragon inn had closed and the town had settled, the small black cat purractically galloped to his side. as soon as he was within his personal bubble, kou leaned his little body heavily against the man's pantleg and let out a long "meeeoow!". he excitedly walked in between eiland's legs, heedless of how he was trying to walk, and could think of nothing else but a nice late night treat. after all, earlier that day kou had seen eiland purchasing salmon from balor's cart..! even earlier still, when eiland had told him about his furry friend, kou had strongly recommended giving the fluffy critter a delicious heaping of freshly cut salmon..!

The bus to Pelican Bay wasn't unpleasant, per say, but Sutton was extremely glad to arrive and stretch his legs. The air had been a bit stuffy inside the bus and Sutton had been alone by the time they had driven so far out of the big cities, giving a sort of liminal vibe. But once he stepped out into the sunshine and lush green environment of his destination he wondered if he might be able to stay a couple days. He never took vacations, how could he! Work was always piling up, death never took a break. But if his replacement back home could hold down the fort just for a few days, then maybe some sea air would do him some good.

Following the path before him, Sutton ran the message he had been given over and over in his head, not wanting to forget a single word of it. Things like that were vital, and he took his calling very seriously. He wouldn't want to mess things up, or make it worse for those who were grieving.

It wasn't long before Sutton found what seemed to be the town square, and a few people were milling about. They were kind enough to direct him to the Log Cabin Hotel, where Sutton checked in and was able to get a room and deposit his bags before doing his utmost best to discreetly ask after a boy named Alex. That was who he had come all that way to see, after all, and it wasn't like he could simply go up to every young man and ask if their name was Alex. But after assuring that he was a family friend he was pointed in the right direction.

He did wonder, as he walked through the rural town, if he should have toned down a bit. His black and burgundy brocade three piece suit with golden jewelry certainly stood out among the locals, but it was too late now so he held his head high and knocked on what he hoped was the right door.

Hope could not help but let out a small sigh of relief upon getting confirmation that the muesum was accepting volunteers. Given the size of the town he had not been sure whether there would be enough work for any help to be needed.

It would be good to have something to do with his time. Although the peace and quiet of the countryside was the whole reason he had come to this town, Hope had to admit he was growing restless without a purpose.

He never had been one to stay still for long, he got far to bored without some kind of puzzle or project to occupy his mind.

"This expansion work you mentioned, what exactly does it consist of?" He asked, as he peered at the list of wanted donations.

Although some were things which he had no real experience in gathering, looking for artifacts was something he had done in the past. Still, there was no guarantee he would find anything even if he searched, so it would be nice to have something a little more tangible to work on while he kept an eye out.

          for a brief moment, the chorus of frogs croaking spills into the museum when she opens the door, only to suddenly be cut off as the door closes behind her. she removes her gloves first and pockets them. the cool air is welcome against her calloused, rough fingers -- worn from her endeavors.

          " i figured you would be elsewhere by now. it's starting to get late, isn't it ? "           she doesn't look directly to eiland. the flash of color in her peripheral had been enough to let her know he was here. it was only a quarter past seven, but the museum felt rather empty .. quiet. not that it was normally anything else, but .. well, there wasn't much to tend to on days like this. " i regret to inform you that my ventures into the mine didn't bear much fruit. "

          she settles onto one of the benches near the entrance, body resting for just a moment as her head leans back against the wall and she closes her eyes. just a moment of respite is better than none. " are you going to be heading to the inn tonight ? " it was, after all, friday night.

he looked every bit the image of a miserable, sopping wet cat. his feet plopped noisily into the cabin, sand and water clinging to his soles and sprinkled over his bare calves. his usual bright green hair seemed to take on a sad shade and the cat ear "headband" he wore lay flat against his head. kou's face was hardly any better of a sight; he looked fit to sob any moment. oh, savior elliot! how cruel fate had been to poor little kou!!

he dropped his bucket near the door, no longer caring for the treasures within, and tried (rather fruitlessly) to wipe the rain that clung to his sad face away with equally wet hands and arms. when that only seemed to smear the water around, he gave up and stared woefully at the writer.

sebastian ꒰ @fieldsofstardew ꒱ sent : ⤷ You can cum. if you let me cum in you first.

Sam was cooked. He was absolutely, 1000% cooked and dead and not even on this planet anymore, he was so sure of that. It started the way anything with them did recently. Hanging out, just existing together, not a care in the world. Maybe a drink or two snuck in because it was always nice to just relax. They both had shit going on, both had family issues they wanted to forget, ignore, pretend didn't exist. Maybe that's what found them always. . . here. Like this. Shy, at first. Hesitant in some instances, but every time they fell into one another it got less and less strange and more natural. This, however. . . this was definitely beyond a few messy make-out sessions. And Sam realized he didn't really mind it one bit.