#The Unfortunate Dew’s Farm

[circusballoons]

Picnicking with friends will never not be fun.

[blacklight-creature]

GHOULS ARE LOCAL CRYPTIDS

MOUNTAIN AS A STRANGE DEER CREATURE THAT PEOPLE HAVE SPOTTED IN THE WOODS

MULTIPLE BODIES BEING FOUND DRAINED OF BLOOD CAUSING THE NEAR BY TOWNS TO THINK THERES A VAMPIRE AND THAT VAMPIRE IS PHANTOM

RAIN CAPSIZING FISHING BOATS IN THE NEAR BY LAKES AND RIVERS

CIRRUS HAUNTING ROADWAYS AND KILLING ANYONE UNFORTUNATE ENOUGH TO BE THERE ALONE AT NIGHT

AURORA STEALING LIVESTOCK FROM FARMS LEAVING ONLY A TRAIL OF BLOOD AND CLAW MARKS INTO THE FOREST

DEW CHASING DOWN CARS IN THE DEAD OF NIGHT

SWISS SHAPE-SHIFTING INTO DIFFERENT PEOPLE JUST TO LURE SOMEONE TO THEIR UN TIMELY DEMISE

CUMULUS' SIREN CALL BEING THE LAST THING SO MANY PEOPLE HEARD IN THEIR LAST MOMENTS WHILE IN THE WOODS

GHOULS ARE CRYPTIDS

[pedroshotwifey]

To the Flame Chapter 1

Series masterlist

Pairing: Dark!Javier Peña x afab!reader

Word count: 2.5k

Chapter tags/warnings: not much yet, age gap, fluff, reader being horny (c'mon y'all it's me what do you expect), Javier being gorgeous, erotic novels honorable mention, mentions of cheating, stuff I'm probably forgetting

Chapter summary: You meet a beautiful stranger at the farmer's market. Is he what you need to get back on your feet?

A/N: Hey, y'all!! I'm so very excited about starting this series! I have so many plans, and I can't wait to share them with you! Please keep in mind that this story will get darker the more it progresses. Thank you for reading!

***

You’ve been back in your hometown for about three months now. Three miserable and exhausting months. 

You’ve been working on the family farm four days a week, ten hours a day, every week since you got back. You figure it wouldn’t be so bad if you got to have the other three days off, but no. Those days are spent at the local farmer’s market, sitting in a stiff plastic chair in the sticky Texan heat. 

It doesn’t even matter that you wear a tank top and shorts to the market, you feel like you’re going to melt every damn time you have to go. The same goes for working on the farm, only you’re less fortunate in that situation. You know it’s smarter to wear jeans out there, so most of the time you do.

You’re trying to be grateful to your parents, you really are. They just make it so damn hard sometimes. Sure, they gave you a job when you needed one, but they never stop talking about how they were right. And they were, as much as you didn’t want to admit it. 

Your mom and dad never approved of your boyfriend, and had told you as much. You chose to ignore that fact considering they said that about every boyfriend you ever had. How the hell were you supposed to know if they were actually concerned, or if they just didn’t want you to date?

They had warned you about him. Told you that he wasn’t genuine, that you need to be careful. They told you the same about your so-called “best friend”, who was the person you found your boyfriend balls deep inside of three months ago.

But, of course, despite their protest, you had moved out with him anyway. Spent your savings on renting an apartment that he put practically nothing into. In retrospect, you really should have known; there were so many signs. You were just too damn stubborn to see them. You never would have guessed that he would go as far as to cheat on you.

Your own poor choices are what ultimately landed you back here, getting out of your dad’s old truck to unload a creaky table to set up the stand at the farmer’s market. Again. You roll your eyes and pop your earbuds in, putting on your favorite playlist. 

You open the back of the truck and start to drag the plastic table out. It slides across the bed effortlessly thanks to the morning dew it’s been sitting out in. Unfortunately, that detail is another pain in the ass more than anything, because you end up getting half-soaked as you haul it into the giant tent that makes up the market.

You get it set up in an empty booth, smacking the rusted hinges to get it to stand without risk of collapse. After you lean on it to make sure it won’t fall, you return to the truck to start the endless trips of carrying produce to the stand. You usually make your younger sister help you with this part since she often tags along, but, being a senior in highschool, she couldn’t make it today. 

Once you have everything put together and displayed on various shelves, you take a seat in the foldable chair you had brought with you. You expect it will be a slow day, as Mondays usually are, so you brought a book to pass the time. 

You rarely sell anything on weekdays, you have no idea why your parents are so adamant about you coming all the way out here every monday since you got here. Maybe it’s just to get you out of the house—you wouldn’t put it past them.

You take one more look around the market to make sure there’s nobody approaching your stand before you open your book to the first page. It’s a newer, trashy romance. It’s a little embarrassing, sure, but you like what you like. 

Sometimes you swear your love life is awful or boring enough for you to actually wish to be in the place of the girls in your books. At least the fictional men seem genuine. Less likely to cheat on you with your best friend, you think bitterly. 

Less likely to manipulate into moving into an expensive apartment without helping, Less likely to treat you like shit. Plus, you probably wouldn’t mind the fact that they all seem to be absolute hunks and amazing in bed.

The sound of someone clearing their throat startles you from your spiraling thoughts, your cheeks reddening once you realize you have been staring blankly at the same page for a good few minutes. 

You have to steady yourself so you don’t drop your book on the dirt below you, which has you almost falling out of your chair in the process. 

You glance up at the stranger as you situate yourself, which doesn’t do much to help. The man is drop-dead fucking gorgeous. He’s staring down at you, clearly amused. His full lips are tugged up into a half-smirk. You think for a second that he looks familiar, but you would for sure remember seeing a man like this.

His hair is dark, a bit long and shaggy, but in the way that makes you want to run your fingers through it. He wears sunglasses, you notice with disappointment. You don’t know why you have such a strong urge to see what’s hidden under there. You’re guessing they’re brown. He seems to carry a kind aura, it’s a fitting idea that his eyes would be warm.

Even though you sense such a kindness emanating from him, there’s an annoying nagging from the back of your head that makes you uneasy. His stare is almost imposing, the way he carries himself adding so much to the effect. Your stomach bunches up in a frustrating way that signifies both anxiety and lust. You don’t really care much to figure out which is dominant at the moment. 

All you know is that you’re drawn to this man like a moth to a flame, and that after all you’ve been through, you deserve to admire him at the very least. It’s not often you come across such a good looking man. A fictional looking man. 

He cocks his head after you stare for what could probably be considered a second too long. Your face must be about the shade of a tomato at this point. The weight of an object in your hand quickly reminds you of the task at hand. 

This is a potential customer. You need to stop staring like a schoolgirl. Besides, he must be what… ten, fifteen years older than you? God, you can’t even tell. He looks mature, but somehow ageless at the same time. He has strong, masculine features, but a sort of boyish quality, too. If someone told you he was some kind of a god himself, you would have no trouble believing them.

“I-I’m so sorry, let me just put this down,” you say to the god, trying not to stumble over your own words after getting caught ogling. 

“No problem at all, sweetheart,” he says, clearly unbothered. Fuck, his voice. It’s deep and rich, and he has some sort of accent,  like he grew up speaking another language. Spanish? Probably spanish. Fuck, fuck, fuck. Down, girl.

You take a breath in through your nose, willing yourself to relax as you set your book down on the table in front of you. You resist the urge to shut your eyes out of embarrassment as he looks down at the erotic cover, and then back at you with an arched brow and an amused smile. You move quickly as you snatch the book back to flip it back-side-up.

“What can I get for you, sir?” you quietly attempt to move on from that interaction, trying to reign in some of your composure. He’s standing with one hand on his hip, which is jutted out just slightly. He licks his plush lips and stands up mostly straight before he speaks. He pulls a piece of paper out of his snug back pocket and starts to read off of it. 

Your face keeps a nice flush as he reads off of his list. Your core throbs every now and again as he talks, making it a bit hard for you to concentrate, but you’re pretty sure you got everything. 

You nod at him to let him know as much before you get up to collect everything. Who knows if your voice even works right now. You do your best to ignore the weight of his stare on your back as you move around.

“Haven’t seen you around before,” he says, obviously wanting to start a conversation. “You been here long?”

“No, not really,” you say, trying to level your voice as you place produce into bags. “Well, kind of. I grew up here but I moved away a few years ago. Only been back for a couple months now. I’m staying to help my parents for a bit before I can get back onto my feet,” you finish as you secure the last bag. 

You look up as you place the goods on the table, this time meeting the man’s uncovered eyes. Brown and expressive, just as you imagined. You smile absentmindedly, and he mirrors your action, making your stomach twist once again. What a fucking smile. 

“Well, welcome back, then,” he says. “I’m Javier. Prefer it if you would call me Javi, though.” 

“Javi it is,” you say, liking the feel of his name on your tongue. You tell him your name and he nods. 

“Pretty name for a pretty girl.” 

Fuck this man, he has to know what he’s doing. 

“Thank you,” you say, trying to control the pitch of your voice. 

He watches you as you place his bags on the table in front of you, now full of his requested items. As you catch his gaze, everything around you seems to fade to black. No sounds, no movement. All you can focus on is the sudden electric current that is born between the two of you. 

A nervous flutter starts in your stomach, but you just can’t bring yourself to look away, as if the attraction would be broken and gone forever if you did. The two of you hold eye contact for what could be a minute or ten before someone walks past your stand, drawing your attention back to reality.

You both let out a breath you’ve been holding, yours probably more shaky than his. You shake your head and start to add up his total after wiping your sweaty palms on your shorts. He stands back on his heels, his hands shoved into his pockets as he watches you work.

It only takes a moment. You tell him his total and he slides his wallet out, handing you the exact cash. You both thank each other at the same time, making you giggle. He smiles wider at the sound. 

“You’ve got a nice laugh, sweetheart,” he complements warmly. 

“Thank you. I made it myself,” you joke. Javi chuckles to himself, almost like he’s surprised to hear you make a joke. “Sorry,” you say, laughter in your own voice. “That was kind of lame.” 

“No, that was pretty clever, actually,” he says through his smile. 

You let yourself get one more good look as you reciprocate the gesture, fully expecting him to part ways. He doesn’t though, instead he asks you the one question you had hoped that nobody would ask you. 

“What brought you back here?” 

Your smile drops slightly and you consider lying to him, telling him that your parents wanted your help and that’s all. You know you can’t, though. There’s no point in trying to hide the truth. Nothing stays hidden in this small town. 

So you don’t. You sum up every stupid, unfair thing that made you return home. There’s a flash of sympathy in his gaze that makes you want to shut up, but some sick part of you craves that sympathy at the same time. 

It only takes you a couple minutes to have everything out, but he stays quiet and patient the entire time. Never interrupting you once and nodding along at all the right parts to let you know he’s listening. 

You haven’t felt this seen in a long time, It feels good. It makes you want to wrap yourself up in this total stranger’s arms and beg him to hold you. Fuck, now you’re picturing that. You need to not picture that. Luckily you don’t have much of a chance to, because he’s responding to you only a few seconds after you finish. 

“Well, that’s a damn shame. Fuckin’ boys don’t even know how to treat a sweet girl anymore.” Javi says, making you blush once again. 

The attention he gives you feels the same as jumping into a cool pool after being in the sun all day. It’s unbelievably refreshing to hear something like that instead of the usual scolding and ‘I told you so’s.  

He seems to put thought into what comes out of his mouth, and it genuinely makes you feel like he cares. Like he wants to make sure you hear what you deserve to hear.

“What makes you so sure I’m sweet?” you ask playfully, trying to change the topic to ignore the craving for more kind words. Might as well flirt a little while you’re at it, you figure. What can it hurt?

“Just a hunch,” he says, his tone the same as yours as his smile crinkled eyes bore into yours. You nod a little, your adoring smile never wavering.

 You both notice the small line of people beginning to form behind Javi at the same time. He almost looks disappointed at the sight, like he doesn’t want to leave just yet. 

“Just one second, honey,” he says, digging the scrap of paper from before out of his pocket again. Once he has that laid against the table in front of him, he supplies a pen from the front pocket of his shirt. He uses it to scribble something down onto the paper. 

You crane your neck slightly to try to catch a peak, but you can’t tell with how fast he’s writing. When he’s done, he folds it once, slides it your way, and gives a singular nod. 

“See you around, sweetheart,” he says as he starts to leave. 

“Yeah. See you,” you mumble under your breath as you watch him stride away, bags of produce in hand.

A woman walks up to the table, and you quickly turn to her. 

“So sorry about that. How can I help you?” you ask quickly, eyeing the paper Javi left behind.

It only takes you a little while to get everyone who was in line checked out, but it feels like it could have been hours. As soon as the last customer starts to walk away, your hands are on the note, shakily unfolding it to reveal Javi’s (suitably) scratchy handwriting. 

You see what you can only assume to be his phone number, and above it, there’s a note. 

“I would love to see you again, sweet girl. Give me a call?” 

Your heart flutters as you bite your lip and read the note over again. There’s no way you’re not taking up that offer. 

***

Thank you so much for reading!! I would absolutely love any kind of feedback so I know where everyone's at on this!! I have a tag list open for this series if anybody would like to join <3

Series taglist: @corazondebeskar @yorksgirl @nerdieforpedro @axshadows @survivingandenduring @kewwrites (pls lmk if these tags worked!)

[ashtinshade]

The Hat Mouse's Shop In Stardew Valley (Minecraft)

Unfortunately it is an old roof so it has a hole. :( Good thing They have a nice cozy fire to keep them warm on those rainy nights!

I'm also working on the farm if you want to check that out!

[bunnystardew]

Mods List

This post will be updated regularly as of when I download new mods. Apologies if I haven't linked directly. ^^" I struggle to find Naver mods in particular after downloading them, so I will go by the folder name for those I can't locate.

🫧 Farmhouse Interior & Exterior

(DGA) HxW Bathroom Furniture Yomi's Romantic Tricolor Flower Furniture Nano's Retro Style Furniture Aimon's Fancy Farmhouse Elliott House Reimagined Sabrine's Cottage Opulence Lively Table Decor Seasonal Garden Farmhouse V2 Delloti Farmhouse

🎀Buildings & Farm

Yri's Project Yellog - Modular Town Overhaul Daphne's buildable ice cream truck Rosy Picket Fences Seasonal Japanese Buildings Hudson Valley Buildings Nyang Cat Scarecrows HxW Romantic Fountains and Arches Somnium Buildings - distribution ended :< Raised Garden Beds - kinda glitchy but cute. Tenthousandcats' Firefly Lamps Pink & Blue Floral Town Buildings - unfamiliar again with the official name, I apologise. Unfortunately the creator is inactive? Naver mod. Tanga cream rose buildings. Tent recolours - naver png. Delloti Greenhouse Pink and White Craftables - png to merge Ogood's Farm Buildings - naver Hanuel's Farm Buildings - naver Hanuel's Craftables - naver

🫧 Pets & Farm Animals

Cutie KItty Cats - Alternative textures Seasonal Pet Houses Hanuel's Pet House Pink pet bowl - naver png

🎀 Farmer

Do Eun's female body - naver mod. GH's Peach Body type - naver. Luoli clothes are converted to FS mod Lu Zheng's animal backpacks FS-Chinese style hairstyles

🫧 Maps

Yri's Romantic Farm - This has a unique farm house Waterfall Forest Farms Lotus Flower Farm 2 - A naver mod PinkStations Cloud Heart Farm Map Secret Forest Farm - naver mod Green Hills Farm. Forest Garden Farm - naver Dew Forest Farm - naver Nemo Farm Big - naver

🎀 NPCS

Rin's portrait mod - Bachelors

🫧 Foliage

Yri's Modular Tree Overhaul with Alternative Texture Option Yri's Project Yellog - Town Overhaul (Alpha) - I use only for the grass, paths, sand etc. OnOff Pastel Town - naver mod. I am unfamiliar with the translated name TT I'm sorry. I use only the bushes and flowers from here, but it has buildings and a recolour too. Magica Trees Whale Tree - naver. Pink Grass Retexture - naver png

🎀 Other Mods

Better Water 2 Natural Color - ReShade Cuter Mines Overgrown Flowery Interface Starry Sky Interface The Love of Cooking Prince's Background Colors for Farmer Portraits Stardew Valley Expanded Yri's Retro Recolor - you can locate the foliage mods via this creator! Giftbox Cat. Bunny travelling cart - naver png Snowpondu Object Retexture - png to merge Pink Butterfly Hutch - png to merge

[genderlessghoul]

Inspired by the recent puppy post from Motley Zoo and my undying love for animals, here's what I think each of the ghouls/ghoulettes would keep as a pet :

Phantom : He saw someone walking their dog his first week topside and made it his life mission to get one. After a lot of research and internal debate, he ended up adopting a pitbull/labrador mix from a local shelter. Her name is Petunia and she's the definition of sweet baby angel.

Mountain : He decided to fully commit to the farm boy aesthetic and he got himself some quails. They have their own coop and fenced little garden. They used to be have free range on the entire gardens but they'd always end up eating his vegetables. They look like tiny little chicks when he's holding them. He lets the other ghouls choose their name which unfortunately got him stuck with one called Cum. His favourite was affectionately named Nugget by Swiss.

Aether : Bunny. Tiny little miniature one too, all white except for a small black spot on its nose. It's free to roam around his room and Aether learned the hard way to hide any and all loose cables (more than once). He named it Dust. Because Dust Bunny. He swears it's funny.

Rain : AXOLOTL. She's albino and he named her Rose because of her pink little frill gills. He can understand her somehow, some weird water creature thing. She has a very simple brain tho and mostly screams at him for food. Dew and Swiss love to draw mustaches and hats on her tank with markers.

Dew : He has a black cat named Purrcifer. The cute little thing just started following him one day and Dew can't seem to get rid of him (not that he tried too hard). He says it's the Ministry's cat cuz he spends all day roaming around the ground and hunting mice, but the cat definitely sleeps in his bed every night.

Swiss : He swore he'd never get a pet, he's too unfocused to remember to take care of one properly. Until he accompanied Rain on a trip to the pet store and spotted a ball python. Love at first sight, just look at that puppy face. He spent weeks doing research and was pleased to learn that they only eat like once a week? Maybe every two weeks? That's perfect. He got a huuuge female and named her Fluffy. Fluffy is his pride and joy.

Aurora : Ferret. She wanted a cat at first but she discovered that they came in noodle format and was like !!!YES!!! She taught him fetch. They play with paper balls. He's stolen other ghouls' snacks on multiple occasions.

Sunshine : She really wanted a chameleon but she saw how high maintenance the suckers are and settled for a crested gecko. It doesn't officially have a name because it wouldn't recognize it anyway. Definition of no thought, head empty. Most times, she calls it NO STOP DON'T JUMP THERE. She loves it so fuckin much.

Cumulus : She has the cutest blue budgie. She taught it so many tunes that they sing together all day long. It loves nothing more than to hang on her shoulder all day and watch her do her tasks. One of its many favourite sounds to imitate is the ringtone of whoever's in the room with them. No one knows how it learned to differentiate them all.

Cirrus : She set up a pretty little saltwater tank in her room. It's home to two clownfish and their anemone. They're called Led Zeppelin and Metallica, no she will not take criticism on the name. The tank is very beautifully decorated and everyone keeps bugging her to put up a big one in the common room, which she always refuses cuz she doesn't trust any of them with salt water.

[westlinstar]

I have just caught the tail end of Meet Joe Black after exhaustedly throwing myself at the couch with a cup of tea - didn’t spill any, go me! I couldn’t quite remember the ending of the film, in fact I couldn’t remember much other than Joe was Death, come to spirit a multi millionaire business man away to what ever lies beyond the veil - but accidentally falling in love with his daughter in the process. Oops! There’s conflict right there! 🙄

The music, and a suave Brad Pitt in a well fitting suit, lured me in, and before I knew it I was all invested in Bill - said multi millionaire - surviving his date with doom by some magical twist of fate. Sadly this was not to be, and, at the end, I watched him climb the stairs at his very own 65th birthday party and disappear into some ethereal and well lit mist. Should’ve been cheesy but there was a degree of poignancy to it. Death (Joe) had spent time with this family, come to respect the man he was there to take, fallen in love, learned what it was to be human….and, when it was time, death came gentler because of it.

Now here is the bit where you’ll have to bear with me coz there’s some obscure joined up thinking about to happen.

A long time ago in a previous life, I would cycle to work from my remote farm cottage on some very hilly and bendy back lanes. I loved it….revelled in the quietness and beauty of those early morning hours, just me, the tarmac and nature abounding. One morning however, as I swept round a corner to dive straight into a long, steep dip, I came across a deer at the side of the road that had been hit by a car. It couldn’t stand, despite trying desperately, and was very distressed. My compassion flew into action, as it would for most folk, and I slowed my bike down a safe distance away to see what could be done. Who to call to help? Who would be awake? It was still really, really early! Eventually I tried the RSPCA thinking that they would come, wrap the deer up, and take it away to mend its broken bits, but unfortunately they were too far away and couldn’t help. They did however, give me the number for a local vets, who I eventually got hold of and was told that someone was on their way - whoop whoop!

During this time I’d edged closer to the deer and had plonked myself down on the grass verge a short distance away. With nothing better to do than wait for the vet, and needing to fill my own anxious void with sound, I began to talk to the deer. Soothing words of little importance - kind words, sweet words, reassuring words. The deer had settled by now, maybe accepting at last that it couldn’t run, and it sat quietly in the morning dew and sunshine. It was very tranquil, and although there was pain and trauma, there was also a gentle peace to it all. A small connection was made in ways I still don’t quite understand - a strange intimacy built through a myriad of tiny details. It felt right and it felt safe, and all was well.

I would love to be able to say, with all my heart, that there was a happy outcome to this story when the vet arrived, but sadly there was not. Sometimes a life cannot be saved , no matter how much we will it….just as in Meet Joe Black.

My relationship with the concept of death is a complex one, but I’m beginning to wonder if we are all not a bit like Joe Black….if, like him, we are occasionally given cause to wear the mantle of Death and sit gently with others, wether it be man or beast, while they prepare themselves to take their final journey. And if so, I hope it will always be met with the compassion, love and respect that this film portrayed.

Be kind - always 🫶

[tobiasdrake]

Okay, this is nuts but I'm all in. What's the recipe?

Hold up, what about the Hydralion? That's a sea monster that's alive and well. I know because it flamethrowered me in the face several times like an asshole. I would be 100% onboard with hunting it down and killing it, and this way, it wouldn't even be out of spite!

...of course, seahorses don't have scales; They have an exoskeleton made of bony plates, which is similar but not the same thing. But we can burn that bridge when we get to it. The important thing is that it would allegedly be part of our Borrowed Time tasks and therefore we can bring Garl with us.

So that's Water. Fire ingredient is....

That sounds like a challenge to me.

No, for real, you can't say shit like that and then not expect me to want to go fight it. I've been challenged now. I want, no, need to kill the lava monster.

Earth component:

Malkomud, obviously. Unfortunately, the molekin inexplicably decided to stop studying earth magic because they like using pickaxes instead. I still can't figure that one out. Fortunately, neurodivergent kids with hyperfixations are nature's remedy for the proliferation of ignorance.

We'll have to be sure to tell cartographers that. I'm all for it, but the word needs to be spread. Things get names just by being called that and having people tell each other that it's called that until it enters common vernacular.

We can start with Mirth and spread it from there.

Alright, last ingredient: Wind.

Shit. Once again, I feel like I know that name. Zephyr? Zephyr.... Like the Watchmaker, I think it's come up in passing before but never been dwelt on.

Because we're making a volcano-sized dish, obviously. Have you ever met the Sleeper? That thing's continentally huge. It makes y'all look shrimpy by comparison.

All snakes are carnivores, Garl. But I'll agree to pretend otherwise if you'll agree to pretend that seahorses have scales. This is a good plan.

Damn right, you don't. It might seem simple but this is the Most Blessed Mortal so you fucking watch your tone. If anyone can cook conflict-ending volcano bread, it's this man.

Ooh, new doodad. Guessing that opens the locked door east of town.

Have you not been paying attention? Garl has a Charisma score of 25. That's 5 points higher than you're allowed to put it, but he has one because he's just that awesome. This has been proven time and again.

Fate demanded that Garl must perish because if he lived to cross the Sea of Stars with us, he would be able to persuade the Fleshmancer into ending the war and retiring peacefully over the span of a ten-minute conversation. Probably in Mirth!

...what do you mean, you don't have a lot of time? I was of the understanding that you had "However long it takes to complete the task provided you don't stray from it" length of time.

I hate this. I hate that we're splitting up. I don't want us to split up. This is the opposite of what I said we should do last night. But I also said you're in charge so... FUCK. >.< Why do you tear my heart to pieces like this, Garl?

Zale's responsible for bottling Zephyr... whatever that means. I'm sure I know but I can't recall.

Absolutely. I called dibs. Council doesn't think we, as a group, can handle the lava monster? Joke's on them; I'm about to solo that thing with my raw, unbridled lunar might.

I also wanted to slay the Hydralion out of spite but honestly I'm satisfied as long as the fucker gets what's coming to him.

Why do you tear my heart to pieces like this, Garl?

Roping the villagers into it too. I like that plan. I was wondering how we were going to grow enough crops for an entire volcano oven. Magic dew is a solution for the time but the quantity was still asking a lot of a handful of people who've never farmed before.

Well. Boss man's given us our marching orders. Let's head out. This will definitely be one for Teaks's journal.

[emeraldhazeart]

Bokumono Casual Prompt Event March 2023

Prompt: “Sunrise” by @love-bokumono-fics

The moment I saw this prompt, I thought of this scene that I cut from Wildflower.

It happens immediately after Claire’s nightmare in Chapter 7. I loved how it turned out, but it didn’t fit the flow of the story, so it unfortunately got cut.

But now I can bring it back as a fluffy one-shot for this prompt :)

  When morning finally came, Claire felt groggy and sore. A headache thumped behind her temples, and her throat felt like sandpaper. Despite how tired she was, she hadn’t been able to get back to sleep last night. Experience told her it was futile to try, so instead she’d wrapped herself in a blanket and sat in front of the tv for the remainder of the night, watching a marathon of Life on the Farm. The soft noise and white light helped numb her fractious mind.

  At around 5am Claire flicked off the television, stretched her aching limbs and ventured outside to freshen up in the cool river. A pale, watery sun was just starting to peek over the horizon to the east. The inky-blue sky was gradually fading to a soft pink, bathing the earth in a gentle spring dawn.

  Out towards the sunrise, the Poultry Farm and Yodel Ranch stood like the frontlines of an army, facing down the approaching daylight. The buildings cast long, defensive shadows in the direction of her meagre farm, but their forces were no match for the rising dawn. Already, daybreak was overpowering the dark, creeping forward to push back the night, bit by bit, until it was forced to retreat like a wounded foe.

  As the light touched down on the dew-filled grass, sparkles glittered across the water droplets scattered across the ground. It was as though the Harvest Goddess herself had sprinkled magic over the surface of the earth. Across at the neighbouring property, a rooster warmed up his vocal cords with the first crow of the new day. Morning had officially begun.

  The world was a completely different place in daylight. Where danger and malevolence lurked in the darkness, now there was hope and reassurance. The sunrise felt like the smile of a kindly parent, gentle and loving and full of promises of a better day ahead.

   For the first time in far too long, Claire just stood and watched the sunrise, giving herself permission to just exist.

[coyote-catcher]

🛩🛋🦋🏆📚🌪 )HOPE ITS NOT TOO MANY SDKLGDS)

LOL no worries!!! this ended up being a bit long so answers r under the cut >:3

🛩 [PLANE] -> Was your Original Character born on Jorvik or did they come here from somewhere else? If so, what was their reason to come to Jorvik?

nova (like me) is from canada! she actually came to jorvik at age 11 when she was scouted by the jorvik ballet company, and became interested in horseback riding when her ballet master took her and her fellow students to see the circus - she was enamoured by vaulting!

🛋 [COUCH W/ LAMP] -> Where does your Original Character live? As in, where do they reside - one of the many stables across the Jorvegian Peninsula, or do they own an apartment/home within one of Jorvik's Cities?

technically nova lives with mrs holdsworth (who is essentially her adoptive mother), and that's the address where she like. gets all her mail lol. holdsworth is also more or less the only person who is relatively up to date on nova's whereabouts at any given point (eg. she was the only one who knew where she was during nova's stint in the wildwoods). in practice, nova's a nomad, and can't handle staying in one place for too long. currently she's stabling her herd in valedale, in exchange for them being used in druid activities (this is really reluctant, but when you're low on funds, you havent got many options lol). oh, there was also a period of about a year during which she lived in the little shack at the unfortunate dews' farm! this was way before maya staked claim to the property, and they never ran into each other while maya was caring for the livestock there, but i like to think that, since they're friends, maya lets her crash there every once in awhile

🦋 [BUTTERFLY] -> Does your Original Character belong to any of the organisations or groups on Jorvik - Dark Core, the Keepers, the Rangers, the GED, one of the Stables, etc.?

there was a period of time (roughly three months) during which nova was employed by the rangers at redwood point. she's affiliated with the keepers, but isn't exactly happy about it. she's really close with the moorlands, and worked at their summer camp for a couple terms. she's also a guest instructor with the bobcats!

(i've already answered the trophy one so i'm gonna skip it to avoid being redundant)

📚 [BOOK STACK] -> What is your Original Character's story? Not just in SSO's canon main story - what is your Character's deal in general?

this is a wonderful question that i would love to answer in great detail, but i honestly dont think i can! i would say it needs its own post, but i think nova's life story is one that will be revealed (to everyone, including me) over time, through answering small questions, creating art, and making tweaks over time in compliance with (or defiance against) the existing canon of SSO (which is an ever shifting beast, but i genuinely enjoy the challenge!) essentially, i'd say that nova came to the island as a kid, experienced a falling out with her family, and never went back. there was a period of a few years (2016-2023, aka when i stopped playing the game and got the sudden inexplicable urge to come back) during which she travelled the world at large, but never went back to canada. at that time, she split her herd between the moorlands and herman to employ as lesson horses. it's been a labour of love for her to restore her bond with each of them as individuals. i havent figured out her in-canon reason for coming back to the island yet unfortunately! she also had a "love interest" (comp het) several years ago who experienced a tragic demise, and is the reason she left the island to begin with

🌪 [TORNADO] -> Does your Original Character have any traumas or fears that stem from something that happened to them on Jorvik? Have they been confronted with something that left them scarred (mentally or physically)?

yes! yes. the aforementioned "love interest" is absolutely one. she broke her foot at the moorland's summer camp which meant that she couldnt dance anymore, and also spurred her falling out with her parents. nova also has lingering issues with her eyesight in her left eye, following an accident involving a cross country course and a thorn bush (which is based on an injury from my irl cross country days lol)

thank you for the questions!!!! i love talking about my fucked up baby girl

[damistrolls]

that’s so cool!! so you like, help establish farming and agriculture practices on new colonies?

"Sort of, yeah. That's the simple version. But there's more to it than just setting up normal agricultural practices.

We can't always account for what a planet's ecosystem will be like, and what can and can't grow on there, if anything. And even if we haul tons of Alternian soil, fancy equipment, and more seeds than you've ever seen in your life to a planet, you can't always guarantee that you'll be able to grow even he heartiest of plants, nor can you guarantee that you'll grow anything in a timely manner. Not to mention, that's a LOT of crap to be lugging across starspace.

My Life Dew can grow things in essentially a vacuum. It can grow plants without sunlight, soil, or water, and it's a pretty damn small and relatively portable substance, and makes plants grow more rapidly than the traditional method.

Unfortunately, it cannot completely protect a plant from the elements, as extreme temperatures will obviously eradicate most organisms, but we're working on that part. We're also working on... the edibility aspect of it, since that's the entire point."

[jorvikzelda]

I hate being a When The Earth Stands Still enjoyer because there's ONE recording of it I like and it's on Spotify, which means that if I want to put it in the same playlist as the Unfortunate Dews' Farm and Doyle's Abbey themes, only available on YouTube, I can't. And that is in fact a thing I would like to do >:(

[bear-cubs-art-things]

OKI OKI YOUNG ZECHARIAH AU FANFIC GOO-

part 1 yeeeee!!!

★~🐸~★

It was a beautiful morning in Wartwood. The sun glowed warmly in the pale blue sky, clouds of shimmery white glided along wind currents seemingly so calm. The soil smelled of dew and previous rainfall, plants along every water-body edge they could find. Or really any patch of dirt. Along with the earthy warm smell of dirt, wildflowers and bakery goods filled the air. It truly smelled like home.

His home. Zechariah Nettles.

Zechariah Phineas Nettles. 11 years old. 5 feet 4 inches. Lives with his grandmother Gretchen Basil Nettles and mother Juniper Autumn Yggdrasil. Has no siblings. Loves to read, listen to music, on occasion draw on scraplets of paper. Does chores more frequently than he thinks necessary. Works on his household farm (who didn't have a farm in Wartwood?). Green-grey with dark brown eyes, with a pale blue tongue. Kind and often shy, doesn't talk much.

You get the idea.

Often Zechariah would sit on the garden wall, looking off into the vague and unknown distance. Staring at the summer clouds, lost in daydream thought. He was a nice kid, they said. Soft spoken and well mannered.

And, some might say, a perfect target.

Wartwood, though a kind small town a ways from the capital, had its fair share of pricks and assholes. Unfortunately, older teens had it good with picking on poor 'Riah. Everyday it was the same.

"Staring off at the stars, huh, dreamerboy?"

"He doesn't have any friends, so he talks to the plants!"

"More working less dreaming farmerboy!!"

"I bet his mom hates him so he has to do all the farmwork."

"What's so interesting about the damn sky, huh?!"

"I bet his thoughts are his only company, and that isn't much company is it now?"

And everyday, Zechariah continues on. So deep in thought their sneers fly right between his ears (whatever passes as his ears). But even now and then, it gets bad.

Really bad.

Zechariah was just walking home from the market one day; a bag of assorted groceries for his grandma in one arm, a loaf of bread in the other. He was just a kid running another errand, minding his own business. Three big kids walked up to him.

"Whatcha got there?" asked the biggest one. A newt of dark fuchsia and slit eyes. At least that's what they looked like.

"Hm?" Zechariah responded softly, quietly, being brought back to reality from his daydream.

"I said," the fuchsia newt raised his voice, "whatcha got there."

"Groceries," once again Zechariah responded softly. Light words in the wind. Faint.

"What kind of groceries?" another sneered. A blue frog, high-pitched voice, short and stocky. Wore a newsboys cap. Kinda silly looking.

"Dunno" 'Riah shrugged. "Gramma gave me a list."

"Y'know young tadpoles like you shouldn't really wander alone without an adult," the newt chimed back in. "It can be dangerous."

"How so?"

"You never know," the newt swaggered closer to Zechariah, malice glittering in his eyes, "who might want to hurt you."

Almost as if it were rehearsed, the third one - a big burly red toad with no neck and a wide build - slugged a punch at Zechariah. Sent him straight to the mud.

And his groceries, which he was more upset about than his own physical wellbeing.

The frog joined in, kicking at Zechariah's face. The toad was still throwing punches, but at his sides. The newt stood there, arms folded, smiling and watching.

Zechariah merely trying to cover his head with his sticks-for-arms. Which, must be mentioned, was another part of him that Amphibians made fun of him of.

And when they were done with him, after Zechariah was beaten to a froggy pulp, the newt finally bent down to talk to him.

"Listen closely, little runt," he hissed.

Zechariah uncovered his eyes, looked up to meet the newt's.

Glittering with malice. Hatred. The need to hurt.

"You aren't welcomed here. This is OUR territory."

"Hnnnggh-"

The newt snapped (in a sense) and threw Zechariah up by the collar, so that he was dangling a good 6 inches off the ground. Battered and bruised, lips swollen and bleeding. He looked terrible, awfully terrible. He shouldn't even be in this situation right now... how have things escalated so quickly?

"If I see your dingy ass walking these streets again I WILL kill you." the newt hissed, foaming at the mouth. Insane. Bloodthirsty.

"Hnnngggghh" was the only thing to escape Zechariah's numb face.

The newt then delivered the final blow.

A merciless throwdown into the mud. Face first, if you will. And he laughed. So did the other two.

And they walked away, still laughing.

Zechariah, unable to feel much through the pain coursing through his veins and muscles, laid there in the mud. Groceries spoiled, his Gramma's copper wasted, his body battered in a lifeless heap.

He sighed. Didn't cry. Sighed.

He wasn't much of a crier. And for his age, he should've been crying at that first punch.

He just laid there. Still and breathing. Coping with the immense pain those teens had inflicted on him.

"They're jerks, huh?" an unfamiliar voice spoke.

"Mm hm..." was his muffled reply, quiet.

"I'm sorry they did that to you," the voice said again. "Really."

Zechariah felt his body being turned on his side and brought up to a sitting-up position. It wasn't hard because he was so light and thin.

What he was faced with was a royal purple newt with chin-length black hair curly at the ends, with a apologetic grin on his face. His eyes will filled with innocent brightness, hiding the apparent knowledge that he knew something about those teens that beat up Zechariah.

"My brother can be a pain sometimes, and I always have to clean his mess," he sighed. Sat in front of 'Riah. "I'm truly sorry he did this to you. Wrong place wrong time I guess."

"Mm hm..."

Purple Newt stuck out his hand. "I'm Brocky by the way. Brocky Fronds. That pink newt was my older bro Rasphy. He's always been a no-good."

"Hmm..."

Brocky glanced a long glance in the direction where Rasphy last went. He snapped his head back to Zechariah.

"So anyways, moving on from that, what's your name?"

"Hmh?"

"I introduced myself, and you have yet to do the same," Brocky pointed out. "In case you didn't hear me the first time, I said my name was Brocky."

"I heard that-" Zechariah replied.

"Woah he does speak!" Brocky snarked almost immediately, sarcastically. Zechariah chuckled a bit.

Zechariah stuck his hand out to meet Brocky's, and shook it. "I'm Zechariah Nettles."

" 'The Skinny-Legged Frog' they call you," Brocky jerked his head in Rasphy's direction. "My bro and his friends, I mean."

"They call me lots of things," Zechariah shrugged. "I never paid any attention to that much."

"Well, I know what I'm gonna call you, if you're alright with it," Brocky declared, standing up.

"What?" Zechariah looked up at him, bracing for whatever horrible nickname Brocky was going to give him. Not like he cared much.

Instead, Brocky gave him a goofy grin, ear-to-ear (whatever passed as ears) all-tooth smile, and offered his hand to help Zechariah up.

"My friend."

[myssojourney]

The Marwari ~

[sso-emotree]

me: oh look at all the character info!

me: ooo they have maya what does it say???

“Family Status: Unfortunate”

...

*inhale*

sso i swear to god

[noheadthoughtsemptyig]

Genuinely curious as to why sso has left so many interesting things/characters/areas untouched when making side quests. There are so many unfinished things around Jorvik. For example:

(Update as of December of 2023: I'll happily be crossing off some suggestions that were utilised in-game recently!)

-New Hillcrest girl that’s burying(?) something in her backyard but when you approach her she abruptly stands up like she’s hiding something. Well? Is she?

-Area near Dundull that you could unlock by reputation crunching. What did we even unlock it for? Just the star that was in it?

-More Redwood point/Wildwoods

-The Kallter

-Literally anyplace you can go using the bus has so many sketchy characters/secrets that are just sitting there.

-The mall needs an update. Also bring Raptor back.

-Fort Maria (imma just say I manifested this one when originally making this post)

-Ashland

-CHILL and ther fight against the G. E. D. ?

-Maybe time to utilize Jon Jarl’s ghost thingy in that cave near Fort Pinta? (Update: Called it!)

-The winter village was so lively because they added npcs and sounds. Maybe time to do that to other areas?

-The Rescue Ranch (also use the updated foal models)

-Thalia’s theatre

-What even is Bear Point exactly?

-Is that all for Mirror Marshes?

-What (and where) exactly is Everdale? Sonja mentioned it and its medieval festival once but we don’t know anything about it

-There’s a lot of areas on the map that are marked “undiscovered” yet we have either been there already (Prison Island-Pandoria) or have no idea how to get there/need bugs that have been patched in order to get there (Ancient grotto, area near Icengate, Bread island)

-We need more ferries and bridges and maybe the could make us work for them like the quest with the bridge from Nilmer’s Highland to Wolf Hall Inn, and the bridge from New Hillcrest to South Hoof

-Utilizing places like Pier 13, Jorvik City and Aideen’s Plaza. They were some of the first to get better looking appearances and they deserve better treatment imo

-NorthLink

-They literally just abandoned Maya and Eli at unfortunate Dew’s farm and called it a day huh?

-I feel like there’s still something that can be added to Golden Hills Valley (Especially Goldenleaf forest)

-This is not much of a "left to waste" thing, more of a "needs to be fixed" thing, but can they please remove Lisa's old picture of when she's trapped in Pandoria and everything old in quests -especially main story ones- that confuses new players? And I don't mean minor stuff like someone mentioning Horse Island. I'm talking Maya still being called May in certain quest dialogues and quest givers telling you to go places that don't exist anymore or describing locations that are heavilly altered.

And the list goes on. Feel free to add more because I’m genuinely curious about other stuff I left out/forgot about