#story of seasons daryl

[oneshortlady]

I was trying to get some cute pics with daryl and i

I love him!!!!

also I'm fucking CRYING

[kinokoshoujoart]

*sees rock in a skirt* oh beautiful, lovely 10/10.....now put daryl in a cat ears and a maid dress/j

you can’t just say that sentence and expect me not to do it. /j or not i can’t be stopped

very safe and legal experiment (gone wrong)

[awlfan]

More Daryl!

[freshrosetea]

Story of seasons: a wonderful life head cannon and spoilers

I can’t stop thinking about the idea of Daryl just burying stuff at the dig site just to mess with them. Maybe not every day but just sometimes he does it. I think it’d be neat if on market day when carter wonders around the town he gets out a metal detector on the beach. It’d be cool if they then got text lines hinting to Daryl dropping rusty screws and random metal stuff. And carter complaining he just finds junk on the beach

Sorry I ramble. Uhhhhh

And like, the tablets the player collects through the dig site - what if he’s just been leaving them there? It turns out after the players collected them that it’s a curry recipe. Guess what buddy’s favourite cooked meal is? That’s right curry. And he does say in that one cutscene he wants Flora to cook for him. It just feels like a very elaborate plot to me

[daryls-favourite]

I’ve been absent for a while, but I have been kicking about

I’m intending on re-starting my main fic, originally I wanted it to follow real world seasons whilst still having the year like in AWL. So I guess the next 8 months or so I’ll have to be writing the build up and time line correction

Eventually if everything goes to how I’m planning it will catch up with what’s already written

I’ve also been thinking about what other couples make sense in the wider dynamic between the rest of the characters

I’m open to suggestions on all things I guess

[yazziescribbles]

Here’s my first piece for week 3 - season stories, I love summer!

[jamiejabbers]

Quiet Strength

Pairings: Kelly twd x reader, Daryl x daughter!reader

(im sharing my Kelly obsession because i really like this one, i hope you guys do too!!)

I never thought I’d find peace in this world, let alone love. Growing up, love was something that hurt. I saw it in the way my uncle Merle treated people, especially when he’d had too much to drink, which was most of the time. Love meant shouting, breaking things, and bruises that needed to be hidden. And Dad—Daryl—he never said much about love at all. He was always too busy trying to survive, to protect me in his own way. I think he didn’t know how to be anything else, or maybe he didn’t think he deserved to be.

For a long time, I thought that was normal. That’s what love looked like. Until Kelly came along.

I remember the first time I really noticed her—really saw her. We were out scavenging for food with a small group. The sun was sinking, painting the sky in blood and gold, and she was laughing at something Jerry had said. Her laughter was like a breath of fresh air in a world where every breath was tinged with decay. I remember feeling something inside me loosen, like a knot untying, a tension I hadn’t even realized I’d been holding onto.

At first, I didn’t know what to make of Kelly. She was always so… soft, and that scared me. She had this quiet strength, this way of moving through the world that wasn’t about force or fear. She could be fierce when she had to, but she didn’t seem to carry that same kind of anger I did, the kind that felt like it would boil over at any moment.

It took me a while to understand that softness could be a strength, too.

We spent more time together, Kelly and me. At first, it was little things—sharing watches, looking out for each other on runs. She had this way of looking at me, her eyes dark and warm, like she could see the parts of me I tried to hide. At first, I didn’t like it. It made me feel exposed, vulnerable. I’d always been taught that vulnerability was dangerous.

But Kelly didn’t push. She never forced me to talk, never made me feel like I had to explain myself. Instead, she showed me, in the quiet moments between the chaos, that love didn’t have to hurt. She’d brush a strand of hair out of my face with a touch so gentle I’d almost flinch, expecting something else, something harsher. But it never came. She’d smile, and I’d feel that knot inside me loosen just a little bit more.

I think the first time I realized how much she’d changed me was when we were out on a run, just the two of us. A walker came out of nowhere, and without thinking, I went to take it down the way I’d always been taught—with anger, with force. But before I could even raise my knife, Kelly was there, her hand on my arm, steady and calm.

“You don’t always have to fight so hard,” she said, her voice soft but sure.

I didn’t know how to respond to that. Fighting was all I knew, all I’d been taught. It was how I’d survived this long. But Kelly… she had this way of seeing the world that I didn’t understand yet. She didn’t see the dead around us as just threats to be destroyed. She saw them as reminders of the people we’d lost, of the world that used to be. And she fought, sure, but not with that same blind rage I had.

She taught me how to make traps, how to use the land around us to our advantage, how to find small joys even when everything felt like it was falling apart. She’d pull me aside to look at a flower growing in the middle of the road or point out the way the moonlight played on the water. She taught me that there were things worth living for, not just fighting against.

One night, after a particularly rough day, we sat by the fire, just the two of us. Dad was off on a run, and it was one of those rare moments when it felt like the world had gone quiet. I was lost in my own head, the memories of Merle, of the shouting and the fear, weighing heavy on my mind. Kelly leaned against me, her head resting on my shoulder.

“Love doesn’t have to be violent,” she whispered, like she’d read my thoughts. “It doesn’t have to be something that hurts.”

I didn’t know what to say to that. I’d never thought about love that way. For so long, I’d been taught that love was just another word for pain. But Kelly… she made me want to believe in something different. She made me want to believe that maybe, just maybe, love could be something beautiful. Something that didn’t hurt.

Slowly, I started to open up. I told her about Merle, about Dad, about the way I used to flinch when someone raised their voice. She listened, really listened, with a patience I wasn’t used to. She didn’t judge, didn’t try to fix me. She just held my hand, her thumb brushing softly against my skin, and let me be.

And in her presence, I found something I never thought I would: peace. Not the kind that comes from knowing you’re safe—because in this world, you never are—but the kind that comes from knowing you’re loved, deeply and sincerely, for exactly who you are.

Kelly taught me that love didn’t have to be violent. It could be gentle, like the touch of her hand on my back, or sincere, like the way she’d look at me when she thought I wasn’t paying attention. She showed me that love could be something that healed, not something that scarred.

And for that, I’ll always be grateful. In a world filled with death and loss, she showed me what it meant to truly live. To love. And for the first time in my life, I felt like I could breathe.

[awlimagines]

The Chime Hours of Forgotten Valley

Surrounded by nature, Forgotten Valley enjoyed peaceful tranquility without interference from the Caldwell Foundation or the Fae and their wars. However, the valley's residents have faced hardship as the lands produced less and the wilderness grew unchecked in the past ten years. After an incident in the mountains, the town’s mayor called for help from the Caldwell Foundation, while local fae reached out to their leader for assistance. Choose to play as newly appointed hunter Pony Hopkins or Claire Lyndall, a chime child loved by the fae as you care for crops and livestock and explore the mysteries of Forgotten Valley and its residents.

MAIN CHARACTER PATHS

Pony Hopkins decides to follow as a talented Hunter in her father’s footsteps. As a fresh graduate of the Caldwell Foundation, Pony is charged with an uncover assignment to blend into the community and search for fae poisoning the land and endangering the lives of citizens. Pony never expects her path to lead to her father’s hometown. She finds a place to call home with an old friend of her father. Pony juggles trying to restore the farm and completing her mission. 

Claire Lyndall left her hometown in search of freedom and a fresh start. She didn’t realize how much money such a thing cost. Luckily, the decline of the land over the years opened some farmland in Forgotten Valley. The Mayor was willing to give her the land for the meager change in her pocket, thrilled to have a new townsmember. Claire is barely settled when Harvest Sprites approach her for help reviving the land’s Harvest Goddess and restoring the safety of the local fae.

ROUTES

Once an excellent Hunter at the top of his game, Matthew was poisoned by a catoblepas in his prime. His breathing has been sorely affected, regulating the man into a supervisory role. Matthew’s harsh exterior hides the worry and care for his subordinates and citizens. He becomes conflicted in the Apprentice Path over sending you to increasingly dangerous situations without feeling he can adequately protect you. While in the Chime Child Path, Matthew faces a conflict of faith in realizing everything he was led to believe is not as it seems.

The senior hunter assigned to the area, Gordy Scherer, works directly beneath the area’s supervisor. Due to his silent nature, Gordy’s accomplishments have mostly flown under the radar. No one is sure how he accomplishes his work, but no area he has been stationed has any fae remaining when he leaves. As he opens up, one discovers his passion for art. You learn his secret to complete his missions in the Apprentice Path. While in the Chime Child Path, Gordy can be persuaded to work against the Caldwell Foundation.

While Daryl Bowditch works for the Caldwell Foundation, he only does so for the funding to pursue his studies of the fae. The scientist is vocal about his displeasure with the state of fae delivered to his lab. His independent attempts to capture live specimens have all failed. The Apprentice Path focuses on Daryl persuading you to capture live fae for study rather than extermination. In contrast, the Chime Child Path follows Daryl’s experiments, interest in your abilities, and encouragement to introduce him to new subjects.

Gray Corwin completed the primary classes offered at the Caldwell Academy before apprenticing as a blacksmith with his grandfather. Due to the increased number of hunters in Forgotten Valley, the forge has accepted a temporary partnership with the Cadlwell Foundation to provide them with new tools and weapons in addition to maintenance. While Gray is grateful for the increase in work, he wishes to pursue making his projects rather than the same things every day. In the Apprentice Path, you encourage Gray to explore his interests and help test his accessories and tools. Meanwhile, in the Chime Child Path, Gray is eager to learn how the fae makes accessories and how they can be adapted for human use.

Rick de Lancre is a new graduate of the Caldwell Foundation, where he was at the top of the class each year. He won’t let you or anyone else forget his position. His time in Forgotten Valley is a stepping stone before moving to greater things. As you work together in the field, you see his mask slip as he questions his capabilities and the pressures on him to be the best. In the Apprentice Path, Rick bonds with you over the burdens of being raised in a hunter family. The Chime Child Path finds Rick struggling between his duty and heart in accepting someone he has been taught to hate.

Living on your own without your parent’s guidance and help is tougher than you thought. Thankfully, the talented musician Gustafa Anderson is willing to help you. The older man is experienced in living independently and being the new person in a town. Though not a fae, as a chime child, Gustafa is intrinsically linked to them and enjoys their company. In the Chime Child Path, Gustafa is on your side from day one when he finds you conversing with the sprites. He helps you learn to use your abilities without revealing yourself and introduces you to the local fae. Conversely, in the Apprentice Path, once Gustafa trusts you, he shares about Chime Children, humans who are friends with the fae and share ties with them, gently encouraging you to expand your beliefs of right and wrong.

Rock Lei, son of the Lei-Over Inn’s keepers, is an open book. He is often found shooting his shot with anyone willing to give him the time of day. Rock claims you’re the real prize he’d like to win, and everyone else is a Plan B. As you grow closer, you learn that while he’s willing to share and be honest about his past. The fae replaced Tei and Lou’s child with Rock at the age of four. He views the couple as his parents, and they never treat him as less, so Rock doesn’t believe in acknowledging the specifics. Rock overcomes his dislike of the fae enough to help revive the Harvest Queen in the Chime Child Path. In the Apprentice Path, he assists you in protecting his parents from accusations of being fae.

Doctor is cold and clinical in his dealings with everyone in town. His strict professionalism leaves you questioning if his nurse even knows his name. It isn’t until you grow closer that you realize Doctor Trent Petrarch cares very deeply for the safety and health of the town’s residents. While he is immensely talented and trained as a doctor, Trent has the assistance of his abilities as a unicorn to heal terminal illnesses or injuries for more complex cases. Trent helps you purify the spring to revive the Harvest Goddess in the Chime Child Path, while in the Apprentice Path, he finds himself in danger with the Caldwell Foundation.

Throughout the Spring, you wondered what the abandoned shack at the beach could be. The mystery is solved when Kai Gessner suddenly appears in the Summer, serving food from the building. His dashing smile and confidence cause your heart to skip a beat, but then he has that effect on all his targets. You arrive late one evening to deliver fresh produce, catching Kai swimming in the ocean. Nothing would be odd about that except for the glittering scaled tail replacing his legs. Kai encounters trouble being lured and caught by hunters who wish to display him in the Chime Child Path. In the Apprentice Path, Kai is framed as having sunk ships trying to reach Forgotten Valley.

You’re shocked to recognize a familiar face in town. Cliff Fee was a friend you never thought to see again. The two of you played together daily until he disappeared from town around the age of twelve. Your friendship can pick up where it left off with you confiding your troubles to him. He initially offers you his support unconditionally but begins to pull back, becoming withdrawn. You soon learn Cliff is the heir to the Fae Throne when he confesses the secret after feeling terrible keeping it from you. Cliff has to choose between assuming responsibility for the local fae or fleeing town once more to protect himself in the Chime Child Path. In the Apprentice Path, Cliff faces conflicts over his love for you and the dangers being close to you poses him.

SECRET ROUTES

Your Enemy, Your Friend (Pony/Claire Route)

You find that you keep bumping into the town’s other newcomer constantly. Considering how close your accommodations are, it shouldn’t be a surprise, but it’s happening everywhere, including outside of town. You begin growing closer, discovering that you share similar histories and recent losses. Then, your companionship is shattered as you learn they’re everything you’re fighting against. Can you find common ground with them, or will your duty win out?

A Grim Affair

The work is more challenging than expected, and everyone wants something from you. You find refuge in the church and the kindly priest who tends to it. As you spend more time at the church, Pastor Carter asks you to assist in helping residents. A mishap leads you to discover the pastor keeps a sinister secret.

NOTES

I'm sorry it's so much, but I was consumed by the thought once I made it. I imagine (with my zero experience in making games) it would play mainly like a regular HM/SoS, with the heart events being replaced by plot-relevant interactions/encounters based on whether you play Pony or Claire. I have ideas for bad/good endings for each route, and some details about how a couple different routes would work. If anyone is interested in the idea, I might create a poll and start work on writing out interactions/encounters and the endings.

[masacatki]

The only thing that bothers me too much is where Daryl never appear in any event of the village,

Like... Come on... If I could drag him out from his lab, I will do it.

[nstehu]

[hug-kiss-marry-kill-farm]

[oneshortlady]

if daryl was a marrige candidate, id love it if they had it so when you show daryl the blue feather he runs away and falls over then it cuts to his lab for the confession

[kinokoshoujoart]

after seeing the Stardew version I was inspired to make one for the AWL marriage candidates (all of them)

[awlfan]

So Soon?- Daryl

Daryl was finally taking some time off from his experiments to rest his brain… Well, he never truly rested his brain. He instead exercised it in another way. Getting out a notebook and a pen, he used a random number generator of his own design to decide what he could use in math problems and equations. Numbers were stable and unchanging, the ultimate comfort in its lack of change. Finally, he found himself relaxing. KNOCK KNOCK KNOCK Of course he’d be interrupted! Who dared to show up at his door? His last visitor was yesterday! Unless it was Melody, he would be sure to shoo them away. ...Wait… Why would he think to give Melody an exception?

Questioning himself, the scientist was surprised to see it was indeed Melody standing there. He did tell himself he wouldn’t shoo her away… “Hey, Daryl. Sorry to bug you again so soon. I just didn’t want to forget to lend these to you.” Melody held out a stack of books to him. “I made a list of the order I recommend and some interesting pages.” Daryl took the stack, noting the piece of paper on top. Hm. Her handwriting was quite legible. “I will try to read them when I have free time,” he informed. “No rush!” Melody chirped. “I’ll go ahead and get out of your hair now. I just didn’t want to forget to give those to you.” “You don’t have to leave!” Daryl replied with more urgency than he would have liked. Why did he say that?!?! “Oh?” Melody smiled, pleasantly surprised. “I wouldn’t mind visiting for a little bit,” Daryl stepped aside to let her into his home, gesturing to his little couch for her to sit on before taking a seat at his desk chair. “What did you want to talk about today?” the scientist found himself asking, The farmer’s brows rose as she realized Daryl wasn’t taking lead of the conversation today.

“Oh, well…” Melody scratched her head. “I don’t have any topics off the top of my head… but I have been making progress in training Russet, if that’s of any interest to you?” “You are training… a potato?” Daryl asked incredulously. “Oh, no,” Melody chuckled. “Russet is my puppy. Sorry I forgot to mention him. He was a stray who showed up on the farm the same day I arrived.” “Oh. Well, I do find the idea of training a living creature to be interesting. What are you training him to do? What methods are you utilizing?” “I’m not training him to do anything fantastic, really; just some basics. Sit, stay, lie down, fetch, that sort of thing. Also hold.” “Hold?” Daryl asked. “I want him to stop barking when I say so. Basically, I’m teaching him to pick something up in his mouth and keep it there. If he has something in his mouth, he can’t bark!” “It may be counter intuitive to discourage barking if you want a proper guard dog.” “Oh, I’m not keeping him as a guard dog,” Melody chuckled, “I don’t think I really need one and I doubt he’ll grow to be particularly large in the first place.” “If you don’t need a guard dog, why are you keeping him?” “Because he needed a home and I needed a new companion animal!” she chirped. “He’s such a cute and sweet little puppy! Would you like to meet him sometime? I’m trying to socialize him and Takakura isn’t a fan.” “That is to be expected. He seems to have mild cynophobia. I’m surprised he allowed you to keep the dog at all.” “Cynophobia?” “Fear of dogs.” “Oh no,” Melody frowned, her gaze falling to the floor “I wish I had known that before... Maybe I can help him with his fear somehow. Russet is still a puppy after all. He’s nowhere near threatening at this point.” “That makes sense. Such an endeavor sounds like it would be beneficial for all of you.” “Then I’ll definitely have some work to get to when I get home…” She let out a sigh before shaking her head. “Sorry. I didn’t mean to bring the mood down. Let’s talk about something else.”

“Like what?” Daryl asked. “Hm… Well, if we stick to animals as a subject… do you have a favorite kind of animal?” “I prefer rats,” he answered simply. “Because they’re good for testing and experiments?” “Shockingly, no. It was during my years in high school that I took a class that kept two rats as pets. I found them to be intelligent creatures and they proved kinder to me than the teachers and other students. I was able to find respite in their presence.” “Oh… I’m sorry others were less than kind to you.” The scientist bristled. “I do not need to be pitied,” he informed with a huff. “Sorry,” Melody held up her hands in a placating manner. “So, have you ever considered getting pet rats for yourself?” “I have not considered the notion since my youth. My mother always denied my request to have them. Now that I am an adult, I’ve found I have no time for such things.” “Ah, yeah. Then it’s probably best you don’t have them. Animals need love and attention and a good deal of your time.” “That is why I’ve decided against them.” Melody simply nodded and went quiet a moment. “...You know, while he may not be a rat, you may enjoy playing with Russet. He’s still an animal companion and I am looking to socialize him.” “You mentioned that before… I suppose I could, provided the dog doesn’t bite.” “The most he does is nip when he’s playing sometimes. You’ll be perfectly fine,” she assured. “Then I will visit when I have time.” “I look forward to it! Thanks!” Melody chirped. Daryl nodded and quietly wondered why Melody was so excited and why he’d agreed to this in the first place. He wasn’t overly fond of dogs… so why was he going to socialize one? Perhaps Melody was the reason. “Are you okay, Daryl?” the farmer asked. “”What do you mean?” “You just looked deep in thought there. If you need to get back to your research, I can leave.” While today was his day off, so to speak, he had some things he needed to think over now. “I would like to return to my research,” the scientist bluffed. “I will see you on the farm when I am ready.” “Okay. No problem. Thanks for talking to me today. I look forward to your visit. See you then!” With that, Melody returned to her farm and Daryl to his thoughts.

[freshrosetea]

It really bothers me how no one talks about how Daryl really likes cheese

[keonnise]

more gremlin rat man PLEASE (daryl)

The world needs more of the gremlin rat man hehe