#sve jadu

[studentinpursuitofclouds]

A random thought, you remember the achievement when we get the Statue of Perfection or Statue of True Perfection. Everyday we received iridium ore or random items, then how will the SDV/SVE Bachelors, (can you add the adventurers and mages) gonna react to this huge looking (gold/iridium) teddy bear appear in the farm and everyday a random item pops out.

(I mean I would find it weird and intriguing, that I woke up the next day just to see a huge looking teddy bear appeared on my spouse's arms.)

...A teddy bear?

*looking at a picture on the SDV wiki*

It's a cat, isn't it? I always thought it was a cat. *Looking again* Although the ears are a little round, it does looks like a bear. Kinda...

Anyway, good to see you in my askbox again! Enjoy some headcanons 💕 And I'm interested to hear from others, who do you see in these statues, the bear or the cat?

_________________________________________

SDV bachelors react to Statue of Perfection/True Perfection:

...Was there some kind of strange fashion for huge jewelled statues or something? It wasn't enough for Shane to find a gold statue of Lewis in Marnie's room (of course, she refused to say how it got there in the first place), but now Farmer had one. Well, at least Shane's spouse had chosen a cute animal instead of one with the hideous mayor's face on it. "Why?" "That statue gives us ore every day." "...So you can do nothing and you'll make a profit. Wow, that's handy stuff." A useful statue and a nice looking one, so Shane didn't mind.

Imagining the life of a rich and famous athlete, which Alex aspired to, he still didn't understand some of the oddities of people living in luxury. For example, the habit of ordering gold statues with encrusted gems. Alex's spouse had received a statue of Perfection as a reward for their deeds, but those who just bought them and tried to pass them off as some kind of achievement? Weird. They usually also ugly looking, not like Farmer's statue that looks like a bear, or maybe it's a cat, and... ??? Did the statue just give him a prismatic shard??????

"Darling, where did you get this?" "One statue was given to me by Grandpa. The other I got as a reward." Never before had Harvey seen statues as tall as himself made of pure iridium. The doctor hadn't paid much attention to it before, thinking they were just strange decorations made of inexpensive metal. But later, while rearranging the bedroom, Harvey began to scrutinise each of the statues. "Your Grandpa had unusual taste in furniture." "It's not about taste, it's about to get ore." And Farmer took the iridium ore and the prismatic shard from the two statues, leaving Harvey in complete shock.

To be honest, Sebastian was a little disappointed when Farmer told him that the Statue of Perfection wasn't some sort of totem for worshipping spirits or gods. Too bad, he was already prepared to listen with interest about how these statues were connected to all sorts of occult stuff, but alas. "Well, I wouldn't say the statues are simple, hon." When Sebby saw with his own eyes that these metal figures yielded ore, he opened his mouth in amazement. "Cool." Okay, now Sebastian was even more interested in how this magic statue worked.

Sam's been doting on the cute faces of the iridium statues for about half an hour now. "Heh, adorable. Where did you acquire that statue?" "Got it from Grandpa's Shrine." "...Huh? From where?" The young guitarist guessed that the statues were unusual, but he didn't realise that there was a whole adventure story behind them with all the weirdness. "And one of the conditions of getting statue was to pet your dog?" "Yeah! Well, I'd pet the dog anyway because I love our dog, statue or not, but yeah." Sam doesn't understand anything, but he's still interested! Like wow, cool magic statue!

When Elliott was touring for his book signings, he managed to visit several museums in Zuzu City that were full of similarly unusual statues and figures. At least the statues his spouse purchased weren't the spawn of nightmares (Elliott doesn't judge art, but he certainly wouldn't want those decorations in his home). "They're not just cute, dear" When one of the statues produced a prismatic shard, the writer was speechless. But then he had an idea... "The hero went on an adventure in search of a statue of eternal wealth... Not a bad plot for a novel, don't you think?"

SVE bachelors react to Statue of Perfection/True Perfection:

Magnus can't believe his own eyes. "This is an endless source of iridium ore - a dream for treasure seekers, and a topic of discussion among mages and witches as to the origin of this relic. But also the cause of death for many, ruined by their own greed and envy." The wizard hopes that his spouse will not meet the same fate. He also tries to restrain himself from the urge to study the Statue of Perfection by being cautious. Magnus knows that Farmer's intentions are pure, and they have earned such a reward through hard work, but just in case.

"You definitely had to go through many trials and do incredible things to obtain such a treasure, my dear. A worthy reward for someone like you." Lance knows very well that even the richest person in the world cannot afford such a magical statue, it only has to be earned. And his dear spouse has earned not one, but two whole statues. Lance knows how these statues work, so not surprised about that. But the pink-haired man is more interested in the exact merits for which Farmer was so honoured. Lance wouldn't mind hearing their story over a glass of wine.

Oh, it's.... the Statue of Perfection! It's real! What? Of course Victor knows about it! Well, not that he knows for sure, but he's read books about various artifacts and relics that were covered in mysteries. The books themselves were written by adventurers, and there were at least a few mentions of a legendary Statue of Perfection that would bring the owner happiness and wealth. Or something like that. But now Victor's spouse has been given a true legend for their hard work! It's impressive, and he is very proud of Farmer!

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Bonus reaction from non-marriage SVE adventurers/mages:

"What do we have here~ Sweetie, you have no idea what powerful magic these statues contain." It wasn't even the fact that the two pure iridium statues yielded ore and a prismatic shard every day that interested Camilla. The Castle Village witch believes there is something else stored inside, something that would be good to study. Wealth doesn't interest her, but potential magic does.... "I wonder how the Farmer got such a treasure, hmm? You'll tell your friend Camilla, right?

The first time Alesia saw the statues of Perfection, she thought Farmer worshipped some kind of animal spirits. She herself is an Yoba worshipper, but has no dislike for other beliefs. "If this is not totem, then what?" From the information she's received about the statue, the sniper is silent from shock for a few seconds, then says, "According to the legends, people, blended with greed, killed each other to get their hands on these relics. Do not repeat their fate, young adventurer. And be careful who you share this information with." Alesia hoped Farmer wouldn't get themself into trouble...

Jadu is going to faint with happiness. These are the same statues of Perfection that wizards and adventurers have been searching for for centuries! The metal artifacts made of pure iridium simply radiate magic! They have a rather lovely appearance, the wizard should note, very cute.... But he's distracted! Jadu almost begs Farmer to let him study them. Like Camilla, he's interested in the knowledge hidden in the statues, not the iridium ore itself.

Are these THE statues of Perfection that half of all adventurers and wizards would kill themselves over? Pfft, it looked like some cheap obscure bear-faced thing. Isaac is not impressed. And the presence of ore in the statue didn't surprise him much either ("I've seen stranger things"). Still, the grumpy adventurer will not deny the fact that Farmer has achieved this, albeit silly-looking, reward by hard work. So they're worth something. Maybe Farmer is not as hopeless as Isaac previously thought. ("Thanks Isaac. I guess...").

[delta-temperature]

Tiny WIP for something evil............. Oh yeah, it's my first time drawing any SVE character other than Jadu, a personal milestone 🥳

[himeofshyness]

After SVE 2.0 Update...

Isaac: Look I'm not in love with Farmer. I like them just as much as that next monster I killed.

Lance: .... ಠ◡ಠ

Isaac: I mean, I clearly have feelings for them, but feelings don't mean love.

Jadu: .... ಠಿ_ಠ

Isaac: Do I have feelings for Farmer? Sure! But that doesn't mean that I.... I-! Oh mygawd! I'm inlove with Farmer!

Alesia: .... (눈‸눈)

Isaac: *slams desk* Why didn't you tell me!

Lance: *chuckles* We thought you knew.

Isaac: Wha-! WE!? (���__●)

Camilla: We all knew. We talk about it all the time. (๑¯◡¯๑)

[in-my-stardew-era]

OKAY JADU SHEEESSHHHHHHHHHH 😳😳😳😳😳😳 (I like him even more now)

[seharuuchan]

sofa sitting SVE edition

[thecrimsonribbon]

Redraw

[reallyghostlypost]

[Fic] The dangers of camping in the valley's forests

You know what Stardew Valley needs? More cryptids and unknown creatures. Also more fics with Jadu and Gill.

Jadu wrapped his cloak tighter around him. He actually liked whenever Camilla was sending him to visit Marlon, listening to him and Gill share stories and gossip around the campfire was always a delight, but he really couldn't get used with the weather in the Valley. Autumn nights here were always bitter cold for him, used with either the desert heat or the dry cold nights of the Badlands, not these humid winds that seem to seep into your bones. He took another gulp of hot mulled wine and looked up at the mountains.

The nature surrounding them was already shrouded in darkness despite the sky still having a greyish orange tint from the setting sun. The vegetation was too thick to see even a foot forward and to someone trained to fight in open terrain of the corrupted desert it felt really claustrophobic. Shadow brutes, or any monster really, could be just a few steps away from him and he wouldn't be any wiser.

Jadu moved closer to the fire, feeling his teeth start to clatter. Really, he wasn't a child any longer to get scared by creepy stories told around the fire. But he couldn't help but feel that the shadows between the trees were unnaturally dark. He realized that Marlon stopped speaking a while ago and that made him tense suddenly. What was happening?

Looking up he noticed both Marlon and Gill staring at the same spot... tree? Jadu tried to see whatever got their attention but there didn't seem to be anything there. A sound then came from the darkness, like a stream of water running over rocks. Were they this close to the river? But listening closer he could also hear whispers, like a group of people were close by speaking silently with each other. Jadu gripped the wand stashed in his robes.

He was started to feel dizzy. This odd noise of water and whispers reminded him when he was training with Camilla by the river. He still didn't know what potion she gave him that time, but it was supposed to help him communicate with the elementals. The river then started to speak with him in a similar way, to call him with whispers hidden beneath the clear sound of running water, awfully familiar, and Jadu knew that he would be able to understand what it was telling him if only he could get a little closer. He could feel his mouth numb, a weird sweet taste on his tongue. He was so close to the water now, only a step forward and he could fall in the river to join the whispers, when a hand shot up to stop him from drowning himself.

Jadu jumped violently pulling the wand from his robes only to point it at Gill. "Sorry lad, but you looked really out of it." Gill apologized before removing his hand from his shoulder. Jadu was still panting trying to figure out what was happening. He could feel sweat on his back despite the cold air surrounding them.

"That owl is back." Marlon said in a tired voice. Jadu looked at the scarred adventurer then back at the same tree Marlon has been watching before, but he still couldn't see anything. Gill patted his shoulder without a word and pointed at a branch higher up in the tree and that's when Jadu noticed it. It was a small white owlet with black spots all over its feathers, small enough that could fit in the palm of his hand, but it was... wrong. Its almond shaped eyes were pitch black, with no pupils or irises, and was that a third eye on its forehead or just another black spot?

As soon as he laid eyes on the small owl his head cleared and most of the cold and dread was gone. Were they caused by the critter? Now that he was less confused Jadu could definitely recognize it as a dark elemental, inhuman spirit birthed from the darkness of the forests covering so much of the southern part of the Ferngill Republic.

The owlet opened its small black beak and the same weird water sounds mixed with whispers came out from it. Jadu could feel his ears getting stuffy, and the same coldness was starting to encroach him again. Marlon picked a rock and threw it at the bird who flew off with a horrible scream, like dozens of bats screeching at the same time. Just as it disappeared into the brown dry foliage Jadu noticed that it had a second identical face on the back of its head, it's second pair of eyes staring straight at him, making the hair at the back of his head stand up.

"Don't worry." Marlon reassured him as he poured more hot wine in his mug and urging him to drink. The heat of the wine felt good. "You'll get used with its magic soon enough and it won't affect you this badly."

"It hid into a crack of our roof for a while and we couldn't understand why we kept having nightmares or hallucinated in the middle of the day." Gill chuckled. "It wasn't pleasant, but the owl seems otherwise harmless. It keeps following us around and tries to get back into that crack before we chase it away, so we got used with it by now."

"More and more spirits like that have started to appear. Magnus has been working overtime trying to keep the dangerous ones from getting close to the town so he doesn't have time to chase away the smaller elementals from mingling with humans. We considered requesting a meeting with Camilla but things are under control for now and we don't want to take more of her time."

"Weird." Jadu managed to say before starting to cough. His throat felt weird and dry which made him scowl. Why was he so affected that small spirit?

Marlon gave him a sympathetic look. "Don't beat yourself up lad. You're trained to deal with desert spirits not forest ones. Spend more time here and you'll recognize their magic before they can charm you."

"Yeah." Gill remarked dryly. "Like we did last week when we started accusing each other of whispering in the middle of the night." Marlon huffed amused at that before taking a sip from his own mug.

"I'll speak with Camilla about this, maybe she can think of some solution without the need of a whole council meeting." Jadu picked a dry fish from the pile of food placed between them. "When did it start to happen?"

Marlon and Gill looked at each other for a second before Gill cleared his throat. "When spring came around and the new farmer moved in the valley."

"Farmer?" Jadu was confused. What did a farmer had to do with spirits and elementals acting weird?

"Oh, kid." Marlon sighted. "You have no idea what a long history that cursed farm has."

[kifflepiffles]

If there's a specific reason why Jadu from SVE is not romancable, like being underage or aroace or any other reason, please tell me now before I start simping for this man. I dont care if he's fictional, I'll feel guilt as if he were real

[poxy-domain]

surely jadu content will be peak when castle village drops. surely he'll get content

[kokokokuro]

turned yet another oc into a stardew farmer when the update dropped

original

[studentinpursuitofclouds]

Hi there! I hope you're having a great day! I want to ask you a question... or more like a suggestion. I had asked the same thing several weeks ago, so I assume you missed it. But if you don't want to answer is, that's okay! 😄

My question is simple. What do you think SDV / SVE (including the mages and adventurers) bachelor and bachelorette would reach upon knowing that the farmer, whom had a quiet, soft and gentle personality, is actually a seasoned fighter in an underground boxing match (and a really good one, at that!)?

Thank you very much for your attention! 💕

Don't worry, dear anon, I saw your previous ask! I was just busy and couldn't answer earlier (will write it here so I don't have to answer twice). Thanks for your ask! And enjoy! 💕

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SDV/SVE bachelors:

Gus had recently purchased a strength meter for his arcade corner, and Farmer had fallen in love with the machine, constantly spending their coins. And putting Elliott, who caught those moments, in complete shock. When the newcomer first came to town, they appeared to the writer as a kind and quiet-seeking person. Having learnt for their background, he would like to write about their biography.

So, all those rumours about an underground bare-knuckle champion who knocked out big guys with one punch - is Shane's tender spouse crying about a dried rose? Holy shit... He's totally shocked (and pleasantly surprised, for wow, his spouse is awesome. Why didn't they say this before?).

Alex spent the whole time defending Farmer from the overly annoying newcomers, thinking they were too shy and kind to be rude to anyone. And it turns out that not only can they stand up for themself, but they can send huge muscular fighters staring into the realm of dreams with one punch. The athlete will be surprised for sure. How? When?

Is that true? Is it really true? Farmer really is a boxing fighter, and a champion too?! That's so cool! Um... Sam wonders if his friend/spouse should mention this to his mom at a dinner (much less his dad). These fights aren't too legal after all... However, it's up to Farmer to decide if they'll talk about it or not. Either way, Farmer is an incredible and cool person. He certainly didn't expect this from them.

Poor Harvey didn't even have time to react to Farmer being bullied by some assholes from the big city before Farmer sent them all straight to his clinic. While the doctor was bringing them to their senses (and writing a complaint against them for bullying the locals), he wondered how Farmer, the kindest and calmest person, knew such hand-to-hand combat techniques. Underground fighting was the very last option doctor could think of.

One, two, three - and Farmer dealt with three drunken bullies who started harassing the locals and imposing their company. Everyone was in complete shock. Sebastian, meanwhile, freaking delighted with them. The stories of their nightly fights underground for the title of best boxer, in Sebby's opinion, added another coin to the Farmer's piggy bank of awesomeness.

Lance's guesses were correct - Farmer's behaviour in the fight with the monsters made it clear at once that they had to engage and defend themself often. The adventurer had never seen anyone previously beat a magma sprite with their fists alone. Lance is pleasantly surprised and delighted by his mysterious friend. But just in case, it's best to carry a sword.

Victor starts showering his friend/spouse with a whole bunch of questions right after Farmer decides to share their past. How did it happen? Did Farmer become a fighter because they wanted the title, or were there other reasons? Do they still fight to this day? Pardon him, but he's very interesting. Farmer certainly doesn't seem like the type of person who would pursue a top fighter title with blood on their fists.

The truth is, Magnus knew about Farmer's underground fighting. Well, not really, for his crystal ball only showed vague information about their past. Hm? Of course a Wizard can see the past, that fancy hat's not for show, you know. Though he wonders how a fighter like them changed their occupation 180 degrees and became first an office clerk and then a farmer.

SDV/SVE bachelorettes:

Penny learnt all about Farmer's past after they defended her from some cheeky Joja driver by fist-bumping him in the face. The teacher never expected Farmer to do such a thing, though she is grateful for their help. When asked casually where they learnt to fight, she got an even answer, which left her even more astonished.

Funny enough, when Farmer opened up to Emily about their constant nightly fights at the fight club, Emily felt proud of him. Pride because while they are strong, they treat those around them with kindness and patience. A bright aura radiates from them, and the new information about Emily's friend wouldn't make her change her attitude towards them for the worse somehow.

Maru hasn't heard much about these illegal fights in Zuzu City, but the title "Destroyer" speaks for itself. And Farmer has quite an interesting past, and she wouldn't mind hearing about it. The young inventor just hopes that all those titles and honours don't interfere in any way with her friend/spouse's job as a farmer, which they enjoy.

To Abigail, Farmer has become the most brutal and badass person on the planet. She knows about these fights! (Mostly just a gossip, not the actual fights). And the fact that it was Farmer who was the rumoured champion of underground fights made the purple-haired girl ecstatic. Man, it's a shame she can't brag to others about her friend/lover, as she doesn't want to get Farmer in trouble with the law.

"I never would have guessed, honestly. You don't look too athletic." Don't take Haley's words harshly, she didn't mean to offend Farmer. It's just that they really do look very unthreatening, so this information was a bit of a shock to her. Well, the girl now knows for sure that if she gets harassed, she can always ask her friend for help. Though she also doesn't want Farmer to be hurt either (she knows they're strong, but still).

This explains the fact that Farmer so easily knocked out Leah's ex when she and Farmer were on a date (even though Kel has always been weak). After Farmer shared about their past, she's naturally shocked, but the shock quickly changed to a look of adoration. A strong and resilient fighter who is the kindest and most ineterest person.... It is impossible not to fall in love with Farmer.

Claire was a bit taken aback by this information, because when she came to Zuzu City for some business, there were always some big guys standing near the underground, throwing dirty compliments and saying that they were "masters of boxing", so Claire "should definitely go with them". So the impression she had formed of such people was not a very good one. Farmer, on the other hand, is the gentlest and most sympathetic person, so it's a bit of a pattern breaker for her.

"I hope you don't have a list of detractors behind you." Sounds a little harsh from Olivia's lips, undeniably, but on the other hand, these things should be talked about beforehand. The former Joja accountant quizzes them about their fights and whether they "crossed anyone's path with their victories." Olivia isn't stupid, she knows what the consequences could be and doesn't want Farmer, her and her son to get hurt.

Sophia felt like she was behind a stone wall with Farmer earlier, and now that they've shared their stories about the club and their involvement, she's not afraid of anything at all. And most importantly, despite all those rumours of a tough and undefeated ring champion, Farmer remains the same kindhearted and cinnamon bun they've always been, hee hee!

Castle Village's mages and adventurers:

Hmm, Farmer has had some physical training before.... Alright, Isaac will be less suspicious of them. But still, fist fights aren't enough for the battle with monsters. Even pathetic green slimes can be a problem in this situation without any sword or dagger. They need practice with cold weapons as well.

Wow, Alesia didn't expect that the newest Guild member in Stardew Valley had entire titles in fist fighting behind them. Especially from someone she considered a pacifist and non-confrontational person. Strange why it wasn't listed anywhere on their report for them. While it's not "official" training on an adventurer, everyone's file should list all of their merits.

Secret underground fights for the Ultimate Fighting Championship title? *Chuckle* Why on earth would Farmer think it was a secret to Camilla? Oh, that's right, she's already learnt a lot about them, and their past... intrigues her. That explained their good physical fitness, despite their rather harmless appearance. Please tell her more about this battles~

Not to say that Jadu was much interested in Farmer's past, as they didn't know each other too well. But the rumour that Farmer had managed to learn how to fight in their rather young life inspires respect. The Castle Village mage thinks they had a reason to get into illegal fights, so he'll leave his questions at that. But wouldn't mind listening if Farmer is willing to tell their story.

[delta-temperature]

Turns out I didn't like how I drew him the first time but that's ok, I've drawn more of him since then yet I am not strong enough to draw the pattern on his sash

Man

[himeofshyness]

Since 1.15 now released, I was looking through the Stardew Valley Expanded changelog hoping to find new updates and particularly any new marriageable NPC options. However, to my disappointment, I discovered that only Scarlet has been added as a marriageable candidate. Where are the other desired NPCs like Isaac, Alesia, Jadu or Camilla? It's quite disappointing to see they're still unavailable for marriage in the game. Damn it! •́ ‿ ,•̀

[wolflord02]

Gauntlet of Shame (Stardew Valley Expanded fic)

First time posting any fics in ages... based off of this post because this convo gave me a spike of inspiration and I couldn't help myself.

Warning: Mentions of cheating/infidelity, cruel and unusual punishment by the sexy witch lady Camilla (she is her own warning)

~

The farmer could have sworn they had a heart attack when they heard the angered voices of their lovers from the inside of Castle Village’s tavern as they stood at the door. Magnus, Camilla, Lance, Isaac, Jadu, and Alesia’s words were too muffled for the poor person to hear clearly, but it was plain as day that they were talking about them given that their name was mentioned more than once, alongside very… derogatory words.

They really should have expected this, given what happened when they tried dating the vast majority of the younger people of Pelican Town, how the men gave the newcomer the cold shoulder for a long while after that… but then again, the women welcomed them to their chatting session when they’d arrived with a lucky rabbit’s foot with them. The farmer remembered that they happened to have a rabbit’s foot with them… maybe this’ll go better than their gut told them?

They took in a deep breath and stuffed their hand into their pocket to hold the paw charm as they used their spare hand to push the door open.

Their heart dropped as they saw their partners glaring at them. “...Oh dear sweet Yoba…” they thought, feeling their very soul being pierced by the eyes of the most notable mages and adventurers of the village.

Jadu’s piercing violet eyes burned with anger as he spoke up. “Funny seeing you here, my dear. We were just talking about you,�� he growled sarcastically, with a voice dripping with so much venom the farmer felt their entire body tense, ready to flee the situation at any opportunity like they were a cornered animal faced with a much stronger predator. 

“You… After all this time, and all we’ve been through, I thought I’d finally found a partner I could actually trust… how fucking dare you show your face here knowing what you’ve done to me? To all of us!?” Isaac clenched his fists so hard, that the farmer thought he was about to tear his leather gloves in half.

Alesia didn’t need to say anything. She didn’t yell at them, nor did she give them the stink eye… in fact, she didn’t look at them at all. All she did was place an arm over Isaac’s shoulder to comfort the scarred warrior as much as she could.

“Have you come to find even more hearts to break, Farmer? Were the most famous and powerful of Castle Village not enough for you?” Magnus scowled, but behind the mask of anger, the farmer could see honest pain in the wizard’s eyes.

But no other gaze of disgust or hatred compared to the look Camilla gave the youth. She had a look that reeked of disapproval, pain, disappointment, and disgust so potent they could almost taste it on their desert-dry tongue.

“So, you thought you’d get away with all of… this?” Camilla said first with a sneer, gesturing to herself and the others surrounding the table where the group stood.

“I-I…” The farmer started, earning even more hateful stares, some even by other patrons which they hadn’t even noticed before. Some of the older adventurers gave disapproving looks as well, while the younger ones mostly snickered or whispered to one another. Even if the upstart managed to talk their way out of this, they would still have a horrible reputation in the village and far beyond… what have they done?

SLAM.

The farmer let out a shout of fear and nearly drew their sword when the door slammed behind them. They damn near jumped out of their skin, and their head snapped behind them at the source of the noise. Their eyes met with Lance, who had his hand against the back of the door with a more sour than usual cat-like leer. “Well? Care to explain to your lovers why you’ve chosen to betray us?” the pink-haired man said as he stepped towards them, looming over them like a tower as they struggled to think of anything to say.

“Ha! Did you honestly think a rabbit’s foot would save you? This trivial magic might work with the magicless, but this is child’s play here.” Camilla laughed as she took the item from the Farmer’s pocket. The farmer watched in dismay as the blonde woman held the paw in her hand, and lit it ablaze with no effort in the slightest.

“...Oh.” they whimpered pathetically as the burnt paw’s ashes fell to the wooden floor of the tavern.

“Well? Are you going to say something?”

The farmer froze under the penetrating gaze of their partners. They couldn’t say anything.

“...What are you going to do to me?”

They were only met with a grin from Camilla that made their skin crawl more than any monster could ever manage.

~

The farmer’s screams echoed through the Crimson Badlands. They ran through the vast sea of blazing sand, their bare feet burning in the desert sand while laughs and mocking cheers called to them. Camilla wasn’t entirely cruel when dishing out this punishment. She’d cast a spell on them that increased their defense to the point where a nuke couldn’t leave so much as a scratch on them, yet the sense of pain remained as they ran through the sandy hellscape, barely avoiding the swarms of monsters targeting them.

Normally, they’d be skillfully swinging their sword and cutting these swarms down with ease which made even the most seasoned adventurers jealous, but Camilla made sure that they were incapable of such a thing. Even though they still carried their weapons with them, it would be an utter waste of time trying to use them considering their attack was so low, they may as well be throwing pebbles like slingshot ammo, and swinging pencil-thin twigs as swords and daggers. It was a cruel punishment… but what would most people do, if given the power to use non-lethal, but oh-so-frightening means to get revenge on their cheating partner, especially if it was with so many others who were just as unaware as the rest?

Magnus chose to leave, seeing this as a childish and unnecessarily cruel way of disciplining the young adventurer. Meanwhile, the rest stayed to watch the chaos from Castle Village’s tall outer walls.

Childish or not, they all knew damn well that the farmer would never do this again, and none of their “lovers” would give them a chance to hurt them ever again, lest the next punishment include… harsher events. Maybe they would have the same punishment, but they’d be reduced to their underwear with even more bystanders watching on as the gauntlet of shame commenced…

However, there was a slim chance that they’d attempt to continue their relationship with any of them. …They weren’t that foolish… right?

[seharuuchan]

Quick drawing of angy Jadu cause my stoopid butt thought his eyes turned white until a friend pointed out he was just looking at the right side

[g0atmama]

No Easy Answer

Isaac solves the mystery of the crystals popping up around the Badlands. But in doing so, only has more questions

Free Hearth AU, set while Hestia is still living in the Badlands

The crystals kept growing. Not in size, but in number. Yesterday there were five. Now there were seven more, arranged in a half circle. Jagged, spiked crystals that grew up out of the ground. They curved around each other, locking in ways unbelievable for a mineral to grow.

All Isaac could do was guard. He wasn't magic. He didn't have an ounce of it in his veins. All he could do was stand there watching for monsters while Jadu inspected the new growth.

"These appeared overnight." The mage repeated what they already knew. 

Isaac looked over his shoulder. Looked at the splatters on the crystal. Deep purple crystals, with red and blue and green splattered on them. Some black, smeared like soot.

"Looks like a bunch of monsters died here. Trapped by the crystals and killed by something powerful. Something big."

"Yeah."

The two men kept their inspection. Until a roar in the distance signaled the rising of Apophis. Departing to the Outpost, making quick notes of what they found.

Another roar. Different. A different creature, and the sound of… what was that? It sounded like glass cracking. Jadu's attention turned towards the sound. Southwest, towards the wasteland of old bones.

A dragon. Smaller than Apophis, barely visible on the horizon. But there. He cast a spell- pushing his senses further. Letting him see clearer. The dragon blew fire at the shadow serpent's tail. Crystal formed around it, connecting to the ground.

This dragon was the source of the crystals.

He was about to call Isaac, excited to point it out, when the roar changed. Pain, he didn't need to know dragons to know a cry of pain.

Apophis had bitten it.

His mouth was massive around the poor dragon. It blasted something from its body, that sent shards of crystal through Apophis' jaw and skull. It crashed in the distance.

They had to help. This dragon had been fighting Apophis, there was no way it was dangerous. Well, it still could have been, but they had to help. Jadu moved back down the tower, grabbing a handful of potions and herbs. Things to help with magic.

Isaac stayed in the Outpost- Alesia wanted to get a look at the dragon. Someone had to stay. The two departed, searching through the Badlands for the beast. It shouldn’t have been so hard to find. A dragon that size, sure it wasn’t too big, but it was dark. And it probably had crystals glowing around it. So why couldn’t they find it?

At the Outpost, Isaac was greeted to a horrific sight. Watching from the top of the tower, he saw an adventurer stumbling closer. One he knew. One he cared about. The odd girl with purple hair- Hestia. She was cradling herself, covering only one of a dozen wounds across her torso. Her cloak was stained with blood and- were those crystals around the end of it? He shook off the thought.

He all but ran down the stairs to get the door open. To pull her inside the outpost and help her. Clothes ruined. They barely even covered her anymore, torn to shreds by… By a bite. But…? No. No, that was impossible. She could hardly stand. He sat her on a table.

Isaac had no magic. Not a drop of it in his blood. All he could do was treat and dress the wounds. They’d have to wait for Jadu to get back. Maybe Camilla. Maybe Lance. But these wounds were everywhere. Crossing her body, across her torso. One was terrifyingly close to her heart. But her bones were intact.

“I don’t… How?!” he asked what he meant to think aloud. The girl laughed painfully.

“There’s no easy answer for that.”

Isaac didn’t even try to hide the annoyed question from his expression. How? It should be easy, a spell, or a potion or-

“You’ve seen my crystals. Jadu saw me fighting.”

She’s the dragon. The dragon Jadu just ran out to help. The dragon that’s been leaving the massive crystals, the dragon that’s been corralling and destroying monsters left and right- at a pace even Camilla couldn’t keep up with. Constant battle, constant protection…

“But… why?”