A/N: Very quick and playful fic I wrote ages ago.
Adam, Clara, Max, Grace and Zoe stood before their podiums in the Metal Gear Solid 2 simulation. Instead however, they decided to opt to play Stardew Valley.
"Yay!" Grace cheered. "I get to play farming!"
"Jeez, calm down," Clara replied. "It's just a game."
"I want the hot girl," Max grinned, spying the list of candidates for potential marriage.
"You'll never get her," replied Clara, deadpan.
At once, all five of them devolved into mini sprites of themselves and took upon a bus, leaving their comfy, soulless jobs at Joja Corp to reach Stardew Valley, where the farm they had each inherited a fifth part of awaited them.
Adam
Adam glanced around the barren, desolate wasteland that was filled with weeds, errant rocks and a subdued lake, trees growing all about the place and scarce place to stand.
"Jeez," replied Clara. "I'm not gonna do all this work."
"I'll help, Clara," Grace softened.
"No thanks," Clara's nose was upturned in the air. "I'll pay servants to do it."
Adam saw that a box of tools was provided with the house. He opened it to find a hoe for tilling soil, a scythe for cutting grass, a watering can for plants, an axe for cutting trees and a pickaxe for mining stone. There was also a packet of random seeds to sprinkle.
"I'll get to work," said Adam.
"What work?" Clara scoffed.
Clara
Clara walked into town, heading east from the farm into the town square. Villagers milled about as she approached the general store and entered, to find seeds, fertilizer and basic cooking ingredients at low prices.
"Welcome!" offered the shopkeeper, Pierre, who ran the store.
Clara took her time browsing, lips firmly pursed as her purse was quite full of notes, for she and the others had decided to use the money cheat. It would not grant her or any others the ability to purchase what wasn't offered - such as servants - but would provide a boost to the coffers should she need it.
"Nothing, thanks," Clara turned and walked out the door.
"Come back soon!" called Pierre.
Clara walked across town, past a trailer where a woman named Pam lived and her daughter Penny. She saw the looming figure of Joja Mart, a corporate figure where all evil was believed to be held. She entered, alight with the fervour of all that could be bought at a reliable chain.
"How's it going?" the woman at the register smacked her gum, ringing up Clara's purchases. "Wow. You sure gotta lotta stuff, lay-dee."
Clara bought a pink cowgal hat studded with fake diamonds and cowboy boots.
Max
Max toured the town as Clara had, checking out the sweet ladies on display. Among them were purple-haired Abigail, blue-haired Emily and blonde Haley, whom he had a crush on after watching her sauntering through town taking pictures with her camera.
Grace
Grace wiped the sweat from her forehead, calling it a night. She and Adam had worked hard to clear the immediate area of weeds and rubble, with Adam taking to the axe to chop down some trees and the pickaxe to mine some stone.
She collapsed on the living room armchair while Max sat gobbling a snack in front of the TV, Clara cooked herself some eggs and Zoe read the newspaper. Adam was already curled up in bed.
Zoe
"Hi," Sebastian bumped into Zoe one day.
"Hi," Zoe offered grimly.
"I heard you're new in town," Sebastian frowned, hands in his pockets. "What'd you do?"
"What?" Zoe creased her brow.
"I mean," Sebastian looked out at the distance. "What fresh hell made you want to move here?"
Adam
Adam arranged the construction of a deluxe barn and coop, silo, stable, well, mill and shed. He would soon be able to fill the barn with cows, goats, sheep and pigs; the coop with chickens, ducks and rabbits; and the stable with a horse for each of them.
Clara
Clara entered the carpenter's shop run by Robin. She wanted to purchase furniture ahead of time for construction was beginning on the house which they all shared. All shared a kitchen, living room and bathroom but the house would be enlarged so their bedrooms would be big enough to refit for additional storage.
"Ooh, cool!" Grace exclaimed, who had been following her unbidden.
"What are you doing here?" Clara asked laconically, ringing up her purchases. She had bought among other things some winter chairs, luxury table, winter dining table, artist bookcase, bamboo mat, plasma TV, carved windows, bonsai tree, statue of endless fortune and junimo plush.
Grace
Grace eagerly bought herself some breakfast chairs, a pink office chair, some pink plush seats, a cute chair but the crystal chair was reserved for Clara. She bought a red armchair, a red couch, a candy table, a birch dresser as Clara bought the mahogany one, a patchwork rug, a box lamp, plasma TV, fern houseplant, tub of flowers, indoor palm and the 'Vanilla Villa' painting. Grace wouldn't buy any weapons but she did wear a delicate bow, thermal boots and an amethyst ring.
"Thank you so much!" gushed Robin, who made a display on the commission she would receive. "Please come again!"
Adam
Adam was glad of his purchases. He had bought a king chair, brown armchair, brown couch, sun table, festive dining table, luxury bookcase, oak dresser, red cottage rug, country lamp, budget TV, dried sunflower, topiary tree, 'Jade Hills' painting, 'Sun 44' painting, 'Little Tree' painting, 'Needlepoint Flower' painting, ornate windows, model ship, china cabinet, tea set, and chicken statue. As for weapons, Adam had a steel falchion. As for clothing, Adam wore a cool cap, sneakers and an emerald ring.
Max
Max left his room in a mess when he left every morning. He liked to drink beer at the tavern late at night with the villagers who were happy to be shouted drinks all night. He also liked spending time with Haley who had warmed to him when he bought her gifts, learning that her favourites were a pink cake which Grace and Zoe had helped to bake him after he pleaded and a diamond which he had bought at great expense.
"Oh my gosh!" Haley had exclaimed. "It's beautiful!"
Max watched her with lust in his eyes, wanting to fuck her right then and there. Clara rolled her eyes for Haley was "such a slut" while Zoe thought Haley knew what she was getting into. Grace strived to emulate Haley who was "so pretty!" while Adam had no comment, figuring the type of girl Haley was to like Max who liked to flash cash.
Among his other things he had in his room was a wizard couch, monster rug, plasma TV, skull poster, boarded windows, monster danglers, skeleton statue and bear statue. He bought a galaxy sword, galaxy dagger, galaxy hammer, master slingshot. He wore a cowboy hat, dark boots and a warrior ring.
Zoe
Zoe liked to keep her weapons in good shape. She had a lava katana which she used to combat the evil down in the mines. She also had a wicked kris dagger, firewalker boots and a vampire ring.
Adam
Adam noticed the differences in the guys in Stardew Valley. Alex was a hardcore, sports-loving fan with scruffy brown hair. Elliott was a long-haired romantic who wrote novels in his shack on the beach. Sam had spiky blonde hair and was already Grace's love interest. Sebastian was moody with a gothic feel. Shane was frequently depressed, drinking cans of Joja Cola and more at the local tavern in the late hours of the night.
Clara
"Here," Clara cooked Alex a full breakfast.
"Oh, man!" Alex was stoked. "You're the best!"
Max
"Oh my gosh!" Haley exclaimed, as Max had made the diamond he gave her atop a gold ring. "Yes! I'd love to get married!"
Grace
"Come on, Sam," Grace moaned, picking up his stuff in the room they shared. "I don't want to do your fucking dishes every day."
Zoe
"Are you just going to play games all day?" Zoe watched as Sebastian closed himself up in his room, lit a doobie and listened to rock metal on his headphones.
Adam
Adam liked Shane so he made sure to buy him beers at the tavern past his bedtime.
THE END