The Azurette Farmer

By Archangel507

Farming wasn't hard.

That was his initial thought.

It was buying the seeds, picking the spot, clearing the land, tilling the soil, spreading fertilizer or retainer, sowing the seeds, and watering each day until harvest. His only pleasure in the tedious work was the repetitive nature of it all, the rhythm of each axe swing, of each scythe swipe.

You wake up, wash up, get dressed, head out, tend to the crops.

And then, it's the rest of the day off to do what you wish.

Be it fishing, foraging, or spelunking in the mines.

His new home was ripe with opportunity and adventure, just brewing in wait for him to find it.

The first step was to wake up.

Logan groaned as the morning light peaked in through the cracks of the window, illuminating dust drifting in the rays that shone directly on his bed with each day's start. A white cover draped over him was quickly discarded with a toss of his arm, which quickly succumbed to gravity again and slumped down next to him, a huff of breath escaping him and into his pillow.

He was sore, a tiresome day of farmwork already under his belt after yesterday. Groaning with a wheezing voice as he forced himself off the comforting mattress, already regretful for leaving such a soft object.

As he staggered about to the bathroom, running a hand through his hair and staring at his reflection, his thoughts ran wild with recent events...

The bus rocked as it traveled down the desert highway, scattered rocks and mounds of sand jolting the driver and her lone passenger.

Pam was an old favorite of his, a snarker by heart that often loitered at the Bus Stop he frequented. The only thing she really took seriously as her job, and even that was questionable, given her frequent smoking and drinking on the job.

Even now, she took several drags of a cigarette before tossing it carelessly from the window to the sands.

Her passenger wasn't much, or at least in his opinion he was.

He was young, only twenty and a quarter, his features were sharp and gave residence to bright chocolate-brown eyes, that stared tiredly out the window, and messy aqua/turquoise hair, his natural hair color despite protests to it. Most women called him handsome, others called him cute. Though, mostly for his eyes in the former's case, and his hair in the latter's.

He wore a brown jacket that he'd owned for some time, the seams stretched with several patches from his shoddy knit-work in repairing the article, an ocean-blue bandanna was tied around his neck, which his hand would often clutch in lapses of stress, like right now as he waited. With some urban camouflage cargo pants and work-boots, he seemed unlike your regular city boy.

He was rather slim, hardly showing from under his jacket, a result of a dull existence as a desk jockey at Joja Corporation back in Zuzu City. It had a decent paycheck, but the hours drained him and his co-workers of life, once quite literally.

His eyes narrowed and his fist clenched around his bandanna, visibly seething with anger at the companies sheer audacity in their lack of concern for their worker's well being.

It's why he left, and why he was coming here.

Stardew Valley.

His grandfather lived here, tending to a farm just west of major settlement there, Pelican Town. Crimson Moon Farm.

He recalled, back when Grandpa fell ill, before he had given him a letter that would never be opened until recently, inciting his move. Grandpa had talked of the farm and why it was called that, but he couldn't remember for the life of him now. While he would dream of an riverside one, or one among the hills, or even a forested one. He reckoned it would be just his average farm, plain and simple.

That day always held a resonance within him, the warm glow in his grandfather's eyes as he handed over the letter, clutched together with the bandanna he would come to cherish and wear nearly each day. Whether it be around his neck or tucked in his shirt pocket, the aqua-blue cloth hardly ever left his side.

A lapse in thought led him to withdraw the letter from his suitcase, uncrumpling the paper and reading it once more. The ink had faded over the years, but Grandpa's handwriting was still very eligible.

"Dear Logan, if you are reading this...Then you must be in need of dire change. The same thing happened to me, long ago. I had become disillusioned, loosing sight of what really mattered in life...true connections with other people and nature. So, I dropped everything and moved to the place I truly belong.

I've enclosed a deed to that place, my pride and joy: Crimson Moon Farm. It's located in Stardew Valley, on the southern coast. It's the perfect place to start a new life, for you and perhaps your brother, if he is willing.

This was my most precious gift of all, and now it's yours. I know you'll honor the family name, my boy. Good Luck.

Love, Grandpa."

A wry smile twisted his features, mostly from longing and remorse.

Grandpa expected great things from him one day.

"Hey, Kid." Pam beeped the horn, jolting him out of his thoughts. "We're here finally."

That day was nigh, it seemed.

He folded up the note, tucking it away in his jacket pocket next to his phone. Tugging on his suitcase, he stood up from his seat, heading down the aisle to the front of the bus, where Pam was turning the key, trying to start the bus again, which had gone deathly quiet.

It revved a few times, sputtering smoke from the tailpipe, before falling dead.

"Just our luck." The woman said, tossing her hat off. "Well, if the Bus breaks down, least I could do is check in with Penny, if she's still in town..."

"Your daughter, I assume?" He asked, hanging back on the pole before the first step.

"Yeah, it's...Hmmph!" She stood up with a grunt. "...been a while, but I bet she'd be glad to see these old bones again. You should come say hi when you've settled in, this valley's peaceful...a bit too peaceful for my taste, but peaceful."

It was one of the first time's he'd heard Pam compliment something or someone, the woman had always had a beer in hand when he saw her, being either buzzed or wasted in some scenarios. Even now, as he walked out, she reached under the driver's seat and withdrew a beer bottle.

He gave a ghost of a smirk, a feigned one, at her habit, stepping out and into a grassy area. Trees of varying kinds surrounded them, fences separated them and the expanse of wilderness to the west and east. A path moved southwards that shortly connected to another, bigger one that split east and westwards.

The air was pleasant, clear, and crisp, an echo of the receding winter, a sharp contrast to the constant choking smog of the city.

It was...liberating.

"Hello! You must be Mr. Cray." A woman's voice chirped, startling him as he took in the scenery.

He'd completely missed the woman wearing a brown and yellow vest and shirt of sorts smiling at him. her red hair tied in a ponytail. She'd apparently held her greeting so he could take in the surrounding area, so he wouldn't be overwhelmed.

"The new Farmer?" The red-haired woman inquired, face tense as if she was worried she had the wrong person.

"Uh, yeah." He said dumbly, giving a chuckle and scratching the back of his head. "I prefer to be called Logan though, 'Mr.' is a bit above my preference, if you get my meaning, yeah?"

"Of course, my apologies." She eased. "I'm Robin, the local carpenter. Mayor Lewis told me to come fetch you and show you to your farm. He's there now, tidying things up for when you get there."

"Ah, yes. I spoke to him over the phone. He mentioned a carpenter fixing it up too, that was you, yeah?" Logan rolled his shoulders, feeling some nice pops and cracks as he did so, stiff from the long ride.

"Yep! Some hard work, if I do say so myself. We should hurry over there. It'd be rude to keep him waiting."

He nodded, tugging on his suitcase. "After you."

Robin walked down the path, with Logan keeping up the rear as they took a right down the westward path. As they neared, the turquoise-haired man noticed the trees begin to part in the way of a field.

True and soon enough, they entered a large open area where the farm was situated. He felt his heart plunge into the depths of panic and worry at the sight, overgrown trees of varying sizes overtaking vast portions of the property. Small bushes and rocks clustered together in swarms, with massive boulders of dense stone blocking off good sections of land. A massive lake dominated the center, surrounded with everything listed.

It'd take a few days to clear it all...and some far better tools, better than he could purchase anywhere.

"What's the matter?" Robin asked, noticing his paled face of horror. "Sure, it's a bit overgrown...But don't worry, there's some good soil underneath that mess..." She winked and pinched her fingers together. "With a little dedication, you'll have this mess cleaned up in no time."

"If you say so..." He let out a breath he'd been holding, awfully unsure of his decision. "I reckon I'll use my bare hands then? Roll those boulders right off the cliff like Hercules, yeah? A normal pickaxe would break against that thing!"

Robin gave a laugh, patting him on the shoulder. "I'm sure you'll figure something out."

He waved his arms in exasperation. "Yeah, problem solver number one over here."

They moved on to the farmhouse that took up the north-east corner of the property. The old cabin had been fixed up nicely, but it had still seen better days by far. To be fair, that was an understatement.

"And here we are, your new home." The carpenter said with triumph.

"...Does it come with room service?" He asked.

The innocent question, asked with a completely straight face, brought forth a burst of cackles from the redhead.

"Nothing too serious, I'm afraid." An aged voice called from within, the front door to the farmhouse opening to reveal a man in green overalls and a cap, his mustache greyed from age. "You're the new farmer, correct? Welcome! I'm Lewis. Mayor of Pelican Town."

"A pleasure." Logan walked up a few steps and outstretched his hand. "Logan Cray, we talked on the phone. My Grandfather mentioned you in his letter, he says Hi."

"Heh, that's him alright." He took his hand and shook his wholeheartedly. "You know, everyone's been asking about you."

Logan's eyebrow twitched. "They are?"

"Yep! See, it's not everyday someone new moves in. It's quite a big deal to everyone!"

"I see." He eased a bit.

Dropping their handshake, Lewis turned to looked at the restored cabin before them, smiling as a noticeable layer of nostalgia glazed over his eyes at the mere sight of it. Clearly, he held the place with reverence.

"So...You're moving into your grandfather's old cottage." He said with approval. "It's a good house, very 'rustic'."

Logan gazed back at it, already gauging it between the mayor's definition and-

"Ha! That's one way of putting it!" Robin snorted. "'Crusty' might be a little more apt though..!"

Logan laughed out loud, not bothering to mention that he thought the same thing.

"That's rude!" Lewis exclaimed, glaring daggers at the carpenter, who giggled at his reaction. "Don't listen to her, Logan. She's just trying to make you dissatisfied so that you buy one of her house upgrades."

Logan chuckled, controlling his mirth while Robin became flustered, scoffing and crossing her arms, huffing in embarrassment as her face reddened.

It did kind of worry him that they joked of his new house though, since the outside left a little to be imagined, he could only imagine what the inside was like.

But good lord, these people were amusing.

"Well, Logan." Lewis tugged on his suspenders. "I'm sure your grandpa will be proud that you took over the farm, he spoke very fondly of you." The nostalgia remained in his eyes, though lessened. "Well...You must be tired after that long trip here from the city, you should get some rest. Tomorrow, you ought to explore the town and introduce yourself to everyone, everyone'd appreciate it."

"I'll keep it on my to-do list." Logan gave a wave of his hand, stepping up onto the porch, dragging his suitcase with him as Robin and Lewis walked back down the path.

"Oh! I nearly forgot." The mayor exclaimed, turning back to him. "This is your shopping bin, just place whatever you want to sell in here and I'll come by to pick it up at night."

"Noted, I'll come by in the morning, yeah?"

They gave one last wave, disappearing down the path as the new farmer entered his abode, a warmer air meeting him as he stepped inside and closed the door.

There was a bed, a end-table with an old lantern on it, a dresser, a TV, a fireplace, and a bathroom.

Simple commodities for a simple life.

Logan sighed, tugging on his bandanna as he set his suitcase down beside the bed, flopping down onto the soft mattress as his worries dissolved. He had to remember to not lay down too long, or he'd fall asleep and neglect a shower and-

Too late.

He sighed as he ran a comb through his freshly washed hair, tugging out knots in the wet aqua-colored strands. A hot shower was appreciative at night, but having to take one in the morning just felt weird. Thankfully, the spring had rolled around and the cabin was nice and warm on account of the fireplace.

Setting the comb down, he brushed his teeth and threw on a plaid shirt and forest-camo pants. He sat at the edge of his bed, taking his phone of the endtable and entering his password. A lone text highlighted the screen.

"Call me." -Blaze.

His brother, which seemed odd but was very relieving to him, since he was overseas at the moment fighting the Gotoro Empire for the Ferngill Republic. Logan rarely followed the news, but apparently a large raid on one of the major Republic bases had occurred, the Empire had taken a lot prisoners. Blaze was smart and would've avoided capture, but he sure as hell wasn't going to leave his comrades.

Dialing the number, Logan slumped in his bed when the call was picked up immediately, surprising him.

"Hello?" Came the universal greeting.

"Hey Blaze, long time no talk, yeah? I'm not interrupting anything, aren't I?"

"Nah, I'm chilling out with some buddies in the barracks. Sorry about not talking sooner, the higher ups are keeping me busy, especially with the recent raids. Causalities and POW's are rising badly..."

"Any near you?"

"Nah, but they're getting more frequent...It's troubling my Sergeant a lot though."

"Hmm..."

There was a pause, the only sound their breathing and some distant chatter of bunk mates on Blaze's side.

"So...Dad called, said you moved into Grandpa's place?"

"Oh yeah! I'm here right now." He glanced up from his phone and looked about, immediately noticing a package tucked into the corner on the other side of the room. "...I'm gonna start the farm back up today."

"I'm sure he'd like that. Old guy wouldn't stop rambling on how he loved that life, I'm sure you'll enjoy it."

"Oh? And what does that mean?" Logan inquired, standing up and retrieving the package before plopping back down on the bed again.

"Nothing..." Blaze replied, innocently. "You were never one for...an active life."

"Oh, haha." He mocked.

"Heh..." There was some commotion on the other line, before Blaze added with haste. "There's something going on, just got called by Corporal Vioni. I'll call you back when I can. Love you, bro."

"Love ya." He hung up, a tinge of worry for his brother hanging on his heart. He shrugged it off, citing his brother's abilities as a soldier. When it came to using a sword, which Logan could do with gusto, Blaze was always the greater in that scenario.

He looked to the package laid across his bed, he stood up and began peeling off the tape, opening it. A layer of dust escaped the box as it came open, the azurette was surprised to see some tools packed together, along with a bag of seeds and a note.

"Found your Grandpa's old tools. They're a bit weathered and old, but they'll get the job done. Here are some parsnip seeds to get you started, good luck! -Mayor Lewis."

Logan "hmm"ed and began taking the tools out, a scythe, gardening hoe, pickaxe, woodaxe, and watering can, inspecting each one for wear. The scythe and woodaxe were especially weathered down, but they could still serve their purpose.

He set them away and threw on his brown jacket, tying his blue bandanna which had been around his upper-arm, around his neck.

Once he stepped outside, gazing over the expansive wilderness, he sighed.

Time to go to work.

He laid out the tools on the ground, sorting through them and taking the pickaxe in hand. He walked up to one of the many rocks scattered across the property, nudging with his foot to gauge whether to break or move it. It didn't budge despite his prods, requiring the former solution. He nodded to himself, taking the pickaxe in both hands before heaving it overhead.

With a grunt, he swung down and smashed the rock to pieces. Chunks of stone scattered about, ripe for collection. If he foraged enough, he could probably build something. Furniture, Farming tools, and whatnot.

Not dwelling on it, he moved onto another one, moving in a rhythm of prodding and smashing stones to bits. Soon, he moved onto the bushes, making quick work of the overgrown hedges and weeds with the scythe. Then came the trees, which fell to the axe blade.

Two hours passed, and he had a decent clearing in front of the house. The azurette panting in exhaustion in the middle of it, his tools scattered about as he wiped the sweat off his brow. Any and all resources he'd gathered were stacked in a neat pile next to the house. He'd be sore in the morning, but with all the work, he'd pack some muscle on his physique.

"Active life...my ass!" He exclaimed and laughed to the sky with triumph.

With a groan, he pushed himself up and to his feet, fishing into his pocket for the Parsnip seeds.

"Oh hell, where are they?" He cursed when he grabbed air.

He paused, then reached into his other pocket, the crinkling of packaging making him sigh with relief. Setting the package down on the ground, he took the gardening hoe and began digging and disturbing the soil. Tilling, as they call it, allowed the seeds to take and eventually grow in the moist dirt underneath the top layer.

Normally, you could plant some fertilizer to increase the soil's richness or retainer which would keep the moisture overnight. But Logan had neglected to purchase either of them yet, so he had to work with what he had.

He tilled four rows of five squares each, planting each seed so they wouldn't interfere with one another, growing independently. When it was finally settled, he set the Hoe away and took the watering can to the lake at the center of the property, filling it up. Once that was done, he walked back and watered each row evenly, settling back to overview his work.

It was a good start, but far from the best.

Fatigue was wearing him down heavily, pants coming in quickly as he nearly doubled over. Be it upturning soil or clearing heavily forested areas, it was all just hard work in the end, far worse than what Joja could offer.

Yet, it was still more enjoyable.

He propped himself up on the Hoe's handle, leaning to the side with his left leg crossed behind his right, digging into his jacket to retrieve his phone to check the time.

8:00 AM

"Well...If it's like Zuzu city, the store outta open at ten...I guess I could go for a walk and get my bearings." He thought, gathering his tools.

Logan set away the equipment in the cabin, giving himself a once-over in the bathroom mirror to see if he'd made a mistake after his first farming experience. Lady luck must've been jestful today, with nary a scratch, but a whole lot of dirt covering him.

As he walked out, a loud squeak from a floorboard just at the foot of his bed startled him. The whole board was sticking up, just begging to stub someone's toe, namely his if he hadn't been careful.

"Yeesh, better fix that before getting any visitors." He murmured. Thankfully, someone had the foresight to leave a box of tools for him, Robin most likely.

He had to yank the board back to see if anything was keep it from going down, and to his surprise, there was a full bottle of whiskey. Not even the bad stuff too, it looked expensive. Like the stuff you'd purchase in a nightclub bar.

"Huh...Too early to start drinking." He mused, setting the bottle on the end table, setting the board back and nailing it in place. "I wonder who put it here, it's awfully new for it to be Grandpa's."

He shrugged, tossing the hammer back into the box as he shoved it under the bed, dusting his hands off before he glanced out the window.

First things first, there was a crow biting at the Parsnip seeds he had just planted.

"Shit!" He exclaimed, rushing out the door waving his hands and shouting. "Hey! Get! Get! Shoo!"

The crow gave a displeased craw, flapping it's wings to get out of the angry farmer's reach before he could grab it. With a final squawk, it flew off into the woods.

"Goddammit." Logan huffed, scowling at the feathered menace. "Visiting town'll have to wait, I need to get a scarecrow, or I'll have to keep doing that."

"Talking to the spirits, or the crows?" A female voice asked.

Logan whipped around startled, not watching his step as he stepped backwards and tumbled into the pond with a big splash.

"Omigosh! Are you alright?" The voice called as he righted himself, clinging to the water's edge as he sputtered, looking up to the surprise guest that had already caused him some woe.

She was girl, obviously, about his age with purple hair and blue eyes that held some concern, but not much. She wore a dark teal vest over a black shirt, seeming the adventurous type.

"Well...Interested in lunch? I could catch a fish while I'm down here, yeah?" He snarked and waved a hand, mentally thanking the heavens that he left his phone inside.

She rolled her eyes, reaching down and taking hold, pulling him from the water.

"Thanks...Uh..."

"Abigail." She said, tilting her head. "And you are?"

"Logan, Logan Cray." He nodded his head and motioned to the farmhouse, water dripping off him and to the dirt.. "I'm the new farmer, taking up after my Grandpa. Though it's turning out to be a bit difficult, yeah?"

"Oh that's right...I heard someone new was moving onto this old farm." She sighed, looking around. "It's kind of a shame, really. I always enjoyed exploring these overgrown fields by myself. Woke up early to do that today, but apparently you got here earlier than I thought."

"Oh? Well, I'm sorry to disrupt a pastime like that." He said, putting his hands in his pockets. "You can still come around here if you want, I sure don't mind. As long as you don't mess with the crops I've got growin, yeah? Probably don't wanna come inside though, it's pretty bare."

"...Yeeahh..." She drawled. "Well, Ya see, I used to hang in the farmhouse too and-"

"Oh! Was that your whiskey underneath the floorboard?" He laughed. "Whew! Lucky I decided to fix that board when I did, yeah? Thanks for the free booze!"

"What? No! I mean...Yes!" She shoved his shoulder and glared. "I mean, give it back!"

"No way! Finders keepers!" He stuck his tongue out childishly. "It's the good stuff too, no way I'm ever giving it up."

She wanted to slap him, or better yet, punch him and toss him back into the lake.

"Are you even old enough for alcohol?" She asked, crossing her arms. "You look like your eighteen."

"Oh ho, and are you?" He shot back with glee, surprising her how quick he was on the draw. He held out his arms to the side. "I'm twenty and a quarter, sister. I know my rights, yeah?"

Glares were exchanged, smirks and scowls clashed as they stood off. Without warning, her hand shot out to him.

"It's a pleasure to meet you, Logan."

His smile grew bigger, accepting the handshake. "Pleasure's all mine, and don't worry, I'll give the bottle back. It isn't a smart move to drink mystery booze from underneath the floorboard, yeah?"

"That's a relief, my parents would kill me if they found out..." She sighed, dropping her hand. She narrowed her eyes as she looked him up and down. "Man, you are drenched. I'm surprised the dye in your hair didn't wash out."

"It ain't dyed, all natural." He said, mentally rolling his eyes at how many times it'd been brought up. "I take it yours is dyed, yeah?"

"That's your natural hair color?" She gawked, ignoring the question. "Seriously, you must've been blessed by Yoba, that's an awesome color!"

He blinked, confused. "I'm sorry, who?"

Her face scrunched up. "Yoba? Y'know, the guardian deity of Stardew Valley and the entire world?"

"Wait, you mean God?"

She shrugged. "I guess, he does have many names."

"First time I've ever heard Yoba before." Logan placed his hands behind his head. "Kinda weird sounding...but whatever floats your boat, yeah?"

"Wait, are you religious at all?"

"Of course I am." He frowned. "Though discussing my personal life with a total stranger outside your name is a bit much for my second day here, yeah?"

"I bet." She chuckled, nodding her head to the side. "I could show you around, if you want. I grew up here and explored a good majority of the valley, I even have an old map you could use in case you get lost."

"Sounds good, but first I need to set up a scarecrow so the birds won't be back." He crossed his arms, walking to the house and up onto the porch, rooting through the stockpile of wood and stone there. "I would make one...But I think...Grandpa had one in storage...Lemme see..."

Abigail raised her eyebrow as he rummaged about. She looked around, noting the shoddy rows of tilled soil where he'd begun planting. Chances are, he was starting with Parsnips and probably would be frequenting her dad's store for more seeds, and even different ones.

She'd better get used to his presence then, he'd be around a lot.

He had wit to match hers, and thankfully a sense of humor to par. Being jestful was a nice turnaround from the arrogant jackass she'd expected.

She didn't get along with new people.

"Aha!" Logan exclaimed, tugging on a large wooden pole sticking out from behind the wood pile. "Found it!"

With a hard pull, he dragged out a scarecrow out from it's hiding place, across the porch and down the stairs over to her. It was old, that was for sure, about seven-to-eight years atleast.

A thick layer of dust and old dirt stuck to the fabric and faded blue overalls, and the hay stuffed inside had wilted and stiffened over the years. But even then, it was still in great shape.

"A bit weathered, but it'll do, yeah?" Logan said, reasoning to himself even if his voice betrayed him, being little shaky.

He propped the scarecrow up and sunk into the dirt just a foot away from the rows of growing parsnips, it's shadow casting over them in the morning sunlight, two little beads of red shining on the coal eyes of the scarecrow's face.

"Thank you..." A tiny voice said.

Logan fully paused, glancing to the scarecrow and to Abigail, then back to the Scarecrow, then to Abigail again.

"Did...Did it just talk?"

"Yeah, they can do that." She confirmed, kinda confused he didn't know that. "I've only ever heard one talk though, but from what I know, it's a known fact among farmers that they can, where've you been?"

"I only know the basics, I didn't know that the damn scarecrows could speak!" He eyed it suspiciously. "Kinda conflicted that I'm practically shanghaiing into service, yeah?"

"I will be your vigil, it is my purpose." The voice said as the scarecrow's eyes glowed faintly. "Your crops will be safe under my watch."

Logan tensed, then shrugged to himself. "Screw it. I give up on logic. But since I know you're...alive, I guess. I could give you a name, yeah?" He thought for a moment, then snapped his fingers. "...You will be my Vigil, eh? How about that then, yeah?"

"Vigil? Hmm...Snazzy." Abigail chuckled. "We going? Or do you want to wait to dry off?"

"Nah, I'll dry off as we walk about. Let's go, yeah?" He looked down at himself. "Hey, it washed the dirt off, so that's a bonus."

"Well, come on then, I'll introduce you to Sebastian and Sam."

The two went off and down the path, heading towards Pelican town, leaving the Scarecrow propped in it's place, watching over the rows of tilled soil.

"Vigil..." It murmured to nobody.

I got Stardew Valley recently and it surprised me to be honest. It was like Harvest Moon, but just felt...different, special. Something made it unique and I fell in love with the world it showed me. The characters and their stories.

While I mainly focus on Zelda fanfictions, with lots of action and less-than-satisfactory dialogue. I wanted to give this game a shot for fanfic writing, mainly to improve my character interactions and the calmer, quieter moments.

So please, review and give suggestions.
Ask me some questions, get me thinking, and overall, please enjoy my story.

Thank you and have a great day! :D