Later the darkness fell
and the solid moon
like a white pond rose
But I wasn't in any hurry.
— Hummingbirds,
Mary O.
day 0. grandfather's will
Life comes at you fast. Finding out about your beloved grandfather's decision to run away from home and keep it secret comes at you faster. You arrive at the main house, dusty with exhaustion, half-dead from your latest cold and carrying only a small suitcase and your staff. Pandemonium ensues.
"I just wanna talk," you say to your relatives, after you have escorted them into the living room, their expressions all a range of various degrees of shamefaced.
Someone coughs and is immediately shushed.
Somebody else offers you tea and you take a slow sip, honey and starlight dancing on your tongue and soothing your sore throat. You finish it quickly. It makes you feel much better as it warms you up from the inside out. You relax slightly back into the plush sofa.
"Alright," you say, rubbing at your temples. Your family members fidget nervously as you drag your eyes across them one by one. "Tell me why you let this happen?"
One of your aunts stands up, her silken skirts rustling. Magnolias bloom shyly from in-between her braids and her eyes are a soft rose pink. She sighs and waves for another cup of tea to be brought to you. Concern pulls her mouth downwards from the smile she welcomed you with.
"Darling, it's not like we could stop him. Why, we only learned about his departure a few years ago!"
Her flowers droop as she dons an expression of elegant dismay. "And truly, we thought you knew! After all, you two have always been very close…"
Tentative agreement rings in the room as she trails off, biting her lip. One of your cousins drops a blanket of clouds onto your shoulders. His eyes are glimmering with equal parts mischievous lightning and thundercloud worry. Your mug is refilled from a distance by one of your uncles.
You clasp the new tea between your still cold hands and watch the steam drift lightly from it's green-gold surface. You blink away faint dots of light before looking back up.
"Auntie, I understand. I'm not angry you know, just —"
You rub the back of your neck and sigh, pulling the blanket closer.
"I'm sorry," you say. "It's my fault. I should've been paying more attention."
The silence is immediate. And then your relatives riot. You watch in startled bemusement as they turn from mild-mannered and generally well-behaved folk to passionate orators, ready to extol your virtues and laud your nobility and praise you to skies. It becomes something of a competition before it is broken by a wobbly voice.
"Oh my darling, how can you say this!" Your aunt cries, petals trembling in her fervor. "Which of us does not know how much of your gift you have offered us with open hands? Who has not seen how much of your time and energy you expend on this household?"
She dabs away tears with a colorful handkerchief another one of your uncles produces from thin air and sniffles.
"Yes, yes." The same uncle says, waving his top hat vigorously. "Your aunt is right! You push yourself too hard, starling. Look how haggard you've become. I know your potions are good but you must have a good meal every once in a while. Just potions isn't enough, you know. But you always say you're too busy to eat!"
You cough.
The faint hint of guilt in your expression sets off a good half of the family. You are encircled at once by family members pinching your cheeks and lamenting your lack of nutrition. One of your nieces crawls into your lap and solemnly offers you a toffee. When you take it, you can see your family member's eyes look at you with eyes sparkling with mixed pity and determination.
The previous quiet has been swept away by energy. Before they can get carried away you clear your throat and call for order. Your niece offers you another toffee as everyone pipes down. You try to get to the point quickly.
"Then does anyone know where Grandfather went? Or when?"
There is a guilty murmur that rises. The answers range from a few years to several decades. There are talks about him leaving a trail that can be followed if you could find the time to track him. It is interrupted by your stomach growling. The peace is broken again.
"Oh!" says your aunt. "It's dinnertime. We simply cannot talk business over dinner!"
You have no time to refute. Your relatives busy themselves with making you comfortable. One of your cousins even goes so far as to pluck you up from your seat and bustle you over the dining room in her arms. You allow it, too far off the ground to risk any sudden movements.
The tables are laden with food in the blink of an eye, all fresh and delicious. Your plate is loaded with your favorites and refilled anytime you look away to speak with someone. A few bright crystals are placed at your side for dessert. Basking in the excited chatter and warm laughter of your family, you take a moment to sit back in your seat. The crystals catch your eye and you realize that one of them is a deep, liquid blue. It must have taken a very long time to cultivate it to your tastes.
That of all things combined with everything else that's happened so far is what solidifies your understanding of the current situation.
Everyone is lively and full of happiness, you realize as you watch them with half-lidded eyes, growing sleepy and full. The crystals shatter sweetly on your tongue as you bite through them and light rushes into your body.
It's delicious.
They must have worked very hard on these. Even harder on staging this play with your grandfather. Nobody is terribly worried the way they would be if he'd just vanished out of nowhere. He must be fine. None of your readings turned up disaster for him as well so it's alright. You just weren't expecting this but it has been a very long time since you've been home after all.
You almost forgot what it was like. A soft laugh bubbles from your throat, too faint to be heard.
Really...you've missed them.
It is for this reason that decide to play along and see where this goes.
Nothing terrible will come of it.
You're sure.
*a/n: starts stardew valley & has the farmer avoid civilization for the first year bc i don't know how to play & nobody explains anything. you could make a story out of this.