It was dark when she finished clearing the small garden beds in front of her cabin. She wiped her brow and set her tools inside a small box and checked the time. Almost 10pm, which meant she had exactly fifteen minutes to get ready for the evening. With a strange anticipation she couldn't quite place, she hurried inside.
In her dimly lit cabin, she scrubbed the dirt and sweat from her skin, pulled on jeans and a light long sleeved shirt and ran her fingers through her hair. She braved looking into the reflection of her bathroom mirror and stilled when she looked into her eyes. In her dream, they had been dull, dark and empty like a pool of tar. Tonight, they looked… different. Was it a good different?
She took a deep breath, eyes closed, in through her nose, holding it for a moment, then out through her mouth. The only thing she truly kept from those yoga classes in the city was the Breath of Fire. She released the breath in a mighty "Ahhhh!" and opened her eyes. Different still. Still dark, still like a pool, but she saw something else there this time. Was it a trick of the light in her reflection? Something shimmering gold and she can't place it. Rei decided then that it was a good different, but she didn't know quite what it was.
Throwing open the front door, she began the trek to the beach. Her walk was quiet, pensive, but she swore that every time she turned her head a glimmering orb would scramble just out of range. It tickled her that maybe the Junimos were watching her, guiding her perhaps. Maybe that glimmer in her eyes was hope. And as she thought about the Valley and the life she had only just began to claim, she felt that maybe, just maybe, she did belong here after all.
The first thing she saw were the lanterns, all strung up on the docks. From the beach it looked like a fairytale land, a dock where she could step on a boat and spirit herself away. She let her legs carry her closer, to where villagers stood around. Tonight the air was different from the typical festive cheer. There was joy but also a deep nostalgia that surrounded every villager. She walked to each and every person, greeting them warmly and smiling slightly at those who had paired off. At the end of one of the docks, she found her friends.
They were standing quite far apart from each other, which she thought was odd. She decided to tap on Abigail first, secretly wanting Sebastian to notice and approach her. Abigail gave her a small smile.
"We stand like this to observe the jellies by ourselves." She explained, "I can't describe it, or even really tell you any further reasoning, but this is how we've watched the jellies together every year."
Rei thought she understood. "You want your own time with them, with this experience. I get it."
Abigail nodded, but then shifted her eyes to Sebastian. "He might want to stand with you though."
She glanced over, where Sebastian had moved into a crouching position over the water.
"Think I should push him in?" Sam's voice from behind her. She chuckled at Abigail admonishing him for ruining the mood, but she decided to let Sebastian have his moment. Maybe he was finding weird glimmers in the reflection of eyes as well.
"I need to go find Lewis," she said, making it so her voice could be heard on all ends of the pier, "He said something about letting me 'Do the Honors tonight."
Sam and Abigail beamed at her. "There's nothing like this in the entire world Rei."
About ten minutes later, Rei stood at yet another section of the dock. The rope in her hands was attached to a small boat with a lantern. As Lewis instructed, she coiled the rope then tossed it into the boat. Then, crouching low to the dock and leaning over, she gave the boat a small push into the water. It traveled out, far out despite there not being any swell or current. She didn't think her slight shove would've carried it that far, but as she watched the small light flicker away she realized that this valley was filled with more mysteries than she could even begin to understand.
The lights on the docks dimmed and the chatter of the village folk lowered in anticipation. Then slowly, announced with a gasp from Jas, a glowing light appeared from beneath the surface. Then another, and then another. All shades of blues and greens were glowing underneath the water. Rei had retreated to a corner of the dock, kneeling and looking into the swirling waters. A strange looking green jelly floated nearby. She found herself mesmerized by its movements. Her eyes followed it as it floated away. As she scanned the horizon, she saw that there was no line from where the sea ended and the sky began. It was as if she was staring into the vastness of space, with swirls of light pooling at the edges of her vision, she felt immersed in the universe. What was the meaning behind Stardew, and was this it? Throughout it all, she saw flickers of light, flickers that resembled her eyes in her reflection. If I am taking in the spirit of the Valley, she thought, let it transform me.
Sebastian found her, still kneeling as if in prayer. He himself had been through his own deep reflection. Where once there felt like an all-consuming void, he now felt some semblance of peace. Every year, the Dance of the Moonlight Jellies gave this to him. Looking at Rei now, this new girl who held so much mystery and kept her secrets in a shroud about her person, he wondered if she was finding her own peace.
She felt something warm drape around her shoulders. It smelled like cigarettes and coffee and she turned to see Sebastian kneeling beside her. Snuggling into his classic hoodie further, Rei allowed herself to really see him. She traced his jawline with her eyes, up the curve of his face and settled into his eyes. Dark eyes just like hers stared back. It was almost uncanny how similar they were to one another and yet how different. She was used to being the mirror for everyone else. The doll to dress up and reflect out whatever people wanted her to say. To be like this, staring into Sebastian's eyes, was like looking into a mirror herself. She understood now why she was drawn to him. Sebastian was the first person who truly treated her as an equal. Never a test or a challenge. Never something to be fixed or presented. But as true equal human being. "Thank you, " she whispered, slipping her hand into his. They stayed like that for a while, kneeling at the edge of the world, hand in hand and staring into each other's eyes.
The glow of summer faded, and the moonlight jellies drifted off, carrying on towards the great unknown.