A Life More Ordinary Ch. 01

Author's note: Welcome to the first proper chapter of this Stardew Valley story! I hope you will enjoy reading it as much as I did writing it. By way of a content warning, it features an intersex heroine, large to massive breasts, oral sex, incestuous relationships, large cumshots, lots of exposition with a much smaller amount of sexual content, poorly translated conversations in French, and most importantly, a highly amateurish ability to write sexy scenes. These warnings will be updated per chapter as necessary. If any of these are of little interest to you, the reader, I offer my apologies.

I would also like to apologize profusely for using offensive terms to refer to intersex people in the prologue to this series. I have no wish to offend, disparage, or denigrate any part of this community, and I apologize for the egregious error.

Disclaimer: All characters engaging in sexual content are at least 18 years of age.

*****

Chapter 1: Welcome to the Valley

Spring 1, Year 1

Kaylia awoke early the next morning to birdsong and sunlight streaming through the window. Her sleep had been deeply restful, and as she got out of bed, threw on her new working clothes, and reapplied the red headband keeping her hair out of her eyes, she felt ready as ever to face the day and her new life.

Her eyes lit on a small package on the floor of the cottage; she must have missed it yesterday in her almost obscene haste to go to bed. She picked it up and set it on the small dining table, then went to inspect the tools the Mayor had mentioned. They were indeed old, but otherwise in excellent condition. The axe and scythe seemed to maintain something of an edge, and the mining pick and hoe also appeared serviceable, but everything could definitely use some sharpening. Her real reservations involved the watering can, of a size more suited to a small garden rather than a large-scale farming operation. Baby steps, Kay thought to herself as she turned back to the small package.

She opened the note addressed to her and attached to the top of the box. "Here's a little something to get you started! -Mayor Lewis" The mayor had signed it with a little smiley face. Kaylia smiled herself as she opened the box, pulling out packets of parsnip seeds. Lining them up on the table, she counted fifteen in total. Not bad, but we can do better. She knew she wanted to start small, but not that small. Looking through her wallet and counting the remnants of her discharge funds, Kay figured she had enough to expand her new parsnip patch a bit, but likely not enough to her taste. She'd have to see how much seeds cost first, at any rate.

"Well," she said, "time to tame the wilderness." Gathering her tools, she opened the door and stepped outside into the brisk spring air.

The first thing she noticed, now that the light was better and she wasn't completely exhausted, was the sheer scale of the property. The farm was nestled into a box canyon, and she vaguely remembered the Mayor mentioning on the drive over that the property lines ran right up to the canyon walls all around. The cabin was positioned on a small rise in the northeast corner of the farm, which afforded a fine view of the entire farm, at least as much as could be seen through the dense copse of trees and undergrowth. Over to her left was a large wooden bin with a lid, which Kay surmised was for outgoing shipments. Walking the length of the farm, she made note of a small cave set into the northern cliff face next to a path leading up into the mountains, and the ruins of a greenhouse near that. A small pond was immediately south of the house, and Kay found a larger pond on the southern edge of the property after pushing through a large tangle of tall grass and saplings. This is going to take some planning, she thought to herself as she returned to the cabin porch.

Deciding to clear out the space directly in front of the cabin, she grabbed the axe and pick and set to work. The trees came down surprisingly quickly, and the smaller rocks were simple affairs of pick-work. Work halted when Kay ran against an old growth stump, her axe unable to gain purchase on the harder wood. Until she could have her tools sharpened, it would remain, so it became a natural boundary for this first effort. Still, she was able to clear a surprising amount of space in a short while, and she went over the remaining grasses and small shrubs with the scythe. That done, Kay visualized a small patch of ground roughly 12 feet by twelve feet and started tilling with the hoe. As she worked, she calculated: four square feet of plot per packet of seeds should be about right. She figured that would need to be adjusted depending on the crop, but, again, baby steps.

The sun had risen in the sky perceptibly by the time she was done, and Kay stepped back to admire her handiwork. The smallish plot of tilled land was ready for seeding and watering. Splashing some water on her face from the nearby pond, she started to head east towards town, but stopped to consider. She was definitely feeling the burn, and she had plenty of time yet, so maybe it would be better to explore a bit. Grabbing her backpack, she turned north, to the mountains.

The mountain path was lined with evergreens, and the sound of birds and wildlife filled the air. Wild horseradish and leeks seemed plentiful in the hills, and Kay started gathering what she could for future use. She opened her senses to the world around her and was amazed at how bright and vibrant everything felt. The telltale signs of civilization were completely absent here; the air was fresh and clean, the trees and foliage were bright shades of green, what animals she saw were healthy and well-fed. It was a far cry from the drab, downtrodden, utter greyness of the Empire. She understood immediately why Daniel loved it here.

As she let her senses wander, she became aware of a pulse of... something underneath everything, just as vibrant as everything else. It swirled around her, seemingly just out of her perception. Kay wondered if this was the earth magic the wizards in the Capitol raved about incessantly. Supposedly, it permeated the Republic only, especially in places like this, and they suspected it was a factor in the superior quality of crops and animals compared to Imperial counterparts. Indeed, they also thought it sped the growth and maturity of same, though they couldn't prove it, and that was patently ridiculous, anyway. Still, seeing it in person, Kaylia had to wonder. She wondered why she couldn't pin it down with her own magical senses, but chalked it up to her Imperial origins.

Kay eventually reached signs of life, a large log cabin appearing as she walked around a bend in the path. Further along, she saw an older man tending a fire in front of a yellow tent. As she got closer, he appeared to be wearing a coat of treated leaves, and his white hair and impressive beard grew wild and unkempt. He eventually noticed her passing by, and Kay definitely got the impression that he was wary of her, as he likely was of all strangers. She waved as she continued along the path towards a large lake and behind what must have been Robin's house.

Reaching the lake, Kay noted the to small islands in the middle, along with the clamor of a mining crew working to clear a landslide. She thought she could make out another cabin to the northeast, but wasn't sure. She turned south and continued following the path as it switched back and downward past the front of Robin's home, a large, multi-level log affair that had clearly been a great labor of love and craft. A number of weather-monitoring instruments festooned the roof, and she noticed a telescope on the second-floor balcony. She could hear multiple distinct voices from within through open windows, though not clearly enough to make out words. She made a note to return and talk to Robin about her services in detail, and maybe meet the rest of her family.

Turning south, Kay finally reached Pelican Town proper. She could make out what were likely the general store, medical clinic, and pub in the center of town, with a number of houses and a trailer home scattered around to the south. Beyond them, the town's beach and pier were obscured by the treeline, with the Gem Sea beyond them. The telltale sounds of a generator came from the east, the local smithy, no doubt, and Kay turned to see both it and the town's library.

With a start, she suddenly became aware of a... gap in the vibrancy of the town, for lack of better terms. North of the smithy was a large warehouse-styled building, a nearby sign proclaiming it the local JojaMart. She shouldn't have been surprised by the encroachment of big business to this otherwise sleepy town, but the corporate slogans prominently displayed ("Life's better with Joja!" "Join us. Thrive.") rubbed her the wrong way. No surprise that Lewis forgot to mention this particular feature, as it seemed completely at odds with the rest of town. Kay was disgusted with how cold it seemed. Impersonal. Imperial.

*****

A tiny bell rang as Kay entered Pierre's General Store. She briefly looked over the shelves stocked with products, noting a wide array of products. It had a very homey, retro vibe, with several older posters (at least 30 years old, in some cases) describing wonderful brands and products that likely no longer existed. There were a few people browsing the aisles, and a woman with striking green braided hair in a shop apron restocking some of them. Behind the counter, a large sign proclaimed "If we don't got it, we can get it!"

Also behind the counter stood the proprietor, or so Kay assumed. Pierre was a man in maybe his late 30s, with brown hair parted down the middle and swept back, glasses, and a worn leather shop coat. He smiled brightly as he at last noticed Kay enter. "Welcome! Welcome!" he greeted her, waving her over enthusiastically.

This being her first time meeting someone un-escorted, Kaylia pondered how best to proceed. Obviously, she wanted to make a good first impression. Equally obviously, she was the recently-AWOL commander-in-chief of Gotoro military forces and one of the mythical Bladesisters, so a modicum of restraint might be called for. Lewis had already warned her that the town was eager to meet her, which meant deciding on a general response plan now. Time slowed around her as she reviewed her options, and eventually she settled on what seemed like it would be the most fun: enthusiastic eccentricity. She approached the counter and joyfully greeted the man.

"Bonjour bonjour, monsieur!" she replied, "ravi de nous rencontrer! Vous êtes Pierre, je suppose?"

It was a calculated move, addressing the proprietor in a language only the deranged would assume he knew based only on his name. She fully expected to play it off after a few moments of confusion, hopefully giving the impression of joking to cope with her "nervousness". However, when Pierre broke out in the biggest smile Kay had seen since arriving in the Republic, she recognized her gross tactical error almost immediately.

"Oui, madame! Et vous devez être la charmante Mme Gardner! Enchante! Bienvenue dans mon humble boutique!"

Thus began a five-minute whirlwind of conversation between Kay and Pierre that was otherwise impenetrable to the other townsfolk. Kay had just finished explaining that, no, she hadn'tsd spent a lot of time in Grampleton, she was just a dedicated student of languages, when the green-haired woman stepped over and coughed conspicuously.

"Forgive me," Pierre said, dropping both the language and the ridiculous accent, "let me introduce my wife, Caroline. Cari, this is Kaylia Gardner, Daniel and Kim's granddaughter."

"It's wonderful to finally meet you!" Caroline put her basket of items down and offered a warm handshake, which Kay accepted. She was about as tall as Pierre (making them both 5' 11", four inches shorter than Kay's statuesque 6' 3"), and her apron obscured an otherwise trim figure. "We were so excited to hear you were coming to work the farm! We didn't know your grandparents for very long, but we felt like we lost family when they passed all the same."

"Thank you, that's very kind of you to say." Kay smiled wistfully. "I miss them every day." She could feel them both sizing her up and tamped down on a flare of paranoia.

"We'll have to have you over for dinner when you have the time!" Caroline said. "Abby's been dying of curiosity when she found out a girl was taking over Red Dragon Farm, and a soldier besides! She'd love to meet you!"

"Now now," Pierre chided, "she's just arrived! I'm sure she has her hands full whipping that place back into shape!." Caroline snorted as she returned to the shelves. "Our daughter, Abigail, is a little obsessed with adventuring, and you're catnip for that sort of thing. Cari's absolutely right, though, let me know when things calm down a bit and I'll whip up a meal fit for kings!"

"Don't do it!" a voice called out from behind with a burst of laughter. Kay turned to be greeted by a portly gentleman in a yellow and blue windbreaker and sporting a fabulous handlebar mustache. His eyes sparkled with mirth as he approached and extended a hand. "Pierre fancies himself a chef, but 'mad food scientist' would be more appropriate!"

"Kaylia Gardner, Gus Wells, our illustrious local tavern-keeper. And you keep out of this!" Pierre glared at Gus after the introductions, but it was easy to see it was just theater. Kay gladly accepted Gus's hand, noticing his strong grip and returning the favor, causing Gus to wince a little.

"Hey Gus, I have your order around back." Caroline said as she headed that way to fetch it.

"Thank you, be right there!" Gus turned back to Kay, shaking his hand out. "It is a pleasure to meet our new lady agriculturalist, excessive grip strength notwithstanding. Listen, forget about this rank amateur and stop by the Saloon when you can. I'll treat you to a meal that will change your life." He laughed again as he went to follow Caroline.

"I hate to admit it," Pierre said, adjusting his glasses, "but he's probably the best chef in five counties. We're lucky to have him."

"I'll bet."

"So, not that I don't appreciate the chance to meet, but I suspect you're not here just to shoot the breeze."

Kay nodded. "Actually, you wouldn't have any use for local forage, would you? I need supplies, obvs, and I'm trying to conserve the war chest, as it were."

"Absolutely!" Pierre looked almost giddy. "We rarely get a chance to go a-hunting lately, and when we do go, Linus has usually gotten the best pick of the fields."

"Linus?"

"Oh, he's a transient that lives up in the mountains, near the Wright place. Been here a few years, mostly keeps to himself." Kay nodded, remembering the man as she walked through the mountains. "Anyway, what did you find?"

Kay opened her pack and pulled out the roots and leeks she had found, and Pierre gave them a quick inspection. "The good stuff, huh. Not bad..." he said to himself as he jotted down some numbers on a note pad. "How does 300 gold sound?"

"Fine with me, though you may want to keep it in the register." Kay filled him in on her immediate needs: 21 packets of parsnip seeds and an array of notepads and stationary. Pierre quickly took to the stocks and collected the request as Kay paged through the special order catalogs on the counter.

"Keeping a narrow field to start?" he asked as he took Kay's payment and bagged up the items.

"To start. Lots more to do before I can get a real operation going."

"Fortune favors the ambitious! You need more seeds and supplies, you come right back!"

Does it? Kay wondered to herself. "What are your hours? I may be back today, depending."

"9 to 5 everyday but Wednesday."

"...why Wednesday?"

"Turns out having a day off in the middle of the week is super useful. Also, it's easier to get quality family time."

"I can appreciate that. Thanks again!" Kay collected her purchases and turned with a wave. If everyone in town was this friendly, meeting everyone would be a snap, Kay thought as she opened the door to leave.

WHAM

Kay was startled as she walked directly into someone attempting to enter the store, knocking them to the ground. "Oh, Goddess, I'm so sorry!" she apologized as she went to help them up.

"Oof," the young lady (it turned out) said, "tell me you got the license of that truck."

She was about 5' 8", with long, brown hair tied back in an elegant braid. She wore a close-fitting magenta cardigan and jeans against the crisp spring air, which framed a generous feminine figure. Kay reminded herself to keep her mind out of the gutter, especially on her first day here, and lifted the woman up to her feet with one arm easily.

"You're a strong one, aren't you?" she said, giggling as she regained her feet and leaned in to a hug. Kaylia noticed a warm scent of sugar and vanilla and lingered in the hug for a moment longer.

"Yes, ma'am. Kaylia Gardner, for all of your personal freight needs."

At her introduction, the woman's smile faded just a little. "How do you do. I'm Jodi. Jodi Freeman." Kay recognized the name immediately as they parted.

"Oh, Mrs. Freeman, I, uh..." Kay stammered, regretting the flash of attraction. She hadn't been expecting to meet her this soon.

Jodi shook her head, her smile returning full force. "Don't worry about it, I'm sure we'll have time to talk later. I mean, the fact that you're here now means things are changing, right?"

"I hope so." Kay responded.

"It was nice meeting you!" Jodi said as she entered the general store. Kay stood there for a moment, considering how best to approach her later to both apologize for steamrolling her and to have the inevitable conversation about her past. She turned west and headed back to the farm, lost in thought.

*****

In Kaylia's mind, farming was one of the most important callings to which one can aspire, as the health, wealth, and stability of a nation relied greatly on the fruits, vegetables, grains, and animal goods provided by the agriculturalist. She had also known that farming was also a labor of both love and ceaseless, backbreaking effort, but was only now coming to grips with that. While she was glad of having tilled soil before heading in to town, spreading the now sizable collection of parsnip seeds and then ensuring the entire plot was sufficiently watered was a tiring task.

She collapsed next to the small pond when she was done, staring up at an impossibly blue sky. The sun traversed overhead in its usual arc, and the cool breeze and copious birdsong led Kay to close her eyes for just a moment. As she lay there, she thought she could detect a low thrum in the air. Past the constant buzzing of insects or chirping of birds, this almost felt like a steady beat, as if the farm itself were alive. The longer she listened, the more distinct it became, until it seemed to match her own heartbeat. In that moment, Kaylia felt a peace and tranquility almost unlike any she had known before. It was love, a deeply personal connection to the land, almost exactly as Daniel had described it in his letters. To Kay, it compared to the same feeling when she and Zoria would fall asleep in each other's arms, the world falling away until only they remained.

When she finally arose, she realized several hours had passed. She felt... different, somehow. As though she had bonded to the land through her communion with the farm. It was a strange albeit pleasant feeling. Less so was the insistent rumbling of her gut, a reminder of more pressing needs. She splashed some water on her face, grabbed her pack, and headed back to town. Time to take Gus up on his offer of food.

*****

The Stardrop Saloon was situated right in the center of town, and it was 5 o'clock by the time Kay got there. Inside, she saw Gus standing behind a wide expanse of teak and wiping out glasses. Nearby, a tall girl with hair a distressing shade of blue arranged plates and flatware on the shelves behind the bar. She wore a long red dress that seemed to be of high quality, though the styling was somewhat simple. Kay also noticed a few patrons, an older woman at the bar with spiky chestnut hair, a bright purple track suit, and eye shadow applied with a very strong line; and a dark-haired gentleman sitting next to the lit fireplace and nursing a beer, bearing five o'clock shadow and wearing a threadbare hoodie emblazoned with the JojaCorp logo. He must work at JojaMart, Kay thought to herself.