A Life More Ordinary Ch. 05

Author's note: Welcome to chapter 5 of this Stardew Valley story! I hope you will enjoy reading it as much as I did writing it. I'd also recommend giving the first part of the prologue chapter a quick review for a refresher on Kaylia's sisters, but it's not strictly necessary.

By way of a content warning, this series features intersex characters, large to massive breasts, oral sex, incestuous relationships, rimming, oblique musical references, large cumshots, long stretches of non-sexual content, cum swapping and swallowing, and continuing development of strong affections. 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.

Disclaimer: All characters engaging in sexual activity or described in a sexual manner are at least 18 years of age.

*****

Chapter 5: Letters from Home

Spring 8, Year 1

The morning sun crept over the distant horizon as Kaylia began her day. She had somehow extricated herself from the nude forms of Haley and Maru without waking them, glad to not disturb their much needed rest. The incredible threesome of the previous night had been wonderfully exhausting, and she had fallen asleep with the newly recognized couple under a depthless starry sky. She was a little surprised one of them hadn't woken them up in the middle of the night for round two, but the girls were evidently sound sleepers. They'd have to be with Haley running that buzzsaw through her nose all night.

Kay took her time watering the crops that morning, joined on her rounds by the farm's designated calico cat, Luna. She gave the cat a chance to drink from the watering can as she swept the nozzle back and forth over the rapidly maturing potatoes, kale, and parsnips. The cauliflower and green beans looked to be taking their time, relatively anyway, and Kay expected to plant a lot more of the former once the harvest came in on Wednesday.

Most of it, anyway. Kay had sort of fibbed when she'd said it was Wednesday. Most of it was Wednesday, the bulk of the potatoes and kale certainly, but the parsnips would likely be ready tomorrow, and there were more parsnips and potatoes that would follow on Thursday, though far fewer in numbers than would have already been collected. She was glad Robin said the silo would be up by Tuesday, it would be needed.

In discussing the leyline flow restriction plan with Melvyn the wizard, he had lamented not being able to test the system before the big harvest. With the bulk of the parsnips due in the day before, however, Kay figured that would be sufficient to verify their preparations. She felt bad about having to dump it on him suddenly, but he seemed the able sort. It would likely be fine.

Kay had gone to the eastern pond to refill her watering can when she heard a jolly "Hello!" She turned to see Robin arriving from the mountain road, an extension ladder and a large toolbag in tow. She was wearing her usual yellow shirt, leather vest, and green work pants, today augmented by a large leather belt. Kay waved and walked over to meet her by the cabin.

"Good morning!" she greeted the carpenter.

"This is going to be fun!" Robin replied, adjusting the belt and arming herself with the tools of her trade. "I haven't gotten to work a construction gig in a while."

"You going to need any help?" Kay asked. She had some experience with earthworks and battlefield construction, and at the very least she knew how to swing a hammer.

"Nah, I got this." Robin pulled a checklist out. "So, I can see you've got plenty of stone, we're also going to need some clay and copper bars for the roof." Kay brought Robin over to the miscellaneous materials chest by the side of the cabin. Robin looked through and withdrew some of the copper bars and lumps of clay. "Right on! This will be enough to get started."

Kay noticed some movement by the greenhouse and observed Maru and Haley sitting up. They had the quilt covering themselves, and Kay figured they must have been woken up by the commotion.

"Hey, you're up!" Kay called to them, ignoring Maru's frantic handwaving, and Robin turned to see whom Kay was addressing.

"So this is where you ended up!" Robin said, cackling. "Good morning, Haley!"

"Good morning, Mrs. Wright." Haley didn't seem nearly as embarrassed as Maru, but that didn't seem possible at the moment. Maru went red as a beet and started scrambling for her clothes. Kay had helpfully collected, folded, and placed them by the love nest.

"So, how did they make out last night?" Robin asked Kay in a low voice, waggling her eyebrows at the obvious pun. "I hope they didn't keep you up too late."

"It was fine," Kay replied with a sly grin, "I wore them out before it became a problem."

"SHUT UP," Robin responded, slapping Kay's shoulder, "you didn't!"

Kay shrugged. "I came out to congratulate them and things... escalated."

"Fair enough," Robin said, sounding like she regretted asking. Kay decided to use this opportunity to gather some information.

"I'd be happy to tell you all about it, if you'd like, it might reassure you that Maru is in... very good hands." Kay kept her voice low and only mildly suggestive.

Robin immediately shook her head. "Uh-uh, no way. I'm so happy Maru and Haley are together, but I don't need to hear any of the gushy details." The look on Robin's face confirmed it. Kay felt a bit of relief at that.

"Gushy is right," Kay responded, getting another smack from Robin.

"You are TERRIBLE," she said, unable to hold back laughing. "Come on, show me where we're putting this sumbitch."

Kay led Robin to a spot near the mountain road. The eventual plan would have a pair of silos, one on either side of the road, to serve as a makeshift gateway. As they marked the site off with stakes and twine, Robin pointedly ignored the flurry of activity in the greenhouse. Maru was quickly throwing her clothes on, using part of a ruined wall for cover. Haley also dressed, though not as frantically.

"Do you know the wizard?" Kay asked, holding the twine as Robin tied it down.

"Never met him," Robin replied, "my husband refuses to have anything to do with him. 'Magic is just science we don't understand yet.'"

"Sounds like Dad, alright," Maru said, walking over with Haley.

"You headed back?" Robin asked, accepting a hug from her daughter.

"Yeah, don't want to be late to the lab. Thanks for letting us stay over, Kay!" Maru hugged Kay as well, giving her a quick peck on the cheek. "Seriously, thanks for everything, I can't wait to get together again," she whispered.

Haley also gave Kay a hug, though her kiss was much more involved. "Next time, I'm going to tongue your ass until you cum all over my tits," she promised. "Goodbye, Mrs. Wright!"

"Bye, girls!" Robin waved as they set off northward, then returned to the task at hand. "So, what about the wizard?"

"He might stop by later, just wanted to warn you ahead of time."

The two women completed the task quickly, and Kay helped bring over the needed stone to the work site. Robin marveled at Kay's strength, her toned muscles bulging as she carried the heavy materials over with ease. Her shirt rose as she lifted, revealing a well-defined abdominal area.

"Maybe I should take up farming, I'd love to have abs like those!" Robin smirked.

"It's a good workout, I'll give you that."

Robin chewed on her lip as she started prepping stones for placement. Caroline was right, it wasn't difficult to see how Kay worked so fast. She could see the attraction, Kay was very beautiful without seeming to work at it. Her bright silver hair shone in the light, hanging up and over a red headband. It was impossible not to notice her generous curves, which were perfectly matched to her amazonian stature. She also seemed to exude a quiet confidence about her, evident in the smoothness of her movements and the bearing with which she held herself.

Robin was shaken out of her consideration of Kay by a loud "Meow" at her feet. She looked down to see Kay's cat looking up at her, curiosity in its eyes.

"Hello there!" she said, "I'm just helping Kay with some construction."

"Luna," Kay said in a stern voice, "don't bother Mrs. Wright."

"She's fine," Robin said, kneeling down to give the cat a few pets. Luna purred appreciatively before trotting off to lay in the shadow of a nearby wood pile, content to supervise as cats do.

They spent the next hour constructing the base of the silo. Kay helped where she could, but Robin clearly had everything well in hand, and Kay eventually excused herself to work on the nearby fields. She picked up her watering can and finished irrigating the soil as they chatted pleasantly.

"Oh!" Robin said. "I wanted to say, that's a really nice mailbox you put in!"

"Hmm?" Kay responded. What about the mailbox? she thought.

"You have to tell me where you found it, it looks amazing!"

Kay narrowed her eyes. The last she remembered, it was just a simple wooden mailbox with the Republic Postal Service logo on the side. She turned to look at it and nearly lost her grip on the watering can.

The mailbox was where it always was, but instead of a simple wooden box, there was now an ornate dragon's head. It was painted crimson with gold highlights, its face locked in a perpetual snarl. It was designed to look as though the dragon was roaring when the box was opened. The feature that grabbed Kay's attention was the emblem on the side: where before it was the simple painted RPS insignia, now, the interior of that design had been replaced with a ring of gemstones. Kay walked over to the box for a closer look. The emblem contained six stones set in a complex patchwork of platinum: amethyst, ruby, emerald, topaz, sapphire, and moonstone; the Mark of the Bladesisters. If she hadn't been so concerned about how it got here, she would be incredibly pleased with it. It looked fucking righteous.

Kay opened the box and found a large envelope, addressed to her in a familiar script. Kaylia Gardner, Red Dragon Farm, Pelican Town. The envelope was sealed in wax, the Mark stamped in its center.

"Get some mail?" Robin asked.

"Yeah," Kay replied. "You okay on your own for a bit?"

"Absolutely!"

Kay went inside the cabin, set the envelope down on the table, sat down in one of the chairs, and stared at it. Astria had clearly upgraded her mailbox, likely to facilitate easier communication. She was surprised her normally stoic elder sister would have gone to so much trouble. Something that fanciful would have been Zoria's idea, if she had been around.

Slowly, Kay eventually broke the seal and dumped the envelope's contents out on the table. There was a letter and five smaller envelopes, each sealed with the personal marks of her sisters. She picked up the loose letter first and began to read.

*****

Kaylia,

I have reviewed the materials supplied by Sieur Rasmodius with some interest. Your collective theories about the magical happenings in the valley appear sound, and I have sent my initial thoughts and findings directly to your colleague; I doubt you would make any useful sense of them, and it allowed me to also forward some additional texts I believe he will find of inestimable value in his own studies. It is clear he is young and somewhat ill-trained for the needs of his posting, but eager and willing to take instruction. Clearly, not an Imperially-trained wizard.

I have instructed him to brief you on further steps as soon as is convenient, I expect when he arrives to bind the new construction into the leyline network. Please give him your undivided attention when he does so; I thank the Goddess you take such briefings seriously, unlike your sisters.

I apologize for replacing your mailbox without your permission, but urgency trumped propriety. I trust you will find it suitable to your needs and to your ego, such as it is.

Please find enclosed items of personal correspondence. You may find (most of) them to be of some small comfort. I would encourage you to respond when convenience and ability suit.

With warmest regards,

Astria I Fateweaver

By Grace of the Goddess, Empress of Gotoro, Sorceress of the Eighth Realm of Ephisius, Seeker of the Hidden Ways, Mistress Intelligencer of the Empire, First of the Bladesisters, Wielder of the Pillar of the Cosmos, Eternal Guardian of the People

P.S.: I recommend saving Zoria's letter until last, for reasons that will appear.

*****

Kay read the letter slowly, almost hearing Astria's voice reading the words aloud. Her dry humor was on display, and it made sense that she would keep this overview free of any non-essential information. Kay was glad that Astria thought so highly of Melvyn, given the honorific, and she was sure the young wizard would be overjoyed to hear back directly. It took a moment for Kay to wrap her head around the signature. She got that most of it was flexing for Melvyn's benefit, but Astria the First? Empress? Kay couldn't wait to read Astria's personal letter, she would likely explain everything.

The post script took Kay's breath away. A letter from Zoria. There it was on the table, sealed in grey wax with the image of the comedy and tragedy mask. Had she returned? Was Astria able to resume contact? Had Astria always had contact? Kay's mind reeled with the implications. She wasn't ready for this yet, thankful for a list of errands as a distraction.

Kay exited the cabin. The occasional clang of metal on stone filled the air as Robin continued her construction. The ravens, Zeus and Apollo, were cawing at each other over by the cauliflower patch, another of their periodic squabbles. Far-off insects and birds contributed to a quiet symphony all around her, and Kay closed her eyes to lose herself in it for a moment. She felt the gentle thrum of life, pulsing in time with her breathing, and felt her anxiety fade. She was home, she was safe.

Kay broke her reverie and called out to Robin. "Hey, I'm headed for Pierre's, you need anything?" She turned around the corner of the cabin to see Robin a few steps up on her deployed ladder. The silo was already about 6 feet tall, and Robin was deftly placing and securing stones in a steady rhythm.

"Oh! Yeah, hold on!" Robin slid down the ladder and went to her toolbag. She withdrew a long metal screw and walked it over to Kay, handing it and a small money pouch to the farmer. "I need more masonry screws like that one. Show it to Pierre, he'll know what I need."

"Sure thing." Kay pocketed the items and headed off into town.

*****

As Kay headed towards Pierre's, she heard a distinctive "Yoo-hoo!" over to her right. Across the square, kneeling by the large flower box by the Stardrop Saloon, a woman with white hair in a red dress was waving at Kay. She figured this was George Mullner's wife, Evelyn, and walked over to see what was up.

"Hello, Mrs. Mullner," Kay said as she approached.

"Well, hello, young lady!" She smiled broadly at Kay. "I wonder, can you hand me the trowel? It's back there somewhere," gesturing behind her. Kay saw the tool, picked it up, and gave it to Evelyn. "Thank you, dear," she said. "I'd have gotten it myself, but it takes a bit of planning to get up off the ground at this age."

"Do you need a hand?" Kay asked. Evelyn waved her away.

"No no, I'm all set now. You're Miss Gardner, right?"

"Yes, ma'am."

"Yoba, you're a tall drink of water. No surprise, that Kimmy Gardner was a skyscraper herself." She continued digging and planting flower bulbs as they talked, her gardening skill plainly evident. "George said you helped out the other night. Did that 'bear' give you any trouble?"

"No, he was very conciliatory." Kay wondered if Evelyn suspected the real cause of the disturbance. She didn't have long to wait to find out.

"It's such a shame, I pray for that man, but he seems happy enough off in the mountains."

Kay smiled. "It sounds like you knew my grandparents?"

Evelyn looked around before waving Kay closer. "Oh yes, we were close to Dan and Kimmy. Quite close, if you take my meaning," she said with a conspiratorial wink.

"No!" Kay gasped, stifling a laugh. She had the letters proving they could be very horny, but they'd never mentioned any names in the context of their 'fun with friends'.

"I know you young folk don't like hearing about your elders getting frisky, by my George loved watching me climb that woman like a scratching post."

"I'm sure Pops appreciated it, too." The nickname suggested itself randomly, and Kay thought it sounded appropriate.

"You can bet on it. We had so much fun together, but it broke everyone's heart when Sarah passed in that accident. Things were never the same afterwards." Evelyn pulled a cloth from one of her pockets and blew her nose. Kay looked on sympathetically, ignoring the tiny voice in her head clamoring for attention.

"But that's enough navel-gazing, tell me, how is the farm coming along?"

"Slowly but surely," Kay responded as Evelyn perked up. "I have a harvest coming in soon, more than just parsnips this time."

"That's great news, dear!" Evelyn held out her hands, and Kay helped the lady to her feet. "Thank you for giving an old lady a chance to prattle for a while."

"It's no trouble, ma'am. I'd love to ask you about Pops and Gramma sometime, if you don't mind."

"Of course! And call me Eve, no need to stand on ceremony, I'm too old to beat around the bush."

Kay laughed. "Only if you call me Kay."

"Sold. Stop by sometime for tea. If it won't turn your stomach, I've got a few tales about your folks that'll spin your top."

"I'll hold you to that. Take care!"

They parted, Evelyn returning home and Kay heading for the store. The tiny voice got her attention then. Why couldn't I remember their daughter's name, she thought, didn't they tell me? She resolved to look through her correspondence, she couldn't believe she would forget such an important detail. Another mystery to consider...

*****

"Salut, Pierre!" Kay greeted the shopkeeper as she approached the counter. The store was mostly empty apart from Gus stocking up for the day's cooking at the tavern.

"Bonjour, bonjour, Kay! Comment allez-vous?" Pierre looked especially cheerful, though Kay couldn't tell if it was from engaging in his favorite language or from getting laid again.

"Très bien, et toi?"

"Superbe! Que puis-je faire pour vous?"

Kay removed the screw and money from her pocket. "Robin needs a batch of these, I presume for the silo but she might just be stocking up."

Pierre nodded, counting the coins out of the purse before heading to the shelf. He was humming a merry tune, and Kay realized she was whistling along before she recognized it.

"In a merry mood today, Miss Gardner?" Pierre asked, returning with an appropriate package of masonry screws. I guess we're doing this, Kay thought before replying appropriately, in song.

"Tis your delight sir, catching fire

From one man to the next!"

Pierre picked up the tune, and Kay rejoined him where appropriate. He was certainly game, though he could use some practice.

"Tis true sir, love can still inspire

The blood to pound the heartly pyre!

What more? (What more?) can man require

Than love sir!"

"You two are a menace," Gus said, arranging his purchases on the counter.

"Come on, Gus," Pierre cajoled, accepting the barkeeper's payment, "surely you can appreciate a bit of musical theater?"

"I can, when you aren't doing your best to murder it." Gus turned to Kay. "Your voice is lovely, but for Yoba's sake, find a better duet partner." He collected his purchases and bid the pair good day. Kay chuckled before turning back to Pierre.

"About the harvest."