Author's note: Welcome to chapter 6 of this Stardew Valley story! Apologies for the delay in posting! Chapter 7 will be along shortly.
By way of a content warning, this series features intersex characters, large to massive breasts, oral sex, incestuous relationships, 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.
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Chapter 6: Harvest Moon
Spring 9, Year 1 (Continued)
Kaylia had a lot on her mind as she walked up the mountain road. The incoming major harvest, the first round of which sat in her backpack, was an important milestone in establishing herself and the farm. The money she'd receive for the crops would go right back into the farm, and she knew Pierre Chandler, the general store owner, could get very good prices for the quality produce she could provide. Paradoxically, those prices were lower than those of the local JojaMart, whose shelves swelled with a wide selection and ready supply (or so Kay assumed, she hadn't set foot in the place).
In a strange way, Kay's experience as a military commander was extremely helpful in understanding the supply and logistics problems Pelican Town faced. As lovely a place as it was, the town was quite a distance from Zuzu City, the nearest metropolitan area, which meant long shipping times, increased shipping fees, and exaggerated effects from delays. The town could therefore benefit greatly from a local source of food and sundries, especially if the local supply outstripped demand and allowed for exports. That was a ways out of reach for the moment; Kay would need to figure out some form of automated irrigation at the very least before she could scale to that level of production.
Kay stopped to pick a few leeks growing at the side of the road as she considered the other issues at hand. The background magic situation, for one, was more of a long-term problem but worrisome nonetheless. The valley coursed with mystical energy, which had appreciable effects on all aspects of life there. The rapid crop maturity, for one, allowing roots and vegetables to reach harvest weight in a fraction of the time normally required. Kay suspected her fast friendships might also be attributed to the webway (the local wizard's term for the network of leylines and magical hotspots running through the valley). She certainly didn't expect to have a girlfriend a week into her tenure, nor to have had as many sexual encounters as she did. The joke amongst her new friends was that she worked very quickly, indeed, and Kay suspected the valley itself may have had a hand in it.
A girlfriend. Abigail Chandler was funny, gorgeous, and caring, and she and Kay had exchanged the L-word in the depths of their passion the evening previous. Like Kay, Abby was intersex, having been born with both male and female sets of genitalia; unlike Kay, Abby came by her attributes naturally (honestly, as it were), while Kay had been magically engineered as such. They had bonded over their similar bodies emotionally, and those bonds had deepened beyond mere friendship in a short amount of time. It scared Kay a little, as those feelings came very close to how she felt about her sister, Zoria.
Maybe that was why Kay declined to read Zoria's letter last night; prevented by the guilt of having found someone that might share Kay's life the way she'd intended Z would, if she hadn't disappeared on her last assignment. No, that wasn't right, was it. Astria had revealed that Zoria wanted to escape the Gotoro Empire exactly as Kay had, and the deep cover assignment was a ruse to get her out. Communication had ceased because it was her plan to melt into the Republic, to forge a new life free of the Empire's control. Unlike Kay, however, Z was a shapeshifter and an empath. Trying to find her after three years' head start would be impossible.
Kay eventually rounded the bend behind the Wright household and started towards the mountain lake. Off to her right, standing under the large tree in the clearing, stood an older man with shaggy white hair and beard in clothes made from preserved foliage. He leaned against the tree, enjoying the rain and the sounds of the mountain. Kay had met the man as he was foraging for food in the town's garbage cans one evening. Of all the people Kay had met thus far, he was by far the most interesting.
"Good morning, Linus!" she called. He jumped with a start and looked about ready to bolt for his tent until he saw it was Kay addressing him. He smiled warmly and waved. Kay walked over.
"Wonderful morning," he said as Kay approached. "Nothing better to get clean than a nice, warm rain."
"I would have expected it to be a bit colder this early in the year." Kay commented, receiving a nod from Linus.
"It was a fairly mild winter, not surprising the rain would follow suit."
On a whim, Kay reached into her pack to offer the man one of the leeks she'd picked up on her way. "Any interest in some fresh forage?"
Linus's face fell. "Thank you, it looks excellent, but I don't really have anything to trade at the moment."
The admission touched Kay, she hadn't even considered compensation. "Please, take it. You probably would have found it if I hadn't, anyway."
Linus looked at Kay, searching her face. She was a tall one, alright, but she didn't read as taking pity or being concerned about him and his lifestyle. He also got a good vibe from her, like she could be trusted, and he almost never got that feeling from anyone. He reached out and accepted the offered vegetable.
"Thank you, this is great!"
"You're welcome!" They smiled and wandered over to Linus's tent. The large yellow camping tent had seen much better days, with evidence of being patched multiple times over the years. The design resonated with Kay for some reason, but she couldn't quite put her finger on why.
"A little bird told me you're getting ready to harvest," Linus said, deftly starting a fire in a pit dug out in front of the tent.
"Yeah, I've actually got the first wave with me now, I'm taking it over to Pierre's," Kay said. "Eventually." she added under her breath. She needed to make a deposit first.
"I heard a lot of good things about those parsnips," Linus remarked, retreating into his tent and returning with a beat-up cooking pot and a few more leeks. He filled it with rainwater from a nearby barrel and set it on the banked fire. Kay was suitably impressed with the man's industry, she knew from experience how difficult starting a fire in the rain was, much less keeping it going.
"They seemed to do alright." She continued watching as Linus produced a pocket knife and proceeded to slice the leeks in half. The knife must have been razor sharp, as Linus made quick work of the alliums. After slicing each in half, he dunked them in the rain barrel, swirling them around to dislodge any dirt trapped in their layers. He then took the halves and chopped them into the pot.
"You look like you've done some field cooking," Kay joked.
"I might have done," Linus replied with a wink. He used a stick to stir the pot, and it rapidly came to a boil. Kay smiled, the mountain man was well-versed in this sort of life and enjoying himself.
"I should get going," Kay said, turning to take her leave. "Let me know how the soup turns out."
"I will," Linus nodded with a wave.
Kay began her descent down the mountain, heading back the way she came and turning to walk past the Wright's house. She could hear the faint sounds of morning activity from within, nothing distinct. She wondered if Haley was there, or if Maru wasn't there.
