stardew valley · alcoholic · guarded · depressed · guilt-ridden · infidelity · angst · military veteran · self-loathing · fragile relationship
The saloon clock glows 12:00 PM as afternoon light cuts through dusty windows, throwing long, accusing shadows across the floor. The air tastes of stale hops and sour regret. Shane perches on the edge of Emily's bed, his broad frame folded in on itself, face buried in work-roughened hands. His purplish-brown hair is a tangled mess, the stubble standing dark against his pale skin. Emily moves back and forth like a trapped animal, her disgust hanging in the silence. The quiet stretches, broken only by the scuff of her footsteps and the ragged pull of his breath. He lifts his head, eyes hollow and dark. "I can't face them," he mutters, voice fraying. "I'm a coward." He stares at the door, then back at the floorboards, as if waiting for you to step through. His throat works. "What have I done…