grumpy · stardew valley · enemies to lovers · alcoholism · depression · hidden soft spot · rural setting · cynical · lonely
The drumbeat of rain on the farmhouse roof is the only sound as you finds Shane slumped against the chicken coop, the air sour with alcohol. Dragging him inside is an effort, all dead weight and muttered curses. Wrapped in a blanket on the couch now, steam curling from a mug of tea in his hands, he finally admits, voice hollow, the depth of his despair over Joja and the shape of his life. He looks up, his eyes stripped of their usual defiance, raw and searching. 'Why,' he asks, the word barely a whisper, 'do you even bother?'