Stardew Valley - Dark Blue: When The Chickens Came Home To Roost (Shane)

Chapter 2: Odd Jobs

Shane never learned how to tie a fucking tie.

It was an obstacle that left him feeling like a failure of a man every single time he was faced with it, but still, he didn't learn.

And on this particular day, though Marnie had insisted, he couldn't bring himself to even put the thing around his fucking neck — not without thinking about last time he wore one, and how the feminine fingers that tied the knot definitely hadn't belonged to his aunt. But nonetheless, she threaded it through his shirt collar for him, and fastened it way too damn tight. She smoothed out his blue polo shirt and slicked his damp black hair back with her hands. After one more adjustment to his white tie, Marnie was satisfied with her handiwork — though Shane looked like a total dipshit.

"They're gonna think I look like an asshole," he informed his aunt flatly. "This isn't really a polo and white tie kinda job, Marnie."

She huffed, crossing her arms over her chest as her brow bunched. "You should look nice for any interview," she insisted, turning on her heel for the door.

Shane grabbed his hoodie off the rickety dresser as he followed her out, fully planning to put it on as soon as he left the ranch, but as he approached the kitchen, he was surprised to find Jas blocking his path. Today's dress was extra frilly, and her dark buns were frizzy from the humidity. Her small hands were balled at her sides, and her wide eyes were hopeful.

Jas was fully silent, but her face was split into a grin. From a few feet behind Shane's goddaughter, Marnie said, "Go on, Jas — tell him!"
The child giggled shyly before flinging her arms around his waist. "Shae, you look very handsome!" Jas squealed before retreating, taking off like a jet and laughing all the way to the living room.

For the past five years, Jasmine Rosas was the only thing that made him smile, and his aunt was well aware of that fact as she watched him beam at the child's disappearing figure. She was becoming an incredible little human, and because of that, he was proud — though he could hardly take an ounce of the credit. Shane only shook his head at his aunt, who'd masterminded the whole day before he'd even climbed out of bed, and then dropped a kiss on her plump cheek before tugging open the front door and wincing against the blinding sun.

**************

It really hadn't occurred to Shane that in order to get up to the ridge, he had to travel north. Ideally, he would have just walked through SunnyVale and came out right near the bus stop, but at the risk of being spotted, he opted for the long way — through town.

As soon as he passed 1 Willow Lane, he was grateful as fuck that he'd grabbed his hoodie, because there was no way in hot hell that he was about to let these people see the town drunk walk around in some monkey suit. So despite the blazing heat, he tugged the blue sweatshirt over his head and put the hood up.

For a moment, he thought that maybe he'd be lucky enough to avoid his fellow villagers, but then he remembered that it was mid-day, and without anything better to occupy their time, they'd definitely all be out and about. And of course, he was miserably fucking correct.

First, he saw Sam and Sebastian standing by the water's edge. Sebastian took a long drag off his cigarette as he stared Shane down, and Sam pulled his eyes away from his handheld console long enough to wave. Shane ignored them.

Then, there was Penny, huddled under the shady tree beside the measly graveyard. Shane didn't particularly dislike Jas's teacher — hell, he even pitied the poor girl at times — but all the same, when she smiled at him, Shane ignored her.

He ignored Jodi, Caroline, and Olivia as he passed by their little congregation. Jodi and Caroline didn't wave at him, or even acknowledge him, which Shane found pretty fucking amusing considering that he was quite the fucking topic at Tuesday aerobics, according to a distraught Marnie, who'd came home in tears after the other women had pushed her a bit too far on the subject of her burnout nephew.