Chapter Text
How to describe Calico Desert? It’s hot as hell, sandy, very sandy, with skeletons of creatures you wouldn’t want to meet alive. There’s only a straight road that runs through it, and basically, the entire landscape looks the same. There isn’t much to do, maybe fish or visit Sandy and her shop, which no one knows how it stays open in the middle of nowhere, or the mysterious merchant who refuses to accept gold, only trades.
It doesn’t sound like a place you’d want to visit often, right? But right in the middle of that hellscape, where the scenery seems lifeless, is the most exclusive and secret club in Stardew Valley. A place where entry isn’t gained through money or influence but through astounding merits, proving that you are extraordinary.
That casino was an otherworldly experience. From the moment you stepped inside, all your senses were altered. The first thing you’d notice was that the place seemed unusually spacious compared to the floor below. The carpet had a very soft texture and a pattern that made it look like you were walking on space. The ceiling was a dome with a geometric interplay of purple neon lights and mirrors. The CalicoJack tables were occupied by famous characters you wouldn’t even imagine knew each other. At the reception, a group of musicians played, illuminated by a spotlight that made the smoke from the fragrant cigars visible.
The spaces not filled with slot machines, plants, or exotic vases were huge windows giving the impression of looking out into space. And if all that wasn’t enough to make you feel like the place wasn’t of this world, none of the employees seemed entirely human.
A woman with brown hair, greenish skin, and an expressionless face walked unhurriedly, accompanied by a bald, fat man in a suit, among the slot machines until they reached a discreet door almost hidden between them and the high-stakes CalicoJack table.
“Mr. Qi, a man wants to see you,” the woman’s outfit was completely dark, and her posture very rigid. She showed no emotion until the bald man intervened.
“Colonel Mustard, your friend, Colonel Mustard,” the woman made a slight grimace of disgust, and before she could correct him, a deep voice from inside answered,
“Come in, Colonel, I’ve been expecting you.”
Like the casino, the office was also larger than it appeared from the outside. The floor was marble, with walls decorated with evidently expensive paintings and bookshelves filled from floor to ceiling. An enormous bear-shaped machine stood out, but there were also some strange statues, exotic stones, and in the middle, a large desk with only an ashtray on it. Behind that, sitting in a leather chair, facing away from the door, looking at the universe through a large window, was Mr. Qi, who turned his chair around nonchalantly, revealing he wasn’t alone, as a large dark snake with bright eyes stretched from his shoulders to his right hand.
“You have a great office,” said the man, fascinated, before stopping to look at the enormous reptile.
“It’s nothing special, it has just what’s necessary. Tell me, what brings you here?”
“Well, for starters, I wanted to know how you were and if you received my gifts.”
“Fine, and as my assistants have informed you, gifts are not necessary,” Qi replied indifferently.
“It’s because you haven’t seen what I’ve been bringing you,” the man said as he took out a gold box and opened it towards him, revealing a collection of evidently expensive cigars resting on red silk. “What do you think? It takes ten years to make each one.”
Qi, without much enthusiasm, took one and smelled it.
“What favor are we talking about?” he replied as he returned the cigar to the box.
“Well, you and I are great businessmen. What you’ve achieved with this casino is simply marvelous, but I think you could make even more money.”
Qi remained unmoved and continued listening.
“I know you always talk about keeping the club exclusive and that money isn’t a problem, but what do you think about making an exception for some good friends…”
The man started talking about some wealthy acquaintances who apparently were perfect to be club members. Qi was more interested in peeling off some of his snake’s shedding skin and was casually tossing it onto the desk, letting pieces fall on the valuable “business offering.”
“It’s worth 200,000 g,”
Qi looked at the box with indifference and then at the man. “So, you want me to give a membership to some of your friends?”
“Believe me, you won’t regret it! They are very wealthy, they’ll buy a lot of chips, I told them about what you offer and…” Qi raised his hand to stop him.
“You told them about the casino?” Qi’s tone shifted from his characteristic calm to a more severe one.
“I understand you don’t want just anyone to know about your casino, but these men are different, their families have been rich for generations! You could become even richer than you already are and gain important contacts!” Upon hearing this last part, Qi couldn’t help but laugh.
“I’m really surprised, Colonel, I thought you were a much smarter man, but I guess your problems with your wife drove you to seek new ways to earn the respect of wealthy families. It’s a pity that in trying to do so, you lost your most important contact.”
The man was unsure whether to be more shocked that Qi knew his marriage was failing or that he was basically being thrown out of the casino.
“You can’t throw me out of the casino, I always bring you gifts! I’ve invested a lot of money in this place! Do you even know who I am?!” he said, standing up and slamming his fist on the desk, causing the snake to coil defensively.
The atmosphere suddenly grew cold, Qi’s blue face remained expressionless as he stood and walked toward the man, who noticed that the machines outside had stopped making noise. He thought about doing something else; he wasn’t the type to easily back down, but at that moment, he felt an indescribable fear.
Before he could process what was happening, Qi had grabbed him by the shirt and lifted him so that their eyes were level. The man was tall, but he wasn’t even touching the ground anymore.
“I know exactly who you are,” Qi responded slowly, “And you’re in my damn casino. Now get out before I throw you out myself,” he said, dropping him like a rag doll.
Once the man got up and walked out the door, one of the assistants stepped aside and looked inside with a worried expression.
“I told you not to accept gifts from anyone!” Qi growled in a severe tone.
“I’m sorry, sir, it’s just that he insisted so much and then left the gifts…” Qi simply motioned for her to be quiet.
“It’s fine, just make sure it doesn’t happen again and bring me a whiskey. Don’t bother me anymore.” The woman nodded and immediately followed his orders.
Once he had his drink, he continued looking out the window. Life had been somewhat boring for a while. He began to wonder if his judgment had been altered and he had lowered his standards by allowing such simple people into his club. It was always the same: they arrived, tried to win him over with gifts, money, absurd promises, all in hopes of getting a favor, as if he could be easily corrupted.
In the reflection of the window glass, he could see an old bear-shaped machine in the corner of his office. He had considered getting rid of it on various occasions, but something always stopped him. After all, he was quite sentimental.
He was taking a sip of his drink while looking at the machine when suddenly its screen lit up accompanied by cheerful music. His first reaction was to check what the hell he was drinking, as if suspecting someone had spiked it with a powerful sedative to calm him, but he quickly dismissed the idea and stood up to examine the machine.
He felt a knot in his stomach as he approached, placing a hand on the screen that only said “Loading data.” It was impossible, right?
“Y/N’s game”
“Y/N?!” It didn’t take long to remember who that name belonged to; it hadn’t been mentioned in years.
This brought back memories of a sunny day at the summit. Qi approached the old man who was looking at the landscape. He said nothing, simply sat beside him, observing with him, and searched for his characteristic black leather cigar case in his coat.
“My legs aren’t what they used to be; I think this will be the last time I see this view…” the old man broke the silence.
“What are you talking about? You must have some years left, you have the vitality of…” Qi paused to look at him for a moment, realizing how weak he seemed compared to before, “A fawn.”
The old man laughed, and Qi simply offered him a cigar, which he declined.
“You're missing out,” said, pulling one out for himself and putting the case back. He was slightly defensive, fearing the direction the conversation might take.
“Thank you for so many years of friendship, Qi. I feel you and Y/N will miss me the most.”
“Shut up,” Qi replied curtly.
“You're too sentimental, even though you try to hide it. Just promise you won't cry too much.” The old man gave Qi's back a weak pat, and Qi just made a sound of annoyance.
“You know I can extend your lifespan, right?” Qi tried to hide it, but the old man could hear the sadness in his voice.
“Of course I know. You’re the amazing Qi; you can do anything. But this is the natural course of life. I can feel it, and it’s okay. I've had a long life, one I can't regret.”
Qi couldn't argue with that. As much as he would miss his friend, he found his decision poetic and absolutely admirable.
“Do you remember when I tricked you with that blue slime and you chased me with your pickaxe?” Qi said teasingly.
“Of course. Back then, you looked like a human.”
“Good times.”
“The black hair suited you better, though the purple goes with your current style.”
“Not sure if I want you to become more honest now that you’re about to die.”
They both laughed and then fell silent.
“Will you leave the farm to your granddaughter?”
“Yes, I'm sure she'll love this place.”
“If she’s as much like you as you say, she surely will.”
“I'm sure you two will get along well. She’s a very special girl.”
It had happened. After so many years, Y/N, the granddaughter of that old man, had arrived at the farm, and it was her first day. The counter moved according to the number of steps she was taking; Qi could even notice when she stopped or walked faster by the way the number changed.
Like a child who had just received a Christmas toy, he teleported to his walnut room, eager to see what the new farmer looked like. She had two large suitcases by her sides and was saying goodbye to Robin and Lewis. It seemed she had only brought the essentials from the city.
“I always thought she’d look like the old man without the beard, but she’s actually quite cute,” thought as he watched, not missing a single detail of how the girl surveyed the state of the cabin and the farm. Clearly, she hadn’t realized how bad it would look after so many years of abandonment. “They have the same eyes,” he thought, zooming in on her face.
Instead of getting discouraged at the sight of the farm’s overall state, Y/N just sighed, grabbed the handle of one of her suitcases, and started pulling it inside the house. Seeing how much she struggled with a simple suitcase on the stairs, Qi couldn’t help but think about the long road ahead of her.
The following days were somewhat... disappointing. The young woman evidently came from a sedentary lifestyle, so she had very little energy when it came to physical work. Moreover, she had no idea how to take care of a farm. She spent a good amount of time watching the "Living Off the Land" program and taking notes in a notebook. To top it off, her money was so scarce that she was basically living off the foraged products she found, selling what she could, and buying the cheapest necessities from Pierre’s store.
“At this rate, she won’t last more than three weeks,” thought as he watched, semi-reclined from a chair in front of the screens, as the girl shooed crows away from her parsnip crops with her hands.
The first rain of the spring came, and he got to watch as the farmer ran frantically from one side to the other, placing all the dishes, bowls, cups, and jars from the house under the most prominent leaks. It made him feel quite bad, knowing she was still far from having the money to upgrade her house and didn’t have the materials or means to fix it.
“Alright, I’ll help you, but just this once, because you amuse me a lot,” said out loud. Y/N didn’t know what had happened, she just saw how suddenly the leaks stopped dripping one by one as if by some kind of magic.
“It was like a miracle!” Y/N said, talking with Leah days later.
To her surprise, more than three weeks had quickly passed. Y/N’s progress was slow, but now that she had gotten the fishing rod and was earning more money, she seemed much more motivated. Qi concluded that maybe he had underestimated her and decided to give her another little help, leaving some books here and there to help her learn how to improve the farm. Y/N indirectly accepted them gratefully and managed to make good use of them.
Time passed, and Y/N’s adventures in the valley didn’t stop. Directly or indirectly, everyone’s life seemed to be improving with her presence, not just on the farm but also in the casino, where the atmosphere was more relaxed than before because of the boss’s good mood.
“Isn’t it funny how we’re good friends, but she doesn’t know it?” Qi asked one of his assistants who had come to bring him a drink. The woman hesitated a bit but answered,
“Will you ever let her know you?”
“Eventually, when she earns the club membership.”