Robin Disregards Construction Regulations - 1.5 Spoilers

[@venafydan]

I feel like Robin not fixing the bridges and such should be Mayor Lewis's issue, bcus he's not hiring her to do that and is using the funds to build his gold statue.

[@Leapalot]

Definitely! Lewis should be paying for community upgrades. Not me.

[@thejest69]

Same, I was thinking robin could fix a bunch of the towns construction issues by herself, but she’s held back by the legality of it, like imagine her trying to fix the bridge but Mayor Lewis stops her because she doesn’t have a permit.

[@Satou_Rin]

I was thinking that the cost and resources would probably be stopping her. I mean, that quarry bridge is massive. And i do agree that the legality’s probably an issue too. Yikes, Lewis…

[@And1slash]

I've thought about all the beginning parts within the game and " end " game too that beach bridge would be a easy fix for Robin and maybe the quarry bridge too But having to build Pam a house ( assuming you finished the vault before ) and yet she's already got a job ( pay for it yourself ) the game has a lot of useless NPC's that could resolve some issues

[@FernandoRafaelNogueiraReis]

@@And1slash She had a debt with Gus and if people could fix their own lives you wouldn't be a driving force, becoming a spectator instead, like the game became a movie where you sometimes get to react pushing a button. Of course, I'm extrapolating it to the other extreme because Pelican Town seems like a Purgatory before you arrive, with stagnant zombie lives and all that jazz.

[@SidewaysR]

One reason I think Robin hasn't fixed up all of those projects around town is that Lewis isn't willing to pay her for it. He expects her to do it at her own expense, like the farmer ends up doing.

[@Leapalot]

Oh absolutely. Lewis should be paying for it.

[@jpnrndr7983]

Lewis is just a scumbag if you look into things, hopefully there's a mayor replacement mod

[@NicoUnken]

Yup. The town already has all the resources needed to take care of itself... Except for money. I wonder if we can find extra money behind his golden statue........

[@DundG]

@@jpnrndr7983 In Stardew Valley Expanded, Morris will leave Joja and become the Major if you choose the Joja route.

[@kenjisxsad5404]

@@DundG is he at least a good mayor or is he worse with money than Lewis?

[@MahoganyDesk]

I always assumed that Seb and Maru shared the bedroom as little kids but when they got older and their hobbies and personalities became more distinct, they both needed space - Maru needed more space to work on her inventions, while introverted Seb needed his personal space to recharge. Robin could have easily built on another room but Seb, like a lot of emo kids, liked the idea of living in the basement cuz dark.

[@Leapalot]

Definitely could see this. I lived in the same room with my kid sister for a while growing up, and just being older meant I wanted my own space as well.

[@flale9116]

Sebastian has some dialogue saying he doesn't like living in the basement though, especially because he doesn't have any windows

[@MahoganyDesk]

@@flale9116 Oh! Then I guess I need to revisit my headcannon.

[@flale9116]

@@MahoganyDesk Well, I think the first part still works ^^

[@MahoganyDesk]

@@flale9116 Kid Seb: Mom, can you build me a new room? Robin: Sure. Just get me 100 wood and 2,000 gold. Kid Seb: ... I'll be in the basement.

[@OllieV__nl]

Never mind hammering the house, she hammers a metal trailer for several days while nobody notices and all of a sudden everyone is surprised that there's a wooden house in its place. And if Penny is so smart, she would know it's the player because who else gets anything done in town? I also wonder how Robin managed to dig all those shortcuts with only a hammer at her disposal. While I understand this is a game and everything revolves around the player, it's still okay to just poke fun at it. And yeah, definitely picking up neurodivergent vibes from Demetrius.

[@Leapalot]

For real. The trailer is magically a house. Also, she would have to like... lift our house to get the basement foundation in...

[@laceysmith7413]

penny does know, at least after it's done, she might be too busy to care or assumed her mom was up too it.

[@miceltusav88]

If you buy into the "the farmer died due to the stress of their city job and Stardew Valley is either purgatory, or heaven" theory. I say heaven because some people find working on a farm to be joyful and rewarding in more than the usual sense

[@StinkyPooPooBaby]

Also are we just gonna ignore that she creates whole barns and coops in 3 days? And doesn't ever stop working?

[@OllieV__nl]

@@StinkyPooPooBaby and works on her birthday too. Robin, please, my barn can wait a day, i need to give you a gift.

[@newtlewis1798]

"why would anyone say 'i want some fruit' then grab a tomato off a shelf and take a deep bite out of it" me, who eats tomatoes like apples: **sweating nervously**

[@thegreatalucard76]

STAHP!!!

[@justaguy4311]

the things that make someone want a juicy fruit, nutritiously, can all be found in tomatoes

[@shadid516]

That can't be good for your teeth

[@Hellraiser2107]

Honestly the biggest reason why I marry Sebastian in most of my saves despite liking Elliott just a bit more is because I want to get him out of that household. I was him during my teens; with an apathetic mother and an actively hostile stepfather, and I know how much that can mess with one's mental health. Robin may be nice otherwise but her basically ignoring Sebastian's presence in her household is inexcusable.

[@Leapalot]

So she has three standard dialogue lines for both Sebastian and Demetrius, and only one for Maru. She also has no dialogue related to Maru when you marry her daughter, so that's weird! She talks about being worried about her son, but tells us he won't open up to her. Most of her scenes are related to her husband. So yeah, I don't think she's a shining star of a parent. Someone else mentioned that she's good with wood and not with people, which is fair. I don't think Maru or Sebastian are getting too much out of Robin as a parent, but she does mention her feelings for him and never mentions her feelings for Maru. I think we just see Demetrius pushing so much harder for Maru though, and that's what we remember. I hope things are better for you now, btw!

[@Hellraiser2107]

@@Leapalot that's... weird. I don't remember any lines about Sebastian from her outside of that one heart event. But then again I haven't played Stardew Valley in a while lol. And yeah, I'm doing much better, thank you :)

[@Occhii_Docchii]

@@Hellraiser2107 she says stuff like “Have you met my son, Sebastian” then says something about him taking a while to open up to people. And when you marry him Robin says “I think the farm life is great for Sebby” and “Sebastian told me that he’s quitting smoking” or smth like that

[@QuietRage]

In my city, someone and their pet died in a fire a few years ago. They were living in a basement suite and there weren't any open-able windows for them to escape from. I never noticed Sebastian's basement not having windows or seen the dialogue about their house nearly going up in flames before, but now that I have, I am horrified. Do Robin and Demetrius really hate Sebastian that much?

[@Leapalot]

People really do skirt the law on building code a lot. I wouldn't expect it from Robin, but here we are...

[@DundG]

Or an teenager might love the idea of having an entire floor for himself. One brother of a former friend lived in the basement and lived it! He's also emo/goth and enjoys cloudy rainy weather. So he definetly prefers a room without sunlight, because darkness! And maybe thats why tje house is fireproof. So that even with experiments everyone is safe?

[@Hellscap3]

@@DundG he actually has a line where he says he doesnt like the basement expecially the lack of window tbh.

[@thatcottagecorewitch5910]

A new thing to add to my list of reasons why I should definitely continue to marry Sebastian every play through. To get him out of that dangerous basement 🥺

[@kzenias]

Fear not. The fire aspect is covered, robin used the fire resistant lacquer😅

[@elizabethb4168]

Just thought of something else about Robin, giving Sebastian the basement may have been a kindness in it's own way. While it doesn't have a window, which he doesn't seem to like, it is bigger than Maru's room. Plus, he's pretty obviously anti-social/socially awkward/socially anxious, so being down in the basement may offer him a level of privacy from his family that he couldn't get upstairs, between Robin's business and Demetrius and Maru's Science Stuff™, especially since he doesn't leave his room all that often, and he has a marriage dialogue where he says that it was comfortable. Another after marriage thing is that he'll mention he visited and that his mom's face lit up when he walked in, and that he thinks she deserves to be happy. I think they they definitely care about eachother, they're both just bad at expressing it, and she either isn't around or isn't paying enough attention when Demetrius is being unfair (and Seb doesn't really know how to talk to his mom about it), she's not afraid of arguing with Demetrius, and she cares about Sebastian, so I think she honestly doesn't realize what's happening under her nose.

[@SolarBlyze]

Given how Demetrius acts with us in Marus heart event as soon as Maru is out of the room it's likely he behaves like that to Sebastian exclusively when Robin isn't around. So Robin has no idea he's doing it and Seb doesn't want to ruin his moms happiness by telling her "hey, your new husband is being a bully to me" thus it gets left unnoticed. Demetrius is pretty careful about getting caught, which to me says he's aware that what he's doing is wrong and that if people knew they'd call him out on it. It's one reason why i really don't like him. Only reason i befriend him is for the 100% Perfection thing. Otherwise i'd chuck holly at him endlessly and tell him to shove off

[@CrazyGoGoVrose]

i think you’re forgetting that Maru actually has her own entire underground lab area/workshop, thus making her area much larger, as well as that outside bit dedicated to her telescope.

[@elizabethb4168]

@@CrazyGoGoVrose ah, I did forget about that, though I don't think that underground workshop is that big, is it?

[@elizabethb4168]

I like Robin, she's nice, and she's pretty chill, she has some funny moments talking to Lewis, and I'm fine with her not having a big personality, a lot of everyday people you'd actually meet probably act more like Robin than Emily. However, I don't think she has the healthiest marriage, or the best parenting skills. She really doesn't have a big temper, but Demetrius seems to think that she does. So I dunno if we just don't see that side of her, or if Demetrius just interprets any disagreement with him as being temperamental (and illogical perhaps?). I think she does clearly love him, she took great care to make a fireproof house and lab with him in mind, they go dancing (even though he doesn't actually seem to enjoy it much, isn't great at it, and gets tired before she does, so I guess he does do things for her as well to an extent?), she wants to impress him with her looks in Emily's clothing therapy event (though I'm not sure how much he would based off the bed scene), and they spend time together outside their home in the evenings. I just don't think they have the best communication. She doesn't seem very involved in either of her kid's lives, Demetrius is the one always lifting up Maru and putting down Sebastian, and we only really see Robin interact with Sebastian. I think that she does care about her kids, with Maru's room and her asking if she should be worried about Sebastian's smoking. I don't think she really knows how to get close to them though. Plus, with how close Maru and Seb are in age, they seem to be 3-6 years apart, that would mean that Demetrius has been treating Sebastian like garbage (especially compared to how he treats Maru) for like, the vast majority of Seb's life, and Robin just...hasn't done anything about it. Much like how Demetrius is more comfortable with science than people, I think that Robin is more comfortable with carpentry than people.

[@Leapalot]

Yes! I think Robin's personality comes out in some of the scenes that people skip through because they've seen them so many times. She's got a sharp wit and good sense of humor, especially at Lewis's expense. I am concerned about the way that the two parent their kids though. You're probably right on the clothing event. He would probably ask why she's wearing clothing that will interfere with her work lol.

[@ThePrimeMinisterOfTheBlock]

I agree too, I was wondering how Robin ended up with a tosser like Dimma, but you've explained it perfectly

[@david2869]

Even though Robin and Demetrius don't have the best marriage, I think they do have the best marriage that exists in SDV. I mean which one is better? Perhaps Jodi and Kent? Certainly not Pierre and Caroline! I realize it is quite a low bar to get over, but I believe they are the winners in SDV marriages.

[@elizabethb4168]

@@david2869 I think Jodi and Kent may have the best marriage, or are at least equal to Robin and Demetrius, Jodi is thoughtful and patient when it comes to Kent's issues and he clearly cares about her and is doing his best despite his PTSD, I think we just see a lot less of them

[@vanyadolly]

@@david2869 This. No marriage is perfect and it can be especially challenging with someone who's autistic due to miscommunication, but they clearly love each other and are motivated to make their relationship work around those issues. Unlike Jodi and Carolyn, Robin actually seems to *want* to be married.

[@sandyhudspeth9604]

I feel like Sebastian's father was probably from Zuzu city, which may be why he always feels drawn to it (besides just finding rural life boring.) Demetrius being ND seems very likely. I am on the autism spectrum myself, and when I was younger I really had trouble grasping things like jokes, because I was interpreting them literally and was just confused trying to apply logic to them. I feel like Demetrius does much the same. I also think Robin gives preference to Maru in terms of living space to unconsciously put her child with Demetrius above her child with an ex. I witnessed this in my own family - my aunt got a new girlfriend after divorcing her husband, and my cousin from that marriage was kicked out into the (unheated, non-air-conditioned) garage so the girlfriend's two boys could take the bedroom. She prioritized her new GF's kids over her own son. While I don't think it was necessarily a conscious decision, just like I don't think it is for Robin, it drove a permanent wedge between mother and son that still exists today.

[@moraelity]

I have similar experiences in my immediate family (my 4 older brothers share the same dad, however me and my younger brother have different dads) and this happened quite a bit. I have a wedge between my mother because she does prioritise my younger brother, and the same happened with my other brothers when I was born. It’s very much subconscious though, she doesn’t understand why there’s a wedge because he is an okay parent

[@vanyadolly]

Robin actually talks about Sebastian a lot more than Maru, though. Both how she worries about him and how she wishes the farmer will become friends with him.

[@bevdavies1092]

There is actually a theory that shane is sebastians dad and tbh I believe that! They look similar (ish), sebastian hates alcohol (maybe because his dad was a alcoholic???) And also I feel that Shane's mental problems could contribute to sebastians like maybe biological depression and it would make sense

[@jasperjazzie]

honestly if demetrius is nd i imagine seb is as well, i'm on the spectrum and see a ton of myself in sebastian, that's part of why i married him and it's a spectrum, so they could very well both be, just in seperate ways

[@jasperjazzie]

@@vanyadolly yeah, although tbf the way robin and demetrius speak about him compared to maru is telling maru is pretty much constantly praised, how she's so smart and she's going to succeed, but when they speak about seb it's pretty much just saying they wish he had more friends, that he'd get out more, etc etc

[@mayac69]

Back when I was an angsty teen and a moody twenty year old, I would have killed for a room like Sebastian's. I think he probably just asked his mom to make him a room like that.

[@Leapalot]

True! Privacy like that is hard to come by as a teen!

[@DundG]

@@Leapalot And he got an entire floor for himself!

[@shadowmetroid18]

In an optimistic interpretation Sebby probably thought living in the basement was cool when he was a teenager, but realized he doesn't like it at some point but being an awkward young adult is too embarrassed to admit it to his mom, even though Robin is CLEARLY capable of building him his own Cabin if he wanted.

[@tea9047]

@@shadowmetroid18 i would agree with that lol, i wouldve loved a dark basement as an angsty teen but now as someone in their nearly mid-20s, i love having natural lighting in my bedroom. Seb just doesnt seem like the type to ask for things, like a new room in the house, so it checks out.

[@darksentinel082]

I never paid much attention to Robin, to be honest. I rarely end up running into her or Demetrius, so I guess I never really got their hearts up. Looking at those two interactions though they really remind me of a watered down version of my dad and stepmom. It’s kinda interesting.

[@Leapalot]

I'm not sure how to take that, but it made me sad.

[@Glooooooooed]

They get married just ti fulfill their needs its sad

[@seurn7801]

@@Glooooooooed (This is probably too long to read and no one will care anyway, but people here are strangers, so I'll take advantage of that.) Most marriages are like that, the people who are actually in love and still try until they get old are a rarity. My parents are married, but they basically just accepted they're not into each other romantically/sexually anymore and my mom just dates other dudes. My dad is hurt, but too blindly religious. He's too devoted to his God to even care or talk with us about it. My sisters don't like it, but I really don't mind or at least just shrug it off because I kind of understand that we're all just humans and things just happen over time. My aunt and uncle whom I used to always see being all lovey and playfully teasing each other are now just married for the sake of their kids, they had a falling out due to financial issues and ever since then they were never the same, always arguing over the smallest things. I'm in a relationship right now for over 7 years, not married yet. I do not want to have kids. If ever our marriage in the future doesn't end well at least we won't involve any child with it. Sure, the thought of having your own kids is wonderful and it's a part of life, but I see it more as a huge responsibility because you have the capability to fuck over a human being's entire life. Just the weight of that bothers me. Hopefully I'd have a change of heart, but right now the possibility of having a child is dim. "True love" still exists, it's just hard to determine if it really is.

[@Glooooooooed]

@@seurn7801unrelated but, even though that is long but the way you separate it to smaller parts made it feel short. A writing masterclass for foreigners like me. But i hope one day you guys would get a child and break the "boringness? ", im not sure what word am i looking here but im sure you could understand it, and maybe that cute little boy is just the thing that you guys need to get that teenager love feel back again. But who am i to tell you this when i have never been in a relationship but in the end, you know best what you want and needs.

[@ange4154]

I honestly never really liked Demetrius. He seems to allow his personality to only be comprised of "I'm a scientist so that means I'm smarter than you" and allows himself to take up more space because he feels entitled to it. It also feels like he's more negligent of Sebastian because he's not pursuing any scientific careers, or at the very least something he finds acceptable (with how Seb reacts to it, it sounds like he's either just recently found out how messed up his dynamic with his step-dad is or that Demetrius just started treating him this way). Plus, in one of Maru's heart events, you can see how manipulative he is and obsessive over his daughter's future (not her, just her potential in science). He comes off as very self centered and self asserted.

[@Leapalot]

Demetrius is very focused on things he cares about. Unfortunately, Sebastian doesn't appear to be one of those things.

[@shadowmetroid18]

I know the game can't accommodate for so many scenarios but that scene is kinda sad on Demetrius' part when he's telling you not to creep on Maru when you're married with a kid, and is downright sad if you're dating or married to Sebastian.

[@riftendrifter]

I've always felt like Robin, at times, can be more concerned with her marriage than with Seb. Like the child from her marriage with Demetrius is treated better, which is kinda of common in media with divorced then remarried characters. Maru has aspects of both her parents, she builds new things similar to her mother and is interested in science like her father, you could argue shes been able to spend time. Though Seb has lines where he complains about Demetrius (“Who does Demetrius think he is, telling me what to do? He's not even my real father.”), which tbh reminds me of a bit of Chloe from Life is Strange, he doesn't open up to Robin and doesn't really like Demetrius and I feel like Robin tries her best. but in the end it feels like Robin is more focused on her work and making her marriage work, than her son.

[@Leapalot]

She might also just not really be great with people. But yeah I think there's a bias.

[@annesophie4037]

I think Robin doesn't do anything in town because she isn't commissioned or nobody asked her. I like to think she is aware of it but thinks: "That's not my job unless i get paid" xD

[@Emerald-DragonFlame]

As an artist, this is exactly how I would see it. I draw things that I like, if you want something from me, then pay up buddy, I ain’t doin anything unless there’s currency involved. Robin probably feels the same, knowing that she could do something about it, but why waste the resources and time on something like that when you could be doing something you love?

[@Leapalot]

For sure. I don't blame her for not doing those things. I blame Lewis for not having them done by an accomplished carpenter.

[@pifdemestre7066]

About the tomatoes fruit thing, homegrown tomatoes can be much sweeter than the one you generally buy in stores (you can get more varieties and you pick them when they are fully matured). The tomatoes Demetrius bought might very well be yours (at least on my farm). So in my world those tomatoes can easily be eaten as you would eat other classical fruits (say a peach or a pear).

[@Leapalot]

Good to know! I'd try it. I'm just used to a very specific kind of tomato I suppose!

[@Indeeee]

Do you eat bananas when you feel like eating berries then?

[@StarlightMoss]

The idea that their house could catch fire and Seb wouldn’t have an escape because he has no window is scary tbh. When married, he also makes a comment about how he’s glad the farmhouse has a window since he didn’t have one. As a programmer, not having any sunlight has got to suck because that means that he’s spending a lot of time without healthy ambient lighting. I think the biggest problem with Robin is her lack of activism. She doesn’t stand up for her son, doesn’t do the bare minimum community service (like the flower dance bridge), and doesn’t care that her family is falling to pieces. We need scenes where she and Demetrius are getting along, where she reaches out to Sebastian, where she’s maintaining something crappy in town and confides that she hasn’t done other volunteer work because Lewis doesn’t value it enough to pay for it. A moment where she treats her kids equally, SOMETHING. Without this, she’s just passively stuck in a dysfunctional marriage and community and she doesn’t care to do anything about it. As the player, we can’t help but blame her for not caring enough to fix her dysfunctional lifestyle. Especially when it hurts other people.

[@firebird5570]

I don't like how Demetrius doesn't know that a tomato is both a fruit and a vegetable. Like, bestie... it's a vegetable in the culinary way and a "fruit" of the tomato plant. You're a scientist.... 😭😭😭

[@firebird5570]

thanks for the heart! I got so offended for my farmer when I chose vegetable bc I love Robin and he was like "I thought you would know the proper classification as a farmer" or something like,,, sir,,, I thought YOU would know the proper classification. acting so cocky istg

[@FernandoRafaelNogueiraReis]

@@firebird5570 thank you! It's a vegetable first, fruit second.

[@jasondphoenix]

Ah, Robin...the biggest disappointment every new player faces... The realization that you can't romance her...

[@Leapalot]

Definitely not me... 👀

[@hopesmusicvids]

Sebastian is my favourite of the villagers, so I've always been a little resentful to Robin, but I also fully hate Demetrius. A lot of what Sebastian tells you about his wonky home life involves Demetrius. Even when he's saying how much he hates Maru, it's clear that he only hates her, because Demetrius loves her and barely tolerates him

[@rowboatcop4451]

I did always find Robin's relationship a bit weird, i guess i just dont see the love. There are some nice details, like how they takr time in their evenings to go look out from the mountain togethet, or dance on friday nights at the saloon, but it doesnt feel represented in dialogue. Id say she runs into a bit of an issue where she doesnt feel like she has a lot of personality of her own, outside of her relationships to her family. I think just a bit more dialogue about herself and her past could fix that

[@Leapalot]

It would be interesting to hear about what Robin was up to before her time in the Valley. She had to live somewhere else before, since she built her house and all. 🤔 Unless she knocked down an old building on the same spot maybe?

[@Hellscap3]

I think its an actions and not words kinda love. It works for some people and makes no sense for others.

[@annikalee3351]

absolutely loved what you said about demetrius not respecting robin's passions and how that is super unfair, since robin is able to support her husband's endeavours! that is really interesting and i think it really speaks about the double standards between how females and males are treated in a family - you know, with the domestic expectations of housework and whatnot placed onto the stereotypical housewife etc etc. great video!!

[@Leapalot]

I know I never drop 10k on science experiments for Demetrius, but I'll absolutely spend like a million gold over the course of a game doing upgrades and building!

[@xoxo9497]

My take on the Sebastian thing (mainly Sebastian living in the basement) was all bc of Demetrius. I feel like he was jealous of Robin’s first marriage and Sebastian was his way of taking his jealousy out. Maybe Sebastian originally lived in the room Maru has when maru was a baby, and Demetrius kicked him into the basement when maru was getting older? I’m not sure but Demetrius always struck me as super hateful of Sebastian bc of jealousy or whatever you’d like to think

[@jasperjazzie]

yeah, i definitely feel like he likes maru more because she's his ""real kid""

[@Miles_Phantasmagoria]

I like both Robin & Demetrius enough, like I feel like they're pretty likeable on their own. Honestly tho it bugs me so much whenever I get roped into Robin & Demetrius' arguments like. y'all. I'm here to get a TV, say hi, then forage in your backyard, can I please just refer you to a couple's counsellor & GO?

[@Leapalot]

I keep saying Stardew 1.6 needs to bring a counselor to town!

[@Valentina-mv2ux]

@@Leapalot omg that sounds great !!! maybe it could even be the therapist shane starts going to, i think that'd be dope

[@cherryleafy101]

I think Sebastian lives in the basement because either he or Maru had to move when they got older. They probably shared Maru's room when they were little kids, but as they got older they both needed their own space. I don't think they could easily expand the house further; the house is blocked on three sides (left side by the path down to the house, back and right by the hill). And the front is their entryway and garage. So unless they knocked down their garage and entryway to build Sebastian a new room, there wouldn't be a way for the other kid to have a room without them moving into the basement. So I think it was probably a case of practicality.

[@Leapalot]

Would you rather live in a garage or a basement is essentially the question.

[@southernsnowman7788]

Then Maru is really not appreciated Sebastian's self sacrifice and take things for granted. She complain a lot about how she wish Sebastian to act more "brother" to her.

[@theforgottencompanion]

I have 2 different views, or rather ideas of why, Sebastian lives in the basement. number one is that Robin is unconsciously trying to prioritise Maru to show that she isn't prioritising the life she had with her ex which in turn makes her neglect Sebastian to an extent. the second one is that, based on what we know of Sebastian's behaviour he might just prefer to live in the basement because it is a bit more secluded and dark. I've had multiple friends want to live in the basement of their house because it makes them feel like they have their own section of said house, and I could imagine Sebastian viewing it the same way.

[@Leapalot]

I think it's a little bit of both probably.

[@lurkingone7079]

Sebastians Parent could also be Krobus. Robin lives close to the mines where his species lives. Sebastian and Krobus both like pumpkins as gift. Krobus can not really stay in the sun. Sebastian prefers rainy weather and to stay in the dark. Maybe in his youth he was weaker to light so thats why Robin did not put a window in. Krobus name in his language also means "bridge-crosser". So maybe Robin had a bit of a relationship with Krobus. Maybe they did not think a child would appear. Maybe Krobus does not even know that he has a child. Maybe Robin just made up an ex boyfriend who died to tell others who ask.

[@Leapalot]

😱😱😱

[@Satou_Rin]

PFFFFF- HAHA, what a beaut of a theory… that’s way more creative than something I’d come up with!

[@PharmDACR]

Headcanon accepted and cloned.

[@pktmaster]

Sebastian is also one of the few villagers who loves void eggs. So that's another commonality.

[@lurkingone7079]

@@pktmaster Yes. He seems kinda drawn to those things. Either a normal interest or as half shadow creature is kinda drawn to it. It should also be noted that hated gifts of his are all eggs (except for void) and egg based food like omlette. A thing he likes is obsidian. Quickly cooled lava. Shadow people in the mines life around the lava levels.

[@LittleUni]

I think Sebastian's room was intentionally made in the basement - It seems more his style, he probably asked for it to be that way. He prefers the dark and the cool, so a basement is kind of perfect for him.

[@Leapalot]

I would be down for that if I still lived with my family too. But it would be nice if he also had a separate entrance like Maru. And yeah.. windows.

[@boorah12]

@@Leapalot I agree on the separate entrance. If I recall correctly, however, he is not fond of the bright sunlight, which is why he goes out in the evening, meaning the lack of windows also works with him possibly requesting it.

[@D0MiN0ChAn]

Ray Shields Nah, when you marry him he specifically states how he disliked not having windows in his room 🤔

[@boorah12]

@@D0MiN0ChAn I saw that in Leapalot's Demetrius video. I had no idea, as I've never romanced Seb, but I admit my mistake.

[@Emily-lh6em]

I like Robin but I just wish we knew even more about this family dynamic in game.

[@Leapalot]

I'm so hungry for more dialogue. They're a super interesting family, but everything we learn is on the fringes of conversation.

[@jbullforg]

Plot twist: in Stardew Valley tomatoes are categorised as vegetable, not fruit. (hot pepper is categorised as a fruit however). Robin has zero reason to expect tomatoes when she asked for fruit.

[@Leapalot]

Shut it down everybody!

[@Vashiane]

I have a theory about Demetrius nagging Robin about efficiency; maybe he’s become aware of the construction projects around the town that the farmer’s doing, and is wondering why his wife isn’t capable of that herself. That extra hardwood spent on the bed could fix some of those bridges, for example. So he sees it as a waste not just because he’s obsessed with efficiency (because frankly, their house isn’t efficiently built either, you’d think he’d be more annoyed about that than a bed), but because he’s noticed the problems that she’s seemingly oblivious to while she works on these projects.

[@Leapalot]

Do you think he's worried the farmer will replace Robin in terms of community presence?

[@Vashiane]

@@Leapalot I could see that, yeah. Or that other people will ask “hey, why isn’t Robin capable of this?” and doubt her capabilities as a carpenter. Considering that’s her dream job and she gave up a whole marriage/her parents’ support for it, he knows that would crush her. I also think Robin’s just one of those present-focused people while Demetrius thinks more about the future. She sees the trees, he sees the forest. So while she sees the bed as building up her skills as a carpenter, he sees it as another thing someone might hold against his wife in the future if people compare the farmer’s contributions to hers.

[@elizabethb4168]

I'm not 100% sure about that, because Robin's carpentry business is, well, a business. The farmer does minimal volunteer work putting planks over a very small stream, and all the other carpentry fixes just happen ✨ mysteriously in the night✨ or because Joja was paid. I don't think Robin is oblivious to anything, there's just little to no demand for her services, or Lewis (or other townspeople) are unwilling to pay her for her work, so they don't seek out her services even if they'd like them.

[@toast4531]

But at the same point that's not much of Robbins issue Carpenters have to be commissioned to do that stuff and Lewis isn't doing crap about it so... you know?

[@marcycoly1754]

I have a theory about Sebastian and why he lives in the basement. So first, we don't know the exact age of the characters but I assume that Maru and Sebastian are really close, so maybe Sebastian was a 'happy accident' just a few months before meeting Demetrius and maybe 2-3 years before having Maru. Maru and him shared what is now Maru's room, until teenager Sebastian said he wanted his own room. Robin and Demetrius got on an argument because Robin asked him to move the lab to the basement but Demetrius needs fresh air and light because he works with plants, so he refused. And Sebastian said that he can live in the basement. But why not just adding a room?

[@Leapalot]

I could see that happening. My wife was thinking Maru's room was for Sebastian originally, then Maru was born unexpectedly. Already had a basement planned so...

[@marcycoly1754]

@@Leapalot oh yeah it's pretty similar. But again, she's a carpenter, why not build another room -_-

[@error101ishere]

At 6:30 Sebastian's saying 'Yea" is quite amusing like he didn't want to say it unless someone else agreed.

[@Leapalot]

I didn't want to say anything but... Lol

[@charliegreen7988]

That’s my favorite part of the cutscene haha go Seb

[@OneTrueBelmont]

I like the Stardew Valley Animated take on the tomato scene with Demetrius asking the fruit or vegetable question of the farmer. Farmer: What the fuck, man? Do you cut up tomatoes and put them in your cereal bowl?

[@randomcat1962]

I feel like I can relate to Demetrius. I have autism and ADHD and I usually don’t see things the way others see things. I think far away kind of, like in the future or outside of our planet. Sorry if this doesn’t make sense

[@Leapalot]

I think that was the point for that scene. Just to show that he has a different way of thinking than most people in the valley. Thanks for your perspective!

[@vanyadolly]

Yeah, I think a lot of people are too quick to assume Demetrius is deliberately spiteful towards Sebastian. We can see from his interactions with Robin whom he loves that he gets things wrong even with someone who knows he loves them. For a child it would be impossible not to take offence to his mannerism which probably led to a growing rift between him and Sebastian. It can be hard for people on the spectrum to understand when other people need comfort or emotional sensitivity, so they can come off as uncaring and hurtful even when they don't mean to.

[@EighmyLupin]

Another reason the Mariner could be Sebby's daddy is that all three love the rain. The tomato event has always been a little funny to me because he's all like "Ohh look how smart I am, I know that on a biological level tomatoes are fruits" and I'm like uh yeah, you just described the vast majority of vegetables*, because biologically speaking, veggies don't exist, it's purely a culinary term. All Vegetables are something nonvegetable on a biological scale. Not so smart now are you Mr smarty pants? lol *The ones that aren't fruits are things like roots and leaves.

[@Leapalot]

If someone brought me a pumpkin for my fruit salad I'd be a little peeved...

[@FernandoRafaelNogueiraReis]

@@Leapalot aren't pumpkins sweet tho?

[@cobaltprime9467]

More than likely Robin’s first husband isn’t from the Valley, maybe from Zuzu City. They could have divorced or maybe he could have passed away. But it’s fun to theorize. Old Mariner is interesting. It also can’t be anyone that is actively interacting with the town like Gus, Willy or Marlon. So the Old Mariner is a strong candidate. But there’s also Qi, the Bouncer, and a big stretch would be the Wizard who already had a thing with Caroline and definitely wouldn’t have been married to any normal person. Qi seems to be the most likely candidate to me. He’s always running around working on his own projects so if he were married he’d have been an inattentive husband and father. He’s an intelligent man that Vincent could have gotten his computer skills from. And he and Robin both like to build things and she has a thing for scientific men. Again I don’t think she was married to anyone around the Valley. It’s just fun to theorize.

[@Leapalot]

I never want to think about Mr. Qi as a sexually active being lol.

[@FernandoRafaelNogueiraReis]

@@Leapalot he does have a computer room...

[@RMBMakes]

I believe Robin and Sebastian moved from Zuzu city unless I'm mistaken but I also think that she built the house when she and Demetrius first got married (pre Maru) and then when she had Maru her and Seb probably shared for a couple years and then he got pushed down to the basement which leads to a lot of favoritism toward Maru and Sebastian resenting Demetrius and his sister because "I built a snowgoon but Demetrius made me get rid of it. What's his problem" meanwhile Maru has one in her little private fenced in area.

[@aeresys]

My theory is that Demetrius is a robot created by Maru and Sebastian is a vampire, which why his basement has no windows

[@Leapalot]

It's the only explanation that makes sense!

[@FernandoRafaelNogueiraReis]

@@Leapalot and who fathered Maru, then?

[@sebbech1418]

This isn’t exactly regarding the video, but it regards Robin. The other day I got the dialogue ”Lew….? Oh..” from Robin when I entered her shop first thing in the morning. I thought this was a dialogue exclusive to Marnie? Maybe it’s a bug, but it was certainly surprising to see and it sent my mind reeling. Maybe someone else has had the same thing happen and maybe it’s a common thing, I haven’t really looked it up, either way it made me laugh.

[@Leapalot]

It's suuuuper uncommon. Like fractions of a percent chance to happen.

[@milkglassfairy7641]

OKAY so I just thought of this yesterday. When you go into Robin’s shop she says she has a selection of hand made furniture or whatever, she rotates them regularly but the thing to focus on is it’s hand crafted - hand made. I assume then… hand crafted by HER. Since she is the carpenter and she is selling them. So she is claiming that she makes all the pieces of furniture that she sells on a daily basis. Fine. That’s fine - until you buy the furniture catalogue and you can instantly have any piece of furniture in the home. So when using the catalogue are you placing an order for a bespoke furniture item that Robin crafts and then delivers to you or are you ordering from like… stardew equivalent of IKEA - mass produced cheap furniture, and Robin has been living a lie the whole time and passing it off as her own hand made furniture? Maybe she’s not actually a very proficient carpenter. That’s why all these simple things around town were not fixed until we came along… maybe she isn’t even really fixing or building anything! She just stands there banging a hammer on whatever we’ve requested she build/upgrade… and maybe while we’re distracted with that, she has someone else doing the work for her?? Maybe she’s actually captured a junimo and the junimo is doing all the work for her loool and she keeps the money for herself. I know we are like the only ones who can talk to the junimos and see them but idk maybe I can work on that😂😂 maybe she DOES do the building but it’s a rip off and doesn’t meet any safety standards and she overcharges PLUS we provide the materials so she’s making BANK because she doesn’t need to fork out any money for the materials ohh my god either way she’s a fkn rip off. Damn Robin. Stretchhhhhhhh.

[@FernandoRafaelNogueiraReis]

The Wizard can see the Junimos too, he even captured one but he can't understand them. He knows the ritual but somehow it doesn't seem work for himself.

[@queenkatara7861]

I think it makes sense that Demetrius got a tomato for Robin as that’s an ingredient in her loved gift of spaghetti. Of course, she also loves peaches which are a fruit, but still I see his logic.

[@Leapalot]

Interesting. But also. Does that mean that spaghetti is a fruity pasta? 🤔

[@queenkatara7861]

@@Leapalot Dang bro you’re right 👀

[@suzannebrownbill9232]

Perhaps Sabastian lived with his Dad when he was younger. Robin builds the house with the assumption that Sabastian will just be staying for some weekends or holidays. Then something happens to her ex and Sabastian moves in.

[@Leapalot]

Could be! I never made that assumption, but I could see it.

[@panumastubsee603]

I think Sebastian might be the one who decided to have a basement as his own room, when Robin is planning her house it's likely that she will ask her family members about their preference or something like that

[@sophiathefurbst]

How old was Seb when she was building the house, though? I kinda always theorized that, maybe robin and seb shared her room or even the bed, and Demetrius wanted to kick him out, and by this time Maru was born, so he had to retreat to the basement. Although, it does seem unlikely that there wouldn’t be dialogue about this if it were canon.

[@Leapalot]

My wife theorized that she built the house with Maru's room in mind for Sebastian, but then Maru was born. They already had the basement planned, so...

[@sophiathefurbst]

@@Leapalot that makes more sense! It does seem weird there isn’t any dialogue about it , they have a whole human being living in their basement and it’s not really discussed

[@sophiathefurbst]

@@bean192 he mentioned his (old) basement only a few times, but I get mixed messages, a bit, from the quotes: “My room might be a little less depressing if I had a window”, (married) “Well, this place sure beats my old basement room, doesn't it?”, “Hey. I was just thinking about my old room in the basement. I felt comfortable there, but this is a lot more interesting. And I don't miss the smell... I felt kind of embarrassed living in my mom's house for so long”, “Hm...Sometimes I have to force myself to stay outside for health. I dunno what it is, but I like being indoors. Maybe I'm just so used to my dark basement.”

[@panumastubsee603]

@@bean192 Thanks, that's good to know

[@Toebees_]

5:30 I love eating tomatoes raw lmao, but then again my dad did used to grow them when I was really little so we ate them all the time

[@Leapalot]

Hey more power to you! I... Don't. Lol. I love cooking with them though!

[@Zephosnu]

My current headcannon is that the parents had the room with the door so they could get in/out to the pub without the kids, who would be sharing the big room, knowing. Sebastian went off to college, Maru moved into the room as a teen, Sebastian came home (they thought he would stay in the city), had to move into the basement.

[@justinburmeister6316]

What annoys me about that heart event with the tomato is that even the damn game classifies tomatoes as a vegetable.

[@ParanoidYoshi]

I think Robin enjoys the sound of the creaking wood because she's a carpenter, not because of memories of some spooky mariner. The woman simply has a connection to the raw materials on which her life and livelihood are built. Willy likes smelly fish, Clint gets excited about rocks, and Robin's all about the wood.

[@MillyKKitty]

I vividly remember the tomato cutscene because Robin spelled it as tomatos previously.

[@Leapalot]

I can't really talk since spell check saves me on the daily.

[@gameygeemer4142]

How I see it going den is he probably had the room Maru is living in now before Maru really got old enough for her own room, then he was starting to enter his like edgy pre-tween phase and laid claim to the basement since it was already there and it was isolated from the rest of the house a bit.

[@AdrianArmbruster]

Maybe the Lab was Seb's old room? He moved down to the basement to be alone and have more space once he got older, so they turned it into the lab. Maru's room also seems to be a bit of an 'add-on' -- Robin may have built it later. Might explain why it has a secret crawlspace under it.

[@Leapalot]

I like this, but I think the lab seems very purpose built. Not sure!

[@qrapefru1t150]

I’ve been looking forward to the next in this series and here it is! Robin was never really a character I befriended as I never thought she had as much of a storyline as some of the other characters but I definitely think her relationship with Demetrius is interesting. I never thought about Sebastian’s room being deliberately worse than everyone else’s because I always thought it was just a choice that he would rather have his own space. (I found the point about his room very interesting though!) I don’t really know what I make of the family as a whole, but I’m definitely going to pay more attention to them now!

[@thatguythatdrives]

The wizard is Sebastians father. He has purple hair and sorta looks like him. Also, I think the wizard does what my character did. Tried alllllll the buffet and then got shunned by the town for doing it.

[@troublemakergamer8200]

In Canada, you must have a window and it has to be big enough to fit a person through it to be legally a bedroom.

[@projectdolphin7398]

im so glad you brought up Demetrius possibly being neurodivergent! my friend and i love talking about the tomato scene, both of us being autistic

[@Leapalot]

I've thought a lot about that scene, especially in regards to people with autism. I still don't understand why someone's brain would hear fruit, and go... "Ah yes, the tomato. Most beloved of all (technically) fruits." But maybe that's my ignorance showing?

[@projectdolphin7398]

@@Leapalot my friend and i have talked about that too, we arent entirely sure either haha except for a way to show demetrius having a different way of thinking. the line about not knowing what assumptions to make is very relatable though. its easy to get stuck in my own head and overthink what someone might have meant about one thing or another, especially when the instructions arent very clear. while it is silly for Demetrius to assume robin wants tomatoes, she could just have easily said "can you go buy some apples or peaches" its a very relatable conversation for ND people to have with neurotypical people, and it has a nice resolution with them both promising to communicate better!

[@asonstrom4056]

@@Leapalot My assumption (as an autistic person) was that since Robin didn't specify *which* fruit, he kind of grabbed the first one he saw. If she had wanted apples, she would have said apples, right? So because she wasn't being specific enough, he figured any fruit would do. Did you know pumpkins are technically categorized as a giant berry? Plants are super weird, and he probably spends more time thinking about the scientific classification of things rather than the cultural classification because that's what he studies.

[@Leapalot]

@@asonstrom4056 I actually just commented about pumpkins on another reply! Thanks for the insight. That makes a lot of sense!

[@oftheaethereal]

I absolutely love the theory of Demetrius being neurodivergent, I'd never heard it before this video! I have bad ADHD and my partner is autistic, we both have a lot of trouble understanding tone. And to top it off, I'm a neuroscience student. Sure, the assumptions he makes are a bit "extreme," but media tends to do that to get a point across - such as Demetrius taking things too literally. And it isn't that unreasonable to not ask for clarification. He probably didn't know he needed it, and even if he did, asking for help is hard. People look at you like you're an idiot, especially when you've got a reputation of being the smartest person in the room. I can't even begin to count the number of times I've messed up a "simple" task at work because the instructions were unclear and I either thought I understood or didn't want to look dumb. To bring the theory a tad further, he gives me the impression of someone who is undiagnosed. He doesn't fully realize that he thinks about things differently than others, probably chalks it up to being a scientist. And it further explains why he doesn't ask for help. It reminds me a lot of friend's parents who never realized they were neurodivergent until their kid got diagnosed. Just my two cents :]

[@MeisoKun]

Exposing the villagers A Netflix original

[@Leapalot]

I sent them an email but they didn't seem interested.. 🤔

[@FernandoRafaelNogueiraReis]

@@Leapalot tell them you're in contact with Disney and watch the fireworks.

[@bringmethatcoffee5235]

i mean. i HATE heat. i can't stand summer. i get hot at 20° up. if my family would have build a house, i would have asked/wanted a room in the basement, i guess. and sebastian seems like a dude who doesn't like the heat/sun either, so i wouldn't really say it's his family trying to "get rid" of him.

[@isaac-runsonspite5218]

Honestly i really hate Robin Even though she cares about Sebastian, she's still a terrible Mother for him Like, she could've built Sebastian's Room where the Lab is and built the Lab in the Basement instead of putting her Child down their, depriving him of social interaction and sunlight! Her House is depressing cause it feels like they're trying to literally hide their "less talented" child away in the basement like he's some monster to be ashamed of! No wonder Sebastian constantly has Nightmares and just wants to get away from his Family! They're neglecting him and pretty sure the "hiding him in the basement" can and should be counted as abuse in this case That's why i relate to Sebastian and always marry him, so i can get him away from that terrible place

[@Eluthane]

So I came back to this video after playing last night, and noticing that for purposes of game mechanics particularly in the function of preserve jars, tomato's are treated like vegetables. What I found really interesting is that hot peppers are treated like fruit. This is curious to me, because while hot peppers are indeed fruit I don't know anyone who is pedantic about peppers the same way everyone is pedantic about tomatoes. So that fact that I can jam peppers and pickle tomatoes is endlessly funny to me, especially in light of the cut scene with Demetrius.

[@amy_ama]

5:10 Im autistic, assumptions are hard. However living on earth for 23 yr i become aware how tomato is classified, and i doubt Demetrius has never heard about tomato being consider a vegetable

[@stevenlucas9963]

I guess I wasn't paying attention cause I always assumed Sebastian's room was the upstairs, not the basement 😬

[@tonymason6686]

There's always the "Robin Marriage" mod, a must if you've fallen for her like I did!

[@Leapalot]

Gotta break up even more marriages!

[@And1slash]

there's another mod out there that will help " ruin " her marriage even more quite fun and after a while Demetrious will move out of the valley forever

[@cofeejoe2882]

I think, considering how broody Sebastian is and how much he likes his privacy, there's a high chance that he chose the basement as his now room and Robyn accommodated him i think. Tho i always felt weird about how the family in general treats Sebastián, like there's obviously favoritism going on.

[@Leapalot]

I think that's fair. I wanted a basement room growing up. I also think that living space is really cool, but Robin should know better than to put her kid in a room with no window when her husband ignites fireballs upstairs weekly.

[@Jake123557]

I've never given much thought to the fact that Sebastian has to live in the basement. But thinking about it now, perhaps the worst part of it is that it would make so much more sense to have the lab in the basement, and Sebastian's room where the lab is. In fact, it makes so much sense that I want to believe that this was Robin's original plan when she built the house. Then maybe Demetrius, for one reason or another, pushed for having his lab be upstairs and Robin folded.

[@aulliray]

I'm gonna be honest, I think Robin is a dang saint. And I love her for it. She actively tries to keep her marriage together (which was my interpretation of the book in the bedroom), and despite grievances and disagreements with her partner, she never really seems to yell or ignore him. She does get mad, which is human, but we never see her lash out. She designs an entire house to cater to the man she loves despite not really understanding everything. Demetrius gets on my nerves for a few reason, but putting that aside, despite his promise to try and be better in the tomato scene, man just takes things literally and sees no other perspective in his next argument with Robin over the bed, lamenting about being in the dog house just because you didn't agree with him. He seems like a bit of a gaslighter and robin has absolutely none of it, go her! She even mentions this is a common occurrence and is still never really complaining about it! Onto the work aspect,,, One of my friends works with wood more often than not when he builds things, and it is expensive. Very expensive. The prices Robin asks for are reasonable, she even gives you extra wood when she finds it, and pays extra for materials on the board when she's in a pinch. I'm betting Lewis, as most of the comments agree, just refuses to pay her for the work or even just the materials. He straight up guilts the farmer to even just enter the building? Anyways, praise be Robin, the patient mom with two wild kids and a big heart.

[@jamesegg7372]

Robin! Repair that house in the forest! The Hat Mouse needs somewhere nice to live!

[@skylar408]

Last time I was this early, grandpa was still alive

[@Leapalot]

Grandpa died?

[@valh889]

Given how the house is designed, to me it's likely that either Demetrius and Robin weren't planning to have Maru, or Robin didn't think it would be a problem, but Demetrius insisted Maru have her own room, like many others have suggested. Also yeah, Demetrius is giving big signs of neurodivergence. When I was younger and was less self aware, I was honestly really smug about my intelligence, same way he is. Could just be that he's smug, but with the unawareness about the tomato thing, it's unlikely.

[@labr4t505]

In my head ive always seen it as demetrius and robin hoping Sebastion would just move out... for whatever reason because hes a bit older like neither of them ever act like they want him around v much so id imagine they just stuck him in the basement so they wouldnt have to deal with him or something i feel like thats a v common thing esp since Demetrius obviously favors his kid with robin more than his stepson and it seems like Robin doesnt really care all that much due to probably? trying to make her second marriage go well

[@aeshaluvs]

For the Seb's room thing, I've had an older brother have the same thing where he had his own room but difference is that it's still a room in the house and not a basement even if my dad is his step-dad, so it isn't an issue in ours but seeing Seb have a basement room with no windows and isolate himself kinda baffles me. Maybe because he found it cool before when he was younger and I could see that, maybe he's shy to ask his mom for upgrades now that he's older? But idk, can I say it's a child neglect? Idk either. But love this video though!

[@emmalottie3346]

I always thought that maru must not be robins cause there didnt seem to be much age gap. That is worrying for sebastian. Unless he lived with his dad for a while? I think he and Maru definately must have shared for a while, maybe he moved himself to the basement just to get some space and got stuck there

[@Leapalot]

I think most people at this point are thinking 3ish year age gap. But I don't know where people are finding those figures. Might be something in code or dialogue that I don't know about!

[@cameronjadewallace]

Before I started playing, I learned there was romance options, so I checked out the bachelors, and saw Elliott because Alphabetical, but then I saw Sebastian and before I knew anything about him my brain went "yup, him. You have a type, and it him." Then I met him and his family and I had like ten panic attacks at the same time.... But I'll tell you one thing... The four post bed has MANY uses. I can come up with at least ONE way Sebastian and I can use it 😏 oh, yeah... I bought it, and I can't wait til Bastian and I get married and he moves in....

[@linaith2708]

thank you

[@peng1luver259]

I have a joke, fruit bat man and Robin

[@Leapalot]

Booooo! Lol. I love/hate it!

[@blokvader8283]

0:39 I genuinely thought that too, before I realized the whole "half sibling" thing

[@craftykit2242]

I never considered how Maru’s room is in a nicer spot than Sebastian’s. Maybe maru’s room was sebastian’s, she could’ve been unexpected and Robin and Demetrius moved him downstairs to give their new daughter a better room. One of my brothers actually has his room in our basement, he was exited to stay down there for the privacy.

[@Leapalot]

Yep! Privacy is hard to come by as a teen, but that fire escape situation lol...

[@cottageworm7426]

Robin is probably one of my favorite non marriage npcs, she offers you to sit at their family table on the feast of the winter star, and she one of the few npcs who don’t need “fixing” as you befriend them. a lot of my view of her is clouded by my personally headcanons (mostly from seb fanfics on ao3, i love my emo boy) so i think that she does genuinely care a lot for both her kids, we don’t see her interact as much with maru simply because maru and Demetrius are stem ppl, CA would prioritize them interacting, and i think maybe demetrius’s saying of her having a temper could be from her defending sebastian, which is likely the root of their miscommunications i think. i think i like the headcanon of demetrius being ND, he struggles with social cues and his heavily interested in his special interest. i have a sneaking suspicion that much of the community’s dislike of him is some unintentional/ internalized racism, cause he and maru are literally the only (canon) POC in the valley. I was super critical of him but then i realized that i love george and he is literally homophobic and like a grump so… also i bet robin built the house before maru was born so they had to adjust and seb was an emo kid who wanted the basement and changed his mind later (also basement offers a bit more independence, i am 21 and live with parents cause college and basement bedroom would be BLISS) sorry for the tangent lmao. tdlr: i love robin and think she’s a good mom and that many of the dynamics of this family are not shown for the sake of the game

[@AweryGhe]

Dude what the hell. The mouse is a sentient anthropomorphic being. Are you want to kick him out of his house???

[@Kromkampium07]

Hi! I really like this Stardew valley series. Very well done😁👍

[@Leapalot]

Thank you!

[@puppylord5459]

i like robin i know there is stuff that needs fixing like what you pointed out but i keep that stuff away from her as a charaacter cues its more there for you as a player to fix up and feel like you did something but as a Charaacter i like robin she is nice and i like that intro with her getting grumpy its funny to me

[@MM-jf1me]

As far as Sebastian's room in the basement goes: it's possible that Robin built their home when she was either married to her first husband or when she was a single mom, with Maru's room originally being intended for Sebastian and with the lab area meant to be a living room or workshop for Robin. When Robin remarried and Maru came along Sebastian was either consigned to the basement or given the choice to share his room or move into the basement voluntarily: either way, the baby and then much smaller child needed to be kept closer to the parents while Sebastian was old enough to be further away. Something similar happened with me and my younger stepbrother: he got my bedroom and my mom redid the dining room as my bedroom as my brother lived there full time and I only lived there half time. Being forcefully relegated to the basement could've also stoked Sebastian's resentment of Maru (I didn't resent my brother as I understood my parents' reasoning and I still got a room of my own, unlike my sisters who shared a room).

[@vibrantoucan8890]

I dont think it was ever stated when the house was build and no one ever mentioned Sebastians childhood, so I always just assumed that Sebastian originally lived with his dad but something happened and he moved in with them after the house ws already build ands there was no room except the basement. Either Robin was too busy with her job and stopping her husbands experiments from going crazy or Sebastian was fine with living there or a combination of both, is the reason she didn't build a room for him.

[@OrysBaratheon1]

I legitimately go to the store and buy tomatoes and bite into them like they're apples

[@Leapalot]

I did not want this information.

[@emma_nutella58]

the fact she kinda made Sebastian live in the basement definitely felt like he was treated like an afterthought, she didnt even give him a window which is legally required for it to be considered a room

[@ZeeNastee]

Huh. I actually assumed the same as you that they were children from previous marriages. They seem close to the same age so I just thought that was the most likely case. I guess Seb was pretty young when she his parents split.

[@Leapalot]

Right? It also made more sense to me since each parent talks the most about what I assumed was "their" kid. But nope!

[@Professionalsimp1]

Maru has a good sized room, her own balcony thingy and her own basement!

[@vexywexypoo]

The fact that Demetrius calls a bed "sleep receptical" reminds me of the Steven Universe scene where Amethyst asks Peridot what she calls certain body parts which is so goofy.

[@MyPisceanNature]

It seems to me that Robin probably asked Sebastián how he would like his room laid out before she built it. I am a night owl, and I would appreciate no windows in my sleeping area. Couple that with the fact that he's a young adult now, which means he was probably an adolescent when the room was built, and would greatly appreciate the excess privacy.

[@juliefarrell6688]

For some reason, 8yo me liked Robin a lot. I don't know what it was, but I just liked the general energy she gave off.

[@Leapalot]

She's sassy and fun in cut scenes and she's a competent working lady. What's not to like?

[@juliefarrell6688]

Maybe I liked her because she could build houses by banging one wall with a hammer

[@southernsnowman7788]

I understand. She's pretty cool and funny. She look friendly too. She's easy to be around. She got good energy in her

[@villalba874]

I mean...all she does is hammer the side of my house and boom, it suddenly expands into a two bedroom home.

[@TheWretchedOwl]

I wouldn’t put Sebastian living in the basement on Robin. He’s emo, he probably likes living in the basement. If he really wanted out he could ask his mom to build him a better room and you know she’d do it for free… if he collected the wood for her 😄

[@Leapalot]

Sure I'll build you a room kid. Go chop down a couple hundred trees for me first though lol.

[@iambadatnamingthings3547]

It’s possible that Robin built the house with Maru’s room as Sebastian’s room because it was during her first marriage or right after it fell apart and she moved to the valley with her child before she remarried, then somehow Maru got that room and Sebastian got the basement, I do fault her for not building an extra bedroom but considering Sebastian’s personality he might have consciously chose to live there, and if he did he could ask his mom to build him a room

[@AMinibot]

Ngl, @ all the people saying Robin 'probably' asked Sebastian what he wanted room-wise and he chose the basement... do any of you have mothers irl who are super into home improvement? Because I do. I love my room, but even though I was a teenager when it was built, I didn't exactly have a say in any part of how it was done/set out other than like, "what colour do you want the walls" because my mum was hopped tf up on the adrenaline of having a Project. Like seriously this was Hurricane Home Improvement and I was a confused lil bit of debris caught up in the whirlwind. I was never asked 'do you want this,' I was told 'this is what we're doing with the house.' I just sort of went along with all of it, it wasn't a family discussion or whatever, it was my mum making decisions and those decisions happening. Sebastian doesn't strike me as a particularly assertive character, he's honestly quite passive and self effacing in a lot of ways, like his dialogue and item quests referring to not wanting the player to trouble themselves too much. I have a pretty good sense from personal experience of how the house building might well have played out.

[@killtyrant]

I laughed at the tomatoe and fruit thing. It falls into what might be considered a phatic expression. To me it proved that at least geographically, robin and demetrious come from different areas or at the very least have vastly different upbringings.

[@Leapalot]

Can you elaborate? Is it something like what another commentor said about how tomatoes can be very sweet depending on where they're grown?

[@killtyrant]

@@Leapalot What I was more leaning into was linguistic differences. For instance, Im from New York and a common way to say "hello" to someone is "whats up?" or "hows it hanging?" (Keeping it PG here). Whereas in the south youll come across people saying "howdy" or "how do you do" etc etc. Saying "I want a fruit" draws a common conclusion that someone wants something sweet like an orange or mango but thats highly dependent on where you grow up. Maybe where demetrious is from, that kind of phatic expression doesnt exist. Its not really that uncommon to actually happen. For instance, when i was in university. I met alot of British natives. When I said "whats up" to them, they all had a look of worry or concern or just flat out confusion. They've never heard of someone using that kind of verbiage to denote a welcome and thought I was asking if something was wrong.

[@briggledawf_645]

i like to think that maru and sebastian shared marus room when they were little and robin first built the house but then as they grew up seb was like "nope" and moved all his stuff into what i thought was the basement

[@skarlettsapphire4065]

dope video sir leapalot! i would like to reccomend Penny as the next npc, mostly because of something i've noticed. It is clear that Penny is anxious and has a really depressing life, but how does she cope with this? Note that (if i recall correctly), she tends to stand near noxious fumes in both the Spirit's Eve festival and the Night Market, commenting on the scent. Not to mention her favorite flower is a poppy. It's my theory that Penny is lowkey 420 blazin' it.

[@Leapalot]

Hiya! I'm holding off on marriage candidates until I get most of the way through the non marriage folks! But I will absolutely cover Penny!

[@skarlettsapphire4065]

Then, I shall wait with great patience, and I'm excited for your next townsperson. :D

[@ZariusFontaine]

Living area's in Australia have to have a window too

[@idilkaraali]

no joke i would die for sebastian

[@Leapalot]

Please live for Sebastian instead.

[@cassynedelisky796]

That could’ve been the bedroom that Sebastian wanted. My dad built our house when I was 11 or 12 and I got to pick where and what my bedroom looked like, so did my brother.

[@LT9TSilver]

I don't know if you're gonna see this or not. I can explain a bit about the bed scene with Demetrius. I'm a botany student at the moment, and we have a large focus on sustainability. To his eyes, it was a waste of materials in a world that's already stretched thin. I can understand where he's coming from, but there's a time and place for such things.

[@kittyyuki1537]

Demetrius would be a perfect example of the people featured in the subreddit r/iamverysmart