Besting Blunders

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🎉 Marty's Milestone Birthday Bash 🎉​

Once upon a time, there was a villager named Graham. Many villagers who lived on the same island as Graham, were planning a birthday party for resident Marty. Merengue was baking the birthday cake, Tex had agreed to provide music, and Jambette and Rory were decorating Resident Services. And holding it all together, Gayle, in charge of planning Marty's birthday and keeping everybody on track.

When Graham saw that everybody was chipping in, he wanted to help out too. He went to Merengue's house, where she was in the kitchen assembling a glorious three-tiered cake. Graham insisted he would be able to help, but he couldn't even reach the counter. He climbed on a stool, hovering next to the counter, where he was going to help decorate with sprinkles. As he reached his tiny hamster arms across the counter, he slipped from the stool, trying to grab something to hold onto. He grabbed the cake, which swiftly fell with him (he was fine). The cake was ruined, but as Graham tasted on his way down, delicious. "Out!" Merengue huffed, and Graham scrambled out of Merengue's house, leaving her to start again. Poor Graham.

Graham decided it was best to go to Gayle and see what he could do to help. After explaining the situation, Gayle sent him to help Jambette and Rory with the decorations. He found them both hanging bunting outside Resident Services. Once his tiny legs managed to climb to the top of the ladder, it took one minor breeze, to sweep him right off the ladder, and pull all of Jambette and Rory's hard work down with him (he was fine). He didn't need to wait for Rory's roar, he scurried away to find Gayle. Poor Graham.

Gayle listened thoughtfully, and sent Graham to find Tex. All Tex needed was a microphone and his voice, surely Graham could help with that. Tex ordered Graham to do a sound check. "Sing into the microphone like I would", Tex ordered. And with his squeaky little voice, Graham sung into the microphone. "Aaaah, my ears!" Tex cried. The volume was set far too high, and the high pitched squeak was just too much. Graham was sent away (he was fine). Poor Graham.

Graham decided to go home, he was clearly a nuisance, but Gayle was determined that Graham could do something to help. "Graham," Gayle said, "I haven't been able to reach Marty's very best friend Marina. It won't be a proper birthday party without her. I need you to go with Kapp'n to look for her."

"How will I know where to find her?" Graham asked.

"I'm not sure, but here's a bucket of paint. I bet that will help." Gayle replied. Was she confused?

Graham wandered off to Kapp'n's boat with his paint tin, and explained that he was there to help. Kapp'n had already planned to go himself, but they set off into the pink sea together anyway. They couldn't find Marina anywhere. Graham got bored. "I wonder what colour this paint is." he pondered. "I'm going to open it."

"I don't think that's the best idea." Kapp'n answered, but it was too late. With one swift motion, Graham had opened the paint (it was yellow), the boat hit a wave, and the paint leapt overboard.

With a great splash, someone popped their head out of the water. "What did you do?!" Marina gasped, horrified by the colour of the water.

"Oh, I was looking for you!" Graham exclaimed.

Marina was very displeased that Graham was dumping toxic chemical waste into the ocean, but she listened thoughtfully, cleaned up the paint, and then followed Kapp'n's boat back to the island to help celebrate Marty's birthday.

The party went off without another hitch, and everyone had a blast. The island residents all laughed about the happenings of the day, and there were no hard feelings toward Graham (mostly).​
 
Here's my entry!
Word count: 963
Cheri woke up extra early today. It was a special day. Today was her dear friend Melba's birthday and she was going to throw her a surprise party like no other. The first thing she needed to do was call Melba and invite her to visit this evening.

Melba picked up on the second ring. "Hey Cheri, what's up?" "Hi Melba! I was wondering if you'd like to come over tonight say, around 7?" "Oh?, what for?" She said with a giggle. "Oh, nothing much" Cheri replied coyly. "I just thought it'd be fun to hang out tonight. " "Ok, sure! I'd love to 'hang out' with you" Said Melba in a suspicious voice. After exchanging goodbyes Cheri hung up.

The next thing on the agenda was to go to the store and get all her supplies. She walked down to Nook's Cranny and once inside, she greeted the twins. "Hey Timmy, Hi Tommy! How are you today?" "We're doing well! ...well. What brings you here today?" Said Timmy, with Tommy trailing behind as usual. "I'm here to get a few party supplies." Said Cheri. "I'm throwing a surprise party for Melba today." Cheri filled her arms with decorations and goodies for making the cake. Cheri was determined to make this party the best one Melba's ever had! "Um, Cheri?" Said Timmy. "Do you need some help carrying all that? ...all that?" "No thanks!" Cheri said, shifting her load so she could see the nooklings more clearly. "I've got everything under control." The two raccoons looked at each other skeptically. "Ok... if you say so Cheri. Hope you have a good party! ...party!"

Cheri left the store and was able to make it home without dropping anything but struggled to get her door open. "C'mon... Almost got it..." "Hey Cheri!" Cheri jumped in surprise and lost her grip, sending everything tumbling to the ground. She turned to see the source of the interruption and there was Cobb looking a bit sheepish. "Sorry Cheri, are you working on your biceps? We should train together!" Cheri opened her door and started picking up her groceries. "Sorry Cobb, I'm busy today. I'm throwing a surprise party for Melba later and I have to get everything ready!" "Oh! A surprise party?" Cobb said excitedly. "Do you need any help? I can carry all the decorations you could need" He said as he flexed proudly. "Nope! I can do it by myself" Cheri responded "But you're invited to join us tonight if you want?" "You bet! I can't wait to see the look on Melba's face when she walks in" Cobb walked off with a smile and Cheri brought everything inside and set it on the table.

"Alright, I think I'll start with the decorations. I want this party to be as fabulous as me after all!" Cheri covered the table with her best tablecloth and covered the door with streamers. She put out centerpieces and set the table with her fanciest dishes. She got everything ready and all she had left was to hang the big birthday banner. She put a stepladder by the wall and climbed up as high as she could and taped the banner in place. She moved the stepladder and raised the banner to tape the other side when the first side slipped off the wall. "Aw, c'mon..." she said, taping the side she was holding. She went back to the first side and pulled it taut when suddenly the other side fell once more. "Seriously?!" She cried angrily. She taped the banner to the wall with double the tape and went to the other side, gently lifting it and taping. She took a step back and realized that the banner was crooked.

She sighed and went to fix it when she noticed the time on her clock. "Ohmigosh! I have to make the cake! I'm almost out of time!" She hurried to mix up the batter and put it in the oven to bake while she made her frosting. She took it out of the oven when it was done and quickly started decorating it with little success. "Ugh. This is NOT how I wanted it to look."
Just then there was a knock on the door and Cobb walked inside holding a gift bag. "Hey Cheri!" "Oh... Hi Cobb." She said glumly. "What's wrong? You look upset." Said Cobb. "Things just haven't been going my way today. I wanted this to be the best party ever, but nothing's turning out as it should!" Said Cheri. Cobb responded with surprise. "What do you mean? This place looks great! And Melba should be here soon. It will be fine." "Maybe you're right Cobb." Cheri said.

She picked up the cake to move it to the table when suddenly, the top layer slid right off and plopped onto the floor. "Oh. My. GOSH!!" Cried Cheri. "How will I ever fix this cake on time?"
There was yet another knock on the door and Melba opened it. "Cheri? Are you in here? Oh..." she paused, taking in the sight of a stunned Cobb, Cheri close to tears and and the remains of a cake splattered across the floor.

"Ohmigosh... I'm SO sorry Melba. I tried to make everything perfect but it all went wrong. I ruined your birthday party." She said miserably. "Oh, Cheri" Melba replied "You didn't ruin my party! It hasn't even started yet. We can fix this!" "But your cake..." Said Cheri. "We can make a new one together! In fact, let's make cupcakes and have a decorating contest!" "Really? Sure, that sounds fun!" Cheri said hopefully.

The trio made a new batch of treats together and had fun and laughter until late into the evening. Maybe it really was the best party ever.
 
For the 10th year in a row, it was time for Bob and I to plan Kabuki’s birthday party. Ever since he became our friend, he’d let us known he always enjoyed new fun experiences despite what one might assume of him at first glance. So every November we plan an extravagant celebration, always challenging the ideas of what could be a fun birthday theme for his whole gang.

This year’s theme is balloons, as we were reminiscing about the day we pranked Kabuki by placing balloons all around his house and he could not get out of there back in my old mayor’s days. Perhaps it was a bit of a mean prank, but we were definitely younger, perhaps too immature even to be tasked with being the head of a whole town, but that is not the question.

Kabuki’s birthday was in around a week now. We have the food service ready, the activities, the guest list and the plane tickets for all of those that are now living far from the birthday boy, the location… I did not expect to be waken up by a frantic phone call from Sherb 6 days before the party, however. I pick up the phone.

“Huh, Cirice… I think the inflatable hotel we rented was blown away!!’’ said Sherb.

Not the inflatable hotel! Truth be told it was more of a castle with a roof, and a quite silly idea, but what screamed balloon more than a squeaky inflatable structure where we’d all jump around in for an hour or two before laying our sleeping bags in?

There was no one to blame. The weather’s been very off on the island and we’ve been wishing for a calm period during the celebration but a storm was announced out of nowhere as Isabelle’s weather forecasts were not the most reliable ones.

We needed to find a new location to sleep in that would match our planned theme. In an emergency meeting, Bob, Sherb and I discussed about the options we now had to “house” all the guests.

“We can sleep inside of giant non-inflated inflatables! suggested Bob.

- Alright but where? I asked.

- On the floor! I like when the bugs tickle me!”

Let’s skip that one…

“What about hammocks? asked Sherb.

- It would be fun, but it doesn’t relate to the theme of the party at all… I said.”


We each came with a multitude of ideas, either very basic or very weird, and we were about to give up on the theme for our sleeping location. That was, until a very rudimentary but kind of meaningful idea came to my mind.

“What if we had everyone bring their own tent. We could set up a giant campsite. It would bring us to the good old days when we were all young and couldn’t afford our first homes! I exclaimed”

It seemed a bit ironic, but at this point we were at a loss.

“… And Bob and I will wake up before everyone else, and we’ll just tie a huge amount of balloons in front of everyone’s tent in the morning so that they all have to get through a bunch of them before getting out, just like what we did to Kabuki so many years ago!”

Bob loved the idea because it involved the prank. Bob requested many, many more balloons from Chrissy, Gayle and Pietro, who were already providing for the vast majority of our stock, while Sherb made the phone calls to all the guests for them to bring their tents for an “old-school camping experience.” We could hear a bit of disappointment from the guests when they heard the inflatable castle was out of the picture, but they all seemed to agree it was a sweet and nostalgic experience.

---

The birthday party in itself was excellent. We made balloon accessories and animals – including humans too, traded balloons as if they were trading cards or collectibles, we played hide and seek and all thought we lost Graham. The cake was delicious and shaped like a glam cat balloon, courtesy of Meringue, and we replaced our bouncing castle fun with a few trampolines that Tom Nook allowed us to rent. The day went by fast, and Kabuki thanked us for the fun time before we all headed to bed in our own separate tents.

Around 5am, Bob and I silently woke up to place about 30 huge balloons in front of everyone’s tent. They were filled with helium and held down by rocks and whatever heavy object we could find. We headed back to our separate tents for the rest of the night. The sun was now out, and we heard a bunch of balloons squeaking together and a grumpy villager fighting the ropes of the inflatable monsters.

“You kids really never grew up!!” screamed Kabuki, waking up everyone who rushed to see what was happening before being hit in the face by balloons or getting tangled in them. Bob and I had a good fit of laughter, and after Kabuki got out of it, he also burst down laughing along the other guests. Everything went as well as it could have!

“So many years and you guys haven’t changed. I should’ve seen that coming.” he said.
 
Chip sits at his desk in his office, organizing his tackle box. As he does so, he hears the front door of his home opening and closing.

"Welcome home, son!" he yells.

The sound of footsteps through the house are shortly followed by a knock upon his office door and the door opening.

"Hey, pops!" responds his son, C.J. "Not staying long. I'm on my way to a meeting with the wedding planner. I just picked up my suit and am going to throw it in my old closet."

"Got your gear all in order, eh? Let's see it!" says Chip.

C.J. pulls the suit out from under his arm. The jacket is a flashy, sparkling gold.

"What do ya think?" asks C.J. "Since I'm streaming the wedding, I needed something that would really wow my viewers. I told the designer that I wanted something that screamed 'Dorado'!"

Chip whistles.

"Now that's a beaut!" he says. "You're gonna look like a million bells wearing that!"

"Sure will!" responds C.J. "Thankfully it didn't cost that much, haha."

"Nyuk nyuk nyuk!" chortles Chip.

"All right, I've really got to be on my way now." says C.J. "I'm going to put this away and head out."

"You do that." says Chip. "It'll be safe with me."

C.J. proceeds to run off to a room down the hall. Moments later, he shuts his door.

"I'll text you later!" yells C.J.

"Sounds good!" responds Chip.

Chip hears as C.J. opens, walks out and closes the front door of the house. He returns his attention to organizing his tackle box. A minute passes and he finishes his task, closing the box.

"I probably ought to check..." Chip says to himself.

Chip stands up from his desk and proceeds to his bedroom, opening his closet. He rummages through the clothing in his closet before pulling out a suit from within.

"Haven't worn this thing in years," Chip says. "I hope it still fits."

Chip proceeds to remove the clothes he was wearing, placing them on the foot of his bed before beginning to try on his suit.

"Ah, jeeze..." Chip says. "Should've known."

Both the jacket and pants are too small. Chip abandons his efforts, removing the ill-fitting suit, placing the pieces back on their hangers and back into the closet. Chip puts his clothes back on and then leans on his wall, putting his hand to his chin in contemplation.

"I wonder..." Chip says. He turns on his heel and heads toward C.J.'s old room before stopping at the closed door. C.J. had left years ago, having moved in with his partner, Flick, but some of his old things still remained within his old room at the family home.

"Sorry, son." Chip says. "I'll just be a moment."

Chip opens the door, averts his gaze so as not to invade his son's privacy more than necessary, and heads to the closet. Upon opening the closet, his gaze quickly falls upon the flashy, golden jacket. Wasting no time, he reaches out and opens the jacket, looking for a tag, soon finding one.

"Labelle, eh?" says Chip.

Chip fixes the suit back into position and shuts the closet door. He leaves C.J.'s room, shutting the bedroom door behind him. He brings up the Internet browser and conducts a search for Labelle, discovering the Labelle website and learning that Labelle in the brand of Label, the third Able Sister.

"Wow, such a distinguished designer in our neck of the woods!" exclaims Chip.

Chip scans over the page, admiring the beautiful clothing on display. As he reaches the bottom, he notices a phone number.

"Looks like it's my lucky day!" he says, dialing the number.

Moments later, the call connects.

"Hello? This is Label." responds a female voice on the other end of the line.

"Hi Label, this is Chip. You collaborated with my son on a suit for his wedding. You really captured that Dorado essence he was looking for!" says Chip.

"Oh, yes, thank you. I'm glad to hear that you like it, sir!" Label says.

"Like it? I love it! Nyuk nyuk nyuk!" Chip chuckles. "And that's why I'm calling. See, after he brought the suit home, I thought to check my own suit to see if it still fit. Unfortunately not. I've perhaps been overindulging lately, and of course, my metabolism isn't what it used to be, nyuk nyuk nyuk."

"Oh? Were you interested in a piece from me as well then?" Label inquires.

"Exactly!" Chip exclaims eagerly. "My boy's always talking about putting on a good show for his Internet fans, and he got this fancy suit. It wouldn't do for his dad to show up in something schlubby."

"Did you have anything particular in mind?" asks Label.

"Hmm..." Chip ponders. "There's plenty of fish in the sea, but I also don't want to upstage him."

Chip thinks to himself for a moment, going through the encyclopedia of fish in his mind.

"I've got it!" he exclaims. "I'm his old man, so how about the coelacanth? I sure feel like a living fossil some days! Nyuk nyuk nyuk!"

"Coelacanth? Let me just look up an image of it real qui--" Label says, her voice trailing off.

"Wait, that's how you spell that?" she mutters quietly to herself.

A few quiet moments pass.

"Ah, I see. Yes, yes. I have my vision in mind, but..." Label says, trailing off again.

"But?" inquires Chip.

"Well, with C.J.'s dorado suit, he brought me a live dorado specimen so that I could see it from all angles, how the light interacts with it. Only so much can be gleaned from a picture online." Label clarifies.

"So, you need a coelacanth then?" Chip asks.

"It would be preferable, yes." Label confirms.

Chip brings up his phone's weather app. He sees that heavy rain is in the forecast for this evening.

"Say, coelacanth only like to show up during rainy weather. Just so happens that there's rain in the forecast tonight. I'll get one for you." Chip says.

"Great! You know the Able Sisters' shop? We'll meet there tomorrow, I can take your measurements and we'll go from there." says Label.

"All right, thank you!" says Chip. "See you then!"

"Goodbye!" Label says, hanging up her end of the line.

Chip hangs up his phone and heads back to his bedroom closet. He retrieves and puts on his fishing vest and rain gear. He proceeds to head to his office and retrieves his most trusted fishing rod and his tackle box, then heads to the refrigerator in the kitchen and retrieves some bait, as well as a couple bags of ice from the freezer. He opens the door to his garage and loads the fishing rod, tackle box and bait into the back seat his car. From his overstuffed garage, he retrieves a cooler and an empty fish tank. He pours the ice into the cooler box, then places both the cooler and the aquarium box into the back seat as well, then retrieves and places a fishing chair and a canopy roof into his trunk. With everything he needs in tow, he walks back into his house, locks the doors, returns to the garage. He presses the button to open the garage door and gets into his car. He turns on the ignition, backs out of the driveway and begins to drive.

After about an hour long journey, Chip arrives at his destination. He sets up the canopy roof on the beach, places the chair beneath it, then unloads his fishing rod, tackle box, bait, cooler, and fish tank. He then takes a seat and relaxes for a while, watching as dark clouds roll in over the horizon.

It begins to rain.

Chip opens his tackle box and gets his fishing rod all ready. He looks out onto the water, watching for long shadows to appear on its surface. Before too long, one appears. Chip casts out his line, waiting patiently as the fish tentatively nibbles at the bait.

Splash.

As the fish firmly chomps down, Chip begins reeling his line in. The fish puts up a bit of a struggle, but eventually, Chip emerges victorious and pulls it out of the water.

Sea bass.

"Typical," Chip thinks to himself. "Then again, no one said this was going to be easy."

Chip opens the cooler full of ice, unhooks the sea bass and places it inside. He fixes his line again for the next attempt. Once it's ready, he tosses some bait out along a length of the water. Fish of myriad size appear to feed, but none appear to be the right size, so Chip stirs the water with his hand to scare them off..

"Sorry, folks, seniors only! Nyuk nyuk nyuk!" Chip says.

A few minutes pass before another large shadow approaches the coast where Chip had thrown the bait. Chip casts his line once again. The fish turns its attention to the new stimuli. Unlike the sea bass, this new fish bites down immediately.

Chip barely has time to register what happened but, years of experience jolt him into action and he begins reeling in his line. This fish puts up more of a fight, but eventually, it too is defeated as Chip pulls it out of the water.

"Napoleonfish." Chip says. "Say, maybe you could order the coelacanth to come out?"

Chip opens the cooler once again and places the Napoleonfish inside.He fixes his line once again in preparation for the next attempt.

Hours pass.

Chip catches over a dozen fish, but they're all wrong. Numerous sea bass, an oliver flounder, an exceptionally large red snapper. The sun is rapidly setting. He wonders if his efforts were all for naught, whether he'll have to reschedule. Should he settle for a different fish? He sits back in his chair, tilts his head back and closes his eyes. He lets out a defeated sigh. He remains in this position for a few minutes, then tilts his head back upright and opens his eyes. His heart skips a beat as he sees a large shadow in the distance.

Excitedly, Chip attaches some bait to his line. He stands up, inhales deeply, and casts his line into the water. The large shadow slowly approaches the bobber.

Nibble.

Nibble nibble.

Nibble.

This nibbling continues for some time, Chip focuses attentively, waiting for his chance. His heartbeat fills his ears as he sits silently.

Nibble.

Nibble.

Nibble nibble.

Nibble.

Nibble.

Nibble.

Nib--

Splash!

Chip begins reeling in like his life depends on it. This fish is strong. Chip worries whether his line will hold long enough for him to reel it in. He begins backing up, reeling in more fervently. The fish shows no signs of giving. Chip backs up more, then firmly plants his feet.

This battle of attrition continues for what feels like minutes. Chip feels exhausted but refuses to give up.

"Come on! Come oooonnnn!" Chip yells.

A few more moments pass, the fish still fighting viciously.

Suddenly, a moment of give.

Chip decides that it's now or never. He puts all his strength into one final effort.

"Hnngh!" groans Chip. He yanks the fishing rod and the fish flies out of the water.

A coelacanth!

The coelacanth lands on the sandy coast. Chip, tired but victorious, quickly grabs the empty fish tank and drags it across the water to fill it with saltwater. He places it on the beach, lifts the coelacanth and drops it inside, affixing the lid on top.

Victorious, Chip allows himself to fall into the sand and catch his breath. After a couple minutes, he begins the process of loading everything back into his car. He puts the coelacanth's tank in the passenger's seat and fastens it in. He gets in the driver's seat, grabs a sea bass from the cooler, devours it, and begins the drive home, eager for a good night's rest ahead of his suit measurement tomorrow.
 
Seeing Redd
​
The wind was picking up, and the sea was becoming restless. Normally Redd wouldn’t care if the boat took on a little water from August storms. He could always tell his customers it added to the value of his merchandise making them older, or unique with added character. This time, however, was different. His boat was at capacity, full of fireworks for the big fireworks shows that take place every weekend through August at a local island. Unfortunately, the president of this island is not too fond of Redd in the slightest, and to make matters worse he can’t even sell them directly to the town because Nook dislikes him. Thankfully Blathers is willing to act as a middleman to negotiate the sale, and since Redd likes cousin Blathers, he’ll do whatever it takes to make sure the cargo gets there safely.

Redd stared intently at the horizon, in hopes of seeing land soon, but no such luck. He sighed as he looked behind the vessel only to see a much larger storm tailing him. He quickly adjusted his sails to gain speed in hopes of outrunning the worst of the storm. As he looked again at the horizon, he finally saw what appeared to be land. Things were finally starting to look up until he looked down and saw something, or someone floating in the water. To his dismay, he realized it was Pirate Gullivarrr. This will now be the second time in a month he had to rescue him. He helped the sea-soaked bird aboard and just shook his head.

“What’s your story this time?” Redd asked irritated.

“The bloody storm cast me into the sea. I must get back to my crew NOW!!,” Gullivarrr squawked.

‘Best I can do is take you ashore on that island we're approaching cousin, savvy?”

“Aye, savvy!”

Both men made haste to bring the boat ashore. Thankfully it was still very early in the morning, so very few should notice Redds presents on this side of the island.

“I am a man of my word, and I won’t forget this Redd, “Gullivarrr said gratefully.

“Don’t forget how to remain on your boat, and you’ll be just fine. Take care, cousin!”

Before Gullivarrr could say, Aye, Redd had already departed for the more secluded part of the island. It was just starting to drizzle when Redd reached the dock. Blathers was patiently waiting on a bench nearby for him.

“How’s my cargo doing hoo?” Blathers asks with a smile.

“You mean the large shipment of bugs the museum requested? Oh, they're as creepy and crawly as ever, just the way you like them!” Redd said with the slightest smile.

Blathers shudders at the horror of the thought of so many bugs and starts too slowly back away.

“I’m just kidding cousin, here’s your fireworks safe and sound, as promised," Redd said assuredly.

“Oh, hoo! Thank goodness for that,” Blathers said with a sigh of relief.

“Happy doing business with you cousin, I’m off to set up shop for the day, and hopefully make a boatload if you catch my drift.”

Now situated with his shop and merchandise ready, Redd was pleased that despite many setbacks in the early hours of the day, he was finally right on time, and so was his first customer.

“Faerie, it’s great to see you cousin. Is there anything that catches your eye?” Redd said with excitement.

“Unfortunately, not today. I have all your wares at the moment, and I’m just looking for fun stuff for the fireworks show tomorrow night.”

“What kind of stuff?” Redd asked.

“Oh, you know, sparklers, pinwheels, balloons, and maybe some sweet treats to beat the August heat. Thanks for your time, I’ll catch you next week Redd.”

Redd stared blankly towards the wall. Despite having all the things she requested, Nook would never allow me to sell them at the show, let alone enjoy a few fireworks himself. Defeated by this prospect he decided to pack up shop early. He set his course for home, luckily most of the storm had passed by now, so it should be smooth sailing from here on.

Except like most of today, it was anything but smooth, except for the jazz coming from his speakers with K.K Slider’s sweet tones. He felt so defeated, and the only thing he managed to sell was the fireworks. He noticed a scallop on deck, sliding across the floor with each large wave. Annoyed by its presence, he quickly grabbed it and tossed it overboard, then realizing he could have later sold it, this further frustrated him. Just then Redd could hear loud explosions in the distance. This could only mean trouble as odds are this could likely be pirates, but who could they be after he wondered. Well, he wasn’t sticking around to find out. Slowing his ship down, he attempted to change course.

“Hey, Man!”

A small voice came from the side of the ship. Redd dropped anchor to investigate.

“Pascal, is that you? “Redd shouted.

“Yeah, mann! We should tell rainbows it’s OK to relax. There always so intense. We put too much pressure on them. Thanks for the scallop!” Pascal replied.

With that, Pascal floated towards the horizon. By this time the noise of cannon fire was getting louder, only it wasn’t cannon fire at all, but fireworks, in a beautiful assortment of colors of the rainbow. The very fireworks he sold Blathers that day. Gullivarrr you wouldn’t, he thought to himself. Who am I kidding? Redd chuckled to himself. This would put Nook in a bad light with the island residents, but then this would be such a huge letdown to my most valued customers, and I could lose valued business if Nook's island were to fail. I suppose I should return Gullivarrr’s communicator now, but for a hefty fee of course.

Redd set his course for Gullivarrr’s boat. As he made his approach, the cannons were locked on his boat. Gullivarrr peered over the edge of the boat, down at Redd.

“Long time no see, matey,” Gullivarrr said with a chuckle. What brings you to these parts?”

“Same as always cousin, looking to sell a bargain, possibly with your name on it. What happened to the ship you were chasing?”

Gullivarrr laughed, “What ship? My mateys and I just wanted a little light show.”

“I’ve got all the light show I need here,” Redd stated pointing to Gullivarrr’s communicator which now rested firmly in his hand.

“Why would I need that silly little communicator, when I already have my own?”

Gullivarrr reaches for his communicator to show Redd, only for it to squirt water in his face when he touches the screen.

“My communicator! It’s waterlogged!” Gullivarrr screams.

“Well cousin, is this your lucky day because I have got a deal you cannot refuse. This is the latest in communicators, which also happens to be the absolute best on the market, and I can give you the extra special cousin discount if you’re interested. Otherwise, I might keep this puppy for myself, or sell it for way more to the next guy.”

“What do you want for it, Redd?”

“How about a low price of $50,000 bells and the rest of your fireworks?”

“No deal matey.”

Just then, as fate would have it, an enormous wave tossed Gullivarrr overboard. From the water, fear overwhelmed Gullivarrrr. In between the crashing waves from the ocean, and the surge of adrenaline Gullivarrr caved and accepted Redd’s deal. The sly fox did make a boatload of money that day, even if it meant reselling the gullible Gullivarrr his communicator, but we’ll just keep that between us.

It was well into the night by now. Redd saw this as an opportunity to sneak the fireworks back to Nook, hopefully undetected. He again, docked in the back of the island, and while this would be a long trip to resident services, it was better than getting caught. It took several trips to deliver the goods, especially since he left a few extra items as well, which Faerie had mentioned to him earlier. He hoped this would make tomorrow night’s show extra special for the island’s residents. As he was about to walk back to the boat he heard a familiar voice.

“Redd, did you really think I wouldn’t notice your presence here?” Nook stated.

“It was certainly a hope of mine.,” he said as he slowly turned to look at Nook.

“I had cameras installed today after the fireworks went missing. I know it wasn’t you who took them, but what I don’t understand is why you’re returning them.”

“I don’t know what you’re talking about cousin, I’m just passing through. I’ll see myself out.”

“Hey Redd, before you go, I want you to know I do what’s best for my clients too, and with that in mind, if you find yourself free during the fireworks shows in August, you're welcome to sell your raffle items only at the show. Goodnight, Redd!”

With that, Nook returned to resident service, while Redd stood there in disbelief. Did Nook just invite me back, even if it was just a few days a year? Regardless it was a start to mending a painful past.

“Excuse me, Redd. May I purchase a raffle item, please?” Faerie asked.

Startled Redd realized he was still in shock from last night, but he also realized he could be in shock, and still turn a profit while watching a pretty amazing fireworks show thanks largely to him.
“Of course, you can Ms. How many tickets would you like?”

The End
 
Here's my entry!

Mira Saves the Day

It was time for the annual summer fair and Mira was so excited! Festivals meant an excuse to wear some of her favorite yukatas, have some tasty snacks, and enjoy the fireworks! Mira tossed on her summertime best, and scurried out to the town square to sample all the fair food and play some games. It seemed like it was going to be one of the most enjoyable days of her summer.

When she got to the town square, good old Cousin Redd had his firecracker stall decorated to the nines.
"Come on down, cuz! I've got the latest and greatest fireworks for you, if you're willing to part with just a few sweet bells!"
Leif was selling small happy plants to commemorate the occasion, and Labelle had set up a shop with the latest fashions and accessories for the summer fair. Isabelle was ready, handing out pinwheels, and handed Mira a pink pinwheel to match her outfit.

"We're so glad you could join us for the summer festival!" Isabelle chirped.

"I wouldn't miss it for the world!" Mira shouted excitedly.

"Well, it's only 2 more hours until the sun sets, and then we'll get ready for fireworks!" Isabelle noted.

Mira was indeed so excited to see the firework creations. There was something magical about the ephemeral nature of the fireworks, their glittering shapes and spectacles that appeared and disappeared in a couple blinks of an eye. You had to be there to soak all of it in, and then you had to wait until the next festival for more!

While Mira was imagining the wonderful fireworks display to come, she even imagined she could smell the smoke of the ashes from the fireworks. 'Wow', she thought, 'there really is something so magical about the fireworks experience. It even has a very distinct smell!' But then, out of the corner of her eye, she spotted a trail of smoke coming from Redd's firecracker stall. That must be where the smoke smell was coming from!

Quickly, she hopped over and shouted "Redd, I think something is burning behind your stall!"

"The only thing burning around here is all those bells in your pockets!" Redd said slyly. "Why don't you hurry over and pick out some of my wares and I'll relieve ..erm.. gladly help you find a good home for all those bells, and you'll get a fun prize to boot!"

"No, no - Redd, I really mean I think there is something burning!" Mira exclaimed.

Redd took a moment and twitched his foxy nose. His eyes lit up with surprise when he too smelt the smoldering ashes.
Frantically, they both scrambled to the back of the stall, to try and find the source of the fire before the entire fireworks supply lit up prematurely.

"There!" Mira hurriedly shouted. "I think that candle must have caught the edge of the box of paper fans!"

A few other villagers had noticed the commotion and had come running over to help as well.
Kapp'n had trundled up from his spot on the dock to enjoy the festivities and when the flames were pointed out, he deftly grabbed a bucket from Chip's fishing game stall next door and doused the flames.

"Hey, give me my bucket back!" Chip squealed, as he had not seen the smoke.

"Thanks so much, Kapp'n!" Mira was in awe. "How did you ever learn to move so fast?"

"Well, it sure beats transferring water out of my sinking boat, har har har!" Kapp'n chortled.

"Well, cousin Mira, you're the real one to congratulate here! If you hadn't noticed that smoke, I might have lost my entire night's profit! errm.. we might have not had any fireworks for anyone to enjoy!"

Isabelle had noticed the commotion, and also came over to thank Mira for her observant and life-saving actions. "Oh Mira, thank you so much! 'See something, say something', I always say! And this time your saying something really saved the day!"

Mira beamed. But honestly, she was just happy to be among all her villager friends and surrounding by yummy dango and ice cream and fair trinkets. And the promise of fireworks to come later in the night just filled her little bunny heart with so much warmth and joy. "Well, I'm just so thankful for these wonderful festivals! I look forward to them every year! I'm just so glad it seems like this one will be a huge success!"

And a success it was. As the sun dipped below the horizon and the moon and stars started to become visible, the villagers all settled down for yet another special fireworks. But of course, this one was extra special for Mira, since everyone kept congratulating her for her noticing the fire before it became a bigger problem. She was known for idolizing Sailor Venus, but today she really felt like a sailor scout saving the village from a disaster. She knew this would become a summer festival to remember.

833 words
 
Here's my story, word count is 863

⭐ Colton’s Gallery ⭐​


Colton had been an art lover ever since he was a little foal. Throughout his childhood and youth he had spent many hours visiting galleries near and far, marveling at grand and impressive art works. It had been a dream of his to open his own art gallery one day and he had worked towards this goal for many years. Today was finally the day.

He stood in the middle of his newly renovated art gallery,the grand opening was just hours away, and he had meticulously prepared every detail. The walls were adorned with exquisite paintings and sculptures that had been sourced and contributed by the talented residents of Twinleaf.

“This is it” Colton huffed with pride. He had sent out invitations to all residents weeks in advance and tonight his dream would finally come true. He imagined the lively conversations that would take place, the gentle classical music playing in the background and the toast he would make to thank everyone for their support.

He paused in front of one of his favourite paintings of a bouquet of sunflowers, but got distracted by a sudden creaking noise. His eyes shot to the ceiling, where cracks had began to form. It had been raining non stop the last weeks. With horror Colton had to watch as the crack split open, a torrent of water gushing down into the gallery.

"NO!" Colton shouted, rushing forward as the water poured onto the floor, drenching the paintings, and sculptures. Colton frantically grabbed the painting nearest to him but it was soaked within seconds. The beautiful vases with flower arrangements that Colton had carefully placed along the walls were knocked over, and the once-pristine gallery was now a disaster.

"What am I going to do?" Colton muttered, panic rising in his chest. With a bang the door to the gallery burst open and Rosie came rushing in. “What in the world happened Colton?”

"The ceiling—it collapsed!" Colton exclaimed, his voice shaking. "Everything's ruined!"

Rosie placed a reassuring paw on Colton's shoulder. "Don’t worry, Colton. We can fix this. But first, we need to stop the water."

At that moment, Kapp'n rushed in. "Blimey, what in the worl' is goin' on 'ere?"

"Water’s coming in through the roof!" Colton repeated, his voice still shrill and frantic.

Kapp'n didn’t hesitate. "I'll climb up there an' see what I can do to stop it. You two, start cleanin' up down 'ere!" With a nod, Colton and Rosie grabbed mops and began pushing the water out the door, trying to minimize the damage but no matter how much water they mopped, the gallery still looked terrible.

"It's no use, Rosie," Colton said with a sad sigh. "Even if we get the water out, the paintings are soaked. How can I open a gallery like this?"

Rosie rested her mop on the floor, trying to assess the situation. Then, she turned to Colton with a determined look. "Colton, the gallery isn’t just about the art. Everyone worked hard on their pieces, but they will understand if things aren’t perfect. This wasn’t your fault! What matters now is that we all work together, no matter what."

Colton blinked as Rosies words sank in - a new idea slowly taking shape in his mind. It was unconventional, but maybe it could work.

“We’re going to turn the grand opening into an art restoration party!" Colton exclaimed. "Everyone can help fix the gallery, and in the process, we’ll celebrate the creativity of our town. My parents have taught me that value of art isn’t just in its creation, but also in its preservation. This event will be a celebration of both!" Rosie smiled broadly. "I’ll go and let everybody know right away!“

Upon being informed by Rosie, the residents of Twinleaf quickly came together. Within an hour the gallery was filled with friends, neighbors, and artists – all willing to help. Some worked on drying and repairing the damaged paintings, while others helped to mop up the remaining puddles. Laughter and chatter filled the gallery as everyone worked side by side, each contributing as much as they could.

As the last of the water was dried and the final painting rehung, Colton stood in the center of the room, looking around. Seeing everyone work together filled him with warmth and new courage.

He cleared his throat and raised a glass of champagne, ready to finally make his toast.

"I just want to thank you all. Tonight didn’t go as planned, but it turned out better than I could have ever hoped for. This gallery isn’t just about art—it’s about all of us, and the way we worked together to create beautiful memories, even when faced with challenges. A toast to the best neighbourhood I could ever ask for—thank you!"

The crowd cheered and Colton felt a wave of relief and joy wash over him. He had set out to open his art gallery, but in the end, he had done something much more meaningful. He had brought his community together, and in doing so, he and his friends had truly saved the day.
​
⭐
​
​
 
Here's my story! Word count: 765

Isabelle always has a lot on her plate, and I wanted to write a feel-good story where, despite a mishap, she still got her happy ending :)
Unplugged Magic​

In the peaceful village of Qilin Isle, the townsfolk were abuzz with excitement for the annual Summer Festival. Isabelle had spent weeks organizing the event, meticulously planning every detail to ensure it would be the best festival Qilin Isle had ever seen. There were banners strung between the trees, colorful lights twinkling everywhere, and tables overflowing with delicious treats. Isabelle even made her famous Coconut Cream Pie, using local coconuts harvested from Qilin Isle's own shores.

As the festival’s start time approached, Isabelle was busy putting the finishing touches on the stage where the villagers would perform. Everyone was excited to show off their skills from singing to fire dancing. Amongst the events, Isabelle had arranged a lineup of musical acts, including K.K. Slider, who was always the star of the show. With only minutes to go before the festival opened, Isabelle noticed something alarming—her trusty sound system, which had been working perfectly during the setup, was now completely silent.

Panic set in as she realized the system wouldn’t turn on. With the festival about to begin, there was no time to call the rescue service to see if they could send a technician to help. She needed to act fast. Isabelle took a deep breath and rallied Mayor Jelly and the villagers for a quick emergency meeting.

"Everyone, we have a little hiccup with the sound system," she announced with a determined smile and a jingle of her hair tie. "But we’re not letting that spoil our fun. Here’s the plan."

Tom Nook, ever resourceful, suggested they set up an acoustic area for the performers. The villagers agreed to adapt their acts to an unplugged format. The villagers quickly set up makeshift seats in front of the stage, using hay bales and picnic blankets. Mayor Jelly used her vast crafting knowledge to set up some tables and some new instruments. She even whipped up some snacks using recipes she's collected over the years to keep everyone energized as this new plan came together. K.K. Slider, who never lost his cool, was happy to help set the plan in motion.

Soon, everything was ready, and an anxious Isabelle made her way to center stage. "Thanks for your hard work, everyone. Let the Summer Festival officially begin." Everyone set off a party popper and the show sprang into action.

As the festival officially began, the village was filled with laughter and chatter. Though the sound system was still out of commission, the music continued. K.K. Slider and the other musicians played their hearts out with guitars, drums, and even some woodwind instruments. Some villagers sang acapella, and the crowd was happy to produce a beat for the fire dancers. All performances enchanted the audience, who clapped and sang along with gusto. Some villagers even had glow wands to light up the atmosphere as the performances carried into the night.

Isabelle moved through the crowd, making sure everyone was having a great time and passing out boppers for villagers to wear on their heads. Her earlier anxiety melted away as she saw how the villagers embraced the change. The festival was a hit, and the performances were more memorable than ever.

As the night drew to a close, Isabelle stood at the center of the festival grounds, her heart full of pride. Despite the unexpected glitch, the Summer Festival had been a success. The community had come together to make the best of a challenging situation, proving that with a little creativity and teamwork, even the biggest problems could be turned into delightful surprises.

The next morning, as the festival cleanup began, K.K. Slider came up to Isabelle and gave her a thumbs-up. "You saved the day, Isabelle. Sometimes the best performances come without the tech. I definitely dig Qilin Isle's style. Catch ya later."

Isabelle beamed with satisfaction. "Thanks, K.K. I guess sometimes the best festivals are the ones that teach us a little something about improvisation."

As she was about to enter Town Hall, Mayor Jelly came running up to her. With a smile, she handed Isabelle an envelope and nodded before running off to help with cleanup. Isabelle reached inside the envelope and, to her surprise, pulled out a stack of pictures Jelly had taken during the festival. Tears of joy welled up in Isabelle's eyes knowing that no one would ever forget the feeling of elation during the Summer Festival.

And with that, the villagers of Qilin Isle continued their summer celebrations, grateful for a night of unplugged magic and the spirit of togetherness that made every event on Qilin Isle truly special.

 
Last minute entry

Word count: 968

The early afternoon sunlight streamed in through the windows of the Town Hall kitchen. The kitchen stations had been wiped down clean, and all kitchenware had been returned to a neat and orderly manner. The town residents had just tidied up the kitchen after bustling about and hard at work preparing to make the dessert that would be the highlight of the celebration. The picturesque 7 tier cake that they took 5 days to make. Now most of the town residents were huddled together and there was some quiet chit-chat, but they directed most of their attention to the towering treat before them. Watching especially intently was Scoot. He focused on Bunnie as she was standing next to the incredible sight at the height of a ladder, lifting her paw to add the sprinkles.

"You can never have too many sprinkles, tee-hee!" Bunnie squealed, and then subsequently descended the ladder. “This will be the most awesome-est birthday cake Mr. Tortimer has ever seen! And eaten!”

Just then, Ellie and Teddy emerged from the supply closet in the backroom, holding a banner on either end that read “Happy 70th birthday, Mr. Tortimer!” in large, capital letters, and “Thank you for all that you do for us!” in smaller text underneath. “Kapp’n called to give us a heads up that the island tour with his family and Mr. Tortimer ended early, so they’ll be back soon. We’re going to quickly hang this up in the lobby. Be back in a sec,” Ellie said.

Isabelle nodded to Ellie and Teddy.

As Ellie and Teddy passed by the group and entered the hallway to the Town Hall lobby, Isabelle stepped forward and turned toward the group with an unsure look.

Isabelle pondered, “It feels like something’s missing, do you think so?”

“Candles!” Scoot exclaimed. “Oh! Oh! May I place the candles on the cake?”

There was a brief silence.

“I know I have tiny wings and short legs, but believe it or not, I have big muscles!” Scoot insisted.

Upon seeing the lack of response, he continued, “I have seen all of you working so diligently these past few days, and I just want to show Mr. Tortimer how thankful I am for him too.”

Just then, Isabelle said to Scoot, “OK. Do you need any help?” Isabelle’s response drew curious and concerned looks from the group.

“I got this,” Scoot replied confidently.

Isabelle ambled to the supply closet and returned with a box of birthday candles that she subsequently placed on the table beside the cake.

With his left wing, Scoot grabbed 7 candles, one for each decade of tortoise year, and with his right wing, grabbed the ladder for support as he ascended to the head of the cake.

He carefully placed the first candle on the cake. “1… 2… 3… 4… 5…” he counted as he placed each candle on atop the dessert.

Just when he was about the put the 6th candle on the opposite end of the cake, the ladder wobbled and Scoot slipped. Before everyone knew it, they closed their eyes and opened them to find that to their horror, Scoot was on the table with the remaining two candles and the ladder had crashed into the tier cake.

The cake was completely ruined.

Everyone gathered around Scoot. “Scoot, are you OK?”

Scoot opened his eyes and was trying to regain his composure. And then, Ellie and Teddy came rushing in, “What happened! Scoot, are you OK?”

Scoot on the verge of tears uttered, “I’m so sorry, everyone. This is my fault. I should have sat out on this like I normally do.”

Isabelle responded, “No, Scoot. I know how much you have been wanting to help the group, and I know how much Mr. Tortimer means to you. Accidents happen.”

“What are we going to do?” Teddy spoke. “Mr. Tortimer’s favorite dessert is our yearly specialty cake.”

Everyone looked defeated. It was New Year’s Eve, and all the shops were closed. Not to mention, there weren’t any fruit on the trees due to the particularly cold and harsh winter this year.

From the lobby, recognizable footsteps from the door emerged. Everyone strolled to the lobby.

“Happy birthday, Mr. Tortimer!” everyone exclaimed.

“Whippersnappers! Oh my!” Tortimer spoke in surprise. “Oh my… thank you sprouts. Wow, am I already old. 70 years, heh heh horf!”

After birthday wishes had been conveyed and hugs were exchanged, Tortimer recalled, “Did you whippersnappers prepare a cake this year?”

Isabelle responded anxiously, “Yes, we did, but well, you see, Mr. Tortimer…”

Tortimer laughed, “Well, no need to be shy about it. You know I look forward to your cake!”

Isabelle responded cautiously, “Well, actually… we made one, but unfortunately it spoiled.”

Scoot chimed in, “I’m so sorry, Mr. Tortimer. It was all my fault. I insisted on placing the candles on the cake, but I fell and completely ruined it on my own. I know it is your favorite dessert, and I will do my best to make it up to you and make you a new cake.”

There was a brief silence.

“…Scoot, it is my favorite dessert because all of you made it. Together. The most important thing to me is that this community comes together and has fun! And well, it did help that the cake tasted delicious too. Heh heh horf!” Tortimer chuckled. “I was actually going to ask you whippersnappers if you could catch a ride with me back to the island. They had a delicious coconut cream pie. Maybe we can make that together instead?”

Everyone was excited and cheered.

Tortimer continued, “Scoot, maybe you can help me climb those coconut trees and harvest those fruits. Unfortunately, my joints are killing me now! Heh heh horf!”

Scoot was ecstatic. “When does the next boat depart?”
 
here's my story! I did the word count and it's at 515, I hope that's correct (and also okay)!
It’s Amelia’s first birthday since she moved to Boston, and Daniel wants to make it the best birthday ever! It's a surprise party, which makes it all the more exciting! The thing is, though, that Danny really wants to go all out, doing everything that he possibly can to make it spectacular. He learns how to use fondant and pipe icing so he can make a lovely cake, he gathers balloons of all different colours, he hangs up garland and string lights to give the room a whimsical feel. His friends tell him that it’s really not necessary, as she would appreciate any small act of kindness, but he pays no mind. Because you see, he loves her with all his heart. And as you know, when you really love someone, you’ll do anything for them.

The problem, though, is that by the time the party is set to begin, Danny finds himself in a predicament. He has brought all of these responsibilities onto himself, and now he’s overwhelmed. Not long before the party is set to start and Amelia arrives, Danny starts to panic, and runs off to his study. He’s not exactly worried about everything going wrong, rather he just put too much pressure on himself and he became overwhelmed.

Once the party is set to start, Amelia shows up and is ecstatic about how elaborate the party is. But she quickly notices that Danny is nowhere to be found. When she asks where he is, the villagers say that they aren’t sure. She suspects that he may have gone to his study, since that is his safe haven. So she heads over to his house.

Once she arrives there, she walks up to his study to find him lying on the floor in silence, his glasses off and his face slightly red. She slowly and quietly sits down on the floor next to him, without saying anything. Then she breaks the silence and asks him what had happened. He tells her that she deserves only the best, and he felt guilty because he couldn’t bring himself to give “the best” without cracking under the pressure. She sees a small but very visible tear roll down his cheek, and she gently presses her hand on it to make it stop. Then she tells him that she appreciates everything that he does for her, and that he doesn’t need to try so hard. He takes a moment to wipe his eyes and slowly glance up at her, and he can see the appreciation in her smile.

When they get back to the party, they find that everything is going according to plan, as the animal villagers had stepped in to help. The party turns out to be a great time, full of laughter and joy. But after a while, Danny starts to get overwhelmed again, this time because of the stimulation (ironic, isn’t it?). So he and Amelia step outside to enjoy the peaceful silence for a bit. Amelia tells him again that she appreciates everything he does for her, whether big or small.
 
❝ I hope death is like being carried to your bedroom when you were a child and fell asleep on the couch during a family party. I hope you can hear the laughter from the next room.❞


Wisp isn't quite sure where the time's gone. It feels like just yesterday he was lying in the damp summer grass with Celeste, sweating softly in the nighttime heat as they gazed at the stars. Now September is just a breath away, and he's fated to spend the rest of eternity searching for fragments of himself on this island.

The stars twinkling above him now look the same as they always have, the same luminous spheroids that soothed him to sleep as a child and that shone down on him and Celeste on his last normal night. He imagines the grass would feel just as damp, the nighttime heat just as sticky, if he was able to still feel them.

He doesn't have much sense of time anymore, and he supposes it no longer really matters anyways, but it'll take a lot more than death and the fog that comes with it to make him forget Celeste's birthday.

He watches her now, as she watches the stars, and tries to pretend that she knows he's there with her.

"Her birthday's coming up soon."

He startles at the sudden voice coming from behind him, and turns to find Serena staring at him pensively.

"You can't just sneak up behind people like that, you know," he tells her.

She sighs. "We're dead, Wisp. Sneaking is all we can really do."

He flinches at the reminder; tries to hide it. Clocks the twinge of sadness in Serena's gaze and knows he didn't do a good job.

"Celeste's birthday," she starts again.

"I know," he sighs. "It's in 13 days."

"I heard her talking with Blathers earlier. She's not planning on celebrating."

His gaze snaps back to hers sharply. He knows it's wishful thinking to hope to find a trace of teasing in her face, as cruel as it would be if she was, but he's still disappointed to come up empty.

"Why not?"

She looks at him with pity. "You know why not."

Wisp swears his heart stops for the second time. Celeste had been excited for her birthday all year. She'd been crossing out each passing day in her calendar for months, every "X" bringing her special day closer. She'd spent hours chattering animatedly to him and Blathers about it as they exchanged fond glances behind her back, her happiness warming up even the coldest of days.

Celeste had never been too interested in her birthday before, her heart too full of her love for everyone else to ever really want to celebrate herself, but this year was different. This year, there was going to be a meteor shower on her birthday.

Celeste is no stranger to meteor showers. He'd been by her side for many of them, watching her watch the stars, trying to imprint the wonder in her gaze to memory. He used to tell her that meteor showers happen just for her, that he's certain they started the day she was born, just to see her eyes twinkle in the way that rivals even the most brightest of stars.

But this year is the first time there'll be a meteor shower on her birthday. They had made plans to eat birthday cake—chocolate, her favourite—under the stars. He had even bought her a new telescope he had been so excited to surprise her with.

She found it when she was clearing out his apartment after... after...

(She took it home with her, not looking at it the whole way, and shoved it in the back of her closet as soon as she could.)

Wisp is broken out of his thoughts by the sound of feathers ruffling, and he turns back to Celeste in time to watch her head home.

He waits until she's disappeared from his sight before facing Serena again, who is still watching him with sad eyes.

"I can't be what ruins her birthday," he tells her.

He can't be.

IMG_0667.gif


Celeste's birthday arrives in a parade of gloominess and rainfall. The news had been saying today would be sunny and clear-skied for weeks, perfect meteor shower weather, only for the forecast to change abruptly last night.

Wisp spent all night willing the forecast to be wrong, begging anything who was listening for it to be a mistake. But when sunrise came and the sky remained gloomy and cloudy, the soft plopping of raindrops hitting the earth all around him, Wisp knew the kind of day he was in for.

The rain only comes down heavier as the day progresses, the soft splashes now sounding like gunshots in his ears, and when nightfall comes, there is not a single star in the sky.

(Wisp can't be what ruins Celeste's birthday. But neither can this.)

He feels the adrenaline swimming through his veins as he searches the island for his solution. He finds her by the fountain in front of Resident Services.

Serena's back is to him as he approaches, too enthralled by the fountain overflowing to pay him any mind, but he knows she knows he's there. She always does.

He doesn't waste any time with pleasantries. "I need you to change the weather."

She looks at him then, eyebrows raised. "What?"

"I need you to change the weather," he repeats. "I need it to stop raining."

"And what makes you think I can do that? I'm dead, not magical."

He scoffs. "We both know you can do anything you want except for one thing."

"I'm not magical, Wisp," she tells him again. "Anything I do comes at a cost."

"I'm willing to pay it."

"And if I'm not?"

They stare at each other for what feels like a lifetime, a lifetime neither of them got to experience, until Serena sighs warily.

"There are no stars in the sky, Wisp. The earth can sense she doesn't want them," she sighs again. "I can't do anything about that."

"Please," he begs. "It's her birthday."

Serena looks sadder than he's ever seen her, and the sight is so wrong that he almost wants to tell her to forget it, to spare her the weight of what he's asking. But they both know he can't. Finally-

"I can't do anything about the stars," she repeats. "But you can."

He blinks at her. "Me?"

She doesn't answer. Instead, she turns towards the fountain again, walks closer to it, and shoves her hand in. Her hand splashes around in the water for a moment, like she's blindly grabbing for something, until a golden light begins to shine from the water. It's dull and warming at first, like a fireplace on a cold winter morning, and then it morphs into a light so blinding and overwhelming, so bright that he has to turn away.

The light dims as quickly as it shone, and when Wisp's able to see again without green splotches clouding his vision, he sees the golden axe in Serena's hands.

"If I hit you with this, you'll shatter into spirit fragments. You'll float up towards the sky, and the earth will take care of the rest."

She looks at him, the remnants of gold in her gaze. "You'll be her star again for the last time."

"The last time?" he asks.

"Once you leave this form, you can't return to it," she tells him solemnly. "You will never return to this island, or to her."

"That's the cost."

It's not a question.

"That's the cost," Serena confirms.

Wisp looks up at the sky, takes in the blanket of rain clouds and pretends he can feel the coolness of raindrops hitting his face. He pictures a clear sky kissed by stars.

It feels like living.

"Will it hurt?" he asks.

"It'll feel like dying," she tells him. He laughs.

He takes a deep breath in, and looks around for the last time. He thinks of the damp summer grass and sticky humid air. He thinks of eating chocolate birthday cake with his friend as they gaze at the stars.

"Goodbye, Serena."

He pretends not to notice the tears in her eyes.

"Bye, Wisp."

She swings the axe.

IMG_0667.gif


Celeste leaves the house at the insistence of her brother. She had planned to spend her birthday hiding from the world, from the unopened telescope in her closet and her calendar that's stuck on the day her world flipped upside down, but Blathers seems to have finally had enough of giving her space.

"I thought it was going to rain all day," he tells her as he holds the front door open for her. "But the clouds seem to be done crying."

She warily steps outside, cringing at the wet and muddy grass beneath her feet, when twinkles of light from above catch her attention.

She looks up, and feels her breath leave her in a quick whoosh.

The sky shines with white, yellows and blues, what feels like a million shooting stars dancing by in the night. Each one twinkles before disappearing out of sight, almost like they're trying to communicate with her.

Meteor showers happen just for you.

Celeste feels her brother wrap his wing around her. They both ignore the tears streaming down her face.

"Happy birthday, sis," Blathers whispers.

She looks at him and smiles. It doesn't quite rival the brightest of stars, at least not now, but she's hopeful it will again one day.

She looks back up at the sky, and doesn't have to pretend that Wisp is there with her.
word count: 1,608

me every day for the past 2 weeks: I'm not in the headspace to write a story, I'm gonna sit this one out.
my brain, approximately 6 hours ago: teehee write : ) feel like you're finishing an assignment an hour before the deadline again : ) Suffer : )
 
Here's my very last minute entry, but I have had some serious writer's block for what seems like forever. I apologize for the simplistic story, but I sure did try... (835 words)

Ambitious Marshal was finishing up his high school years, but he already knew what he wanted his career to be. He longed to be the best party planner, & his recent internship with one of the best in the business, Kabuki, would certainly get him started on the right foot. He had gained some experience working on a couple of parties of varying themes, and learned something new and valuable each time. Then one day, Kabuki asked him to take the lead on their next project… a Superman themed birthday party for a peer of his. Marshal was excited to take the job, and secretly more so because he loved Superman himself. He knew that he could take this theme and just soar with it.

So on a nice sunny day, Marshal spent hours decorating Rosie’s house with the assistance & watchful eye of Kabuki. The party was for Rosie’s nephew, and Marshal was excited to be able to make all of the big, executive decisions in this party. When he finished setting everything up, a party planner’s job is complete, and they must exit for their clients to enjoy their handiwork. Marshal walked happily home that day, content with the work he accomplished.

Meanwhile, back at Rosie’s, there were lots of commotion. The party guests were arriving with their gifts in hand and enjoying the fellowship. Rosie, being the resident baker of the neighborhood, had worked for hours on the birthday cake. In the end, it was this beautiful 3-tier cake of red, blue, and white fondant frosting. All it needed was just the special touch of the sprinkles to top it all off perfectly. She had requested that her friend, Jitters, bring the sprinkles. But in all her busyness, she forgot to notice his absence from the party.

Meanwhile, Kabuki called Marshal to help with an emergency at the party. The main decoration had fallen, and it was a two man job to get it back up and displayed. Marshal had never attended any party that he had planned before, so he nervously walked towards the front door of the house when he arrived. He rang the doorbell, but there was no answer to a surprisingly quiet place. Marshal was confused because the party should have been up and running for sure. He was even more confused to find the door unlocked & slightly ajar. So he gathered his confidence to open the door to reveal the mystery of this quiet party. As he opened the door fully, the lights came on, and he was shocked to see all of his friends at the house! They yelled “surprise!” in unison and Marshal just couldn’t believe what was happening!

You see, Marshal had been very private about his personal life, and never told anyone (even those in his close circle of friends), when his birthday was. But he had written down his birthday for his work internship, and Kabuki wanted to celebrate his bright, young apprentice. Marshal usually just spent his birthdays quietly at home, so this was a change, but a wonderful one! All of his friends were in attendance: Zucker, Al, Raymond, Alice, Agent S, and of course Rosie and Kabuki. As he fully entered the house, he couldn’t help but smile from ear to ear as the beautiful cake appeared being carried in by Hornsby, his best bud. As he was walking in and everybody was singing Happy Birthday, Jitters came bursting through the door with sprinkles in hand and yelling, "Is this enough?" Surprised in the unexpected outburst, Hornsby let go of the cake! Everyone looked in shocked and dismay as they witnessed the first two tiers of cake went flying through the air, splattering in the walls.

Rosie couldn’t help herself, as tears welled in her eyes, and she excused herself to the other room. There was a general silence again as everyone stared at each other and the broken cake, not knowing what to do. But what broke the silence was Marshal’s big belly laugh. He picked up the last tier that was salvageable from the floor, and put it on the table. He made sure Hornsby was ok, and asked Jitters to hand him the sprinkles. He took a butter knife to smooth out what he could of the frosting, and sprinkled the red and blue sprinkles all over the cake. He smiled at what he was able to salvage, and went to get Rosie to convince her to come back. Marshal and Rosie came back to see the cake was topped with a special Superman action figure collectible, gifted to him from his friends. The cake wasn’t what was expected, but Marshal couldn’t imagine a better cake and better company than what he received. The rest of the party went by smoothly, and the cake still tasted delicious. With his best friend Hornsby by his side helping him carry his presents, Marshal walked home at the end of the night with a grateful and joyful heart.
 
“What’s next on the list, Cranston?” I finished adjusting the balloons for Halcyon’s celebration, taking a step back to admire my arrangement of color.

The white ostrich flipped through the clipboard until he found his place, then reached for the pencil tucked into his head crest. It slipped out from his feathers and bounced away, as if to escape its fate of being whittled down to oblivion. Alas, Cranston gave chase, and after scrambling to retrieve it, he jogged back to my side.

“Goodness, burd. I must be on my ninth workout today,” the struggling bird coughed, and I patted him on the shoulder encouragingly. Originally Sterling had offered to be my assistant (read: glorified errand boy), but in the earlier stages of planning, he’d kept getting distracted talking about his muscles with anyone who would listen. Slow and eventually getting there had proven to be superior to speedy and scatterbrained.

“Trust me, after all of this hard work, the party and the nap afterwards are going to be the best you’ve ever had.” I looked back at the balloons, my smile sinking into a frown – the yellow one had moved out of position!

Unacceptable! This is why you’re the worst color of the rainbow, I chided the inanimate object in my thoughts, while Cranston recited what we’d already completed for the final preparations.

My phone suddenly rang, interrupting my creative flow. As I put the device to my ear, the defiant balloon wiggled back out of place and danced in the breeze, taunting me.

“Hello? Yes?” I tried to stifle my annoyance, channeling my aggression into shoving the balloon back where it belonged.

“Uh, hi, sorry to disturb you, ma’am, but we’ve got a problem-“ Orville, one of the airline dodos, started to speak.

“I thought I said to field these kinds of questions to my assistant,” I sighed.

The helium hell-creature bared its fangs by freeing another one of its brethren, making two difficult beasts to contend with my artistry. I mouth the word, ‘tape’ to Cranston, causing his eyes to dart around frantically and scuttle off towards the prepping station. Meanwhile, I contended with the creature by whipping out my net and booping it in punishment.

“But ma’am…”

“I am an ~ a r t i s t ~, Orville. I’m doing important work-“

“There’s no less than 306 alien babies with some kind of moss in Customs,” he finally spat out, the stress audible in his voice.

My mind wiped blank, “Wait, we have one of those here?”

“Of course, we’re not some barbaric society!” Orville barked, then hastened to return to his professionalism, “Their… parent? Er, owner? No, collector… wrangler?” He paused for a moment, unsure of how to proceed, before giving up entirely, “He can provide neither birth certificates nor passports for the… glowing green individuals.”

“Um, well,” my brow furrowed as my mind began to tackle this unique roadblock, “I can’t see any reason why they shouldn’t just be turned away…”

“Yes, about that… you see, they’re in the same party as one of the invited guests.”

Oh no. Not this again.

“Dammit, Gulliver. Can you put him on the phone real quick? Actually, no, that’s a bad idea – can you ask if he can just shove them back into the UFO he came in? I mean, he didn’t even write in a plus-one, let alone a plus-three-hundred-something.”

"Well, he managed to lose... control... over them. They're everywhere, ma'am. We've barred the exits, but we can't contain them forever. ... Hold on."

Orville muttered something and muted the line right as Cranston approached, waving the tape dispenser triumphantly.

“Thanks so much, friend. We’ve got a problem at the airport… Gulliver’s “terrarium project” escaped.”

Cranston gasped, "He still has those?"

Noises emerged from the phone, “The gull gentleman is crying… I think you’re going to need to come down for this one. Apologies again for the disturbance! Please help as soon as you can!”

“Roger that,” I responded flatly, shoving the phone back into my pocket.

“What are we going to do, there’s still so much to be done…” I started tapping the net absent-mindedly as I headed to the airport, my companion trailing beside me, scrolling through his phone. For a moment, I thought I might have been ignored, but Cranston’s intense gaze beckoned my patience, so I continued forward, using the net as a walking stick.

When we approached the airport, Cranston finally looked up. Exchanging a pained look, neither one of us wanted to breach the building. Who knew what sort of chaos we'd be stepping into?

That’s when a stroke of brilliance hit me like a bolt from the blue.

“You know what, why not make it a party activity?” I grinned wickedly, my imagination running wild with ideas.

“What do you mean, burd?” Cranston shot me a quizzical glance before peering through one of the windows to assess the threat before us.

“I mean… as the guests are coming in, hand them a net! There’s no way we’ll be able to capture them all in time, and there’s absolutely no way we’ll be able to hide it, so may as well integrate it into the schedule!"

“Like it was all according to plan. Neat! A bit terrifying, but an unforgettable experience.”

“Exactly! People will be talking about this for years. If they don’t get maimed or injured. Or I guess that would make them talk more… anyways! Assistant Cranston! We must assemble or acquire as many nets as we can, there’s not a moment to lose!” Grabbing his wing, I take off in the opposite direction, abandoning the poor birds inside for the time being.


---


Somehow, despite all odds, it worked. The nets were delivered safely without stepping on any invasive green children, and as the guests flew in, they competed to see who could collect the most: the prize being the first and most delicious slice of anniversary cake. Screams and weeping were replaced with laughter and joy, and Halcyon’s party was saved!

Outside, I surveyed the party-goers, watching them regale tales of their feats and catch up with old friends. Cranston stood besides me, doing a happy little dance with himself.

“You did a fantastic job today, you know." I smiled.

“So did you, burd. Oh, I forgot to tell you!” he abruptly exclaimed, “I managed to help Gulliver out! I found someone while researching on my phone. Oblivia: alien baby conservationist. She’s willing to take them off his hands! … Actually, he kind of has to, since it’s all sorts of illegal for Gulliver to keep them like that…”

I nodded my head, baffled as to why anyone would conserve such creatures, but content they would be dealt with all the same, “Well, uh, I guess that makes it a good ending for everybody, then!”

Out of the corner of my eye, I noticed my adversary, the rogue balloon I had completely forgotten to tape down! It had slipped out of its prison, and was now headed up, up, up, towards the clouds…

… and then was promptly shot down by one of the attendees, looking for loot.

A happy ending indeed.
Word Count: 1199
 
The introductory notes of K.K. Gumbo blared in the darkness. This was Timmy and Tommy's cue to start their workday. As Timmy reached over to shut off their alarm clock radio, Tommy reminded him it was also their good friend Tude's birthday! Finally, the day they'd long awaited was here and they could set their birthday surprise into motion.

The boys had spent the past few weeks planning a party in the plaza to celebrate Tude's birthday. They had asked Uncle Tom to quietly let everyone know they were to meet at the plaza fifteen minutes before the fireworks were set to go off on Sunday. They would hide and pop out as Tude walked in to see what she thought was just one of thefireworks shows.

By the time the boys got out of bed, the sun had risen. It wouldn't be long before they had to open the store, so they'd have to go visit Tude quickly to make sure she was still planning to go watch the fireworks that night.

Timmy and Tommy ran as fast as their little feet would carry them to Tude's house. They noticed Tude's house lights were off but this was normal. She liked having the lights off so she could see the glow from her plasma ball better. They heard K.K. Metal blasting from her hifi stereo system and knew she was awake. They knocked on the door.

The radio volume lowered and they heard Tude say "Come in!" Timmy and Tommy ran inside. They saw Tude laying on the couch. "Hi Tude! Came by really quick to say happy birthday! See you at the fireworks show tonight...night!" Tude said "Thank you so much guys! It means a lot for y'all to go out of your way to visit since y'all are so busy with the shop. I'll be staying home tonight. Sorry."

"Why Tude? We'd love to see you there! Can't have fireworks without you... you!" Tude said "I just don't feel like going anywhere right now. Maybe another time, sorry." "Ok Tude! Feel better soon and please let us know if we can help... help!" Timmy and Tommy walked out the door unsure what to do. It would be hard to throw their surprise party if Tude was not feeling well enough to leave the house.

The boys went ahead and headed to the store in order to open on time. It was Sunday, so it was slow. Everyone was sleeping in so they would have enough energy to dance the night away at the surprise party. The no turnip buying policy also served to keep customers away.

They decided to go ask Uncle Tom for help. They locked the doors and ran to the plaza. The boys were disappointed to see a sign on Tom's door that said "Closed for island planning meeting. Apologies for the inconvenience." Now what would they do? Uncle Tom was unavailable to give them advice! They never left the store so they didn't know the names of the other business owners on the island. Despite the fact the other merchants were strangers, they had no choice but to ask them for help.

First they went into the clothes store. At first, they were intimidated to ask these ladies for help. However, one of them chased them around the store offering to help. Timmy and Tommy were quickly at ease.

They explained that they were the ones planning the surprise party Uncle Tom had told them about but that Tude wouldn't be coming. The quiet girl in the back stopped sewing and said "Oh no! We planned to bring her an outfit we made her! It's sickening!"

The ladies told the boys they weren't sure what to suggest, and then the Sonic one said "You know, the guy who runs the museum is really really smart! He usually sleeps during the day but he doesn't mind if you wake him as long as he can teach you something. He'll know what to do for sure!"

The boys said "Thank you... you!" and ran out to go find this genius owl. They ran into the museum and sure enough, the owl was sleeping. "Excuse, me. Hi! Hello...hello?" The owl jumped up when he saw two tiny Toms waving at him and figured he was dreaming. "Hi mister, can you please help us...us?"

The owl snapped out of his grogginess, eager to impart wisdom on the young minds in front of him. "How may I help you?" The boys explained the situation. "Ah, yes. I'm afraid your friend might be having the blues at the moment. All you can really do is be there for her."

"Ok, thank you so much for your advice, mister...mister!" As they were getting ready to walk back to the store, they saw signs for the coffee shop. "Oh boy! This is where Uncle Tom gets us those delicious drinks... drinks!" they said as they turned and ran up the stairs.

They walked in and could barely see above the counter. Tommy gave Timmy a boost so he could get the clerk's attention. The clerk looked over and saw a baby raccoon standing on another baby raccoon's shoulders waving at him. "Hi! Excuse me, could we please get two coffees with pigeon milk?"

"Um, I'm sorry, I really shouldn't sell you coffee. You are babies and I'm not sure this is the best idea. I apologize. I can sell you two pigeon milks if that's ok?" The boys paid for their milks and went back downstairs to speak to the owl. Lucky for them he hasn't fallen back asleep yet.

Right as they were about to speak to the owl, their uncle walked in. "There you are!" said Tom. "I was wondering where you boys were! The store was closed and that never happens! Everything alright?"

They explained why they'd come to the museum. Tom said "I'm sorry boys! Next time please knock on my door. There's no meeting more important than my nephews!" Timmy and Tommy then turned to the owl and asked "Excuse me, mister. We tried to buy coffee upstairs and the man wouldn't sell it to us. Why not? Uncle Tom buys it for us every day...day!"

The owl looked up at Tom and said "Now Thomas! You should know better! The Pediatric Raccoon Academy states that caffeinated drinks are contraindicated in juvenile raccoons! You really ought to stop buying such strong drinks for them!"

Tom blushed and apologized. "Come on, boys!" he said as he held their tiny paws and walked out the museum. As they walked, Tom suggested since Tude couldn't come to the party, they should bring the party to her! "Why of course... course!" said the boys. Tom then told them not to worry about opening the store today since they had an important party to plan and sent them on their way.

Timmy and Tommy ran to everyone's house and communicated the change of plans. They got the cake and gifts ready and headed over.

They knocked on the door and Tude opened the door. "SURPRISE!" said everyone and they sang happy birthday. Tude let everyone in and said she was sorry she couldn't come to the fireworks show, but she figured no one would want her around since she was feeling blue. Everyone assured her that was nonsense.

"We'll always be there for you no matter what! Just reach out for help. It's ok, everyone struggles sometimes!" She thanked everyone and opened her gifts. However, she knew the greatest gift of all... her friendships... didn't need to be unwrapped.
 
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