TBT's Winter Short Story Contest

[Cosmic-chan]

Snow of His Love

How long has it been? A month? Six? A year? Two? I’m not sure. I’ve lost track of time. This winter on my island has been the roughest it’s been in years. The snow seems to be non-stop. The beautiful crystal sculptures pile high like my love for you. Between my island and my heart all they seem to know is eternal crystal snow. Every night I go up to my window and look for the brightest star and wish for you to return by my side and hold me tight and keep me warm at night but, it seems as if though no matter how many wishes I make they never seem to bring you back to me. I wish harder and harder every night but no matter what I say you’re still missing. You seem to gone away. I wake up everyday hoping you’d appear at my side but that hope seems to grown smaller as time goes on. I try to write you letters everyday rehearsing what to say when the truth comes out but, I can’t seem to get the right words to tell you how I feel.



...

“Milky? Where have you gone? You’ve been gone an awful long time..”

I know..I’m sorry I just need time alone. I just need to lay here and wish for him to return. Doesn’t he know I love him? Why would he leave me in this eternal crystal snowstorm all alone? I wish he’d hold me tight and make this all right.
Just come back home and we can be together alone. We’ll be happy once again.
Hurry and come home before the snow piles too high up to the sky.
I want you. Please won’t hear my prayers?
Had I done something wrong? Is that why you’re gone?

...

“Milky? Where are you? Please come home. It’s only getting colder.”

I can’t come home. I must lay here and stay with him until he comes back like he promised.
Don’t you know I miss you? Maybe you don’t know how much I miss you. That’s quite okay it’s more than the millions of crystal flakes of snow that blow over my island. My love for you is more than anyone will ever know. I don’t think even the trillions of stars in the sky can measure my love for you darling. There is not a number that can even remotely measure my love for you. Hopefully this night will be the night you’ll hold me tight and make things feel right.

…
“Milky please be okay wherever you are. Please come home soon safe and sound okay?”

I hear you but, I don’t want to go home. Not until he comes back. I’m here with you please just take me away. My home is with you so please just take me with you. On my island it’s only revenge and chaos but I won’t lose hope you’re the reason why I still believe that even through the most chaotic things something so beautiful can come from it. It’s like our love. It’s a love that’s so beautiful and gorgeous it keeps my heart so warm even if it’s below freezing outside.
The cold doesn’t bother me not nearly as much of not having you.
The snow looks beautiful tonight can you see it from where you are at? I hope so you always did say you love watching the eternal crystal snow fall high from the sky.
…

“Milky we’re going to find you just hold on tight okay?”

Maybe I don’t want to be found not until he comes around.
Don’t you know you’re still on my mind and in my dreams? How long are you going to stay? How long before you let me sleep soundly again? I miss you but, I wish we never met so my heart could forget you. I love you but I wish it wasn’t true. I really wish it wasn’t true at all my heart only knows eternal crystal snow.

…

“Milky ! There you are..you’re back here again this year? Every winter you always come back to this place and lay on his grave crying beautifully sad crystal tears. You know no matter how much you sing and plead he’s not coming back dear. You won’t be satisfied until you die and be with him again and you know that. Come on darlin get up let’s go home.” An older looking red and white feline said as he scooped the cold and silently sad young Milky off the tombstone in a bridal style making sure Milky’s arms wrapped his neck and his tiny dainty head laid just perfectly against his warm chest.
“Silly boy you had the whole island looking for you. You had us all worried sick. I guess I can’t blame you. You lost a little thing called first love and your soul mate. I just hope one day you can find someone that can sooth your pain again. It seems between our island and your heart all they seem to know is eternal crystal snow.”


My story is 849 words. I wrote this at 1am the other day sorry if its bad xc​

 

[lieryl]

she​

She came by again today. Always bathed in moonlight, always under the snowfall. She would walk through the gentle rain of ice, her boots leaving behind a trail of dainty footprints as she clutched at a faded leather knapsack. Perhaps today she would greet me with a quick wave, or maybe with a little bow. Either way, under that small bus stop canopy, neither of us ever said much. It was always, “Some weather we’re having huh?”, and a response in the form of prolonged silence. I did not know how long she waited at this stop, nor did I know where she would go from here. We were two passing strangers, not that it mattered much. She didn’t know me and I no longer really knew her.

Sometimes I wish I could go back. Winter wasn’t always such a desolate plane of blinding white snow. Having the sun out during the cold season didn't seem so stifling back then. After all, she used to be so radiant. Maybe not blindingly so, but she was warm, kind, so genuine. I still remember the homemade candles and the burnt sugar cookies. All of our kitchen furniture forts and that one very misshapen snowman. I didn’t have a lot back then, but I had her. And she, of course, had me. Actually, she probably had more of me than I did and it’s tragic how I sometimes think she still does.

We used to go bus hopping in the dead of night, her and I. Never actually had a destination, but we liked it that way. With nothing but us under a starry sky, the world felt a little more bearable. I guess even after all of the stupidly delirious conversations, all the, “You’re brighter than any star in this whole damn galaxy”, or, “You’re my moon, my sun, my literal everything”, the two of us would never again get lost together. A sappy sentiment, but the snow had to melt away at some point, and ultimately, so did she.

My thoughts continued to stray further into the past as the bus pulled up in front of me, a few minutes early as it always is. The wind was now painfully wailing and I started to wish I’d brought a heavier jacket, or at the very least some warm mittens. But of course, I hadn’t. I was never prepared for anything in life. Not for this hellish weather and certainly not for delicate matters of the heart.

I’d oftentimes wonder how people move on so easily. How they could just walk away from the love of their lives and be somewhat okay. I don't think I'll ever be okay. The thought of going forwards without her, god I’d chastise myself for even lingering on the idea.

Looking back, she truly was my sun. I don’t mean my sunshine, or sunlight, sun rays. There’s this warm feeling of being under a clear sky, where your heart is unbelievably full and your body feels the embrace of an entire galaxy. That was her. She was my warmth, my world. Me, I guess I was the winter that took her away. I was the gray skies that stole her radiance. The footprints in the snow, the harsh downpour of ice, it was all a painful reminder of what I had lost. She could never come back, but winter always did. It would taunt me with her ghost, as if I didn’t already see her face at every bus stop, hear her voice in the cries of the wind.

The crystal powder had now begun to fall faster as the gales picked up their paces, effectively snapping me out of my delusions. With the bus driver’s impatient glare pointed at me, I shoved my hands into my thin pockets and boarded a bus I’ve boarded so many times before. The doors shut tight behind me and I laid my head against the chilled window, tears already frozen upon my cheek. Under a boundless night sky that used to be ours, I was once more off on a journey to nowhere.

As the snow continued to pour down in torrents and as the cold spread throughout my entire body, I no longer wished to think, especially not of her.

I didn’t dare admire stars that no longer seemed that starry and I certainly didn’t dare look back at the girl who was my entire galaxy all those years ago.

Spoiler: A/N

so like i am in no way a writer and this was written late at night as i attempted to finish in time to beat up a cube with my friends like pls this sounds like the diary entry of a 12 year old wannabe emo kid going through some things im

 

[Pintuition]

A New Year Wish​

“Hootie toot!” hooted the red owl, her eyes sparkling like stars as she looks up to her elder brother, “Tomorrow is New Year’s Eve! We ought to make a wish for the new year, don’t you think? If you could have anything in the world, Blathers, what would you wish for?”

“Hoo, well, erm- I don’t know, Celeste,” Blathers stammers, “You know I’ve never been the type to…”

“I know, I know, you’re not the type to make a wish on a falling star,” Celeste sighs, her sharp exhale fluttering her feathers, “We’ve been looking off in different directions our whole lives. Me, up to the stars, and you to your studies. Will the new year truly be no different?”

Celeste, the bright-eyed dreamer, was very different from her unwaveringly serious brother. Ever since Blathers moved to the deserted island to open up his own museum the two siblings had made it a point to see each other at least once a week. Tonight was one such occasion.

“What would you wish for, Celeste?” Blathers changes the subject, breaking the silence at long last.

Celeste considers for a moment, wondering if she should tell her brother. Deep down she knows he’d never deign to laugh at her, no matter how foolish her wish, but still she wavered, “Oh, I dunno,” Celeste starts shyly, “It’s silly.”

“How do I know that if you don’t tell me?” Blathers’ brow wrinkles.

“Well, alright,” Celeste sighs, “Ever since I was an owlet I’ve dreamed of seeing the northern lights. The meteor showers we have on the island are certainly beautiful but could never compare to an aurora, don’t you think?”

“Hoo hoo! Well, the aurora borealis is a rare sight, indeed!” Blathers exclaims, “I should like to study one someday!”

“Unfortunately our island is not at a latitude where seeing such a display would be possible,” Blathers adds hastily, “Alas, we’d have to be much further north to see one.”

“I told you it was a stupid wish,” Celeste hangs her head slightly.

“I think not! A wish to observe a rare phenomenon is not a wish wasted, Celeste,” Blathers smiles. “Nature is complex and often quite beautiful,” Blathers continues, “As beautiful as it is it would be quite impossible to experience here I’m afraid.”

“I know, brother, I just thought it would be nice to see the sky lit up with colors tomorrow, like nature’s fireworks,” Celeste clasps her wing upon his shoulder gently, “It looks like I’ll have to find something else to wish for.”

The two owls sit silently together upon the museum roof for a long while after that, the quiet only occasionally pierced by the familiar ring of falling stars and the soft pats of island residents walking home through the snow. Blathers knew not what to say to his sister but could tell her heart yearned to the sky lit up by the polar lights. But how could he bring them to the island?

As Blathers continues to ruminate on Celeste’s wish the stars begin to subside. As the last few fall clouds begin to roll in and Celeste finally stand. “Well, I think I’d better be off,” Celeste smiles, “I’ll see you tomorrow at the fireworks show, right?”

Blathers nods. They say their goodbyes and Celeste flies off into the night. Blathers remains seated, thinking a long while, but at long last he stands, fixes his emerald bowtie, and flies down to the airport to speak with Orville. If he couldn’t bring the aurora to her he’d bring her to the aurora.

---

"Dodo One, this is Dodo Tower, Wilbur do you copy? Got a walker that needs wings. Blathers here is looking for a flight up to the north pole, over."

The voice of Wilbur through the tinny airport radio sounds, “Roger. That is a negative, Orville. There’s no flights to the north pole due to poor weather conditions, over.”

“I’m sorry, Blathers,” Orville says, still frantically typing on his computer, “There doesn’t seem to be any way we can get you there. Was there something else I could help you with?”

Blathers hangs his head, “No, thank you for trying, Orville.”

He’d have to look elsewhere for help. He knew just the man to talk to. With that he flew down to resident services to speak to the man of the island himself, Tom Nook. If it was possible, Tom could make it happen. And so Blathers asks for his help, “So, what do you think? Is it possible to help us get there?”

Tom considers Blathers’ request for a long while. “Have you spoken to Redd? He might be willing to lend you his boat. If you can’t get there by air, try by sea!”

“Hoo! Thank you, Mr. Nook,” Blathers blurts out excitedly, “I will search for him at once!”

Redd was never a hard man to find; the thick black smoke from his steamship always clouded the air surrounding the island’s secret beach. Blathers emerged into the dim light of Jolly Redd’s Treasure Trawler and asked for his assistance as well.

“No can do, Blathers,” Redd shakes his head, “Got some genuine masterpieces I need to deliver to neighboring islands tomorrow before the big fireworks show. I’ll be on a far-off island by then.”

“But in the meantime, please look around,” Redd gives one last sales pitch, “I’ll even give you my special cousins discount on some art for your museum, how about it?”

“Hoo, no, well- thank you anyway, Redd,” Blathers quickly glances around at the full set of forgeries Redd had brought with him that day. He hadn’t the heart to tell him they were fake. But the more he thought on it, the more he felt as though Redd already knew. At any rate, he wouldn’t be using any cousins discount, that much was certain.

“I’ll let you buy any of the furniture in here, no questions asked,” Redd gestures to the old projector and a green floor light collecting dusty in the dark corner of his ship.

Blathers shakes his head no and smiles politely. All was lost, Redd was his last hope to get to the north pole. It was already midnight and he’d hardly have enough time to bring Celeste there anyway. “What if…” Blathers breathes, his eyes darting back over the projector and the light. Blathers had an idea.

“On second thought, Mr. Redd, I’d like to purchase those two items there,” he extends his great wing and points.

“Ah, yes. Excellent choice!” Redd exclaims joyfully, “I’ll pack both of those up for you!”

Blathers pays Redd and begins to drag the projector and the light home. The projector was weighty and the museum was quite far from the secret beach. It would take him a long while to reach home.

“Blathers?” a familiar voice calls, “What on earth are you doing?”

“Hoo- who! Hello, Judy,” Blathers called, “I am working on an erm- secret project for my sister.”

“I see,” Judy studies him, “Would you like some help?”

“Certainly, that would be most kind,” Blathers smiles.

“So what is this secret project for Celeste?” Judy asks, her brow furrowed, unsure why Blathers would want such an old projector.

“Celeste told me it was her New Year wish to see the aurora borealis,” Blathers starts, huffing as they descend the ramp down to the museum, “I tried my hardest to get her there but I just couldn’t seem to.”

“What’s that got to do with this garbage?” Judy wrinkles her nose snootily.

“Ah, you see, one man’s garbage is another man’s treasure. Learned that today from Jolly Redd,” Blathers smiles, “Instead of taking her to see the lights I am going to build them for her. The museum is expanding and I am going to build Celeste her very own planetarium.”

“How marvelous!” Judy exclaims, clapping her hands together, “She is going to love it!”

“I hope so,” Blathers wavers, “Only, I’m not sure I have everything I need to build it. That’s why I needed this projector and the light. It’s a start, I’ll need to find more.”

“Well if it’s lights you’re looking for, I’ve got about a dozen of these in my storage you can have. And I heard Bones just the other day say he had a bunch of lights he was looking to get rid of himself.”

“Thank you, Judy. But I hardly think we can gather the materials in time, never mind get everything working. I’m not sure what I was thinking when I bought these.”

“Leave everything else to me,” Judy smiles, “I’ll be back bright and early!”

---

As the final day of 2020 dawned villagers began to show up, one by one, to the museum to offer Blathers help finishing the planetarium for Celeste. Maple helped put her art skills to work and began drawing glow in the dark stars on the roof of Blathers’ spare room- the room that would become a miniature planetarium for Celeste. Merengue stopped by with lunch for everyone in her picnic basket. Chief and Sherb spent the entire morning up on a ladder helping Blathers install the lights.

Minutes turned into hours and soon it was past sunset and Celeste would be due to arrive. Blathers and his friends stepped back to admire their handiwork together. “Well, it’s not the most elegant planetarium in the world,” Raymond remarks, “But I’m sure Celeste will love it.”

“Hoo, I sure hope so,” Blathers smiles, “But I couldn’t have done it without all of you!”

“Oh Blathers,” Maple sighs, “For all you do to make our island a wonderful place to live, this is the least we could do.”

“We should head to the plaza,” Chief says, “Or else Celeste will think something’s up.”

“Right,” they all nod, setting off to Resident Services.

---

When they arrived Celeste was waiting for them. “I half thought you weren’t going to make it!” Celeste exclaimed.

“We wouldn’t miss it!” Judy smiles at her.

Celeste sighs, “2020 was certainly an unusual year. Do you think 2021 will be as magical as I hope it will be?”

“I daresay you may get what you wish for,” Blathers smiles as the countdown begins.

And so the island rang in the New Year together. The fireworks went off as the calendar flipped to 2021, filling the sky with colors abound. Both owls were bright-eyed now, watching the show arm and arm, together.

“I’d like to show you something,” Blathers says as the fireworks begin to wind down, “Only it’s back at the museum.”

“Sure thing, Blathers,” Celeste smiles.

As they reach the door to the island’s makeshift planetarium Blathers pauses, “I’m not sure if it’s exactly what you wished for, but it’s the best I can manage.”

Bathers pulls the handle and they emerge into the room. He had arranged the colored floor lights to make a mini aurora sky on the ceiling. “Hoo!” Celeste exclaims, “How wondrous. Oh, Blathers, have you done this for me?”

The faux northern lights glimmered in her eyes. “The whole island came together to make sure your wish came true,” Blathers smiles shyly.

“And so it did,” Celeste grins, her eyes glossy, touched by his gesture, “There’s only one problem…”

“What’s that?” Blathers’ brow furrows.

“You never told me what you wished for,” Celeste admits, concerned.

“Ah, yes… my wish,” Blathers places a hand upon her shoulder, “If I had any one wish it would be for you to be happy, little sister.”

“Oh, Blathers,” Celeste beams, “Happy New Year, brother.”

“Happy New Year, sister.”

 

[BluebearL]

Stranger at the Roost

Ember Island Diaries- Winter entry:

The old whiskered fellow arrived upon my doorstep in the midst of a horrible snowstorm, he somehow wore a grin on his face and asked if he could stay at the roost whilst the storm was brewing in the wilderness. He was granted refuge on one condition, that he shares a story or two. Something in his very nature caused me such curiosity, he was somewhat of an enigma. His old eyes suggested he had come from somewhere far away, he seemed lost, and yet his presence held something of a quiet contentedness.

Brewster and Hugh drew up the chairs and blankets around the rug whilst I was tasked with crafting a new set of lamps to put around the dimly lit cabin. Puddles came out from her make-shift recording studio in anticipation of the stranger’s words. It had been a long winter and we hadn’t had company in what felt like a long while.

Seated with our coffee’s and blankets, the whiskered man drew a long sigh and began to speak;

“My name is Dobie, I come from afar, a city that has seen some troubling times. I was a detective, myself, and my buddy Rover who you might have come across over the years. He used to hop on trains and buses to interview people undercover. He got the names, dates, and locations from everyone. He wasn’t bad. My job was to take the information and search for evidence.

Just before March of last year, Rover told me he was growing tired of all the travel and needed to retire after years of investigative work. It’s not that I hadn’t seen it coming, we had been reaching the end of our careers for quite some time. But I realized at that moment that I had nowhere to go, nothing to do anymore. Old mate Tortimer had long since been spending time with his family on an island, they wouldn’t have room for a cranky fellow like me but I didn’t mind the idea.

Since then I have been sailing the seas with my friend Gulliver. His crew was all very friendly but I had forgotten just how clumsy Gulliver could be. He’d set out to sail to a particular location and then get too distracted. More often than not, we ended up stranded on deserted islands. Just this morning we rocked up here, I have been walking through the storm since in search of a warm place to stay. It’s a while since we have set shore on an island with residents. “

Since then, Dobie has become a full-time resident of our little island. Tom Nook sealed the deal with a fully furnished house full of photographs from some of Dobie’s best cases over the years. Dobie serves the island community by solving crime, the most recent being the mysterious disappearance of Merengue’s famous cupcakes. Hugh denies any involvement in the incident. Rover even comes to pay a visit at the Roost now and then.

Signing off now!
Ember Island Representative,
Laura.

 

[Snowifer]

Snowball Fight

I took a breath and breathed in the cool, fresh winter air. Winter was here! The first thing I had to do was to make my first snowman.

I started walking to Nooks Cranny, taking in the winter sights and the freshly fallen snow. Gone was the sickly grass, replaced by a sheet of sparky white crystals. I spotted the first snowball hidden in a patch of cosmos, walked over to it, and gave it a few good kicks to build its size a little. I then rolled it as big as I could and set off to find the other snowball. Suddenly, I felt something hit my back. It was small and didn't hurt much. A snowball? I stopped and turned around to see Kid Cat and Jeremiah staring back in shock.

"Sorry, nee-deep!" Yelled Jeremiah.

Sorry? That wouldn't be enough. A smile spread across my face. This. Meant. War.

I quickly scooped up a pile of snow next to me, shaped it into a ball, and hurled it back. Kid Cat quickly dodged it, but I was ready with another snowball. This one hit Jeremiah in the face, knocking him over.

"Return fire! Shouted Kid Cat as he threw some snowballs at me.

Jeremiah recovered from the snow in his face and joined Kid Cat in throwing. I ducked behind the snowman body I created as the snowballs rained down around me. Taking a peek over the top, I could see them trying to create a wall to defend themselves. I quickly popped up and took Kid Cat out with a carefully aimed throw and proceeded to hurl another at Jeremiah. However, he ducked under it and hid behind their half-built wall. The snowball proceeded to hit Agent S, who was out on her morning jog. Shoot.

"Superstar?!" said Agent S giving me a questioning look.

"That was for Jeremiah" I answered, shouting across the field.

"How could my bestie do this to me?" she shouted as she balled up some snow and flung it at me.

"She can't win against all of us! C'mon Jeremiah, use those muscles of your and start throwing!" exclaimed Kid Cat.

A barrage of snowballs hit the half-made snowman I was using as cover. I tried a few times to peek for an opening but they were always ready with a snowball. It was 3 against one, I had to do something. I prepared a few snowballs and was ready to charge when I noticed something was off. The rain of snowballs had let up a little. I took a closer look at their makeshift fort. Where was Agent S? I had noticed too late. I turned around and before I could even see her I was met with a cold splat in my face. It was over.

"That's what you get for crossing me, Superstar." said Agent S.

I fell backwards and onto the snow. I stayed there for a minute then sat up to brush the ice away. I looked up and was met with the smiles of my friends.

"Well, you guys got me good. Hot cocoa for the victors?" I said laughing.

"Awesome!" replied Kid Cat.
"Totes!" exclaimed Agent S.
"Sounds yummy!" said Jeremiah, already imagining the delicious treat.

I finished dusting myself, stood up and we all headed towards my house to warm up from the cold.

 

[Oldcatlady]

The First Christmas on Enkidiev

It was a quiet evening of December where the only audible sounds were those of the crackling firewood and the faint chatter of villagers returning back to their homes. Luna was sitting in her safe place, her beanie chair near the fireplace where the light hit just bright enough for reading and the fire kept her warm during the cold winter in Enkidiev. She had just picked up a new book she had found on the market earlier that day titled “How to Celebrate Christmas”. She was intrigued by the title, having never heard of Christmas. After a long day at work, it was finally time for her to unwind by reading a new book.

“Wow, how can you fit an entire pine tree inside your house?” She exclaimed. She had never seen a pine tree in person before, but she assumed that it was at least a few meters tall. Perhaps it would work if the people used a young tree, she thought. She liked the idea of decorating the tree and exchanging presents under it though. The pictures of decorated trees in the book looked so lovely that she wanted to try it herself. Luna tucked a strand of her blue hair that had fallen in front of her eyes back behind her ears and continued reading on. “Ohh, Christmas is a holiday where you can invite friends and family for dinner.” She liked that thought, it has been a while since she had seen her friends. They had all been busy with work lately, it would be nice to see them again. With that in mind, she sent a letter to her friends Tammy and Sterling, letting them know of her new discovery of this Christmas holiday and inviting them over for dinner and gift exchanges next week.

The next day, Luna had a day off and went shopping. There was no way she would be able to fit a tree inside her house, so she thought that she could make one out of wood, paper, and lights. Her favourite pictures in the book were those with bright lights and she was going to use those as inspiration for her own tree. Her next stop was shopping for gifts. She loved to spoil her friends, so it was difficult finding something that she had not given them yet. Tammy loved makeup and accessories, especially eyeshadows, blush, and hair accessories that complement her brown hair. Sterling is a huge fan of sports and body building, so she will be on the lookout for those on the market. Luna walked through a few dozen stalls before finding something for both of her friends: a nice palette of pink eyeshadow for Tammy, and a protein shake for Sterling. She does not have much knowledge about bodybuilding, but the salesman says that apparently the protein shake was imported from foreign lands and was of top quality. Her last stop was shopping for ingredients for the dinner. She was thinking of making sukiyaki for the main entry and complement it with side dishes.

Her arms full of her purchases, Luna headed back home. She wrapped the presents with a red wrapper and tied them up with a golden ribbon. Now all she had to do was to patiently wait for next week to come and enjoy her first Christmas with her best friends.

 

[Corndoggy]

Coming home:

It was so cold. That’s all I knew for sure. That it was cold and I was desperate to find any sort of warmth. This wasn’t a feeling that just crept up on me, I knew for a while I needed to escape this weather, but I had been too lazy to do so. But as I watched the moon appear way up high in the night sky, I knew now was the time to go home. She was waiting for me, she has been for a long time, so I better hurry home. For her. It was always for her.

I got up off of the ground and grabbed my bag, making sure to fish out my keys. The night has been coming a lot earlier these days, especially since It was winter now. My long days out of the house were coming to an end. I shouldn’t be outside once it became dark, I didn’t want her to worry like she always did. I should get home and make a warm cup of cocoa, with plenty of marshmallows. That’s the way I have always liked it.

I unlocked my car and sat inside, putting my key in the ignition. Quickly to lock the doors, I turned on the lights and started the car, making sure to turn the heat on. It was even colder in the car, and I hoped the heat would hurry up and kick in. I started my drive home and made sure to take it slow, as it had been raining and I didn’t want to risk the car skidding on the road. I don’t know what she would do if I got into an accident, who would look after her if I could not.

There was an old song on the radio, one of those ones that everyone always knew the words to but never its name. For the life of me I could not tell you what its name was, but I knew it was one that brought up a lot of good memories from my childhood, the one that made you feel all warm and gooey inside. It was certainly one that I enjoyed greatly.

The roads were quiet as I drived, aside from the few other occasional cars who made sure to leave enough room in case there was an accident. The drive went at a nice pace, as I sung along to the words on the radio, tapping my fingers against the steering wheel. I prayed that the drive was a quick and pleasant one, and sure enough it was. It wasn’t before long that I had driven into my garage and switched the ignition off. I had once again made it home where u belonged.

I opened the door and there she was, sitting on the couch waiting for me. She gave me a look as to say “hey, what took you so long”. I don’t know what took me so long, but I was glad to be at home again. I went over and gave her a pat, which made her tail curl. She purred and rubbed her head against my hand, her fur tickling my palm. “Yes, yes, I will go feed you now” I said, as I went to grab her food from the pantry. “You have been a good girl and waited all day for me”.

I put her food in her bowl and gave her another quick pat before I went to heat up some dinner for myself. Pasta or something in those regards. I was happy to finally be home with her. I was finally safe from the cold of winter, from the chill of the wind outside. I was home with her, and I was happy.

 

[BetsySundrop]

The Best of Benjamin

"Reminder! Important meeting today in the town square!" As he read the bulletin, Benjamin realized that he had forgotten all about the meeting.

That explains why everyone is here, he thought. And lucky me, I accidentally made it just in time.

Tom Nook sure got everyone's attention with his first announcement. "Attention, my good villagers! Can everyone hear me? Yes? Okay, good. I have an important announcement to make. The famous Brewster is going to be opening a cafe, here, on our very own Sundrop Island!"

After the cheers died down, Tom Nook delivered the not so good news. "In order to build this cafe, we are going to need some materials gathered for the construction. I would like for everyone to do their very best and bring all collected items here, to the town square. I will post a list of the needed items on the bulletin board. Thank you, everyone!"

Brewster! Benjamin was thrilled. Brewster might be famous for his coffee with pigeon milk, but his personal favorite had always been the hot cocoa. This is going to be great!

Boots and Dom noticed Nook tacking the list to the bulletin board and raced over to read it out loud.

"Wow!" Dom exclaimed, "That's a big list! It goes right to the bottom of the page!"

Boots read the list out to everyone.
" 200 softwood, 200 wood, 200 hardwood, 100 iron, 50 stone, 100 snowflakes.. maybe he will be selling frozen treats!..and 100 peaches. Peaches?"

"Of course!" Penelope piped in. "For pastries!"

It seemed everyone was looking forward to collecting the materials, and Benjamin was eager to help. He noticed Penelope and Puddles had their nets out and were already catching snowflakes.

"I'll help you catch snowflakes," he said.

"Awesome!" Puddles gratefully accepted. "Can you believe it?! Brewster's Cafe is going to make this island famous! And when Sundrop is famous...."

"We'll be famous!" Puddles shouted, laughing.

Benjamin started chasing snowflakes. They sure were hard to catch! It seemed they slipped right through his net! After a while he could hear that the others had nearly finished. He had to catch at least one! There! That one.... sneak up...got it!

He caught one! But just then his net broke. "That's ok Benjamin," Puddles said. "We've got them all!"

So Benjamin decided to see if Boots and Dom needed help collecting wood, although there was already an impressive pile started in the square. "Hey guys, can I offer some help gathering wood?"

"Of course," accepted Dom. "Boots and I are having a contest to see who can chop the most, and who can carry the most at one time!"

"Yes!" Boots interjected, "You really need that core strength to chop and haul. And my abs, Abigail, Abner and the others, are performing quite well today!"

"As are mine," stated Dom. "But we aren't quite sure which of us is demonstrating the MOST impressive performance. That's where you come in."

"Me?" asked Benjamin. "Well, I'd sure love to help, but I don't know if my abs can compete with yours..." Benjamin had never seen his own abs, but was sure he had them... somewhere.

"Erm.. well no, of course we wouldn't expect you to compete with us. We want you to watch our performances and then decide who does the best," Boots said, puffing up his very well muscled chest.

"Oh!" Benjamin offered the best excuse he could think of, "Well I'd like to help, but I'm really not qualified at all to help out with such a big decision. I'm really not trained for it."

Leaving them to their contest, Benjamin decided to have a cookie break and think about what he could contribute. It seemed that everyone had jumped right in and most of the materials were close to being gathered. After eating all of his cookies, he decided to try to collect some stone or iron. He pulled his shovel from his pocket, and noticed how rusty it was. Well, he thought, I'm sure it will work just fine.

He ambled to the nearest rock, swung his shovel, and clunk! Someone must have hit that one already. I'll find another one...

Several rocks later, almost ready to give up, Benjamin struck the last rock with his shovel and "calink!" Out popped a gold nugget!! My lucky day! He thought. But then his shovel broke! So he picked up the gold nugget and stuffed it into his pocket, finding a few tasty cookie crumbs in the bottom of the pocket. Then he meandered his way back to the town square to check on the progress of the others.

There he found Tom Nook counting huge piles of materials, and checking them off of the materials list held by Isabelle. "Check!" Tom proclaimed. "The wood gathering is complete!"

Isabelle checked it off the list. "Let's see," she said. "It looks like we only need the 100 iron..."

"Here's the iron!" shouted Betsy, bringing in a stack of iron."I got an absolute TON of this stuff on some islands. "I just need help hauling it over from the airport." That was quickly taken care of by Boots and Dom.

"So the list is complete!" Tom announced happily.

"Wait!" Isabelle shouted. "We still need one more item."

"Are you sure?" Tom asked. "This completes the list on the bulletin board."

Isabelle checked the bulletin board list. "Aha! Here is the problem. The list on the board is missing the last line. It must have gotten cut off somehow. We just need one final item- a gold nugget!"

At that, everyone groaned. Gold nuggets were exceedingly rare and very difficult to obtain. And, they had whacked all of the island rocks already! This was going to be a pain...

Benjamin was ecstatic. "Ah huh huh!" He laughed. "Here! I have one right here!" He pulled the nugget from his pocket, wiped off the lint and cookie grease, and handed it to Tom Nook.

And with that, all of the villagers decided to have a party to celebrate the coming of Brewster's Cafe. And Benjamin was more than happy to celebrate his very lucky day.

 

[IonicKarma]

No thoughts, head empty.

Snow Boy's New Years Eve

A light flurry descended upon the small island, blanketing the town with a soft white sheet of snow. A variety of animals milled about on their daily lives on the island, some stopping to admire the intricate snowflakes floating through the air from the first large snowfall of the year.

In the center of the town in front of the town hall, a large glowing sign slowly counted down the time until the new year. As the countdown hit fifteen hours, a familiar chime of the town's theme echoed across the island, signifying the start of a new hour. The only person present at the town hall at this early hour was a girl dressed in a light pink jacket and skirt slowly rolled two snowballs across the ground. The glowing halo hovering above the girl softly cast its light upon the girl as she carefully rolled each snowball into its correct proportions, stopping occasionally to measure the size of each snowball with the long end of a shovel. Satisfied with her work, she carefully placed the smaller of the two snowballs on the larger one. As she stood back, the snow swirled around the unfinished snowman like an unseen sculptor, adding defining features to complete the birth of a snowboy.

The Snowboy looked around at his new landscape and his creator and immediately began to marvel at how well he was made this time around. In many previous lives, he has been made imperfect or even completely inverted but this time, he could enjoy his brief life on this island to the fullest! Maybe he could finally be the perfect snow boy model that he always wanted to be! After expressing his joy to his creator, the Snowboy then handed the girl a crafting recipe as is tradition. She than ran off with a quick wave, seemingly to run an important errand but promising she would be back.

As time passed, the Snowboy continued to stand there and observe the island scenery around him. How he wished he could sprout legs, explore the island, and craft his own clothing and accessories to be the best Snowboy model ever! But alas, he was confined to where he was built until the day he melted. As he began to lament his fate, the the local deer resident, Fauna strolled into the town square and upon seeing the new visitor at the square, immediately rushed over to greet him. After learning of his modeling aspirations, she was struck with an idea. Like the girl before her, she too promised that she would be back before running off on an important errand, leaving the Snowboy alone once again.

The hour continued to grow later as the sun set in the horizon and the countdown timer continued to tick down, now below three hours. Still, everyone on this island seemed to be nowhere to be found. Where were they all? The Snowboy thought, surely this island couldn't be that deserted?

A moment later, the girl came running back, carrying a bundle of green leaves like they were some sort of national treasure. As she tossed each leaf onto the ground, a new piece of winter furniture materialized in seemingly out of thin air. In a split second, the town square was transformed into a formal winter party. The Snowboy even his own specialty crafting item he had taught her just not long ago, a beautiful frozen statue of a bear. The statue looked perfect just like he was, it was simply incredible how fast the girl was able to master crafting it.

As soon as the villager was done decorating the town square, the rest of the island inhabitants arrived at the square, led by the fashion designer Label. It wasn't immediately apparently to the Snowboy what they were all doing until they all started crowding around the him, each attaching a new piece of clothing to the Snowboy under the direction of Label.

Once they were done, the island residents took a step back to admire their handiwork. The Snowboy was now dressed with a matching pair of knitted winter themed boots, scarf and sweater, with a pair of snow crafted wings on his back. Finally, the girl stepped forward, removed the halo floating above her head, and placed it on top of the Snowboy, completing the new Snow Angel look. Once she stepped aside, the ever enthusiastic CJ stepped forward and began snapping photos of the Snowboy in rapid succession like he would the catch of the day.

As the photo shoot concluded, the large illuminated display started beeping, reminding everyone present that only a minute remained until the new year. The residents and visitors quickly shifted gears, pulling out their light sticks in preparation for the final countdown. The girl carefully attached an extra light stick to the Snowboy's side before taking her place among the crowd. When the countdown hit ten, all of the attendees waved their light sticks in unison with the countdown, this time accompanied by their very own Snowboy. At the stroke of the bell, everyone let out a coordinated cheer as fireworks exploded in the sky, signaling the begin of a new year.

As celebrations began all around him, the motionless Snowboy stared up at the fireworks. Though he knew his remaining time here was short, he knew he would forever remember this day where the residents treated him as family and fulfilled his wish of becoming a Snowboy model. He could only hope that one day, he would be able to visit them all again.

 

[Dog]

Our Resident Representative Lives In A Hole​

Spoiler

"I can't believe they're content to live like that."

Seated on a stone bench beneath a large tree, barely taking in the buzzing and warmth of the insect section of the museum, Gigi was ranting to Purrl.

The little lavender frog and calico cat had just fought the wind and snow to arrive there, and the hot, humid air was a blessed contrast to the chill and ice outside. Still, their attitudes hadn't thawed.

"You know what Ronnie said to me when I asked them what on earth they were thinking?" Gigi scoffed. "That they thought it would be funny to live at the bottom of a hole, so they built the whole island on the highest cliff they could. And stuck their house at the center of it, but at sea level. Can you imagine?"

"I wouldn't live like that for a million bells," Purrl quipped. "And what's with that mask?"

"The paper bag? I think they think it actually looks good." Gigi snickered at the concept.

Purrl shook her head. "And the statues... the ice sculptures. Did we really need twenty? There aren't even any bears on the island."

The pair, still shivering slightly, wordlessly watched a damselfly scoot lazily through the mugginess. Hesitating, Gigi said, "Speaking of bears, have you... heard from Curt at all? I wrote to him at his new island, but…"

"Same here," Purrl said sadly. She scrunched her face, then burst out, "Oh, things are so different here now! Curt moved, then Vesta, and we never heard from them again! And Ronnie's weirdness makes me want to move too, but then I'd just be somewhere new to do it all again."

"And it always goes the same way," Gigi said, nodding sadly. "You forget about the last place, sort of, because it's all the same."

"My last resident representative didn't terraform the whole island with a single tent-sized hole to live in as a joke," Purrl said slowly. "She upgraded her tent to a house much more quickly, too… Say, Gigi, when did you move here?"

"November. A few days before you did, actually." She paused. "Ronnie invited me, actually. I was fed up with my last island. The resident representative… that jerk never even came to say goodbye to me. Or hello, for that matter. I really only spoke to him to tell him I was leaving."

"Gigi, that's awful!" Purrl grabbed Gigi's hand in both her paws. "Goodness… You know, the last resident representative I had didn't talk to me much either. She didn't really come out to play after a few weeks. One day in September, Nook called me and told me that she had left-- her house was gone, and the island was going to be put up for sale." She looked away from Gigi. "She didn't say goodbye. And the kicker is that I heard she just… started fresh on a new island." She dropped Gigi's hands to wipe her own eyes on the back of her paws.

"That's dreadful! What a jerk!" Gigi was fuming. "I bet you our old resentatives would be two peas in a pod. Why did you choose this mess of an island, though?"

Purrl thought for a moment. "For the same reason as you, honestly. Ronnie showed up to one of the little islands I was staying at-- a deeply unpleasant experience, I loathe sleeping on the ground --and they..." Purrl smiled sheepishly. "They were so kind! They wanted me to move here, and I told them to promise to chat with me when I got here, and, well, they do. Nearly every day, in fact."

"And it's such a drag," Gigi said hastily. "They are impossible to understand."

"Oh, of course," Purrl said, sitting up a little straighter. "I find speaking to the ice sculptures more stimulating than speaking to Ronnie."

"Right. Yeah."

The longest span of silence yet passed between them. The steam in the air began to feel stifling and over-warm, like a straight jacket rather than a cozy blanket.

"Did Ronnie invite you to their little house-upgrade-celebration?" Purrl, lost in her increasingly guilty thoughts, jumped at Gigi's voice.

"What? Oh, yes." Purrl said hastily. "So stupid."

"Yeah," Gigi said, absently. "I was thinking about skipping, but… I was also thinking of bringing them some more snowflakes."

Purrl looked at her friend, then laughed. "That's so funny, honestly." She relaxed for the first time since they had arrived at the museum. "I had the exact same idea."

Blushing, Gigi shrugged. "I'm getting a little flushed from the heat. Shall we go catch some snowflakes while it's still snowing like wild?"

"A lovely idea," Purrl said, following her friend to the door.

 

[ForeverSoaring]

Wendy the Wannabe Pop Star

Wendy knew that she didn’t fit the image of a typical pop star. The idol groups on tv were full of thin humans, cats, and bunnies with shiny hair or silky fur. Their eyes were always large and sparkling—their perfect white teeth shining underneath spotlights. There were times when Wendy had looked at herself in dismay—her thick wool covered her chubby body in a way that made store bought dresses fit incorrectly, and her buck teeth and squinty eyes didn’t fit with a pop star look at all. But as she grew older, that insecurity all seemed to fade away under the guidance of body neutrality. That was because she remembered why she loved idols in the first place: the singing, the dancing, the frilly costumes, the energy of the crowd, the joy on the performers’ faces—that was what she wanted. It was all she ever wanted. Ever since she was small, Wendy was transfixed by their light. She would sing along with the music, and memorize the dance steps in her living room until she was able to keep up with the performers. As she followed along, Wendy wished that she was the one on the stage. But she never had a chance to make that dream a reality.

One day, in the bleaker part of winter, Wendy spotted Cherry and Muffy singing in the plaza. Wendy went up to them, standing on the other side of Cherry. She jumped in at the chorus of K.K. Rock. Their voices mingled together, Wendy’s voice adding a harmonizing layer that the duo needed. When the song concluded, Muffy turned to Wendy with a playful glint in her eye.

“I never knew you could sing like that, nightshade! I thought that your pop star thing was all talk!” She said.

Cherry excitedly added, “D-do you want to join our band?! Though...I don’t know if metal is really your thing.”

“Maybe we could combine genres,” Muffy said thoughtfully, “too much screaming DOES make my throat hurt...”

Wendy was stunned. She half expected that ladies as cool as Cherry and Muffy would be annoyed at someone like her joining in. Finally, she was able to get out, “I would love to join your band!”

A month later, after a lot of practice at Cherry’s house, the three of them stood on a temporary stage built on the plaza. In front of them stood all of the residents of the island, including Isabel, Tom Nook, Timmy and Tommy, and the Abel sisters. Above all else, K.K. Slider was in the crowd. He graciously allowed them to open for him, and watched them with curiosity. The lights came on as the first note was played of the original song they worked on together. This time, Wendy sang the melody. She stood center stage, Cherry and Muffy on either side of her, with enough room left for Wendy to dance. Instead of overtaking Wendy’s voice, they harmonized with her and their instruments.

They were far from perfect. They missed notes, Wendy stumbled on a dance step, and the glitter on their costumes fell more easily then they would have liked. But it was magical. The spotlights hit their glittery outfits and the gently falling snow. The crowd was wild for such a small group as they jumped along to the fast beat and attempted to sing with the chorus. The singing, the dancing, the frilly costumes, the energy of the crowd—it all invigorated Wendy. She didn’t need to be the perfect famous pop star she thought she had to be—just her unique self. She had everything she wanted, everything she needed, right here. And throughout the whole song, Wendy knew that her face was shining as much as any idol on tv.

Spoiler

I've never written fanfiction before, and it's been years since I've attempted to write a short story (that wasn't in, like, comic format). Sorry if the paragraphs a bit too long—making this readable in tbt's formatting was a bit tricky! I know this is far from perfect, but I hope you enjoy it anyway! c:

 

[Mad Aly]

Spring Sun and Winter Moon ❄​

Spoiler: Story

One could say this ordeal was quite the unordinary tale of Little Red Riding Hood and The Big Bad Wolf. Or, perhaps, a coincidental series of events. But not an unfortunate one.

Not like the original tale, at least. No tragedies or terrors here. Not the kind that leaves anything red behind, anyway...

Though, our story does begin and end with red. (Maybe another color or two as well, because variety and growth are critical in any story!) And what a red, indeed...

The bold redness of perfectly spherical apples, shining like brilliant Christmas ornaments against the lush green foliage of the abundant apple trees in late springtime.

Running amok through them is another form of red, indicated by the classic satin of a giant red ribbon, bobbing atop the head of an unsuspecting visitor.

She wears a generous smile on her cherry-red lips, glimmering under the soft and warm sunlight above. A true young beauty to behold among all the fresh new blooms of the season.

She is one with nature, quite literally, considering she is passionately perusing through the apple orchard at this very moment. But, she is clearly not animal. Not quite, anyway. Human is a... different kind of 'animal.' But that's besides the point.

She is foreign, nonetheless, but friendly. And definitely not furry. The only 'fur' was the one on her scalp, with soft waves of burgundy-brown coming down past her shoulders, accented by the aforementioned ribbon of red.

The sole detail of her that remains and that one only wonders is: Who is she?

Is she the bad girl in town, coming to chase out the big bad wolf? Assuming there is a big bad wolf in this town. Regardless, there are, in fact, a girl and a wolf here. But whether either of them are 'bad' in the traditional sense is another topic entirely.

Our human girl's name is Madeleine, and her favorite color is probably red. (Just a gut feeling. Those things are often important to listen to.)

Our wolf's name is Fang. (Yes, yes, there were many potential 'big bad wolves' for this story. But there was absolutely no bias when selecting this wolf. Not even the fact that he and the author share the same birthday.)

And this particular wolf is particularly fond of the color blue. (No, this is not meant to be a pun for the Nintendo Switch's colors, either; that's just poetic irony.)

‘Why are these details important?’ you might be asking. Well, you see, dear reader, there are quite a few factors...

For one thing, Madeleine's giant red ribbon symbolically resembles pointy wolf ears, which Fang, of course, has.

Secondly and most prominently, apples are the fruit of fate, as well as sin, both of which are central themes for this story. (Yes, you are being walked through a literary analysis of this very story. But it also just so happens to be important to the sort-of plot, so, you're welcome.)

That is to say, these are all signs that our contrasting color duo is fated to meet in the apple orchard, for better or worse, for good or evil...

Near the end of the orchard of fruit trees is a house colored a creamy white, as pristine and pure as snow. This would be Fang's house. And as well-put-together as he and his home are, he does have a bit of a bite. He is a wolf, after all. And a cranky one, at that.

As such, he will not stand for someone casually wandering about his apple orchard, much less picking the apples, which is exactly what Madeleine is doing. The girl is about to find herself in some trouble...!

While Fang typically wouldn't stand for such behavior, he is currently sitting outside his lovely home with a book in silver paw and specs on lavender-tinted eyes. Though his sharp eyes are currently preoccupied with the pages, his nose and ears alone could detect presence and movement from miles away. What big eyes, ears, and nose he has!

"You there, girl! What do you think you're doing here?"

"Oh!"

Madeleine gasps and stops in the middle of sorting through her basket of freshly-picked apples, as she jerks her gaze to the deep voice directed at her.

"I-I'm sorry! Is... there a problem?" Madeleine slightly tilts her head with an innocent, questioning look.

Fang wasn't sure if she’s playing dumb with him, as irritated as he is.

"Don't give me that! What are you doing picking my apples?"

"Oh... These are all your apples?" Madeleine fawns over at the luscious fruit dangling all around her like a little kid in a candy store.

Her cheeriness irks him more. Fang retorts back, preceded with a small growl.

"You bet they are! And I don't want no stranger just grabbing at 'em. So, get lost!"

Fang internally twitched with the sense that maybe the way he delivered that last line was a bit harsh. So much for survival instincts...

To his surprise, though, he hears child-like giggling.

"You're a grumpy one, aren't you?"

Fang pouts and lets out another growl, trying to mask his embarrassment with irritation.

"Urr..."

Madeleine giggles again. "You're so cute! Are all the residents here this adorable?"

Fang can't help but stifle a blush. "I'm not cute! I'm just a grump, like you said. N-Now get lost already!"

"I could get lost..." Madeleine's eyes wander before they settle back on Fang. "But, I'm already kind of lost?"

'Figures…' Fang thinks to himself.

"Turns out it was a blessing in disguise, though, 'cause it's so pretty everywhere, and everybody here is so kind!" Madeleine beams. Her smile and gaze soften towards Fang. "Well... Mostly everybody."

Fang's eyes travel down to the ground with awkward silence that now settles upon two of them.

"Tell you what!" Madeleine chimes in again. "If you let me keep some of these scrumptious apples, I won't bother you anymore. Promise!"

The wolf's ears slightly part to opposite ends in a mixture of surprise and exasperation.

‘Hmm… Eh, why not? Might as well save 'em the trouble,' Fang muses over in his head. 'Came this far, too. I'll just…’

...Let her go.

Why didn't that idea go down so smoothly, though? He was upset enough. At first, anyways.

What about now? What changed? And why? He couldn’t put his paw on it...

Fang's thoughtful gaze wanders and settles upon his abandoned book, now sprawled on the grass of his home's front yard. And then, the answer dawns on him, exactly as a red sun rises into a silver sky of a misty morning.

The thing is, wolves are creatures of the moon, and Fang is no exception. So much of his life is symbolically, if not literally, within the shadows and solitude of the night, that daybreak is but a secondary world to him. Just out of reach.

It's his choice to turn away from that world, though. And the sun always shines for the moon, day and night. At this moment, the sun shamelessly and eagerly hovers above him. But it also stands before him.

That is who Madeleine is – the sun.

It is only natural, then, that he would turn away from her, or try to turn her away. But today, the sun brings him warmth, though not uncomfortably so. Not unless he thinks too much about it.

It is also early spring, which means new beginnings and, of course, the thawing of winter. From hard ice, to soft snow, to water flow.

Where is Fang in that process? How far thawed in is he? How ready is he for spring, for summer, or even fall? Or was he forever a winter wolf, only made for and from the glassy ice and glittering snow of December?

Ice can be brittle or brutal, but it is inevitably vulnerable in the face of spring. The moment of truth is now.

And the truth is, Fang is a lone wolf by the textbook definition, and his grouchy disposition certainly doesn't help with that. He has his sunny days, just like this one, and he does try to make the most of those. But cloudy days are hardly uncommon for this wolf.

Still, he has turned away from the sun too many times before – but no more. His brittle-brutal heart just might crack and break into sharper pieces – as sharp as fangs – or, it could melt into a clear and bountiful river for all to drink from. And, oh, how they would drink after an infinitely icy winter...

For only few could tolerate that iciness which threatens to (frost)bite their skin if they get close enough to the wolf. The town villagers approach him – or simply accommodate him – with this in mind, always.

But to say that Madeleine tolerates Fang would be a grave understatement. An injustice, even.

Her warm, genuine, and curious nature speaks for itself. But just as the sun must shine, the girl must speak.

"I could see myself settling down here..." Madeleine muses.

Of all the things she did and said to catch Fang off guard today, this had to take the cake. Though, he doesn't have much of a sweet tooth.

While part of him jumped in surprise, another part of him jumped in... hope?

Was that right? But hadn't they just met?

What was going on with him, anyway?

A change in heart. And this girl's sunny disposition was the culprit. It's contagious and consuming, like a seasonal flu.

Fang can't say whether it's harmful, but it makes him... curious, nonetheless. And that's more than enough.

"Mmrph... Do whatever you want--"

Fang catches himself.

"--I mean!"

Madeleine gives him a gently perplexed look.

"You should... consider that..." Fang stammers. He mentally kicks himself for it.

The girl stays silent for a moment. But, inevitably, the ice breaks yet again with her warm smile and laugh.

"Do you really mean that? I'll totally take you up on your offer if you do!"

Fang paces his response.

"Well, it's not really up to me to decide if you can move here or not. But I won't complain if you do land it here."

Fang turns his eyes back to the apples in Madeleine's basket, where they have been silently resting and listening to the wolf and girl's measly exchange of words. They say that trees have eyes (and maybe ears), so naturally the fruit they bear ought to be the same.

"As for the apples... keep 'em."

Madeleine's eyes glow at Fang's sudden unexpected shift.

"They're all yours, from my orchard to... wherever you plan to take them."

"Well, I don't plan on taking them anywhere in particular for now. Here!" Madeleine takes an apple from her basket and holds it out to Fang, who gawks at her for a moment.

"Go on! I don't bite," Madeleine insists with amusement in her voice.

Fang sighs and takes the apple. Their first shared token of trust, and the beginning of a new journey, where winter and spring meet. A new dawn within a new sky, promising new horizons.

Spoiler: A/N

Needless to say, and to say the least, this "short" story was my rather ambitious and experimental attempt at incorporating my love for Animal Crossing, Fang, nature, symbolism, and writing... I deeply appreciate you taking the time to read through all 1,855 words! Hope you enjoyed reading it as much as I enjoyed writing it~

 

[Firesquids]

Well I'm no writer, but I tired my best!
This is the first time I've written anything even close to fan fiction, so I'm stepping out of my comfort zone a bit here, I hope you enjoy it

Spoiler: Colton's Confession

He plopped down at his writing desk as the snow storm began to pick up in intensity.
“Alright, here it goes”, he thought. He gazed though his window to the golden glow of Julian's porch light on the freshly fallen snow, then down to the blank paper in front of him. “But how do I put it into words?” Colton had admired Julian since they were young but he never showed it well. As a foal, Colton had always been told he was a handsome stallion and that he could get any mare he wanted. His mother always pressured him to invite his neighbor Cleo over for dinner or tea, she had it in her head that they would end up together. His mother's assumptions bothered him, not only because he didn't see her in that way, but because his mother was once again trying to control his life.

'The first time I saw you' He paused, considered erasing it, but then continued.
'I felt something... new. Something I didn't understand'

They were friendly as adults, but he wondered if Julian had ever truly forgiven him.
As foals, Colton saw a lot of Julian. They were in the same classes year after year, and he lived pretty close by, so they always went to the same stores, same park, and even a few of Cleo's birthday parties. Every time he caught even a glimpse of the strange blue haired foal, he felt a pit in his stomach and a knot in his throat. “Oh great, horny boy is here? He's probably gonna make us all play makeover”, he winced at the words of his younger self.

'Things were different then... I was different', he paused again

He looked over what he had written so far, “Great, I'm already making excuses for myself.”

'I'm just so sorry for how I treated you, it was'
'I didn't know what I'
'I was confused, I just...'

“Who am I kidding? I'm still confused...”

When Colton had decided to jump on the 'Nook inc. Island Dream Home Package' he received in the mail last year, his only goal was to get away from his mother. All he knew is that he would never be able to find out who he truly was with her prying hooves involved. He thought back on the night he left, they had a fight about him leaving town. The last words his mother spoke to him echoed in his head,
“Fine then, go ahead and move on and leave me here, just like your father did.”
It broke his heart to leave. Sure, she was manipulative and always made him feel like he was hurting her just by being himself, but he still loved her, she was his mom after all.

He then remembered when he first moved to this island. After the plane landed, he headed straight to resident services to work out the details of his new home with Mr. Tom Nook.
“I'm glad you decided to make the move to our fine island town, it's come a long way in the last few years, you wouldn't even recognize it” Tom handed him the island's villager registry,“These will be your new neighbors, go ahead and add your information to the registry, I have a feeling you'll fit right in here, yes yes.”
Colton quickly glanced over registry of colorful faces, then felt a familiar knot in his throat, “J-Julian lives here?” He knew Julian had moved from their hometown a few years back, he just figured that was the last he would ever see of him.
“Oh have you two already met? Excellent, you'll actually be living right next door to mr. Julian”
“That's great news!” Colton felt a pit form in his stomach.

'I didn't know what to do with myself, all I knew is that when I saw you I felt different. That feeling... I was scared of it'

Colton wished he go back and tell himself that he didn't have to hide from himself his mother's sake. That she was wrong to make him feel bad for who he who he was, that he wasn't his father leaving her for another man.

'You don't deserve excuses, and I don't want to make any. I was wrong for treating you so horribly back then, I'm sorry'

“How could he forgive me, let alone want anything to do with me?”

'You've been so kind to me since I moved to this island, I honestly didn't know life could be this good.
I no longer live day to day waiting for a fight to start, it's been so nice just enjoying life'

Colton gazed out though the window again, this time to the curtains hung in Julian's window, they were a rich navy blue color adorned with small stars connected by silver threads to make constellations, he could see light seeping out through the gap under the curtains.

'When I saw that we we're going to be neighbors, at first I was terrified. I was worried about what you thought of me, I was so terrible to you when I was a foal. I wanted to... no, I needed to prove to you that I've changed.
Now I know that you weren't the one I needed to prove it to.'

He thought back to meeting Julian again, not only as his new neighbor, but for the first time as an adult.

'When we met here, it felt like it was for the first time. You didn't skip a beat and welcomed me to the island with just as much exuberance as you had when we were foals.' Colton smiled thinking about it.
'It drove me crazy when we were growing up that you never seemed bothered by what others said about you. If that was directed towards me, I don't know what I would've done. I really admire that about you and, I don't know how to say this but here it goes, I uh, have feelings for you! I'm sorry it took me a while to realize it. You always see the best in people, even if they're only showing you the worst. I wanted to say thank you for accepting me, I think you're the first person who ever truly has. I figure if you can accept me after all the stupid things I said, I can accept myself for who I am.

Maybe we could go to Brewster's for a coffee sometime?
Sincerely, Colton​

He looked over his letter.“Well if I don't send it now I might never.”
He sealed it in an envelope, and grabbed his winter frock coat, then headed out the door. He trudged through the snow, his heart pounding as he approached Julian's mailbox. He hesitated for a second before sliding the letter inside then felt a sense of relief as the letter disappeared into the slot.“That's that, no turning back now”. Colton headed back to his house, and sat by the fireplace to warm up. He thought he would be nervous, waiting in anticipation for a response, but here was no knot in his throat nor pit in his stomach.
Colton wrapped himself up in a blanket and smiled, he felt whole.

 

[Kirbyz]

this is literally so fun ahh!!

love writing stories and those prizes are

gl everyone!! im just imagining how different everyone’s stories are gonna be, this is gonna be interesting

 

[daringred_]

@Vrisnem stupid question but am i gonna be ""graded"" on whether or not i used capital letters because i decidedly Did Not do that, but i can go back and manually add caps if it's preferred.

 

[Chris]

@Vrisnem stupid question but am i gonna be ""graded"" on whether or not i used capital letters because i decidedly Did Not do that, but i can go back and manually add caps if it's preferred.

Proper spelling and grammar will impact the readability of your story, so I would recommend using them.

 

[daringred_]

Proper spelling and grammar will impact the readability of your story, so I would recommend using them.

good thing i checked lmao, i'll get on it.

 

[cIementine]

Blue Monday

When your suitcases have become a permanent fixture and the only thing blocking the cold draught from seeping in is a haphazard stack of unopened boxes, it's hard to feel at home. When you move to a tropical island only to find out it still experiences the winter you were avoiding, it's hard to even want to feel at home. Was it a good idea, uprooting the life you had so carefully calculated, just to leave it all behind? As far as New Year's resolutions go, this was pretty big. And impulsive. And irreversible.

But you have a good feeling, and you can't quite shake it.

-

A knock at the door disrupts both your unpacking and your doubts. You consider leaving it unanswered but you can envision yourself in two weeks - freezing and alone and drowning in packing peanuts because you were too stubborn to get to know your neighbours - and decide braving the storm of overeager squeaks desperate to know who exactly is living in the cottage by the cliff is probably a good idea. So you peer through the peephole and don't see a thing. Doorbell ditch? The tanuki who gave you the keys to your house seemed so clinical in his delivery, so eager for your down payment that you didn't think any of the residents would be the type to play practical jokes. Especially considering there were only nine of them.

However another reserved knock gently rattles the door; feeling rude, you open it immediately, met by the quiet panicked expression of a dog clutching so tightly onto her clipboard you wonder how it hasn't exploded into splinters in her hands.

"...Can I help you?" You chime, feigning enthusiasm through your tired drawl.

"You're our newest resident! It's wonderful to finally meet you," she responds in a way that leaves you out of breath even though you aren't the one talking. "I'm sorry I didn't come sooner, I was visiting home for the holidays. My brother works for the HHA and he broke his arm climbing through windows to do home observations, so I ended up staying longer than anticipated to take care of him."

She pauses, but you're not quite sure what to say, or if you're supposed to say anything at all.

"But I digress! I dropped by to tell you that there's some documents at Town Hall for you to fill in whenever you're free."

You're too distracted by her beaming grin to even ask why she couldn't have just called you about this. "Oh. Okay. Thanks. I'll be sure to head down tomorrow."

As she chirps and almost skips away, something compels you to stop her in her tracks. "Hey!", you yell half-heartedly.

She turns around, staring at you in anticipation.

"I'm free now?"

-

It's only when you're walking through the plush snow, the moon the only thing illuminating you, that you realise she had come all this way in the dark. She tells you that her name is Isabelle, that she's been working as a secretary for Nook inc. since it started and in some small town halls before that. She tells you more about her brother, and how she wanted to be an engineer but it never quite worked out.

You tell her how much the city wore you down, how unsatisfying your work in finance was, and how you moved here because you felt like you were waiting to live a life you'd planned for yourself but didn't even want. You tell her how coming here cost you everything you ever had, but you know that a quiet life is what you need.

As you walk side by side with this stranger who knew more about you in five minutes than people you'd known for years, you felt a sense of warmth and comfort, even amidst the harsh winter wind.

Isabelle pointed at the houses of residents as you made your way past them, giving you kind insights into their idiosyncrasies. Fauna likes waking up early. Hornsby will eat anything, especially things from the floor that he shouldn't be eating. Diana is stylish and sophisticated.

Suddenly, you felt like stepping out into the world you were meticulously avoiding.

-

"Isabelle, how did you feel when you moved here?", you enquired as she stirred two cubes of sugar into the cup of tea she was making you.

"Horrified! You know, it looked nothing like this when I arrived. Only a handful of people lived here and it was completely deserted, like a campsite," she explained. "But it's what I wanted to do, and I knew everyone around me was in the same boat."

You were missing out on life because you were scared to live it, but moving here, and vowing to be a part of everything, felt like a good place to begin.

Music played beyond the doors as you watched snow drift past the window, a peaceful backdrop to the night that made you realise what you were missing.

 

[SpaceTokki77]

Proper spelling and grammar will impact the readability of your story, so I would recommend using them.

dang it. My story had some lower-case letters where capital ones should be. May I go ahead and fix that?

 

[kiwikenobi]

@SpaceTokki77 I think you may.

I've had a couple of messages about this so figured I'd clarify: yes, the fact the rules for this event are missing the usual "no editing" rule is deliberate. This means you can edit spelling and grammatical errors without being penalised or needing to contact me first. Keep in mind that this is applicable only to this contest.