TBT's Winter Short Story Contest
- Thread starter Chris
- Start date
- Status
xSuperMario64x
a very tired Bug 🪲💤
- Joined
- Oct 30, 2011
- Posts
- 26,829
- Bells
- 747
- Snowflakes
- 48
- Chocolate Coins
- 1
- Switch
- 8558-0128-9692
- Island
- He/him
I keep forgetting to do this lmao, maybe I'll do it today sometime :>
Cosmic-chan
✩ ˗ˏ✎*ೃ˚ My Melody.
Wow so many grammar issues in my story so glad I caught them in time. My own story almost made me cry how the heck- I really wrote that ? 
Bruh going back to bed 
Bruh going back to bed 
Sharksheep
(⨀🞃 ⨀ )◄
Winter Star
Diana was taking an evening stroll on the cliffs on Yarn Isle. The clock struck midnight a few moments ago and she normally would be in bed with a good book by now, but she was having trouble falling asleep. The argument she had either with Whitney weighed heavily on her mind.
“Maybe I should haven’t told her that her plants would have been fine before she left to visit her family. The books say that monstera plants are very easy to take care of and don’t need a lot of watering. How was I suppose to know that she hasn’t watered them for weeks before she left! ”
Whitney came home earlier that day to a sad looking monstera. The leaves were wilty and brown at the edges. It was the first plant she bought when she moved to Yarn Isle and although she never had much of a green thumb, she tried her best at keeping this monstera alive.
“I hope Leif visits soon! He should know if there’s anything she can do to save it,” thought Diana.
After reaching the top of the ramp, she sees a familiar figure gazing up at the sky near the Stonehenge. Diana didn’t want to startle the owl so she walked a little more heavily.
“Good evening, Celeste. I didn’t know you were visiting the island tonight,” Diana called out.
“Hoot hoot, the weather forecast said that there will be no clouds tonight and I’m glad to see they are right!”
“Isn’t it too cold to be stargazing tonight? I’m bundled up in this coat and hat and I’m still getting chills.”
“I always love stargazing in the winter. When my brother and I were young, he would make me a cup of hot chocolate and we would sit out in the yard huddled under a blanket and glaze up at the stars until we couldn’t feel the tips of our feathers anymore.”
“That sounds lovely, my dear. You couldn’t convince Blathers to join you tonight?”
“He is going to join me soon. He had to finish feeding the fish and he’ll give me a call.”
“Can I keep you some company until then? I would love to learn more about the constellations.”
“Oh yes! You are in a treat for tonight!”
“Is it a meteor shower tonight? I remember the first one I saw when I moved here. There were so many shooting stars I couldn’t believe my eyes.”
“If we get lucky we might be able to see some shooting stars but this event is rarer than a meteor shower. Tonight we get to see the Winter Star! Do you see the very bright star to the right? It’s not a star at all but two planets! When Jupiter and Saturn are aligned. The next time those two planets will be this close together won’t happen for hundreds of years.”
“It’s so beautiful. I never would have known how special tonight was if I didn’t run into you tonight.”
Suddenly, the first few seconds of Cafe K.K. started playing. Celeste pulled out her nookphone for a brief moment and put it away.
“Looks like my brother is just leaving the museum. I’m going to meet him halfway. It was nice chatting with you, Diana. Please share with your friends that tonight they can see the Winter Star if you come across them.”
“Have a good evening, Celeste.”
Celeste walked down the ramp and out of sight. Diana pondered on how to resolve her troubles with Whitney when she remembered Celeste’s words.
“Even though Whitney is upset with me now, she would be even more upset if she missed out on a special event tonight like seeing the Winter Star.”
Diana stopped by her house first to make some hot chocolate to fill up a thermos and walked over to Whitney’s house. Luckily, the curtains were lit up meaning that Whitney was stilled awake. She knocked on the door and Whitney’s answer. Whitney was still in her day time clothes so Diana wasn’t interrupting her night time routine.
“I’m sorry about your monstera plant and telling you not to water it. I have some hot chocolate and was wondering if you would like to stargaze with me tonight. The Winter Star is out tonight and Celeste said that another one wouldn’t be visible for hundreds of years.”
“It’s ok, Diana. I don’t have much of a green thumb so this was bound to happen eventually.”
“Maybe Leif will stop by soon and you can ask him if there’s anything you can do for your monstera. I’ll stop by the plaza first thing in the morning for the rest of the week and let you know if I see him.”
“Thank you, Diana. I really appreciate that. Let me get a blanket so we can be more comfortable.”
Diana was taking an evening stroll on the cliffs on Yarn Isle. The clock struck midnight a few moments ago and she normally would be in bed with a good book by now, but she was having trouble falling asleep. The argument she had either with Whitney weighed heavily on her mind.
“Maybe I should haven’t told her that her plants would have been fine before she left to visit her family. The books say that monstera plants are very easy to take care of and don’t need a lot of watering. How was I suppose to know that she hasn’t watered them for weeks before she left! ”
Whitney came home earlier that day to a sad looking monstera. The leaves were wilty and brown at the edges. It was the first plant she bought when she moved to Yarn Isle and although she never had much of a green thumb, she tried her best at keeping this monstera alive.
“I hope Leif visits soon! He should know if there’s anything she can do to save it,” thought Diana.
After reaching the top of the ramp, she sees a familiar figure gazing up at the sky near the Stonehenge. Diana didn’t want to startle the owl so she walked a little more heavily.
“Good evening, Celeste. I didn’t know you were visiting the island tonight,” Diana called out.
“Hoot hoot, the weather forecast said that there will be no clouds tonight and I’m glad to see they are right!”
“Isn’t it too cold to be stargazing tonight? I’m bundled up in this coat and hat and I’m still getting chills.”
“I always love stargazing in the winter. When my brother and I were young, he would make me a cup of hot chocolate and we would sit out in the yard huddled under a blanket and glaze up at the stars until we couldn’t feel the tips of our feathers anymore.”
“That sounds lovely, my dear. You couldn’t convince Blathers to join you tonight?”
“He is going to join me soon. He had to finish feeding the fish and he’ll give me a call.”
“Can I keep you some company until then? I would love to learn more about the constellations.”
“Oh yes! You are in a treat for tonight!”
“Is it a meteor shower tonight? I remember the first one I saw when I moved here. There were so many shooting stars I couldn’t believe my eyes.”
“If we get lucky we might be able to see some shooting stars but this event is rarer than a meteor shower. Tonight we get to see the Winter Star! Do you see the very bright star to the right? It’s not a star at all but two planets! When Jupiter and Saturn are aligned. The next time those two planets will be this close together won’t happen for hundreds of years.”
“It’s so beautiful. I never would have known how special tonight was if I didn’t run into you tonight.”
Suddenly, the first few seconds of Cafe K.K. started playing. Celeste pulled out her nookphone for a brief moment and put it away.
“Looks like my brother is just leaving the museum. I’m going to meet him halfway. It was nice chatting with you, Diana. Please share with your friends that tonight they can see the Winter Star if you come across them.”
“Have a good evening, Celeste.”
Celeste walked down the ramp and out of sight. Diana pondered on how to resolve her troubles with Whitney when she remembered Celeste’s words.
“Even though Whitney is upset with me now, she would be even more upset if she missed out on a special event tonight like seeing the Winter Star.”
Diana stopped by her house first to make some hot chocolate to fill up a thermos and walked over to Whitney’s house. Luckily, the curtains were lit up meaning that Whitney was stilled awake. She knocked on the door and Whitney’s answer. Whitney was still in her day time clothes so Diana wasn’t interrupting her night time routine.
“I’m sorry about your monstera plant and telling you not to water it. I have some hot chocolate and was wondering if you would like to stargaze with me tonight. The Winter Star is out tonight and Celeste said that another one wouldn’t be visible for hundreds of years.”
“It’s ok, Diana. I don’t have much of a green thumb so this was bound to happen eventually.”
“Maybe Leif will stop by soon and you can ask him if there’s anything you can do for your monstera. I’ll stop by the plaza first thing in the morning for the rest of the week and let you know if I see him.”
“Thank you, Diana. I really appreciate that. Let me get a blanket so we can be more comfortable.”
Snek
🐍
A Celestial Dilemma
Celeste stared at the island rep's sleepy house and sighed in defeat as she headed to the museum. The sky had a beautiful aurora stretching across the snowy winter landscape.
"Oh diurnals…" Celeste sighed in resignation
As an avid stargazing owl, she was used to being up all night while other animals went to sleep. However, the island rep has never once stayed up for the night when Celeste decides to see her big brother, Blathers. Blathie, which she secretly likes to call him, was in charge of the museum on the island. He also made really good coffee, surprisingly, that helps her get through the night.
Celeste glanced in her pocket and saw the orange DIY recipes all in neat, little stacks. What was the point in carrying all these DIY recipes? Maybe Tom Nook lied to her? Or... Maybe her brother would know what to do, but then again...maybe he wouldn't...
"Big brother, I'm here!" "...huh what are you doing?"
Blathie had on an explorer hat and was swatting the air with a net. He was sweating profusely and had that all-familiar look on his face of fear and disgust. Blathie and his entomophobia always caused problems in their childhood. Why he decided a bug exhibit would be good for his museum still amazed and amused Celeste to this day.
"Little sister!" "One of THEM, escaped!" screamed as Blathers was looking around restlessly.
"Oh no!" Celeste feigning concern, "Which one, the scorpion or the tarantula?"
"No! Its a musca domestica!" Blathers eyes dilating bigger and bigger
"In Animalese, brother"
"A FLY!!!" Blathers continuing swatting maniacally
"Oh no…" Again, it was almost like clockwork. Celeste started to feel tired for some reason. "I'm going to get a coffee"
Celeste grabbed the coffee pot on a table and poured into the pink Virgo cup next to the blue Libra cup. Why shouldn't she be surprised? Blathie was acting silly again, and of course, she was always the patient and reasonable one, well at least around insects. Blathie does make a very, VERY good coffee, though. Being positive always helped her in these sort of situations.
"Brother, I'm here because I have a REAL problem…"
"Real problem?! Any bug without a cage is a real problem! I don't mind when the octopus escapes each day but one these...filthy arthropods...I shudder at the thought"
"Brother...the island rep is asleep again. At this rate they'll never see a shooting star or an aurora in the winter sky. Auroras are so beautiful at this time of the year. I wish…"
Celeste suddenly felt a bit emotional, "I wish at least once, for all the animals to be awake and see an aurora together."
Celeste began feeling a little sad, "Your museum is open 24 hours a day, but I only come here when you say there are meteor showers and when you run out of fish in the freezer"
"Sister," Blathers stopping to catch a breath,
"You've always had your eyes to the sky. Maybe the solution is more obvious and closer than you think. For example, when you see a cockroach, you step on it! And then you wash and sanitise your talons for 2 straight hours"
"I don't understand...brother...the fly...its on your bowtie..."
"AHHHHHHHHH" Blathers fell to the ground and angrily got back up.
"NO! No, no, no, no, no!" Blathers screamed as he began swatting the air again.
Celeste sat down, sipped her coffee and stared at it. For someone so knowledgeable, sometimes her brother never makes any sense. Especially when it comes to insects.
"More obvious than I think? I wonder..."
"Right in front of me, eh, and I can't catch you?! These bugs are the death of me…ahhh" Blathers sighed as he missed again.
"In front of me..." Celeste again looked at her coffee. The coffee was a Blue Mountain blend of very high quality. Celeste knew that Blathie made really great coffee, but how?? How could he have made rich coffee that energised her every night? If this coffee can energise her then maybe...
"By Jupiter I got it!"
"I GOT IT!" Blathers yelled as he lifted the cage.
"Brother, who taught you how to make coffee?"
Blathers began blushing, as he walked away from the cage by the entrance of the bug exhibit "An old pigeon friend of mine in my university days. He studied Ancient Gyroidology, but had to get a part-time job, so he started a coffee business. Needless to say, he was very successful and taught me everything I know! I can probably get him to come here but it all depends on him."
"I also need help dealing with these foul insects, hoo hoo" he muttered to himself
"Thanks brother for teaching me the lesson. Sometimes the answer is right in front of you!"
"Lesson?"
Celeste stared at the island rep's sleepy house and sighed in defeat as she headed to the museum. The sky had a beautiful aurora stretching across the snowy winter landscape.
"Oh diurnals…" Celeste sighed in resignation
As an avid stargazing owl, she was used to being up all night while other animals went to sleep. However, the island rep has never once stayed up for the night when Celeste decides to see her big brother, Blathers. Blathie, which she secretly likes to call him, was in charge of the museum on the island. He also made really good coffee, surprisingly, that helps her get through the night.
Celeste glanced in her pocket and saw the orange DIY recipes all in neat, little stacks. What was the point in carrying all these DIY recipes? Maybe Tom Nook lied to her? Or... Maybe her brother would know what to do, but then again...maybe he wouldn't...
"Big brother, I'm here!" "...huh what are you doing?"
Blathie had on an explorer hat and was swatting the air with a net. He was sweating profusely and had that all-familiar look on his face of fear and disgust. Blathie and his entomophobia always caused problems in their childhood. Why he decided a bug exhibit would be good for his museum still amazed and amused Celeste to this day.
"Little sister!" "One of THEM, escaped!" screamed as Blathers was looking around restlessly.
"Oh no!" Celeste feigning concern, "Which one, the scorpion or the tarantula?"
"No! Its a musca domestica!" Blathers eyes dilating bigger and bigger
"In Animalese, brother"
"A FLY!!!" Blathers continuing swatting maniacally
"Oh no…" Again, it was almost like clockwork. Celeste started to feel tired for some reason. "I'm going to get a coffee"
Celeste grabbed the coffee pot on a table and poured into the pink Virgo cup next to the blue Libra cup. Why shouldn't she be surprised? Blathie was acting silly again, and of course, she was always the patient and reasonable one, well at least around insects. Blathie does make a very, VERY good coffee, though. Being positive always helped her in these sort of situations.
"Brother, I'm here because I have a REAL problem…"
"Real problem?! Any bug without a cage is a real problem! I don't mind when the octopus escapes each day but one these...filthy arthropods...I shudder at the thought"
"Brother...the island rep is asleep again. At this rate they'll never see a shooting star or an aurora in the winter sky. Auroras are so beautiful at this time of the year. I wish…"
Celeste suddenly felt a bit emotional, "I wish at least once, for all the animals to be awake and see an aurora together."
Celeste began feeling a little sad, "Your museum is open 24 hours a day, but I only come here when you say there are meteor showers and when you run out of fish in the freezer"
"Sister," Blathers stopping to catch a breath,
"You've always had your eyes to the sky. Maybe the solution is more obvious and closer than you think. For example, when you see a cockroach, you step on it! And then you wash and sanitise your talons for 2 straight hours"
"I don't understand...brother...the fly...its on your bowtie..."
"AHHHHHHHHH" Blathers fell to the ground and angrily got back up.
"NO! No, no, no, no, no!" Blathers screamed as he began swatting the air again.
Celeste sat down, sipped her coffee and stared at it. For someone so knowledgeable, sometimes her brother never makes any sense. Especially when it comes to insects.
"More obvious than I think? I wonder..."
"Right in front of me, eh, and I can't catch you?! These bugs are the death of me…ahhh" Blathers sighed as he missed again.
"In front of me..." Celeste again looked at her coffee. The coffee was a Blue Mountain blend of very high quality. Celeste knew that Blathie made really great coffee, but how?? How could he have made rich coffee that energised her every night? If this coffee can energise her then maybe...
"By Jupiter I got it!"
"I GOT IT!" Blathers yelled as he lifted the cage.
"Brother, who taught you how to make coffee?"
Blathers began blushing, as he walked away from the cage by the entrance of the bug exhibit "An old pigeon friend of mine in my university days. He studied Ancient Gyroidology, but had to get a part-time job, so he started a coffee business. Needless to say, he was very successful and taught me everything I know! I can probably get him to come here but it all depends on him."
"I also need help dealing with these foul insects, hoo hoo" he muttered to himself
"Thanks brother for teaching me the lesson. Sometimes the answer is right in front of you!"
"Lesson?"
Plainbluetees
Isometric Exercise!
Water Landing Birthday
“We’ll be making a water landing, but that’s OK because this is a seaplane.”
Wilbur thought he was good when it came to comedy. His routine catchphrase might get a bit boring at some times, but he always knew how to crack a joke about anything.
As Resident Rep. James disembarked the plane after a successful trading visit, Wilbur saluted him and ran off to take a quick break. Being a pilot was rewarding: seeing all the beautiful sights and travelling all over were some of Wilbur’s favorite things.
But the best thing about it all, the thing that kept Orville going, was his brother Orville.
Orville’s’s birthday was coming up, and Wilbur wanted to get something spectacular for him. He decided to browse the stores one night.
“Hello, Wilbur!” said Mable as the dodo strolled into the tailor’s shop. “Funny seeing you here! What are you looking for?”
As Wilbur looked around, he saw the perfect present almost immediately: a bronze pair of pilot’s glasses that Orville had been eyeing for months.
“How much for the glasses?”
“Oh, those are 460 bells,” said Mable.
“Whiskey Oscar whiskey! These will make a great present,” Wilbur thought out loud.
The next day, when Wilbur went into work, he saw Orville sitting at his desk, wearing the exact same glasses.
“Hey, Wilbur! Like my new glasses? I got them after you went out yesterday.”
Wilbur’s expression soured. With a price like 460 bells, of course Orville went and got himself a pair.
“I left you something on the desk in the back. I thought you might like it,” Orville mentions before going back on his computer.
To Wilbur’s surprise, he found another pair of the glasses with a handwritten note from Orville. Orville wrote that he found them on sale for a really good price and how we decided to get Wilbur a pair. It was signed with “What would dodos do?” and a smiley face on the bottom.
At that point, Wilbur knew what he had to do. He had to talk to Tom Nook.
The next day, on Orville’s birthday, Wilbur radioed him and asked him to come to the plaza.
“This is Whiskey India Lima Bravo Uniform Romeo, I need you at the plaza.”
“Oscar Romeo Victor India Lima Lima Echo, Roger! Leaving November Oscar Whiskey!”
“Hey, he stole my line,” Wilbur jokingly thought in his head.
When Orville was distracted last night, Wilbur went to talk to Tom Nook and James. They both agreed that Orville needed something special for his birthday. So, they asked K.K. Slider, Orville’s favorite singer to come out and perform. K.K. happily agreed and Wilbur gave him a plane ride, dropping K.K. off at the secret beach so nobody else noticed.
As soon as Orville got to the plaza, he was bombarded with confetti. Wilbur had worked with all the other residents to create an amazing birthday bash. Sydney had made a sweet-smelling coconut cake shaped like a seaplane, Zucker shared some tasty Japanese food and brought a card from the bugs on his floors, James gave him a wreath he had made himself, Antonio pledged to put him on his sponsor list for when we gets on Great Anteater Ninja Warrior, and Francine sewed him a fuzzy bomber jacket to keep warm. Orville was astonished and couldn’t believe everyone’s generosity!
After a bit of partying, Tom Nook got up on the steps of the Resident Services building with a microphone.
“Hello, thank you all for coming! Guava Bay is developing wonderfully, but we wouldn’t have gotten as far as we did without our two pilots. To celebrate Orville’s birthday, we’d like to do something very special. Please welcome the very own K.K. Slider!”
Orville’s jaw dropped so much that it must have hit the ground. Wilbur had gotten his favorite singer to perform! He couldn’t believe what was happening!
K.K. walked up to the stage and began to perform K.K. Birthday, followed by Orville’s favorite, Drivin’. Everyone sang along, and Orville could have never felt so good in his life. This was the best birthday present ever!
At the end of the day, after the festivities, Orville walked up to his brother in the airport and embraced him in a hug.
“You are the best brother I could have ever asked for.”
I realize that this is very far from the word limit. I really wanted to write more, but I've been stressed from school and I've had multiple big assignments recently. If you've gotten this far I want to thank you for reading my story, even if it's a short one.
corlee1289
Senior Member
It wasn’t that long ago that I was invited to an island named Ceresia by a person named Corrine. She looked a little funny and didn’t seem to be like any of the other villagers I have met before. But she told me that she was a hoo-man… I’ve never seen one before. She was busy running around digging up flowers and catching fish around the campfire I had made.
“Come visit and stay at Ceresia!” she exclaimed! “The native fruit is cherries, which is why the name of the island is called Ceresia! You’ll love it there! It’s a little run down at the moment, but I’m doing my best to make it comfortable and a place to come and relax.”
It took me a bit of time to settle into her island and she had assured me that she was doing the best she could to make me comfortable. Wouldn’t you know it! That’s what she did! She put me near a waterfall and I met other villagers that I got along very well with on our little quaint island.
Corrine started to come to see me every day to see how I was once I started exploring the island, bawwww. Isn’t that nice of her? She always made a habit of greeting whenever she saw me before she zoomed past me… Once, I even saw her bury some bells in the ground with her shovel! How crazy is that? Who has that many bells to spare to put in the ground? Such a strange hoo-man, indeed.
Eventually, when she and I got friendlier, she started gifting me fruit every day! Isn’t that nice of her? I could never seem to reach any of the fruits on the trees scattered on our island. I’m not sure how she managed to reach so high up in the tree. But she never gave me the same fruit in a row. One time, she gave me something called a co-co-nut. It was really hard to eat.
Corrine gave me so many fruits to eat, that I decided to give her the nickname of Chef! Get it? Because she gave me so many fruits to eat! She even gave me a fruit wreath which I went to hang outside on my door! She also gave me a fruit infused-water dispenser for me to put in my house to help give it some color. Such a thoughtful friend she is that chef!
One time, when I was cleaning my room, I found some artsy stuff that made my brain hurt when I stared at it too long. I thought maybe Chef would be interested in it and I decided to give that to her. I heard Blathers say that Chef was doing her best to fill the art section in our museum.
Another time, I was looking for a piece of candy that I dropped under my bed and thought I had found it. But when I went to bite down on it, it was almost as hard as a rock! That wasn’t fun at all and it hurt my teeth. I remember Blathers said Chef had donated some big rocks that were called dino-zars. That’s a funny word to say. Dino-zars. I thought maybe perhaps Chef would like to have some more rock stuff. But if it ended up being really hard toffee instead, I kindly asked her to bring it back to me.
I’m not sure how long I’ll stay here in Ceresia before I head off and continue on with my grand adventure called life. So, I thought I would give Chef a picture of myself for her to put on display to remind her of our everlasting friendship. So that even when she isn’t able to see me every day, she can see my photo and think of me. Just like how I think of her every time I see the fruit infused-water dispenser in my house or when I see the fruit wreath hanging on my door when I go home for the day.
“Forty winks is never enough.” - Sherb
*According to the word count, I'm at 682 words :3
“Come visit and stay at Ceresia!” she exclaimed! “The native fruit is cherries, which is why the name of the island is called Ceresia! You’ll love it there! It’s a little run down at the moment, but I’m doing my best to make it comfortable and a place to come and relax.”
It took me a bit of time to settle into her island and she had assured me that she was doing the best she could to make me comfortable. Wouldn’t you know it! That’s what she did! She put me near a waterfall and I met other villagers that I got along very well with on our little quaint island.
Corrine started to come to see me every day to see how I was once I started exploring the island, bawwww. Isn’t that nice of her? She always made a habit of greeting whenever she saw me before she zoomed past me… Once, I even saw her bury some bells in the ground with her shovel! How crazy is that? Who has that many bells to spare to put in the ground? Such a strange hoo-man, indeed.
Eventually, when she and I got friendlier, she started gifting me fruit every day! Isn’t that nice of her? I could never seem to reach any of the fruits on the trees scattered on our island. I’m not sure how she managed to reach so high up in the tree. But she never gave me the same fruit in a row. One time, she gave me something called a co-co-nut. It was really hard to eat.
Corrine gave me so many fruits to eat, that I decided to give her the nickname of Chef! Get it? Because she gave me so many fruits to eat! She even gave me a fruit wreath which I went to hang outside on my door! She also gave me a fruit infused-water dispenser for me to put in my house to help give it some color. Such a thoughtful friend she is that chef!
One time, when I was cleaning my room, I found some artsy stuff that made my brain hurt when I stared at it too long. I thought maybe Chef would be interested in it and I decided to give that to her. I heard Blathers say that Chef was doing her best to fill the art section in our museum.
Another time, I was looking for a piece of candy that I dropped under my bed and thought I had found it. But when I went to bite down on it, it was almost as hard as a rock! That wasn’t fun at all and it hurt my teeth. I remember Blathers said Chef had donated some big rocks that were called dino-zars. That’s a funny word to say. Dino-zars. I thought maybe perhaps Chef would like to have some more rock stuff. But if it ended up being really hard toffee instead, I kindly asked her to bring it back to me.
I’m not sure how long I’ll stay here in Ceresia before I head off and continue on with my grand adventure called life. So, I thought I would give Chef a picture of myself for her to put on display to remind her of our everlasting friendship. So that even when she isn’t able to see me every day, she can see my photo and think of me. Just like how I think of her every time I see the fruit infused-water dispenser in my house or when I see the fruit wreath hanging on my door when I go home for the day.
“Forty winks is never enough.” - Sherb
*According to the word count, I'm at 682 words :3
Bear-Shaped Clouds
The sun and clouds had an agreement today, allowing the sky equal parts sunshine and shade. Inside a snow-caked cottage, a warm and fluffy teddy bear is facing an identity crisis. Stone gray in color, Orion bears a striking resemblance to...no one. One of his arms is partially torn, with stuffing peaking out. One of his eyes is a black button, while the other...is missing. Suffice to say, Orion is not like most bears. Or even most teddy bears, for that matter. "Deformed. Not a real teddy bear", the other bears would say. "You have none of the cuddly qualities a child looks for in a teddy bear. You're terrifying. Who would want to play with you?" they pointed out. Orion pushes the thoughts away. The weather was nice today, so he decides to go for a walk.
Outside, the bench Orion usually passes by is occupied by a duck. The duck has a doctor's coat on, and appears to be drinking hot cocoa. "Oh hello...! I don't believe I've seen you here before. What's your name?" Orion asks. He was never one to initiate a conversation, so Orion felt briefly at odds with himself. "You wound me, Orion. My plumage might have changed slightly due to the cold weather, but I'm still the same duck you rescued last week!" the duck replied. Ah, right! How could Orion forget Meru? She had just arrived in town, struggling to navigate the campsite, when a delivery truck came careening into the sidewalk. Orion had jumped into the scene to shield her. In doing so, he tore another stitch from his arm. Meru had expressed her gratitude, determined to pay him back in the future. They parted ways, and that was that. "Oh, hello Meru! How are you feeling? Have you settled into your new home?" asked Orion. "I have indeed! Besides the heavy snow, this place is quite lovely. The townsfolk are all very friendly as well!" Meru beamed. Orion's paws began feeling clammy, and he felt his anxiety returning, so he cut the conversation short and headed home.
The sun is shy today, hidden behind an array of clouds. Orion hated cloudy weather. Inside the cottage, he snuggles under a blanket with a mug of marshmallow-topped cocoa. Eventually, he gets up and heads out to check his mail. Inside the mailbox, he notices a letter from Meru. Hurrying back inside, Orion begins to read the letter.
"Dear Orion,
Being a duck, and being a doctor, I hear interesting remarks about myself all the time. There have many instances where a patient will question my abilities and ask "Why is a duck a doctor? Are you even a real doctor? I bet you're just a quack. Ducks can't be doctors." You probably don't know why I'm saying this. My point is, stick up for yourself! Some people only believe what they want to believe. They think there's a set way for certain people to live and that no other way exists. Those type of people never last long. They're just scared of what will happen when they go against their ideals. You, my friend, should not limit yourself to the role of being a cute toy or used as decoration on a dusty shelf. You shouldn't let another teddy bear tell you how to live your life. That's for you to decide. In case you're confused, I...might have overheard some other bears gossiping about you at a cafe. Don't worry though, I definitely taught them a lesson with my beak. When you're feeling better, maybe we can do something together? Perhaps you have a dream or goal in mind you'd like to discuss? Or maybe you can teach me how to get better at writing letters? I know that’s definitely a goal of mine. I'd be surprised if you managed to read this in its entirety without falling asleep.
Take care,
Meru”
For the first time in his life, Orion felt a surge of courage.
-1 month later-
The snow is gone, and the clouds have taken over today, rain thudding heavily along the roof. Inside the dark cottage, the occasional boom of thunder scares a sodden and shivering teddy bear. But make no mistake; this bear is quite ecstatic. By the fireplace, Orion recounts his exchanges with Meru. They had become the best of friends ever since Orion gathered the courage to open up, and they did fun activities with each other often. Orion is thankful for that letter everyday. He may not have the cuddly qualities of a traditional teddy bear, but he was special all the same. At some point during the last few weeks, Orion decided he would find out where his passion lies. For now, he would focus on drying his fur. On the TV, the weather forecast for the week is displayed, indicating that tomorrow will be cloudy. Orion loved cloudy weather.
i am rich in fatigue but poor in brain cells 
corlee1289
Senior Member
Please let me win that Aurora egg. It’s literally the last collectible I need. *crosses fingers*
sleepydreepy
legendary egg
A Snowy Surprise
Flora’s eyes fluttered open. She saw sun peaking through the corners of her window curtains. She sat up and stretched her arms over her head. Another beautiful day on the tropical island of Maui! Though there was a slight cool breeze in the air... Flora reached for her robe as she planned out her day. Ever since she took up a directing job at the island’s luau and dance center, her life had been very hectic, especially since she was preparing for a special upcoming performance outside on the beach. Maui was gaining more and more attraction for its luau shows, and there was a rumor going around that the famous K.K. Slider, Flora’s idol, had bought a plane ticket to Maui so he could attend one of these shows himself. Flora decided to put on a special luau show in hopes that K.K. would come and see her work.
She looked at the long to do list on her bulletin board and sighed. She had been putting off setting up the outdoor venue because of the weather. The decorations she wanted to use were not weather proof, and Maui had been getting a lot of rain recently. PING! Flora took out her Nookphone and gasped excitedly- her package was delivered! Two nights ago she was up late and impulsively ordered a giant bad of seaweed chips and dip for herself. It was her favorite snack growing up and reminded her of lazy summer days at the beach. Flora flew to her front door and was about to step outside, when she froze mid step. Her jaw dropped to the floor as she stared at her front yard. Snow!! Where there was once deep green grass there was now a blanket of glittering white snow! She didn’t know what to do except stare at the winter wonderland in front of her. Her neighbor, Snake, walked by and waved.
“Hey Flora!” he shouted, “Can you believe it? A freak snow storm hit Maui!”
“No I can’t believe it!” laughed Flora nervously as she shivered.
“Chester and I are going sledding,” said Snake, jogging in place to say warm, “Would you like to join us?”
“Hm, maybe later,” said Flora, “I have a few things to do first."
She stepped back inside and closed the door. The truth was, she didn’t know what she was going to do now. She had experienced snow once before and absolutely hated the feeling of being cold and wet. Decorating the beach for the luau show was definitely off the table. How was she going to complete her mountain of a to do list now? She flopped on her couch feeling defeated. She turned on the TV just in time to see the end of Isabelle’s morning announcements.
“…and even if you don’t want to roll in the snow all day, there is still lots to do indoors," Isabelle said with a dreamy look on her face. "Drinking hot coco, making paper snowflakes, baking cookies, and cuddling on the couch with friends are some of my favorite snow day activities! Sometimes it's nice to take a break, even if you don’t want to. This is Isabelle signing off, have a great Thursday everyone!"
Flora tilted her head. Maybe Isabelle was right, snow didn’t have to be such a bad thing. She glanced back at her front door where her package was still waiting for her on the front steps. She had been working pretty hard lately, and was under a lot of pressure to make this luau show extra special. Maybe this was Maui’s way of forcing her to take a break. Her mind wandered to her friends… Suddenly she sat up as she remembered something someone had told her. Ankha!! Ankha hated the snow too!! She whipped out her Nookphone and dialed Ankha’s number.
“…..hello?” said a sleepy voice.
“Ankha!” Flora practically screamed in excitement, “Guess what!! ItsnowedtodayandIwaswonderingifyouwantedtotakeadayoffwithmeandIwasthinkingwecoulddosomethingfunlikeeatchipsonthecouchohandpaintournailsandwecoulddoaspadaytooorsomethingandwatchourfavoriteshowsormoviesandnotdoanyworkatallandyoucouldinviteotherfriendsifyouwantedand-"
“Woah, woah, woah, slow down,” Ankha said as she took off her sleeping mask and sat up in bed, “Wait, IT SNOWED?!”
“YES!” screeched Flora, “Isn’t it great!!”
What started out as a cold and dreary snow day turned into one of Flora's happiest and warmest memories yet. She and Ankha spent the entire day indoors pampering themselves and having fun. Flora took a much needed break, and returned to work the next day feeling refreshed. Sometimes the most unexpected moments create the greatest memories.
- by sleepydreepy
Flora’s eyes fluttered open. She saw sun peaking through the corners of her window curtains. She sat up and stretched her arms over her head. Another beautiful day on the tropical island of Maui! Though there was a slight cool breeze in the air... Flora reached for her robe as she planned out her day. Ever since she took up a directing job at the island’s luau and dance center, her life had been very hectic, especially since she was preparing for a special upcoming performance outside on the beach. Maui was gaining more and more attraction for its luau shows, and there was a rumor going around that the famous K.K. Slider, Flora’s idol, had bought a plane ticket to Maui so he could attend one of these shows himself. Flora decided to put on a special luau show in hopes that K.K. would come and see her work.
She looked at the long to do list on her bulletin board and sighed. She had been putting off setting up the outdoor venue because of the weather. The decorations she wanted to use were not weather proof, and Maui had been getting a lot of rain recently. PING! Flora took out her Nookphone and gasped excitedly- her package was delivered! Two nights ago she was up late and impulsively ordered a giant bad of seaweed chips and dip for herself. It was her favorite snack growing up and reminded her of lazy summer days at the beach. Flora flew to her front door and was about to step outside, when she froze mid step. Her jaw dropped to the floor as she stared at her front yard. Snow!! Where there was once deep green grass there was now a blanket of glittering white snow! She didn’t know what to do except stare at the winter wonderland in front of her. Her neighbor, Snake, walked by and waved.
“Hey Flora!” he shouted, “Can you believe it? A freak snow storm hit Maui!”
“No I can’t believe it!” laughed Flora nervously as she shivered.
“Chester and I are going sledding,” said Snake, jogging in place to say warm, “Would you like to join us?”
“Hm, maybe later,” said Flora, “I have a few things to do first."
She stepped back inside and closed the door. The truth was, she didn’t know what she was going to do now. She had experienced snow once before and absolutely hated the feeling of being cold and wet. Decorating the beach for the luau show was definitely off the table. How was she going to complete her mountain of a to do list now? She flopped on her couch feeling defeated. She turned on the TV just in time to see the end of Isabelle’s morning announcements.
“…and even if you don’t want to roll in the snow all day, there is still lots to do indoors," Isabelle said with a dreamy look on her face. "Drinking hot coco, making paper snowflakes, baking cookies, and cuddling on the couch with friends are some of my favorite snow day activities! Sometimes it's nice to take a break, even if you don’t want to. This is Isabelle signing off, have a great Thursday everyone!"
Flora tilted her head. Maybe Isabelle was right, snow didn’t have to be such a bad thing. She glanced back at her front door where her package was still waiting for her on the front steps. She had been working pretty hard lately, and was under a lot of pressure to make this luau show extra special. Maybe this was Maui’s way of forcing her to take a break. Her mind wandered to her friends… Suddenly she sat up as she remembered something someone had told her. Ankha!! Ankha hated the snow too!! She whipped out her Nookphone and dialed Ankha’s number.
“…..hello?” said a sleepy voice.
“Ankha!” Flora practically screamed in excitement, “Guess what!! ItsnowedtodayandIwaswonderingifyouwantedtotakeadayoffwithmeandIwasthinkingwecoulddosomethingfunlikeeatchipsonthecouchohandpaintournailsandwecoulddoaspadaytooorsomethingandwatchourfavoriteshowsormoviesandnotdoanyworkatallandyoucouldinviteotherfriendsifyouwantedand-"
“Woah, woah, woah, slow down,” Ankha said as she took off her sleeping mask and sat up in bed, “Wait, IT SNOWED?!”
“YES!” screeched Flora, “Isn’t it great!!”
What started out as a cold and dreary snow day turned into one of Flora's happiest and warmest memories yet. She and Ankha spent the entire day indoors pampering themselves and having fun. Flora took a much needed break, and returned to work the next day feeling refreshed. Sometimes the most unexpected moments create the greatest memories.
- by sleepydreepy
Last edited:
My fingers are crossed so hard for you and @Peach_Jam , you guys have been looking for way too long. And I'm sure those who win one and have no use for it will keep you in mind.
Last edited:
daringred_
✧ stupid lesbian ✧
writing fluffy slow burn content for unknown characters probably wasn't the smartest move to make here, but oh well.
introducing: two detectives that are hopelessly in love with each other but both think it's unrequited because they're dumb.
introducing: two detectives that are hopelessly in love with each other but both think it's unrequited because they're dumb.
No sooner had she stepped through the door than she was enveloped in a pleasant warmth, and it was quick to chase away a cold she hadn't even noticed until then. Lisa shivered slightly at the feeling, nudging the door shut with the toe of her boot. “Did you really leave the heating on again?” she said, a teasing edge to her voice as she paused at the base of the stairs to briefly offload the weight of the shopping bags she’d carried in.
“Maybe,” Claire answered, easing her coat off. She left it on almost permanently during winter, averse to the cold as she was, and had no intention of breaking the habit any time soon. Lisa rolled her eyes, unraveling her scarf -- or, rather, Claire’s scarf, forced upon her when she’d arrived in only her usual leather jacket.
“Your bill’s going to be through the roof, y’know,” she warned, recollecting the bags at her feet as she nudged her shoes out of the way beneath the stairs. It was stupid, but she almost felt naked without them on.
Claire shrugged, turning to her with a bright smile. “Totally worth it for a warm house,” she countered, grateful that she could afford it. Coming home to the cold didn’t sound the least bit appealing. Lisa shook her head fondly, unsurprised by the answer. Claire liked being warm almost as much as she liked sleeping.
“Right, where do you want these?” she asked, pointedly lifting the bags slightly.
“Front room,” Claire said, gesturing to the doorway on the right as she stepped around her to reach the stairs. “Just let me grab the wrapping stuff, and I’ll be right with you.” Lisa watched her disappear from view, taking the steps two at a time, before turning away. She wasn’t sure where exactly Claire wanted her but decided the center of the room was as good a place as any, and she kneeled down to carefully set the bags on the rug in front of the sofa.
Once she was without purpose, however, she immediately felt out of place instead. She curled her fingers against her legs, awkwardly surveying the room in silence and admiring the Christmas tree in the corner while she waited. She was relieved when Claire reappeared less than a minute later, now laden down by a bag half her own size, and quirked an eyebrow as she approached.
“You sure you’ve got enough there?” she joked, resisting the urge to reach out and help her as she slowly lowered herself to the ground.
“Hey, it’s better to be over-prepared than under-prepared,” Claire argued, setting the bag down nearby with a faint sigh. Especially given that she never knew just how many presents she was going to buy everyone when the holidays inevitably rolled around. "Right.” She clapped her hands together before reaching over to retrieve a long tube of snowflake-patterned wrapping paper. “I’ll wrap, you tape?”
Lisa nodded in agreement, wordlessly taking the tape machine when it was passed to her a moment later, and they quickly lapsed into a comfortable silence, opting to focus more on the task at hand as they began tackling the myriad of presents. Much like always, they worked together seamlessly, following an ever familiar rhythm that came naturally to only the two of them. As suggested, Claire wrapped, humming quietly to herself as her fingers made gentle folds with the paper, and Lisa taped, securing them in place without ever missing a beat or needing to be asked.
In one unbroken stretch, they wrapped Abby’s new softball bat and Tyler’s box of mint condition comic books, Chris’s fancy (albeit needlessly expensive) bottle of red wine and Morgan’s set of fountain pens. Claire was just cutting the exact amount of paper needed for Pixie’s unicorn figurine when Lisa finally broke the silence.
“So where are my presents?” she said, already knowing there was nothing for her waiting to be wrapped. Not that she’d expected there to be. Claire never would’ve invited her to go Christmas shopping if she’d intended to buy her anything. Whether or not that meant she already had was a different story. Claire smiled slightly.
“Nowhere you’ll find,” she told her, carefully setting the figurine’s box dead center on the square of paper at her knees.
“Who says i’m going to look?” Lisa countered, hand resting patiently on the tape machine.
“I’m sure you won’t,” Claire said as she pulled the wrapping paper neatly across the top of the box, hiding it from view. She barely had to hold it in place for a second, however, before Lisa secured it with a length of tape. “That’s more Tyler’s thing. It’s why I don’t let him over during the month before Christmas anymore.”
The corners of Lisa’s mouth twitched slightly in amusement. “You learn the hard way?” she asked, watching as Claire’s lithe fingers effortlessly folded in the leftover wrapping paper. Tyler could be a nightmare during Christmas, and if he knew someone had bought him a present, he wouldn’t hesitate to try and find out what it was. Fortunately, he at least had the restraint not to open anything early.
“Yeah, but he never found anything,” Claire revealed, moving her finger out of the way just in time for it to be replaced by another strip of tape. “My present-hiding skills are unrivaled.” Not that she’d left him alone long enough to do any significant snooping anyway.
“The same could be said of your wrapping skills,” Lisa pointed out, resting her hands idly in her lap as Claire methodically stuck both a label, and then a bow, on the middle of the gift. She sighed, unable to help feeling somewhat in the way, and wondered if Claire would finish faster on her own. “Do you really need my help with this?”
“No,” Claire admitted, reaching for the pen at her side, “but I want it. Anyway, what about you?” She paused, glancing up from writing Pixie’s name on the label in perfect cursive to offer Lisa a playful smile. “Have you bought me a present yet?”
Lisa shrugged, impassive as ever and giving nothing away. “Maybe. Maybe not.”
Claire pouted slightly. “Spoilsport,” she said, ending her message with a simple x before capping her pen and sitting upright again. “Still, if you haven’t-” She lifted the newly wrapped present and placed it carefully in the bag with all the others. “-I know what you can get.” She turned back to Lisa with a fresh bow in hand, peeling off the back of it to reveal the sticky surface beneath.
Lisa quirked an eyebrow, watching her curiously. “Oh yeah?” She didn’t know what sort of response she was expecting, really, but it certainly wasn’t the one she got, and she recoiled instinctively when Claire leaned forward and planted the bow she was holding on Lisa’s forehead. It took a moment for her to realize what had happened, and she briefly looked up, barely able to see the purple bow where it sat just beyond her line of sight, before her gaze flickered back to Claire, struggling to suppress her amusement. Lisa narrowed her eyes slightly, but the faint curve of her lips gave her away. “Now what? Gonna wrap me up too?”
“Don’t tempt me,” Claire warned, leaning forward to remove the bow from Lisa’s forehead -- they still had several gifts to wrap, and she wouldn’t be able to focus if it stayed there. She was surprised when Lisa grabbed her wrist before she could take it, stopping her hand in mid-air. “What’re you-?”
“I thought you were against unwrapping presents before Christmas,” Lisa said, a mischievous glint in her eyes.
“You’re not wrapped!” Claire exclaimed, rising up on her knees and reaching forward with her other hand. Lisa immediately grabbed that one too, smirking in triumph when Claire scowled at her.
“Specifics,” she said with a light shrug, leaning back right as Claire leaned forward, pushing against her grip in a vain attempt to reach the bow -- Lisa held her at bay with ease, both the unstoppable force and immovable object.
“Semantics,” Claire corrected, stubbornly leaning even further forward when her current efforts produced no results. It was a bad move, however, and she quickly lost her balance. If she hadn’t been leaning in the opposite direction, Lisa would’ve been able to hold her steady. Instead, she was knocked back when Claire inevitably collided with her a second later, and they both unceremoniously hit the ground together.
Lisa recovered no sooner than she tensed, all too aware of Claire’s body resting directly on top of her own. The room was suddenly filled with such a deathly silence that she could’ve heard a pin drop, and she barely dared to breathe when Claire lifted her head, face framed by her dark red hair. Lisa swallowed thickly. They were close, too close, lips within dangerous inches of each other, and she could feel Claire’s breath hot against her mouth in a second that seemed to stretch on for an eternity. For a fleeting moment, Lisa wondered if there would ever be a better time to kiss her, but the opportunity passed her by in a heartbeat when Claire abruptly pulled back, finally convincing herself to move.
“We should take a break,” she breathed, throat dry. She looked for an excuse to leave and ran with the first idea that came to her. “I’ll get you a drink!” She summoned a faint smile, shakily getting to her feet, and almost tripped over Lisa’s leg in her haste to leave the room. Lisa watched her go in silence, propped up on her elbows and left to wonder whether or not kissing her really would’ve been the worst outcome in the world.
“Maybe,” Claire answered, easing her coat off. She left it on almost permanently during winter, averse to the cold as she was, and had no intention of breaking the habit any time soon. Lisa rolled her eyes, unraveling her scarf -- or, rather, Claire’s scarf, forced upon her when she’d arrived in only her usual leather jacket.
“Your bill’s going to be through the roof, y’know,” she warned, recollecting the bags at her feet as she nudged her shoes out of the way beneath the stairs. It was stupid, but she almost felt naked without them on.
Claire shrugged, turning to her with a bright smile. “Totally worth it for a warm house,” she countered, grateful that she could afford it. Coming home to the cold didn’t sound the least bit appealing. Lisa shook her head fondly, unsurprised by the answer. Claire liked being warm almost as much as she liked sleeping.
“Right, where do you want these?” she asked, pointedly lifting the bags slightly.
“Front room,” Claire said, gesturing to the doorway on the right as she stepped around her to reach the stairs. “Just let me grab the wrapping stuff, and I’ll be right with you.” Lisa watched her disappear from view, taking the steps two at a time, before turning away. She wasn’t sure where exactly Claire wanted her but decided the center of the room was as good a place as any, and she kneeled down to carefully set the bags on the rug in front of the sofa.
Once she was without purpose, however, she immediately felt out of place instead. She curled her fingers against her legs, awkwardly surveying the room in silence and admiring the Christmas tree in the corner while she waited. She was relieved when Claire reappeared less than a minute later, now laden down by a bag half her own size, and quirked an eyebrow as she approached.
“You sure you’ve got enough there?” she joked, resisting the urge to reach out and help her as she slowly lowered herself to the ground.
“Hey, it’s better to be over-prepared than under-prepared,” Claire argued, setting the bag down nearby with a faint sigh. Especially given that she never knew just how many presents she was going to buy everyone when the holidays inevitably rolled around. "Right.” She clapped her hands together before reaching over to retrieve a long tube of snowflake-patterned wrapping paper. “I’ll wrap, you tape?”
Lisa nodded in agreement, wordlessly taking the tape machine when it was passed to her a moment later, and they quickly lapsed into a comfortable silence, opting to focus more on the task at hand as they began tackling the myriad of presents. Much like always, they worked together seamlessly, following an ever familiar rhythm that came naturally to only the two of them. As suggested, Claire wrapped, humming quietly to herself as her fingers made gentle folds with the paper, and Lisa taped, securing them in place without ever missing a beat or needing to be asked.
In one unbroken stretch, they wrapped Abby’s new softball bat and Tyler’s box of mint condition comic books, Chris’s fancy (albeit needlessly expensive) bottle of red wine and Morgan’s set of fountain pens. Claire was just cutting the exact amount of paper needed for Pixie’s unicorn figurine when Lisa finally broke the silence.
“So where are my presents?” she said, already knowing there was nothing for her waiting to be wrapped. Not that she’d expected there to be. Claire never would’ve invited her to go Christmas shopping if she’d intended to buy her anything. Whether or not that meant she already had was a different story. Claire smiled slightly.
“Nowhere you’ll find,” she told her, carefully setting the figurine’s box dead center on the square of paper at her knees.
“Who says i’m going to look?” Lisa countered, hand resting patiently on the tape machine.
“I’m sure you won’t,” Claire said as she pulled the wrapping paper neatly across the top of the box, hiding it from view. She barely had to hold it in place for a second, however, before Lisa secured it with a length of tape. “That’s more Tyler’s thing. It’s why I don’t let him over during the month before Christmas anymore.”
The corners of Lisa’s mouth twitched slightly in amusement. “You learn the hard way?” she asked, watching as Claire’s lithe fingers effortlessly folded in the leftover wrapping paper. Tyler could be a nightmare during Christmas, and if he knew someone had bought him a present, he wouldn’t hesitate to try and find out what it was. Fortunately, he at least had the restraint not to open anything early.
“Yeah, but he never found anything,” Claire revealed, moving her finger out of the way just in time for it to be replaced by another strip of tape. “My present-hiding skills are unrivaled.” Not that she’d left him alone long enough to do any significant snooping anyway.
“The same could be said of your wrapping skills,” Lisa pointed out, resting her hands idly in her lap as Claire methodically stuck both a label, and then a bow, on the middle of the gift. She sighed, unable to help feeling somewhat in the way, and wondered if Claire would finish faster on her own. “Do you really need my help with this?”
“No,” Claire admitted, reaching for the pen at her side, “but I want it. Anyway, what about you?” She paused, glancing up from writing Pixie’s name on the label in perfect cursive to offer Lisa a playful smile. “Have you bought me a present yet?”
Lisa shrugged, impassive as ever and giving nothing away. “Maybe. Maybe not.”
Claire pouted slightly. “Spoilsport,” she said, ending her message with a simple x before capping her pen and sitting upright again. “Still, if you haven’t-” She lifted the newly wrapped present and placed it carefully in the bag with all the others. “-I know what you can get.” She turned back to Lisa with a fresh bow in hand, peeling off the back of it to reveal the sticky surface beneath.
Lisa quirked an eyebrow, watching her curiously. “Oh yeah?” She didn’t know what sort of response she was expecting, really, but it certainly wasn’t the one she got, and she recoiled instinctively when Claire leaned forward and planted the bow she was holding on Lisa’s forehead. It took a moment for her to realize what had happened, and she briefly looked up, barely able to see the purple bow where it sat just beyond her line of sight, before her gaze flickered back to Claire, struggling to suppress her amusement. Lisa narrowed her eyes slightly, but the faint curve of her lips gave her away. “Now what? Gonna wrap me up too?”
“Don’t tempt me,” Claire warned, leaning forward to remove the bow from Lisa’s forehead -- they still had several gifts to wrap, and she wouldn’t be able to focus if it stayed there. She was surprised when Lisa grabbed her wrist before she could take it, stopping her hand in mid-air. “What’re you-?”
“I thought you were against unwrapping presents before Christmas,” Lisa said, a mischievous glint in her eyes.
“You’re not wrapped!” Claire exclaimed, rising up on her knees and reaching forward with her other hand. Lisa immediately grabbed that one too, smirking in triumph when Claire scowled at her.
“Specifics,” she said with a light shrug, leaning back right as Claire leaned forward, pushing against her grip in a vain attempt to reach the bow -- Lisa held her at bay with ease, both the unstoppable force and immovable object.
“Semantics,” Claire corrected, stubbornly leaning even further forward when her current efforts produced no results. It was a bad move, however, and she quickly lost her balance. If she hadn’t been leaning in the opposite direction, Lisa would’ve been able to hold her steady. Instead, she was knocked back when Claire inevitably collided with her a second later, and they both unceremoniously hit the ground together.
Lisa recovered no sooner than she tensed, all too aware of Claire’s body resting directly on top of her own. The room was suddenly filled with such a deathly silence that she could’ve heard a pin drop, and she barely dared to breathe when Claire lifted her head, face framed by her dark red hair. Lisa swallowed thickly. They were close, too close, lips within dangerous inches of each other, and she could feel Claire’s breath hot against her mouth in a second that seemed to stretch on for an eternity. For a fleeting moment, Lisa wondered if there would ever be a better time to kiss her, but the opportunity passed her by in a heartbeat when Claire abruptly pulled back, finally convincing herself to move.
“We should take a break,” she breathed, throat dry. She looked for an excuse to leave and ran with the first idea that came to her. “I’ll get you a drink!” She summoned a faint smile, shakily getting to her feet, and almost tripped over Lisa’s leg in her haste to leave the room. Lisa watched her go in silence, propped up on her elbows and left to wonder whether or not kissing her really would’ve been the worst outcome in the world.
tessa grace
yeehaw
Are we allowed to reference other shows and media? I want to talk about my town tune but its the theme from naruto- am I allowed to say its from another tv show? Thanks!
Miss Misty
Senior Member
The Crime of the Season
"If we can pull this off, we'll be, like, the kings of the island. You know that, right? No one else has even come close."
"We can do this. We were born ready."
"He never leaves Resident Services, though. At least, I've never seen him leave. And I've been paying super close attention."
"He has to leave eventually. And when he does, we'll be ready."
- - -
Sunday morning started off like any other. Daisy Mae strolled around the island, leaving little footprints in the snow. For once, the dribble of snot hanging out of her nose didn't seem out of place. Around noon, as usual, she departed.
The residents continued milling about, their steps packing the snow in as more flurries fell about, swirling in the gusts of wind that seemed to blow into the island from all sides. Balls of snow that grew steadily larger rolled around, seemingly under their own power, secretly pushed by the dung beetles that infested the island during its winter months. Sundays were lazy days around the island, and yet the lights in Resident Services stayed on, should any resident need assistance at any time.
The flurries of the morning later transitioned to a full-blown snowstorm that darkened the sky. Most of the residents retreated to their homes for hot mugs of cocoa and a cozy fireplace to curl up next to.
Two residents, however, eyed each other and nodded. Their fur was a natural camouflage in the snow; they could locate each other only because they knew where to look. Warmth and coziness were not for them, not this night. Not until they had their prize.
Still, the lights in Resident Services stayed on.
Minutes ticked by into hours as the gray snow clouds gave way to a darkened night sky after the sun sank below the horizon. There!
The door to Resident Services opened.
It was Isabelle. They knew it would be Isabelle. They remained hidden, not giving away their positions. Isabelle never bothered to hide her comings and goings. She always left first and arrived second. "Goodnight, Tom!" she called into the building. "I'll see you tomorrow, bright and early."
"Bright and early! Yes, yes." Tom Nook's voice could be heard in reply.
The tinkling bells indicated that Isabelle shut the door behind her and began trudging off in the snow back to her home.
Any minute now.
"Oof!"
"Arrrghh!"
The lights in Resident Services clicked off. Tom Nook carefully locked the building behind himself as he set off on his way to the home he shared with Timmy and Tommy. On his way out, he noticed two curious lumps of snow, each laying on top of an animal with white fur. One had blue toe beans, the other pink.
- - -
Monday morning rolled around and Kicks was off the plane in bright and early. He noticed that a new sign had been hung up in the window to Resident Services:
Tom Nook
Snowball Wars Champion
Twentieth Year Running
Snowball Wars Champion
Twentieth Year Running
Tom Nook strolled up to Resident Services past where Kicks was busy setting up his display. If Nook noticed the sign in the window he gave no indication. Kicks barely glanced up as Tom Nook passed by.
"Morning, Tom."
"Morning, Kicks."
Kicks finally looked up from his display. Tom Nook had unlocked the door to Resident Services and was paused outside for their conversation. "Who was it this year?" the skunk asked with a flick of his tail.
"Rolf and Bianca."
"Wow. Natural camouflage and everything. If anyone was going to get the better of you, I'd have thought it'd be them," Kicks replied, impressed at Tom Nook's skill.
"They certainly came the closest. But it takes more than camouflage to beat the master." And Tom Nook smiled a little smile, meant only for himself, as he shut the door to Resident Services.
OswinOswald
Senior Member
As the first rays of light fell upon Kaitlin's eyes, she fought to hold onto the tail end of another cozy dream. But the ephemeral wisps of that overnight reality scuttled into the remaining dark corners of her consciousness as the bright morning sunshine crowded the room. Sighing, Kaitlin let her eyelids flutter open. With a sharp intake of crisp frigid air, she realized winter had finally come. Turning her gaze outside the window, she saw a world frosted in a soft inviting blanket of snow. 'Now where was Katie?', she thought to herself. This would be Katie's first winter and she couldn't wait to show her a fresh snowfall.
Kaitlin yawned, extending her arms far above her in a satisfying stretch as she began to move her muscles for the day. She rolled off her bed and rubbed the sleep out of her eyes, scanning the room for Katie. Katie had to be around somewhere, but Kaitlin had been so exhausted prior to going to bed and just couldn't remember where she had left her last night!
"Katie?" she called out carefully into the room, her hoarse morning growl slowly reverberating in the air. Clearing her throat, she called again, slightly louder, "Katie!" No signs of life stirred.
Kaitlin puttered about the bedroom, checking every corner for any possible sightings of the little kitten. With no evidence of Katie to be seen, she stumbled out into the main hall to explore further.
The entryway was also devoid of life, but she did she Katie's hat and backpack hanging by the front door so knew the kitten must be in the house, if she could only figure out where! Kaitlin passed through the foyer and wandered into the kitchen. Maybe Katie had gotten hungry in the middle of the night and sought out a midnight snack?
"Katie?" she inquired, as she crashed still slightly sleepily into the kitchen. Her voice echoed across the dishes in the cluttered sink. Gosh, Kaitlin had gotten scatterbrained and forgot to put those away last night. But they'd have to wait while she found Katie. She peeked under the table, and in the pantry, but there was no kitten snuggled away anywhere to be seen.
Heading back into the entryway, she turned her attention into the playroom. A model train was lazily chugging away along its track around the floor. A few other plushies were dispersed across the floor as well. Apparently Kaitlin had forgotten to help Katie clean up yesterday, so she chased down each free item and dropped them back into the toybox. No Katie in the playroom, unfortunately.
Back to the main room she went again, scratching her head. Where else might Katie have gone exploring?
Kaitlin trundled down the stairs into the basement, pushing small cobwebs from the ceiling as she turned down the narrow staircase. She wasn't sure why Katie might come down into the storage room, but to be thorough, she thought she ought to check. 'Achoo!" she screeched and the dust tickled her whiskers. Behind all the boxes were more boxes that Kaitlin had forgotten to unpack from their last move, but no sign of Katie. Sighing, she wandered back up the stairs.
'Well,' Kaitlin thought, 'Katie's always in the last place I look, isn't she?' Only the attic was left, so hopefully she'd find Katie there. As she ascended the flight to the attic, her heart lept. In the tiny attic she saw Kaitlin's kiddie table covered in little maps of towns she had explored. But in the back corner, near the window was a humming tuft of fur. A small telescope was set up on the table next to the window. Katie must have been stargazing last night! Kaitlin tiptoed over and gently nudged the small furball.
'Katie? Katie?' she whispered as she poked the young kitten. 'Katie, you have to get up, there's something magical I want to show you!'
Groaning, Katie opened her eyes. 'What is it mom?' she moaned. 'I was just having such a nice dream about chasing Cygnus across the Milky Way.'
'Well, you'll have to come downstairs to see! Here, let's bundle you up in a blanket because it's going to be cold outside!' Kaitlin warned, as she ushered the little one down the stairs.
She flung open the front door, and Katie felt a crisp gush of air greet her button nose. Everything was so... bright! And completely covered in white! 'It snowed!' she purred. Katie pounced into the yard, laughing as the flecks of snow covered her. It was so messy and slightly wet - she didn't realize the cotton candy looking layer of white would have so much moisture.
Kaitlin smiled. 'Let me show you how to make a snow angel, or build a snowperson. And maybe we can go stalk some dung beetles. There's so much to see now that winter has finally arrived!' Indeed, the solstice had just passed, and Kaitlin knew the days would only get brighter from here on out. She couldn't wait to be there as Katie discovered all the offerings winter had in store.
Kaitlin yawned, extending her arms far above her in a satisfying stretch as she began to move her muscles for the day. She rolled off her bed and rubbed the sleep out of her eyes, scanning the room for Katie. Katie had to be around somewhere, but Kaitlin had been so exhausted prior to going to bed and just couldn't remember where she had left her last night!
"Katie?" she called out carefully into the room, her hoarse morning growl slowly reverberating in the air. Clearing her throat, she called again, slightly louder, "Katie!" No signs of life stirred.
Kaitlin puttered about the bedroom, checking every corner for any possible sightings of the little kitten. With no evidence of Katie to be seen, she stumbled out into the main hall to explore further.
The entryway was also devoid of life, but she did she Katie's hat and backpack hanging by the front door so knew the kitten must be in the house, if she could only figure out where! Kaitlin passed through the foyer and wandered into the kitchen. Maybe Katie had gotten hungry in the middle of the night and sought out a midnight snack?
"Katie?" she inquired, as she crashed still slightly sleepily into the kitchen. Her voice echoed across the dishes in the cluttered sink. Gosh, Kaitlin had gotten scatterbrained and forgot to put those away last night. But they'd have to wait while she found Katie. She peeked under the table, and in the pantry, but there was no kitten snuggled away anywhere to be seen.
Heading back into the entryway, she turned her attention into the playroom. A model train was lazily chugging away along its track around the floor. A few other plushies were dispersed across the floor as well. Apparently Kaitlin had forgotten to help Katie clean up yesterday, so she chased down each free item and dropped them back into the toybox. No Katie in the playroom, unfortunately.
Back to the main room she went again, scratching her head. Where else might Katie have gone exploring?
Kaitlin trundled down the stairs into the basement, pushing small cobwebs from the ceiling as she turned down the narrow staircase. She wasn't sure why Katie might come down into the storage room, but to be thorough, she thought she ought to check. 'Achoo!" she screeched and the dust tickled her whiskers. Behind all the boxes were more boxes that Kaitlin had forgotten to unpack from their last move, but no sign of Katie. Sighing, she wandered back up the stairs.
'Well,' Kaitlin thought, 'Katie's always in the last place I look, isn't she?' Only the attic was left, so hopefully she'd find Katie there. As she ascended the flight to the attic, her heart lept. In the tiny attic she saw Kaitlin's kiddie table covered in little maps of towns she had explored. But in the back corner, near the window was a humming tuft of fur. A small telescope was set up on the table next to the window. Katie must have been stargazing last night! Kaitlin tiptoed over and gently nudged the small furball.
'Katie? Katie?' she whispered as she poked the young kitten. 'Katie, you have to get up, there's something magical I want to show you!'
Groaning, Katie opened her eyes. 'What is it mom?' she moaned. 'I was just having such a nice dream about chasing Cygnus across the Milky Way.'
'Well, you'll have to come downstairs to see! Here, let's bundle you up in a blanket because it's going to be cold outside!' Kaitlin warned, as she ushered the little one down the stairs.
She flung open the front door, and Katie felt a crisp gush of air greet her button nose. Everything was so... bright! And completely covered in white! 'It snowed!' she purred. Katie pounced into the yard, laughing as the flecks of snow covered her. It was so messy and slightly wet - she didn't realize the cotton candy looking layer of white would have so much moisture.
Kaitlin smiled. 'Let me show you how to make a snow angel, or build a snowperson. And maybe we can go stalk some dung beetles. There's so much to see now that winter has finally arrived!' Indeed, the solstice had just passed, and Kaitlin knew the days would only get brighter from here on out. She couldn't wait to be there as Katie discovered all the offerings winter had in store.
CasualWheezer
Senior Member
Against Cold Winds
I was on yet another of my daily walks. This world moves around so fast everyday so it's nice to walk at my own pace here for a change. Not even the winter stops me from my strolls outside. It's honestly part of my life, one way for me to be in peace. As I walked around the park, I focused on the pond, frozen like the air. The snow crunched beneath my feet. I always enjoy these sights of wilderness after all, what would we be if it weren't for nature?
I felt a vibration in my pocket. My instincts got the best of me and I took my phone out. As I scrolled through the depths of Instagram, I saw that my last post got only ten likes. My friends always receive at least ten times the likes than I would ever dream of. I don't know what it takes to be accepted honestly, everything that I try never seems to work. As I looked up, my eyes fall upon a herd of deer. Now this will be perfect for my next post, it'll make me look like the adventurer everybody wants to be. I took out my phone and snapped a picture and then turned to look at the herd again. I noticed the sense of community that the members of the herd had with each other. It was like they belonged somewhere, were safe and secure in their little family. And I thought to myself, was this something I genuinely had in my life?
As I continued my walk, I wore a smug grin on my face. I took that picture and surely this will make me look like I have a life. Yet as time passed by, I still could not stop thinking about that herd that I had seen. What did it mean to be accepted into a community, a society? Was it about showing off yourself to the entire world, to be validated by people who you don't even know? Or was it something else? The air around me grew colder and more bitter. I thought to myself, why even try to be someone that I think that some random people will like? They don't even know who I am as a person. What I put out there is all a facade, something that I want them to see. The thought of faking myself to everyone just so I could fit into this shallow society crept into my mind and the anger that I had long set aside rose up from deep inside. Is this how I have to live? Betraying everything that I care for and who I am just for the chance to get more likes on my posts, to be accepted into some cold community? No!
The snow started to trickle down from the sky and land on the ground. I watched carefully as each snowflake settled down. They're all unique, no two are the same. Yet in spite of their differences, they all still cluster together. So this is what it means to genuinely be accepted. This is what a true community looks like. Why should I try to fit into a rigid mold? I'm only human, not some machine after all. So it's decided. I'll walk the other direction from where those cold winds of this world want me to go!
I was on yet another of my daily walks. This world moves around so fast everyday so it's nice to walk at my own pace here for a change. Not even the winter stops me from my strolls outside. It's honestly part of my life, one way for me to be in peace. As I walked around the park, I focused on the pond, frozen like the air. The snow crunched beneath my feet. I always enjoy these sights of wilderness after all, what would we be if it weren't for nature?
I felt a vibration in my pocket. My instincts got the best of me and I took my phone out. As I scrolled through the depths of Instagram, I saw that my last post got only ten likes. My friends always receive at least ten times the likes than I would ever dream of. I don't know what it takes to be accepted honestly, everything that I try never seems to work. As I looked up, my eyes fall upon a herd of deer. Now this will be perfect for my next post, it'll make me look like the adventurer everybody wants to be. I took out my phone and snapped a picture and then turned to look at the herd again. I noticed the sense of community that the members of the herd had with each other. It was like they belonged somewhere, were safe and secure in their little family. And I thought to myself, was this something I genuinely had in my life?
As I continued my walk, I wore a smug grin on my face. I took that picture and surely this will make me look like I have a life. Yet as time passed by, I still could not stop thinking about that herd that I had seen. What did it mean to be accepted into a community, a society? Was it about showing off yourself to the entire world, to be validated by people who you don't even know? Or was it something else? The air around me grew colder and more bitter. I thought to myself, why even try to be someone that I think that some random people will like? They don't even know who I am as a person. What I put out there is all a facade, something that I want them to see. The thought of faking myself to everyone just so I could fit into this shallow society crept into my mind and the anger that I had long set aside rose up from deep inside. Is this how I have to live? Betraying everything that I care for and who I am just for the chance to get more likes on my posts, to be accepted into some cold community? No!
The snow started to trickle down from the sky and land on the ground. I watched carefully as each snowflake settled down. They're all unique, no two are the same. Yet in spite of their differences, they all still cluster together. So this is what it means to genuinely be accepted. This is what a true community looks like. Why should I try to fit into a rigid mold? I'm only human, not some machine after all. So it's decided. I'll walk the other direction from where those cold winds of this world want me to go!
Cadbberry
e g g
Snow to Snowboy
Drifting through the air, oh how free I feel, the bright sun glimmers off my sides, the warmth spreads over me for a second before I find my home. Grass, green, soft, how pleasurable of an existence to be here. Snow continues to fall yet I feel no warmer. The ground becomes plusher and I drift slowly from the air to the ground. One by one the collection of pure white snow and flakes begin to grow, flowers and trees glimmer with excitement as they too become heavier with a multitude of beautiful crystals.
I feel heavy today, where is my delicacy? Oof, there comes the first push. Oh, who is that? Who is pushing me forward, why must we be headed towards the water, is this my fate, to be destroyed upon my creation? Another flake falls upon me, dirtying and growing duller with each round we make, I feel like I am growing yet I suppose my greatness will never be peaked alone. One, two, three four, five, six- Six legs touch me, moving me forward and out of the way. Oh, you small beetle, how you doom me so, for what? I suppose the cycle has to begin a knew some time, today must be that fated time.
Crunch, what is this crunch, Thawp, what is this thwap? There is stillness once more, oh how I wished for this moment to last. The soft flakes that I know, the soft flakes that were once all me, they are coming back together. Who does this, who saved me from the currents? One, Two- two hands, an animal? A person? Who is moving me away from the water, who moves me back in circles, taking me away from my fears? Am I growing larger, me, is this truly my destiny?
My body grows, the safety I feel is immeasurable as we become one once more. Thank you kind stranger for caring about me. For creating me. I pause, the world pauses yet the crunching does not. I know they are around me, my self, I am everywhere, yet nowhere. The snow gathers at my base, the anticipation grows with me.
I wait as the crunching continues and starts, stopping around me. Please, make me at peace, please, make me what I long to be. Close the crunching of steps gets, the closer the sound of slush draws near. Something is shoved next to me, then the crunching moves closer to me. Push, I feel the push, I feel the struggle to get me up onto this other orb of porcelain snow. Slowly you place the coal, two large eyes, a wide grin that I can feel, I can truly feel. The carrot of a nose protruding perfectly. Oh, how bright the world is, the flash of white of snow, the green of the trees, amazing out here.
Ah how wonderful it feels... but what is this. How could this happen, I am not right, this is all wrong. You should have just let me fall into the water. My immortal memory of water will remember.
"Ohhhhh! So close!"
Drifting through the air, oh how free I feel, the bright sun glimmers off my sides, the warmth spreads over me for a second before I find my home. Grass, green, soft, how pleasurable of an existence to be here. Snow continues to fall yet I feel no warmer. The ground becomes plusher and I drift slowly from the air to the ground. One by one the collection of pure white snow and flakes begin to grow, flowers and trees glimmer with excitement as they too become heavier with a multitude of beautiful crystals.
I feel heavy today, where is my delicacy? Oof, there comes the first push. Oh, who is that? Who is pushing me forward, why must we be headed towards the water, is this my fate, to be destroyed upon my creation? Another flake falls upon me, dirtying and growing duller with each round we make, I feel like I am growing yet I suppose my greatness will never be peaked alone. One, two, three four, five, six- Six legs touch me, moving me forward and out of the way. Oh, you small beetle, how you doom me so, for what? I suppose the cycle has to begin a knew some time, today must be that fated time.
Crunch, what is this crunch, Thawp, what is this thwap? There is stillness once more, oh how I wished for this moment to last. The soft flakes that I know, the soft flakes that were once all me, they are coming back together. Who does this, who saved me from the currents? One, Two- two hands, an animal? A person? Who is moving me away from the water, who moves me back in circles, taking me away from my fears? Am I growing larger, me, is this truly my destiny?
My body grows, the safety I feel is immeasurable as we become one once more. Thank you kind stranger for caring about me. For creating me. I pause, the world pauses yet the crunching does not. I know they are around me, my self, I am everywhere, yet nowhere. The snow gathers at my base, the anticipation grows with me.
I wait as the crunching continues and starts, stopping around me. Please, make me at peace, please, make me what I long to be. Close the crunching of steps gets, the closer the sound of slush draws near. Something is shoved next to me, then the crunching moves closer to me. Push, I feel the push, I feel the struggle to get me up onto this other orb of porcelain snow. Slowly you place the coal, two large eyes, a wide grin that I can feel, I can truly feel. The carrot of a nose protruding perfectly. Oh, how bright the world is, the flash of white of snow, the green of the trees, amazing out here.
Ah how wonderful it feels... but what is this. How could this happen, I am not right, this is all wrong. You should have just let me fall into the water. My immortal memory of water will remember.
"Ohhhhh! So close!"
Last edited:
If you feel it's relevant and advances your story, then of course, but keep in mind that your audience may not know the references. I certainly am not familiar with this TV show!
The submission phase for this contest ends in approximately 21 hours.
The Snowstorm
The Snowstorm
The snow becomes dotted across the view from her window, becoming denser and denser by the hour. Pillows of snow begin to form above her roof, muffling the sound of any outside noises. Chevre begins to worry, as this isn’t the first time the winter has been this harsh. She feels a shake around her, but shrugs it off.
She pulls out her NookPhone, in hopes that one of her neighbours would answer her call.
“Hello Nan?”
“Kidd can you hear me”
“Pashmina...?”
Only to be greeted by a long beep call after call, a reminder that the signal was dead and interrupted due to the storm, but also because Nook Inc had not spent a large deal of money on proper infrastructure and technology to further the island’s quality of life.
With no contact with the outside world, and no indication of how long the storm may reign, Chevre had to keep her mind off things. She stared into her snowglobe, featuring KK Slider playing his guitar amongst the trees. She gave the snowglobe a little shake, just to see the freckled snow bits fall down upon him, mimicking the snowfall that was going on outside. She sighed, remembering this was the snowglobe she received from the mayor of her old town, truly wondering to herself if moving to a deserted island and leaving her life behind her was truly worth it. “Of course it was” she thought to herself, but she really wasn’t sure.
After a few hours of staring at trinkets, inspecting things in her house she had forgotten about and rummaging through old photos and papers, she begins to feel cold. With the heated at the maximum setting, she worries, wrapping herself under layers of blankets to retain her warmth. Only to throw the blankets off her within a few minutes to the run to the kitchen to make a cup of hot cocoa. First the cocoa, hot milk, and marshmallows she tells herself. Only to realise she’s out of marshmallows. She sighs once again, peering out the window to see no chance of the storm stopping anytime soon, completely white.
“7 o’clock, dinner I guess” she mumbles, and so does her stomach, however is not too enthusiastic to cook in this weather. Rummaging through her pantry, she discovers old tins of food that have been untouched for years, with long expiration dates thankfully. She pulls out a can of tomatoes, some tomato paste and dried pasta. The pasta was past its expiration by a few months, but she wasn’t too fussy given her lack of options. The cold consumed her body, and she was now shivering, but turning on the stove radiated warmth around her. She placed the pasta in a pot, admiring the curly shape of the pasta swirling around as it boiled, with tomatoes and herbs in an adjacent pot to create the complementing sauce.
Becoming so invested in her cooking, she barely realises her house shaking and knocking. She fears the snow is starting to cave in in her house, before hearing a familiar voice.
“Are you okay Chevre” Nan screams, before hearing the clanking of shovels
“We’re almost there” Kidd shouts.
A loud boom erupts, as the windows lose their white permanency, showing the frosty sky above. Pashmina, Nan and Kidd are now at her door, Chevre still confused, only to realise her house has been covered in snow. With blushy red faces, Chevre notices their fatigue, and is almost embarrassed but touched by her neighbours’ kindness to help her, as they constantly ask her if she’s okay. With only one way to thank them, she asks, “who wants pasta?”
The snow becomes dotted across the view from her window, becoming denser and denser by the hour. Pillows of snow begin to form above her roof, muffling the sound of any outside noises. Chevre begins to worry, as this isn’t the first time the winter has been this harsh. She feels a shake around her, but shrugs it off.
She pulls out her NookPhone, in hopes that one of her neighbours would answer her call.
“Hello Nan?”
“Kidd can you hear me”
“Pashmina...?”
Only to be greeted by a long beep call after call, a reminder that the signal was dead and interrupted due to the storm, but also because Nook Inc had not spent a large deal of money on proper infrastructure and technology to further the island’s quality of life.
With no contact with the outside world, and no indication of how long the storm may reign, Chevre had to keep her mind off things. She stared into her snowglobe, featuring KK Slider playing his guitar amongst the trees. She gave the snowglobe a little shake, just to see the freckled snow bits fall down upon him, mimicking the snowfall that was going on outside. She sighed, remembering this was the snowglobe she received from the mayor of her old town, truly wondering to herself if moving to a deserted island and leaving her life behind her was truly worth it. “Of course it was” she thought to herself, but she really wasn’t sure.
After a few hours of staring at trinkets, inspecting things in her house she had forgotten about and rummaging through old photos and papers, she begins to feel cold. With the heated at the maximum setting, she worries, wrapping herself under layers of blankets to retain her warmth. Only to throw the blankets off her within a few minutes to the run to the kitchen to make a cup of hot cocoa. First the cocoa, hot milk, and marshmallows she tells herself. Only to realise she’s out of marshmallows. She sighs once again, peering out the window to see no chance of the storm stopping anytime soon, completely white.
“7 o’clock, dinner I guess” she mumbles, and so does her stomach, however is not too enthusiastic to cook in this weather. Rummaging through her pantry, she discovers old tins of food that have been untouched for years, with long expiration dates thankfully. She pulls out a can of tomatoes, some tomato paste and dried pasta. The pasta was past its expiration by a few months, but she wasn’t too fussy given her lack of options. The cold consumed her body, and she was now shivering, but turning on the stove radiated warmth around her. She placed the pasta in a pot, admiring the curly shape of the pasta swirling around as it boiled, with tomatoes and herbs in an adjacent pot to create the complementing sauce.
Becoming so invested in her cooking, she barely realises her house shaking and knocking. She fears the snow is starting to cave in in her house, before hearing a familiar voice.
“Are you okay Chevre” Nan screams, before hearing the clanking of shovels
“We’re almost there” Kidd shouts.
A loud boom erupts, as the windows lose their white permanency, showing the frosty sky above. Pashmina, Nan and Kidd are now at her door, Chevre still confused, only to realise her house has been covered in snow. With blushy red faces, Chevre notices their fatigue, and is almost embarrassed but touched by her neighbours’ kindness to help her, as they constantly ask her if she’s okay. With only one way to thank them, she asks, “who wants pasta?”
StarlitGlitch
Sweets Lover
Two things: First is that if you've only played NH before Pelly and Phyllis used to run the mail/town hall in past games. There was a love triangle between them and the mail courier, Pete. There's also a scene in the Roost which I based off of the WW/CF version.
Second is that I originally intended on trying to make the story better but oops it's the last day but I still want the prizes so here it is haha I would've tried to clean it up a bit and just, you know, fix it so even though it's embarrassing feel free to read it if you please
Second is that I originally intended on trying to make the story better but oops it's the last day but I still want the prizes so here it is haha I would've tried to clean it up a bit and just, you know, fix it so even though it's embarrassing feel free to read it if you please
The early morning air felt unusually cool as Pelly began to make her way across town. While she had slowly grown accustomed to the cold there were still moments that caught her off-guard. The short-sleeved blouse, vest, and skirt that made up her uniform certainly didn’t help in this regard either.
The crisp breeze seemed to wake up something inside of her though, and the familiar walk seemed to go by a bit slower that day. Maybe this was because it was the first time in a long while that Pelly actually noticed her surroundings, and not in the “where do I turn next” sort of way. While none of what she saw was out of the ordinary it was beginning to take on a new meaning for her and she soaked up what the world was presenting to her.
The town was small enough that you could, without any exaggeration, say that everyone knew each other in town and that meant that everyone knew each other’s business. If two people fought over a forgotten date or someone scammed a neighbor with some phony art the perpetrator would be met with glares for weeks to come. While this did give a sense of community to Pelly she also recognized the immense pressure she was under if she were ever to make a blunder.
As she entered the post office, another familiar scene was there to greet her.
“Do you need anything else?... Uugh…”
“Yes, I just need to find that last letter.”
Behind the wooden counter a purple pelican could be seen rolling her eyes while a customer carefully sorted through the contents of her bag.
“Here it is!”
“All right. Now do you need anything else?”
The woman silently shook her head and made her way past Pelly and out the door.
“Well thank goodness that’s done with. I’m so ready for today to be over. Pelly, you have no idea what I’ve been through.”
“I’m sorry to hear that. But just remember, there’s only so many more days left!”
Pelly and her older sister Phyllis had been working at the post office to since the time they had entered the workforce, working the day shift and night shift respectively. In the past they had also had responsibilities relating to the civic center but the size of our job had shrunk considerably a few years back. While it initially seemed that this change wasn’t anything to be worried about the post office had received notice about a year prior that the enter post office was going to be shut down due to a larger downsizing scheme.
“Finally. I’m so ready to be out of this place… Oh yeah, don’t forget to take inventory.”
“Got it! Have a good day.” Pelly smiled at her sister as she exited the building.
While Phyllis was eagerly looking forward to the end of their time there Pelly couldn’t quite say the same. Not only was this life the only one that she had known but she this wasn’t quite how she imagined the end of her time at the post office to be. She had always thought that such a big chapter in her life would be wrapped up with a neat little bow, that everything would fall into place and she would be ready to move on to something more fulfilling. But each day that passed felt as normal as any other.
It’s not like she needed some grand adventure in her life. None of that interested her, anyways. All she wanted was a quiet, cozy home and someone to share it with. Her sister told her that she needed a bit of growing up to do if this was all she aspired to, and maybe there was some truth to that, but this didn’t stop Pelly’s desire in the slightest. And as her time in town started to come to a close she knew that something needed to happen if she ever wanted this fantasy to be realized.
Taking inventory was a relatively simple task. Since the office was about to shut down they needed to see what supplies were still around to see what would be divvied up amongst the new facilities. Pelly took out the clipboard to see what needed to be checked that day. Ink pads… scales… pens… mail pouches… Most of this she would be able to accomplish right away, but some wouldn’t be able to be checked off until the mail carrier came in that evening.
The next few hours passed by relatively quickly. Having done this for so long it was easy to go on auto-mode for most of the work. As evening approached, though, Pelly started to check the clock more and more frequently.
Right as the sun started to set Pete entered through the front door.
“Hey, Pelly! Any mail to pick up?”
“Yes, we got quite a few letters today. They’re already sorted in the back.” Pelly said while motioning towards them.
“Great to hear.”
Pete went behind the counter and over to the back shelf.
“Before I forget, Pete is there anything wrong with the mail pouch you’re using right now? I need to check it for inventory.”
He lifted the flap and took a peak inside.
“Not that I know of… For how long I’ve been using this thing for you’d think there’d be more wear on it. Now that I think of it, I’m pretty sure I’ve been using this one since we started working together.”
“Wow! That bag sure has been through a lot, then.”
“Sure has.” He said, turning back towards the shelf.
“Pete?”
“Mhm?”
This was it. Sure, they would still cross paths after this but Pelly was certain that this moment wouldn’t come again.
“There was something I wanted to talk with you about.”
“Yeah? What’s that?”
“You know, I’ve really enjoyed working side-by-side with you all these years. I always looked forward to watching you eat the lunches I made for you. We’ve had so many good memories together.”
“Sure. Like you handing me the mail… Me, receiving the mail… No complaints there. I’m definitely gonna miss being able to fly for work. Probably will have to take something on the ground.”
“Right. It’s too bad this all has to end. I wish there was a way we could keep seeing each other.”
“We will, I’ll still be popping in and out for the next couple of weeks.”
“That’s not what I mean. I want to know if I can see you after that.”
“Oh, sure, maybe. Uh, I don’t know really what I’m doing next but I’ll let you know. Hey, sorry to cut this short but I should leave now if I want to make it in time for the 5 o’clock delivery.”
“Actually though I-“
“Really sorry, but I’ll catch you later!”
His gaze seemingly fixated on something in the distance, Pete headed towards the door. Pelly had been so absorbed in what she wanted to say that she hadn’t noticed him putting the letters into his mail pouch. She watched him walk away, hoping that if she kept him in sight maybe this wasn’t the end. Maybe he would turn around. Maybe he would tell her what she had wanted to hear.
The door chime rang out a familiar tune as it closed shut.
The Roost had become a part of Pelly’s routine over the years. Its dimly lit atmosphere and familiar smoky aroma gave her a place to return to when she couldn’t seem to make her way home. Outside of Saturday night when live music filled the room was quiet enough to be left alone to one’s own thoughts.
“…Welcome.” The bartender said without looking up from the glass he was wiping.
Pelly maneuvered her way around the counter to her usual bar stool with the same level of focus.
“I figured you’d be in soon… I just roasted the beans. The usual, right? You know the price: 200 bells...”
“Yes, please.”
The man set down what he was holding before filling up a coffee cup and slowly pushed it to her seat.
“All right then, before it gets cold... One fresh brewed cup… Coo.”
Pelly picked up the cup in her wing and took a small sip. It was still scalding hot, and yet she allowed it to burn the inside of her mouth.
Even though this would be one of her last times here she wasn’t feeling particularly sentimental in the moment. Her once cherished memories started to seen inconsequential, as if she was a foolish for ever thinking that a small-town bar could be in any way significant.
“Hey.”
Pelly nearly jumped out of her seat as a voice from behind shocked her out of her thoughts. She swiveled around.
“Isabelle, hello. What are you doing out tonight? I thought you were in town hall tonight.”
“Well, I was supposed to be, but the mayor surprised me with a night off! Isn’t she the best?”
“Yeah, definitely.”
Isabelle’s beaming face bore into Pelly and she began to turn back around. As much as Pelly appreciated her friendship and believed that her heart was in the right place there were times when it wasn’t what was needed.
“I’m really sorry that I wasn’t able to find another position for you in town. I would’ve loved working with you. Have you had any luck job hunting yet?”
“Not yet. I’m going to go back to my parents’ house for a bit until I can find something. There’s not many options out there right now.”
“That’s too bad. I heard that Phyllis was accepted at main post office branch. She’s going to be aiding with the transition to the new mail system.”
A spike shot through Pelly’s stomach. Phyllis? She hadn’t mentioned anything of the sort. Why wouldn’t she even mention that a job position like that had opened up?”
“I’m glad she was able to find something, I had no idea.”
“Isn’t it great? Pete just told me all about it. I just know whatever you end up doing Pelly that it’ll be something more exciting that what we have here anyways!”
Phyllis whipped herself back to square Isabelle in the face.
“What gives you the right to tell me how to feel?”
“P-Pardon me?”
“How are you go sure that my next job is better than what I had here? I liked it here. I was perfectly content staying here until town hall, yes your town hall, told us to pack up and leave. What if my next job is a step down?”
“Well, it might be.”
“Exactly.”
“And that’s okay.”
“…What?”
Isabelle smiled sheepishly, “I know that things don’t always get better. Your life might not be as good as it is now right away. In fact, it probably won’t be for a while. And that’s okay. Because you need to believe that things can get better in order for you to accept the change.”
“But what if that never comes?”
“If you put in the effort to find the good out there then someday you’ll get what you really need. Something you couldn’t get here. Of course, a little help from your friends doesn’t hurt either.”
Pelly realized that she had been tensing her shoulders and then let drop down.
“Maybe you’re right. I’m sorry I snapped at you like that.”
“I understand. You know what? Maybe the mayor knows about positions in other towns. Do you want me to talk to her about it?”
“You would do that for me?”
“Of course! Now, tell me all about what it is you want to do.” Isabelle said while hopping up on the adjacent stool.
Pelly knew that Isabelle might not actually be able to help her accomplish her dream, but for the rest of their conversation that night it didn’t matter.
- Status
