Day 1
There was a certain something I had learned that day. That one, random January day, in the middle of a cold Winter. It was something many would learn probably around the same time as me, but usually much farther in. A growing fear many living beings have – myself included. It was something I had ignored for some time until that moment, something I thought would never befall me.
On that day, I learned I was going to die alone. And it all started with an everyday visit to my local museum...
"HOO!?" the owl shouted into my ears, setting me up for another alarming statement that I should feel ire over, "Oh dear! Upon closer examination, I have grave news to share with you, Averi! It's a fake! Why, it's as clear as the difference between cotton candy and coconut cake! Shocking!"
Day after day, listening to Blathers' rants were getting to me. What number was this? I spend a boatload of Bells on a shiny looking painting from Redd, take it over here, get yelled at like I'm a dumbbell, and its my fault this painting is fake.
"I get it, Blathers!" I respond, pushing my glasses up on my face, "Jeeze... couldn't you have told me in a different way instead of yelling my ears off?"
"Et wha?" he responded with eyes wide, before standing tall, his face serious, "But I must tell you this, Averi! If not, how will you know about the validity of your paintings?"
Seriously, there should be some sort of app for that. The 'Redd Detector', or something like that; let's you tell if something you got from Redd is the real deal or not. It would save me the time I constantly waste, not to mention the Bells.
I wanted to strangle Blathers, really. Our weekly, or bi-weekly (or perhaps monthly) exchange like this was getting on my nerves. To be honest, it wasn't his fault though. Besides, it wasn't a total bummer. I was just gonna sell a lot of my junk to the Re-Tail anyway, and get some more Bells.
Which I would then – later on – spend at Redd's shop. The cycle continues.
"Is there anything else you'd like for me to investigate, Averi?" Blather's asked in his usual thinking pose, a hand on his chin.
"No," I replied, eyes half closed, "Though, I think a few bugs in the Insect Hall caught loose..."
"WHAT!? NO! YOU MUST BE LYING!" he shouted before turning around, making his way for the stairs in the back, "CELESTE! THE BUGS ARE AT IT AGAIN! CELESTE!"
That was a lie. Me saying that was just to watch Blathers freak out. I didn't even go into the Bug Hall today, so I wouldn't know if the bugs got out or not. I'm surprised Blathers didn't call me out on my obvious flagrant.
Okay, so maybe that was rude of me; mean-spirited even. After all, what business did I have taking my anger out on Blathers like that? I am the idiot who bought something from Redd knowing full well it was probably fake. Heck, I could tell it was fake by just holding the forged painting. Maybe it was how the hands on the Asian man were pointed like guns...
Weird...
…
I'm not a bad guy. I'm just incredibly plain. That's how I feel about myself, anyway. Just laying here on my couch, my brown eyes gazing to the ceiling. Am I watching the TV, or is the TV watching me? That's something my mother would say in this situation. Might even tell me to quit waste the power. But its my house, and I can do as I please.
Jeeze... I sound like a child.
Removing my hat from my head, I groan with annoyance. Just last week, we had the New Years Eve celebration. Phoebe got wasted, Marcie kept her away from her daughter, Lionel told me things I honestly didn't care about, Fang stayed back because its 'kewl', Samson told his usual brand of jokes, Peewee and Curlos almost got into a fight with one another (I would've loved that; both of them could get a good butt-whooping), all the while Isabelle ran left and right in her best efforts to keep the piece.
And what of the mayor? Oh yes, my sister. Ack...
So, yeah, I guess you can say I'm boring. I mean, like, what am I doing right now? Just laying on my couch, laxly watching TV, wondering if I'll eventually doze off. I'm somewhat affluent; if I run out of money, I'll just pawn some things at the retail because I don't have a job, and thus no reason to really leave.
I'm boring. I'm plain. I need to get the hell out of this house.
Springing up quickly, I allow that air of disorientation take me, if ever so briefly. The music drumming through my home was so melancholic, so random, so disturbing; the hell was I listening to?
Oh... Hypno K. K. Now I know why I've been so depressed as of late.
Switching the music that played in my house from something less depressing (not to mention terrifying) into something more upbeat, I could feel energy already running through my veins! Even now, I just wanna go out and fish! Or dig up some fossils! I could use an expansion on my backroom, and make it into that gaming room I've always wanted.
Yes! Awesome! I can do this!
Or, I could just lay down again and watch TV for a few more minutes... hours...
Days...
Putting down Hypno K. K.'s record, my eyes line the other record casings for my music. Each and everyone, laid side by side in this shelf that sits next to my retro stereo. One of them was just barely sticking out, however. My interest peaked, I pulled out the record, ever so slowly. My eyes run along the title.
Cafe K. K.
There's a cat on the album's cover. She's in the back; you can barely see her. But she's there, alright. My fingers, glide along the image of this cat; I know her all too well. Blonde hair, purple mascara on her eyes, and this beauty mark under her lip.
I shouldn't be looking at her.
Man, I'm so disgusted with myself. Sliding the record back inside, I walk for the door of my home. With a swipe, I pull my black denim jacket off my coat rack as well as my DJ cap. No, don't expect me to wreck DJ K. K. on the turntable anytime soon; that's just freaking stupid. Running my hands through my spiked hair for reasons I don't know (guess I just like the feeling of my own hair), I placed the hat on it. And of course, before setting outside the door, I settle my glasses on my face.
And I push the door open; the sight of snow-covered flowers assault my eyes.
January 16th, 2016.
Every step I take on this foggy midday afternoon crunches into the snow. Staring down at my boots, I just know my toes are going to start freezing off moments from now. Shaking my head though, I start off into my lovely village.
Crunch. Crunch. Crunch.
Where I used to live, it would rarely snow. I remember being a child, jumping around in the snow with my siblings, loving every moment of it. Throwing snow balls at one another.
Never could make snowmen, though. Freaking snowmen.
Tugging my hat on my head as light snow drifted upon my body, I crossed the bridge over the river. Fish were inside; I could get a good few Bells catching them. I don't feel like it though. Glancing up, my brown eyes befall a building right across the bridge. Brown, decently sized (well, bigger than mine, anyway), and the lights were all on. Just like any building in this town, it was surrounded in a sea of flowers.
Keep Traverse Beautiful! Your tax Bells at work!
Walking between the flowers, my eyes fall on the sign that has snow falling off of it. A sign, with a green bird(?) on it, and a heart coming out of its beak.
The Roost, it says, Open 24 hours.
Yeah, the roost. I could use a pick-me-up right now.
RING-DING!
It so much warmer in this small, quaint cafe than it is outside. The fragrance of coffee beans, milk, cream, and many other things fill my nose. It was a smell I was always fond of, though it took me some good amount of years before tasting it.
There's no one in this building. Well, no other patrons, should I say. There is someone else. A green bird standing behind the counter. His eyes hidden behind his small glasses. His well trimmed mustache hanging. His beak closed always, and his hands cleaning a cup in his hand.
"Coo..." he says as I enter the building, making me approach.
"Evening, Brewster," I reply to his statement as I sit in the chair directly before him, seeing as there was no one else here with us, "How it been going today?"
"I can't... complain..." he replies, his eyes never leaving me, his hands never ceasing their shine.
"That's... good..." I replied, imagining that proverbial thinking cloud over my own head, "Uh... just a cup of coffee... I need to settle my mind."
"Coo..."
He turns, and begins pouring me a cup of piping hot java. I remove my glasses, and rub my face, groaning as I do so. I guess you can say I don't feel '100%' today. What with Blather's yapping at me about that picture, and me just laying on my couch in defeat. I can remember days when I wasn't like this. Remember days where I smiled more often, spent more time outside my house.
Ya'know; remember days when I had an actual life.
But my time here, these past three years in this city, just hasn't had that much of an impact on me like my own ways. I feel like I just go from one day of living to another; nothing changes that much. I wake up, waste my time doing something to get quick Bells, then I go to bed.
Jeeze, it's like college days all over again. I work my ass off to learn, get no where, while my own sister lucks into the position of Mayor just by moving! Like, what's up with that!?
Brewster hands me my coffee, and I hand him the two-hundred Bells necessary for my drink. Before he asks me to drink, I raise my hand, cutting him off. Then I take a sip of that burning hot cup of coffee.
Freaking peer-pressure.
It burns, yeah, but I've grown used to it. Still, when Brewster isn't looking, I blow on it a few times. I take my time drinking the coffee, feeling little need to run out of the building. It's not like I have much to do anyway.
RING-DING!
I don't care for the person who came into the building; I have little to say to him or her anyway. I simply gaze into the brown cup of coffee before me, grabbing upon its handle gently. As I bring it to my lips to take a sip of it, I realize that other person sits next to me. I gaze over to her.
She's frowning. She's always frowning. When she looks at me, that immortal frown is all I ever see. Because that's her nature.
I can see those cat-like eyes of hers twitch at the sight of me; she appears to be annoyed. Just noticing that movement made me straighten up; her eyes slid into a stronger glare at the action. We both sat tall in our chairs, looking at one another. When she looks down at my clothes, I look down at her clothes. She's wearing those clothes that looks like rags; I have no idea what to call them. But it suits her well. She has a very Egyptian style going on, with her overall appearance. The clothing, the golden-yellow fur, the tiara on her head that bares the image of a snake.
Her tail curls upwards, and I look back up to her face, realizing she was staring at me. I can only imagine my face as I gaze at her embarrassingly.
"Ankha..." my disheveled voice comes out as I look at her.
"Good evening, Averi. It's interesting running into you this time of day, me meow."
Her voice is womanly. She lacks this playful tone in her voice I'm – admittedly – used to. She's serious, easily matching with that glare in her eyes and the tone in her voice.
"I was just bored," I reply as best as I could, shrugging my shoulders, "At home all day can do that to a person..."
"Indeed it can," she replied, before raising her paw, "Brewster. The usual, please."
"Coo..."
I watched as he grabbed coffee beams I had never seen before. 'Kilimanjaro' they say. He mixed them into their own pot and then poured that into a cup; all of it couldn't have taken more than two or three minutes. Before long, Ankha's own cup of delicious smelling coffee was given to her. She handed Brewster his payment before bringing the drink to her lips. Right before her lips met the hem of her cup, she stared at me.
"Is there... something on my face, Averi?"
"No... nothing," I answered her, averting my eyes and my face as best I can.
Jeeze Louise, I feel so... bleh! I've never been much of a 'people person' I guess you can say. Always been somewhat gated, somewhat distance. Being so close to Ankha, feeling her tail against my back, naturally get's under my-
Wait, what?
Suddenly shooting up, I glance at the frowning feeling beside me. She was drinking her coffee laxly, not even paying attention to me. When I looked back, my eyes befell her tail. Did she even notice what she was doing? Touching me like this?
"Uh... could... could you please... stop that?" I ask of her, making Ankha face me with a 'hm?'
Her eyes grew wide when she realized what she was doing, and she finally smiled. It was an embarrassed smile, but a cute one, I'd have to say.
"I apologize for that, Averi," she said with a laugh, "Sometimes, I swear, my tail get's a mind of its own!" frowning, she looked off, "I apologize once again, Averi."
"It's alright... it's... alright..."
I finished my cup of coffee, handing it back to Brewster. I was just about ready to leave, but my eyes glanced over at Ankha one last time. She seemed to have returned to normal; drinking her coffee without a care in the world.
"The mayor has told me quite a bit about you, Averi," she suddenly said, making me look back at her, "You two are siblings? I dare say, now that I look at you two, you do share a familial resemblance. How does it feel to have your older sister as your mayor?"
What the hell did she just say? Older sister? Such a statement made my eyes bulge in a strange mixture of shock and disgust. Seriously, if I could puke from my eyes, I probably would have at that moment.
"My older sister?" I replied, nearly choking on nothing, "Did Katt tell you that? Loud-mouthed little brat; I'm the older sibling! Katt's my little sister!"
"No, no, Katt didn't say anything like that," Ankha stated, a slight giggle coming out of her lips. The hell was with that giggle, "I merely assumed it to be true. What, with her being the mayor and everything..."
"No, I'm the older sibling," I stated, my hands laying on the counter before us, "Katt simply lucked into this position of 'mayor'..." then I mumbled so deep under my breath she couldn't hear it, "If you could even call her a mayor..."
"What was that?"
"Nothing..."
I was disheveled; this conversation had me feeling weird. Without even thinking, I slammed down two hundred bells on the table, then spun around on the chair, facing the exit.
"Thanks for the coffee Brewster, and thanks for the talk, Ankha," I said as I lifted my hat, just to get some cool air over my hot head, "But I think it's time I headed out," I stood up, heading for the door, and faced them, "See you guys later."
"Have a good evening, Averi, me meow."
"Coo..."
Stepping out into the town, that cold air blew again once into my face. I was nearly knocked off my feet when it happened; all the sweat from standing in the Roost made me feel even colder. I cleaned it from my brow, slapping it to the ground. Something about that conversation had me feeling weird. I had a headache now, and my mind simply couldn't stop thinking about Ankha.
And a certain other cat I knew long ago.
Ankha, to me, always felt like another villager. Another villager I tended to think about far too much. The only feline in the town of Traverse. Wait... actually... no, no, no... yeah, she is the only cat here. Honestly, I think she's the first cat as well; have we had another cat here over the past two years I've lived here?
Perhaps; that I cannot deny.
"Hm... Ankha..."
RING-DING!
"Huh? Oh!"
Someone walked into me from behind, causing me to hop forward. Turning around, I faced the person who ran into me; it was Anhka. She tugged on the jacket she now wore, pulling down the hood on her head ever so slightly so I could get a better look at her.
"Averi... you're still here?" she asked of me, her eyes staring directly at me.
Her eyes. They're this dark-blue, nearly black. And yet, despite their incredible lack of color, they hold this shine I hadn't seen in quite a long time. As she looked at me, she brushed a few strands of her hair that constricted her face behind one of her sharp, triangular ears. And I – in matching such a movement – pushed my hat up a tad bit on my head.
"It's getting pretty late. And they say the snow is supposed to pile on tonight," Ankha said, averting her eyes from mine, "I was wondering, Averi. Do you mind walking me to my home? I don't enjoy walking in the cold night by myself. Where I'm come from, it was usually hot year round."
"Walk you home?" I replied, just looking down the hill we stood on and seeing said house in the distance, "S-sure."
She gained a smile on her lips when I accepted her proposal, and her eyes slid into this glare. Bringing the hood on her coat fully upon her head, I pulled my hat down further on my head as well. We began walking together; side by side.
Our shoes made the ground crunch together as we walked. I could feel an increase in heat as I walked, mainly around my face. I don't know if it was the cold air that made me feel such a way, or something else entirely. Glances over to Ankha, and she was even closer than I could remember. Was she why I felt warmer?
"Where do you come from, Averi?" Ankha asked of me suddenly, making me straighten up.
"Uh... a city called Rasimere... it's... it's where I lived before moving here, anyway."
"Hm... what was Rasimere like?"
"A little like this... tad bit more tropical though; it didn't snow nearly as much. There was a city there too but... you couldn't just walk up to it like you can here. You had to ride a bus to go all the way from Rasimere to the nearest city. Quite a trip, but you'd meet interesting people on the bus ride."
"Like riding the train," Ankha said as she faced me, "Have you ever gone on a train ride? To any of the neighboring villages?"
"Once or twice. I've been to the town of Corona. Met some guys and stuff..."
"Averi..." her eyes slid into a mighty glare then, making me lock up, "Mind telling me why you're such a recluse? Of everyone in the village, I see you the least."
"I... uh... hadn't really... noticed this..." I lied, knowing full well she was telling the truth. And she knew it too.
"Liar..." Ankha growled at me, "I don't like liars, Averi," she crossed her arms, her eyes seemingly picking me apart, "Tell me... are you a habitual liar, me meow?"
"No, no, no!" I lied, yet again, "Why would you even think that?"
"Because you just lied again," Ankha stated, her growling even more evident, "The mayor doesn't lie. Why do you lie?"
"Hah! Katt doesn't lie!?" I laughed aloud, "She does lie. Katt's just a good liar." And that's the honest truth.
"A better liar than you." that's also the honest truth, "I must thank you, Averi. We're here..."
I came to a stop, realizing we were – in fact – standing in front of Ankha's house. I felt a strange mixture of anger and disappointment as she walked to her front door, and yet I can't explain why. When Ankha opened the door, she pulled back the hood on her head fully then turned to face me. Her ears twitched.
"Please stop the lying, Averi. It distracts from the good qualities you have. Whatever they may be. Me meow."
"Good qualities?" I breathlessly whispered.
BOOM!
The door closed shut, and the lights in her home came on. I lingered outside of Ankha's home, losing track of time and space. The snow in the air had grown stronger; clumps of it stayed on my body. I brushed some off, let others stay, but my body never shifted.
My heart was beating; kinda hard, really. It hurt, I think. But it's strange. It's... it's like when I get done running a bit too hard, and I collapse on my bed. My heart thumps against my chest in an urgent manner. It was like that right now; my heart was beating with urgency. But I'm not tired. At least I don't think I am...
I feel... I feel... I feel... strange.
My toes are freezing over. Time to get home.
…
My last girlfriend smoked. Even now, as I lay in my bed, I can feel those lips on mine. I can taste that disgusting taste of tar and cigar with mine. I can still smell it, haunting me, no matter where I go or what I do.
I miss it so much.
Looking across the sheets of my bed, my eyes drop on that empty spot next to it. I pat it down, reminiscing of times passed. It didn't feel like all too long ago where there used to lay another. Even right now, I can still smell her lovely perfume.
It still brings a smile to my face.
I feel like sleeping, yet I'm wide awake. I want to get some rest, but my body doesn't allow me to. Standing up from my bed, I pull my feet over the edge and sit them down on the floor. The door to my staircase is just right there, so I leave my room.
Light after light I turn on in my trek towards my kitchen, hoping a midnight meal will put me in the spirits of rest. I settle on a peanut-butter jelly sandwich; a classic. After cutting it in half, I leave the room, heading back upstairs to my bedroom.
And I stop, as I face the table overlooking my window. More importantly, I face the picture sitting on said table.
Pfffft, the cat on the picture would end every sentence with. Foolishly, I picked it up and turned it around, my eyes running along text sitting on the picture frame's back.
No airbrushing necessary!
Staring at the picture, I couldn't help but to chuckle. That was until a good and large snowball slammed into my window, startling me, and like the clumsy fool I am, caused me to toss both my plate and the picture I held into the air. Both fell at relatively the same time, and both broke.
"No, no, no! Dammit!"
Getting onto the ground, I scrounged for the now broken pieces of picture seal I needed. The violet frame was somewhat in tact, but the glass was all over the ground, and the photo itself had now been torn. The blonde cat with the white fur on the image was now split and ragged; there was nothing I could do to restore it.
"No... no! DAMMIT!"
I nearly slammed my hands on the ground, which would only serve to stab pieces of glass into my hands. But instead, I sat there on the ground; knees first. And my brown eyes gazed about to the images below. My photo of that lovely cat, and my sandwich; both gone from me. I slammed my face into my hands.
"Son of a... damn..." I looked to the trashcan in the corner of my room, "Damn..."
Bit by bit, my destroyed plate and my sandwich fell into the trash-bin. Holding the picture frame in hand however, I debated with myself on whether it be a good idea to drop it in there as well. I decided against it, however; this picture meant more to me than to simply chuck into the trash. Instead, I placed it in the modern dresser next to my bed. And then, I climbed into said bed.
That could've gone better... Now I'm irritable, and oh so hurt. But, hey, at least I'm tired, so mission accomplished, right? Well, yes... yeah...
Tomorrow would be a new day for me. And yet, I'm ready to meet it head on. I don't know why, though. I'm used to wasting away my days watching TV, and getting funds randomly. But, tonight, I don't know, I feel a little different.
Tomorrow, I'm going to actually do something.
Ow... there's that feeling again. The same one from earlier. Laying here in the bed, I feel it coming at me tenfold. My heart is racing again, like with Ankha before I left and... huh...
Ankha...
Maverick Talks!
And so we begin this story that I've been planing for ages, but never got around to write. Maybe I should hold back on doing such a thing, but, eh... I feel like writing something different, something new!
Here's Animal Crossing!
I'll have you know, I freaking love this game series for reasons I can't explain. And Ankha is one of my favorite villagers from all the games. I remember when she was a super secret character on an island I needed some dumb GBA cord to get to. But I had that cord, and I met her! And she had, like, just one item in her home; the freaking Master Sword from LoZ.
But now I digress.
I don't really have much to say, other than the fact that I'm going first person for this story; something I haven't done yet on this website. So, we're just gonna have to see how it goes, right?
Welp, here's lookin' at you, pal!
Maverick Kay Prime