Dear Mum
By AvidAkiraReader
Everything belongs to its rightful owners.
You sit on a bus, light emitting from multiple electric bulbs. A blue cat with red eyes sits next to you, smiling slyly; you return that with a fake, pleasant smile of your own. You two are the only passengers of the bus, headed by a kappa you like to think, a male more amiable and wiser than this cat right here. What was his name? Ah, Kapp'n. His head is capped by a hat, one more commanding than your purple fedora at home. A small figurine of himself is behind the steering wheel, him poling a boat across a few choppy waves, and you think that it reveals more of his past than what this feline has told you about.
You come from a town populated by talking animals, and this is no different. Your slanted, wide sapphire eyes look out of the crystal clear window into the pouring rain, then down to the muddy road Kapp'n was following. It was such a winding road you think, and it makes you morose and blank to the cat's approaches. What was his name? Rover, wasn't it? You scoff silently at his menial attempts to create conversation.
"So, what's your name?"
A name, he wants? What in Serena would he want it for? You reply in such a monotone, a forged name.
"Cygnus."
He seems surprised and a bit intrigued at your answer. In your pocket was a watch, and tied to a cord of rope around your waist was a slender bag of one thousand bells. You had saved up for this year secretly so you could run away to the town you chose to go, Ichikuro. Rover asks again to you where were you going. Your lips curl into a sneer. There was only one town this sad road led to, and the cat probably just wants to intrude on your privacy. But you are not impolite.
"Ichikuro." The small town was at least a half hour to the city; a vast and bustling place.
He continues to make worthless talk when he finally asks you if people consider you a dreamer. You are stunned at his frank and bold front. Could you consider yourself a dreamer? Once upon a time, you were. You dreamed of just doing whatever you wanted to do, whenever. And that was when reality kicked in your life. Relaxing against the blue seat, you absently scratch your opposite shoulder, covered by a yellow shirt. Your shorts won't protect you in the rain, you know, but that was what you ran away in.
Kapp'n finally brings up your destination, a godsend to escape this intruding feline. And so the rain stopped.
"Ichikuro."
You step off the bus, nothing in your hands as you bid farewell to the blue-white cat with those ruby red eyes. A shame you think, that Rover doesn't bother to let people ask questions to him. You breathe in the fresh, crisp air of spring after a rain, and you revel in the slight breeze that rustles the trees. The cat didn't bother to give you a map to locate the town hall, but you just walk around on the grass, still dewy and wet. Your blue sneakers get damp quickly, but you don't care because for the first time, you're free from the insufferable citizens of Kurisen.
And then, you arrive at the town hall, a humble building that doesn't boast of its importance in the town. The sun is still out, and you peek in a wide window to see if anyone is inside. A white pelican, a female you think, sits on a chair, leafing through pages and possibly complaints. No matter, complaints were usually overlooked. You take a step towards the door, and then nervously tug down your yellow shirt. You run an elegant long fingered hand through your dark brown hair, and then stared at your reflection in a nearby pond.
That was Sirius acting up, and Sirius didn't exist now. There would only be Cygnus in his place, a free bird.
You step inside, and you spy a dark green recycling bin off to one side; opposite is a machine with a slot and numbers next to a screen. The floor is creaky and wooden, but it feels cozy to you, like home. You walk to a green sign on the floor with the obvious sign of a house, and the pelican notices you with a smile. She talks to you right away, and you obtain a machine. It is flat, and is around four by four inches wide. On one side, a touch screen shone brightly, and on the other was a tell tale sign of a camera. Curious, you look at her and she blushes. You remember her name, Pelly. She taps the screen with a white feather, and proceeds to explain how to work this particular machine out. The 'house' was the map, and would update with every neighbor that came and went. A pencil showed designs, and eight squares were a blank white. There were also the significant signs of a suitcase, a butterfly, a fish, and a camera.
You compliment the ingenuity of the machine, and look at the available houses. You decide to pick the one closest to the beach, because the sea breezes always refreshed you when you were back in Kurisen. Saying goodbye, you depart to find your house.
-o-
Your house is somewhat akin to a shanty, you realize, and after surveying the other houses, you grudgingly realize that Nook is a very smart seller. Your house, it seems, is right next to a blue duck with pink cheeks and brown feathers at the top. A female, you observe after looking at the duck's shiny amber eyes. It is a curious thing, to know that you live next to a female duck named Pate. She asks your name, and you smoothly reply, adding an, "I'm charmed, "after it.
Tom drafts you in to his work, and starts to tell you to know the people. You start with the town hall, and you meet the old turtle Tortimer.
"So lad, what kind 'o animal d'you like?"
"Swans."
-o-
You are free from your work, and it is a bittersweet feeling. You pouch of one thousand bells is still clinging on to your cord of rope, and your green apron with the leaf is now discarded into the sea, a worthless memoir of your working days. You sit on the coarse white sand, your eyes shut with the blissful feeling of smelling the salty breeze that stirred the gray ocean. And then a bird, a gray-beige eagle stands regally next to you. You acknowledge him with a nod, and you continue to enjoy the smell and the air.
"Cygnus."
"Avery."
"Would you mind me calling you a nickname?"
"Never, Ave."
But you are concerned. What could Avery think of, for his nickname? Before, Sirius would hate a nickname but Cygnus had to be pleased with the nickname. Abstractedly, you think of the rest of your mortgage you must pay. Eighteen thousand, four hundred bells left.
"Would you mind being called…Divine Bird?"
-o-
You still don't quite regret letting Avery get away with calling you that, you think, as you look at the dark silvery fishes in the river, bare feet dangling into the warm water. It is the afternoon, and the sun is beginning to slide its way down into the earth's embrace. Your debt is still there, but you have gnawed it away to a mere five thousand. At dawn, you get up to catch fish, and exchange pleasantries with the local folk. Octavian joins you at wandering the small town, and had given you a gift in exchange for a guppy. In the afternoons, you walk by the ocean and the river, catching fish and bugs, idling around the town. At night, you sell what is worthless, and you give the rare animals to Blathers, an owl that never failed to make you smile.
Afterwards, you would go to Brewster, a green pigeon who could listen to you and understand you while staying quiet. You enjoy his special nutmeg coffee the most though, and on Saturday, 9:00 PM, you would listen to K.K slider himself sing a dirge or a marching song, it never mattered.
Sometimes you would simply just sit on a tree's branch, and gaze at the night sky, fireflies glowing near the water, setting an ethereal glow across your face when you caught one.
Tonight, you just lie on the warm sand, and look off into the sea, an easy smile coming to quirk your lips.
-o-
"Divine Bird! What's up, skree-haw?" Avery again. You think that he has become Cygnus' closest friend over the four weeks you've been here. Delicately pulling a white petal off a rose, you deeply breathe in its scent. A sweet smell hits your nose that reminds you of Kurisen, where the flowers used to be the sweetest thing on earth. Staring at it blankly, you tear your gaze from it, and point your blue eyes at Avery's. Impatiently, you blow away a stray brown strand of hair from your face.
"Let's chat. I need to get away from the world for a minute." You quietly reply, and you peel apart yet another white petal. The rose wouldn't mind. It had been dead the instant you had pulled it from the ground. The brown feathered bird stares at you with an odd gaze, but then a pink monkey pops up, and startles you. That's strange.
You haven't been startled since you saw Resetti lecturing you on accidentally digging him up from a crack on the ground. And that was during the first week.
"Hehe." She giggles at you and your shocked face. "I'm Nana!" You turn to look at Avery instinctively with a questioning look. He shrugs his wings at you, just as puzzled as you are. "I'm new to this place! Who're you, b-b-buddy?" You shift a little in your place and mutter out a reply.
"Cygnus."
In your life, you can't really fathom when this monkey came to Ichikuro. But now it seems like she won't forget you.
-o-
"Hey Avery! Say this! 'Mable's mother mixed much mushy stuff together!" Pate giggled to your feathered friend. You look sharply at her, puzzling what she wanted. Over the past five weeks, you had grown a tan, and muscles. Pate had been drooling over you and had been quite mean to a few friends. You had been sending a few complaints to Pelly, but it never seemed like Pate got scolded.
"Mixy many mothers…no…mother Mable's muchy…together mother mixed…" Avery began to mumble to himself, and you are growing a tad worried for your friend. Pate giggled, and then looked at you with a dreamy glance. You looked away. "Augh….Moo Mable's together much stuff!" Avery squawked out, and you cringed at the tone of anger under it. And yet again, the blue duckling laughed at him.
"LIKE I CARE ABOUT SOME DUMB TONGUETWISTER YOU THOUGHT UP OF!" Avery exploded, and you wince at the underlying pain lying beneath the furious words. Pate's squinty amber eyes seemed to tear up, and you began to feel a little bit of pity for her. But then she begins to laugh again.
"I-It's so funny seeing you so riled up like that, chick!" Pate seemed to honk with laughter, and you turn away in disgust to pull Avery away. The infuriated avian didn't need any pulling. He stalked away, muttering curses you taught him yourself. You looked at him dismayed, and then turned away abruptly to leave him to his anger. With a long-legged, elegant grace gait, you reached the museum. Stepping inside the cool atmosphere, you look at a still sleeping Blathers. Entering the café with a few steps, you sit down on a bar stool, facing Brewster.
The glasses wearing bird polished a glass with a wool cloth, and he looked at you with a piercing glare. Small wonder, you had pounded the bar with a fist, and had snarled out with a few words for the usual. His usually opaque glasses flashed, and a hint of his sharp light blue eyes glared at you. You winced, and apologized for your behavior. After pouring you a cup, you still lamented on how Pate just wouldn't leave you alone.
"Have you ignored her, Cygnus?"
"Too many times to count, my friend."
"And therein for lies your problem."
"Eh?"
"The girl has no special friends. I guess she is lonely."
"Lonely? She literally repels any friendly advances!"
"Cygnus. Drink your coffee."
You look at the steaming cup of Joe in front of you, and you sigh regretfully. Picking it up, you raised it to Brewster, and took a sip of it. It made you choke, and your blue eyes widen. Quietly, you applauded Brewster, "Wise move, makin' it taste bitter." You down the rest of it, and ask for a teabag. You know that he makes good tea, and is mood lifting. It would certainly help Avery through the night.
And then Nana walked in, a moody spark in her usually bright eyes. She seats herself on the bar, and begins to rant about Pate and her impolite attempts to get Nana off your small buddy-buddy list. Looking at Brewster, you drawl, "Y'see what I mean?" You pay for Nana's milkshake, which she drank with a cold fury.
Shooting a smug look at Brewster, you excuse yourself to leave for home, where you might catch a night's sleep.
"G'night, Nana."
-o-
You realize that you have amassed a good collection of hats and clothing to venture out into the city. And yet, you have the strangest feeling that it might not make a good experience. So you ask Avery, who had calmed down from the week's fury at Pate.
"I don't see why you should have a problem, skree-haw. You look nice enough to catch a lot of eyes, and not just us, skree-haw!" Avery joked with you, and you pale at the thought of more Pates. But you digress. Nana had joined you and Avery in the conversation, and had squealed at the thought of you arriving in the city catching a few eyes.
"You HAVE to let me choose your clothing, b-b-buddy!" You turn white with horror at the mere thought of letting her inside your house.
"Ah, let me clean it before you even venture in, Nana."
-o-
You have paid your debts twice now, and you are extremely well-toned and your reflexes are almost godly. Yet your house is as empty as a water bottle given to Octavian. You have obtained much money, therefore the reason why you had so much clothing and accessories. You had gained a lot of teasing from the blue hedgehog for that.
So as you donned a Cavalier hat and a custom designed black vest with a white shirt beneath it, you checked your budget again. Twenty thousand bells was more than enough to see the city, you think, and you venture out of your house to the bus stop. Eagerly waiting for the bus to come, you look back to see Nana wave a little, and continue to meander around the town, carrying a net with a stubborn pride.
The bus chugged into the bus stop, and the doors fold open to admit you into the bus. Sitting yourself in the closest seat near Kapp'n, you absently notice the poster advertising for Lyle, and his HRA. Reaching into a pocket, you pull out an orange, and begin to peel it. The fresh smell inundated the air with an intoxicating aroma, and you bit into the first orange wedge with a blank look. Kapp'n looked at you for a split second, then turned back to the now asphalt road.
"No eatin' in the bus, kid." Kapp'n muttered, but still accepting the orange wedge you had offered to him. You probably had a sparkle in your eye, because he snorted and glanced knowingly at you, asking, "Firs' time? Ye prepared for it? It's quite a hectic city, Eiyono. Wee little kids like you might no' survive it." You grin, and you are sure that there is a hard glint in your eyes, because Kapp'n looked surprise when he saw your face again.
"Kapp'n. I'm sure I can make it. It's just me wandering around the main square, get a haircut, shine m'shoes, and look at this famous place. That's all."
"Now lookie here mister. Eiyono is no place to joke 'round in, y'hear me? Don' come back bruised o' anything, y'got it?"
"Yessir."
-o-
Sometimes, you feel like Kapp'n worries too much about yourself. Ah well. You stepped off the bus to immediately engage in a conversation with a bald eagle by the name Apollo. A curious fellow, very vain. But both of you striked up a conversation about your names, and about a certain someone that had ran away from home, the guardian of said someone would be willing to pay anyone.
Slender, brown hair, slanted blue eyes, pale, not very muscled.
You bid him a goodbye, and you start to worry. Your eyes weren't extremely worthy of being the best physical attraction about you, but combined with your hair…Well, that was what Harriet was for. You approach the brightly lit building with a pink poodle in it, and call out a greeting. And when she doesn't really recognize you, you are glad that she doesn't have any newspapers or that Ichikuro is too far from the civilized world to know you ran away from home. Harriet gets straight to business, and as you sit in the leather chair, you look at the mirror in front of you.
Slanted, blue eyes shaded by a scruffy hairdo of mousy brown. Your skin isn't pale anymore; it's a nice tan. You always had a slender body, and as you toned your muscles, your body grew lither. But you don't recognize the fourteen year old boy that escaped Kurisen. You see a fifteen year old with a lopsided grin.
And as you relax and recline, you feel the machine shaping your hair to spikes. The poodle asks what color you like, and gives you a strange list of words. Radiant you choose, and when you raise eyes to your choice of hair, a small smile quirks up your lips. White, spiky hair. Sirius was a quiet and shy boy, Cygnus was polite, but fun loving.
You know who you are, but you disagree with the personality you were born with, therefore cultivated a new one, somewhat like a shell.
Two people have gotten past it in Ichikuro, and you aren't sure who was going to crack it next.
As you pay the three thousand bells for the hairstyle, you leave for the bus stop. It was enough that you got a hairdo, but it surely wasn't good if people asked about Sirius' whereabouts to you. The only reason Apollo hadn't recognized you was only because you had your—
"Ah! Sorry mister…?" A girl about your age, with pink hair tied up into three ponytails looks at your with wide, amber eyes. Your heart stops for a single second, and continues to beat. She was dressed in a simple white dress with a violet sash tying around her waist, and you secretly think she's pretty cute. Cute, not beautiful.
"Cygnus. And you are…" You shake her hand, and you aren't very surprised to find it is smooth and soft.
"Atria." You absently note that it is a star's name, like your fake and real one. And then you catch Kapp'n's amused eyes with him leaning on the wheel. Shooting him a dark look, you continue to chat with Atria, who shocks with saying that she is from Antares, and that she plans on moving sooner or later to Ichikuro itself.
"I'll have the pleasure of meeting you myself when you arrive, Atria."
-o-
The instant you get on the bus, Kapp'n notices you waving a hand at Atria, and he coughs with laughter. You glance at him, and you pull out a spare bag of blackberries. The little fruits were messy to eat, but it served your purposes alright. Then, Kapp'n opens up a conversation you could do without for now. "Did ye like lil' Atria, Cygnus?" You wonder how he heard your 'name' before, when you decided when it was when you had gone on the bus before and given your 'name' to Rover.
You begin to flush, and you chew a blackberry, contemplating on your answer. "Is she really movin' to Ichi?'' The kappa throws a hidden smirk at you, and you flick his shoulder with a sticky finger.
"Aye, the lil' gal be movin' to Ichikuro, and lookie here Cygnus, there it is!"
-o-
You feel at home here, in Ichikuro. You breathe in that fresh air again, relishing the hot breeze that came with the first week of August. As you look at the cobalt blue of the river rushing past under a stone bridge, you chew on a dandelion. The dark shadows of fishes darting about amused you a little, and when you recline on that branch feeling the warm wood, you shut your eyes to the world.
"Divine Bird! How are ya, skree-haw?" Avery. You lazily open one eye at him, and take note of his continuous catch-phrase. It was wonderfully original, and that was what you liked about the feathery brute. Your wearing a simple white shirt and ragged shorts with brown sandals, and your Nook has finally upgraded your house into a brilliant two story home.
"Lovely, and warm Ave."
"That's great, skree-haw.
"I know. How're ya?"
"Well, I'm sort of busy…"
"Ooh, who?"
"Cygnus!"
"'Right, business…OW!"
"That's what you get for askin' if I have a girlfriend!"
"Aveeeeee…"
"Just deliver mah message, alright?"
"Fine. To who?"
"Atria, and her new friend that's coming to Ichikuro."
-o-
You stand outside Atria's humble abode the next morning, shifting from one foot to another. You're nervous again, and when Nana spies on you just standing there, she grins and heads over. The pink chimp is calm today you observe, and she is carrying a shovel, probably out to find a fossil. You silently wish her luck on not falling in a pitfall.
"How're ya, b-b-buddy?" She asks with that awkward catchphrase of hers. You stand stark straight, and you look at the small house again, toeing the ground with a white sneaker.
"Great. I just gotta deliver this message to Atria, and sooner or later, her friend." You reply hastily, and Nana giggles. Looking at her with a cool gaze, you glance back at the house. The lights were off, but you could make out a shadow moving occasionally.
"So why are you waiting, Cygnus?" Nana asks curiously, and you then felt a stab of awkwardness. Playing it off with a hand brushing over your spiky white hair (you must compliment Harriet one of these days, the dye hasn't worn off yet along with the style) you admit to the light pink monkey:
"Nervousness?"
She laughed, and you had to grin a little at your foolishness. And then the grin fell the second it came when she darted to Atria's door pulling your hand. You hiss at her and stumble, when you come face to face with Atria herself. And you find yourself stunned when you see the blue tendrils of hair coming off a tightly wrapped bun to fall over her amber eyes.
"Oh! Cygnus! How are you?"
-o-
It's been a year and some more since you came to Ichikuro, and people like to call you a 'strapping young boy of sixteen'. You are inevitably taller, and your hair is still in that same spiky white hairdo when you first got your haircut by Harriet. Your eyes remain slanted and blue, but perhaps a little paler, like Brewster's icy ones.
Two new humans moved into Ichikuro, one a male and another female. Atria remains here with you, and after the first few weeks, you have (admittedly, and timidly) summoned the courage to ask her out.
The funny thing is, you pointed out to Avery and Nana once, is that you all have names from stars or constellations.
Orion was a bit shorter than you were, but admittedly thin as well. He preferred the odd color of a pale green for his hair color, an eccentricity that went weird with his black, innocent eyes.
The other girl was Atria's close friend, Altair, is even shorter than Orion, you saw the second she came off the bus. You had been lying on a branch, still lazily gazing at the common butterflies that eluded Atria's red and white rope net so easily when you first saw her. Altair is a stubborn girl, who preferred red hair to match with her own blue eyes. Kissed by fire, Orion once confided in you when he was dating her. You had already been close friends with Atria when he came, and Atria had laughed, a small musical giggle.
You still remain close friends with Avery and Nana, and Avery still calls you Divine Bird whereas Nana has started to nickname you Sig for the last month.
-o-
"Cygnus! How are ya, buddy?" Orion calls out to you, clutching an axe to cut wood. You curtly nod your head at him, and then fix a sharp glare at your friend. You are fishing, and the fish are like to be skittish if Orion happens to be more boisterous that day. A long and thin shadow creeps up to your red bait, and you intently watch it like a cat and a mouse. As soon as it bites it, you sharply reel it in, with all the intent of cooking it on your barbecue that night.
You had realized a long time ago that Nook only accepted your fish and bugs because they were his main source of food.
So you ate fish now, with fruit beside it.
An eel, a slippery thin creature that disliked being held in your ice cooler. It was evident he didn't like it when he almost slipped out of your hand.
"Nice, Sig." Orion complimented you, but you were more engrossed in stuffing the fish deep in the cooler where it wouldn't shock your hand off. You played the piano, courtesy of your long fingers, and it certainly wouldn't do to have it electrocuted.
"Thanks, Orion. How's Al?" You ask how she is because you know that she is sick. The green haired boy looked off in the distance, and shrugged. His eyes narrowed at the sun, and you are obliged to shield your eyes from the bright axe he is holding.
"Fine. I hear the fountain is being built by Noo—" You abruptly cut him off with a morose look.
"Actually, Tortimer is hiring us to help build the damn thing."
"What? Does Atria know?"
"Of course she does Orion. She was with me when I finally paid my last mortgage." You had quite the big house now, and Orion and Altair never hesitated to use the second floor for their own business. Atria, however, used the second room on the right for her own studies. You are growing worried and anxious over her health though, because she seems more reclusive these days.
"Whoa, you paid your last mortgage? That totally means we gotta party at your house, man!" Orion was happy to know you paid the last mortgage Nook would ever give you, and in a sense, you felt happy too.
"Later, Orion. Later, when you've finally paid your first mortgage." You tease him back, and then let out a laugh at his sudden sullen expression. "Anyways, when you do do that, I'll throw a really big party, 'k?"
-o-
Altair is such a stubborn girl, like you. And she is perfect for Orion's bull-headed nature. You respect her, but knows how to get on your nerves sometimes.
You were both hired to Gracie Grace, an unfortunate mishap for you when Atria was hired for the theater, and Orion with Crazy Redd.
As a customer, a red and white cat with yellow scleras hisses a question at me why the price of a blue argyle is so high. With a little luck, you remember his name: Kabuki. Calmly, you reply, "It is not my place to place the prices, sir, if you have trouble, please ask the manager over there." Fortunately, you gave no hint that you were extremely wary of his sharp claws.
As he left you in an angry mood, you exhaled a breath of relief. And then you spy Altair having trouble with a infuriated cow looming over her with narrowed black eyes. You think you hear a low snort, but you honestly can't tell with the piano music playing on the stereo. La'bel is humming softly to herself, taking no note of her newest employees.
"What do you mean that it's five thousand bells?"
You winced at the sharp tone, and then glanced at the clock. "La'bel, its lunch break."
-o-
Often, you feel that Atria knows who you really are after the Fourth of July party. Today was no different. You had laughed and had slipped up on a memory that belonged to Sirius, and you know that Atria is too smart for her own good. But when she started to talk to you in your house while Orion and Altair were enjoying a coffee at Brewster's about something you really didn't want to talk about, you tensed up.
"Cygnus…Do you remember the craze about searching for the lost boy that was 'kidnapped' by Kurisen?"
You freeze for a second, only a second, but Atria notices it.
She knew you too well.
But you reply evenly, "Aye."
"What was his name…A…I know it was a star."
"Sirius."You want to pound your brain out for blurting out the answer so quickly, and it only serves to prove her next question.
"So…Who is Sirius, Cygnus?" Atria…You tell her in a monotone voice, like the one you used almost two years back with Rover, when you gave him this name. you are almost afraid that Atria will desert you, along with everyone else, but she only looks at you with a level look. "So Cygnus, when was the last time you talked to your mother?" You are stunned.
When was the last time you actually held a conversation with your mother?
You say softly, "At least two and a half years, Atria." Sharply, she glares at you, and she makes you sit down on a wooden chair in front of a glass desk. Then she slams a thick pad of papers in front of your dazed face with a mechanical pencil.
"So. Write what you've been doing these past two years…" Before you can protest she cuts you off with a smile, "and don't tell her where you've been." Blankly, you look at her with your slanted blue eyes, and she walks off, a significant bounce in her step, blue locks of hair falling out of her loose bun.
So you pick up the mechanical pencil, blue you abstractedly note, and you scratch in the beginning of a long, long letter.
Dear Mum...
Well, I hope your happy, anonymous person! :D This is my first time out of a fandom for those who don't know, and I think I like this point of view. Ok, so I find Rover a bit annoying and nosey, but that might be the only thing OOC. The only thing I find amusing here is the fact that the 'Pate and Avery' scene really happened, and is where I started to feel genuinely sorry for Avery. And what if Cygnus was inspired by Maplestory's Empress Cygnus? So I used star/constellations to name these people, and I think that they (hopefully) aren't a Mary-Sue or Gary-Sue type.
Have an early Fourth of July, readers.
Signing off, Akira
