Alex was getting ready to start their day when Isabelle's announcements clicked on. "Good morning, everyone! It's another day of bright sunshine. We have some exciting news today; the construction on Alex's house is complete! Alex, come by Resident Services as soon as you can. We have something important to discuss with you. See you soon, and I hope everyone enjoys this lovely day!" Alex was already out the tent and racing up the path before she clicked off.
Mr. Nook and Isabelle were waiting outside Resident Services, talking together. In fact, it looked like most of the villagers had turned up as well. Raymond, Reneigh, Fauna, and Zucker were all waiting there. Isabelle saw them first and gave an enthusiastic wave. "Morning, Alex!" She greeted.
"Morning, Isabelle. Mr. Nook. Everyone." Alex returned the greeting, slightly out of breath. The others chimed in their various greetings, but Alex couldn't help but notice Raymond just jerked his head up in a quick nod. Oops. Still mad I guess. They turned their attention back to Mr. Nook. "My house is finished?" Alex asked, now that they had recovered.
"Yes, yes. Got the keys right here." Mr. Nook causally spun them on one of his clawed fingers. "Whoa, hang on. Not so fast," he closed his hand around the keys, hiding them from view as Alex reached for them. "We have more pressing matters to deal with first."
"Is it about my bill? Look, I know it's been a few days, but I am working on it. I should be finished—" Mr. Nook held up his hand, cutting them off.
"Actually, it isn't about that, as ironic as that sounds. It's something a bit more serious."
"You see, Alex, you have to," Isabelle paused slightly and bit her lower lip uncertainly, "Well, you have to go away for a bit first."
Alex looked at Mr. Nook in alarm. "You are sending me away? But…" Alex gave Raymond a hurried glance. "But I apologized," they said weakly, in defense of the only reason that they could think of.
Mr. Nook raised an eyebrow at that statement and, turning to Raymond, gave him a quizzical look. Still looked peeved, Raymond only slightly shook his head in answer to the unspoken question. "Hmm, well, I don't know what that is about, but you need to go for your own safety."
"Why?"
"It's Saturday," Timmy volunteered the information as he walked up holding a travel pack. Tommy was carrying an identical one. "Our supplies come in later today."
Alex let that information sink in. "Your supplies? You mean the ones from Redd co.?"
"Yup. So there will be people from Redd co. here. In particular, K.K. Slider will be coming."
Alex tapped their chin, thinking. "K.K. Slider…why does that name sound familiar?"
"He was a pop star before he…got involved with Redd co.," Mr. Nook explained. "You might have listened to his music. It will several years ago now though, so you might have been too young."
"Maybe," Alex agreed absently, distracted by Timmy shoving their pack into their hands. "But Leif saw me. Why do I have to leave just because some more employees are coming?"
"Because, unlike Leif, Slider is a canine mix."
"Ya," Timmy said enthusiastically, "and you smell human."
"I smell?" Alex repeated, horrified. "But I bath every day!"
"Human: you smell human," Isabelle hurriedly clarified. "No, you don't stink, but Slider is used to working with humans, so he will recognize your scent for what you are."
"Oh," Alex said weakly. "But I don't know where I am to go."
"Don't worry about that; Lucky is going with you to show you the way."
Alex turned to see Lucky hobble up on his cast. "Sure, ask the cripple to climb a mountain, why don't you?"
"Lucky, if there was anyone else I could ask, I would ask them. No one else can go."
"No one else is expendable, you mean." Lucky grumbled sourly.
"Don't say that!" Isabelle augured. "If anyone else is gone, Slider is bound to notice and start asking questions."
"Which is something we want to avoid at all costs," Mr. Nook added. "Based on what some of you have told me," Mr. Nook glanced to his villagers standing around, "Leif's behavior the other day indicates that our 'visitors' know something is up. We need to try to be as normal as possible when he arrives."
"Normal," Raymond snorted. "That's ironic."
"We need to be routine then, if that word makes you feel better," Mr. Nook said bluntly, not being sidetracked by Raymond's snide comment. "The point is we don't want to arouse Slider's suspicions; something that will happen if someone who is normally here is absent when he arrives."
"I know, I know," Lucky said tiredly. "I'm still not happy about it though."
"We are all grateful for your sacrifice." Mr. Nook said. "If there was any other way around it, we would do that instead. Now, off you both go. It will take a while for you to get to our second campsite, and you best get started. "
POV
Lucky/ dog
Lucky gritted his teeth and ignored the sweat starting to soak through his bandages. The trail winding up the mountain wasn't incredibly steep, but he had to be very, very careful in his condition. He had to make sure he placed each crutch firmly, before shifting his weight onto it. One misstep or tumble…well, Alex would have to make the trip back down the mountain themselves, he thought darkly. "Lucky, please?" The memory of Isabelle looking at him with those big, pleading eyes replayed in his mind. "Alex can't go all alone. You know how defenseless they are. No else can go…" Seriously, how was anyone supposed to say no to her when she got like that? Lucky lightly shook his head, dispelling the image. That had to be the only explanation as to why he was hiking up a mountain, in his condition, on crutches, with a busted leg.
At least Alex appeared to be having fun. They were staying close, but they were not content to keep his snail's pace on the path. They disappeared haphazardly into the woods on either side, going off on mini-excursions. The good thing was, Alex was making enough of a racket, that even a human could have identified where they were at any given moment. That and Alex felt the need to yell back to him anything of interest that they found. So random bits of information were routinely shouted back at him. Information like "Lucky, did you know that there are apples growing over here?" and "Cool, I found some tadpoles!" to even "Hey, Lucky, I think I found a fossil!" Like Lucky was an anchor though, Alex would reappear, darting out of the brush to come up beside him. They would walk next to him, keeping up their chatter, before disappearing into the underbrush again. Lucky shook his head. And that's even with a messed up leg.
There had only been one hiccup so far. Alex and Lucky had taken the trail north through the small rose meadow, following the fork in the path that led deeper into the woods. The trouble came later, when it forked again. One side went towards the east, and begin to have an incline. The other was clearly less traveled, but led farther into the woods. Of course, Alex had started to follow the trail that went into the deeper woods. "Alex, stay close," Lucky called mildly as he started up the other one.
"I'll be right back. I just want to see what's down here. You go on ahead; I'll catch up."
"There is nothing to see down there."
"Then there is no problem with me going down it," Alex retorted, continuing on their way.
"Alex," Lucky's tone making it a reproval.
Alex took a few more steps, before stopping. "I can take care of myself you know," they said, turning around slowly. "I'm not a child"
"No, you're not," Lucky agreed. "But you are human."
Alex sighed, but trudged back towards him. "That line is getting real old, real quick," they grumbled.
"I know, but it is the truth." Lucky said, carefully placing his crutches. "That's why they asked me to go with you."
"Ya, but I don't know why," Alex grumbled. "I didn't realize I just had to follow the trail. They could have just told me that. I don't know why they felt like I needed a babysitter. It's not like you can—" Alex abruptly clamped their mouth shut and looked away, a blush spreading across their features.
"I can't what?" Lucky asked slowly, deliberately. "Protect you? Because of my condition? Is that what you were going to say?"
"No…" Alex said reluctantly, but Lucky could see the guilt written plainly on their face.
Lucky sighed, and shifted his stance on his crutches to face them. "Isabelle asked me to go with you because she doesn't want you alone out here. Besides, I know most of the people on this island and most of them know me. They don't know you. She wanted me to go with you, just in case we come across anyone." And I don't think you really get it, but you are at a disadvantage among us. Lucky kept that thought to himself however.
Alex looked up. "Do you think we will meet anyone?"
"No, not really," Lucky shook his head and started up the path again. "But you never know."
"Hmm, okay," Alex followed along. "Hey, Lucky, now that we are going uphill, do you need help with your pack? I can carry it for you, if you want."
Lucky was struggling, but he didn't want to appear any weaker in front of Alex. He half turned to politely refuse, when he noticed Alex's expression—repentant and slightly ashamed. They are trying to make up for their comment. "Sure, Alex," Lucky responded instead. "That would be great."
The rest of the trip uphill was going smoothly enough, until Lucky suddenly heard a rustle in the bushes. A sound that didn't come from the direction that Alex had went, and was too loud to be a regular, small animal. Lucky snapped his head in that direction, senses alert. You have got to be kidding me. One of the nomads is over here? Now? The wind was blowing the wrong direction; he couldn't smell anything. But that meant his—and Alex's scent—was blowing downwind to whoever was over there. "Alex." Lucky kept his voice low, but strong. "Alex. Come here."
Thankfully, Alex came right over. "Lucky? Is everything…" Alex took in his tense stance, and hurriedly went to go stand by him. "What is it," they asked more hushed.
"Shhh," Lucky hurriedly hushed him, still trying to listen. Great, now whoever is over there is being quiet too. "Get your hood up. And if I tell you to run, run." Alex's eyes widened, but Lucky didn't give them a chance to respond. "It's rude to linger in shadows," he called in the direction of the hidden stranger. "If you mean us no harm, show yourself." A few moments of tense silence followed.
POV
Alex/ human
Alex kept trying to watch Lucky and the direction he was looking at at the same time. Alex hadn't heard anything, but Lucky clearly had. The way he was staring off in one direction; Alex could tell that he had heard something. He was covered in bandages, but Alex was sure his hackles had risen in response to his defensive stance. The moments of tense silence seemed to drag out…
Before a lone figure dropped out of a tree onto the path in front of them, landing lightly on the balls of her feet. She was dressed practically, like you would expect someone to dress if they were out hiking, but that wasn't what caught Alex's attention. She's a cat, Alex thought excitedly, like Raymond. But unlike Raymond, both of her eyes were human and dark-colored, outlined with striking blue eyeliner. There were patches of yellow fur on her arms and legs, identical to her tail's fur color. However, she also had some kind of Egyptian tattoos stained across her face, matching the blue markings on her arms, legs and tail. In fact, even her hair and the cat ears on the top of her head were blue.
Alex felt Lucky give a sigh of relief next to them. "Ankha," he breathed, "you just about gave me a heart attack!"
"I'm sorry, Lucky," she responded, coolly. Her eyes didn't leave Alex. "I didn't recognize your friend's scent. I didn't mean to startle you though."
"It's fine." Lucky adjusted his stance and motioned at Alex. "Ankha, this is Alex. Alex, this is Ankha. Don't worry; she's a friend."
Alex noticed the faintest twitch of her cat ears when he said that, but she walked over calmly. "Salaamu aleiku" she said politely enough, extending her hand.
Alex shook her hand with the reply, "Waaleikum us salam." Alex shrugged at Lucky's surprised look at their proper response to the greeting. "I had a sailboat, remember? I got around."
"Nice to meet you, Alex," she gave a faint smile to them, before she turned back to Lucky. "But what are you two doing so far away from the village? You shouldn't be out like this," her eyes flashed to his leg.
Lucky jerked his head towards Alex. "Them. They can't stay in the village right now with Slider on the way. Alex is human." At that, Alex reached up and pushed their hood back, allowing Ankha to see their normal ears.
Ankha stiffened slightly, but otherwise didn't react. "Really? Then why are you here?"
"Long story," Lucky said and started to hopple forward. "Mind if I fill you in on the way?"
Ankha and Alex kept pace with Lucky as he briefly relayed what had happened over the past few days, with Alex interjecting their own side as well. Ankha shook her head when they finished. "That's quite a tale, Alex." She said tactfully. "You seem to be handling it well, all things considered."
"Ya, well, not much else I could do." Alex mumbled, adjusting their hold on Lucky's pack. But then they brightened. "So, what about you? What are you doing out here?"
"Well," she smiled, "I was actually on my way to the village, for the same reason you were leaving. I need more supplies."
"So where do you live?"
"All over the island. I travel about."
"Cool," Alex breathed, a dreamy smile on their face. "I want to see everything."
"Oh, I believe that." Lucky chuckled. "Hang on, I think you missed checking out a patch of bushes back that."
Alex just laughed. "I still have the way back down."
The rest of the trip up to the campsite was uneventful. Ankha stayed close to Lucky, helping him navigate the trail, while Alex kept up their small explorations. Eventually, they made it to the top.
"Here it is: Campsite 2.0." Lucky said, his voice slightly strained, when they reached to top. "Knock yourself out." The path opened up as the forest ended a little ways from the edge of a cliff, leaving a small clearing. After depositing Lucky's pack, Alex happily wandered around, leaving Ankha to help get Lucky settled at the base of a tree. They could see where someone typically pitched their tent, and a burned out section that was clearly reserved for a campfire. They got as close to the cliff edge as they dared. Looking over the edge, they could see the shoreline with the docks. The docks with the Redd co. boats…
Alex hurriedly crouched down. They couldn't see much from up here, but they could see figures moving about down there. "Hey, the boats are already here." Alex called back to Lucky and Ankha. They turned though to see only Lucky leaning back against a tree with his leg probed up on his pack. Ankha was nowhere around. "Hey, Lucky, you ok? Where did Ankha go? Do you need any help?" Alex called back to them.
"No, hang on," he grunted. He pulled out a small, white container out of his pack, and popped two pills into his mouth, swallowing them dry. "She went to go get some water from the last stream we passed. I will be fine in a few." He leaned back with a sigh, closing his eye.
Alex walked over. "Is that medicine for your leg?"
"Ya, narcotics. It just hurts because I have been on it all day."
The unmarked container clutched in his hand struck Alex as odd. Blather is seemed so neat and organized… "Did you get that from Blathers?"
Lucky slowly opened his one eye, looking at them. "No," he said simply. He closed it back. "He's cut me back on the painkillers. He is worried that I will get addicted to them. He was going on about 'dependence' and 'tolerance' and 'withdrawals'. I don't know; I stopped listening, " Lucky grumbled.
"Sounds like he is just worried about you," Alex said diplomatically as they sat down.
"Well, he's not the one that lives every day in pain, so he can shove it up his feathery butt," Lucky griped. "It's not often that I go as long as a week without something being broken."
Alex winced in sympathy, but their curiosity refused to let it rest. "So, where did you get them then?"
"Leif." His tone was flat.
"Really?" Alex was honestly surprised. They thought back to the short conversation that they had had with him, and his implied meaning to his trade. Ooohhhh. "Leif gave it to you? Are you friends with him?" Lucky and Leif are completely different though. Lucky has such calming vibe and is easy to talk to. Leif doesn't and isn't. Besides, the guy handing out drugs typically isn't the best example of a good friend.
"Yes." Lucky rummaged around in his pack, "In a way." Before Alex could ask him a follow-up question, he pulled out a pair of binoculars. "Here. You want to see what Slider looks like, right? Get on your stomach when you get to the edge, but don't fall off."
That was clearly an excuse to end this conversation if Alex had ever heard one, but once again, their curiosity was getting the better of them. Taking the binoculars, they headed to the edge of the cliff. They followed Lucky's advice, getting down on their stomach as they edged closer to the edge. Propped up on their elbows, they put the binoculars up to their eyes.
The other Redd co. boats had pulled away from the docks by this point, and Alex was a little afraid that they had missed their chance to see the infamous K.K. Slider. But they quickly realized that that wasn't the case, even with all the other hybrids on the beach, Alex could easily pick him out.
He was wearing black pants, black shirt, and black combat boots, with fingerless black fighting gloves. All the black stood out in sharp contrast to his shockingly white hair. Strangely enough though, his thick eyebrows were black, the same as his large dog nose, which was similar to Isabelle's. He had small, white folded-over ears, that Alex knew was a trait of some hunting dog, but couldn't place. He had a strong jawline that somehow made him seem more canine. But that wasn't the main reason that set him apart from the others.
It was the way he carried himself. It was the quiet, assumed authority to his movements and mannerisms that made him seem bigger and taller. But he really isn't, Alex thought as they watched him. I mean, he is muscular; I can tell that even with the shirt. But Raymond might be taller actually. It is the way he carries himself. He carries himself like he is the one giving orders.
And he is used to it.
"He looks intense." Alex called over their shoulder.
"He is. He is the leader of the…other hybrids. He views himself as the alpha."
Alex looked back through the binoculars. "He's talking to Isabelle."
"Ya, he has been after her for months to switch over to his 'pack'."
Makes sense. She is a good team player. "Does he ever try to recruit you?"
"Ha, never." Ales frowned at the hard edge to his words.
Putting the binoculars down, they half turned on their elbows to look at him. "Why?"
Lucky gestured at his leg. "Look at me. Clearly, I am a mistake." He laughed humorlessly, looking off to the side. "According to Slider, it is 'survival of the fittest'. Natural selection and all that. And I have been selected out." His voice turned quieter, more thoughtful. "He thinks I am just a waste of resources. And if he had his way, I would just…disappear."
"Lucky!" Alex exclaimed, horrified. "That's terrible!"
"Hey, it's his words not mine." Lucky shrugged. "But it's one reason why I am so grateful Mr. Nook and Isabelle run the village. I don't know what I would do on my own. But don't you worry, Alex," He said hurriedly, cutting off their protest. "I'm not going anywhere."
POV
Lucky/ dog
The rest of the evening passed quietly. They ate the persevered food that they had brought in their packs; they couldn't risk a fire with the Redd co. boats still in the area. The whole point coming up here after all was to avoid attention. Once it started to get dark, they set up their sleeping bags, and got ready for bed.
"Tomorrow, hopefully, I will be in a real bed. Finally," Alex grumbled as they lay down.
"Yup," Lucky agreed as he and Ankha set up theirs at the edge of the clearing, near the woods. Alex had asked if they could sleep in the center of the clearing, 'under the stars' as they put it. Lucky decided there wasn't really any danger from that; they were far enough away from the edge. Alex pointed to all the constellations that they knew—which turned out be quite a lot, actually—before falling sleep.
Lucky and Ankha sat together in compatible silence, listening to the sounds of the night. "So, what do you think about them?" Lucky broke the silence first.
Ankha glanced at the sleeping human. "Alex? They seem nice. What about the others? What do they think about them?"
"Some are skittish, naturally. Raymond in particular is hesitant to believe that their presence is just a coincidence. Mr. Nook has decided to give them the benefit of the doubt that their story is true though, so everyone else has fallen into line. That, and Isabelle adores them."
Ankha snorted. "That doesn't surprise me. She has strong motherly instincts, and Alex has all the defensives of a kitten, even if they just don't realize it." Lucky chuckled beside her at that. "I think they are telling the truth, you know," she said quietly, after a pause. "About not being part of Redd co. I really think they are just some random human, who had the worst luck to land here."
"Really? What makes you so sure?"
Ankha drew her knees up to her chest, wrapping her arms around them, and jerked her head in their direction. "Look at them: would you sleep like that?"
Lucky looked over. Alex was laying out in the center of the clearing, on their back, arms and hair spread haphazardly around them. They were completely exposed. Vulnerable. Lucky knew that he wouldn't be able to sleep like that. He would be undercover, on his side with his back against a firm surface, ready to defend himself if the need arose. "No, I wouldn't."
She nodded, eyes watching them. "Me neither. None of us would. Because we know better. We know that there are real dangers out there, and we know to stay alert and ready. Our fear helps keep us safe. But Alex doesn't know fear. They don't know that they should be afraid," she shook her head. "They aren't connected to Redd co. They had no idea of the horrors of that place…"
Lucky touched her arm, as she trailed off. "Hey, we aren't there anymore. We left and we are never, ever going back. We are here now."
"Yes, we are." She sighed, reaching up to place her hand over his. She leaned back and closed her eyes, the two of them just enjoying each other's company. "I missed this," she said it so suddenly and so quietly, that Lucky thought that maybe he had imagined it. But that couldn't be right; she was the one who had left, suddenly and with barely any warning.
"Ankha, why did you leave the village?" Lucky asked softly. "You barely even said goodbye."
She turned to look at him, eyes reflecting the moonlight. "Is there a reason to stay, Lucky?" she asked gently.
Lucky felt a familiar wave of frustration rise up in him. He couldn't shake the feeling that she was asking one thing, but was really asking another. Why couldn't she just come out and ask it, instead of dancing around it? Why won't she just talk to me? We are friends, are we?
"Well, yes. We need to stick together; we all need each other. I'm not sure what happened, but I don't want you to stay if you are unhappy there…"
She gave a deep sigh and turned away. "It's not that I was unhappy, Lucky. It's just that…well, I'll think about staying," she said simply, to his disappointment. "I'll think about it, Lucky."
POV
K.K. Slider/ dog
Afternoon of the same day
K. K Slider stood off to the side, watching as the villagers organized their supplies. The guards that came with him had moved the crates off of the boat, while the villagers waited a previously assigned distance back. Slider would take no chance on a traitorous rebellion trying to storm the boats and take them back. Once the crates were off-loaded and the boats had pulled off shore however, the villagers were allowed to come forward and collect their supplies. Slider stayed behind as acting diplomat between Redd co. and the villagers. Besides, he wanted a reason to stay on the island as long as possible. After all, he hadn't smuggled his guitar on board for nothing.
Slider touched a button on his smart watch, activating the wireless earbud he wore in one ear. "Gulliver, are any of the islanders aware that there is a castaway here?" He had already spoken to Gulliver on the way over to get the basic information. Leif was next to no help at all, he thought distastefully. Sneaky, smart-smoothed insurgent.
"Nook saw them," came the prompt rely. "Nothing to report on any of the others."
"How did he respond?"
"He became defensive of them to me. It goes against my programing to provoke a confrontation with the islanders, so I pulled back to await further instructions."
"Hmmm, thanks." He ended the contact. The fact that no one, including Nook, was volunteering information was telling in and of itself. Fine then; try to keep your little trespasser hidden from me. Slider felt a smile tug at the corner of his lips. I haven't had a real challenge in ages.
"Zucker, stop raising your side higher than mine," Raymond snapped at the hapless octopus-hybrid, interrupting Slider's thoughts. "Seriously, how can you have so many arms and legs, and still not manage to carry a box properly?"
"Sorry, sorry," came the frazzled reply.
He glanced around, doing a quick head count. Most of the villagers had been around long enough that he knew their names, the only current exception was the new deer girl. It seemed like almost everyone was here though to help move the supplies. Tom Nook had his invoice out, quickly thumbing through it, checking the purchases. There were the Able sisters, both hastily checking the quality fabric that they had ordered. The twins were stacking the supplies for their store in neat rows to make organizing later on easier. Blathers was comparing the items on his invoice to the crates marked for him. "Hey, Blathers," Slider called conversationally to him. "What's with the sudden increase in purchases of blood plasma?" Slider had already talked to Gulliver; he was aware of how the human had been injured. But if the villagers were intent on hiding them, he was interested in how Blathers would answer the question.
But Isabelle beat him to it. "Lucky hurt his leg again." She said simply.
Slider rolled his eyes. So that's why he isn't here today. "Seriously? Why do you keep trying to patch him up? He is just going to keep getting broken."
"Now, Slider, I thought we 'would be left to our own devices' here," she reminded him calmly, but there was firmness to it. "If we decide we want to try to give him the best quality of life, then that's our business. It doesn't affect the safety of the Island or Redd co. for us to do so."
"Maybe, but it's such a waste of time and effort," Slider responded. But he continued to watch her as she helped guide and direct the others. Speaking of wasting someone's time…the way she kept everyone in line; it was amazing. She wasn't a leader, not in the same sense of Nook, or Mr. Redd, or even himself. Slider knew he needed help to run his pack. Of course, if he had his way, he would only have the best and strongest as part of his group. It was natural selection at its finest, with the best at the top and the weakest at the bottom. You would think that the unwanted rejects would be thrilled at the invitation to be one of the select few. Unfortunately, not everyone saw it that way. Slider was disappointed that Raymond in particular still hadn't reconsidered, but he wasn't too worried. Some of the Redd co. hybrids had taken bets originally on how long 'Pretty Boy' would last on the island, before he would just give in and come back. Some had only given him a few months; they guessed he was more of an 'indoors' cat as opposed to an 'outdoors' cat.
But Isabelle excelled in other ways. Some people excelled at being helpers. Once Slider realized how instrumental she was to the island, he had requested of Mr. Redd that Isabelle be allowed to leave and rejoin the Redd co. hybrids. He hadn't been too pleased about the idea at first.
"Which one is that? The blonde one?" He had asked skeptically.
"Yes, Sir, the Shih Tzu." Slider had responded.
"Hmmm, why her? She didn't seem that good in the tests."
"She isn't that good by herself, but when you put her in a group with others," Slider shook his head. "She's amazing. She's manages the islanders for Nook."
That gave Mr. Redd a pause, causing him to lean back in his chair and really focuses on Slider. "Nook relies on her?"
"Yes, I would say so. Everyone knows that Nook is head of the island, but Isabelle is the heart."
"And the fastest way to kill something is to cut out the heart," Mr. Redd mused. Not for the first time, Slider wondered exactly what had happened between Redd and Nook, for Mr. Redd to take such a personal vendetta against him. "Fine. You can keep her for your pack, if you can convince her to leave."
Slider stepped closed to Isabelle. "Why do you waste your time here?" He said simply.
Isabelle gave a deep sigh. "The answer is the same no matter how many you ask. No. I'm not leaving. I'm needed here."
"You can do so much more, working with us."
"No. I'm not going back to work with those people."
"You wouldn't be working with them; you would be working with me."
"Same difference."
He touched her shoulder. "Come on, Isa—"
She shrugged him off. "I said no. They need me here," but Slider caught her quick glance at Mr. Nook.
"Is that why you stay? Because of him?"
She followed his gaze, and turned back, giving Slider a narrowed eye look. "No. I know what you mean, and no, it's not like that."
"Whatever," he growled; his annoyance at being rejected—yet again—was making him lose his temper. She's just being stubborn. How can she not see that I am the stronger leader? Surely, she can tell; she's a dog-hybrid too after all. "Wow, he really does have you wrapped around his fingers doesn't he? Guess you really are his b—"
Mr. Nook cleared his throat noisily. "Slider, I can't stop you from overseeing our supplies being brought to the island. However," Mr. Nook now raised his eyes from his invoice, "I can kick you back onto the boats as soon as they are done unloading. What was it the other week you said about practicing your guitar here? The atmosphere is better for your creativity, hm?" Slider's lip twisted as a growl issued from him, but he moved away from Isabelle.
Isabelle waited until she was sure he was out of earshot. "Pick your battles, Mr. Nook," She said slightly frostedly. "Thanks, but that was unnecessary. I can take it."
"Oh, I know you can," His voice was low but calm. "But if you think I am going to stand there while he insults my favorite coworker, well, do you really know me at all, Ms. Isabelle?"
Isabelle felt a smile tug at her lips at his praise. "Sometimes I wonder, Mr. Nook." Don't date coworkers, she reminded herself as they both turned back to their work. It never works out well.
Besides… I'm not Sable…
POV
Raymond/ cat
A little under a year ago
Raymond collapsed—again—exhausted. He was finally reaching his physical breaking point. His muscles kept getting spasms whenever he tried to hold a pose for any length of time, causing his arms and legs to shake and trimmer. The aches and pains didn't go away any more, making him sleep restlessly. He was sore and aching constantly now. Raymond was honestly surprised he hadn't actually broken anything yet. He was sure that he would have strained or sprained something by this point. He just lay on the cool floor now, trying to catch of few seconds of rest.
"Hey," Harvey called from his location by his camera. "No laying down on the job. Literally. Up and at 'em, Pretty Boy."
Raymond groaned. He was really starting to hate that nickname. "I can't. Please, Harvey…"
"No way. We have a schedule to keep. You better not be faking. Do I need to make a phone call to—"
"No!" Raymond cut him off. "No, please. I'm not faking; I'm just so tired." Raymond hated the pleading tone to his words. "Please, Harvey. I just need a quick rest, and I'll get back to it. Please, just give me a few minutes…"
Harvey ran his hand down his face, but checked his watch. "Fine," he said. "You better work on the double to make up for this. Here," He tossed Raymond his shock anklet. "Put that on, and I can give you half an hour." He waited until Raymond had done so, before turning back to his camera.
"Thank you," mumbled Raymond, closing his eyes. He isn't going to stop. He is going to keep pushing at this frantic pace until he has everything he wants from me. He shuddered. How do I get out of here? I can't risk running away again, even if I was given another chance. I could try to fight them, but I don't think that would work either. Even if they are worried about hurting me, I still don't… Raymond paused, a slow thought entering his head. He slowly extended the claws in his hand. He can't use me anymore if I am…damaged.
The thought made him feel a little sick; he had never tried to inflict self-harm on himself before. But he couldn't think of any other way out of this nightmare. It doesn't have to be deep, just enough to make sure he can't use me anymore. He reached up slowly and placed the claws under his left eye—the cat one. I just need to mar it enough, so I'm not his "Pretty Boy," anymore. He closed his eyes and braced himself.
"Hey, what are you—whoa! Stop him!" Harvey's voice cut in. Raymond felt a sharp pain from the shock anklet cut on, stopping him in his tracks. When the convulsions subsided, he was pushed down onto his knees, with his arms pinned behind him. Harvey had his face between his hands and was turning it back and forth. "I think we got to you in time. I don't see any harm." Harvey glared at him. "What were you thinking, trying to hurt yourself? Don't you know how valuable to the Company you are?"
"I don't care." Raymond spat. "It's my body after all."
"Wrong." Harvey's eyes had gone cold. "It was your body before, but it belongs to the Company now. You just happen to inhabit it. And that is a privilege, not a right; a right that is about to be revoked." He pulled out his cellphone and walked away, muttering into it, leaving Raymond to struggle against the guards with a growing feeling of dread.
He didn't have long to wait until Dr. Jones showed up. Only this time, he brought an IV with him. "No," Raymond breathed as he started to unwind the tubes. "No, I'll behave. I won't try anything again."
"Nothing doing." Harvey said. "You tried it once; you might try it again. I can't watch you every second of every day, but this," he jerked his head at the IV, "will make sure you behave."
"No! No, please, you have no idea what it does!" Raymond screamed as he tried to get away, but the guards were holding him firmly. Raymond struggled as they pulled one of his arms forward and pulled up his sleeve, exposing his veins. "Please no, I can't."
"I know it makes you obey. And that's all I care about." Harvey gave him a cold smile. Raymond whimpered as the IV was shoved into his arm, and taped into place.
"Keep him immovable for about an hour," Dr. Jones informed the guards. "That should give it enough time to get into his system. Leave the IV catheter taped in place, but you know how to unhook it from the main drip, right?" He asked Harvey. He continued at his nod. "Good. You will have to either cover it up or positon him so it doesn't show. You can give him another dose by hooking him back into it for an hour, every four hours." He glanced at Raymond. "You got anything to ask him?" He said to Harvey. "He won't be able to answer for a while."
"No," Harvey shook his head. "I only need his body, not his mind."
Raymond gave Harvey a very cat-like snarl, with bared teeth and all. "Wow, temper on that one," Dr. Jones chucked. "See if you can save some of him for us at the Lab, Harv."
The days dragged on in a perpetual nightmare for Raymond. Forced to obey Harvey's commands, his body kept going. His muscles ached and groaned under the strain, as he was forced to pose, again, and again, without rest. Once Harvey felt like he had gotten enough photos from one shoot, Raymond was hauled off, changed clothes like he was some kind of doll, and dragged back to repeat the whole process. Except now, he couldn't even scream, or yell, or do anything to make his complaint understood. He's going to break something, he thought numbly, snap a tendon, pull a ligament, something. Anything, just get him to stop!"
But he didn't, and the days dragged on. The guards figured out that they could order him to eat his cat food, to Raymond's added horror. No matter how much he gagged internally, his body dutifully ate the food placed in front of him. It was demeaning as anything else.
He wasn't even able to escape from this ordeal at night. Harvey was so worried about losing his perfect model, that he left him hooked up to the drip throughout the night as well. Raymond knew that that couldn't be good, but there was nothing he could do.
Raymond finally pushed away the pain and misery, retreating farther and deeper within himself. He tried to bury himself under apathy and numbness. He was trapped in his own body; a soul to just give life force to this rebellious cadaver. He couldn't stay like this forever; he wasn't sure how long his body could hold him captive like this. He prayed and begged to anything and anyone who he thought might hear him, to please just take him already, and end his suffering.
Eventually, though he started to wake up. Snatches of conversations were drifting down to him, but he didn't care. It didn't matter; nothing did. Not even the quick flash of intense pain in the center of his consciousness, and then a second one a few moments later. But the voices were gradually getting louder, and other painful sensations were dragging him up as well. There was a steadily growing burning sensation in the center of his chest, and it was demanding that he pay attention to it. His whole body ached, but in particular his arms and legs. The voices were loud enough now, and he could make out what they were saying, even if he didn't understand what they meant at first.
"…ruined a perfectly good specimen….look at him...last time I loan him that drug…"
"Calm down, Doctor….be fine…he's a fighter; he will come around."
Raymond felt something shift, and an annoying, painfully bright light was suddenly filling his consciousness. He struggled to block it. He didn't like being more awake; everything hurt and ached, and he wanted to just go back, but his traitorous body apparently decided that it needed him now. He was gradually realizing that as he was becoming more aware of his body that he was in control again. He scrambled mentally, reaching out, trying to get a grip on all the incoming signals while trying to rediscover how to control everything again. He felt repeated pressure on his cheek, and it registered that someone was patting it. The bright light disappeared for a few seconds, but then his other eye was forced open and the pen light was flashed into it as well. "His eyes are dilating, so that is a good sign at least," a voice grumbled. "Come on now, wake up."
Raymond took a deep shuddering breath, and finally blinked both his eyes open. The world was blurry, as they tried to refocus on everything. "There, told you he would come around," a smug voice said. "Get those off." Raymond gasped as the AED pads were painfully torn off. But the pain was sharp enough to help pull him the rest of the way into reality. He focused on Mr. Redd and Doctor Shrunk leaning over where he lay on the floor. Mr. Redd smiled down at him, "Welcome back to the world of the living, Raymond."
"Why," Raymond's voice was a dusty crock, dry from not being used. He swallowed and tried again. "Why did you bring me back?"
Mr. Redd just chucked. "Because I'm not finished with you yet." Reaching down, he patted Raymond's cheek, before moving out of Doctor Shrunk's way. "There is still much to do."
Raymond winced; his body was still trying to relay everything to him, plus his nerves were on fire. Dr. Shrunk grabbed his arm, and hauled him into a sitting position. He reached out and pressed two fingers against the pulse in Raymond's neck, and started timing something. Raymond belatedly recognized that he was back in Mr. Redd's smaller office, but he had no idea why. "You don't need me," Raymond said tiredly. He was so tired, and everything hurt, and he just wanted it to stop. "Just let me go. I want to die."
At that, Dr. Shrunk gave Mr. Redd a glare. "I told Harvey to be careful with that drug. I can't work with them in the Lab, once they get in this state. Once they get broken in spirit, there's nothing I can do," he fumed. "He is basically worthless at this point."
Mr. Redd eyed Raymond critically. His lethargic slouch, the anguish in his eyes, how his voice begged—all pointed to the probability that Dr. Shrunk was indeed correct. Dr. Shrunk was a scientist; he saw things in a very analytical way. No rouge independent variables; everything had to be done in a systematic and logical way. Which was just fine; it made Dr. Shrunk such a good choice as head scientist of the Project. He excelled at taking his brave 'volunteers'—martyrs for science, really— apart and improving them.
Well, sure, there were mistakes, but that was to be expected. Can't make an omelet without breaking a few eggs after all.
"Oh, I don't know if I would call him 'worthless'" Mr. Redd soothed absently, his voice a silky purr. Because, this—this—was his favorite part of the Project. Regular humans could be so obstinate; so stuck in their ways that they couldn't see the future or progress. They couldn't see what needed to be done. Only when his creations were truly broken and worn down, that's when he could build them back into whatever he desired. He reached out and gently caressed Raymond's cat ears, noticing the lack of response this time. He much more docile now, he though happily as he continued to stroke his latest in a long line of pets. Raymond slowly closed his dead, tired eyes as they started to fill with tears.
"What more can you do to me?" Raymond asked hoarsely, the tears dripping unnoticed down the corners of his eyes. "What else can you take away?"
"Not take away; give." Mr. Redd dragged his fingers down Raymond's face, and cupping his hand beneath his chin, forced his head up. Perfect. He is ready to be molded and shaped into whatever I want him to be. "Your old life is gone. You are smart enough to know that you can never go back to it. But I can give you a new purpose—a new life—here. Do you think I just wanted to punish you for being such a nosy, little snoop? No, if I wanted that, I would have warped your mind and as well as body." He didn't give Raymond a chance to respond to that. "No, you are so much more valuable to me with your mind intact. You are one of the last employees hired by my previous partner, Nook. Now Nook had his faults, but he had a sixth sense when it came to judging the valuably of a product. And if he choose you as an auditor—something he was very picky about, mind you—then you are worth your weight in gold.
"I haven't acquired anyone with your skill set yet. Managing the books is something that I was never particularly good at, and I don't mind saying it. But finding a competent replacement is proving more difficult then I originally thought, which you were smart enough to notice. I need someone to manage finances and records, so some other meddlesome auditor doesn't catch the same mistakes. The fact that you turned out exceptionally well," he dragged a thumb across Raymond's check, "is just a bonus."
Raymond took a deep, shuddering breath. "After everything that has happed, after what you did to me, after everything you put me through," he opened his teary ears, but they were no longer dead and tied, but fueled with an inner fire, "you are crazy to think that I would ever work for you," he spat out the last part weakly.
Mr. Redd raised his eyebrows in surprise. "Well, would you look at that? I guess that independent spirit wasn't completely drowned out after all," Mr. Redd said, amused at his newest creation's resistance.
Raymond shrugged, indifferently. "It doesn't matter; nothing does. I don't care what you do to me; I'm never going to do what you say."
"Aww, never say 'never'." Mr. Redd said cheerfully, grating on Raymond's nerves. He went over to a desk and picked up a manila envelope. Coming back over, he enthusiastically dumped the contents over Raymond's head. Raymond flinched, as the professionally printed photos cascaded down his neck and shoulders. He glanced at the images surrounding him and recoiled, closing his eyes.
"Yes," Mr. Redd's voice had thinly concealed glee. "You were such a good, obedient little model. You might not approve of Harvey's methods, but at least he gets things done. He took hundreds of photos of you. Anything and everything I could possibly need." Raymond felt a thin sharp, dragging pain on his cheek, and opened his eyes to Mr. Redd crouched in front of him, holding the photo he had cut him with. "I think this one is my favorite." Raymond couldn't help but look, and wished he hadn't.
He was wearing a maid outfit, complete with a white frilly apron. He didn't even remember wearing that particular outfit, but clearly he did. The outfit itself wasn't the problem, even though it was different from his usual style. It was the dullness of his eyes, the artificial smile, that caused Raymond to barely recognize himself. Mr. Redd turned the photo back around to face him. "It's almost symbolic," he said, standing up. "You really do exist to serve us, in however and whatever way we want."
Raymond shook his head slowly. "So what happens if I refuse your offer? Are you going to kill me?"
"My, aren't we dramatic?" Mr. Redd chuckled. "Why would I do something so wasteful?" He nodded to Dr. Shrunk, and Raymond felt the prick of a needle in his arm. "Don't worry; I am just going to send you away for a bit. Think of it as a holiday. It will give you time to clear your head and to really evaluate your situation. You are clever; you will make the smart choice and come back home to us."
"That's not going to happen."
"We'll see," Mr. Redd said calmly. "You don't really have a lot of options. Besides, you should be grateful. Not all of the Project's test subjects are given this opportunity. Living among those failures will help you to realize how fortunate you really are. You can waste your days among them, or you can choose to come back to civilization with those who truly appreciate your worth. Just know that this position won't be kept open for you forever." Raymond felt increasingly drowsy; the drug must be some kind of sedative. He blinked awake though, when Mr. Redd causally flicked him lightly the ear. "I'll look forward to your return, Raymond."
Raymond slowly woke up some time later. He felt dizzy and slightly nauseous. Salt air, oil, metal… he gradually identified the new smells filling his nose. The smells, combined with the rolling motion underneath him, could only mean one thing. I'm on a boat. He shifted uncomfortably; the hard metal hurt his back and side. He looked down to see his hands tied together at the wrists. He groggily went to sit up, and felt his shoulders and back of his head collide with something. He glanced around to see that he was in a metal cage, covered with some kind of sheet. It was bolted to the deck of the ship.
"Hey!" Raymond called out, now that he was coming fully awake. "Hey, where am I?" He could hear people moving about around near him.
Something stuck the top of his cage, causing a harsh metallic twang. "Shut up," a strong voice commanded, leaving no room to argue. "Wait your turn. I'll come for you soon enough."
Raymond snarled lightly, but there really wasn't much he could do in the way of protesting. Best to just sit tight at this point. Turned out he didn't have to wait that long at all.
He tensed as he heard the purposeful, stride walking towards his prison. The sheet was removed, but Raymond hadn't seen this…creature…before. What…what is he? Raymond gasped and recoiled from the monster before him. He was large and muscular and, above all, distinctly canine. Is this what Mr. Redd meant by "other test subjects"? Is he...like me? The thought filled him with regret and sadness. Is that how everyone will see me? Will everyone just see how different I am now? Will everyone see me as something that used to be human?
Will everyone see me as a freak now?
The dog-man appeared unbothered by his response though. Either that, or he was used to it by this point. He unlocked the lock on the door and pulled it open. "Come here." The dog-man said, and Raymond recognized the voice from earlier. Raymond just hissed, and slid farther back in his cage. Without missing a beat, the dog-man unhooked a baton from his belt and reached through the door to strike Raymond on the side of the head with it.
Stars exploded behind his eyes, as Raymond wheeled from the blow. He stumbled against the side of the cage dizzily as he tried to think through the roaring in his ears. He was dimly aware that the dog-man had put a cloth bag over his head, covering his eyes, and was half dragging him out of the cage. "Walk," the muffled command was clear enough.
Raymond stumbled forward, still trying to recover from the blow. But the firm, guiding hand on his shoulder made it clear where he was supposed to go. He recognized the sound of walking on wood, felt the shift as he went from the slightly rocking motion of the boat to more stable motion of the dock, and then finally felt the shifty feeling of sand. "Stop," the dog-man commanded. The hand let go of his shoulder, but before Raymond could do anything, he felt the hand descend on the back of his neck, and shove him down onto his knees on the sand. "Got a new 'friend' for you," Raymond heard him call out. "You know the drill: don't come near the docks until we are away." There was one final shove against his neck, and the presence lifted. Raymond heard him jog lightly up the docks, before the sound of the boats pulling away began.
It was almost immediately accompanied by the clatter of multiple people running on the sand. He felt a flurry of hands grab at him. The hood was hurriedly yanked off, to reveal a dozen more half-humans surrounding him. Their voices clamored together.
"Look at him!"
"Not another one.
"Ankha, he's a cat like you."
"Check out his eyes!"
Raymond stiffened as they begin to crowd around him. One—some type of raccoon-man— was undoing the bindings on his wrists. A blonde dog-woman leaned around him. "Oh, that's a nasty bruise," she said, extending a hand towards the side of Raymond's face.
Raymond panicked. He jerked away from her, and now that his hands were free, swiped at her with his claws. Gasping, she recoiled, with a hand pressed against her arm, the hurt and confusion plain in her eyes. "You—you scratched me," she mumbled.
"Don't touch me, don't come near me!" Raymond yelled, as he twisted and jerked free of the other hands. They all quickly backed up, giving him some space.
The raccoon-man took a protective stance in front of her and some of the other creatures. "Hey, there is no need for that. We are just trying to help."
"I don't need your help. I don't want your help. Leave me alone!" Raymond's eyes flashed around in fear at the creatures surrounding him. He spotted an opening in the gathered crowd and took it, bolting into the forest. He shoved plants out of the way as he ran blindly, just intent on putting distance between them and himself. When he reached a stream though, he recoiled, unintendedly acting on some instinct of revulsion at the idea of wading through it. Scanning the area, he spotted a small indent next to some trees. Good enough, I guess. Dropping to his knees, he crawled under the cover of some bushes.
He couldn't really relax even now though. He could count on one hand the number of times he had willingly spent any significant amount of time outdoors. So all the normal sounds of a forest were new and strange to him, especially with his new ears' sensitivity. Whimpering, he curled up on his side in his small shelter, with his back against the firm surface of the tree, trying to hide as much of his long limbs as possible.
POV
Lucky/ dog
Lucky and Ankha stood together on the beach, watching the spot where the new cat had run off to. "Well, that was different," she said mildly, picking up a shell and idly throwing it into the waves.
Lucky snorted in response. He glanced in the direction of village. Most of the other residents had already lost interest and moved on. Mr. Nook had practically dragged Isabelle to go see Blathers. Lucky hadn't seen him look so worried in a while—the way he carried on about her scratch getting infected. Lucky was pretty sure the word 'rabies' was used at some point. Isabelle blushed and fussed about being the center of attention, but she eventually gave in. "Ya, he has claws."
"I noticed." She held out her own hands, palms up. "That's new as well. I don't have those. Where do you think he even went?"
"He won't go too far" Lucky said humorously. "Did you see how he ran?"
"Yes," she agreed softly. "He's in pain."
Lucky nodded. He's in a new place, alone and scared. And he's hurt. In more ways then one. "Hey, why don't you go check on Isabelle? I'll catch up with you later."
She looked at him in concern. "You sure you will be alright on your own for a bit."
"Yup. I just want some fresh air."
"Alright, then." She lightly touched his shoulder in a familiar manner, before walking back to their village. Lucky watched her for a minute, making sure she really was leaving, before setting off on his own into the woods. Ankha is great, but she can be a little rude with new people. And I don't need her to get defensive about me to the new cat. Particularly if he will already be on edge.
Lucky walked carefully through the woods. He had been out of some kind of cast for a few weeks now, and he was going for a new personal best record. The new cat's trail was easy to follow. He must have just torn through the woods. It wasn't long before his nose told him he had found his quarry. He backtracked quietly to the river, and pulled out his fishing line. A short time later, he returned with a couple of small fish. Pulling out some flint, he got a campfire going. It wasn't long until his catch was cooking.
He sat down a short distance away, and waited. He knew that the others saw him as pretty non-threatening. With his weakened condition, it was pretty plain that he wasn't a threat. The fish were nearly done before he heard the faint rustle in the bushes. He kept his pleased smile off his face, but he was very alert. The cat was new and unpredictable, after all. "You gonna hide in the shadows all night, or do you want some?" he called mildly. "There is enough for two here."
The rustling stopped, but Lucky saw a pair of reflecting eyes emerge from the darkness. "Don't make any sudden moves," the cat warned. "I'm not afraid to fight you."
Lucky held up his bandaged hands. "Hey, I'm not looking for trouble." He pulled a stick that held two fish on it out of the fire, and held it out to him. "You want some?"
The cat hissed—actually hissed—at him, but reluctantly came closer. When he was near enough, he snatched the stick from him, before hastily backing up. He immediately began to devour the fish. Lucky fought the slightly amused smile tugging at his lips. The others didn't act so…wild. Wonder what happened to him? "So, how long were you there before they got through with you?"
The cat paused. "I'm not sure…" His voice trailed off. "It's a blur." He went back to the fish.
Lucky nodded; that was common enough. What was not common was the lack of physical marks on him, Lucky tried to look over him as casually as he could, while the cat's attention was elsewhere. There aren't really any marks on him. Well, besides the bruise and cut, he looks unharmed, Lucky noted with a touch of jealously. "Well, you must have satisfied their tests pretty quick." The cat tensed at his words. "You look well enough. In fact, you look—"
"Don't." He cut him off sharply, with a purely venomous look. "Don't you dare say that I look "pretty", or "cute", or "attractive" or anything at all good about my looks. I'm a freak, and it is because of my appearance that…that they…" He clenched his jaw and shook his head.
Lucky sat still, watching him. Hmmm, haven't considered that. He really does look as good as Celeste. I didn't think how that could be a bad thing. "Well, you aren't there now. You are going to find that we do things differently here. We have all been through that place, and we have somewhat of an idea of what happened—"
"You have no idea what they did to me," bit out the cat.
"Maybe, maybe," Lucky soothed. "But we have all had our lives altered. Some more drastically then others." He gestured to himself. "So what name do you want us to call you?"
The cat paused for a minute. "Raymond," he said simply. "My name is Raymond."
"Hello, Raymond" Lucky held out his hand to him. "I'm Lucky." Raymond looked at his hand as if it would bite him. "What? Look, I have a genetic disease; you won't catch it. Do people not shake hands where you were from?"
"No, people do." Raymond said slowly, still staring at his outstretched hand.
"Well," Lucky said patiently. "You are a person, aren't you?"
That got his attention. Raymond's eyes snapped up to his. Swallowing, Raymond shook his hand. "Hello, Lucky, I'm Raymond. And yes, I am a person." And, to Lucky's horror, Raymond just burst into tears. "I am a real person," he repeated shakily though his sobs, "I am!"
"Of course you are." Lucky said uncertainly, reaching over to pat his back. Maybe I should have brought Ankha after all. "We all are."
Author's note!
Writing this chapter was so hard; there are so many important details I felt like I had to had to get right. I'm not super pleased with it, but it is getting to the point where I need to post it, or I will have to take a break from it. I decided on the former. Somedays, you just have to do your best, even if you feel it isn't perfect. :)
Egyptian greetings: This is as close to a modern Egyptian greeting as I could get. Between using online research, trusting Google Translate, and asking people online, this is the best I can do.
K.K. Slider: He is a Jack Russel Terrier in case, you didn't know. Also, his personality in game is very similar to Leif's and Harvey's. I decided to alter it so he stands out a little more. Plus, I know you can just be "discovered," but most musicians have to work really, really hard for their Big Break. I had sisters involved in music in high school and college, and sometimes it felt more like they were athletes instead of musicians. The music industry is very competitive, just as much as any sport. You have to really want it to be on top.
Raymond: Last year (2020) people went absolutely crazy over Raymond, even going so far as spending real money trying to buy him from other players. Part of it was fueled just because he is a well-designed, new villager. The other reason was people realized that they could give him a maid outfit, which he would wear. Instagram, Tik Tok, and Twitter were full for a time of Raymond dressed in maid outfits. Some people were concerned about 'forcing' the cute guy to wear certain outfits, just so they could get buzz/hype for their accounts. Anyway, that's what much of Raymond's backstory in this fic is based on: the misfortune being in the hands people who want to take advantage of his adorable looks for profit. But this does conclude most of Raymond's backstory at least.
Response to Jewel moonstone: Thank you for taking the time to write your sweet and encouraging review! It means a lot to me :)
Thanks again to everyone who liked, followed, and reviewed this! I appreciate (and crave) any feedback you want to give.