POV
Alex/ human
Alex was up and ready to return early the following day. My house is complete, was their thought excitedly as they packed up their stuff. I can't wait to see it. Unfortunately, Lucky was not a morning person on the best of days, and he seemed to be dragging more than usual. They eventually broke camp around midmorning. But while the trek back down the mountain was easier, Ankha had to stay close to Lucky to help make sure he didn't lose his footing. Alex kept pace with them, even though they now knew that they had to just follow the trail to get back. As they got closer to the village though, Alex's impatience grew.
"Lucky, is it okay if I go on ahead?" Alex finally asked. "I won't get lost."
"Sure, should be fine." Lucky said breathlessly; sweat starting to soak through the bandages on his face. "It's afternoon anyway."
"Yay, thanks!" Alex dashed off, too excited to ask what he meant by that. They raced up the path to the edge of the village. Turned out there was someone waiting for them, but it was not who they expected.
Zucker was sitting crisscross on the ground, elbows on his knees with his head on his hands. Although, when he saw Alex, he sat up abruptly. "Alex, you're back!"
"Yup! Glad to be back." Alex said, slightly winded. "So is Isabelle waiting in Resident Services?"
"Yes. They told me to bring you right over when you get back."
"Great; let's go." Alex said enthusiastically, already walking in that direction. Scrambling up, Zucker followed after them.
The chimes gave a slightly hash jangle as Alex burst in the door with a little too much enthusiasm. "Oops, sorry." Alex said as Mr. Nook and Isabelle both jumped slightly. "Came in a little too fast."
"It's fine." Isabelle smiled at them. "Everything go okay? You have any trouble?"
Alex shook their head, walking over to the counter. "Nope. Not a thing." Zucker followed them over.
"I trust Lucky made it back safely too, hm?" Mr. Nook inquired from where he sat.
"I assume so. We ran into Ankha going up, and she decided to come back with us. Ankha stayed behind with him, when he said it was okay for me to go on ahead. They were almost here," Alex hesitated, now uncertain if it was polite after all for them to just run off like that. "Should I have stayed with them?"
Isabelle shook her head with a light jingle of bells. "No, Ankha will make sure nothing will happen to him. He is in good hands. I forgot it was about was about time for her to come back to restock her supplies. There, see," she gave Mr. Nook a slightly smug look. "I was right to ask Lucky to go. It could have been…awkward…if she ran into them alone." He nodded at her, conceding her point.
"Do you think she really would have attacked me or something?" Alex asked in sight concern.
"Well, no. Not Ankha. But with some of the other nomads," Isabelle just frowned and shook her head. "But the important thing is that it didn't happen, so there is no point worrying about it. Now," she gave a purposeful look to Mr. Nook, who stood up, "you ready to see your new home?"
The little group walked together towards the location Alex had chosen for their home. Mr. Nook led the way, with Isabelle chatting with Alex, and Zucker making up the rear. "We took the liberty of moving your stuff over from the Campsite to here, while you were away." Isabelle said. "I hope that was okay…"
"Oh, yes. Thanks." Alex replied. I can't wait to see it." As they walked along, their paths intersected with Lucky and Ankha, who had finally made back.
"Glad to see you made it back, Lucky." Mr. Nook called to them, as they trudged into the village. "You too, Ankha. You have impeccable timing."
Lucky was clearly struggling. Ankha had her arm looped under his arm and around his shoulders, supporting most of his weight on his bad side. His lips were pressed together in a hard line, but parted slightly in a gasp as they trudged into the village. His bandages were now soaked through. If Alex was being honest…he looked kinda terrible.
"Oh, Ankha!" Isabelle smiled in gratitude at her. "It's so good to see you! What brought you our way? Are you here for your supplies?"
"Yes. And I might be staying a little longer, if it's not too much trouble," she added.
"Of course not!" Isabelle said enthusiastically "We are always happy to have you. Umm," she gave a sheepish smile. "I'm afraid your house was destroyed though. You know our policy regarding resources…"
"Don't worry about it. 'Waste not, want not', I know. Is the Campsite open?"
"As of today, it is." Isabelle beamed at Alex. "We are on our way to go see our newest resident's home."
"If you excuse me, I would like to skip the new homeowner's tour," Lucky said breathlessly. "It has been a very long and tiringly two days, and I really just want to go lie down."
"Of course, Lucky. You were such a great help; I really appreciate it."
"Glad to be of service, but I want go rest now." He gave a tired wave, before Ankha helped him limb towards his house.
A short time later, Isabelle, Mr. Nook, Alex, and Zucker were all outside the newly constructed house. "Well, Alex, you ready to move forward into comfort and luxury?" Mr. Nook held out the keys to them. "I assume you want to do the honors, hm?
"Yes, please!" Taking the keys from him, Alex hurriedly unlocked the door to their house. The jingle of the chimes someone had thought to place over the door sounded as they went inside.
The house was bigger than the tent, but still on the small side. But the wooden floors and pale walls gave the room a more open fill. The windows also let in a lot of light, which Alex was pleased to notice. There was only one room, but someone had set up a partition, separating a bathroom area from the rest of the living space. The cot from the Campsite had been brought over, along with Alex's other belongs from there too. The lamp and radio were in the corner, the radio softly playing a merry tune. Overall, it was a nice starter house for one individual.
"Well, Alex. Are you happy with your home? Is it meeting your expectations?" Mr. Nook continued at Alex's delighted nod. "I bet you'll be a lot more comfortable now. Houses are so different from tents, hm? You can freely change up the flooring and wallpaper, and you've got some built-in storage so you can put away any furniture or belongings you aren't using." Mr. Nook sounded very pleased that he had a satisfied customer. "Yes, yes, as fun as living in a tent can be, a house gives you more space and helps you put down roots."
The mention of furniture had gotten Alex's attention. They turned back around to face him. "I can get different furniture?" As sweet as it was of Isabelle to move their belongings, Alex really wanted a real bed.
"Oh, yes. Nook's Cranny carries a modest—but high quality!—selection of furniture But unfortunately, because of our circumstances, we are at the mercy of what the mainland deems that we 'need'," Alex could hear the skepticism in his tone. "If you have a specific item in mind, you might have to go the old-fashioned way, and build it yourself."
"Build it my—but I have no idea how to do something like that?"
"Well, you can ask Reneigh about it. She is our jack-of-all-trades, when it comes to DIY projects. She can give you a few tips and tricks to get you started. However, I think you will find that the more you do projects like these, the better you will get at them. Practice makes perfect, hm?"
"I guess so…" Alex said uncertainly.
Mr. Nook just chuckled. "Come now, don't be so dispirited. If you truly want something, I sure you can com come up with a solution. You have heard the old saying of 'where there is a will, there's is a way' yes? Human ingenuity can get you quiet far, Alex."
Isabelle nodded. "He's right, Alex. I'm sure you can accomplish whatever you put your mind to do." She glanced around the interior of the house one more time. "Well, now that that's settled, we don't want to keep you. We'll leave you to organize your space and get yourself settled in. We have to get back to Resident Services anyway." Mr. Nook turned to leave and Isabelle went to follow. But she suddenly turned back and, taking Alex's hand, pulled them into a quick hug. "Welcome to your new home, Alex." She said softly, giving them a gentle squeeze. "I really hope you will be happy here."
Alex blinked in surprise at the gesture from her. Before they could process it though, she let go and moved back. "Thank you, Isabelle." Alex gave them a warm smile. "I'm sure I will be." Isabelle gave one more cheery wave, before closing the door behind her. Alex paused for a moment, before turning to Zucker. "Well, you heard them. Let's go find Reneigh."
Zucker looked at them in surprise. "Today?"
"Yup. I have had my heart set on sleeping in a real bed, and there is still plenty of daylight left. Do you know where she would be?"
"Well…" Zucker said uncertainly. "Her house might be a good place to start looking."
"Great idea. Lead the way."
"Oh, alright." Zucker cheerfully led the way to her house, apparently pleased to help out. "Thanks for taking me to her house," Alex said as they walked along. Even though they had been here for a few days now, they still didn't know whose house was whose in the village area.
"Oh, it's no trouble." Zucker gave them an enthusiastic smile. "I'm glad to help."
"So, what did I miss while I was gone?"
"Oh, not much. Our supplies came in and that's about it. There wasn't any trouble. But, you know, that was the whole point. Here we are." He said, stopping outside a pale house. He knocked on the dark-colored door. "Reneigh! You in?" No answer. He gave Alex a nervous look, before starting to pound on the door. "Reneigh!" He called louder. "She sometimes wears earmuffs when she is working. She might not can hear us." He said as an explanation to Alex, before turning back to the door. "Reneeiiiggghh!" He practically yelled.
"She might not be home," Alex had to say loudly over his insistent knocking.
"Or she might be in her workshop behind her house." A voice piped up next to them. Alex turned to see Reneigh herself standing at the corner of her house, a slightly bemused smile on her face. She was dressed more causally today, and was holding some type of soda. "You intend to beat my door down, Zucker?"
"Erm, no, sorry." He rubbed at his arm, embarrassed. "I just wanted to make sure you heard me, even if you were wearing your earmuffs."
She merely raised an eyebrow. "Zucker, if I was doing something that loud, where I would have to wear them, don't you think you would also hear the noise through the door?"
"Um…oh…."
She shook her head. "It's okay, Sweetie." She looked back to Alex. "What brings you two my way? I thought you would be all excited with your new house. Don't you like it?"
"Of course! It's just, well, I would like to get some furniture made, and Mr. Nook said you were the person to ask about it."
"Goodness, you waste no time." She took a sip of her soda, "Well, come on back." Alex followed her to the back of her house. There was a workshop area built behind her house. It had the basic tools you would need for carpentry and basic metal working. Alex gave an appreciative whistle. "You know how to work all this?"
She nodded. "You try your hand at something long even, and you are bound to pick up a few skills. Plus everyone on the island has abundant time on their hands. It looks like our break is cut short after all, Fauna." She raised her soda in greeting to someone sitting in a lawn chair off to the side. Alex glanced over to see the younger girl sitting there.
"Oops, sorry, I didn't mean to interrupt anything."
"Oh, that's the point; we weren't doing anything. Now that your house is completed, we were taking a day off."
Alex looked at them both in surprise. "You built it?"
"Ayup yup. What did you think Fauna and I have been up to the past few days?"
"Ummm, I just assumed you were off doing your own thing."
"Our own thing consisted of building your thing: your house." She smiled over her soda as she took a drink "What? You thought Mr. Nook and the construction fairies built it? He commissioned us to help."
Oh, Alex thought, feeling a little stupid. That makes sense. But Reneigh just snickered slightly as she walked over to the workbench area. Opening a drawer, she pulled out a binder containing what looked like a kind of catalog. "Here are all of the items that I have figured out how to build by trial and error. What did you have in mind?"
"A bed," Alex replied promptly.
"Alright," she quickly thumbed through it. "Here they are. You probably want a simple wooden bed. I do know how to make some larger ones, but I don't think you need those right now."
"Nope, you are right, the smaller one is fine." Alex looked at the design.
Zucker came up behind them, and leaned over Alex's shoulder. He suddenly lunged his arm over their shoulder to point at the notes along the bottom half of the page. "What are those?"
"Those are my notes for what supplies I need to build it, and the directions on how to build it."
"So…it is like a recipe?"
"Well, 'blueprints' or 'construction plans' is a better term." She saw his downcast face. "But yes, 'recipe' also works just fine.
"Wow, you sure are detailed." Alex said absently as they read through the notes.
"You want to build it right the first time, don't you?"
Alex looked up at her. "Ya, about that. I have never built something. Like ever. Do you think you could build it for me?"
"Hmmmm," she pursed her lips together, thinking. A thoughtful look appeared in her eyes.
"Please?" Alex pushed lightly. "I'll pay you for it."
"Oh, that's a given," she said quickly. "You can't get something for nothing here. But alright, I'll build it for you. But," she said before Alex could say anything, "starting tomorrow, I'm going to start teaching you on how to work on your own projects. You are going to have to learn eventually, anyway, so it's best to start now."
"Oh, okay," Alex said dejectedly. "It's just…DIY projects have never been one of my strong traits."
"Don't worry, I'll help." She chugged the last bit of her soda. "Okay, because I have been working on your house, I have some leftover supplies that I can use to get started. You can go ahead and swing by the Able Sisters. They should have the mattress and the other bedding that you will need."
"Got it," Alex said happily. They took a few steps in the direction of the village, before suddenly spinning around. "Thanks again for helping me. What do I owe you?"
"2,160 Bells. And don't worry about it; I don't mind. I just want you to start to be able to stand on your own two hooves—I mean feet." Alex giggled before racing off, with Zucker staying on their heels.
"Hey, there! Welcome to Able Sisters," Mabel greeted as they entered. Sable was busy with her work, and didn't look up. "Alex! Hi, Zucker! What are you up to?"
"Hi, Mabel!" Alex returned the greeting while Zucker waved. "Reneigh is helping me build a bed. She mentioned that you two might a mattress and bedding for it?"
"Yup, hang on." Mabel disappeared into the back room, leaving Alex and Zucker in the front. The quiet hum of the sewing machine filled the shop. Alex went back to see Sable.
"Hey, Sable!" Alex smiled at her.
"Sorry, can't talk," she murmured back, with barely a glance up.
"Oh, um, okay." Alex backed up, giving her some space. Titling their head, they tried to angle themselves to see what she was working on. Looks like some kind of shirt. She's really good at this. Alex continued to watch as she expertly guided the fabric through the machine. I bet she's great at DIY projects.
Interrupting Alex's thoughts, Mabel came back up to the main room, but she was struggling in the process of moving the mattress. "Phew; made it. Glad you are both here. I don't know how you would get it back to your house without help." She turned to her sister. "Hey, Sable, you are going to have to put a pin in it. Unless you want to get knocked into while we move it out and around.
Sable gave a slightly aggravated sigh, but the machine clicked off. "Alright, let's just hurry up and get this done as soon as possible."
"Sorry for the interruption," Alex said with an apologetic smile.
"Don't worry about it," Mabel said unsympathetically. "And don't worry about Sable. When she really focused on her work, she gets a little…y'know…prickly." Sable gave an annoyed huff, but didn't say anything.
Between the four of them, they managed to maneuver the cumbersome mattress out of the back room area and around the machine. "Thanks," Alex breathed with a sigh of relief when the mattress was finally at the front of the shop, and Sable could happily return to her work. "What do I owe you for this?"
"The mattress? Oh nothing. It's not really ours to sell. Mr. Nook buys the wool from sheep traders when they come down, and he just asked us to store it here. He said it would make sense to keep all of the fabric items together in one location." A slightly mischievous glint appeared in her eyes, and she started to speak slightly louder, as if to be heard over the hum of her sister's machine. "And, of course, we are very happy to help Mr. Nook in any way we can, aren't we, Sable?" She said the last part with a smile.
"Hush, Mabel…" Mabel just giggled at her sister and gave Alex a wink. Oh...you know, she and Mr. Nook do look like they would be about the same age.
"Have you and Mr. Nook known each other long?" Alex directed the question to Sable.
"Oh, yes," Mabel interjected. "Apparently, they knew each other before…well, before. They have been "friends" for ages."
"Mabel! Please."
Mabel giggled again, but dropped the subject. Alex chuckled along with her, but something in her wording had caught their attention. "What do you mean, 'apparently'? Did they keep their friendship a secret or something?"
"No…I don't think so," she said slowly. "It's just that…well, to be honest, I don't remember it too well. Any of it actually." She smoothed the front of her apron. "Everything is really foggy before waking up…There."
Alex looked at her in concern. "Really? Nothing?"
"I remember some things: flashes mainly. Images. Feelings." Her voice drifted off, and Alex noticed in the sudden quiet that the hum of the machine had stopped as well. "Oh, but it's not all bad!" She perked up and, grasping Alex's hand, brought them to the back corner again. "There, see!" She pointed to a framed photo of a couple on the wall. "That's my mom and dad. Sable told me all about them."
"They look like they were very kind."
"They were," she said confidently as Alex turned back to the photos. They hadn't paid much attention to them before, but they really looked at them now. They could see a timeline in the photos, as the couple grew older had had their children.
Three girls actually…the oldest was clearly Sable, and the youngest bore a resemblance to Mabel, but Alex didn't know who the missing middle child was. So where is the third girl? It was on the tip of their tongue to ask, but seeing Mabel's normally cheery face a little more downcast then normal, Alex swallowed their question. There is probably no point in bringing it up anyway.
"Um," Zucker's voice interrupted their thoughts. He was looked very uncomfortable in the front of the store, where Mabel and Alex had abandoned him with the mattress. "Do you think we can hurry up and get this where it needs to go?" He had a death grip on it, like he expected it to just fall over any second.
"Ya, sure thing." Alex moved to go help him.
"Oops, hang on. Almost forgot the rest of the bedding." Mabel disappeared again into the back room, as the hum of the machine started up again. She wasn't gone nearly as long this time though. "Here you go." However, she hesitated just dropping them into Alex's arms. "Actually, I should just come too. You two will have your hands full with the mattress."
"You sure? I don't want to take you away from your shop."
Mabel shook her head with a slight rattle of her spines. "Bet Sable won't even notice I am gone," she whispered with a glance at her preoccupied sister. "Here, let me get the door."
Getting the cumbersome mattress to the house was a hassle, but manageable. Zucker was trying his best—Alex could tell—but for someone who could barely manage to walk from one place to another without incident, this was proving a real test of his coordination. Eventually, he ended up being traded out with Mabel, and was left to holding the extra bedding while Alex and Mabel moved the mattress. He looked relieved when they finally managed to get it inside the house and safely leaning against the wall.
"Shew, glad that's over." He breathed, as he carefully placed the other bedding on the floor next to it.
"Hm, almost," Alex relied. "We just need to get the bed frame from Reneigh now."
Mabel glanced around. "You will have to show me when you are finished decorating in here. I would love to see what you do with the place."
"Sure thing!" Alex smiled at her. "Thanks again for the help, not to mention the mattress and stuff."
"It's no problem," she paused on her way out the door. "Oh, you know you can come by the shop anytime, right? I would love to see your style in more than just the house, you know," she said with a wink and a giggle.
"I will. It's just been so busy lately, trying to adjust to it all."
"I bet. Just don't be a stranger." She gave one last smile as she waved goodbye.
She's sweetheart, Alex thought as the door shut behind her. "She's friendly."
"Oh, yes," Zucker nodded firmly. "She's nice to everyone."
It's good that I don't have to prove myself to everyone on this island. "Well, the bed won't make itself. Let's get back to Reneigh."
Reneigh gave them a quick grin as Alex and Zucker came back over. "Just about perfect timing; I'm almost done here." She spoke loudly over the sound of Fauna sanding down a piece. She turned back to her own section. Alex looked around the workshop area, as they waited for them to finish up. They noticed that there were some roses in pots nearby. Now Alex was not an expert on roses, but they could tell that they were well-taken care of.
"You like to garden?" They asked Reneigh.
"Hmm? No, not really. But Fauna does." Fauna glanced up at the mention of her name, but quickly looked away with a blush. "She has started to take care of those roses." Reneigh continued. "She is hoping to get some cross-pollination."
"Yes," Fauna said softly, as she turned off her sander. "I want pink," she continued shyly.
"Aw, you will have to show me, when you do." Alex gave her an encouraging smile.
Her eyes darted quickly to Reneigh. "I want to plant some by the pond." She said suddenly. "I like to hang out over there, with my friends. And I want the flowers to be there, to make it pretty."
"Sounds like a good idea. You all like to hang out there?"
"Yes, but we need to spruce up the area," Reneigh said from where she was working. "Right now, we just sit on the ground. I just haven't really gotten around to it. Although I might be able to soon, now that I have a good assistant." Fauna's blush deepened at the praise. "It would really help Lucky as well. Speaking of, where is he? Is he resting?"
"Yes, that was what he said he would be doing. Ankha helped bring him to his house."
At that, Reneigh tensed. "Ankha is back," she asked neutrally.
"Ya, we met going up to the campsite." Alex frowned. "Why?"
"Hmmm, no reason." Reneigh just sighed. "Did she happen to mention how long she would be staying around this time?"
"No, I don't think so…"
"Well, I guess we will see," Reneigh said, slightly testy.
Now that is odd. "Do you not like Ankha or something?" Alex pushed slightly.
"I don't know if 'dislike' is the best word…" She ran her hand over the wood, checking it. "It's just that—well, Lucky is like a brother to me. I don't want to see him get hurt. Again.
"Well, that looks about done to me," She said abruptly, changing the subject before Alex could pry further. "How are you coming along, Fauna?"
"Just finished up here."
"Great." Reneigh motioned for Alex to pick up the finished parts of the bedframe. "Last thing to do is to finally attach everything."
"You won't do that here?" Zucker piped up, looking confused.
"Nope. Gotta get it inside the house first. Unless you want to play Tetris with the bedframe and the doorway?"
Already shaking their head, Alex gathered up some of the pieces. "Nope."
"Didn't think so. Alright, everyone grab a piece and let's go."
With all the helping hands, the parts of the bed frame were quickly brought over. It wasn't long after that the bed was finally completed. They stayed just long enough to help Alex get it into a location they wanted, and to help get the bedding on. Once everything was finished, Alex tried to fight the tiredness pulling at them, but Reneigh still must have noticed.
"Alright, if you think you got it from here, we will leave you to get everything settled."
"Hm? Yes, thank you. For everything," Alex said tiredly. It had really been a long day, with the return trip and everything and they were just feeling the need to get some peace and quiet now.
"No problem. A craftsman is always thankful when their work is appreciated." Noticing that Zucker made no move leave, she gently placed her hand Zucker's arm. "Come on, Zucker; they need to rest."
"Oh, um, sure." He clearly didn't want to leave yet, but Reneigh gently pulled him toward the door.
"Hey, thanks for keeping me company all day, Zucker." Alex thanked him. "I'll see you tomorrow, right?"
Zucker blinked in surprise, "What? Oh, ya, for sure. Absolutely," he said flusteredly, but a slow smile spread across his face. "Ya, I'll see you tomorrow."
"Great." Alex fought back a yawn. "See you then." The others finally left, leaving Alex alone. They got cleaned up after the day's excursions and finally flopped down on their own bed.
Alex lay there, giving out a deep sigh of satisfaction. Finally. I'm in my own house, and in my own bed. Tomorrow I will start to customize it, really make it mine. Make it my home… The thought trailed off as they remembered Isabelle's parting words earlier. This is my home now. They flipped over and looked out the window at the stars. At least the stars are the same. But everything else had changed.
They had wandered on their own for too long now, to really think of any one place as home. The sailboat had been their first major purchase, and it represented their independence and freedom. As long as they had their sailboat, they could go anywhere in the world. A deep ache filled their chest. I miss my boat. I miss the gentle rocking of it, the weird quirks it had. I miss being able to travel. I miss sending postcards to my parents. Alex frowned. Will they have noticed yet, that they haven't heard from me? Are the worried about me? Do know that I am missing? That I am…lost…at sea?
Well, there is nothing to be done about it. This is my home now. So what does that mean for me. Alex adjusted the covers, pulling them up to their shoulders, as they considered the problem. I used to be able to just pack up and ship off, if something bad happened or if I no longer wanted to stay in a place anymore. I can't do that here. I have to stay put.
That means getting along with these people, not that that was ever really a problem before. But for better or worse, they are stuck with me and I am stuck with them. Hopefully, for better. And they are trying to help me adjust and to be happy here. They are trying to accept me, for who I am. Well, most are, Alex pushed the sudden flair of annoyance at a certain cat away. Don't worry about him. If he has decided he doesn't like me because I am human, there is not much I can do about it. I'm not changing just to make him happy. Besides, everyone else has been friendly enough. Zucker, Mabel, Reneigh, Lucky…
Lucky, who had gone with them on their trip up to the campsite, just to help make sure that nothing bad happened to them. And the fact that the residents are going out of their way, just to insure that Alex, as a human, stayed safe…I would like to do something nice to thank them all. Particularly Lucky. He didn't have to go with me. But he did, and it really was hard for him. They thought back to what Fauna had said earlier in the day. A slow smile pulled at their lips as they started to drift to sleep. I know what I'm going to do…
POV
Zucker/ Octopus
Morning of the same day
Zucker woke up late as always and, blinking, stared sleepily up at his ceiling. Wasn't something supposes to happen today…" He sluggishly rubbed at face and hair. It's Sunday… nothing…really happens on Sunday…Alex!" He bolted upright. That's right, Alex would be back today from the campsite. And their house was done too! It wasn't much in the way of excitement, but it wasn't like he had any other plans today.
And besides, anything to do with the Human was bound to be exciting.
He hurriedly got dressed, causing him to get more tangled up with his tentacles then normal. I hope they aren't back already. I mean, I don't think so…But that was the really neat thing about the Human. They were different—and not just because they were human. They acted different too. He was never quite sure what they would say and do. But they are so nice—they even came over and talked with me the other day. Surely they won't mind if I tag along when they go see their new house. Shoving his chopstick in his hair, he dashed out and in the direction of Resident Services. He grabbed—missed, re-grabbed—the handle and yanked the door open. "Am I too late? Did I miss them?" The words came out just as rushed as he moved.
Isabelle and Mr. Nook both looked up. "Missed who?" Isabelle asked politely.
"The Hu—" A harsh hush issued from both of them.
"Zucker, it's Sunday morning," Mr. Nook said sternly. "Daisy May is here."
Zucker gave a squeak of alarm and glanced around inside. "She—she isn't here right now…"
"Yes, I know," Mr. Nook said calmly. "But she is on the island this morning."
"Besides, Zucker, you shouldn't call them that." Isabelle said gently. "They have a name, you know."
"I know; it's Alex" Zucker said confidently. There see; I do know it.
"Then you should call them that. Now," She leaned forward, putting her elbows on the counter. "Did you need something?"
"Um…yes…" What was it…? Mr. Nook turned back to his work, but Isabelle patiently waited, with her head on her hand. Isabelle is nice like that. And she is like that to everyone. Even to me. Alex is nice to me too—oh, wait!" That's it. I was coming to see if you have shown Alex their house yet."
"No, not yet; it's too early. Alex and Lucky shouldn't be back till early afternoon at best."
"Yes, yes. Which is convenient timing," Mr. Nook added. Isabelle nodded, causing her bells to jingle.
"Oh," Zucker said disappointedly. So there is nothing to do until then…
Isabelle must have seen his thoughts in his face expression. "Why don't you watch for them? You can let us know when they get here."
Zucker brightened immediately. "Oh, yes! I can do that! I won't let you down." He whirled around, and hurried back to the door. He tripped over his own legs though, almost causing himself to faceplant into the door. He caught himself at the last second however and, pulling the door open, gave a cheerful wave goodbye before finally making it outside.
Zucker sat outside by the village edge, sitting crisscross with his head in his hands. Waiting. Watching. Being bored. He puffed out his cheeks in an exaggerated sigh. Well, she did say that they wouldn't get back till afternoon. I could probably leave and come back.
But what if Alex comes back early? Best to stay put. Isabelle is counting on me. Wish Alex didn't have to leave though. But it's only for one night, and it's best for them. It's not safe for them to be here when Slider comes. Wait…His eyes narrowed in concentration as he chased down the thought. Slider comes every Saturday. Does that mean Alex is going to have to leave every week? That was something he hadn't considered yet. He was so lost in his own thoughts that the sudden noise of Alex bursting through the trees almost caught him by surprise. Almost.
"Alex, you're back!" Zucker cried happily, sitting up.
"Yup! Glad to be back." Alex said, sounded slightly winded. "So is Isabelle waiting in Resident Services?"
"Yup," he nodded. "They told me to bring you right over when you get back," he said with a touch of pride. They trusted me with a job to do.
"Great; let's go." Alex sad enthusiastically, already heading in that direction. Scrambling to his feet, Zucker quickly followed after them.
The day seemed to fly by after that point. The Human—Alex—did everything in such a hurry. Once they set their mind on something, it seemed that they didn't quit until they got it. It was quite different from the quiet, normal pace of the island. They seemed to zip around from one place to the other. Alex went from Resident Services to their house, to Reneigh, to Able Sisters, back to their house, back to Reneigh, and finally back to the house. Zucker trailed along, just excited to be included and to see what would happen next. He found it fascinating to watch. He didn't know what they would do, but each new idea seemed like a good idea to him.
And they were so nice. He beamed up from his own bed as he looked up at the ceiling. They didn't see annoyed with me at all. And I get to hang out with them again. They said that they would see me tomorrow. He turned over on his side and tried to hurry up and get to sleep. I want tomorrow to come sooner.
To his horror, he still managed to sleep in. He dressed hurriedly, and dashed outside. He found Alex on their way to the edge of the clearing, where he had previously seen them chopping wood before.
"Hey, Alex" Zucker said breathlessly as he came up. "What are you up to today?"
"Hey, Zucker! I want to build a chair," Alex replied. "Reneigh already gave me the instructions, but I need to get some wood. You wanna help?"
"You want me to help? Really?" Zucker didn't even bother trying to hide his surprise at being asked.
"Ya, sure. If you want."
He was already nodding. "Yes, absolutely."
"Great. Come on."
Alex continued to the edge of the woods. They spun around, and while walking backwards, begin to address him. "So you know how Reneigh mentioned she and Fauna were trying to spruce up the area around the pond? I was thinking about going ahead getting a start on that. I would want to put some type of chair or something over there. So they (in particularly Lucky) don't have to sit on the ground. That means I should pick an easy DIY project. Like building a chair."
Zucker nodded enthusiastically. "Yup, sounds like a good idea."
"I am going to need some wood though." Alex spun back around as they reached the edge of the clearing. "Here; I brought my tools already." They pulled out a shovel and axe. "I think I'll swing by the rose meadow, and get a few roses to move over by the pond. That will make Fauna happy. Here," and to Zucker's horror, Alex promptly handed the axe to him. "You can go ahead and start by cutting down a few trees—what's wrong?" Alex cut off seeing the look of panic on Zucker's face.
Zucker held the axe in his arms the same way someone might hold a loaded weapon: very nervously. "It's just that—well, are you sure—I—I'm just not sure, I'm the best one for this job."
"Oh, it's just aim and swing. I'm sure you can do it." Alex said it so confidently; Zucker felt a pang of jealously. I wish I was that confident. About anything. But Alex had said it about him, which made him want to try that much harder.
"Well, if you are sure…" Almost dropping it, he tried to switch his grip on it.
"Here, hang on." Reaching over, Alex moved his hands for him, helping him to get a proper hold on the axe. "Put them here." Zucker tried to pay attention, but the fact that Alex was calmly touching him, and wasn't grossed out or disgusted at all, was very distracting. "There. That better?"
"Yes, thank you," Zucker said hurriedly, eager to please. Alex took a step back, and watched him expectedly. "Oh, you ready for me to start?"
A faint smile twitched on Alex's lip. "Only if you are."
"Hm, okay then." Zucker watched, but Alex still stood in their same spot. "Getting ready to swing," he said as a warning. Still nothing. "Hmm, do you mind standing back a little farther…" I don't want to hurt you…Zucker thought, but didn't say it out loud. With only a raised eyebrow in response, Alex took a few more liberal steps back. Zucker sighed in relief. "Good. Okay, here I go for real now." Taking a deep breath, he hoisted the axe over his shoulder and, closing his eyes, swung it down at the tree as hard as he could.
It hurt. The axe struck the tree with a final-sounding thud, the vibrations traveling up his arms and shoulders with a painful jolt. He almost—but he didn't, he was proud to notice—dropped the axe altogether. Gritting his teeth, he yanked it out and put it back over his shoulder. Eyeing the mark on the tree, he tried to aim for the same spot again. But now that he knew how it felt, he was less trilled about actually hitting anything with the axe. As he swung the second time—even though he didn't intend to at all—he accidentally let go of the axe at the last second. The worst part was that he closed his eyes again, so he wasn't even sure what direction it actually went.
Keeping his eyes firmly closed, he heard a horrible snapping sound from the direction of the forest. But there are no screams, so that has to be a good sign. Unless I accidentally killed someone in one whack. He peaked one eye open to see Alex walk by, with their hands in their pockets. They calmly entered the forest, and after a few seconds of glancing around, picked up their axe. They came back over to him.
Zucker dropped his eyes to the ground, staring miserably at his sandaled feet. I know: I'm a failure. It wasn't a new thought to him, but it felt so much worst to considerer that Alex might think it about him. But Alex was so clever and smart, surely they could already tell. Who did he think he was fooling anyway?
"You know, you gave me a good start. I think it will be much easier to chop down now. Thanks for your help." Alex's voice drifted down into his thoughts. He had to replay it several times in his head to make sure he had heard them correctly.
"You think so," he asked hesitantly, looking back up at them.
"Ya," Alex smiled at him. "Getting going can be the hardest part sometimes. Why don't you sit back and wait, so you can help me carry the wood over to Reneigh's. That would be a great help."
Zucker hurriedly did as Alex suggested, getting out of their way. They aren't mad, he thought as he watched them chop down the tree. They really aren't. He plopped down on the ground off to one side as Alex went at it with gusto. He idly plucked at some grass as he watched them. They don't mind that I didn't—really—help. But I want to. I really do. All the time they are doing something. They are always so busy. It's exciting to watch, to be around.
And maybe they won't mind me being around them, if I can help.
It wasn't too long until the tree feel, and Alex chopped it up into bundles. Zucker scrambled to hurry up and help, to be useful to them. He trailed after Alex as they carried their wood over the Reneigh.
"Morning!" Alex called cheerfully as they dropped the wood on the work bench. "Ready for my lesson."
"Whoa, hold your horses," Reneigh said tiredly. "I'm still on my morning cup of coffee." She rubbed at her eyes as she came over, with the mug was in her hand. "Okay, so what did you have in mind?"
"I think I would like to build some time of bench or swing. You know, some type of outdoors seat."
"Hm, kinda ambitious." Reneigh said with a slow sip of her coffee. "How about you start with something a little simpler. Like a stool?"
Alex frowned slightly, thinking. They reluctantly nodded. "Okay, I can start with that. And I can always work up from there."
"Yup yup." Reneigh jerked her head at the book. "Well, there it is. Go pick out a recipe."
Alex picked one out, and there was nothing for Zucker to do at this point. He sat off to one side, watching and waiting. Again. His eyes followed Reneigh with a little bit of jealously, as she helped Alex. She is so capable. She knows what she is doing and she is teaching Alex. If I only knew how to do it, I could teach them…
"I want to learn too!" He suddenly blurted out with no warning. He blushed faintly as they both turned to look at him. "I mean…I would like to learn too."
"Well, aright," Reneigh said hesitantly. "But not right now. I am teaching Alex, and I can only teach one person at a time."
"Okay," Zucker grumbled slightly, as he continued to sit and wait. But it takes so long. It would be much faster if Reneigh just made it for them. "But why does Alex need to learn?" He couldn't keep the whining edge out of his words.
"They need to learn." Reneigh gave Alex a wink. "You want to be independent, don't you?"
"Right!" Alex nodded from where they were measuring the length of the board.
"Oh." Zucker paused, thinking. "But you never pushed me to learn?"
Reneigh took a long, slow drink of her coffee, still looking at Alex. "You are right; I didn't," was all she said simply.
Zucker frowned. He couldn't really explain it, but that somehow made him feel hurt. He couldn't quite pin down why, but it made him feel…well, not like Alex.
"But you can still learn, when I am finished." Alex said as they marked the place on the board. "Or if this turns out alright, I can teach you. I don't mind."
"Really?" That cheered him up. The thought of Alex being with him—spending time with him—made him feel much better.
"Well, it will depend on how this turns out. You might not want me to." Alex said, sliding on their safely goggles before they turned on the saw. Conversation stopped at that point. Zucker still waited impatiently, but now he found it a little easier. He didn't mind all the questions that they kept asking as much now, and how careful they were being. They are trying to learn and get it right. And then they can teach me. And it will just be the two of us. The thought made him smile as they watched him. They are so smart, and they are trying so hard, I'm sure that they will get it.
Eventually, Alex was done. All three of them stood around looking at the stool Alex had made. That is, attempted to make turned out to be a more accurate phrase for it. I guess…being clever and trying your best just isn't enough some times. Biting his lip, he glanced over at them. Alex was looking at their creation with a critical eye.
"Well," Reneigh said slowly, "it has three legs, and is upright. So I guess it does technically count as a stool…"
Alex gave a deep sigh. "No, please stop trying to find something good to say about it. It only makes me feel worse. It's bad, just say it," Alex sighed again and rubbed their face dejectedly. "I doubt it would hold anything on it."
"It's not that bad," Zucker said hurriedly. "Look, I bet I can sit on it."
He only got about two steps before Alex caught his arm. "Don't. I wouldn't trust an acrobat to sit on that. It might just fall apart. I guess the only thing to do now is to chuck it into the trash or recycling bin. Or," Alex's eyes narrowed. "I wonder if I can pawn it off on Timmy or Tommy."
"You can give it a try," Reneigh said. "But don't let this get you down. This was your first try at DIY projects after all. Some things just take time. Don't let the fact that you couldn't get the hang of it right away bother you too much."
"I won't. Oh, and thanks for the lesson. I will try to be a better student in the future." Picking up their "stool" Alex went to Nook's Cranny, with Zucker still trailing after.
Timmy and Tommy might not be Mr. Nook's real kids, but they had his business sense. Timmy took one look at the item Alex was trying to sell to him, before giving his answer. "Sorry, but that is not something we are looking to purchase right now," Timmy said diplomatically. Tommy slowly turned it over in his arms, with an incredulous look on his face.
"Oh, well," Alex replied, sounding a little embarrassed. "It was worth a shot. So, what should I do with it? Is there, like, a trash or garbage bin?"
"Yes, but it's wood. I would put it in the Recycling box instead."
"Where's that?"
"Resident Services. You can just leave it outside the building though, and Isabelle or Mr. Nook will decide if it should go in or not."
"Oh. Alright," Alex said dejectedly. "I guess I will do that." They took their "stool" back from Tommy and turned to head back out, but did a double take as something caught their eye. "Hey, Timmy, what are those?" They pointed to an item the twins had out on display in the shop.
"Oh, that is a Zen cushion. We got them in this weekend."
Alex poked at it. "Do you think it can be placed outside?"
"I think it can be placed anywhere you want." Zucker noticed that Timmy had a certain look in his eyes that reminded him of his guardian. "You know, we only have so many of these items in stock. And they are only 500 Bells apiece. Practically a bargain!"
"—Bargain." Tommy repeated, coming over to stand on Alex's other side. Zucker didn't like it when the twins pulled stunts like that with him; he always felt like they were ganging up on him. But Alex didn't seem bothered by the pressure the twins were trying to push on them. Alex carefully inspected the item that they were considering buying, ignoring the hungry anticipation of the two boys. "Hmmm, how many of these do you two have?"
Alex and Zucker left the shop with much lighter pockets, but also with arms full of the pillows. Alex seemed pleased with their purchase. "Come on, Zucker. I still want to move some of the roses from the meadow for Fauna."
"Sure, Alex. Coming." Zucker struggled to see over the mound of pillows he was carrying.
Alex deposited their share by the pond. "Here, you arrange these however you all normally sit. I'll be right back." Alex was off and gone before Zucker could even answer. Pulling out their shovel, they raced down the path in the direction of the meadow.
Zucker did as they said, feeling though that he was more or less throwing the pillows around. There wasn't a whole bunch of rhyme or reason to it. He glanced around doubtfully, eyeing his handiwork.
"Hey, so what are they up to?" Zucker jumped, startled as he turned to face Raymond. He hadn't heard him at all. Why does he always seem to sneak up on me like this? He is as quiet as…well, a cat. Raymond stood there, arms crossed, as he looked around.
"Oh, hi, Raymond. We are fixing up the area around the pond."
His eyes narrowed. "Why?"
"I don't know. They just wanted to." Zucker replayed what Alex had said in his head. "Um, I think they wanted to do something nice…mainly for Lucky."
"So the pillows are for Lucky to sit on, instead of the ground." His eyes shifted to the direction that they had run off in. "So where did they run off to?"
"They went to go get some roses from the meadow. You know, for Fauna."
Raymond gave a snort. "So they are trying to get on everyone's good side. Suck up," he said dismissively.
Zucker frowned at him. The fact the Raymond assumed Alex was doing it for some other reason, than to just be nice bothered him. "They aren't like that," he protested. "You would see if you would just give them a chance," Raymond cut him off with a harsh shake of his head.
"No thanks. I'll just continue to keep an eye on them." Raymond adjusted his glasses, causing the light to reflect off of them. He turned to go, but then he paused. "Hey, Zucker, be careful around them," he said seriously.
"Why?" Zucker asked puzzled, and a little thrown by his change in demeanor. "They are too nice." Even to me. "They can't be with Them."
Raymond gave a snort and rolled his eyes. "Of course you would think that. Not everyone is as they seem, you know. And what do we really know about them?" He didn't give Zucker a chance to respond. "Just…be careful. Okay?"
"Oh, okay." Zucker responded automatically. Raymond wasn't so subdued most days; it took him by surprise.
Raymond nodded and walked away, leaving Zucker alone with his thoughts. Surely Alex is fine. They are only different from everyone else because they are human. Deep in thought, he didn't notice as he chewed his fingernail. That doesn't make them bad. Does it?
"Hey!" Alex's greeting caught him by surprise, causing him to jump. "Oh, sorry," Alex said hurriedly. They held several rose bushes carefully. "Thought you heard me. So where do you think the best places would be?"
"Oh, I'm not sure…." He said distractedly, still thinking about what Raymond had said.
"Okay, I'm going to give it my best shot then." Alex went about planting the roses. Zucker watched them, but Raymond's words kept playing in his head. He's wrong. He has to be. Alex is too nice to be one of Them. He watched them place the roses and put the final touches on everything. They are too nice.
Finally, Alex was satisfied. "There. What do you think? You think that will work for everyone?"
"Hm? Oh yes. It's much better now."
"Great! Nice work," Alex held up their hand, palm facing him. Zucker stared at them blankly. "What's the matter? Haven't you ever given a high-five before?"
"What? Oh, ya." He reluctantly held up his own hand and, mindful of the suckers on it, lightly and quickly touched it to Alex's. "Yay," he said without much enthusiasm.
Alex looked at him blankly before bursting out laughing. "Oh, absolutely not. That has to be the lamest high-five I have ever seen."
Still laughing, they reached out and grasped Zucker's hand, before smacking it again into their own palm. "There. That is how you give a proper high-five."
Zucker stood in shock, because while Alex might be used to the causal interaction. Zucker definitely wasn't. He was so used to being treated as a nuisance—or worse, a clinical study—that he was honestly astonished that Alex would initiate something like that. But Alex's smile was catchy, and Zucker could feel his own growing on his face. "Oh. Right," he said weakly. Ya…Raymond has to be wrong. There is just no way that they are with Them. Alex is just…
…too nice.
Author's note!
I know this chapter is mainly filler. I promise we will get back to the angst and action soon. I needed a break from it. Plus, I needed to move different characters forward, so we can continue in their stories. I am going somewhere with this, I promise.
Response to reviewers (in chronological order)!
Diogoamazed/Whomie: Thank you, thank you, thank you for writing so many wonderful reviews! I didn't know this at the time, but if you write a review as a 'guest,' it goes to a holding place, so I can review it. That is why they didn't show up on the site at first. I got each one in my email though as you wrote them. It was exciting because you were reading them so fast, but nerve-racking because you were reading them so fast, lol! Now to answer your question about Raymond and the "once upon a time" comment. He is using it as more of a reference to a fairy tale; as in "Once upon a time, a long time ago, ect…" It's because their old lives feel so distant to what they are now, that it feels more dream-like or like a story. Sharp eyes to catch it though. It shows you are paying attention. :)
Randomdude330: Thank you for your encouraging review; I'm glad to hear that I have hooked you!
Guest (July 27th): You are right, Sober Up definitely fits Alex right now! As a side note, if I had to pick a theme song for the whole series…I think I would have to go with Survivor, but the version performed by 2WEI and Edda Hayes. It's perfect in so many ways.
Wea: Yes, poor Zucker. He just can't catch a break. It's a good thing he is making a new friend. :)
Guest (Aug 22nd): Hm, your question about how many chapters I have planned for this is going to have a longer answer. Like I mentioned waayyyy back in chapter one, this story is basically a series of one-shots that I string together. How I write my chapters is that I have files for each major character (Raymond, Alex, Lucky, ect.) I write the one-shots for each character as the ideas come, and then hook them together into the story as I see fit. This is one reason for the POV system. Raymond's background was about 10,000 words by itself, but I strung it out over several chapters. It allowed me to move the story forward, without getting bogged down on one. That being said, if I were to cut it off right now, and just complete the main story plot and only use the character's ideas that I have…It would probably be about 20 chapters (which comes out to about 200,000 words, btw). But I am having too much fun to do that, so (if my motivation holds out), it will probably be more about 30. Maybe even 50 chapters.
Life is about the journey, my friend. Buckle in for the ride. (and you can always follow/favorite if you want a reminder when I do post XD)
Thanks to everyone who liked, followed, and reviewed this! I love and appreciate all the feedback. You all are amazing!