Chapter 3: The Tanuki Box
"Hey Dad," Timmy greeted as he stepped into his father's shop. "Ho ho, hello, son," Tom Nook welcomed Timmy and his friends. "What brings you here?" "Well," Cube began, "this is a store, after all." Skylar laughed. She quickly regained her composure. With a serious look on her face, she said, "Mr. Nook, we were hoping you could tell us the legend of that old silver mine that's supposed to be near town."
"Near town? Ho ho! My child, I can tell you-" "Don't call me that," Skylar interrupted. "Fine. Anyway, it's not near. It's over half a dozen acres away! It's closer to Amyville than Mewzic, really. In fact, when the silver mine was first discovered, there was a big fight over which town it belonged to. See, it was closer to Amyville, but it was a villager from Mewzic who had discovered it." "Ohh," Cube said, staring softly at the wall. Skylar nudged him. "What??" Cube looked up, seemingly surprised to see them there.
"You were about to fall asleep again," Skylar told him. Timmy and his father stared at Cube like he had done something weird, concern in both pairs of eyes. "Er. He does that sometimes," Skylar told them. "I see." Nook's voice faded off. Timmy tried to say something, but his voice cracked. Cube was blushing, and he turned away.
After a few minutes, Tom Nook opened his mouth. "I see," he said, then, "ho ho! Timmy, fetch this penguin and his young friend-" "I'm not young. After all, I live on my own," Skylar retorted, hands on her hips. "Of course," Tom Nook replied dryly, seemingly annoyed. But then he rubbed his hands together and licked his lips. "Timmy, fetch them the Tanuki Box!"
"The Tanuki Box?" Skylar and Cube said together. They exchanged glances. Skylar looked at Mr. Nook warily. Timmy brought out a medium-sized bright blue box with small golden stars painted on it.
"TA DAAA!!!!" Tom Nook cried, his hands above his head. "This is a fabulous Tanuki Box! Rare and, unfortunately, a tad expensive! Only 4,000 bells, and this box is yours!" He leaned toward the pair and raised and lowered his eyebrows, causing Cube to back up more until he fell on top of the counter, knocking stationary to the ground.
"Uh, sir?" Cube started, "What is a Tanuki Box?" Skylar helped him on his feet, and then turned to Nook.
"Not A Tanuki Box. Ho ho, this is THE Tanuki Box!" Mr. Nook exclaimed with a wide grin. Skylar put her hands on her hips. "And what does this 'Tanuki Box' do?" "I'm glad you asked," Tom Nook said. "Alright, have you ever heard of coon hunting?" Cube's eyes opened wide, and Skylar's jaw dropped in horror. "Cannibal!" Cube shouted, and they both ducked behind the shopping carts. Tom Nook sweatdropped.
"Oh, no no no, ho ho! Raccoons did not do coon hunting. It was done by coonhounds, and HUMANS-" Mr. Nook glared at Skylar. "-With guns." Skylar held up her hands. "I don't own any guns," she said with a cool attitude. "Yeah," Cube agreed.
"Hmph. Well, ho ho. Fine. But there are those who do hunt raccoons. And in this box are contained all the screams of all the raccoons that ever died by a hunters gun or a coonhounds bite."
"...Tanuki?" Cube asked. "Tanuki. Raccoon in Japanese." "Oh." "Anyway," Timmy piped in, "It'll keep you awake, no matter what. Just open the box-" He opened it. A shrill scream was heard. "-And you won't fall asleep."
"As I said, it's 4,000 bells," Tom Nook coolly, looking at his claws. "But you look like you really need it, so I guess I could-"
"How much?" Cube said eagerly. "3,200 bells." "Hold on. Let me go home and grab some money." Zoom! Cube was gone.
"......So, uh, how's Tommy doing?" Skylar said idly. "He's still got the flu," Timmy explained. "Oh, that's too bad." Skylar scuffed up the floor with one sneaker, looking at the floor. "You want to see him?" Timmy asked. Skylar nodded. "Um, that would be nice, I guess." Skylar was still looking at the floor. Tom Nook was attending the carts behind the counter. "Kay, follow me."
"Her name's not Kay! It's Skylar!" Monique said, entering the shop, followed by Coco. "I meant." Timmy started. "Who cares what you meant? Her name's Skylar, okay?" Monique said, throwing her arms up into the air. Timmy fell back a bit.
"Hey Coco, what's up?" Skylar greeted her, glad to be saved to petty idle conversation. "Nothing much," the rabbit said, shrugging. "I read a really good magazine that Mathilda lent me. You might want to read it sometime."
"Cool, what was it called?" Skylar asked. "Kangaroo Fanfictions." "Cool. Maybe I'll ask her if I can borrow it for the camping trip."
"Camping trip? You're going camping?" Monique turned around and walked a few steps towards her. "Yeah. Cube, Timmy, and I. We're going searching for a lost silver mine."
"Wow! A lost silver mine!?" Monique exclaimed. "That is sooooooo cool! I hope you find it!" She paused for a second, then added in a whisper, "I want one block of silver." "Deal," Skylar whispered back, and the two laughed. Across the store, Timmy thought the seemingly maniacal laughter was bizarre.
"Er... I'm going to the back to get a drink of water." Timmy backed away slowly, then turned away and scrambled through the back door, into storage room.
The storage room was as large as Nook 'N' Go, with a concrete floor. It was damp in there. Water dripped from the ceiling. Soggy boxes filled with unsold merchandise and even a few boxes of special things the Nook family had saved over the years. Timmy picked up a faded photograph in a rusty golden frame. With one claw he wiped away some of the dust. The picture was of a female tanuki, wearing a melon tartan and wearing a pink bow on top of her head. She was standing in a grassy place, winking with an open smile on her face, and holding a basket brimming with purple pansies in one hand. "Mom." Timmy said. "Mom, I miss you. Don't worry. Tommy says it will be all right, and I trust my big brother." Timmy put down the picture frame. He went to the back of the room, where there was a water cooler and a stack on small plastic cups. He quickly filled a cup up with cold water, and took his time drinking it. The cool liquid poured down his throat. "Ahh," he said, wiping his mouth and throwing the cup away into a small trash can next to the cooler. Then he started back towards the store area of the building.
_~_~_~_~_~_~_~_~_~_~_~_~_~_~_~_~_~_~_~_~_~_~_~_~_~_~_~_~_~_~_~_~_~
Sorry it took me a couple weeks to get this up. I wasn't sure how to make this meeting go. And still, there are only a few important details in this chapter. What did Tommy mean everything would be okay, though? You will find out!
"Hey Dad," Timmy greeted as he stepped into his father's shop. "Ho ho, hello, son," Tom Nook welcomed Timmy and his friends. "What brings you here?" "Well," Cube began, "this is a store, after all." Skylar laughed. She quickly regained her composure. With a serious look on her face, she said, "Mr. Nook, we were hoping you could tell us the legend of that old silver mine that's supposed to be near town."
"Near town? Ho ho! My child, I can tell you-" "Don't call me that," Skylar interrupted. "Fine. Anyway, it's not near. It's over half a dozen acres away! It's closer to Amyville than Mewzic, really. In fact, when the silver mine was first discovered, there was a big fight over which town it belonged to. See, it was closer to Amyville, but it was a villager from Mewzic who had discovered it." "Ohh," Cube said, staring softly at the wall. Skylar nudged him. "What??" Cube looked up, seemingly surprised to see them there.
"You were about to fall asleep again," Skylar told him. Timmy and his father stared at Cube like he had done something weird, concern in both pairs of eyes. "Er. He does that sometimes," Skylar told them. "I see." Nook's voice faded off. Timmy tried to say something, but his voice cracked. Cube was blushing, and he turned away.
After a few minutes, Tom Nook opened his mouth. "I see," he said, then, "ho ho! Timmy, fetch this penguin and his young friend-" "I'm not young. After all, I live on my own," Skylar retorted, hands on her hips. "Of course," Tom Nook replied dryly, seemingly annoyed. But then he rubbed his hands together and licked his lips. "Timmy, fetch them the Tanuki Box!"
"The Tanuki Box?" Skylar and Cube said together. They exchanged glances. Skylar looked at Mr. Nook warily. Timmy brought out a medium-sized bright blue box with small golden stars painted on it.
"TA DAAA!!!!" Tom Nook cried, his hands above his head. "This is a fabulous Tanuki Box! Rare and, unfortunately, a tad expensive! Only 4,000 bells, and this box is yours!" He leaned toward the pair and raised and lowered his eyebrows, causing Cube to back up more until he fell on top of the counter, knocking stationary to the ground.
"Uh, sir?" Cube started, "What is a Tanuki Box?" Skylar helped him on his feet, and then turned to Nook.
"Not A Tanuki Box. Ho ho, this is THE Tanuki Box!" Mr. Nook exclaimed with a wide grin. Skylar put her hands on her hips. "And what does this 'Tanuki Box' do?" "I'm glad you asked," Tom Nook said. "Alright, have you ever heard of coon hunting?" Cube's eyes opened wide, and Skylar's jaw dropped in horror. "Cannibal!" Cube shouted, and they both ducked behind the shopping carts. Tom Nook sweatdropped.
"Oh, no no no, ho ho! Raccoons did not do coon hunting. It was done by coonhounds, and HUMANS-" Mr. Nook glared at Skylar. "-With guns." Skylar held up her hands. "I don't own any guns," she said with a cool attitude. "Yeah," Cube agreed.
"Hmph. Well, ho ho. Fine. But there are those who do hunt raccoons. And in this box are contained all the screams of all the raccoons that ever died by a hunters gun or a coonhounds bite."
"...Tanuki?" Cube asked. "Tanuki. Raccoon in Japanese." "Oh." "Anyway," Timmy piped in, "It'll keep you awake, no matter what. Just open the box-" He opened it. A shrill scream was heard. "-And you won't fall asleep."
"As I said, it's 4,000 bells," Tom Nook coolly, looking at his claws. "But you look like you really need it, so I guess I could-"
"How much?" Cube said eagerly. "3,200 bells." "Hold on. Let me go home and grab some money." Zoom! Cube was gone.
"......So, uh, how's Tommy doing?" Skylar said idly. "He's still got the flu," Timmy explained. "Oh, that's too bad." Skylar scuffed up the floor with one sneaker, looking at the floor. "You want to see him?" Timmy asked. Skylar nodded. "Um, that would be nice, I guess." Skylar was still looking at the floor. Tom Nook was attending the carts behind the counter. "Kay, follow me."
"Her name's not Kay! It's Skylar!" Monique said, entering the shop, followed by Coco. "I meant." Timmy started. "Who cares what you meant? Her name's Skylar, okay?" Monique said, throwing her arms up into the air. Timmy fell back a bit.
"Hey Coco, what's up?" Skylar greeted her, glad to be saved to petty idle conversation. "Nothing much," the rabbit said, shrugging. "I read a really good magazine that Mathilda lent me. You might want to read it sometime."
"Cool, what was it called?" Skylar asked. "Kangaroo Fanfictions." "Cool. Maybe I'll ask her if I can borrow it for the camping trip."
"Camping trip? You're going camping?" Monique turned around and walked a few steps towards her. "Yeah. Cube, Timmy, and I. We're going searching for a lost silver mine."
"Wow! A lost silver mine!?" Monique exclaimed. "That is sooooooo cool! I hope you find it!" She paused for a second, then added in a whisper, "I want one block of silver." "Deal," Skylar whispered back, and the two laughed. Across the store, Timmy thought the seemingly maniacal laughter was bizarre.
"Er... I'm going to the back to get a drink of water." Timmy backed away slowly, then turned away and scrambled through the back door, into storage room.
The storage room was as large as Nook 'N' Go, with a concrete floor. It was damp in there. Water dripped from the ceiling. Soggy boxes filled with unsold merchandise and even a few boxes of special things the Nook family had saved over the years. Timmy picked up a faded photograph in a rusty golden frame. With one claw he wiped away some of the dust. The picture was of a female tanuki, wearing a melon tartan and wearing a pink bow on top of her head. She was standing in a grassy place, winking with an open smile on her face, and holding a basket brimming with purple pansies in one hand. "Mom." Timmy said. "Mom, I miss you. Don't worry. Tommy says it will be all right, and I trust my big brother." Timmy put down the picture frame. He went to the back of the room, where there was a water cooler and a stack on small plastic cups. He quickly filled a cup up with cold water, and took his time drinking it. The cool liquid poured down his throat. "Ahh," he said, wiping his mouth and throwing the cup away into a small trash can next to the cooler. Then he started back towards the store area of the building.
_~_~_~_~_~_~_~_~_~_~_~_~_~_~_~_~_~_~_~_~_~_~_~_~_~_~_~_~_~_~_~_~_~
Sorry it took me a couple weeks to get this up. I wasn't sure how to make this meeting go. And still, there are only a few important details in this chapter. What did Tommy mean everything would be okay, though? You will find out!