Marchen stood in front of the decrepit shop with a worn sign reading, "Nook's Cranny" sprawled in messy, faded marker, pressed up against the brown cliff as if it wanted to disappear.
Somehow, the image of the clerk she met in front of her house didn't seem to match the image of this shop.
She allowed herself a few snickers before she was reminded that she was here to work.
It didn't seem so funny anymore.
Sighing, she willed herself to open the door, and was met by the owner himself.
"So, you've said hello to everyone in town, yes?" Nook asked. He was met by her usual nodding. "Very good! Try to remember everyone's names and faces. It should help you to adjust to this new town. So... you're just about ready to start your exciting part-time job, yes?"
This time, her nod was hesitant. That detail went unnoticed, however, as Nook handed her a teal shirt with a leaf in the front and brown pants. "Yes, yes, very good. The first thing I want you to do is change into your work clothes. Strictly speaking, I mean the uniform worn by my employees."
Nodding, Marchen headed for the door, only to be stopped by Nook.
"Where are you going, hm?"
She held up the clothes in response.
"Can't you just change here?" the racoon asked.
The girl blushed furiously (not that you could tell with that mask on) and shook her head. Sighing, Nook let her go home to change.
At home, as she changed into her new uniform, she realized that wearing her hat while working would look ridiculous. As much as she wanted to keep it on, it wasn't practical at the moment.
The mask, however...
She arrived back at the shop not 10 minutes later, and yet, Nook stood unsatisfied at the wait. He eyed her before mentioning that it looked rather fitting on her before proceeding to hand her a few potted plants. They were small, but she truly didn't trust herself to hold more than two at a time.
"Now then, let's get to work, shall we? The first thing I need you to do is plant these flowers and saplings outside of the shop. Sometimes brightening up the outside of your store is just the thing to perk up business, yes? So make sure it looks really nice out there! And let me know when you are finished, hm?"
Nodding, Marchen took first took a few of the flowers and headed outside.
Gardening. Something she actually likes. Maybe this wouldn't be so terrible a job.
In the span of a couple hours cheery flowers decorated the storefront and the tree saplings were planted behind the store. Later on, when they grew, it would serve to accent the shop.
Quite happily, she returned to the Cranny. Nook, seeing as the plants were all gone, said something about having to trust her decorating sense from under his breath.
"Well, I suppose it's time to put you to work like a real part-timer..." he said thoughtfully. (Marchen, on the other hand, was quite disappointed that what she had done was not "work".) "Ah! Maybe you can deliever a few things for me!"
Nook ran over to the register and pulled a neatly wrapped package from underneath the counter.
"Please take this to Rod. He ordered this last week, and it's finally arrived. Wouldn't want to keep a customer waiting, hm?"
Nodding, Marchen took the package and cradled it carefully in her arms. She was about to head out the door when Nook added, "And get back quickly! Don't just loaf about, nibbling grass on the side of the road!"
Taking the words to heart, she made way to where the mouse resided.
Needless to say, the laughing wouldn't stop.
"Hahaha! You're finally out of that black dress of yours, but you kept the mask?"
Slightly flustered, Marchen decided to end this quickly and pulled out the package.
"Dude! Is that piece finally here, ace?" Rod grinned as he gratefully accepted it. Nodding, Marchen turned to leave, when Rod called out, "Hey, wait, ace!"
Catiously, the girl peered over her shoulder to see him motioning for her to return. Slightly worried about Nook's last words, she wondered if it was alright to listen to him for a bit.
"I know, I know. You've got work, right, ace? I can tell be your clothes. After all, most of us started out as Nook's lackies. So I'll make this quick. When's your birthday, ace?"
Even with that mask on, the surprise on her face was pretty hard to hide because his ever famous grin was back on his face. "Well, there's a certain someone who wants to know. So? When is it?"
Pausing a moment, she stood still for a bit before putting up one finger. She closed her fist then again, put up one finger, while on the other hand she help up three.
"...1, 1, 3? 1/13? January 13?"
She nodded.
"Great! Thanks for tellin' me, ace? Now, don't you have to run back to Nook's?"
Nodding again, Marchen really did run back to the store.
"Ah, yes, welcome back!" Nook smiled, looking quite pleased and proud. "You've made short work of that delivery, haven't you, Marchen? So let's move onto the next job, then, shall we?"
He pulled out letterpaper and a pen and handed it to her.
"Your next job is to direct mail! I want you to write and send a letter to my regular customer, Elvis. Just a quick thank for patronizing my store and a notice that we're having a wonderful sale. You can send it via the post office in Town Hall. So... snap to it!"
After being booted out of the store, Marchen decided to visit the Museum. Places like that were usually quiet and it would be the perfect place to write.
(And it was only a few minutes' walk from Nook's, anyway.)
Of course, by "quiet" she didn't think she meant "empty".
A lone owl stood dejected in the middle of the lobby. As Marchen moved towards him, he perked up.
"Hoo, welcome to the Eichel Museum! We do hope you enjoy your stay. Of course, there isn't much to look at since this museum is practically empty... Thriving on donations as we do, I suppose it's only just that we can't get anyone to give us anything for free now, hoo..."
The owl began to sulk again. Marchen tried a few times to cheer him up, but her time was spent in vain. She noticed a coffee sign pointing downstairs, though, and so decided that maybe all he really needed was a nice cup of joe.
She headed down and was met with a bar like counter with a pigeon wiping down some cups. The two stared at each other, just looking with no movement whatsoever.
Then, the bird pointed with his feathers the chairs in front of him. Understanding, Marchen took a seat.
The two kept the silence before the pigeon said, in a deep but whispering voice, "Coffee is 200 bells. Would you like some?"
The girl almost nodded, but stopped midway when she realized that she had no money. She checked her pockets again, just to make sure, but sure enough, there wasn't a Bell in sight. Disappointed, she shook her, twiddling her thumbs in her lap.
Now what?
The pigeon stared a bit more at her before saying, "Then I guess that this cup is on the house."
Surprised, Marchen looked up to see him working like magic, making cup, saucer, and drink dance elegantly together. Soon, a hot cup of coffee sat in front of her.
"...Enjoy it while it's hot."
Nodded quite happily, Marchen picked it up and began to walk up the stairs, not noticing the odd eye that he was giving her.
She approached the owl with her cup of coffee. At the smell of joe, he looked up to see the girl offering him the cup.
"Are you... giving this to me?"
She nodded.
"Hoo, thank you," he said as he took the cup gratefully. He drank, careful not to scald himself, and then replaced the cup onto the saucer.
"You're such a kind girl. My name is Blathers, curator of this museum. I wish that we had more to offer you at the moment, but as I previously mentioned, this museum is empty. Most people do not think of donating to us, and so our halls are more of a museum of dust than anything. But I digress. Thank you for the drink."
Marchen took back the cup and saucer then bowed. She headed back downstairs to where the pigeon was and put the empty cup onto the counter.
"...You gave Blathers the coffee?"
She nodded.
"...I see. Thank you for returning the cup."
She also bowed to this pigeon and was about to make her way back up the stairs when he added, "Brewster."
She looked back at him and saw him still cleaning cups behind the counter. As he inspected one of them, he said, "I run the Roost. Thank you for helping Blathers. He works too hard."
...Wait, work?
With wide, panicked eyes, Marchen sat right back down at the counter and pulled out the letter paper and pen. Who did Nook want to send it to? What did he want written?
As soon as things clicked in her mind she scribbled down the letter.
Dear Elvis,
Thank you for supporting Nook's Cranny. We hope you continue to patronize the store. We also wish to inform you that there is a sale going on right now, and we hope you stop by.
-Marchen
She jumped off of her seat and ran, sealing the letter in the envelope as she did. She was heading for Town Hall when a thought struck her.
Why didn't she just deliver it herself?
It would be much faster, after all.
Running past the Hall she headed down the slope to where his house lay, then put it in his mailbox.
Having sped her way full circle through town, Nook looked more than a little annoyed at the time it'd taken her to get back.
"That seemed to take a little too long for my liking, but it seems you've got it done. Everyone in Eichel really likes letters, so if it didn't go out, I'd be in trouble, hm? So next, I need you to deliver a carpet."
He pulled out a duffel bag that Marchen presumed contained said item. She took it carefully and slung it over her shoulder.
"I need you to deliver it to Midge. And make it snappy this time. Please. Don't think that just because I'm not watching you can go take a detour and go chatting, hm?"
Nodding, Marchen headed towards the bird's place near Town Hall.
Outside the door, she took a deep breath, steeled herself, and...
ACK!
THE PINKNESS!
Marchen really wanted nothing less than to GET OUT OF THERE ASAP, but Midge stopped her just as she reached for the door.
"Wait, I have a thank you present," she chirped happily. She went into her drawers and pulled out another duffel bag. She then pulled out a neatly folded carpet, and packed it into the current duffel bag that the girl was using.
"This is kind of old, but you can use it as you get settled in, tweedledee. Flooring and wallpaper is important to the atmosphere of your house, after all, unless you want the atmosphere to be 'boring'."
Marchen bowed in thanks and ran out of that house.
No matter how much Nook paid her, she was never going to get used to pink in huge amounts.
Marchen was suddenly struck with a thought.
What if her present was pink?
What would she do then? She'd feel so guilty if she threw it away but she didn't want to use it but there was nothing to dislike about Midge besides the color and wasn't it discrimination to judge on the outside because it was the inside that counts and...
She somehow made it home. Eyeing the duffel bag, she decided there was only one way to find out.
Quickly, she made her way in. Marchen then unzipped the bag and spread her new flooring out.
She couldn't believe her eyes.
It was a regal (blue) rug met her eyes. It seemed to suit the room better than the opulent rug had before.
Smiling slightly, she got to work folding the old rug and placing it in the cardboard box.
...Right. Work.
Sighing, she headed back to Nook's, preparing for a scolding.
However, he just seemed so happy, welcoming her back and praising her, "getting the knack of 'working for a living'." Not what she'd expected, but it wasn't right to look a gift horse in the mouth.
"Anyway," Nook continued from his rant, "next I need you to deliver this watering can to Elvis. Oh! And don't go around using my customers things like their your own when you should be delivering them. If you want one, you've got to buy one, yes?"
Nodding, Marchen headed back to Little Fantasy, tool in hand.
She knocked on the door three times before the lion finally opened up the door. He blinked a couple of times.
"You... look different," Elvis said lamely.
Marchen merely nodded her head.
"You're not dressed in black. Or wearing a hat."
Again, a nod.
"And yet, you're still wearing your mask?"
No response this time. Elvis waited a few minutes before speaking again.
"What are you doing here, unh-huhn?"
She held up the watering can between them, finding herself not able to look him in the eye. He quietly took the tool before setting it aside, looking at her thoughtfully all the while.
As she turned to leave, he called out, "Is your name Marchen?"
She turned right back around and nodded.
"So you're the one who wrote this letter, unh-huhn?" he said, holding up the decorative piece of paper that Marchen had folded into the envelope in her earlier job. Recognizing her handwriting, she nodded again. Elvis smiled a bit before bursting out into chuckles.
"You've said more in this letter than you have in your entire time in Eichel!" he laughed. Blushing slightly, Marchen frowned under her mask.
"Now, now, no reason to be embarrassed. Everyone here loves getting letters. We like to show off how popular we are with the amount of letters we get. So make sure to write me lots of letters, unh-huhn? Ah, but don't write anything too personal. After all, letters are for showing off."
Nodding, Marchen waved goodbye and walked back to Nook's.
"Welcome back! Good job! Yes, yes, let's see... Your next job will be... I know! I just remembered! Do you know the bulletin board in front of Town Hall?"
No, she did not.
"Very good! Yes, well, I'd like you to write an ad on for the shop on that very bulletin board! I'll leave the wording up to you, but make sure it's something snazzy that the young kids will like. And remember, lots of people will see it, so don't write anything to make us look bad!"
Nodding, Marchen set out for the bulletin board. Once there, she stood in front of it, thinking for a while.
Finally she decided to write:
If you can raed tihs, you may jsut be amewose egunoh to potrazine Tom Nook's!
Are you asemowe enugoh?
Not anything that attractive, but Nook did trust her...
Smiling, she put the notice onto the bulletin board and headed back to the shop, wondering if anyone would be able to read that.
"Ah, Marchen. Welcome back. Did you write the message?"
In response to her nod, Nook clapped his hands together and smiled. "Yes, yes! Very good job. So that means... You're done! That's all the odd jobs I had laying around today. You've earned 1,400 bells today, so I'll just take that off your mortgage. You're free to return the uniform, if you'd like."
Marchen thought for a moment, before shaking her head.
"Ah, you'd like to keep it? It does fit you quite nicely, hm?"
Nodding, she also pointed to the register and then to herself.
Nook quickly got the message.
"...You'd still like to work here?"
Nod.
"You'll only be able to work on days when I've out of store jobs like delivering and such. You understand, hm?"
Nod.
"You won't be paid on days you don't work, yes?"
Nod.
"For how long is your employment?"
She made a triangle and a square in the air with her hands.
"I see... Hm... What hours are good for you?"
She then started to scribble her finger on the palm of her other hand, as if writing something. Understanding, Nook handed her a piece of paper and another pen.
6 to 10 P.M., weekdays, is good.
"Great! Then consider yourself hired, Marchen! By the way, how did you find the town, hm? Enjoyable?"
Smiling, she nodded.
It's a really cheerful place.
"Indeed. It's quite peaceful here, isn't it?"
Yes.
"Well, I'll leave you to your own devices, then, yes?"
Nodding quite gratefully, she left and headed home. She went straight to the attic and plopped right into bed, not even bother to snuggle under the covers.
Marchen was soon off in Dreamland, quite satisfied with life.
[Timeline] Same day as last chapter
[Actual game play] Friday, August 26th, 2011
Explanations:
[Marchen keeping her job] Actually, the whole money system of AC doesn't make sense to me. So Nook will buy your things (so Bells go N-P), then the player will spend the money at either Nook's (P-N), for their mortgage (again, P-N), or at another store, in which case he loses money. At the very least, if Marchen makes Bells from selling things to Nook to get whatever she wants and works part-time to pay off her debt, that makes more sense to me than the gameplay.
[Notice] I thought it would be boring to write a normal ad, so I scrambled the letters. :P
[Italic speech (in story)] That would be Marchen writing. She had this whole story thing about why she can't (won't?) talk, but I decided to just keep it open. Anyway, she doesn't have quotes around her writing so just thought that it'd be confusing. There's still italic emphasis, too... maybe I should switch to bold? Hahaha.