POV
Alex/ human
Turned out building a kitchen was a lot harder than Alex thought it would be. Not only would it take a good number of their resources, but the plumbing and electricity would have to be reworked as well. They had enough resources, but just barely; it would take all the wood and iron that they had collected this far. Because of how extensive this project was, Reneigh agreed to head it up but Alex better dang be there to watch and learn. Alex was fine with this arrangement; they certainly didn't feel confident enough to try to build something this complicated on their own yet. As always, Reneigh was a patient teacher and didn't mind being slowed down to answer Alex's questions and to show them how to do certain parts of the project. Particularly as it turned out it would just be the two of them working together.
Fauna was there for a little bit, until it became clear that the small house didn't have enough room for all of them to be in there working at the same time. Which certainly meant there wasn't room for Zucker either.
"Out," Reneigh said firmly, as she was laying out piping. "I can't work if I am worried someone is going to get hurt."
"But, but," Zucker stuttered in protest, with a frantic look at Alex.
"It's okay, Zucker," Fauna's quiet voice, reassured him. "I'm leaving too." She shot a teasing look at Alex. "Someone else has replaced me as Reneigh's assistant."
"Alex better be here," Reneigh piped up. "It's their kitchen after all. Everyone else: out."
"It's okay, Zucker," Alex said. "I'll come get you when I'm done. Promise." That seemed to calm him down at least, and he left with Fauna.
The rest of the morning and good portion of the afternoon was spent with Alex and Reneigh busily focusing on building the kitchen. They were able to get a good amount of work done, even if they couldn't quite complete it.
"Good work today!" Reneigh praised as she packed up her tools for the day. "You are getting better at DIY Projects, by the way."
"Aw, thanks," Alex said tiredly. "Just wish we could have finished it today."
Reneigh gave a snort as she shot them a look. "Something this complicated in one day? Hardly. And don't say that it was because of your lack of skills. Even Fauna and I together couldn't have done it this fast. So what are you going to do now? Turn in early?"
"No, I don't think so." Alex was tired, but also kind of restless. They didn't feel ready to go to sleep yet. "Might go hang out with Zucker for a bit. I did promise him, after all."
"That would be nice," Reneigh agreed. "Glad you are making a friend. Well, you both are. But don't stay out too late. If we get an early start tomorrow, we should be able to finish your kitchen."
"Awesome! Thanks, Reneigh, for everything. See you tomorrow."
Alex went out to go find Zucker. He's probably by the docks. Which tuned out that they were right. "Hey, Zucker, how's it going?"
Zucker jumped at Alex's voice. "Oh. Alex!" He gave a delighted smile. "You came and found me after all. I thought you might have forgotten…"
"Of course not," Alex said as they sat next to him. "Sorry, it took so long. I had no idea it was gonna take all day like that."
"No, it's fine," Zucker smiled at them, clearly willing to forgive. "You want to get your fishing pole?"
Alex sighed and flopped on their back on the dock. "I'm beat, actually. I don't really feel like playing tug-of-war with anything." Alex turned their head to so they could look at him. "Do you mind if we walk along the beach and look for shells instead?"
"Ya, sure, Alex," Zucker readily agreed, "whatever you want." Alex felt a slight twinge of unease at that statement, but was too tired to really analyze why. It's probably nothing. Zucker is just being a good friend, is all, they thought as they stood up to walk back to the beach.
Zucker hurriedly tethered his lines, before following Alex to the beach. As they both meandered along the coast, Alex gathered up the shells and bits of coral scattered along the shore. Alex was mindful to keep their hood up and stay out of the surf. Their bandaged leg may be mostly healed by this point, but it was still a very vivid reminder of why they should stay out of the water.
At least, stay out of the water here on this island. They could take a tour to some mystery island, where they could go into the surf and even go swimming. Alex felt themselves have a small smile as they passed the Airport. Maybe I can go tomorrow or the next day. It's been almost a week now; I wonder if that is long enough for Mr. Nook to let me go?
"Hey, Alex, what do you need these for?" Zucker finally asked after Alex had picked up their fifth shell.
"Easy cash," Alex said. "It's a good way to make some quick Bells from the twins."
"Oh." There was a few seconds of silence, from the octopus hybrid. "Why do you need a lot of Bells?"
"I need to still pay off my house renovations." Alex explained. It is probably going to take me a while though. "How long did it take you to finish paying off your starter loan?"
"My what?" Zucker looked at them in surprise.
"Your loan from Mr. Nook to build a house on the island." Alex shot a quizzical look at him, from over their shoulder. "You know, back when you first came here. Did he make you pay it in Miles too?"
"Oh, um, maybe," Zucker said uncertainly. He begin to nervously bite his lip, "I'm not sure…"
"Well, you probably did." Alex soothed. If Mr. Nook isn't bothering him about it, then it is probably paid.
…or just forgiven.
They had walked farther then Alex had ever been before on the beach by this point. Alex noticed the lighthouse off in the distance, but it was still far away. Hm, maybe I could walk out to it at some point. But not today. Alex turned around so suddenly, that Zucker almost stumbled into them. "Hey, you ready to head back? I don't want to be too far away from the village as it gets dark." Not that Alex minded the dark, but still…
"Sure, Alex."
They walked back together the way that they can come, following their footprints in the sand. As they got ready to pass the Airport a second time though, Alex paused slightly. "Zucker, you go on ahead and check your lines. I want to stop by and say hi real quick to Orville and Wilber."
"You sure? I don't mind waiting." Zucker dithered uncertainly.
"Nah," Alex shook their head, "you go on ahead. I'll meet up with you at Nook's Cranny."
"Um, sure, okay. I'll see you in a bit!" Zucker called, before sprinting away.
Hands in the pockets of their shorts, they walked over to the open doorway. "Hey, Orville!"
"Well, look who decided to drop in?" Orville smiled as he put his magazine down. "So, is this visit business or pleasure?"
"Pleasure; I don't have a Ticket if that's what you mean."
"Pleasure it is, but I don't mind." He loosely laced his fingers together and rested his head on them. "Sooooo…how have you been?"
"Pretty good." Alex leaned on the counter. "Getting a kitchen set up."
"Good for you! Moving up in the culinary world."
"I'm not sure about that. I mean, I can eat my own cooking, but I'm not sure anyone else can." Alex laughed. "What about you two? What have you both been up to?"
Orville shrugged his skinny shoulders. "Same old, same old. We are here if you ever need us."
"Hopefully I will, sooner rather than later." Alex pushed off of the counter. "Well I just wanted to just pop by to say 'hey,' so I'll head out now."
"Don't be a stranger. Come by when you got that Ticket."
"Roger that," Alex said with a mock salute.
"Take care. Oh, and Wilber says take care too, 'Pollywog'." Orville said, tapping his headset.
"Same to him," Alex called, as they were leaving the airport. .
Alex walked along the shore in the fading sunset, watching the little squirts of water occasionally shoot out of the sand. Listening to the gentle rhythm of the ocean surf crashing onto the shore, they took deep, cleansing breaths, enjoying the smell and feel of the salty air. It is peaceful here, they thought dozily, as they watched their shadow extend out in front of them. But they weren't too tired to notice when it looked like their shadow was suddenly become larger and larger. As soon as Alex put together what that meant, they didn't hesitate, but dropped onto their stomach in the sand. They heard a 'whoosh' sound as something large flew overhead. They raised their head out of the sand to see —well, a girl landing on the beach. A winged girl.
Extending her wings out on either side, she tried to catch enough drag to come to a full stop. Unlike Blathers, Wilber, or Orville, her large wings were apparently fully functional. She had clearly been using them to fly. They were the most peculiar—but pretty—burgundy shade with black and white tips. They arched over her back as she closed them, allowing them to rest folded along her back. Reaching back over her shoulders, she raised her thick, loose brown curls out of the way of her closing wings, before allowing her hair to cascade over her now resting wings.
She quickly turned back to Alex. "Sorry," she called, jogging over to them. "I overshot the landing. Are you alright?" She was wearing one of the most impractical pair of laced up, high-heeled boots that Alex had ever seen, stopping just shy of her knees, but she was managing to jog on the loose sand fairly well. Just above her knees, her brown-checked, layered skirt swished with her hips as she moved. A brown leather corset was worn high over her red, long-sleeved shirt. It occurred to Alex that the corset was probably worn to add protection while she flew. A traditional leather jacket would be hard to wear with those wings. She would have to cut slits in it, and even then they are so large, they wouldn't easily go through. Her outfit was completed by a brown satchel that she wore on one side.
Alex could feel their mouth hanging open, as they stared at her. As she got closer though, Alex snapped out of their initial surprise. "Oh. Ya. I'm fine," they stuttered as they scrambled to their feet. I hope she didn't notice me staring at her like that. I didn't want to seem rude…
If she did, she didn't seem offended by it. "That's good," she sighed in relief, coming to a stop in front of them. Her hair was pulled back away from her face, but a few stray hairs had escaped during her flight. "I would feel terrible if I had slammed into you," she said as she tucked the loose strands behind her ears. The gesture caused Alex to notice the scattering of the burgundy feathers around her ears, before they trailed down her neck. She was wearing a ribbon choker, with the ends of it tied into a small pick bow. From the center of it hung a small charm, which had some kind of leaf symbol on it. "You would think I would be better at the landings by now," she continued, before giving a winning smile, causing her large, brown eyes to light up. Unlike all the other hybrids Alex had seen so far, this one could truly be considered beautiful. "Walk with me to the village? Isabelle is very particular that all the Visitors have to sign in when we arrive."
"Um sure," Alex agreed, before their brain kicked in that maybe this wasn't such a good idea. But this new girl just giggled, before walking in the direction of the village. Another thing that set her apart from the other hybrids (besides her beauty) was the way she carried herself. She was beautiful—but she knew it. From the rocking sway of her hips as she moved to the confident way she held her head high, Alex could tell that she was used to all eyes being on her. She didn't shy away from the attention; she thrived on it. It reminded Alex of the obnoxious, snobby, popular cheerleader stereotype, which was slightly off-putting.
"I'm Celeste, by the way," she provided as they walked.
Alex had had this nagging feeling like they had seen this new girl before, but they couldn't place where until she said her name. "Oh, right, Celeste. You're Blathers' sister," Alex cried with a snap of their fingers. They felt a little stupid for not seeing it sooner. Sure, she didn't have wings or feathers in the photo, but she looks basically the same.
The bright smile seemed to freeze for a second, before turning to a more subdued one. "Yes, I suppose so," she murmured, "At least, that's what he says."
"What do you mean?"
She gave a deep sigh. "I don't remember. There is nothing, before I woke up at the Lab. It's like…my existence starts then." She pulled one of her thick curls over her shoulder, and loosely spun in through her fingers.
"So you lost your memories, the same as Mabel?" Alex asked gently.
"Yes, I guess. But Mabel remembers some things. I don't remember anything." She gave a frustrated sigh. "He has showed me the photos, and I admit, that that girl does look like me. But I don't remember being her. He has told me the stories, but I don't remember them. Not at all.
At first, I thought that maybe I could be that girl, the one he knew. But it was so hard." A sadness appeared in her eyes. "I could see it in his eyes, that he was constantly searching mine, looking for someone. I would see it, when I wasn't what he expected his sister to say or do. He would get so sad, when he couldn't find her. It made him so sad to lose her…
I felt guilty, like I was letting him down somehow. But I was trying—I really was—but in the end, the person he was constantly looking for didn't exist. Maybe she did at one time, but not anymore. I can't be anyone but myself; maybe I was his sister at one time, but I'm not who he remembers. And I can't pretend to be. In the end, it was just too hard, and I couldn't take it anymore."
"Oh…" Alex said, feeling like there was so much more that they could say, but at the same time, having no idea what it was. What do you even say, when someone tells you something like that?
"I never stay long," she continued. "It's too hard on me, and it's hard on Blathers too, when I am here. I don't think he truly given up on me yet. And while I may not be the sister he remembers, I don't want to keep hurting him. It makes me sad, to think that I'm upsetting him." Her voice turned bitter. "It doesn't help that Mr. Nook has turned everyone here against Redd co. either," she said, tossing her hair back over her shoulder, "and Mr. Redd is such a kind and generous man."
It took Alex a few seconds to process that statement. And then another few seconds to decide if they had misheard or not. "Huh?"
"I mean, he gave all the failed patients of the Project a place to live. The Project is still in the experimental stages; he can't guarantee the results. No one can. But he wanted to give them a place to stay. A place where they can exist, free from fear of discovery and harm. He protects them, but also he provides for all their needs, wants, and care." She sighed. "He is such a wonderful person."
Alex followed after Celeste with numbed steps, dimly aware that they were staring at her again. They were having a hard time following what she was saying. It was…just one hundred percent from what everyone else was saying. "But…they—we— can't leave…" they managed to get out.
"Well, of course not, Silly," she giggled. "That would risk exposure for everyone else! He can't let a 'wild child' put everyone in danger. Do you know what would happen if the islanders were exposed?
"People would come and take them away. They would be locked away, to be studied and examined. Or at the very least, they would be ostracized and treated as freaks by everyone else. Here, they are free to exist. The Rules he created are to insure that everyone is protected and free from fear of discovery."
They reached the main area of the Village then. Alex was feeling a little sucker-punched from what she had told them. They felt unsettled, as if they had just discovered that they had been standing on quicksand instead of solid ground. Alex loosely noted that Reneigh, Fauna, Raymond and Zucker were chilling out by the pond like normal. In the fading light of dusk, Alex quickened their steps in their direction. They suddenly felt the need to be among the others. At least they are familiar. Alex could count on them to be constant at least. Zucker naturally begin to walk over to them when he saw them, but surprisingly he wasn't alone. Celeste seemed just as surprised as Alex, when Raymond walked over too. "Hey, Celeste," Raymond called, in greeting to her.
A delighted smile lit up her features. "Oh, Raymond. Hello! Hey, Zucker," she said quickly before she turned her attention back to Raymond. "This is a pleasant surprise," she said conversationally.
Raymond's eyes flittered over to Alex, but he didn't say anything to them. "You check in with Isabelle yet?" He directed the question to Celeste, while Alex shuffled closer to Zucker.
"No, but I am on my way now." She turned to Alex and gave a wink. "Just making a new friend. What was your name, Sweetie? I don't think I caught it."
"Stop stalling, Celeste, and get to Resident Services," Raymond sniffed. "You don't want Isabelle got get huffy with you." He is splintering her away from me, Alex realized. And he is avoiding the use of my name…
"Sheesh, alright." She held up her hands, in surrender. "I'm going." She gave Alex another beautiful smile. "Don't go anywhere, until I get back. I love to make new friends."
"Um, but Alex and I were going to go to Nook's Cranny." Zucker supplied helpfully. Alex could see Raymond wince at Zucker's causal use of their name.
Celeste turned to them in interest, to Alex's growing alarm. "Oh, so you are the elusive Alex." She leaned forward slightly, as if to get a better look at them. "You must be terribly shy. It's very hit or miss on if one of us Visitors will get to meet you."
"Ya, well, I'm here and there…and there again." Alex finished lamely, not sure how much to tell this friendly but strange girl.
She just gave delighted laugh. "Well, I'm pleased to meet you, Alex." Alex was still skeptical of the new girl, but she seemed nice enough. Weird, she seems to really mean it.
"Celeste, what you doing here?" Raymond asked, apparently giving up his excuse to get her away from Alex.
"Just visiting, Raymond, same as always," she assured him. "And stargazing of course." She reached into her satchel and pulled out what looked like a star map. "If it's a clear night, I might even get to see some shooting stars! There should be a few out tonight at least."
"You like to stargaze?" Alex asked in interest. It was also one of their favorite hobbies.
"Oh, yes." She beamed at them. "I love it. It's much easier to see them out here, away from the city lights. The cliffs are the best place to see them, but the beach is nice too."
"The cliffs, huh?" Alex said. They stuck out their bandaged left leg. "Not sure I can get up there with this though."
Celeste looked at Alex's leg interest. "That does look nasty. How did that happen?"
"An accident," Raymond supplied. He placed a hand on Alex's shoulder. "Actually, you should probably go. To go show it to Blathers, shouldn't you, Alex?" The hand on Alex's shoulder tightened slightly, the message clear.
"I'll come with y—" That was as far as she got before Raymond cut her off.
"Alex can go by themselves. And besides, you still need to sign in with Isabelle. Remember?" Raymond lightly shoved Alex in the direction of the Museum.
"Um, ya. I gotta go." Alex stumbled slightly. But they turned back to face her. "But thank you for the invite! I'll see you around sometime."
"I would love that, Alex." She gave them another beautiful smile. "See you later." Alex turned and raced off in the direction of the Museum. Actually, going the Museum might not be a bad idea. Time to find Blathers.
POV
Raymond/ cat
As Alex ran off, Raymond met Celeste's icy glare with a steady look of his own. She broke eye contact first though, suddenly melting into radiant smile as she turned to Zucker. "Zucker, could you be a darling, and go sign in for me please?" She blinked those dark, alluring eyes at him. "Please…"
The hapless hybrid stammered and stuttered, completely bewitched by her charms. "Um, sure, Celeste." He blushed furiously. Idiot, Raymond scoffed, as he watched Zucker dash away to do her bidding.
Raymond turned back to see Celeste give him a measured look, with her arms crossed. "Well, that was smooth," she deadpanned.
"I could say the same thing to you," Raymond sniffed and adjusted his glasses. "But that's beside the point, because I don't know what you are talking about."
"Of course, you don't," she with a roll of her eyes. "You always have to be so difficult." Her voice turned silkier, as if to make it more convincing. "I don't know why you keep trying to resist. You are making it much harder on yourself than is has to be. Harv says—"
"Don't mention him," Raymond snarled.
"I was just going to say that he says that you were the best that he has ever seen (besides me, of course). It doesn't look good, you know, for you to keep fighting like this. It's not good if we" she gestured between them, "are not in harmony. We are the best, and we should be good examples for the others."
"Frankly, Celeste," Raymond hissed, "I don't really care what 'looks good', when it comes to Redd co."
Celeste gave an exasperated sigh. "You must be some kind of masochist. There is no harm in being grateful that you turned out so well. The others weren't so lucky. Suffering like this others doesn't help them, and only hurts you. You should just thank your lucky stars and enjoy the good fortune that you were born into. Well, made into."
Raymond gave her a venomous look, with his ears turned back. "And you're lucky Blathers claims you as his sister. Otherwise, you wouldn't find us so hospitable towards you."
She gave him a narrowed-eyed look, but switched topics just the same. But it wasn't one that Raymond was particularly thrilled with. "So where is this human, Raymond?"
"I can neither confirm nor deny the presence of said human on this island," Raymond smirked. "Besides, even if a human was here, why would I give them to you to bring back to Redd co.? I would hand them over to Leif first."
She looked skeptical. "I thought you didn't like Leif."
Raymond's smirk widened, exposing his canines. "I don't."
"But why hide them?" she coached, ignoring the bait. "It can't be easy, to have them here."
"Maybe we want them here."
Her eyes met his. And now it was her turn to have a smirk scar her pretty features. "You don't though." she said, apparently seeing through him. "Just give me a name, Raymond. And you won't have to deal with them anymore. Reneigh, Zucker, Isabelle, Nook, that new girl—the others will never know."
Raymond froze for a second, thinking. Then he nodded slowly. "Fauna."
"What?"
"That's the new hybrid girl you haven't met yet. Come on, I'll introduce you." Raymond walked away, not waiting to see if she would follow. But she did.
"You are such a pain," she grumbled beside him. Raymond felt his lip twitch slightly, enjoying Celeste's frustration. You might be the Project's pin up girl, but I certainly don't have to cater to you. I wonder how much I have to push your sugar-and-spice-and-everything-nice act before it cracks. I want to see what the real Celeste is like, underneath all that nonsense. Raymond felt a twinge of sympathy for Blathers. Maybe if we dig far enough, we can uncover his Celeste. If she really is still down there.
"So you already know Reneigh, but this is Fauna." Raymond said, once they reached the pond. "Fauna, this is Celeste. She is Blathers' sister, so we have to be nice to her."
"Honestly, Raymond, you make me sound like some kind of monster," Celeste giggled, all smiles once again. She turned a friendly smile to Fauna. "Oh my, aren't you cute!" To Fauna's surprise, Celeste reached out and took the shy girl's hands in both of hers. "I hope we can be friends. Have the others made you feel welcome?"
"Um, yes." mumbled Fauna, with a quick glance at Reneigh, seeking reassurance. Reneigh merely nodded with a shrug.
"Good. I'm so glad." She glanced delightedly at the flowers around the pond. "These roses are lovely; did you plant them?"
"Ah, yes, roses," Raymond interjected, as Zucker came back. "The prettiest flowers, and yet, they have the ugliest thorns." A lesser man would have withered from the look Celeste gave him, but Raymond was made of sterner stuff.
As Celeste ignored him and focused on winning over Fauna, Raymond grabbed Zucker's arm and pulled him over closer. "Stay with Alex," he whispered. "Wait for them outside of the Museum. And don't let them out of your sight. I'll stay with Celeste."
"Um, okay." Zucker said nervously with a quick glance at the chatting girls. "But why?"
"Because," Raymond said slowly to make sure Zucker got it, "Celeste can fly. She flies to back to the Facility on the mainland."
Zucker' eyes widened. "Surely Alex is too heavy…"
"Don't want to find out. Stay with them."
Zucker nodded, and with one more glance at Celeste dashed off. Ya, and that will keep your big mouth away from Celeste as well. He turned back to Celeste, who was all bright smiles and eyes. Yes, I will most defiantly keep an eye on Celeste.
POV
Alex/ human
Surprisingly, Blathers was not in the lobby when Alex arrived. Hm, maybe he is in the medical laboratory section? Turned out he was, but he wasn't alone.
"Hey, Alex." Lucky called as Alex walked in. He was sitting on the counter, with Ankha standing next to him.
"Hey, Lucky. Everything okay?"
"Ya, just a checkup," Lucky assured them.
"Everything is healing nicely," Blathers said, pulling his gloves off. "You will out of that cast in no time." He begin to clean up, putting away the unused medical equipment.
Lucky snorted. "And then I will get right back into another one."
"Don't say that," Ankha chided. "Let's just focus on getting better. You still have your meds if the pain gets worse?"
That count Blathers' interest. "What's this? What pain meds?"
"Nothing," Lucky said quickly. "Come on Ankha, let's go." Ignoring Blathers' questioning look, Lucky hopped off the counter with Ankha's help. "Thanks, Blathers, for everything," he said tiredly.
"Glad to be of help," Blathers answered, still watching Lucky behind those large glasses. "Hope you recover quickly." Lucky simply nodded wearily, as he hobbled off with Ankha.
"Poor fellow," Blathers said once they were gone. "We try to make him as comfortable as possible, with his condition." He shook his head sadly. "He really got dealt a bad hand." He quickly roused himself though. "Oh, but where are my manners? Did you need something, Alex?"
"Oh, um, not really," Alex hedged. "But there is a girl here today…she said her name is Celeste." Alex couldn't help but steal a look at the photo on the self. Subconsciously, it seemed, Blather's eyes went to the photo as well.
"Did she now?" he asked mildly. "You must have many questions…"
"Ya…" Alex said, feeling self-conscious. "Is she…?" Alex waved loosely at the photo, while letting the question hang in the air.
"Yes," Blathers said softly, his eyes never leaving the photo. "She is indeed Celeste. Or what remains of her."
"What happened?" Alex hated asking, but they had to know.
"She wasn't even supposed to be there," Blathers begin softly. "She had begged to come along. She...she said that we never saw each other anymore. We were both so busy with our own lives, me at the City Museum and her at the Observatory. But she had wanted to come.
"Tom—I mean, Mr. Nook,—knew that most of my time was taken up at the museum, but he had mailed me some copies of some new scheme his business partner wanted to invest in. He wanted a 'professional' opinion on it." He gave Alex a look. "It was the Project. Or more precisely, the proposed schematics for it."
"Well, what was your 'professional' opinion on it?"
"That it was the most ludicrous and harebrained idea that I have ever had the misfortune to come across. Full of higgledy-piggledy nonsense strung along with nothing but a hope and prayer to keep it together." Blathers paused. "In retrospect, I think Shrunk took my critique rather personal…
"Anyway, when I showed up, Mr. Nook was out of the office, but I wanted to return the files, just the same. Mr. Redd—the—the charlatan," Blathers' tone suggested that that was the most vulgar insult he could utter, "was quite upset that Mr. Nook had sent me those. He insisted that I take a tour of the Facility before I left. And, of course, my sister could come too…" Blathers rolled his eyes. "We never left."
"But," Alex said into the stillness. "You still remember everything. Why doesn't she?"
Blathers pulled off his glasses and rubbed at the lens. "This is all very new science, by the way, so this is just a hypothesis—an educated guess, mind you…but I would say that it has to do with what animal that they mix your DNA with. It would seem that an individual's mind is able to 'adapt' to the animal's DNA better if it already identifies or favors that animal. It seems that mixing a person with their favorite animal is the best shot of having a 'favorable' or 'good' blend, as they put it. At least, as far as the mind goes; I'm not sure how much of an influence it has on how well the rest of their body will adapt."
"So, an owl isn't—wasn't—Celeste's favorite animal?"
"No. They assumed because an owl was mine— and because we are both academics—that it would hers as well." Blathers' eyes shimmered slightly as he looked at the photo again. "It's her Chinese Zodiac sign—the snake. I could have told them that—would have told them, if I knew what they were planning. If I thought it would have helped…if I could have prevented…" he cut off and turned to rub at his eyes discretely.
"But…why is she….so…different?" Alex asked carefully. "Mabel lost her memories too, but she doesn't seem to be as…devoted…to Mr. Redd."
Blathers gave a snort. "That is a gross understatement. But the answer is a bit more completed. Tell me, Alex, have you ever heard of imprinting?"
For some reason, Alex's mind went to werewolves and sparkly vampires. "Um, sounds vaguely familiar..."
"Imprinting—specifically, filial imprinting—happens more commonly to young birds. It allows them to form a strong attachment to one of the first things that they see. Which is typically their mother."
Alex felt the blood drain from their face. "Oh no."
"Oh yes. Because her mind reset, it took on that side of her owl DNA. She imprinted on Mr. Redd. She thinks he is the bee's knees. In her eyes, he is the best thing to walk this earth, and he can do no wrong. She adores him." He shook his head sadly. "She believes every word that drips out of his mouth, and if it contradicts what the rest of the world says—well, it's the rest of the world that needs to change."
Alex paused, thinking that over. "She seems like she really believes it."
"It's because she does. And that's what makes it so…heartbreaking."
"But if she really is so dedicated to Mr. Redd and Redd co., wouldn't the others treat her like Labelle?" Alex asked slowly. "They don't seem as…hostile…to Celeste."
"Labelle made a choice to go back to Redd co., and it was her own. My sister woke up this way. And most of the others did not know Celeste before, so they don't have memories to compare her to. I think they also tolerate her, mainly out of respect for me. She is still my sister after all," he said softly. "Besides, she only comes to the island because of her love of the stars. That didn't change, at least. She can talk your ear off about them, if you let her." Alex tried to hide their chuckle at that statement, but Blathers still heard it. He mouth turned up in a small smile. "Yes, I am well aware of the irony."
"Oh, that reminds me; Celeste mentioned something about stargazing on the cliffs. I know that there are the cliffs overlooking the beach, but there are others, right?"
"Yes, that is correct. But those are farther inland."
"You said something before about giving me something to help me get up to them…?" Alex pressed.
"Your leg is much better now, but I'm not sure traversing all over the area would be good for it. Besides, are you sure you should be wandering too far from the village?"
Alex suppressed a sigh. "No, probably not," they admitted.
Blathers gave them another smile "Good choice. Besides, have you mastered the use of your vaulting pole, yet?" Alex gave a sheepish smile. "Hm, I thought not. I also observe the other tool on your belt." He gestured to Alex's slingshot. "I presume you have to practice with that as well?"
"I…will," Alex answered.
"Let's give it another week then, shall we? Sounds like you need to stay close to the village a little longer. Patience, young Alex. You will be able to sate your wanderlust; it's just a question of time."
Alex left the Museum some time later, the lights glowing now that dusk had turned to dark. Wow, I really did stay a while, Alex thought. But they hadn't wanted to just leave Blathers right after talking to him, especially since he seemed so gloomy. Alex had stayed for a little bit, at least until they felt that Blathers had returned to his old self somewhat. Now, though, they had a lot to think about. They didn't notice Zucker come up beside them until he said something. "Hey, Alex."
Alex turned to glance back at him. "Oh, hey, Zucker," Alex said absently. "What are you doing here?"
"Well, we were supposed to go to Nook's Cranny together."
Alex turned sharply. "Wait, you have been waiting for me this whole time?"
"Oh, um, yes…but Raymond said that I should stay close to you anyway." Zucker said as he trailed after Alex. "You know, just until Celeste leaves."
"Is she dangerous?" Alex asked as they walked along. Blathers acted like she wasn't.
"Oh, No. She's pretty and nice. She's not like the other Visitors. She only comes here to look at stars and stuff. She doesn't really do anything. And she's pretty," Zucker repeated with a faint blush.
"Well, she is that." Alex reluctantly agreed. The problem is she knows it. "But I—"
Alex cut off their sentence when a familiar hissing sound begin out of the dark. Zucker and Alex both froze on the spot. "Oh, no," Zucker moaned softly, as Alex franticly scanned the ground around them, trying to see where it was coming from. But they knew what they were looking for, and quickly spotted the tarantula in the underbrush. Alex slowly pulled out their net, as they started to move toward it.
"Alex," Zucker whispered hoarsely, still motionless. "Alex, come back."
Alex ignored him completely, and slowly inched forward. I am going to figure out how to catch one of these things. When it hissed again—front legs raised as a warning—Alex paused and waited. After a moment though, it dropped its legs and began to crawl around. Alex cautiously stepped closer. The tarantula wasn't pleased, and instantly hissed again before raising its legs back up.
It turned into a battle of wills and patience; Alex slowly moving forward each time the tarantula would start to relax and put it legs back down. The pace was agonizingly slow, but Alex had narrowed-eyed determination, and eventually they were close enough.
"Got you!" Alex cried as they swung their net down. "Finally. I caught a tarantula. What a hairy situation," Alex laughed happily as they put it in a container.
"Great job," Zucker praised, but was keeping a nervous eye on the angry arachnid. "At least it's put away now."
"I can't wait to show Blathers! But first, we can go to Nook's Cranny. Don't want you to have to wait any longer." Alex practically skipped to the cheerful glow of Nook's Cranny. "Come on, Zucker."
"Evening, Alex!" Timmy greeted, with an echo of 'Evning' from Tommy. "You're up later than normal."
"I know." Alex smiled at him. "Look what I caught!" Alex proudly displayed their newest catch.
"Awesome!" Timmy exclaimed as the two boys admired the specimen. "Great job!"
"Thanks!" Alex beamed at the praise. "So, just curious, how much would you two pay for one of these?"
"8,000 Bells," was the prompt reply.
Alex nearly dropped the container. "What—why so much?"
"As much as Mr. Nook respects the local wildlife, these are venomous. He is worried about someone in the village getting hurt, so he put a large bounty on them to reward anyone brave enough to capture one." Timmy held out his hands. "So will I be taking it off your hands tonight?"
"Not today," Alex smiled at them. "Blathers needs it." Both boys made sounds of disapproval. "Oh, stop it," Alex teased. "Don't worry; I have some shells to sell to you both."
"And I do too!" Zucker hastily added. "Well, not shells—it's fish. But I have something to sell too, same as Alex."
"Great," Timmy said, with a delighted gleam in his eye. "Tommy, you get Alex; I'll handle Zucker."
Something about Timmy's tone caught Alex's attention. Hm, he is Mr. Nook's ward, but surly he wouldn't take advantage of Zucker... While doing business with Tommy, Alex kept an eye on the transaction between Timmy and Zucker as well. Turned out what while Timmy was honest in his dealings, he was a fast-talking salesmen in his own right, and wasn't about to pass up the chance to try to make a quick and easy sale on the weak-willed hybrid.
"Come along, Zucker," Alex reached out and grabbed Zucker's arm, before Timmy could really get going in his sales pitch of the high-end stereo that he was attempting to sway Zucker into buying. "We need to swing by the Museum. You boys have a good night," Alex said with a laugh, as they dragged Zucker away. Timmy seem a little disgruntled at missing his sale but he and Tommy both called out a cheerful goodbye jus the same.
Alex chuckled as they continued back to the Museum. "You shouldn't let them take advantage of you," Alex said, turning to their companion fondly. "If you don't want to buy it, don't let them push you into it."
"Oh…um, I'll try." Zucker said, with a preoccupied glance at Alex's hand on his arm. Oops, should have asked first, I guess. Alex let their hand fall away.
"You're up later than normal," a voice called from the shadows. "I thought you had already turned in for the night."
Alex recognized the voice, but couldn't see him in the dark. Alex felt a smile tug at their lips. "It's rude to linger in shadows. If you mean no harm, show yourself."
They heard a snort off to their right. "Anyone else would be able to see me," Raymond said quietly as he stepped closer, into the more lit areas of the village.
"Well, I can't, so don't be rude." Alex piqued good naturedly, while glancing around. "I guess Celeste left already?"
Raymond rolled his shoulders. "No, but she flew off to go find a better spot to stargaze, so who knows where she is." He raised an eyebrow. "Which means I need to know where you are. You going to your house?"
"Not quite," Alex happily pulled out their spider to show him too.
"Eww, gross," Raymond drew back. "Get that thing out of my face."
"Well, I bet Blathers will be happy to see it," Alex grumbled.
Raymond's lip twitched. "Want to bet on that?"
"Spiders aren't insects!"
"Hm, you'll see." Raymond gave a quick smile. "But you are going to your house after this?"
Alex suppressed a sigh. "Yes, I plan to."
Raymond nodded. "Good. Night, then." Turning back the way he had come, he disappeared in to the dark.
Alex watched the place where they had last seen him, as if they could make their eyes suddenly be able to see better in the dark. I don't get him. On one hand, he seems like he hates me, but some days, he seems to care. Alex rolled their shoulders, as if they could roll away their frustration at the strange cat, before continuing on their way to the Museum.
"Evening, Blathers" Alex called as they entered the Museum to see that Blathers was not asleep for once. Which considering that it is night, I guess is not too surprising.
"Back again so soon? Not that I'm opposed to the company," he chuckled as he put away his book.
"Got something for you." Alex proudly whipped their prize out.
"Marvelous—eeek!" Blather's excitement turned to horror. "A tarantula! What a wretched thing."
"But they aren't true bugs," Alex supplied hopefully. "Surely you know that."
"Indeed I do, but they are close enough." Blathers sniffed. "Such foul fuzziness. But I must ask…would you like to learn more about this specimen?"
"Sure thing, Blathers." Alex gave a soft smile, as Blathers…well….blathered on.
"Who needs protecting from whom?! Hoo. Who indeed!" Blathers finished with a shudder. "Thank goodness they are nocturnal."
"Oh, really?" Alex perked up at that. "So is that why I haven't seen them around during the day."
"Indeed, young Alex. They only come out at night, and only during the cooler months. Thank goodness, with the summer months approaching, we will see them even less—where are you off to then!" Blathers called after them.
"Gotta go, bye Blathers," Alex yelled as they raced from the Museum.
Zucker hurried after. "Alex, where are you going? I thought you were going to go back to your house?"
"You heard him," Alex answered as they descended into the woods. "I don't have long before summer comes. And there is no way I am missing a chance to pay off a large chunk of my debt."
Zucker hesitantly followed them into the woods, but it was apparent that he was very uncomfortable with the idea. "Alex," he hissed, as if being quiet would somehow make the tarantulas not be as aggressive. "Alex, what if you get bit or, or…or something. I wouldn't know what to do!"
"Just go get Blathers." Alex was not to be discouraged. "Besides, I won't get bit; I know what I am doing." Thank goodness the moon is out tonight, and it's not pitch black out here. Nevertheless, it turned out that their loyal companion had limits on how far outside his comfort zone he could go, and tarantula-hunting was a bit too much of a strain for Zucker's nerves.
"You sure, you will be carful?" he asked for what had to be the third time. "And you will go right home when you are finished?" His tentacles were jerking in quick spasms in response to his nerves at each sound. He kept frantically glancing around, as if the spiders would suddenly pounce at him from all directions.
"Yes, yes" Alex promised distractedly, as they checked yet another patch of bushes. Still nothing. Where can they be hiding? They barely noticed Zucker's mumbled 'goodnight' before he made a hasty escape out of the woods.
Alex's excitement and adrenalin was starting to wear off though, as trampling through the woods surrounding the village didn't yield up any more of the hairy spiders. Now, they were feeling more tired and disappointed from their unsuccessful hunt. Guess it is time to call it a night, they mused as they moodily swung their net through the underbrush. They suppressed a sigh. Oh, well.
Alex tried to not be too discouraged, as they trudged back to the house. But they felt dejected at how things had been going lately. Not any good with my slingshot. Or DIY Projects. Have to practice with my vaulting pole before Blathers will give me his device to get onto the cliffs. Probably won't be any good at whatever that is either. They swooshed their net at the brush more out habit, then actually looking for anything. Can't even find the stupid spiders, now that I know how to catch them…They rubbed at their eyes as they felt stinging tears start to form. I'm just tired. I'll…I'll feel better in the morning.
Their path took them through the meadow. The moon was higher now, but still low in the sky, bathing the swaying blooms in moonlight. It's pretty in an eerie kind of way, they thought as they crossed through it. King of creepy when you are alone though.
Except it turned out that they weren't alone.
"Whoa, watch out for my wings, Alex!" a voice called out from the tall grass, causing Alex to start. Now that they were looking down, they could see Celeste, lying on her back among the flowers, wings laid out in the grass on either side. "Oh, sorry, I didn't mean to startle you." She laughed lightly from where she lay. "I knew you were over here; you were making so much noise! But I'm sorry; I just assumed you knew I was here. You must have really bad night vision." Before Alex could come up with an answer to that statement, her eyes drifted back up to the sky. "Beautiful, aren't they?" she murmured.
Alex tiled their head back—while still being mindful to keep their hood up—to look up as well. "Yup," they agreed, "they are." It was one thing that Alex never got over; when you were away from the bright city lights, just now many stars there were in the night sky.
"Oooo, a shooting star!" Celeste called, as one streaked across the sky. "Hurry up and make a wish."
Alex glanced down at her. Her hands were clasped together as if in a prayer, her eyes tightly shut. She's a little old to be making wishes like that…well, no. I take that back. Someone is never too old for wishing. Alex hesitated for a second before dropping down opposite of her, so their heads were close together on the grass.
After the past few days of frustration and feeling like they couldn't do anything right it would be nice for a change to actually be good at something. Alex paused, eyes flashing around, trying to get their bearings, before pointing confidently to a particular star. "Polaris" they announced.
"Yep." Celeste agreed. "Which constellation is it part of?"
"Easy. Ursa Minor: the Little Bear. Come on, Celeste, ask me a hard question," Alex said, eager to show off at least in this one thing that they knew that they were good at.
Celeste just laughed. "My, aren't you cocky. Alright, let's see how much you really do know." It turned out that Alex knew quite a bit. Celeste giggled from where she lay. "Okay, I admit it; you do know your constellations and asterisms!"
Alex smiled up at the night sky. "Well, ya, I have had a lot of practice. I loved to try to see how many I could find when I lived on my—on my own," Alex quickly changed their sentence, remembering who they were talking to. Alex waited tensely for a few seconds, before they heard Celeste sit up. Alex quickly sat up as well.
"Alex," she said gently, turning to face them. "You haven't seen anyone strange here, have you? I don't mean hybrid strange. I mean—well, there is a human here."
"Oh, really?" Alex asked uncertainly. "I think I have heard rumors about that…"
"Yes, and we need to get them off as fast as possible." She suddenly looked Alex dead in the eyes. "It's not safe for them here. It's for their protection. We need to get them off this place."
Alex ducked their eyes away from hers, fidgeting with the grass. "But if the human leaves…Mr. Nook said—"
Celeste gave a sharp, frustrated sound. "Alex, did you ever consider that he is trying to keep the human here for his own purposes? Mr. Nook is an entrepreneur; he doesn't miss a chance to use a thing—or person—to his own advantage." She brought her knees up her chest, wrapping her arms around them. "Mr. Nook doesn't like Redd co. He is angry at Mr. Redd and he has let that anger and bitterness blind him to all the good that he has done. It's worse that he has twisted everyone here against him and us too. And there is no reason for it. Even though it is…unfortunate…how everyone came to be here, Mr. Redd is really trying to make everyone as comfortable as possible. Contrary to what everyone here believes, we aren't the bad guys." She turned to look at Alex, and Alex could see tears in her eyes. "We just don't want anyone to get hurt—hybrid or human." She paused looking at them, before slowly reaching out a hand to their face. "Alex, are those bruises on your neck. Is it alright if—"
Alex scrambled away from her. Owls aren't just nocturnal, they are nocturnal predators. They have excellent night vision. "Um, no, I'm fine." Alex hurriedly got to their feet. To their alarm, Celeste stood up as well. She's too close; I don't have time to get my slingshot and arm it.
"Alex, I just want to help. If you are in danger here—"
"No, I'm fine, really." Alex kept backing up. They reached up to pull their hood closer to their face and neck, but when they did so, their fingers brushed against their necklace. They pulled it out. "I'm good, I don't need any help." But I might in a second, if she doesn't stop…
She cautiously stepped forward as Alex kept going backward, easily keeping up with them. "Alex, don't be afraid," she soothed, talking as one might to a frightened animal. "I'm not going to hurt you. There is no reason to pretend—" She cut off her sentence as she turned sharply to the one side. She gave a frustrated sounding sigh. "Do you always lurk like that?"
"You know us cats; prowling is in our nature." Alex felt relief as a set of glowing eyes emerged from the darkness, into the dim light of the meadow. Raymond gave Alex a stern look. "Thought you were asleep." There was a flat accusation in his voice.
"I should be," Alex felt slightly giddy at the relief. "Bye, Celeste; I really should go."
"Alright," she stiffly, but she still smiled at them. "You take care, Alex. Just think on what I said, won't you?" She gave them a knowing look. "There are dangers here, after all."
"Yes, I will." Alex hastily agreed, before walking quickly back to the village. They didn't have to look to know that Raymond was easily keeping step with them.
"Than—"
"Shhh," Raymond cut them off with a hiss. Lengthening his stride, he grabbed their wrist and pulled them along after him. Alex noticed that his ears were twitching and straining, trying to catch any sounds. Alex bit their tongue and waited. He didn't relax until they were back in the village. "And she thinks I'm difficult," he murmured, before he gave Alex a stern look. He shook his head. "I should have known better then to rely on Zucker to stay with you. The moron—"
"Don't, it's my fault," Alex interrupted. "He didn't like hunting for tarantulas, and he was scared, and I told him I would go straight home…" Alex trailed off, as they realized that they had just incriminated themselves. "It's not his fault," Alex insisted still.
Raymond just rolled his eyes. "If it wasn't a matter of principle," he muttered. He held tightly onto their wrist as he practically dragged them to their house. "What were you thinking?" He continued his rant though, not giving Alex a chance to give an answer. "It's just a good thing I happened to be by and I heard you both talking." His tone turned thoughtful. "Are those bruises though? I thought I saw them earlier, but I didn't want to pry."
"Um, yes." Alex mumbled, hoping that would put an end to it.
It didn't. "How?"
Alex sighed. "Being stupid."
Raymond gave a snort, and cut them a look. "I wouldn't say that that would be the only time." He didn't give Alex time to give a retort to that, because they had reached Alex's house. "Alright. Go on in."
Alex unlocked their door and opened it. "Sorry for the mess," Alex apologized as they stepped inside. They pushed the hood away from their face, now that they were inside the safety of their house. "Still renovating; you can come inside though if—what?" Alex cut off as Raymond's eyes narrowed at them. "What is it?"
Raymond stepped forward, and kneeling down slightly, held up a gloved hand to their face. No, not up to my face, Alex corrected themselves, my neck.
"Let me rephrase my earlier question," Raymond said, deadly calm. "It's not a matter of 'how,' but 'who'?"
Alex winced. "Um….I don't want to say..."
"Who?" Alex winced at Raymond's tone.
"Stiches." Alex said miserably.
Raymond's eyebrows rose over his glasses. A slow smile spread across his face. "Well," he said as he stood up, "someone has been disobedient." The way he said it made it almost sound like a compliment.
"Don't tell Isabelle," Alex said hurriedly.
"Don't worry about it," Raymond said, leaning against the doorway. "I'm no snitch." But he turned more serious. "You survived, so that's the important thing." He rolled his shoulders off the doorway. "Now, I don't have to stand outside your house to make sure you actually stay here, do I?"
"No, I will." Alex hesitated a moment. "Thanks. For earlier."
"Don't read too much into it," Raymond grumbled. "I still don't like you; I just don't like Redd co. more."
Alex looked at him, their previous conversation with Blathers coming to mind. The enemy of my enemy…Alex smiled up at him. "Oh, I get it; I'm your afrenome!"
"My what?" Raymond just looked confused.
"Nothing. Night, Raymond." Alex cheerfully shut the door. We might only be friends when Redd co. is here, but at least that's a start. I think I can win him over in time.
POV
Marshal/ squirrel
Little over a year ago
Mr. Redd did not come back.
However, a pretty young lady started to show up at about the same time that Mr. Redd used to. She had to be some kind of receptionist, or secretary, or something, because she was dressed professionally in a red blazer and navy skirt, with a yellow necktie. Her aqua stilettoes matched the color of the polka-dotted bow that was tied around her slightly frazzled hair bun. What made her stand out though, was that she would always order the exact same thing—an extra wet cappuccino, almost no foam, with light vanilla syrup and lighter sweetener. Marshal gave her a gentle smile each time he saw her, because if her boss was who he thought it was, she deserved every cent she made.
But other than that, Mr. Redd was becoming a fading memory. The days passed in relative calm for the little café.
Until Brewster called for a staff meeting in the middle of a Monday afternoon.
"Alright everyone, may I have your attention please." The older man smiled at his staff as they quickly settled down. "I know our mandatory staff meetings are typically reserved until the evenings, when we close but this can't wait. So I will keep it short and to the point." He gave a quick smile, as some of his employees snickered. "First off, I am proud of every one of you, and you make my café a success. But I am sure you are all aware that I am not getting any younger."
"Oh, come off it, Brewster, you still have plenty of years left," Marshal smiled as he leaned back in his chair, rocking it back on two legs. Sure, Brewster was getting older, but the stately old gentleman was still in good health. Others voiced their agreement.
"Thank you, Marshal, but there comes a time when I have to think of my retirement." A sly smiled appeared under those reflective round glasses. "Especially when an offer like this comes along. He is paying double what it is worth."
"What are you getting at?" Marshal asked, feeling a glimmer of unease. Brewster had pulled him aside previously to ask him, seriously, if he would consider taking over The Roost. Marshal had passed up his chance on it, because he still had his dream of starting his own place. But he hadn't realized that Brewster was seriously considering….
"I sold the café."
Dead silence met that statement. Then they all exploded at once. "Please, please, everyone calm down," Brewster called over the protest. "It's not as bad as it sounds. Nothing really has changed. All of you still get to keep your jobs, the café is still called The Roost, the menu is still the same, and I will still be around. The only real difference is the ownership."
"Who bought the company?"
"That's where it gets a little…interesting. But I think it will be best if you meet him in person. That is why this meeting is in the afternoon; he wanted to meet all of his new employees and he wanted you to meet your new boss." He gave them a brave smile. "Everyone load up, we are going on a field trip."
Marshal felt his mouth drop open when Brewer finally stopped, at the head of their little caravan of carpooling cars. He stared out his window at the large steel and glass building. Redd Biotech? They are medical and research facility. Why on Earth would they buy a coffee shop? Fumbling with his seatbelt, he stumbled out after the group of his fellow employees. He sensed, more then saw, several of his coworkers trying to catch his eye, but he ignored them.
He walked with a sleepwalker's daze through the main lobby, pass the receptionist desk, and rode in the nice elevator up to the top floors with the head offices.
A few minutes later, he found himself standing in an office, facing none other than Mr. Redd, with just one thought going on loop in his mind.
I am so fired.
He tried to focus as Mr. Redd gave his welcoming speech to his new staff. They were a very tense group; even the ones who hadn't had to deal with Mr. Redd directly had at least heard the circulating gossip about him among the others. But as Mr. Redd talked, Marshal could see them begin to relax, as Mr. Redd soothed their fears and anxieties. He calmly assured them that even though he was the new owner, nothing would really change.
"I really am looking forward to working with you all, and hope we can continue to keep The Roost going for many years," Mr. Redd said in conclusion to his speech. "Now, I am sure you all have questions, but they will have to be answered at a later time. I have other matters to attend to here, so I will let you all return to the café."
Brewster nodded respectfully, before gesturing towards the door. "Everyone?"
Marshal stepped into the middle of the group as they all filed out, as if that would help hide him. Mr. Redd had barely looked at him through the course of the speech, so maybe he had decided to let the whole thing go...?
"Oh, Marshal," Mr. Redd's voice called lazily, as if it was an afterthought. "Stay a minute. I need a word with you."
Yup, I'm fired. Marshal reluctantly stepped back out, and watched his coworkers—soon to be ex-coworkers—give him sympathetic looks as they passed by. Sally stopped at his side though, with a determined look in her eyes. "If he fires you, I'm quitting too," she whispered before she followed the others out. Marshal felt a little bit braver by the show of solidarity. Didn't really mean anything, but still, it was the thought that counts.
He stood facing Mr. Redd alone. "Well," Marshal broke the silence first. "Should I just go ahead and turn in my visor?"
Mr. Redd raised an eyebrow. "You want to quit?"
No. Marshal loved The Roost. Loved everything about it. The thought of leaving—the old building, his coworkers, his work—made his heart ache. The Roost was as close to a second home as someone like him could get. "No…not really."
"Excellent. I only want what is best for The Roost after all. The same as you." Marshal begin to relax a little, but was still suspicious. "You are the best, Marshal, and I certainly don't want to lose you. But I also don't want to squander your talents in that little café, not when you can shine so much brighter."
The suspicion was back in full force. "Sir…?"
"To promote you—and The Roost, by the way— we will need to showcase your talents, and the best way to do that is in The Roost's catering department."
"The Roost doesn't have a catering department," Marshal sputtered.
"It does now," Mr. Redd smirked. "Congratulations; you are the new head of that department." Mr. Redd chuckled at Marshal's open-mouthed shocked stare. "Come now, Marshal, I don't think I have ever seen you speechless before."
"You are giving me a promotion?" Marshal asked, trying to get his brain back in gear.
"Yes, in short."
"But…but a catering… what does that even mean?"
"We are going to start to have an onsite catering service here at Biotech for the employees and company guests. I thought about contracting out to a café in the area, but in the end, I decided it was more efficient to purchase one and have it deliver in. It's less messy that way, to keep everything in-house." He pressed a button on his desk phone lazily. "Lyle, I'm just about done here. You and Lottie can come in," he said before turning his attention back to Marshal. "Starting off, your duties will consist of providing coffee and pastries for my employees here. We are starting a new health monitoring program, and I feel that it will promote cooperation if we have some sort of incentive for them."
Marshal frowned. "You do realize that coffee and pastries don't really go with a health program, right?"
"And you do realize that because I am the owner of The Roost—which is the source of your employment—that I am your employer." For the first time, Mr. Redd gave him a chilling smile. "I don't plan on changing The Roost, but the old owner, Mr. Brewster, allowed you certain liberties." The smile tightened. "And you are going to find that that will change. So, what is the correct response to my request, my favorite barista—excuse me, I mean, employee?"
Marshal gritted his teeth. "Yes…Sir," he managed to get it out.
Mr. Redd nodded. "See, we can make this work, as long as everyone behaves civilly." The door opened, and the young lady in the red blazer walked in along with tired looking man, wearing horn-rimmed glasses and matching blazer. Mr. Redd waved at Marshal in a 'shoo' manner. "Now, other maters really do require my attention. My personal assistant, Ms. Lottie, will set you up with a permanent Visitors' badge. And she will also see to you getting situated with the new catering van as well." Mr. Redd smiled at him, over his interlaced fingers. "Just a reminder, Marshal, you do work for me. Now. Welcome to Redd Biotech."
Marshal turned stiffly to follow Ms. Lottie out, but before he did, he paused and turned back. "Mr. Redd, you didn't buy The Roost just to…" Marshal paused, as he voiced his question, hearing just how crazy it sounded.
"To what, Marshal?"
Marshal shook his head. Nah, couldn't be. He spent a small fortune to buy The Roost. People don't do that just to get back at someone. No one is that petty.
"Never mind." Marshal went on out.
Author's note!
Celeste: Ah, yes, the hybrids on the other side. Like Labelle, I don't want to make them all the same type of Bad Guys; it's way more fun to add in some kind of drama into the mix as well. And family drama is just the worst. One of the hardest things is to watch someone you love and care for, do something that you know is bad or wrong. But what to do if they don't believe you, when you try to tell or warn them about it? Much like Sable/Labelle, Blathers and Celeste represent two different sides of a conflict. I am kinda sad that (as of right now), I don't think I will be able to work in any flashbacks of "old" Celeste, before she was changed. She was such a sweetheart…oh, well, on with the angst!
Werewolves/ sparkly vampires: you either know what this is referring to, or you don't, lol. As much as I loved (and still love) that book series back in the day, the use of imprinting was one of my biggest pet peeves in the series. I didn't like it then, and I don't like it now. Technically, filial imprinting mainly happens on precocial (water) birds, but it can happen to others. That is one reason why humans have to be careful about handling young animals for too long.
Purchase of The Roost: if you were really observant, and had a really good memory, you might have caught the foreshadowing of Redd buying The Roost. But don't really worry about it if you didn't, the references for this are waaaayyyy back in Chapter 2. Kinda like Alex on the island, I use plan to use Marshal to show what is happening back on the mainland with the Redd co. hybrids. Except he is not going to have nearly as fun a time. Insert evil laugher here.
Response to reviewers
GhostTurtle (and friends): As always, thank you for being such a consistent reviewer. I really look forward to hearing from you, and I am glad you and your friends are having fun with this. This chapter is lore heavy, so hopefully a lot of your questions were answered (including why yes, Raymond is a jerk. Sometimes. XD) Oh, Zucker noticed Alex's bruises first, because Alex pushed their hood back on the docks. Technically, Reneigh noticed when she was working on the kitchen with them, but she is too polite to ask (and sometimes, Alex has all the observation skills of a box of rocks, so that's why it wasn't pointed up in their POV).
To answer your questions about Alex's parents, this won't come up for a while, so I can go ahead and answer it loosely. Their parents raised them to be independent and free-spirited, but they didn't expect Alex to take it quiet so literally. They aren't thrilled with Alex's decision to basically be a traveling nomad, but once Alex got their passport, visa, and sailboat, there was very little that they could do to stop them. They do love Alex, but they feel that Alex is "wasting" their potential and life. (Alex used their college saving to buy the sailboat, so they literally traded their future education for their freedom of travel). They are hoping Alex will find a nice partner and settle down, lol.
SuperKitty4789: This story is over 120,000 words, and you read it in two days?! Thank you, that is a HUGE compliment! I hope you continue to enjoy it. :)
Also, I just want to point out that I updated in less than a month, and this chapter is not small! I love having extra time to write in the summer, lol. No promises on if I can keep up this manic pace though. Of course, you can always show your appreciation and admiration by Following, Favoriting and Reviewing (hint hint). See you later!