Author's Note:
Parentheses = (What the character is thinking about or a Pokemon talking.)
Asterisks = *Actions*
Brackets = [Whispering/Murmuring]
Italics = Chat room/box, Calls, Texts
Bold = Noises/Sounds, Segment titles
Estimated Reading Time: 16 Minutes
Shy Blonde
Ness greeted his best friend. There was an awkward pause, but the teen decided to break the silence.
Ness: "Hey, so uh, I was wondering if we could hang out today. Can I come in?"
Lucas: "Sure."
Lucas moved out of the way. The teen let himself in and sat on Lucas's bed while the Blonde sat on his chair.
.
.
.
Ness: "So… What do you wanna do?"
Lucas was caught off guard. Ness never asks him for suggestions. His best friend would usually plan everything from the start. Usually it was always eating lunch and then playing League for the rest of the day, or some other game he was in the mood for.
Lucas: "You're asking me?"
Ness: "Yeah. Is that... Weird?"
Lucas: "N-no, I just… Figured you had a plan already."
Ness: "Huh?"
Lucas: "Usually you already know what to do. I just… S-sorry."
Ness: "Why are you apologizing?"
Lucas: "I don't know."
Ness: "It's been a long five days. I didn't come prepared. I just wanted to see my best buddy again. Sorry, I don't have anything planned."
Lucas's heart fluttered when his friend said he simply wanted to see him. It made him feel special. He wondered if he was the first person Ness came to visit since the incident.
Lucas: (C'mon me, ask him the question.) "Uh…"
Ness: "Hm?"
Lucas: (Just ask him if he visited anyone else.) ["D-did you…"]
Ness: "You ok?"
Why is it so hard to talk to Ness? They're best friends! There's this tension between them. It's uncomfortable. It was never like this. Before, he was able to laugh and joke. Although every time he wanted to ask his best friend about these sorts of questions, he did grow shy.
Lucas: ["Ah…"]
Ness: "Sorry, I didn't quite hear you. Can you say it again?"
Lucas: "D-did you visit anyone else yet?"
Ack! He said it! He didn't know why he's nervous. Probably because he felt entitled to being his first visitor since Ness was closest to him. But maybe Ness might not think that anymore because the clone most likely told him everything. He's probably grossed out and has a new best-
Ness: "Nope."
Lucas: "Wha?"
Ness: "The first person I wanted to hang out with, is you obviously." *Chuckles*
Lucas: "R-really?!"
Ness: "Yeah, why would I visit anyone else?"
Lucas: "!" *Blushes*
Ness: "Oh! Before I forget, I got you something."
Ness opened his rucksack and took out a medium sized bread plushie. It didn't have a face. It was simply bread.
Lucas grabbed the plush and gave it a squeeze. It warmed his heart. He felt incredibly happy. He couldn't help but tear up a bit.
Ness: "Do you like it?"
Ness looked at him with excitement. His eyes were full of stars and he had a big smile on his face. Lucas couldn't help but find him hot. No… He shouldn't think this. He needs to get over these feelings he has for him.
Ness noticed the frown on The Blonde's face.
Ness: "Oh, do you not like it?" *Frowns*
Lucas: "N-no! I love it!"
Ness: "Oh thank god. I was worried there for a sec."
Lucas: "Sorry, I'm just happy."
Ness: "I'm glad! Anyway, wanna play a game?"
Lucas: "Sure. What do you wanna play?"
Ness: "Street Fighter maybe."
Lucas: "Are you serious?"
Ness: "What? C'mon, I stand a chance."
Lucas: "I'm shocked you don't want to play League."
Ness: "Nah, I've been through a lot for the past eight months. I don't feel like putting myself through hell again."
Lucas: "Hahahaha!"
Ness: "What's so funny?"
Lucas: "If we play Street Fighter, you're going to go through hell."
Ness: "Pssh! Bring it on!"
The two played hours of Street Fighter. It didn't go well for Ness. He lost every match without fail.
Ness: "Are you kidding me!"
Lucas: "Ha Ha! I told you it would be hell."
Ness: "Whatever, it's only because I've been out of practice."
Lucas: "No, you were always this bad." *Smirks*
There's the old Lucas he knows and loves. The teen smiled as he listened to The Blonde talking trash. This made Ness want to cry. Not because he was being insulted, but because he missed this. The good old days when it was Lucas and him playing games together.
Lucas: "O-oh, I'm sorry! I didn't mean to make you cry!"
Ness: "What?"
Ness wiped the tears off his eyes. He hardly ever cried in front of anyone. Has the whole being trapped in a cave for that long made him vulnerable? He did have multiple mental breakdowns in front of his fellow prisoners.
Lucas: "I'm sorry, Ness. I didn't mean to go too far."
Ness: "Haha! No, these are tears of joy."
Lucas: "Are you sure?"
Ness: "Yeah I just… I miss this so much."
Lucas: "Right, you were…"
The Teen gave his friend a big squeeze and then pulled away.
Lucas: "!"
Ness: "I'm tired of getting my ass kicked. Wanna play something else?"
Lucas: "Sure, what do you want to play?"
Ness: "I picked Street Fighter, so you pick this time."
Lucas: "M-me?"
Ness: "Yeah."
Lucas: "Uh… H-how about [Stardew…"]
Ness: "Did you say Stardew?"
Lucas: "We don't have to."
Ness: "I'm down."
Lucas: "What! I thought you didn't like farming games."
Ness: "I don't, but I want to give it a try."
Lucas: "No, seriously, we can play something else."
Ness: "Stardew looks fun."
Lucas: "Are you sure?"
Ness: "Yes!" *Smiles and shakes his head*
Lucas: "Ok! Do you have the game on steam?"
Ness: "Uh, hold on lemme check."
Ness took out his laptop from his rucksack. He logged onto Steam and saw that he did not own the game.
Ness: "I don't. Haha…"
Lucas: "I can buy you the game."
Ness: "You don't have to do that. I can pay for it."
He went to go buy it and charge it to his card, but that's when he was hit with the harsh reality that he had no money. Mario fucking used all his cash on his wedding and risky investments.
Ness: "Ah… That's right, my money is gone."
Lucas: "What? How?!"
Ness: "Mario took my bank account."
Lucas: "I'm so sorry."
Ness: *Sighs* "I have to get a job."
Lucas: "Hey, don't worry, I can buy it for you. It's the least I can do."
Ness: "No, I can't let you do that."
Lucas: "Too bad."
Lucas paid for the game anyway. Ness felt bad. He's not used to people buying him stuff. He used to be rich, but now he's dirt poor. It felt embarrassing, but at the same time, he was thankful for his best friend's kindness.
Ness: "Thanks! But uh, s-sorry…"
Lucas: "Hahaha! Ness, knock it off. C'mon, let's enjoy the game."
The two started playing. Ness made his character a blonde male with blue eyes and named him Pukas. When they entered the game, Lucas noticed.
Lucas: "W-what the fuck?!"
Ness: "Hahaha! Do you like my character?"
Lucas: "Are you making fun of me?"
Ness: "Maybe." *Smirks*
Lucas scoffed. He deleted his current character and made a new character who looked like Ness and named him StupidNess.
Ness: "Wow, how original."
Lucas: "You're right I should've gone with 'RidiculousNess.' Because you know, you act ridiculous often."
Ness: "I do not."
Lucas: "You do though. You're over the top."
Ness: "Am not!"
Lucas: "Is too!"
Ness: "Am not!"
Lucas "Is too!"
Ness: "I prepare for the worst. That doesn't mean I'm over the top."
Lucas: "You over prepare your over preparation sometimes."
Ness: "Name one time."
Lucas: "Gladly. Remember that one time we went camping and you brought three extra tents in case our original and back up one got destroyed?"
Ness: "You never know! A bear could tear into it while we were away."
Lucas: "We never left the area…"
Ness: "Ok, fine. You win this argument."
Lucas: "I wasn't done."
Ness: "No, I get it you're-
Lucas: "You also bought a whole bunch of food rations and multiple flare guns in case we got lost."
Ness: "You never know!"
Lucas: "We never left!"
Ness: "I know…"
Lucas: "See? You're ridiculous."
Ness: "Gee, sorry for looking out for us."
Lucas: "Hahaha!"
Ness pretended to act pouty, but he too started laughing. Thinking back on that day, he admitted that he was being too much.
The two played Stardew Valley for hours. The teen ended up having a fun time. The game isn't as boring as he thought after all. However, they stopped when they got hungry. They went to the food court. When it was time to pay, Ness realized he had shoe money. He took off his shoe to grab the twenty dollar bill, but Lucas slipped his card in and paid for both.
Ness: "Aww, what!"
Lucas: "Just treating my friend." *Winks*
Ness: "!"
Whoa, he felt Deja vu. Has this happened before? He was caught off guard, but smiled and gently elbowed The Blonde.
The two went to an unoccupied table and began eating. They chatted about their next plan for Stardew. They're about to enter winter and since it's Ness's first time playing, he didn't know what to expect.
As they were chatting, Sonic sped over to them and put his hand on Ness's shoulder.
Sonic: "Well, well, if it isn't AnxiousNess."
Lucas: *Snickers*
Ness: "What do you want, Sonic?"
Sonic: "Just saying hi to a fellow troglodyte."
Ness: "I'm not a troglodyte."
Sonic: "You were."
Ness: "No I… *Sighs* Was... You're right."
Sonic: "Haha!"
Sonic sat on their table munching on a chili dog.
Sonic: "So, how's it goin'?"
Ness: "Not too bad actually. I cleaned up my room."
Sonic: "Same here. It's crazy having a bed."
Ness: "I know! I miss having a bathroom."
Sonic: "Usually I don't like showers, but I was in there for an hour."
Ness: "Two hours for me."
Lucas was lost. He understood why they were acting like this. They were trapped in a cave for eight months, but it still sounds ridiculous.
Ding!
Ness and Lucas checked their phones.
[- Da Boyz 2.0
Popo: fuckeeerrrzzzz
Ness joined the group
Lucas joined the group
Ness: Huh? Why are we in a group chat?
Toon Link joined the group
Toon: Whoa whats dis m8?
Popo: it's a new fckin group chat i made
Ness: A new one?
Popo: riiight you weren't here for the first one
…
Ness: "Lucas, what is he talking about?"
Lucas: "Oh, Popo made a group chat and our friends including myself would go hang out at Popo's place."
Ness: "My clone was there, wasn't he?"
Lucas: "Y-yeah…"
Sonic: "Wait, what's going on?"
Ding!
[- Da Boyz 2.0
Popo: so i'm planning on doing a weekly hang out
Toon: Im so down
Popo: ness lucas u in?
Ness: A hang out every week?
Popo: yeah dude! it'll be fckin awesome!
Ness: I don't know if I can do that every week. I've been through a lot these past 8 months.
Popo: THEN CUM AND FUCKIN PARTYYY LET LOOSE BRO!
…
Sonic looked at Ness's phone.
Sonic: "Whoa! A party every week?! Count me in!"
Ness: "What!"
Sonic: "C'mon bro! It'll be fun."
Ness: "I don't want to."
Sonic: "Nah, you gotta! We've been suffering for eight months. Popo is right, we need to let loose."
Lucas: "I wouldn't mind..."
Sonic: "See? Even blondie over here agrees."
Ness: "I don't do well with groups."
Sonic: "Then let's change that!"
Sonic grabbed his phone and texted the group pretending to be Ness. The teen snatched the phone from Sonic's hands. He then looked at the message that the hedgehog typed.
[- Da Boyz 2.0
Ness: K Im comin also sonic the hedgehog who is definitely way better than me in every way possible is comin too
Popo: HELL YEAH!
Toon: ness u good m8?
Popo: lukiss u cumin bro?
…
Ness: "Sonic, what the hell!"
Sonic: "C'mon man, it'll be good for you. You need socialization. Didn't you wanna change and be more outgoin'?"
Ness looked at Lucas's face. The Blonde gave him a shy smile.
Lucas: "I mean, it does sound like fun."
Sonic is right. He did promise himself that he wanted to change. He no longer wanted to keep this fake mask up that he's been wearing for over a decade.
Ness: "Fiiiine."
Sonic: "Alright!"
Lucas: "Yay~"
Sonic: "When is it?"
Ness: "Uh…"
[- Da Boyz 2.0
Ness: What day of the week is this weekly party going to occur?
Popo: thusday
Popo: *thursday
Toon: doable
…
Ness: "Every Thursday."
Sonic: "Cool see you, Thursday."
Lucas: Uh, so tomorrow I guess."
Ness: "Tomorrow?"
Lucas: "Tomorrow is Thursday."
Sonic: "Hell yeah! See you losers tomorrow then~" *Runs off*
Ness: (Wait! I'm not mentally prepared…")
After that event, Ness went back to his room. He had a hard time falling asleep. He kept thinking about the party tomorrow. It's going to be awkward. Popo and Toon might mistake him for his clone. The two acted differently. What if they decide that they like Nate's personality more than his? Maybe he can still get himself out of this. He can tell them that he can't go because he's still adjusting and everything is overwhelming at the moment. They'll understand.
He took out his phone to text the group about his excuse.
[- Da Boyz 2.0
Toon: Im so excited! Bro ness i haven't hung out with the real u in so long. I miss ya buddy :)
Popo: dude its gonna be sooo much fun i got games n shit for us to playy
Sonic joined the group
Sonic: fuckk yeah guyssss Im here tooooo
Popo: fuck yeaaaah
Toon: holy shit sonic!
Toon: welcome m8
Sonic: happy to be here bros
Lucas: I'm aslo excited
Lucas: *also
…
The guilt started to eat away at Ness. They're all excited for this get-together. He can't bail out on them. Especially Lucas. He's been a bad friend to him in the past.
Ness: *Let's out a long sigh*
[- Da Boyz 2.0
Ness: Yeah, I'm excited too.
…
