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Allergy Crossing (Animal Crossing: New Horizons)


Glatissant

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Taking a crack at writing a fic! The concept is an Animal Crossing: New Horizons main character (called the Island Dweller since that’s your default passport title in the game) who moved to the island to get reprieve from her terrible allergies – without being aware that the island is teeming with pollinating flowers, ragweed, and furry / feathery villagers. It’s meant to be a bit cartoon-y.
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Part 1: Move-In Day

The Island Dweller plunked down the last of her moving boxes, raising a hand to swab beads of sweat from her forehead. The move had been difficult on her own, but she was thrilled to finally have her own vacation house on this deserted island. How was it that Mr. Nook has phrased it – a getaway from all the troubles of society, an idyllic paradise in which to relax without worry!

And worries she’d had, for the Islander Dweller suffered dreadful allergies: pollen, dust, any animal you could think of, perfumes, even laundry detergent! Living in the city had caused her immune system to declare war; each morning she’d awakened to a vigorous sneezing fit that jerked her torso and legs into V-ups as her body tried desperately to expel the mold particles and dust bunny fragments that had settled deep into her nose overnight. Her upper floor apartment was far too hot and muggy for pajamas, and so her chest and thighs would be covered in spray like a mockery of dew on morning grass.

Once that was done, her first stop on her morning routine was to pop a triple-strength anti-histamine so that she’d be somewhat functional in an environment where every smell offended her hypersensitive senses – every perfume-drenched office worker on the subway, every puff of exhaustion smog from vehicle tailpipes and scented cloud of tobacco surrounding vapers on the sidewalk, even the lemony fragrance of the cleaning products used in her building lobby.  She’d been so happy to throw away her prescriptions on her last day in the city – she’d reasoned that she’d have no need of them in the dry, open island climate!

She was also thrilled to take some time off work. She enjoyed her cushy white-collar job well enough, but unfortunately for the Island Dweller, her boss had instituted a “bring your dog to work” policy to improve office morale. While most of the workers had been absolutely thrilled to have Buddy and Fido galloping around the cubicles, the influx of dog hair floating like dandelion fluff throughout the office ventilation had coated her chair, her desk, even her keyboard with an allergy sufferer’s nightmare. Despite cleaning her workspace constantly, there was never a moment at work where her sinuses didn’t itch ferociously, and she spent more time hitching and rubbing away the constant tickles that assailed her nose with every breath than she did working.  She used so many tissues and handkerchiefs at the office that she’d had to bring in her own supply, but she hadn’t brought any to the island – no need with a vacation home free of pets. She was ready to start hardcore relaxing!

Suddenly the Island Dweller heard a knock at the front door. She remembered that Mr. Nook had mentioned that a few other islanders were moving into other parts of the tropical paradise – perhaps they’d come to say hello! She hadn’t thought to ask for the details on who she’d be sharing the island with, but she was sure they’d be lovely. She scooted the moving box out of the way and went over to the door – as she did, she felt an ever-so-faint tingle in her nostrils. Odd – perhaps a bit of dust kicked up from moving? No big deal, she was sure!

She heard a sweet, feminine voice outside the door. “Hello? I wanted to say hello and see how your move’s coming along!”

“Coming!” the Island Dweller chirped, throwing the door open to meet this new friend. Standing in front of the door, wearing a red checkered shirt, a basket of baked goods tucked under one arm, was a Golden Retriever dog.

“I’m Cookie! I’m your new neighbor!”

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I've been looking for something like this, I'm glad it made it's way to the forum! Btw, did you mean Goldie as the golden retriever villager? Cookie is bright pink. Just wondering!

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4 hours ago, Secret Sneezer said:

I've been looking for something like this, I'm glad it made it's way to the forum! Btw, did you mean Goldie as the golden retriever villager? Cookie is bright pink. Just wondering!

YEP YEP I DID
But I goofed and forgot to change it (was gonna do Cookie originally) and don't have post-editing rights, so now it's Cookie

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Part 2: Entertaining

This couldn’t be happening, the Island Dweller thought as she stared horrified at her neighbor. How could her luck be this bad that she’d be timesharing with a dog?

“…H-hello!” she managed to respond, stammering in shock. “It’s lovely to meet you! But I’m in the middle of unpacking, so I don’t think I can entertain right now…”

But her pleas went unheard – Cookie had already crossed the door threshold and placed her basket of baked goods next to the door. “Of course, no judgement here! I’m moving in myself to the lovely little house with the yellow roof across the creek – my place is a complete mess too!” Cookie plopped herself down onto a moving box. “Where’re you coming from?”

“Oh, I, um, I used to live…” It was already happening. Her nose was not pleased to be in proximity of the canine islander, and she felt her nostrils flare as their edges tingled with every inhale. “I used to live in the city, but I thought that the Island Getaway package seemed like a great opportunity to re-center myself and get some quiet time…what about you?” The Island Dweller cursed herself as soon as the words left her mouth – asking Cookie questions meant she’d stay in the home even longer!

“Much the same! I needed a break from the rat race. No offense to any rats, of course!” Cookie shook herself, and the Island Dweller watched helplessly as a cloud of fine fur scattered off the dog to hang glinting in the air. “Is it just you here?”

“Yep, just me!  My family lives in the city, my brother’s going to the college th-heh-there…” Oh God, she was talking so much, and talking meant breathing, and breathing meant dog dander and fur. She rubbed at her nose casually with her knuckles, trying to ease the tickles within without getting Cookie’s notice. “I di-he-didn’t…didn’t bring too much-he-HEH…with me!” She couldn’t burst out sneezing in front of her new neighbor – that’d make a terrible first impression! She needed to hold on until she could get Cookie out the door.
 
“Oh no need, there’s a grand shop here that’ll have whatever you can think of,” said Cookie, jumping up and heading over to the stack of boxes in the corner. “Let me help you unpack!”

“N-n-n-n-n-o, you don’t he-he-HEH-have to!” spluttered the Island Dweller, finger pressed to the underside of her nose. By this point her hitching was getting too strong to control – if Cookie stayed, her nose would have a loud, explosive say on the matter. But Cookie was already opening the top box, pulling out a black towel and folding it. “I-“

Suddenly the wind blew fiercely outside, and Cookie’s ears pricked up.  “Did you hear that? It’s really gusting!” The dog ran over to the window, tail wagging furiously and shedding more hair in the process. “That might mean there are balloons blowing in! Let’s go look!”

The Island Dweller sighed in relief. “You go-HE-go ahead, I’ll catch up!” she squeaked as loudly as she could, not daring to breath in as the sunlight filtering through the window illuminated the floating fur strands left in Cookie’s wake.

“Ok! If you want to join, I have an extra slingshot!” Cookie rushed out the door, waving goodbye. “Welcome to the island!”

The door slammed shut, and the Island Dweller’s head tipped back, her features contorted in preparation for what was going to be a loud and violent sneezing fit. As her chest swelled and she gasped for air to fuel the coming sneezes, she saw something out the window – it was Cookie, using a small slingshot to shoot pebbles at a blue balloon blowing around outside. Her neighbor was still in earshot – if she heard the Island Dweller’s allergic fit, the sweet dog would doubtlessly run in to check on her, which was the last thing the Island Dweller wanted!

She looked around desperately for something to muffle her sneezes in. She spotted the black towel that Cookie had unpacked – perfect! She sprinted over to the towel and snatched it up. Her nose pointed to the ceiling as she hovered there for a few seconds, her body wracked with torturous hitches. “He-hyeh-AH-HEH…” At last she pitched forward, burying her nose and lips into the towel. “HYEH-AAAASHCHEWWWWW! AAAAASSSCCHEEEEWWWWW!

She snuffled giddily, tending to her poor inflamed nostrils with the soft cotton of the towel. She smiled in relief for a moment – but then the smile became a frown as her nose was plagued by a tingle twice as irritating as before. She inhaled to fuel a vicious pair of follow-up sneezes. “AAAHTCHOOO! HE-YEH-AAATCHOOO!”

Even after these sneezes, the tickle bloomed furiously in her sinuses. As she blew her nose softly into the towel, she pondered what could be causing it. Looking down at the towel in her hands, against the black fabric she saw the glitter of canine hairs – of course! Cookie’s paws had left behind dog fur on the towel that she’d been pressing to her nose all this time! She tossed the towel to the floor in horror. She definitely wasn’t done sneezing, and yet Cookie was still outside!

With nothing else to muffle her sneezes into, she slumped with her back to a moving box and pressed her knuckles under her nose with all her might, trying to placate the fiery tickle. “Hyeh-*sniff*-he-HE-*SNIFF*-EH…” She sat hitching and sniffling, eyes trained on the window, willing Cookie to go away!

Just when it seemed all hope was lost, the dog’s silhouette vanished from sight as her neighbor chased after the errant balloon. The Island Dweller dropped her hand, and her back arched as she was completely consumed by a dam of uncovered shrieking sneezes breaking free, christening her brand new vacation home with a sparkle of spray.

HYE-AAAT-CHOO! HYE-AAAT-CHOO! He-ye-HEY-AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAASSSSSSHOOOOOOO!”

Cookie’s words echoed ironically in her mind: Welcome to the island.

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Part 3: A Lovely Stroll

The Island Dweller was enjoying her morning stroll through the rolling hills of the tropical haven. She’d dressed up for the occasion – she was wearing a lovely blue lace-up dress, a fashionable silk scarf, and a wide-brimmed hat to keep the sun from her eyes. She heard the ting-ting of tricycle bells; she waved to Timmy and Tommy as they biked past her towards Nook’s Cranny. Oh those tanukis, they’d probably get an earful from Mr. Nook for being late to open the shop!

She turned her face up towards the early morning sun, breathing in deeply. Nothing like island air in your lungs to start the day!

A wind began to gust, and her skirts billowed up around her. She hastily grabbed onto the fabric, pulling it down – how embarrassing would it be to flash her underwear to the entire island? Unfortunately, with her hands occupied, she wasn’t able to react as her hat was knocked from her noggin by the strong breeze, and it went tumbling over the hill and out of sight!

Dangit! I just bought that hat. She took off after it, gasping a little as she jogged up the hill – her thighs were definitely getting their morning cardio in! Reaching the ascent, she was able to see a grove of cherry trees in full blossom. The wind was stirring up their petals, and even at the grove’s perimeter she saw the glimmer of pink petals dancing in the air. She spotted the flutter of her hat’s blue ribbon as it disappeared into the trees.

Tree pollen was among the Island Dweller’s many allergies – she hadn’t had much trouble steering clear of pollinating trees in the city, but it seemed that here on the island, someone with an arboreal fetish had been planting saplings. Unfortunately for the Island Dweller, she’d have to either brave the depths of the cherry tree bacchanalia or give up her beautiful sun hat.

She pulled up her scarf over her nose and mouth, the thin silken fabric cool against her skin. Into the lion’s den! (Hopefully there weren’t any lions who’d set up their vacation homes there!)

The Island Dweller jogged down the hill into the trees, and true to form her nose began to bloom with an allergic itch as she breathed in the grains of pollen that were being flung from the cherry blossoms into the air by the swirling wind. She quickened her steps, darting between the trees, her eyes scanning the boughs frantically even as they began to water and sting. Where oh where had her hat gotten to?

She spotted a flutter of blue - the hat had lodged itself at the top of a cherry tree, stuck between two branches overflowing with delicate flowers. By this point her nose was on fire – although the scarf was helping some, it was no N-95 mask, and her nostrils sparked with ticklish tendrils wherever the grains of pollen that made their way inside touched. Looking up at the hat, a flare of sunlight struck her eyes, and that tipped her over the edge. “AH-HEH-AAAAARASHOO!  YAAAAH-SHOO!” she sneezed helplessly into the scarf, bent over by the force of them with her face nearly at her knees.

She straightened, wiping at her twitching nose and snuffling into the scarf, trying to comfort the angry organ. She’d come too far – she wasn’t leaving this pollen trap without her hat!

The Island Dweller began to climb the tree, putting all her high school rope climb memories to work. She scooted up the trunk, using branches and small hollows to find leverage. As she climbed, sweat dripped down her face, causing her scarf to slip down back down to her neck. With no hands to spare, she could only grin and bear it as every breath brought now-unfiltered pollen into her nasal passages and lungs. God her nose was ITCHY. While hoisting herself up, she rubbed it against the bark of the tree, desperate for any relief of the tingles and twitching.

He….heh-HE…” Nope, there was nothing for it – she was going to sneeze again! But a full body-bending sneeze would surely make her lose her grip and cause her doom! As a last resort, she pressed her nose up against the cherry tree and stifled a frenzied set of sneezes that barreled out of her nostrils and lips. “Hy-ECH! ECH! EE-HE-YECHH!”

She sniffled, dazed – the stifles hadn’t been enough to rid her nose of the pollen, but hopefully they’d buy enough time to grab the hat and descend before her body demanded her usual full, roaring expulsions. Continuing to climb, she reached eye level with the hat; unfortunately it was just out of arm’s reach. In her allergic haze, a flash of brilliance struck her – she took off the scarf and used one arm to flick it towards the hat, trying to dislodge the chapeau while clinging to the tree trunk with her other arm.

As she swatted at it, another gust of wind blew, and her vision was blocked by a swirl of pink cherry petals that the wind had knocked from the branches above her. She inhaled reflexively, and several of the petals were pulled up by the suction, lodging themselves against the entrances of her nostrils. The Island Dweller had never needed to sneeze so badly – her nose was being assaulted both inside and out with allergens!

She began to hitch, rearing back as her face contorted and her nostrils flared wildly. “He-he-HEYEH-HE-“ But she was so close! As her lungs pulled in air to fuel the coming storm, the Island Dweller flicked the scarf once more, as strongly as she could – and it worked! The hat tumbled to the ground – and so did the Island Dweller as a ferocious, undeniable fury of sneezes exploded from her. She sneezed all the way down.

HEY-AAAAASHOOOO!  RAAAASHOOOOO! HE-YA-AYEASCHOOOOOO!”

Wump! Her back hit the ground, knocking the wind out of her and bringing a temporary halt to her body’s furious allergic exertions. She lay underneath the tree for a few moments, gazing up at the flowery blossoms rustling in the wind. They’d be beautiful if they didn’t cause her such suffering.

She heard the pitter of footsteps running up behind her, and the concerned faces of Timmy and Tommy Nook popped into her vision. “Are you ok?...ok?” One of them helped her up, while the other pushed something into her hands: her hat. “We think you dropped this…this…”

“Thanks,” the Island Dweller said as she put the hat back on, tying the ribbon tightly around her chin this time to prevent a repeat of the past 10 minutes. A rogue sneeze shook her frame as her breath came back. “AYESHOOOO!” Sniffling pathetically, she looked at the two shopkeepers. “Would I be able to request you stock tissues? ...In bulk?”

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This. Is. Amazing. Idk how I missed this thread... Such a good story about my favorite game! 

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  • 2 months later...

It’s been awhile! I had a whim to do another chapter of this after checking in on my island. Enjoy!
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Part Four: Hitching With Dinosaurs

Dust was among the Island Dweller’s most insidious allergies; it built up in her nose like it built up between floorboards, accumulating invisibly until ready to strike – then it crackled to life like a fire, stroking every inch of her delicate membranes and lighting them ablaze. On the occasions she’d found herself opening old books or breathing in musty basement air, she’d spent the rest of the day in a perpetual hitching loop, eyes watering and nose twitching, desperately itchy and irritated without any hope of relief.

Which is one reason that she was really, really regretting agreeing to help Blathers, the island museum's curator, set up the fossilized Diplodocus skeleton display. Who’d have thought that fossils didn’t arrive from the ground pre-dusted?

“Hold the ladder steady!” he called down, as above her his duster moved briskly across the fossilized bones, sweeping particles of dust, mold, and dirt into the air – particles that then drifted downward, settling onto the Islander Dweller’s hair and shoulders. She held her breath – maybe Blathers was a lightning-fast cleaner Maybe she’d get out of this without sneezing the entire museum to smithereens?

“Yes si-hehe-HEHE-“ Maybe that turnip-selling pig would learn to fly. She swallowed her hitches and pressed her nose into her shoulder, scratching it up and down against her sundress, the only relief she could get with her hands busy holding the side of the ladder. “Yes sir!”

Blathers dusted the ancient lizard-like bones until they gleamed, calling down facts about the Diplodocus as if he were its proud parent. “Did you know that this magnificent beast’s neck could stretch up three stories to grab leaves from the tops of trees, and that it often…”

Unfortunately, the voice reciting brilliant (if repetitive) dinosaur facts faded to the back of The Island Dweller’s mind, as spores and silicates continued to shower down on her. She could only hold her breath so long, and soon she was forced to take a good strong inhale to refill her lungs. Immediately her sinuses twinged, her face blushing red as every speck sparked a teasing, tickling pulse. Her nostrils flared, wet and gleaming – her breath began to hitch wildly, uncontrollably. This was no longer a typical tickle; The Island Dweller was suffering a nasal tsunami!

Her eyes rolled back. Her hands shook where they still clutched the ladder. Her mouth hung open, sucking in air with great gasps for a few seconds to fuel a gargantuan sneeze ... a sneeze that didn’t come. She felt light-headed – and incredibly itchy. 

“What’s going on down there?” she vaguely registered Blathers call from above.

HEH-the d-d-he-HYEH-dus-hah-DUST…” she stammered, using her little remaining control to clamp down on the hitching consuming her body. “I…he-oh!!! I need…he-HYEH-HA…I neeeee-he-heeed….AH...to-to-AYEH-HEH….to sn-sn-EEE-EH-EYAAAH-SNEE…he-hyeh-YA-heh…to sn-snee-he-SNEEZE!!!”

By this point the Island Dweller’s hands had dropped to her side, the ladder forgotten, everything forgotten except for this incredible, unbearable tickle which bloomed in the center of her face. She was nearly hyperventilating, so deeply she gasped to fill her lungs for the roaring sneeze she desperately needed but which eluded her.

Somewhere in her sneezy haze, she heard the flutter of wings as Blathers flew down to land beside her. “Ah, I see you’re the sternutative type! Allow me to assist!” 

Her eyes squeezed shut, her head tilted back in sneezy rigor, she felt something prod at her nostrils – something tufted and silky, with a bit of a poke. “A feather is always good for coaxing a ticklish nose to give up the ghost, as some say. Not a literal ghost, mind you! Ghosts have been academically proven to mostly not exist...”

As Blathers blathered on, he traced the rims of her nostrils with the fine fur-like tufts of the feather. The down irritated her inflamed nose further, stirring around the particles covering the inside of it with a ticklish precision. Her eyes teared up, and her knees nearly buckled as at last her lungs took in one huge gasp before a furious storm of sneezes erupted from her.

HAA-HAYAAAAASHOOOOW! Oh-AH-YAAAAASH-OOOO! Ah-UH-CHAAAAAAH! Eh-he-EEYECHEEEEW!!!!! IYAAA-SHAAAAH! Ha….ha-he-AAAAASSSSSSHOOOOOooooo!”

After a moment of ringing silence, the Island Dweller opened her eyes, panting a little from the strain of such massive sneezes. Blathers stood a few feet in front of her, his feathers drenched with droplets of spray, wiping off his glasses with a white handkerchief. Her cheeks flushed red to match her nose, as she realized that she’d been so consumed with the need to sneeze that she hadn’t covered her mouth! 

“That’s some lung power! Yours could probably rival the bellows of the Diplodocus!”  

She began to stammer an apology – but her nose wasn’t quite free of its dusty museum trip, and her words morphed into another breathless hitching fit as she geared up for round two. Blathers pressed the white handkerchief to her nose, tending to her aggravated nostrils and catching the allergic sneezes that tumbled from the Island Dweller. She snuffled into the cloth, embarrassed and grateful. 

Blathers chuckled. “ I think from now on we’ll stick to setting up aquariums!” 

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  • 1 month later...

Great story so far. Really interesting concept. 
though wouldn’t Island Dweller also be terribly allergic to Tom Nook and Isabelle—especially Isabelle since she’s a dog; but what about Nook and his nooklings? 
 

maybe you could write a chapter about hunting for hypoallergenic villagers like hippos and gators. Trying to boot some of the villagers that are making Island Dweller sneeze so much. 
 

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