A Nippy November Night

After stopping at Nook’s, I started my usual walk around town, talking to animals and pulling weeds along the way. Puck was talking about how hungry he was.

Puck: When the clock strikes 7, I can't wait to chow down!When talking to Static, he again started his shop-owner routine where he lists five items (one at a time) and you are forced to buy one of them. I hate how the animals are able to do this, but I have no choice. The first item he listed was a G logo for 640 bells. I know these “games” typically only have one item priced under 1,000 bells, so I bought the G logo.

Static: Here's the first piece! A G logo for 640 bells!I talked to Tom and he pointed out what nobody wants to hear: Winter is almost here.

Tom: It's starting to get chilly. Winter's almost here...I talked to Baabara, and she mentioned how she and her boyfriend are going to have a picnic next week. She asked if tacos and chocolate milk are a good combination. I told her no, and she said maybe they’ll have steamed milk and milkshakes instead. And just because I like taking things out of context…

Baabara: I hope the weather clears for our picnic of love, daahling!Hank was over by the wishing well. He said he checked out my gyroid the other day and he asked how it knows how to dance. I told him I taught the gyroid how to dance. (As if).

Hank: You taught it how to dance? That rocks! Teach me, too!From the top of a cliff, I saw Ursala down below. I can’t help but notice how much taller cliffs seem in this game as opposed to the five-foot cliffs in City Folk.

The cliffs.While looking through my items attached to letters, I spotted a moody blue shirt. It sure beats the patched shirt I was still wearing from Halloween, so I put it on.

Putting on a moody blue shirt.I then found some petal paper in the dump, and I picked it up so I could mail two fossils away to the Farway Museum. After mailing them and putting some money in my bank account, I headed for home.

Halloween

I started up the game tonight and got a goodbye letter from Admiral.

Admiral's goodbye letter.It was late, so the Halloween festival was already underway. I had nine pieces of candy to start with, so I began my search for Jack. I had a few furniture items also (that I didn’t mind losing), so I would just decline candy to the animals. That lessened the chances they would destroy the candy, since they might destroy the furniture items instead.

Here, Kody trapped me. But as he was talking to me, Emerald came out of her house! The instant Kody was done with me, I was forced to deal with Emerald too. No fair! They’re ganging up on me!

Kody and Emerald double teaming me at Halloween.My clothes didn’t survive that encounter, but I eventually moved on. I got to meet my new neighbor, Murphy, but this is not the best circumstances to be meeting someone. This does not make a good first impression.

Murphy: Hey, hey, hey! Gimme some candy, laddie!At the police station, I talked to Copper. There are animals running all around town with pumpkins on their heads and demanding candy, spooky music is playing, and Jack is out there…somewhere…yet Copper seems oblivious to it all! How clueless can you get?

Copper: There is nothing of import to report today.By the wishing well, I finally found an animal who didn’t chase me. Ahh, Jack at last, right? Nope. Just Tortimer.

Tortimer: To avoid tricks being played on you, be prepared to hand out lots of candy.I ran completely around my town, and then again. Then again and again! I avoided the animals as much as I could, but it wasn’t good enough. My candy was getting depleted rapidly, and Jack was nowhere to be found. I was starting to feel like Charlie Brown waiting on the Great Pumpkin. Puck summed up the night perfectly.

Puck: Keep giving candy 'till it hurts!This isn’t City Folk. These animals are vicious at Halloween on GameCube. They hit me hard and often.

Baabara: You loser! Take this, daahling!Even Candi has an insatiable appetite for her namesake.

Candi: Candycandycandy! I need candy!I was down to two pieces of candy. And then, behind Baabara’s house, I saw him! Jack, at last!

Jack: Trick or treat!I gave him candy and he gave me a spooky lamp. At least I wasn’t going home empty-handed. But I had one piece left and I wasn’t giving up just yet. Running past Emerald, I spotted him once again! I gave him my last piece of candy and he gave me a spooky sofa. Before Emerald or Kody could grab me, I ran like the wind to the next acre and into the safety of my house. I placed my new items down in my house and I could finally relax.

Relaxing on my spooky sofa next to my spooky lamp.I like Halloween. But in a way, I’m glad it only comes once a year.

Imposing Animal Day

Today I found the daily glowing spot and dug up 1,000 bells on my way to Nookington’s. Once inside the store, I bought a few pieces of candy. I then started making my way around town. Puck decided that he would paint my roof for me, without my permission. That’s rude.

Puck: Your rooftop was getting dirty, so I painted it for you.He said he painted it snow white. It figures a penguin would want it to look like snow. Still, I hate how animals can do that in this game.

Puck: I painted it snow white! Now it's like winter all the time.I continued on, talking to Genji, Admiral, and Static. But Static also imposed on me by forcing me to buy an item against my will.

Static: If you don't make your choice by the 5th item, you'll be buying it, like it or not!He lists five items, one at a time. I have a chance to buy each item, or pass and see the next item. But if I pass on the first four items, I am forced to buy the 5th item. If there’s not an item you’re looking for (such as in my case), you want to limit the damages as much as possible.

I’ve noticed that when they play this “game,” only one item will be less than a thousand bells, and all the others will be over 1,000. So I passed on the first three items, which ranged in price from 1,520 to 2,720 bells. The fourth item was a rocket for 710 bells. This was my chance to escape with a small loss, so I bought it.

Static: Did you buy something you wanted? Or was it a panic decision?After a quick chat with Kody, I found today’s red rock and got the full seven bags (13,300 bells)–without digging any holes.

Seven money bags from the rock.I then talked to Hank, Sydney, Copper, and Tom before returning home. I then took a look at my wintery-looking house that Puck painted. Ugh. I’ll have to buy some paint next time.

My house with a white roof.