Timely Roommates

A Hat and a Home

=Aeryn POV=

"Right... I have enough time pieces to get there... Back too, if I have to... I have meals for the trip... I have my clothes..." I rambled, checking off the items on my checklist.

My ship was in space, I was on my way to that mustached girl's planet. I wasn't too far out though, so I could land back if I forgot anything. I looked up from my list after hearing a loud crash in my bedroom.

"...What was that...?" I asked myself.

I walked inside the room and looked for anything out of place. It seemed like everything was okay, until I saw a person-sized ice statue near my desk. I raised an eyebrow and tilted my head. I stared at the statue for a good five minutes before turning to leave, but before I could go out of the door, I heard a loud gasp for air behind me.

"Peck!" they screeched.

I smirked and turned around with crossed arms "Well well... Looks like somebody snuck onto my ship... Nice to see you, Nikki..."

The woman, Nikki, was around my age. Her skin was the color of cocoa, her hair a much darker brown and a mass of ringlet curls. Even though it looked messy, her hair went down to her upper back. Nikki wore a blue sweater dress with black leggings underneath. She also wore short black boots on her feet, her leggings having tiny paws on them. It seemed she still loved cats after all these years, further supported by her cat shaped purse and backpack. Her signature light blue bow was fastened in her hair as a barrette instead of being a headband like in our childhood.

"Yeah..." Nikki muttered, looking away sheepishly "I guess I didn't wanna say goodbye, so I tried to find you and... Well, I couldn't and you took off..."

I snickered and hugged her "I was wondering why you didn't try to call me earlier... You could've asked to go with me!"

"I thought you'd get upset because I invited myself along..."

I was surprised by that "What? Why would I get upset from traveling with my best friend? Are you crazy?"

She started to laugh a little "A bit... But that's okay, 'cause you are too!"

"Oh hush. Let's get you warmed up, alright?"

* * * * *

=Vivian POV=

Mafia Town wasn't doing me any favors. I was certain that traveling would be good, but... Mafia Town was on an island. I couldn't just... Leave! Even as a young teenager, I found myself alone with nobody to call my friend. Well... Except that Hat Kid, but she's long gone now. I really hope she's been okay lately.

I looked down at a voice recorder I had... Borrowed... From one of the Mafia. It was a sort of journal for myself. I made sure to speak to it whenever I was alone and out of earshot. I keep a written one, yes, but this one is for me to keep thoughts when I don't have the time to write.

I've been keeping them both for about five years now, since I was nineteen. It was pretty difficult to get used to, but writing and speaking my thoughts into the objects actually helped a little. I stared at the black box in my hand that recorded every one of my thoughts and feelings, pressing and holding the button up top while opening my mouth to speak.

"Year Twenty-four, Day Twenty-six of Month seven" I told the recorder "It's four days until I become a year older than I was. What did that Hat Kid call it... A birthday? Either way, I'm probably spending it alone as always. Not like those Mafia bastards would ever celebrate it with me... What's there to celebrate anyway? Another year of hell on this island?" I scoffed, laughing a little "I still have the Time Piece that Hat Kid gave me, it's in good condition too! I haven't used it yet... But then again... should I really risk tampering with many people's lives just for my own happiness...?"

My voice trailed off at the end. I grunted a little and stopped recording. I sounded like a proper adult, and it scared me.

I looked over to the nearby docks. The Mafia left one of the rowboats unattended! This was my chance to escape! I rushed over to the boat, it was in a pretty good condition. Seemed stable enough to get me away from here, too.

I hopped inside and began to row away from Mafia Town. I hope this is the last I see of these jerks! I rowed away from Mafia Town, but I felt... A little sentimental... I'm leaving my birthplace, for a new home. Then again, it's not my fault those Mafia jerks stole everything from me! I growled and moved the boat faster, no looking back now.

* * * *

=Aeryn POV=

Nikki and I finally arrived near the planet Mustache Girl lived on! I was pretty nervous since there wasn't many places to live, but I could try for the area near Dead Bird Studios! They'd have some sort of housing, right? But first...

I walked up to the teleporter after Nikki stopped the ship. I set the coordinates for a familiar part of the planet, a place I slowly grew to love. I turned back to Nikki and motioned for her to follow.

"...Are we going to see him first?" Nikki asked, tilting her head.

I answered her question with a nod "Even if he was sort of cocky when we first met him, I'm sure he'd be happy to see us again!"

"But are you sure he'll recognize us, Aeryn?"

"I..." I looked away "I'm not sure... But there's no use in not trying!"

Nikki nodded "Right. I sure hope he doesn't trap us again..."

I smirked and looked back to the teleporter "Alright then..."

"Let's go see Snatcher..."