Disclaimer: I don't own Andy's Apple Farm (Video Game). I don't own the picture (cover). Or the song.

(qwertuno and SilentReadersMatter)

(Don't smoke, it's bad for you all.)

(Hope you enjoy.)

Felix found it ironic. A burning sensation ran through his mouth down to his tongue, running to his throat. He dragged the cigarette's puffing long as he could, breathing through his nose to make it last longer than it should.

It burned.

He loved the feeling of distance through his eyes, himself the passenger and his body operating on its own. With no one to operate him, he couldn't consider himself a body with a soul.

A vessel. Plain and simple.

Andy would never think to try this.

Felix once heard humans injected nicotine into the heart of these fire indulging ash sticks. His friends thought he was fishing by the lake. It wasn't really lie...He did intend to fish. Just not the minute he opened the packet without thinking and tried the little cigarettes.

Why is it comforting?

They were addicting. His newest addiction. He liked fishing, Felix really did, but he would rather focus on the little bliss this new hobby gave him as he tried more and more of these little sticks.

Margret's going to kill me.

She tested her limits on being a mother. Little slithering on his health here, trying to feed him healthy crap there. Overall, pretending to be something she just wasn't. Margret's right to acting as a mother far outweighed his hypocrisy.

That he should be alone.

There was something pleasurable about them. A source he didn't know and didn't care to find on, even if his friends insisted knowing that dangerous of new products shown.

Dragging the cigarette's puffer longer than he should, Felix blew the smoke out between his lips, relishing the smoke going near into his eyes and causing a burn sensation. He smiled as he flicked the cigarette on the pier. Smashing the little thing with his foot, he spread out his arms and fell into the surface below.

Splash!

He closed his eyes finding peace in the water.

***

As his sister, the moon woman felt a little more responsibility toward Felix the fish. The fish man was always getting into some sort of trouble whether intentional or good hearted in nature.

In short, he's a goofball.

Andy mentioned Felix headed toward the park or earlier. Melody felt it necessary to check on the man who liked to fish a little too much. His catches were a little...disturbing.

Why does a fish like to catch his own kind?

She shivered as images of him eating his one kind flashed momentarily. Chewing down on the poor animals, seemingly enjoying the taste enough to offer a bit of own meal. She may have overreacted by screaming, 'Hell No!' in his face.

Felix looked so hurt that day.

Ssssssss.

Melody shrieked upon stepping on a burnt stick still lit up. She bent down on her knees, observing the object up close. She touched it with a finger and tapped it twice and winced what it burnt the edge of her finger.

Felix.

She mentally growled within. What trouble did he manage to get into this time? He always, always found someone to mess with and maybe they finally found him to suffer his actions.

Her heart skipped a beat as the fear settled.

Please don't it be the case.

Melody kept herself from outright screaming.

"FELIX?" She yelled in the area. "I'M NOT DOING THIS AGAIN! JUST TELL ME WHERE YOU ARE AND WE'LL SORT IT OUT!"

And find out what object you have.

Silence reigned the pier. Anxiety peaking, Melody let her eyes observe the surroundings and lands beneath hoping Felix would just appear out of nowhere and do his pranks. She'd take it over this new silence of the dead.

Please. Please. Please.

Melody wandered around Felix's usual joint. She kept paying he'd just walk in now. He usually cued his dramatics-

What the hell?

Why was Felix in the waters?

"You stupid idiot." She bent down on her knees again, glaring at the grinning fish. "Don't make me worried! You could've died for all I know!"

"Exactly."

Melody cringed inwardly, frozen by Felix's emotionless tone. He sounded depressed, sad, and...high? Like he didn't care anymore.

"Got ya there, sucker." He placed a grin. "I always come back, Mel. Whether ya like it or not, you are stuck with me."

She could punch him. She honestly could. Hurl her fist toward his fish nose and it'd bleed and infest his precious lake with his one blood. Probably wouldn't injure him, but would make him mad enough to force him to look back on his idiocy and regret his actions.

Make me happy.

She quite liked that plan.

"Take care of your brother."

Those words stopped any violent thought. They were from the lady, but she sighed, releasing the anger through heavy breaths. Extending her hand, Melody reached for Felix in what she hoped to be an obvious gesture.

"Get out of there." Melody grumbled. "Now. The others want us to meet them and we aren't going to be late by your...substance."

"Cigarette."

"Huh?"

"It's a cigarette."

Felix grabbed Melody's hand as she hoisted him from the waters. Noting the strange smell, he placed his arm around her shoulders and helped the stumbling man to where the...what was it called-

Cigarette.

Was laying on the ground.

"It comforts me in a way." Felix whispered, picking up the strange object, giving it a long drag on his hand. "Releases some sort of chemical into the brain and relaxes me. Have one, Mel. I like it."

Melody paused herself not knowing exactly how to respond. Choosing to snort, she chuckled at her considered brother's antics and snatched the used cigarette, smashing it with her own foot and making sure it stayed used.

Crunch. Crunch. Crunch.

Stepping on it three times just to be safe.

"No thanks, Felix." She refused gently, smiling to comfort him. "Not my thing. We have our own hobbies. Come on. We need to go."

Felix looked back at the fish swearing they were beckoning him to come back to the comfort of the waters. Let it drown him so he wouldn't suffer in this world any longer. He released a tired yawn, noticing the sunset. Had time passed that past?

"Mel...can we just go hooooommme?"

The moon woman rolled her eyes playfully. She decided the others could wait a few extra hours, or day depending whether Felix felt unwell the day after his little alone nights.

"Felix, why do you cook your kind?"

"Helps the urge."

"What urge?"

Melody asked a little too causally. Really, she was used to his antics by now. No offence to the others, but Felix was stronger than he presented on his cheery mask. If someone liked Claus handles a drunk fish man, things were destined to end badly, as in murdered by a cannibalistic fish after their imaginary abusive father angry.

"To burn the man who murdered us."

What did she predict? This. Felix suddenly collapsed in Melody's arms, becoming a heavy weight she nearly had to lower into the grass. And they were near his house an all..

"You bloody basta-"

***

Margret hummed an old song she used to sing to a couple of people way back when. She couldn't precisely remember who she used to it to, but recalled enough that it felt somewhat...normal to hum in a place of isolation.

"Margret?"

The mole woman screamed as a voice asked for her attention. She jumped back and hit her hit on a heater that let the oven work. Rubbing what would be the inevitable bump, she glared at dared broke into her house.

Standing there was Melody the moon.

"Cheese and crackers, darlin'!" Margret scolded the nervous girl. "Don't scare a middle aged like me, coulda' gave me a heart attack-"

"I need your help."

Margret froze, forgetting the oven even as it beeped for her attention. She grabbed the girl's hand, turned off the kitchen appliances and started heading out the doorway immediately.

Melody and her weren't close per say. However, they both felt a connection that was...family folk like. Close, but not close. Not physically, but enough that Melody always, always came to Margret whenever problems were unsolvable.

And Margret would help her solace them. She wouldn't deny a child the help they needed.

"Lead the way, sweetie."

***

The pair walked into Felix's house. He lived near the lake so his house kind of aligned to a rich person's beach home. Not too big, not too small either. A perfect size.

"The idiot is in here."

Melody pushed a door to reveal a lavish living room. On the couch snoring obliviously laid Felix the fish. Drunk as a skunk by the alcoholic smell. Margret also detected...nicotine? From a stuck?

"What in God blazes did the boy do now?" She asked Melody, knowing she knew. "Tell me, little moon. You know ya can't lie."

"He passed out on me." The moon girl hugged her sides. "I usually can handle him to the house, but he doesn't fall asleep. Should I wake him, drag, put him in his room even if it means leaving him alone and he might die-"

Instantly at her side, Margret sat the girl down next to Felix, rubbing her back and repeating the breathe in, breathe out technique. A few minutes later, Melody nodded to comfort she felt alright once again. She looked at Felix.

"He smoked a cigarette." Melody's southern accent kicked in. "Don't know what it is. Reckon something dangerous that could scare the other folk in the area?"

"Possibly. We need to focus on the sleeping fish. He 'ain't gettin' away with this either. I can assure you that."

Mother instincts naturally settled upon seeing her considered third son (along with Claus and Andy, though Andy felt a little more...strange to considered a child). Felix grumbled in his sleep, turning around in his left and peeking a sleepy open to see Margret glaring daggers.

"Ah, darn. Why'd you hafta bring her here?..."

"Up young man. Now."

Margret practically tossed him off the couch. He landed on the floor on his butt. Felix stood up and stretched tiredly. The fish man glared at Melody, though in a more playful manner.

"I'm goin'. 'M goin'."

"Don't think I don't know about those sticks."

Felix chuckled softly, facing Margret and clearly knowing she didn't know what he smoked. He picked up a little sticks, lighting it up with a match and sticking it in his mouth.

"Called a cigarette, Marg."

"Don't smoke, Louis."

"Shut up, mom! They don't do harm!"

"DO YOU WANT TO BE LIKE YOUR FATHER?"

"...Sorry, Ma'am."

These flashbacks appeared every so often. Mostly while spending time with Melody and Felix. They were random, so she had no idea of when they would choose their moments to come and go.

"...Just please don't, darlin'." She asked tiredly, begging for some reason. "It's not good for ya."

Felix sighed as he put the cigarette in the ash tray, it flickering out its last lit moments. Melody silently huffed in victory. Felix stuck out his tongue childishly to which she just smiled.

It only widened into an obvious message.

I win.

"God heck, just let me sleep."

Felix stomped out the room in a rather slow raging tantrum. Margret rolled her eyes before heading toward his side and helping him stand straight, placing his arm over her shoulder and grasping his hip with her hand.

"Come on, Mel. Help the poor child."

Melody opened the doors so Margret and Felix walked (and stumbled) their way to his bedroom before Melody opened his his door to let them in.

"Thanks, El."

"It's Melody."

"Shut up, snitch."

Melody was going to say come colourful words, but kept her mouth shut as plan formed to delay's Felix's sleep just a little longer.

"Margret." She secretly smirked as she headed out the door, already heading Felix curse at her next words. "He was also drinking alcohol."

"You little bi-"

"WHAT?!"

Felix shrank down in the covers. Just feeling the burning glare Margret was searing back caused fear and actual instinctive whining.

"Dad, please!"

"You don't to speak, boy."

He shook in the bed as his hands covered his eyes to prevent the past vision. Closing his eyes, the flashback went away, leaving him with the craving of another burn stick. He didn't even dare lift a finger in fear of occurring the wrath of Margret of the mole.

He just prepared to fall asleep quick as possible.

With how loud she's yelling. It's not gonna be anytime. Nice to know they care.

All while receiving the biggest scolding Margret produced on purpose to make him extra guilty.

Thanks a lot, Melody.