Animal Crossing: New Horizons is a wonderful game, thanks in no small part to its introduction of two new characters: the goth, bug-loving chameleon Flick and the sporty, fish-loving beaver C.J. And while Nintendo is very adamant they’re just “roommates,” fans can’t help but see the friends as a romantic couple, especially after last week’s massive content explosion.
The latest Animal Crossing: New Horizons update added a ton of new stuff to the game, most notably a paid expansion known as Happy Home Paradise, which asks you to design a vacation home for various villagers, and the long-awaited return of Brewster’s café, The Roost. They’re both delightful additions to a game that was previously starving for new content, but I’m personally more excited about how they expand upon Flick and C.J.’s relationship.
If you build a vacation home for Flick he automatically brings CJ along with him I’m so ???? #AnimalCrossingNewHorizions #HappyHomeParadise pic.twitter.com/VYYoOoQ6WR
— Jackdaw (@quoththejackdaw) November 8, 2021
Some of the allusions to Flick and C.J. being more than friends are subtle. As noted by Jackdaw on Twitter, Flick is initially reluctant about designing a vacation home until he learns C.J. can move in with him. There also appears to be a very touching moment where Flick surveys the plot of land where their house will be built and softly says, “C.J. will love it here.” I absolutely love these boys.
The Roost is also a fantastic place to learn more about Animal Crossing’s cast. A good cup of joe apparently makes animals super chatty about their lives. New Horizons randomizes café patrons depending on who lives on your island, but you can also use Amiibo figures and cards to invite specific characters. This means not only can you call up Flick and C.J. for a get-together but also their respective fathers Nat and Chip, both of whom appeared in previous games.
Just like with the vacation home scenario, Flick brings C.J. with him when invited and vice versa. Chip brings his son with him as well, but all C.J. talks about is Flick. In the rare chance you get C.J. on his own, he offers up a bit of advice on relationships that, again, sounds suspiciously like he’s talking about Flick. And while Flick and his dad don’t see eye to eye on bugs — the former likes to keep them as pets and the latter just wants to eat them — Nat seems super supportive of his son’s relationship with C.J., which rules.
Listen, I’m not deluding myself here. I know there’s almost no chance Nintendo intentionally designed Flick and C.J. as boyfriends even if it’s something fans desperately want to be acknowledged. Officially, they simply remain business partners, roommates, and best friends. But with homosexual couples still a rarity in entertainment, especially when it comes to “family friendly” media like Animal Crossing, we’ll take what we can get.
Flick and C.J. are gay, end of story.
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