Welcome to Dobutsu Town! (okintsukoro/spincycle)

[okintsukoro]

Dobutsu Town: a small population of animal villagers who are known for their welcoming, neighborly behavior. While most of the town seemed to be surrounded by nature, with trees dotting the landscape and a pond here or there, there was also a downtown area that was sectioned of from the town by the train track. It was off on the coast, so there was a small bit of beach area that could be accessed to the south end of town.

Max was a young adult who had been looking for the right opportunity to finally move out and away from home. No more badgering from family who always criticized them for being 'too quiet'. No more nagging questions about what they planned to do with their life. This was their chance to make a new start!

"Excuse me? Is this seat taken?"

The human jumped a little at the voice, silvery eyes gazing up to see a grey cat with red eyes offering a friendly smile, motioning to the seat across from her. Max was quick to shake their head, quickly motioning with a hand to offer the seat before returning to looking down at their map, their body a little scrunched up inside their black coat.

"Thanks! You know, you're a real nice person," the cat concluded, taking a seat across from them. Max's eyes darted out towards the window when the stranger spoke up again.

"Sorry, I forgot to introduce myself. My name's Rover. What's yours?"

Conversation? With a stranger? This early? Max was quick to fumble around in their bag, finding their train pass and showing it to Rover. It had their picture and name on it.

"Max, huh? Well, you don't need to be so jittery, Max! I'm just a travelling cat, on his way to nowhere in particular. But what about you? Where you headed?"

Upon Max quickly showing Rover the map, nearly shoving it in the cat's face, his eyes seemed to widen in recognition, before his eyelids lowered into an almost pensive look.

"Dobutsu Town, huh..." he muttered to himself. He glanced up from the map to see Max's curious and slightly concerned look, as if wondered what was so special about the small town they were going to.

"Oh! It's nothing. Don't worry about it," he assured her, the two of them glancing up slightly when they heard the intercom.

"Attention passengers. We're now approaching Dobutsu Station. Please be sure to collect any articles, bags, or packages before leaving the train. Thank you."

"Sounds like this is your stop kid. And... thank you," was all Rover said, moving to another car in the train.

A shiver ran down Max's back as they collected their luggage back in the overhead compartment before quickly heading out the open door of the car. What was that all about? They didn't have time to think about it for long. After all, they were about to turn over a new leaf, start a new life in a brand new town. It was scary, it was exciting, it was --

"WELCOME!" shouted and overly friendly voice accompanied by the jingles of bells and the sound of a confetti popper. Max nearly dropped the handle on their luggage bag in surprise, taking a step back to see the blonde shih tzu with a kind smile on her face.

"Oh! Oh I'm sorry, I didn't mean to scare you. My name is Isabelle! Welcome to Dobutsu Town! I'm so glad you're here! In fact, we all are! Starting today, we've finally got our new mayor!"

Max gave Isabelle a bewildered look, glancing past, around, and behind them. Who was the new mayor? Was the confetti and welcome perhaps meant for them?

Isabelle tilted her head slightly, bells jingling against her tuft of a ponytail. "Um... that's you. You're our new mayor, right?"

[spincycle]

Citrus's ear twitched at the sound of a confetti popper. A familiar sound for Dobutsu citizens who had ever partaken in a festival or party. But as far as she knew, this was just an average summer day. She sat up and stopped leaning back against a shady tree- looking to her left to see her closest companion- Bob. Citrus interrupted his yawn by nudging his shoulder.

"What's all that about?" she questioned, gesturing vaguely to the small gathering in front of the train station. Citrus was familiar with those who stopped by to sell things occasionally. She knew Ol' Joan as a friend of her mother. But an unrecognizable figure was staring at Isabelle. Even more than this, a human was staring at Isabelle. Citrus knew humans existed, naturally she'd heard of them. But this was her first encounter with one in person.

"Hey-!" Bob huffed, "huh? Maybe it's a tourist. I knew word would get out about my latest creation. Fudge-covered pizza..."

Citrus grimaced while Bob practically drooled himself into a daydream. She stood and dusted herself off, then turning to pull Bob into a standing position. She was very accustomed to his whining about having to do anything that didn't involve a nice snack as a reward.

"We'd better get to them first," Citrus insisted. "Just to make sure nobody else in this town creeps them out, y'know?" She added that last part to cover her interest. She typically put on a casual facade and rarely acted excited in front of others. She pulled Bob along in a jog over the station. She crossed her arms to appear standoffish as she stepped between the stranger and Isabelle. Their noses were too close for the stranger's comfort as Citrus examined their face. "What's your deal?"

[okintsukoro]

Max's wide eyes eventually turned to the approaching villagers: a purple cat and a yellow bunny. Admittedly, Max had heard of the animal villages, but have never really got to interact until now, having been raised in a town of humans. But, they didn't seem all that happy to see her in her eyes. The purple cat seemed only vaguely interested at most, but the yellow bunny was walking with purpose, and getting closer.

And closer.

Max's face flushed a bit as she leaned back when Citrus got all up in their face, simply from the proximity. They nearly stumbled over their own luggage bag, but quickly caught themselves as the dog spoke up again.

"Oh, Citrus! This is our new mayor! Mayor... um..."

Isabelle tilted her head slightly as she glanced over at the human. "Um... I'm sorry, but what's your name?"

Just like with Rover, Max was trying to reach for their train pass. But with how utterly flabbergasted they were with being confused for their mayor and this bunny who seemed to have no concept of personal space, they ended up fumbling around in their pockets until they finally broke eye contact with Citrus so they could properly locate their train pass, showing it to everyone close enough to see.

"Oh! So your name is Max! Well, Mayor Max, welcome to Dobutsu Town! I know it's a lot to take in, new place and all, but I assure you you'll love it here! We have lovely people, some nice stores downtown, and beautiful natural scenery. It may seem a little small and empty, but that'll only make your job easier right? Well, once you get everyone's approval that is. And to do that, you should probably get to know everyone first! Er, well, after you get settled in your new home. Can't have you pulling around your luggage everywhere."

Isabelle turned to glance over at Citrus, looking slightly sheepish at the bunny's disposition. "Citrus? If you're not too busy, would you be so kind as to show Max around? It'll probably help her feel more at ease in being in a new place."

[spincycle]

Citrus stepped back a bit to give Max a bit of breathing room. But she maintained her energy by crossing her arms and turning her nose upward. Bob maintained his signature smirk as he crossed his own arms to mock the bunny's attitude.

"I suppose if you're absolutely demanding it..."

Isabelle's face grew hot as she started to assure Citrus that the job wasn't mandatory. But before she could speak Citrus had already taken Max by the wrist.

"No need for anymore pleasantries, 'Belle. I'll show 'em where all the cool stuff is, then send her back your way to do all the boring stuff later."

Citrus pulled Max away from the station exit and Bob followed behind. She let go of Max's wrist shortly after and started her impromptu tour. The trio headed southward into the heart of the village where the rest of its citizens resided. The houses were sporadic and their exteriors reflective of each unique homeowner. As they walked, Citrus babbled about each home they passed.

"That's where Lily lives, she always waters the flowers for us... I've never spoken to the guy in that house over there, but he's always exercising..."

Bob nodded, half listening and half daydreaming about taking a nap. He snapped back into the moment and interrupted Citrus's spiel about the apple trees that grew in Dobutsu.

"Ci, I just thought of something. Max gets to put their house wherever they want. She can probably, like, have a mansion too 'cause she's famous." Bob stopped to gesture towards the western side of the village. "You can build a huge castle over there. That's where we live, and it's super close to your job." In the western corner to the left of the town's forum board was two houses, and south of those was Dobutsu's town hall. Citrus's home stood out with its (naturally) orange exterior and matching green roof. The left side of the island was also on a cliff overlooking an underwhelming beach.

Citrus took the opportunity to brag about her turf.

"Yeah, you should totally consider. That's where I find all the coolest fossils," she said confidently.

[okintsukoro]

Max wasn't sure what to think of Citrus's attitude. It wasn't quite matching up with her actions. Nothing about the way Isabelle spoke sounded like being 'demanding'. But before she could even think about trying to rectify the situation and explain that they weren't meant to be a mayor of a town they had just moved to for the first time, she felt her wrist being grabbed by a lemon-hued paw. Once again, Max was getting first-hand proof that this bunny really didn't have any sort of care for personal boundaries.

It was a bit difficult dragging their luggage over where the stone path turned into grass, but Max came to realize that the grass was surprisingly well kept all around the town, save for a few areas where weeds would sprout. Other than that, they could pull their luggage around behind them with hardly any resistance, which made them think that the town was very serious about keeping an even path to allow its residents an easier time walking to and from their homes.

As she nervously followed after Citrus, her grey eyes glanced about at the sporadic placement of the houses, a light pink hue creeping up on their cheeks with a small look of awe when they saw just how adorable each exterior was. Each and every house they walked past was filled with character, and it only made her even more curious. As Citrus mentioned a villager named Lily, Max managed to spot the pretty frog in a spring-appropriate dress watering a nearby red tulip. The frog's big eyes with long eyelashes caught sight of her neighbors and the newcomer, and was quick to give them all a friendly wave before resuming their gardening duties.

Max timidly waved back at Lily, smiling sheepishly.

She seems adorable... definitely seems to be the type who enjoys gardening... I'll have to keep that in mind.

She nearly bumped into Bob while she was waving, quickly stepping away from the purple cat and giving an apologetic shrug and nervous smile. She wasn't quite sure what to make of this cat. He seemed chill enough, though he really hadn't said much. His face was oddly squished-looking, in her opinion, like he was always up to something. But, she tried not to judge too harshly. After all, all these people thought she was mayor material, and she certainly wasn't that.

Max's attention snapped to the nearest apple tree as Citrus had pointed it out. They nearly dropped their luggage as they quickly ran over to it, eyes sparkling. They were about the juiciest apples they'd ever seen, and her stomach was already growling. She quickly put an embarrassed hand on her stomach. She hadn't eaten since she first got on the train hours ago, and it was nearing about lunch time.

But just as she was placing her hand on the tree, about to turn around to ask if it was okay to shake one down, she heard Bob speak up about where they were going to get their house. They had to get a new house built? There weren't any vacant ones? That was very inconvenient. Who was she going to have to speak to about that?

Her entire face was turning red in embarrassment as Bob called her 'famous'. Already? She had just gotten here! She wanted to faint. She was now holding herself up against the nearby apple tree, trying not to panic. In doing so, however, she ended up shaking it, causing three apples to fall. Two of them landed in the cushy grass below. The third ended up bonking Max on her head, causing her to let out the first thing she's said since she got here.

"Ow!" She quickly rubbed the top of her head, whimpering a bit. The apples were definitely very ripe. Very ripe, and very big.

Through teary eyes, Max glanced up towards Citrus, who brought up yet another interesting tidbit about this town.

"F-fossils...?" Her voice came out quiet, but not inaudible. Well, now that she was speaking, she figured it'd be a decent time to ask.

"W-where do I go to get a house...?" Her stomach growled again, and once again her eyes drifted to the now fallen apples.

[spincycle]

Citrus snapped back into the moment when she realized she was rambling to herself. Bob had turned to look at the human on the ground. She decided to practice self control by not telling the newcomer about her latest addition to her collection, a trilobite fossil found near the beach. Her yellow cheeks looked orange as her fact burned with embarrassment. She looked down at Max to read her face for a moment. The human's eyes were shining and her face glowing pink. Although Max was an unfamiliar creature, these expressions were recognizable.

"I guess this is a lot at once..." Citrus mumbled.

Bob took the opportunity to have a seat (a chance he was always hoping for). He grabbed the apple that had bounced from Max's head, polishing it on his shirt before offering it to her.

"This one was meant to be yours, like destiny or something. That's good luck! Food never rains on me. I'm a little jealous." Bob lightened the mood by taking a bite from the second apple to hit the ground. Citrus sighed before also having a seat on the ground. She sat across from the two and formed a triangle in the shade. Leaning back on one palm, she used the other to grab the final apple for herself.

"I'm sorry," Citrus said as she idly played with the apple's stem. "It's just that...we never get new people around here. Got a little excited there. Let's start over. This is Dobutsu. A little town where nothing exciting ever happens. I was born here, so I'm allowed to say that," the bunny giggled. "There's really nothing to be worked up about. Literally nothing. We don't bite too hard. But there really are no vacant houses. Our old mayor never thought we needed any. It's just us, and the shopkeepers don't even live here. They go home by train every day...But that's not important."

Citrus took a bite of her apple and tried to focus on what point she wanted to make.

"Isabelle knows everything. It's almost creepy. If we ask her for help, she'll find you someplace to sleep," she assured Max.

"Maybe once you have a house you can use your mayor powers to make cool stuff happen here. I've always thought we could use a nice ferris wheel," Bob smiled over at Max, hoping the gesture would ease her nerves.

"If you want to go talk to her about it, she'll be over there in that brick building I pointed out earlier. But don't pick a spot to build until you've consulted your trusty tour guides first. I won't let you build a house beside anyone too weird."

[okintsukoro]

By the time Max realized the two had stopped talking, her silver eyes glanced over to see the two looking over and coming towards her. She inwardly panicked. Did she upset them? Did they think she wasn't listening?

But upon seeing Bob take a seat next to her and offering the apple that bonked her on the head, a light tinge of pink graced their cheeks, mostly out of gratitude and embarrassment at the same time. She couldn't help but giggle a little at Bob's little comment as they nodded and gratefully accepted the apple. She'd never heard of any sort of superstitions like that, but it certainly was a nice one that she'd take note of. With a little once over, they took a big bite out of it, sparkles filling their eyes. It was just as juicy and delicious as she had hoped it would be.

"...thank you," she told Bob. Admittedly, she hadn't caught the purple cat's name yet, but she was still too shy to ask just yet. She glanced back over at Citrus, who seemed a little disheartened. A slightly guilty look crossed Max's face as they listened to the bunny, up until she answered Max's question about how they go about getting a home.

"Oh... I see. I'll be sure to ask. And um... there's no need to be sorry. I'm just... really grateful." She kept her words succinct for now. She didn't want to accidentally ramble about how their kindness may be misplaced. After all, she wasn't supposed to be a mayor. She didn't even know the first thing about being a mayor. But, like Citrus explained previously, Isabelle probably had all the answers. She'd simply have to ask her later.

But, miscommunications notwithstanding, Max was finding that she was quickly loving the quiet beauty of this small town.

When Bob spoke up about possibly setting up a random ferris wheel somewhere in town, she couldn't help but give him a sheepish smile and a weak laugh. Where would a ferris wheel even go in this place? Would that even be allowed?

She glanced back over at Citrus who pointed out that they wanted to be consulted before Max settled on a plot for her new home. She supposed that was only fair. After all, this was their home first. They'd know the best places to set up, especially if she was supposed to take on this 'mayor' role. Even if they planned to try and clear it up with Isabelle, they already trusted these two a lot, giving them both a grateful smile and nod.

"I will... thank you so much... Citrus? And... um..." She slowly glanced over at Bob before eventually partially hiding behind Citrus out of embarrassment.

"Sorry...what's your name again...?" She fidgeted, glancing down at the partially eaten apple in her hands. "Sorry...better writer than talker..."

[spincycle]

As usual, Bob was first to finish his snack. He chomped into the fruit before tossing the core aside and wiping his mouth with his forearm. He justified throwing the remains because surely they would decompose and, like, be good for the Earth and stuff. He was glancing around for another tree to shake before his thoughts were interrupted by Max's meek voice.

"Huh? Oh- I'm Bob. Easily Dobutsu's best video game player. I practice every night; so, you've probably heard about me in...wherever it is you're from." The cat gave his signature smirk before deciding to lay on his back. His upper body was now in the sun, and he closed his eyes. He didn't need his eyes to be open to see the expression Citrus was giving him. It was like clockwork, and had become second nature for the pair.

Citrus rolled her eyes at the kitten's self bragging and made a hand gesture to assure Max that he wasn't worth listening to. The swatting motion was common for the two, as Citrus often showed her love in unconventional ways. Telling Bob to shut up or giving him a shove on his arm was her way of expressing loyalty. Citrus and Bob had been inseparable for years, and she never ceased to feign embarrassment on his behalf. Before Max could speak up again, Citrus turned her head to the side and leaned forward. She didn't get in the new mayor's face like before, although her curiosity was still high.

"Don't pay him any mind. But...writer?" Like books?" Citrus's jewelry jingled as her left ear twitched, a habit she had when overly curious. She leaned back again, opting instead to fidget with the sleeve of her sweater. Seasonally inappropriate, but a comforting piece.

[okintsukoro]

Bob. An unassuming name for an unassuming cat. More giggles erupted from the human's throat at Bob's bragging about his video gaming skill set. But one look at Citrus told her that this was something he did regularly. Just from looking at the two of them, she could tell they were close.

When Citrus asked about their writing, Max's eyes glanced up at her ear, admiring the piercings on it for a moment before flustering and looking down at their partially-eaten apple.

"W-well...yes? I mean... not professional. I want to be one day. Mostly just... have had written a lot of letters..."

She took a moment to cool herself down, taking a few more bites of the juicy apple before sighing. They shut their eyes, took a deep inhale through their nose, then exhaled through their mouth.

She's nice. You can trust her. It's okay.

She repeated this reassurance in her head as she slowly opened her eyes to look back up at Citrus, as if taking a moment to properly see the bunny before her. Despite her bluntness at times, she really had been kind to her from the very beginning, even showing a bit of her softer side. She smiled as she attempted to maintain eye contact, only to shyly glance away towards the upper branched of the apple tree they sat under.

"...I'm from a city called Bogstead. Really crowded. All my old friends moved away long before I did. I kept in touch writing them letters. Kept writing and writing... even when they stopped writing back." They gave a wry smile towards Citrus. "They just got busy. It happens."

She shifted a bit in her seat in the grass, looking out at where the town hall was, as well as the other homes not too far off.

"...I came here 'cause... I don't mind the idea of a small town. I thought maybe the quiet would give me time to think. No more having to think about all the pushing and shoving of the big city. Maybe... I can write something worthwhile out here..."

She let the silence take over for a moment as she finished off her apple, lying the core next to the tree for now before looking up at Citrus.

"...I heard you mention that... you can dig up fossils here? I didn't know the ground here was that old... What kind of fossils have you found?" she asked softly, settling herself in her seat as she pulled up her luggage bag to lie down flat in front of her crossed legs.

[spincycle]

Bob half-opened his eyes (or fully opened them, who's to say?) and began watching the clouds in the sky. It was a mostly clear day, so there were few shapes worth noting. A question mark here. Maybe a top hat there.

"You could, like, write the coolest stories about space and stuff. Like an astronaut who goes to another planet and finds aliens who want to conquer Earth for all its ice cream. Or something about pirates." Bob suggested, eyes never leaving the leaf-shaped cloud above him. Once drifting caused the cloud to deform, Bob instead turned his head to look at a nearby ladybug. He was more of a listener than a looker. He had years of experience in the no eye contact department. He could maintain conversations while playing his favorite games and watching movies while Citrus babbled on about her newest obsession.

The two were day and night. Citrus loved to talk. Something about being a bunny made her want to talk quickly when excited and thump her foot to contain the energy. Bob rarely moved around in ways that didn't serve some sort of purpose. Citrus was quick. Bob was happiest when slow. Citrus loved to teach about her favorite things. Bob was her willing student. Citrus was vegan. Bob could eat anything three times his stomach's size. Their fur is even complementary colors. The hare and the house cat were attached at the hip regardless.

So it was only natural when Citrus took the opportunity to tease Bob. But is it really teasing if Bob doesn't mind?

"Bob doesn't know how to read anything other than fiction. Not like me though. I'm Dobutsu's smartest bunny," she bragged, excluding the fact she was Dobutsu's only bunny. "You're looking at the town's biggest contributor to the museum. You're looking at the proud discoverer of three small pieces of a plesiosaur skull," Citrus paused to remind herself to stay focused.

"But that's not the point," she added quickly. "We don't really know how old Dobutsu is, but a few years ago Blathers moved here and set up shop. Before then, none of us had even seen a fossil. He just knew where to look. He's the smartest guy I know. He owns our museum, but it's a little...sparse. Not a lot of folks here are interested in fossils. But if you ever wanna see what we do have, the building is across the train tracks."

"Post office is that way too," Bob added.

"Right. That too. Do you have a museum in Bogstead?"

[okintsukoro]

Admittedly, Max still wasn't quite sure what sort of story they wanted to write just yet. A romance? A mystery? An adventure? Bob's ideas sounded just about as good as any to her. But, they had to admit, it was very impressive that Citrus could call themself the 'smartest bunny' in town. After all, Max was still new and didn't know she was the only bunny just yet.

She was absolutely taken by the idea that Citrus could find pieces of a dinosaur skull all on her own, even if it had been with the help of this 'Blathers'. It made her wonder just how easy it could be for just about anyone to go looking for them. Her sparkling eyes were filled with wonder as she listened to Citrus, looking at the yellow bunny as if she was just about the coolest person in town.

But, her thoughts were halted when Citrus asked about the museum in Bogstead. They realized just how much they had leaned in towards Citrus out of sheer awe and quickly straightened themself up, clearing their throat.

"U-um... yeah. Mostly just an art gallery though. They also charge a huge admission fee to get in, too. So... I haven't been inside a whole lot. Don't think I'd like it in there anyways. Mostly rich art snobs who go there anyways..." They let out a loud yawn, rubbing their eyes a bit before looking a bit shocked.

"Oh, geez... I can't relax... I still haven't gotten a home yet..." She hurriedly got onto her feet, dusting off the grass from the backside of her black coat before taking a moment to bow respectfully.

"Thank you so much for showing me around you two. But... I think I should finally get to talking to... Isabelle? Yeah, Isabelle... about getting a place set up. If I see you around, hopefully I can ask for your opinion again before I get settled in?"

Once they said their good-byes, Max would quickly make her way towards the town hall, where Isabelle was already inside ready to help her out. But not before spotting a dark figure walking along the grass just as they went inside the door.

The dark horse was making his way across his usual walking path. He didn't mean anything by it, but usually his glaring red eyes and black coat were enough to keep people at arm's length. Said crimson eyes managed to catch a glimpse of the human that just walked into town hall. That couldn't be...

A visibly snort flared through his large nostrils. He didn't have high hopes for this person. They could tell they were from the city, an old life he used to live before he moved to Dobutsu himself. The small town life wasn't for everyone. Some were driven mad by the lack of convenience, or the need to socialize. They gave this new person a week, if not less.

His intense stare eventually landed on Bob and Citrus, seeing them supposedly lazing about under an apple tree. As his walking path ended up going around that tree, he'd eventually speak up once he was in close enough range, never really stopping his slow, purposeful stride.

"Too nice of a day for you youngins to be lazing about. Your legs are gonna turn to jello if you don't use 'em," came his gruff voice, shaking his head. "Pft...nay."

[spincycle]

As Dobutsu citizens, Citrus and Bob were well accustomed to comments from neighbors strolling through. But that didn't stop them from rolling their eyes and snickering to each other when Roscoe spoke towards them.

"Our legs are exhausted, Mr. Roscoe..." Bob whined, throwing his arms to his sides dramatically. "We've been playing tour guides for the new mayor. That's really important work...pthhpth." Bob stuck his tongue out to blow a raspberry as he closed his eyes to play dead.

"Yeah, we're just taking a breather. We're basically as busy as Isabelle now with this job." Citrus decided to join Bob in his joke by wiping imaginary sweat from her brow. The two giggled at each other, peering up at the steed.

Roscoe slowly halted, turning to look over his shoulder at the stranger he passed near the town hall.

"So it's true then? That one over there is taking old Tortimer's place..." Roscoe shook his head with another huff through his nose. He looked up at the sky and muttered, "Don't you kids think that one's a little far from home?"

The question was rhetorical. But that didn't stop Bob from chiming in.

"Super far. From some place like...Bombsworth...Bumblestep..."

"Bogstead. She's from Bogstead. They said it's really big." Citrus corrected her pal as she pushed her glasses up to sit more comfortably on her button nose.

Roscoe's crimson eyes rolled before landing on the rabbit.

"Doesn't sound like the name of an urban place. Do you kids even know what a bog is?"

"The name doesn't really matter, pthhpth. If you want to meet the new mayor, they're with Isabelle sorting out living arrangements."
Bob sat up to avoid anymore comments about his productivity, but still opted for sitting against the tall tree. The offer of meeting the mayor was vague. Bob knew Roscoe would never take suggestions from himself. The stallion often forgot the cat's name, usually calling him 'the purple one' or 'that lazy tomcat.' The names were true, but it was the principle of things.

[okintsukoro]

Roscoe waved a dismissive hoof at the cat. "Nay... if they're here to be mayor, they'll get around to meeting all of us eventually. Assuming they're any sort of decent. As for you two, the only sort of work I've ever seen you do is either digging up rocks..." He glances over at Citrus. "...or..." His words trailed off as he looked at Bob.

"...come to think of it, I'm not sure I've seen you lift a paw if it ain't heading for that gob of yours," he noted much more quietly, tilting his head in thought. It was just then that his horse ears picked up the sound of front doors of the town hall opening, revealing that Isabelle seemed to be leading the new mayor towards the downtown district.

Max was closely following behind Isabelle, this time without their luggage back in tow. Isabelle insisted that their belongings would be safe in the town hall behind the desk while they went to go visit Tom Nook about getting her set up with a new housing spot. The way Isabelle talked so positively about him, Max was more than intrigued about what sort of person this Tom Nook was. And as she followed Isabelle, she saw that her 'tour guides' were still sitting by the same apple tree, so they offered them a friendly smile and small wave, as if to quietly assure them that everything was going alright so far.

But as soon as their grey eyes landed on Roscoe they were quick to drop their arm. Roscoe's glare, while not inherently full of animosity, was still an unsettling sight for anyone who wasn't familiar with his naturally gruff and spooky looking demeanor. As Max quickly looked away and kept close to Isabelle's side, the dark horse shook his head, glancing back over at Bob and Citrus.

"...seems a bit skittish. You sure they're up to fill ol' Tortimer's shoes?" he asked. It wasn't that he already had a dislike for Max, but he was concerned that such a young person might make more mistakes if they weren't at least confident in their decisions. If they weren't confident in approaching all the citizens of this town, could they be trusted to be confident when making decisions that would affect everyone?

Meanwhile, Max's meeting with Tom Nook was going fairly smoothly, although Max couldn't help but think that there was something off about the tanuki's calm demeanor. It was as if he knew things that most weren't privy to. Still, he was very kind and friendly, offering to follow Isabelle and Max back to town.

"Yes, yes... a beautiful day to pick a picturesque spot in Dobutsu! So, Max, was it? Do you have a spot in mind?" Tom Nook asked, glancing over at the human who simply shyly nodded and began to head back over towards the Town Hall. When Tom Nook realized where they were headed, he couldn't help but laugh.

"Ho ho! You want to build your house close to the Town Hall? To be closer to your work? You're secretly the go-getter type, aren't you? I like that! Very admirable! Just don't work too hard!" he laughed with a swish of his tail.

Upon seeing Isabelle, Tom Nook, and Max heading back this way, Roscoe sighed and shook his head. "Getting too crowded. Still got some walking to do. You kids stay out of trouble, nay."

[spincycle]

While he had Max's attention, Bob gestured vaguely towards Roscoe before mimicking the horse's face. He frowned, pressing his paws downward against his forehead to simulate angered eyebrows. When Citrus caught on to what he was doing, she snorted and swiped Bob's paws away from his face. She glanced up at Roscoe to make sure he didn't notice Bob's joke.

"Y-yes, sir-!" Citrus replied to Roscoe's demand. Her face warmed as she tried to stifle a giggle.

"Aye, aye, captain," Bob chimed in.

Citrus watched as Isabelle and Tom Nook led the newcomer back towards their direction. She knew Isabelle as the one she turned to when she had an issue around Dobutsu. Although that rarely was the case. The shih tzu was almost too polite, to the point she stumbled over words when flustered and stayed overtime every night. Come to think of it, Citrus only ever saw the secretary out and about on holidays. But she admired the golden pup regardless, and always made sure to smile in her direction when they crossed paths.

Tom Nook was a different story. Both Citrus and Bob had only spoken to the tanuki once in their lives. That was when they both moved into their own homes and away from their parents. He was kind, but very business-oriented in a way Isabelle wasn't. He always had his eyes set on the money aspect of business. But, the two villagers couldn't complain. Paying 10,000 bells one time for a forever home was a bargain.

"You think they'll pick somewhere cool? Like living on the beach? Maybe they'll put their house right in the middle of the apple orchard," Bob drooled.

"Not everyone is crazy about food the way you are," the bunny corrected. "They have better taste than that, y'know? A house by that little pond over there," she suggested.

When Bob heard the remark about his love for snacks, he stuck his tongue out at the hare to make another 'pthhpth' sound.

Citrus ignored him.

[okintsukoro]

Max put a hand over her mouth as she saw Bob making faces, mocking Roscoe. She was trying very hard not to giggle, though it did make her feel a bit better that Bob felt safe enough to do that while just barely out of sight of the old horse.

She let out a small sigh of relief when they saw the dark horse walking away, off to be on his own again. They knew that, most likely, they'd have to speak with him at least once. But for now, they'd prefer not to. He was far too intimidating to approach at the moment.

But upon glancing back to see that Isabelle and Tom were patiently waiting for them to pick a spot, they quickly jogged over to a place south of the town hall, facing the river, and very much in view of the single stone bridge that connected the two sections of the town. On the way they glanced over at Bob and Citrus, wondering if maybe they should've made a motion for them to come over, or if maybe they could see from where they sat the place she picked.

"Hmm... very intriguing spot, yes yes..." Tom mused, already picturing in his head what it might be like to wake up and open the front door to see this exact picture every morning.

"I think I can see it. Do you maybe like fishing, Max? You've got a nice view of the river from here. Plenty of people here like to make it their job to collect fish to make bells. There's also those who like bug catching to sell to those who might collect them... Oh! And of course, there's always our main export: apples!" Isabelle giggled.

Tom nodded in agreement. "Yes, yes... there are many ways to earn a living. For you though, that might be more of a side hustle, as your main task is to ensure the safety and happiness of the good folk here." He looked over at Max. While his eyes remained lax, there was a sort of gravitas to his words. "I've been around to see this town change a lot. People come and go, but there are a few things that stay the same. I've never heard anyone speak an ill word of this place. I think... the inherent peace and serenity that comes from enjoying both the beauty of nature coupled with the joy of being amongst a caring community is what helps people of all types enjoy their time here, whether they stay or not. So I hope... you too will also make the most of your time here, yes?"

Max's eyes went a bit wide, hearing Tom speak in an almost philosophical manner. The way he spoke made this town seem almost magical in a way. And maybe it was? It was hard to say. But, they quickly shook their head from their stupor before feverishly nodding in agreement.

"Excellent! So, is this where you'd like your new home?" he asked. But upon seeing Max glancing over past him Tom blinked and turned around. "Hm?"

It was then that he noticed that Max was looking over at the rabbit and cat, as if hoping to hear their input.

"Ah, made friends already, did you? That's a very good sign for a would-be mayor!" he laughed quietly, motioning for the two villagers to come over if they so chose.

[spincycle]

Bob and Citrus halfheartedly tried to keep their stares hidden, trying to act casual as they trailed Max's path with their eyes. The ongoing discussions were muted by distance, but the body language was decipherable. Max, nodding along enthusiastically. Tom Nook, swishing his long tail as he worked to earn his deal. Isabelle, always happy to be included.

Citrus swiveled her head back and forth to appear busy. As if her incredibly familiar surroundings were foreign and exciting. But the moment she gave up the act to check on Max, she was met with Tom Nook's heavy eyes. Citrus admired both Tom's and Bob's eyes for the same reason. They always looked casual and a bit tired, but that look suited them both well. It was almost uncomfortable to imagine them both wide-eyed. She supposed the same could be said about her own beady eyes, though.The tanuki gestured to them. An unexpected invitation. But somehow still unsurprising considering Nook's usual generosity.

Bob started to get distracted by a nearby ladybug. He was about to offer his paw to the insect before Citrus patted his shoulder and gestured to stand. The duo dusted themselves off before trotting along to accept their invitation.

The villagers gave a short- though still respectful- bow upon arrival. The gesture didn't need to be returned, but it was out of politeness anyway.

"So, this is where you're setting up camp?" Bob spoke up. He took a moment to look around, paw on his chin as he hummed.

"I suppose this is a pretty good spot, pthhpth," the cat added.

Citrus nodded in agreement.

"Not too far from the town hall. Close to the river is good too. _{Lots of good fossils can be found near water, y'know...} Also close to yours truly."

The bunny pointed to a nearby house, with a fitting orange exterior and green roof. Bob nodded, turning the focus towards his own nearby house.

"That one over there is my house. It's the coolest color," he remarked about his purple residence.

[okintsukoro]

At first, Max was a little worried that they had picked poorly, Tom and Isabelle looking at the trio with approval and interest. But upon hearing that they both approved of the placement, Max put on probably the proudest smile she had since she's arrived. She was finally going to get a home! Her own home! And she already had neighbors who liked her!

Tom nodded as he took a moment to glance over where Citrus and Bob have pointed out their own homes. "Mm...yes, yes, very beautiful homes indeed. And that's not just me tooting my own horn; the vision of the homeowner is just as important as having the tools and know-how to build." He turned his attention back to Max, who was very eager to finally have somewhere to rest.

"And while I can't set you up with your own house just yet, we can provide you with a tent. All you'd need for housing is a down payment of 10,000 bells, and you'd be set to have a nice sturdy house just like everyone else!" he told the human, whose eyes seemed to light up in recognition and motioned for Tom to stay put before bolting into the town hall. Once they returned with their luggage, they unzipped the front pocket to reveal their cutesy frog-shaped purse, opening it up to pull out ten 1,000 bell notes with money bag symbols in the center of each note. Even though Max hadn't come to this town expecting to be mayor, they had done some limited research on this town, such as the average cost of living and how much they should have saved up that should be able to last them until they could find a way to earn more bells on their own.

"Oho! Came prepared to invest I see! Very smart! Very punctual! Perfect. That just means we can expedite the process. I can have your house set up as soon as tomorrow morning. Don't worry, you won't be woken up in the middle of the night with a ruckus. I promise you that," he chuckled, accepting the money as Isabelle too also came back from town hall with some camping supplies. With a little help from Tom, the two had set up a tent, a ramshackle mailbox, as well a neat little lantern.

"If you have any extra bells to spend, a trip to Re-Tail might be your best best for some discounted used items. That is, unless you don't mind sleeping on the floor of the tent," Tom chuckled.

Max nodded in understanding. With final preparations complete, they informed Max of where to find them, and that Isabelle will speak to them about their mayoring duties tomorrow. As they watched the two walk off, their attention was brought back to Citrus and Bob, the two who had helped her the most throughout this hectic and stressful day. They really were both so very kind, even with their own little quirks. They had heard Citrus's little muttering earlier, but they couldn't address it just yet. They knew they would eventually. It wouldn't be long.

But as tears of gratitude welled up in the human's eyes, they were quick to wrap their arms around Citrus first in a tight, thankful hug. Keeping it brief, they then let go to hug Bob as well. Both of them were very comfortable to hug, in their opinion. But, they had to get going. With their luggage stashed away in their tent, they'd be off shopping for the rest of the day.

First stop was Re-Tail, which Max quickly learned was run by an alpaca couple named Reese and Cyrus. Cyrus, however, was currently asleep, and Max was all too happy to let him. They did manage to find a cheap bed that Lily had apparently put up for sale recently, and was quick to learn that the furniture here had some interesting properties.

Each item of furniture, somewhere on its outside, had an engraving of a leaf, much like the leaf symbol that was at the Nooklings shop. If one attempted to pick up the item while touching the symbol, the furniture would turn into a light, portable leaf with a picture of the item drawn into it, as if made from the veins of the leaf. But once that leaf was placed on the ground inside a building, it would return into its usable state.

It was absolutely incredible, and Max had never seen anything like this. Was this just normal for the animal people of this town?

Next stop was the Nooklings. There they learned they could grab tools, more furniture, wrapping paper, and most importantly, stationary sets. Today's was a floral themed paper, as it was in the middle of spring. She'd probably grabbed at least a dozen stationary sets, as she knew she would be writing many letters. She'd also grabbed the few tools that were up for sale that day: a fishing rod and a shovel. She had no idea what she was going to use it for, but Citrus's talk of fossils really had her intrigued.

She had stopped by the Able Sisters, finding a cute little overall denim dress that she could probably change into for tomorrow. But, once she left, she immediately started to write up two letters: one for Bob, and one for Citrus. One letter ended up turning into two, as she ran out of room on the tiny sheets of paper. But soon enough, she'd have them done and happily gave them to the sour pelican who seemed to be taking care of the post office during the evening shift.

"To the coolest gamer in Dobutsu,

Hi Bob. I just wanted to say thank you so much for taking the time to help me find my way today. You probably could tell, but I was really scared of messing up everything. A lot of times, things seemed to be going wrong. But, you were super friendly and chill and I am very grateful that you took the time to hang out with me and Citrus. How long have you two been friends? What's your favorite type of ice cream? What sort of book have you read? Space? Pirates? Space pirates? I'm still trying to figure out ideas. Maybe I'll just make a bunch of short story novellas and see what sticks.

Hopefully I see you soon!
Max

PS: Who was that horse guy?"

Citrus's letter would end up being just as lengthy, if not moreso.

"Dear Citrus (I hope I spelled that right),

I can't thank you enough for acting as a tour guide today. I'm gonna be honest... I wasn't planning for today to end up like this. I might talk about it later in person. But just know that even though I was super scared and nervous, I was really grateful to meet someone like you. I heard that the people around here are known for being super nice. I guess I just wasn't prepared for just how hospitable everyone could be. Even if you mentioned it could get boring here sometimes, I hope at least my letters can add a little spice to your days while I live here. I'll always find time to write. It's... sort of a stress reliever for me. I can get my thoughts out a lot easier like this. Speaking of thoughts, I've heard what you said about fossils, and it's got me really curious. I've never really seen fossils up close before, so I'm wondering how you go about finding them? Do you have a collection yourself, or did you donate all your findings to the museum? Can I come with you next time you go fossil hunting? If not, it's okay.

To be honest, I'm still a little nervous about what I'm expected to do as mayor. I've never held a position like that before. I don't want to mess this up. I don't want people to hate me for messing up. But... I will promise that I'll try my best. If living here means I also gotta have this responsibility then... I think you and Bob have proven that it's worth it to face my fears and make the most of it.

Hope to make all your future days just a little better,
Max

PS: It's gonna take me a while to get up the nerve to approach that scary horse guy. I hope I don't need to talk to him for a while."

With all that settled, they eventually would collapse on their newly bought 'common bed', falling asleep instantly on impact.

----------------------------------------------

The next morning, they would sit up with a stretch of their arms, only to gasp when they quickly realized something was different. The tent had suddenly become a small house with two windows. Sure the wallpaper and flooring was the bare minimum, but it was obviously solid and intact. Was this real? They hadn't heard anything, felt anything. How had Tom Nook managed this? Had they been relocated in their sleep?

They were quick to put on their new denim dress, practically bursting out the new front door so that they could get a good first look at their new house.

Her mouth completely went slack in awe. It was an adorable house, nearly twice the size of the tent they slept in, with an adorable blue roof on top a white exterior. Just on the outside of it was their mailbox and their name engraved on it: Max.

She was so confused, excited, she wanted to keep staring, circling around the house in disbelief. However, it was in the midst of circling around her house that she nearly bumped into a familiar, scary dark horse.

Roscoe had been just out and about on his usual morning walk. Walks were good exercise for an aging horse like him. He usually took one three times a day: morning, noon, and night time patrols. But, this walk had been different.

He was standing barely a few feet from the left-hand wall of Max's new home, glaring irritably at it as his eyes narrowed.

"...right in my walking path..." he grumbled to himself before his red eyes glanced over to see the new mayor, looking absolutely terrified. It was a first reaction he was used to. He knew it took a long while for the locals here to warm up to him, with Isabelle being the only one to put up with his ornery tail. Well, her and sometimes Apollo and Amelia. Apollo was the only one in town who he could at least have decent chats with, while Amelia had been around Apollo long enough to know how to handle folks his age.

He turned to look over at Max, shaking his head.

"Well, can't be helped. Nay... it can't." He walked a few steps closer, watching carefully as Max took a step back. " 'Ey. I ain't gonna bite, kid. Just wanted to say my hellos, meet an' greet an' all that." He held out a hoof. "Name's Roscoe. What do they call ya?"

Max tentatively reached out to gently shake Roscoe's hand just before he asked her name. Her first instinct was to look for her train pass, only to realize they left it inside their house.

"What's the matter? Cat got your tongue?" Roscoe scoffed, not at all impressed with how this supposed new mayor couldn't even get past a simple greeting.

[spincycle]

Between Citrus and Bob, the bunny was always the early bird. It was almost impressive that Bob could nap so much and still sleep in more than the average Dobutsu citizen. Citrus always began her day with the same routine. Stand, streeeetch, replace her pajamas with her familiar knitted sweater, begin making a cup of tea. She usually took her time with this routine, since she wouldn't be able to see Bob for a while. Knocking on his door was always done in vain if he was asleep. But today was different.

Citrus was eager to see Max's new house. She was familiar with the way Tom Nook could quickly whip up an entire house while the rest of the town slept. The details on how exactly he could do that were a little vague, however. Part of her wanted to ask, to ask to tag along one night and observe his work. Being nosy was just her nature. But she never worked up the courage to ask the tanuki about his ways. It seemed useless to ask anyway. If Citrus had to guess, Tom would probably just cheerfully dismiss her with a "ho ho! Telling you my secrets is bad for business!"

But the hare remained impressed by his seemingly magic ways. She nearly tripped over her own feet on her way out the door this morning. She finished patting the fur on the top of her head down into a neater look as she stumbled onto the damp grass. The morning dew made her shake a bit, as she didn't enjoy having wet fur. She was about to go prancing towards the mayor's house, but was stopped by a jingle. Citrus stopped in her tracks, turning to see her mailbox flashing it's small notifying light.

Typically, only her family wrote to Citrus. Usually her mother or one of her many siblings. But these occurrences were still a little rare, so her heart fluttered a bit when she opened the tiny door. She didn't recognize the penmanship of her name on the envelope. She opened the letter hastily, skipping to the end to see who had signed it.

Seeing Max's name in the bottom corner made her right foot thump with excitement. She was giddy as she read the rest of the letter, grateful that her new friend wasn't too put off by her nosy ways. Mentioning fossils made Citrus even more excited. She hugged the letter to her chest before placing it in her pocket. She decided to write out a response after finishing her quest to look at Max's new house. This would still give her plenty of time before Bob ever groggily left his own house for the day.

Before the Bunny could redirect her attention to Max's home, something made her ears twitch. It was coming from Max's direction, but didn't sound like the human. The distance warped the words being spoken beyond recognition, but Citrus's exemplary hearing still caught on to a voice that was familiar. Her ears twitched again as she looked up to squint in that direction. She pushed her glass further up her button nose as she leaned forward. What she had in auditory skills was subtracted from her vision. Her eyes finally focused onto a tall steed she knew a little too well.

Upon seeing Roscoe, Citrus's face burned hot as she began skipping in the two's direction. The bunny had a unique skip in her step that other animals in Dobutsu didn't quite seem to possess. She tried to hurry over, thinking about Max's letter describing the human's lack of words and discomfort around Roscoe. She nearly knocked Max over as she hugged her tightly. She knew the human was likely uncomfortable with the affection, but hoped Max knew to play along for the moment being.

"There you are! I was looking for you everywhere!" she exclaimed as she let go of Max.

She tried to imitate Amelia's conversational patterns as she turned her attention towards Roscoe.

"Good morning, Mr. Roscoe! It's a lovely day for a walk, y'know?" A nervous giggle left Citrus as she scratched the back of her neck.

"My good friend Max here wrote me a letter! They're really kind. Not much of a talker," she added.

[okintsukoro]

Before Max could respond to Roscoe's snide remark, they barely managed to look in Citrus's direction before being tackled into a hug, letting out a small yelp in the process as they tried to understand what this hug was all about. Her arms flailed a little, but eventually ended up returning the hug a bit before letting go just as Citrus did.

Max tilted their head slightly in confusion, big silver eyes still wide from the sudden tackle hug. She'd been looking for her? She only just woke up, and as far as she could tell, it was still morning. How long could she have been looking for her?

But when she saw Citrus turning her attention to Roscoe, that's when it clicked when the bunny was trying to do: she was trying to get the heat of the conversation off of her. After giving Citrus a sort of grateful look, she simply nodded along with the yellow bunny's words, confirming that what she said was the truth.

Roscoe just about nearly had a heart attack from the sudden yelling, taking a step back when Citrus had first made her presence known. He pressed the flat portion of his hoof to his chest, taking some deep breaths before shaking his head.

"Tarnation, kid... you can't just go spookin' folks like that." He eventually let it go with a deep sigh, shutting his eyes for a moment before looking back over at the wall of Max's house.

"Well, it was... Seems our new mayor decided that the best place for their new home is right in my usual walkin' route. But... what's done is done. Can't exactly pester Isabelle and ol' Nook to get their house moved about a few feet north..." His red eyes slowly turned back to Max, whose shoulders stiffened a bit.

"Max, huh? Well since you seem to be more the letter-writin' sort, I'll expect a proper greetin' in writing. Better make it a good one," he chuckled a bit to himself, knowing all too well the poor mayor-to-be was already having a time of it. "Anyways... S'pose I'll let you two be on your way. Probably off to see Isabelle about your mayoral duties and whatnot. Well, don't let me stand in your way. I'll see ya both around. And uh...Sidney? No, Citrus. Right, like the fruit..." Roscoe shook his head; he'd never been good at remembering people's names that weren't either important or within his inner circle. "...I guess you got a solid job as the mayor's mouthpiece ahead of ya if this kid refuses to talk to folk. Good luck with that."

With that, Roscoe waved them off with his left hoof before begrudgingly walking around Max's house; he'd just have to get used to the new walking path. Symbolic, probably.

As Max watched Roscoe leave they quickly turned to Citrus and quickly squeezed them in a tight hug. They may have only met just yesterday, but Citrus was quickly becoming Max's favorite person in town.

"Thank you," came Max's muffled words against Citrus's fur before reluctantly pulling away. They gave Citrus a big grateful smile, wiping away some of their tears before their eyes landed on the town hall. Roscoe was probably right; she should head inside to see what exactly being a mayor entailed, and that meant talking with Isabelle.

[spincycle]

Citrus gave a crooked and nervous smile in Roscoe's direction as he parted ways. On the few instances they had spoken before, Citrus had been called every half-correct name under the sun. Sidney, Circus, even Circle on one occasion. But she decided letting it slide was more comfortable than correcting the sullen steed. Luckily, he caught himself this time. Citrus was half-expecting some remark about how Bob liked her so much because of her food association.

She returned the hug Max gave when they were left alone, but then decided to give the new human some space. If Max wanted a hug, the bunny wouldn't turn them down. But she didn't want to be too touchy with someone so shy.

But her mind then snapped over to the new white house that had appeared overnight. Her foot thumped with excitement again as she put her paws to her chest. She did a little skip around the tiny fence circling the premises. When she circled around and ended up atMax's other side, she examined the blue roof.

"The houses always get here so fast! I've always wondered how they do it; but, it happens when we're all asleep," she explained with her gaze still on the blue tiles. "Really makes 10,000 bells seem like a bargain."

Citrus found herself ready to ramble about Tom Nook and his mysterious ways, but decided there were other things to be done at the moment.

"Roscoe was right. There's mayor-y things to do with Isabelle. How about you go talk to her, and meet up with me later. Bob should be awake soon-ish. _{Depends how late he stayed up watching TV...}" the bunny proposed. "I'll be in my house writing you the coolest letter you've ever read," she promised with a determined nod.

"Come find me after you talk to Isabelle, and then tell me all about your new job! Oh-! And don't forget to write Roscoe a letter tonight before bed. He'll be expecting something in his mailbox tomorrow morning."

[okintsukoro]

Max certainly didn't mind the hug. There was just something super comforting about Citrus's presence that they've never really felt with any other person before. But before they could even ask about what Citrus wanted, she watched as the bunny skipped around, ogling Max's new house. Her silver eyes widened slightly, a little flustered as they quietly followed after the rabbit, wondering what they were looking at. Was it as good as they'd hoped?

When they mentioned how the house got here overnight for just 10,000 bells, Max slowly nodded in agreement, looking up at the house as well.

"...yeah. It's... I still don't get it. I was asleep. It seems almost like magic. This spot isn't next to where the tent was... I'm pretty sure it was the exact spot we picked yesterday..." But she quickly shook her head. "But... you're right. For 10,000 bells, it really is a bargain for that kind of service. At least I won't have to worry about when it rains, and I have a proper bed now. A very...strange bed... but apparently all the furniture here is like that? I have so many questions but at the same time... I'm excited."

They felt a little out of breath from how much they word-vomited, but they always did wear their emotions on their sleeve. But upon hearing that Citrus would take this time to write her a letter, Max stared at her with wide, sparkling eyes, as if she said the magic words that would solidify the bunny as being their new best friend in town. After all, even if they were neighbors, having a new pen pal in town was as much a thrill as it was a relief. As she had mentioned to Citrus before, writing was something of a getaway for her, an escape. Maybe they really could make a new life here in Dobutsu?

They nodded in understanding, both at the future plans to come find Citrus, as well as the reminder to write Roscoe a letter. With one last tight hug, Max waved good-bye to Citrus for now before jogging their way to the Town Hall.

There, Isabelle would be awaiting them already pepped up and ready to give all the basic information Max would need.

To summarize, Max needed a few things before they could start acting as mayor: they needed to be a citizen with an address, but they also needed the approval of all the villagers on a written petition. Usually this would be a quick process, even if their mayorship required a 100% approval rating. Even if there was one or two people who refused to sign, usually some acts of good will on the mayor-to-be's part were enough to get them to change their tune. Isabelle couldn't ever recall a time when a person looking to become acting mayor would be kept from their station for long.

"But, once you get all that done, you'll officially be mayor! We'll call everyone for a ceremony to welcome you in officially, and you'll get to plant your own sapling in the town square. Whenever we get a new mayor, we always start anew, to show how far along the town has grown since you've been in office! Got all that?" Isabelle asked. When Max nodded, the happy secretary, jingled over to hand them the petition.

"Good luck! Just hand it back to me once you've gotten everyone's signatures!" Isabelle nodded.

Well, she certainly makes it sound like an easy task, Max thought as she made her way out of the Town Hall to start walking over to Citrus' house. After taking a moment to look over the bright exterior, she firmly knocked on the door, still holding the clipboard with the petition in one hand.

[spincycle]

Citrus watched Max head towards the town hall before also parting ways from the new home. The bunny returned to her own unique house and began searching for some stationary. Surely there was some around here somewhere... She had to check every nook and cranny of her home first, but she did eventually find the remnants of an old set. It had admittedly been a while since she last wrote to her family.

With her old Buttercup themed paper in hand, Citrus took a seat on the floor to write upon her low-sitting tea table. Much of the furniture in her house was from the 'ranch' theme, with the occasional citrus themed item here and there. It was only natural. Bob found it funny, but Citrus knew his teasing was never serious. The only non-furniture items in her house were things she was most proud of. She displayed a few small fossils and fish here and there. She loved to show them off because it gave her a chance to talk to her interests to visitors.

"Dear Mayor Max," the letter began.

"I love getting letters in the mail! So it's a good thing you love to write. It's only natural that you're nervous. Being mayor is a big deal. No pressure though! I'm sure anybody would be nervous if they were you. But I think you'll do a good job. Don't let ol' Roscoe scare you out of it. He'll come around- he's just grumpy. But there's lots of other nice people in Dobutsu, y'know? Lily and Amelia live here too, they're super nice. But you should totally come with me next time I go fossil hunting! I have lots of books under my bed you can borrow that'll teach you everything there is to know. I would love the company, Bob gets bored of digging and goes inside to watch TV every time. Let me know when you're free to dig!

You can do anything! - Citrus"

She ended the letter and placed it in her pocket, she'd make sure to ship it today so it could reach Max tomorrow morning.

--

Bob rolled out of bed with an exaggerated yawn. The cat rubbed his eyes before stretching and beginning to change out of his pajamas for the day. As much as he'd love to keep them on forever, Citrus didn't let him play outside like that. He could eat his own breakfast at home before starting his day. But he opted for knocking on Citrus's door and asking what she had to eat. In his defense, Citrus was a better cook. At least, that's what he told her every time he asked her for a meal. He started to head out the door, but was stopped in his tracks by his mailbox's jingle. He tomcat opened the small door and examined the spring-themed card.

Bob quickly scanned over it before taking it back inside. Breakfast couldn't wait and neither could this very important delivery. So Bob opted to eat (excessively) sugary cereal while he started writing a letter of his own. He smudged the corners of his firework themed stationery- but assumed Max wouldn't mind.

"To Dobutsu's Best Letter Writer,

I'm so excited about getting a letter that I'm writing back to you while I eat my cereal for the day. I'll answer your super important interview questions, I know it must be exciting to talk to a professional video game player.
1. Citrus and I have been besties since I moved here when I was just a little kid. She's lived here her whole life though. Her family moved away, but she stuck around just for me! She's super loyal, so you've probably made a friend for life.
2. The best kind of ice cream is rocky road. So chocolaty and delicious. Citrus can't stand the stuff, but brings it to my birthday party every year anyway! Have you ever tried it with potato chips?
3. I love to read superhero comics? Can you draw well? I definitely can't.

See ya around, -Bob

P.S. That's Roscoe. Only scary on the outside. I think. We're not very close, he thinks I'm lazy. I am, but he doesn't have to say it the way he does."

Bob signed his letter before flipping it over to scribble on the backside of the letter. He crudely added a drawing of the three amigos as space pirates. He quickly finished drinking the sugary milk of his cereal before putting the letter away. He made a quick trip to the post office, giving his usual greetings to the pelican behind the counter. Upon leaving, he headed towards Citrus's house instead of his own. He realized Max was standing outside holding something. As he drew closer, he heard Citrus open the door and jokingly ask "Trying to sell me something?"

[okintsukoro]

Max put on a sheepish smile when Citrus joked that they looked like some sort of door-to-door salesman. They were about to open their mouth when they heard another pair of footsteps approaching, crunching the grass. With a quick and slightly tense glance, she managed to relax upon realizing it was just Bob. She exhaled, smiling and waving lightly in their direction before looking back to Citrus and handing the rabbit the petition.

"Um... Isabelle says I need everyone's approval before I can be officially mayor. So... I think I need to go around and ask everyone to sign this so I can bring it back to her. Then she said something about a tree planting ceremony? Is that really a thing? Do I need to prepare a speech...? Oh geez..."

The idea of being up front and center among even a few people was a bit nerve-wracking for the would-be mayor. But, she wasn't going to let this get in the way of her dream to live here. She knew, at any point, she could've told them this was all a mistake, that she wasn't meant to be the new mayor. But at this point, she almost felt like she was too deep into it now. What would they think if they realized she wasn't supposed to be mayor, and the person who was supposed to show up never really did?

[spincycle]

Citrus nodded along as she casually took the clipboard from Max’s hands. Before Max could finish talking Citrus had already printed her curly signature at the top of the blank list. She passed the clipboard along to Bob, who silently printed his own name in large sloppy letters.
The contrast of his “signature” below Citrus’s was almost comical.

“Isabelle probably just wants people to know your face so they don’t feel like they’re taking orders from a stranger,” Citrus jokingly assured Max. “Which won’t be too hard. There aren’t many of us living here anyway.”

“I don’t know anything about the tree thing though,” Bob chimed in.

Citrus waved her hand vaguely to a small plaza to the right of their houses. Though it wasn’t easily visible from this distance, there was a patch of stone pathway with a square planter in the middle.

“I’ve never seen a tree planting ceremony myself. Old mayor planted his tree before I was even born. But that’s the big tree they took down when he left, remember, Bob?”

Citrus paused, took the clipboard from her friend, and passed it back to Max before continuing.

“Mayors plant a tree in that little plaza over there. It’s symbolic or something, y’know? It grows with the town and stuff. But I wouldn’t worry too much about a speech or anything. As long as people here like you before you plant it, they won’t mind what you say. Which is great, because Bob and I get to play tour guide again! You lead the way, and we’ll follow.”

Bob gave a lazy nod followed by a salute.

“Aye, aye, Captain Max!”

[okintsukoro]

The nervous human felt a bit more at ease as, almost immediately, she watched Citrus and Bob sign their names without a second thought. Maybe it would be that easy? Maybe they were just blowing it out of proportion and the path to becoming mayor would be a simple one?

In truth, even with the tour, she wasn't quite sure what the total number of villagers were. But, hopefully, Citrus and Bob would be able to let them know if they were missing anyone.

"The old mayor must've been really old, huh...? Where did he go, anyways...?" Max asked softly as she accepted the clipboard back from Citrus.

To see Citrus so excited to tour the town with them, as well as Bob being silent but dutiful, had Max smiling softly and even giggling a little. "...thank you. Both of you."

Maybe...this could be fun?

With an encouraging nod in return, Max puffed up their chest a bit, as if trying to gain their courage to start going door to door asking for signatures.

The first stop she made was at a turquoise, almost cone-shaped house with a dark blue roof. The sign outside noted that this was Lily's place. It wasn't until Max tentatively knocked on the door and a cute little frog answered that they recalled who Lily was.

"Oh! It's you! Hi there! I'm Lily! I see you've already met Citrus and Bob," she noted, glancing past Max to wave back at them. "Come in, come in! I was just finishing baking an apple pie. I was trying out a new recipe, and I'd really love it if you gave it a try."

Max was quick to pick up on the strong, warm scent of apple and cinnamon. Admittedly, she kind of rushed out of her home without eating, so trying a slice of apple pie sounded right, so they gave a sheepish smile and nod as they put one hand over their stomach.

"Great! Come in, come in, toady! Feel free to take a seat," the rosy-cheeked frog insisted, keeping the door open while she rushed over to her oven, putting on some cute little frog-mouthed oven mitts.

As Max walked in, they were becomingly increasingly aware of all the green, naturalistic looking furniture. It made the place so comforting, so home-y. Oddly enough, though, there was also a shower right by the window, which had Max slightly flustered. Perhaps the blinds were closed whenever Lily used it.

Luckily, there was a large green wooden table to sit at, and Max could look around in awe at the home while she was sat down and Lily hummed a little to herself while platting a generous slice of apple pie for all three of them, as well as a glass of their preferred beverage. Max chose to have milk, usually their go-to drink for matching with baked goods like pie.

When Max took their first bite of pie, they were practically seeing stars, eyes so sparkly. They'd never tasted anything so delicious! Was it because it was made from the apples of this town? Or was Lily just that great of a baker?

"I hope you like it... This is honestly my seventh attempt at coming up with a decent recipe that I was happy with, toady," Lily admitted, smiling at her guests before looking over at the petition that Max had set upon the table.

"Oh? What's that, toady?" the frog politely asked, trying to peer over at what was written on the paper on the clipboard.

[spincycle]

Bob was hoping Lily would be baking today. He frequently made trips to her home to see if she had a treat in the oven or cooling on her windowsill. Citrus sometimes bickered that he shouldn’t visit just to eat, but the toad never seemed to mind. Lily loved company, and was frequently seen talking to whoever passed by her garden while she was watering Dobutsu’s flowers. Lily never forgot birthdays and always baked a cake for the special villager of the day.

Bob was first to dig into his slice of apple pie. The sweet taste of cinnamon made him smile. He accompanied the treat with a glass of chocolate milk. Bob was a regular visitor, so Lily kept the things he liked to eat and drink on standby. She was almost a grandmotherly figure, despite being young. She wasn’t as old as Roscoe, but was only a few years above Citrus and Bob.

Citrus hummed cheerfully as she dug into her own plate.

“Amazing as always, y’know? Thanks, Lily” Citrus exclaimed, having a sip from her own glass of milk. She excitedly kicked her feet back and forth, which didn’t reach the floor of the cozy house.

Bob nodded in agreement, but didn’t speak since his mouth was full. He was (naturally) the first to finish his slice of pie. Citrus didn’t need to look at Bob when she passed him a napkin. It was second nature to know Bob had food around his mouth after eating so fast.

“Oh-!” Citrus turned her attention to the clipboard on the table. “That’s Max’s petition. Isabelle says she has to have approval from the people before Max can officially be our new mayor.”

After explaining, she paused from eating to wipe her own face free of crumbs. She tapped on the board with her paw and drew Lily’s attention to the names scribbled on top. “We already signed, but if you wanna get to Max better first, I get it, y’know?”

She didn’t expect Lily to just sign her name right away, but the bunny knew Lilly would be one of the easiest citizens to win over. She might want a favor first, but nothing more than some help baking or gardening.

[okintsukoro]

Citrus turned out to be very correct about Lily being the easiest to win over, as the toad was quick to grab the pen attached to the clipboard and sign her name in an adorable cursive on the slot just under Bob's name. Upon looking up to seeing Max staring at her in shock, Lily started to giggle.

"Aw, it's nothing! You seem real sweet! And if you're already friends with these two, I can tell it won't be long before you make friends with everybody here! Getting along with the community is a great way you show you care, in my opinion. Just call it a thank you for taste-testing my new recipe. What do you think, by the way?"

Max vigorously nodded, their face practically beaming as they wriggled about in their seat at how yummy the apple pie was.

"Awww, that good? I knew you were sweet," Lily giggled before looking at Bob and Citrus. "Of course, I can't forget my other favorite taste-testers. Bob never fails to stop by, and Citrus's compliments always feel super special. As thanks, I'll be sure to mail all three of you the recipe. I'm going to start packaging up the other slices to hand out to the others, so I'll probably be heading out soon. But thank you all for stopping by!"

Max was quick to nod, bowing a little as Lily waved them off. Max was the first to leave, already craving more of that apple pie. She had finished her entire piece, as well as the whole glass of milk.

"Um... is that the work-out guy's place over there...?" Max finally spoke up to Citrus once they were out, pointing over at a house in the distance.

[spincycle]

Citrus nodded, catching up beside Max on her way out the door. She made sure to bow in Lily's direction before heading towards a new house. Bob followed suit, crossing his arms.

"That's where Ribbot lives," the cat informed Max. "He's always up and moving around. Don't know why he's always in a hurry."
Bob and the mysterious Ribbot weren't very close. Their conflicting lifestyles meant they rarely crossed paths. Ribbot always jogged by Bob and interrupted his afternoon nap. The two got along when they had to, bumping into each other on holidays and festivals. But the rest of the year they were nearly strangers.

As the three approached the gray house in the distance, Citrus could already see their neighbor moving in his front yard. From a distance it looked like jumping jacks.

"Ribbot is nice, he's just... passionate. About his fitness. But none of us really know why..." Citrus explained vaguely. Before she could elaborate to Max, the stranger noticed them approaching.

The faint clinging sound of motion came to a stop. He paused and watched the approaching gang before jogging over to meet them in front of his mailbox.

"Zzrrbbitt..." the creature hummed. His glowing yellow eyes stared up at Max. The sun reflected off his head, almost blinding to the villagers taller than himself. There was a tense moment of blank staring. His eyes didn't blink. There was no need for them to. He just watched as the human stared back in confusion. Finally, he spoke.

"You look like you could use some pushups."

He nodded, agreeing with himself. Before anyone could respond, he spoke again.

"Those arms are noodles. The cat must be a bad influence, zzrrbbitt."

[okintsukoro]

Ribbot? The name itself seemed very strange, even by this town's standards. Sure, Citrus's name was probably the strangest in Max's opinion, but she also thought it was super lovely and fit the bunny's personality.

She just wasn't sure what to expect from an active villager named 'Ribbot' of all things.

That was, until she saw him. Or even possibly, it.

Max couldn't hide their dumbfounded expression if they wanted to. Their jaw was completely dropped, eyes wide. The closer the being approached, the more questions filled her head.

He was quite literally a robot. There was no going around it. His structure seemed very similar to Lily's, showing that he was meant to resemble a frog, but he was most certainly made out of metal. She was staring at every inch of his form, trying decipher what she was looking at before hearing the robotic frog speak. Its electronic cadence only lent itself more to the idea that this was truly a being made entirely of electricity and metal. How did this being function?

But before the questions could continue racing, Max's train of thought was derailed once she focused on what Ribbot was saying in a monotone, yet oddly assured tone.

Push-ups? He... wants me to do push-ups...?

Max glanced between Citrus and Bob, clutching the clipboard in their hands. Admittedly, push-ups were probably one of the many exercises the human was pretty bad at. She was a little more decent at jogging or even swimming. But, admittedly, she had been a bit of a homebody as of late, so she was quite rusty when it came to physical fitness.

Still, she recognized that maybe, if they did push-ups right here, right now, Ribbot would be more receptive to her request to sign her petition?

She quickly put on a slightly determined face, putting the clipboard down on the ground. She glanced back at Citrus and Bob, nodding to them, as if she were going to do something possibly dangerous.

She took a few steps forward, got down on all fours on the flat grass, and slowly started to get herself in a plank-like position. Almost immediately, it wasn't looking too good. The grass was a little slippery, making it hard to keep her footing. Her dress wasn't exactly optimal for workouts, and her arms were already shaking just from trying to hold herself up. A light whimper escaped them as they were already feeling the aching in all the unused muscles.

[spincycle]

Bob watched Max with a look of amusement as she got on the ground. His usual smirk and scrunched facial expression. Citrus, however, gave a nervous thumbs up. She wasn't really expecting Max to dive head first into the exercise. She was almost impressed that the new mayor wanted the approval so badly. At least enough to come out of their shell like this.
Ribbot's blank stare followed the human as she got on the ground. He offered a hand (paw? metal appendage?) out to help the stranger get back up again.

"There's still morning dew on the ground. You'll rust if you do push-ups outside this early," the bot informed with a tone that made the statement feel obvious. "But I must say, zzrrbbitt, I like your determination! You must work out all the time. Not bodybuilding... but cardio for sure!"

There was an ambiance of a low buzzing noise every time the toad spoke. He recognized the two villagers accompanying the stranger. They knew each other, but weren't very close.

"Are you going to be the one to finally convince the purple one to exercise?" Ribbot asked with a humming sound that resembled a laugh. But his voice made telling jokes a bit difficult. Tone was an important part of delivery, and Ribbot only had one. Which is probably why Bob huffed and crossed his arms (but didn't remark back).

"Everyone calls me Ribbot. Who are you?"

[okintsukoro]

As Ribbot approached, Max wasn't sure what he was going to do? Correct her posture? But instead she glanced up to see him offering his hand, making her gratefully fall back onto her knees before gently taking the robot's hand.

It was surprisingly bitingly cold. Sure it was still morning, but the sun had been out for a little while. Not to mention, this being apparently loved to exercise. How were they not the least bit warm? Whoever created them was probably a genius of some sort.

So many questions, was all Max could think as she stood up, eventually letting go of Ribbot's hand to wipe at the grass stains on her overall dress.

Still, she did feel a little relieved that he at least seemed a bit impressed by her willingness to try and do it so soon after he mentioned it. Admittedly, Max hadn't realized how much she actually wanted everyone's approval so badly. Maybe there was at least some small part of her that was cut out for this after all? A desire to prove herself?

A relieved smile spread across her soft features when he mentioned her possibly working out all the time. She didn't dare correct him. But upon hearing his dry attempt at joking about Bob's unwillingness to exercise, she couldn't help but giggle a little as well, offering a glance of apology towards Bob just before hearing Ribbot ask who she was.

The dreaded question. She didn't have her travel card on her, in her rush to get out of the house this morning. But... she did have pen and paper in the form of the petition.

She quickly headed back to pick up the clipboard, removing the pen and quickly scribbling so that the title of the petition that read 'Approval for Mayorship' had the scribbled addition of 'for mayor-to-be Max' underneath. Once she thought that would suffice, she put the pen back under the clip, handing the clipboard to Ribbot for him to look over and read. She wouldn't expect a signature would come nearly as easily as Lily's did, but she certainly hoped. She had no idea how many more people they needed to go see today, and the sooner she got these signatures, the better.

[spincycle]

His shiny yellow eyes stared in Max's general direction as they scribbled onto their clipboard. It was always a bit hard to tell where he was looking. Bob always knew though. Years of being around Citrus's squinted eyes behind thick lenses. Not being able to follow pupils was difficult for the untrained, but the cat knew better.

The argent frog took the clipboard from the human, glancing over it briefly.

"Mayor-to-be Max isn't much of a talker," he commented with his usual drone voice. "That's okay though. You don't need words to be fit! Clearly a dedicated athlete like myself."

Citrus giggled at the assumption. She wasn't implying Max didn't exercise. They didn't know each other that well yet. But it was humorous that Ribbot- the most athletic...person? villager she knew- thought he had met his match so quickly. Likely the result of rarely meeting new faces in Dobutsu. Although, Ribbot wasn't a native here either. Most were unsure of his origin. Likely a factory, but nobody could say for certain.

"It's about time we had a new mayor. I've been keeping Dobutsu in top shape since the old mayor retired," the frog bragged. "Zzrrbbitt, but I need to know you can take my place first. I keep this place free of pesky weeds when I take my daily jogs. If you can prove to me you're up to the task, I'll resign as a self-appointed mayor. Behind Isabelle, zzrrbbitt."

Citrus nodded and watched the machine pass the petition back to Max. "Come on then, we'll circle back around here. There's a few more houses to hit anyway, y'know? We'll pluck some weeds here and there around town."

[okintsukoro]

Max grinned sheepishly at Ribbot's comment about them not being 'much of a talker'. The good news was that she seemed to be on the robot's good side for now. The less good news was that it seems she'd need to go around town and pick weeds before she can get his signature. Still, it seemed fair. Some community service seemed like a fair trade. After all, they were going to become the person that the people came to for help once they were in office. The welfare of the community would be top priority.

So, with a nod of agreement, they accepted the clipboard back, looking back at Citrus with a smile and nod to her as well. The bunny was right after all; they could easily pluck some weeds along the way. But would leaving random plucked weeds everywhere be best? They've never really gardened much, and Lily was probably already outside somewhere delivering her slices of apple pie to everyone.

So, with a good-bye wave to Ribbot and a 'follow me' motion with her free hand towards Citrus and Bob, Max made a quick stop at their house to grab a small brown sling bag, which carried their essentials: wallet, train pass, and some stationary. Before moving to Dobutsu, they'd heard that the Wi-Fi here wasn't the greatest: each building probably had its own Wi-Fi, but one would be hard pressed getting any signal walking about. Knowing that, Max had a decent collection of stationary supplies packed up along with some clothes and mementos from home in their bigger luggage.

"...okay, I think I got everything- oh!" Max mumbled to themself before doing one last thing. One of their stationary collections was kept in a disposable plastic bag, so they dumped it all out on their bed before taking the bag with them, making sure that any weeds they picked up, they put inside the bag along the way. It would be dirty work, but Max was up for the task.

She sighed, glancing up at Bob and Citrus and giving them a grateful smile. "...thanks again for sticking beside me. I dunno if I could do this alone..." she told them. She was about to ask who else they were missing when they spotted a beautiful eagle lady speaking with Lily. Their conversation got clearer the closer that Max started to slowly make their way over to them.

"Oh, for me? You didn't have to, eaglet..."

"Oh not just for you, I still need to give Mr. Apollo and Mr. Roscoe theirs too!"

"Oh! In that case, would you mind handing me Uncle Apollo's share too? I was about to go visit him anyways. I'm not even sure if he's left his house yet..."

"Would you? That'd be absolutely lovely, toady! Thank you!" was the last thing Lily said before she turned her head to notice Max approaching. "Oh! Max, Citrus, Bob! I didn't expect to see you twice already! But I guess it IS a small town. Amelia, this is our mayor-to-be Max. She's collecting signatures for approval."

Amelia glanced over Max a bit, towering over the smaller human by a good head higher as she hummed while regarding her under her half-lidded eyes. The way she stood, the way she regarded the human, almost seemed as if she was used to the more classy things in life. Not exactly the type you'd expect to see in a more naturalistic small town environment.

"Well, well... You're a bit on the homely side, aren't you? Oh, but where are my manners? As Lily has already told you, my name is Amelia. Pleased to make your acquaintance, Max. Now... what's this about signatures?"

Max shakily handed Amelia the clipboard, allowing the eagle to read quickly.

"Ah yes, my dear Uncle Apollo told me about this. He said when he was young, he'd watched his father fill out a similar form. That old Tortimer had been here for far too long. He's a good man and was a wonderful mayor, but he honestly did need to retire. Thank goodness Isabelle found a wonderful place for him to spend his retirement. Honestly, makes me a little jealous that he gets to go to a tropical island paradise..."

Max blinked awkwardly as she watched the eagle sigh, daydreaming about going on vacation to some faraway land. She only glanced over when Lily cleared her throat.

"Well, I'll be off to deliver the last piece to Mr. Roscoe. Take care, all of you!" was all the toad said before making her way across the bridge to go see the dark horse.

"Ah! That's right! Pardon me, I'll just go ahead and get that signed for you..." Amelia was quick to leave an almost illegible yet fanciful signature before handing it back to Max and glancing at everyone.

"Citrus, Bob! How lovely to see you two out and about. How goes the hunt for fossils, eaglet? And Bob, enjoying your time outside?" she asked.

Max quickly shrugged and stood back upon seeing that Amelia's attention was now on the cat and rabbit, not wanting to get in the way of their socializing.

[spincycle]

Citrus always had mixed feelings about the gorgeous eagle. On one hand, she was beautiful and elegant. Her deep voice was charming and soothing, and she always seemed to be put together. But the two had different lifestyles. Citrus's love for fossils was important to her! But Amelia would never be caught dead playing in the dirt. So, when the two ended up together, Citrus tried to put on a face of elegance to mirror Amelia's. Not to mock her, but to blend in. Villagers like Amelia were more prone to gossip, and Citrus felt the need to be friendly with the few other girls in Dobutsu.

"Fantastic as always, y'know? But I've been taking a bit of a break so my paws don't get too dirty," she lied with a nervous smile.

"We're also taking a break because we're Max's self-appointed helpers, ptthpth."

Bob never felt the need to lie or impress others. He knew some didn't approve of his lazy ways, but he was unapologetic about it. However, for some reason, Amelia liked Bob. Maybe she mistook his casual catnaps outside for tanning and sunbathing instead. Maybe even beauty rest. The two lead different lives, but got along surprisingly well.

Thus, Bob stepped up to navigate the conversation this time. Usually a job for Citrus.

"I'm kinda jealous too! A tropical vacation sounds really cool, ptthpth. I bet he gets to eat the best fruits all the time...Speaking of which, you've gotta try Lily's new pie as soon as possible," he drooled, nudging Max back into the circle of conversation. "But Max is here now, so hopefully she'll be a breath of fresh air. They've already promised to help Ribbot clean up Dobutsu. And they just met!"

Citrus nodded along and pushed her glasses up to rest more comfortably on her face. She kept her hands folded in front of her stomach, trying to keep her facial expression from revealing how intimidating she found the bird.

[okintsukoro]

While Amelia certainly presented herself in a distinguished manner, she usually didn't mean to offend other by insinuating they were worse off for being less like her. But, sometimes, tact slips her beak, and she says things that are perhaps a little more rude than she had intended. She hasn't noticed anyone acting worse for it, however, so she's always assumed she was on decent terms with everyone, regardless of their very different lifestyles.

"Oh? Is that right? Having you been taking up other hobbies recently? If you ever need recommendations, I'd be more than willing to offer suggestions, eaglet," Amelia giggled in a good-natured tone before turning to look at Bob, slightly surprised.

"Oh my! Trying to get on a mayor's good side before they're even appointed to office? How scandalous," she joked with a soft laugh. "Oh, but I'm just kidding, darlings. Honestly, it is very noble of you to help our dear newcomer out."

But as Bob nudged Max back into the conversation, Max's eyes widened as they flustered a little, holding the clipboard tightly to their chest.

"Really?" Amelia asked in response to Bob pointing out that they promised to help clean up the town. "How very bold of you. Our last mayor was nice, but you'd be hard pressed to ask him for anything outside of for old stories. If you're the type to get things done around here, even if it means getting a little dirty, then I suppose that's something I can appreciate. Hmm... but, I'm sorry, darling, what is this that you're wearing?"

Max blinked, slowly gazing down at their overall dress before slowly raising their face back up with a slight tilt to their head. Couldn't she tell what it was? There wasn't anything wrong with it, was it? Sure there was some grass stains from when she tried to do a push-up earlier but...

"Oh, sweetheart, you can't go around looking like that. It's so unprofessional! Please, come with me. It'll be a few hours before Able's opens up, and I have to make more room in my closet anyhow, so you can buy something off me for cheap. How does that sound?"

Max looked a bit embarrassed, having essentially been told by the eagle that she looked 'unprofessional', like she shouldn't have been walking around dressed like this. Still, it did make her a little upset that no one else had complained up until now and it was only Amelia who said anything.

Still, Max wanted to be a people pleaser for now. She wasn't sure how much she liked this eagle, but it was probably for the best to do what she wanted, lest she rescinded her signature from the list out of spite. She seemed like the person who might do that. So even though Max was looking uncomfortable and frowning with their arms crossed around the clipboard, they gave a small nod of acceptance.

"Oh, don't be like that. I promise, I'll pick out some lovely clothes for you. Come along, all of you. Afterwards, I can take you all to see Uncle Apollo. I've been meaning to stop by his place. He's been such a shut-in lately. Hardly ever leaves his home. Honestly, I swear if I didn't visit him every day, he'd be getting no socialization," she told them as she led them across the bridge to her home.

Of course, the inside of Amelia's home was very clean. However, it didn't quite scream 'luxury' in the stereotypical sense. Instead of chandeliers or classical music playing, the walls were painted to look like faraway mountains, and the furniture was decorated to depict folk-like designs, as if they came from a culture of a faraway land. It made Max's slight irritation fade into curiosity. Was there maybe something more to Amelia's desire to go off and visit other places?

"Be sure to wipe your feet before coming in! Otherwise, make yourselves at home, eaglet!" Amelia called out before eventually taking Max's wrist to gently lead them to the closet. "Right this way dear!"

Max gave Citrus and Bob one last pleading look to save them before the closet door was closed behind them, some scuffles and rummaging was heard, before the door opened to reveal that Max had been put into a white button up with a dark pleated skirt.

"There. Now isn't that better, darling? That'll be 800 bells, if you'd like to keep it."

With a sigh, Max shut their eyes and surrendered the bells from their purse. Already she was getting tired of meeting everyone.

"Now, as promised, I'll take you to see Uncle Apollo!" Amelia noted, almost immediately ushering out. It seemed she really didn't like staying in one place too long. Not only that, but Max also managed to notice a slight look of worry on Amelia's face as she started to lead the way to Apollo's home. There was definitely a lot going on with some of these villagers. While Lily and Ribbot seemed to be happy and content with their lives here, Amelia seemed almost...anxious, in a way.

[spincycle]

Bob and Citrus exchanged looks of confusion as they waited on Amelia's sofa for Max's new look. When they made an entrance, the two friends made sure to cheer her on to encourage her to keep the outfit. The rabbit clapped while the tomcat nodded in approval. They knew Amelia would be upset if her fashion advice was rejected. Plus, she was the most qualified to pick a business casual outfit. The fashion magazines scattered on her coffee table gave that away. A few seemed to be from foreign places, but printed in the eagle's native tongue.

But just as the two were getting comfortable, they were just as quickly getting up again. Bob made sure to not make a sour face when he finally had to stand. They both knew they needed to put on a strong face so Max would continue her quest for a full petition. Amelia led the gang towards a nearby home, which the animals knew to be Apollo's. Amelia was right- the elder eagle didn't do much socializing. Citrus sometimes saw the old timer browsing the museum, but they rarely spoke. Being two of the youngest villagers made it difficult for Citrus and Bob to bond with any villagers but each other.

Citrus leaned over as they walked beside Max to talk in a hushed voice.

"Don't worry, it's almost over, y'know? Apollo and Roscoe are the only signatures you don't have. Well... besides Ribbot."

Bob nodded, patting Max's shoulder.

"Yeah, you can do it. Plus, your new clothes are snazzy, ptthpth. Old people love well-dressed mayors."

The two giggled, coming to a stop behind Amelia when they reached the dark old house. Its black exterior was a little off-putting. At the very least, it didn't match other houses in Dobutsu. Especially not Citrus and Bob's brightly painted homes. Although they knew this to be Apollo's home, they had never actually been inside. They never really had a reason too. But up close, the old sign with his name on it and the dusty mailbox was creepy to say the least. Citrus couldn't help but worry the shut-in wasn't getting outside enough to notice the minor damage. But she didn't want to jump to any conclusions.

They were a bit nervous, but knew Max was probably even more scared than they were. Citrus's jewelry jingled as she twitched an ear nervously. She patted Max's back as she waited to follow Amelia inside.

[okintsukoro]

As they walked, Max glanced over at Citrus upon hearing them whisper. Their words were definitely encouraging, and very much welcome. They knew they needed to power through this. Meeting so many people all at once was rather exhausting for the poor introvert, but at least she had Citrus and Bob here for emotional support. She nodded in agreement to the bunny's words, a grateful smile on her face.

She then ended up turning to glance at Bob when the cat patted her shoulder. She couldn't help but snicker a bit at his little comment about 'old people loving well-dressed mayors'. But, she certainly hoped Bob was right. Any help she could get, she would happily take. All the while, she made sure to pick up any weeds that she saw along the way, placing them in her little plastic bag up until they finally arrived at Apollo's house.

Admittedly, his home looked like it could've used a fresh coat of paint. It made her wonder if Apollo was the sort of eagle that could even take care of himself if his niece had to come visit every now and again.

Amelia politely knocked on the door, the side of her head pressed to it. "Uncle Apollo? May I come in?" She didn't hear an answer, only that familiar K.K. Rock blaring on his old stereo. An irritated groan escaped her beak, rolling her eyes as she opened the door. She swears he never really bothers to lock it these days.

The inside of his home was a complete mess. Chip bags on top of his old pool table in the center of the room. Under two glass cases  by his right window were a few well-preserved fossils atop pedestals, though the cases themselves were dusty. To the left was some drawers, as well as an old kettle on top of a plug-in burner. Atop the drawers sat not only a few family frames, including one of him and Amelia, but also one solitary portrait of a white wolf lady. Her frame and picture were just as dusty as everything else, and it appeared to be sat on top of an old letter.

Max was quietly taking this all in, looking a little sad at the state of the place as she stopped a little past the doorway to watch Amelia slowly approach the bald eagle that lie awake in his bed, staring up at the ceiling.

"Uncle Apollo? I have guests over. You really should clean up in here, eaglet..." she sighed, wings on her hips.

Apollo's tired eyes slowly left the ceiling to regard not only his niece, but the three guests she had brought over. He'd never really gotten to know Citrus or Bob, so they were just as fresh faces as Max's was. He slowly started to sit up, grunting a little as he did so, as if he hadn't moved from this spot in a long while.

"...what is this, some sort of intervention?" he asked, dark eyes narrowing at his niece.

"Hmph. Well considering the state of your home, maybe it ought to be. I don't understand how you can live like this. I come here to visit, and every day it's like this. What's keeping you from wanting to clean up?"

"Pah... Not like anyone comes over... You're the only one who puts up a fit about it. I don't even know why you bother coming over."

"I come over because I care and I worry, uncle. You haven't been out in days. When was the last time you went outside?" she asked, placing his slice of apple pie on top of his dresser. However, it swung a little too close to the picture of the wolf, budging it.

It was like a switch flipped in Apollo, his eyes widening as he was quick to rush over and carefully put the picture back up.

"Careful with that! Pah..." he grumbled, now looking all the more annoyed. "It's none of your business whether or not I go out. If you don't like the way I keep my house, you don't have to come in here. I know you'd rather be elsewhere anyways..."

"It's not about me, eaglet! You're my family, whether you like it or not! I still care about you enough to stay! Now you shouldn't be rude, especially to our neighbors and our soon-to-be mayor!"

Apollo regarded the three once more. He seemed to be ambivalent to Citrus and Bob. They were young folk. Probably wouldn't care for an aging eagle's problems. But as soon as he saw Max, he recognized the clipboard before looking away in complete disregard.

"Pah... whatever. It's just a dumb signature..." Without giving Max a chance to move, he'd swiped the clipboard from their hands, hastily scribbling their name below Amelia's  before shoving it back in Max's hands, the smaller human looking a bit sad and hurt.

"Not like any ordinances or changes they make will make life any worse for me," Apollo finished, heading back over to his bed.

"Uncle... ugh... why must you be such a curmudgeon... honestly..." Amelia sighed, turning around to gently urge the trio out of the house. She closed the door behind her for a moment to speak to the trio in private.

"...please forgive him. He really hasn't been the same since Whitney moved away. They used to be very tight-knit. Now he doesn't even attempt to breed his favorite blue roses anymore. He'd let them all wilt away." She then regarded Max specifically with a wry smile on her beak.

"But... that's not something you need to worry about as mayor. Don't worry, eaglet. Just... focus on keeping the town clean and happy, and I'm sure its citizens will follow in no time. Just... keep your chin up. It's perfectly normal for villagers to come and go. No one stays forever, not even mayors. Well... I'll leave you to it. If the names on the list are anything to go by, it seems you're only missing Mr. Roscoe and Ribbot now. I wish you the best of luck. Especially with that Ribbot character. Ugh, I don't even know what to make of that oddly rambunctious bucket of bolts..."

Amelia informed them all to take care as she went back inside Apollo's house, supposedly to help him clean up whether he wanted to or not.

Max was a bit quiet as she stared at the door of the house, looking a bit shaken. Their little family quarrel reminded her a little too much of her old home life. Her parents thinking she wasn't making anything of herself. Her friends asking when she's going to move on to a new adventure. Just overall feeling...unheard, unseen, unknown.

She slowly glanced back at Citrus, wondering how she was feeling. She'd check on Bob too, but Citrus always seemed to be more in tune with her feelings while Bob had a good tendency to let things slide off of him for the most part. She'd offer a gentle shoulder rub if it seemed Citrus was also not taking the eagles' family drama well.

[spincycle]

Citrus and Max exchanged looks. She took a moment to collect her thoughts with a sigh. She was trying not to appear nosy as she side-eyed the eagle's dusty fossil collection. The scene unfolded so quickly that she couldn't think what to say. Before she knew it, she and her friends were back outside. After a moment of tense silence between the three, she spoke up.

"We should take a breather before we visit Roscoe, y'know?"

The bunny ushered her friends away from the dark house and towards the nearest apple tree. She gave it a shake and watched the shiny fruit rain from its branches. She picked them off and cleaned them on her shirt before sharing with the others. As she distributed them, she made sure to smile. Bob would likely be unaffected by the scene. But she didn't want Max to feel discouraged from finishing her petition. Especially considering the human needed to feel confident enough to ask Roscoe for his approval.

"Poor Apollo," she commented. "I knew he was upset about Whitney moving away. But I didn't expect him to sound so... miserable."

Citrus and Bob took a seat on the ground, leaving the spot to lean against the tree available for their new friend. They were still under the tree's shade, which is all that matters on sunny days in Dobutsu. Bob offered the bunny a pat on the back before biting into his apple. As usual, he would be the first to finish his snack.

"Whitney lived near Lily and the orchard. Amelia and Lily liked to gossip about how Whitney and Apollo were dating and stuff. But I didn't really know if that was true or not, pthhpth. Thought maybe they were just best friends."

"That's because boys don't know anything about romance and stuff," Citrus remarked, starting on her own snack. "Apollo brought her flowers and stuff, and they used to be inseperable."

"I'll have you know I understand the true love I feel for chocolate ice cream," Bob defended himself.

Citrus snickered and rolled her eyes. At least Bob knew how to lighten the mood. She then turned her attention towards Max, cocking her head to the side with a twitch of an ear.

"Do you have people like that where you're from? Total lovebirds? There were two other people like that here when I was a kid. But they moved away together."

[okintsukoro]

Max slowly nodded in agreement with Citrus, still looking a little sad as she followed the two to the nearest apple tree. It did bring an odd sense of relief and nostalgia to be sitting under one of these again, with another apple once again in their hands. As they took a seat on Citrus's other side, they listened to the two talk about what Amelia had just told them.

From what they gathered, Whitney was the white wolf in the picture that Apollo got upset about. And while it was heartbreaking to hear that Apollo was still like this after they moved away, it did make sense. Max felt a similar way when all her friends moved away.

Still, they had to admit, hearing about their possible romance was a little nice, and Bob's little comment about ice cream did have Max giggling a bit as they took a few bites of their apple. All in all, it was just nice to relax with these two for a while, just to forget about her upcoming mayoral duties for a little.

But when Citrus turned to Max to ask if she knew any couples like that, Max flustered a bit and glanced down at their partially eaten apple in embarrassment.

"I-I mean... kinda? Not many I knew in person... I had one friend who used to have plenty of boyfriends until she settled for this one guy. He was nice and treated her right, so when they were ready they moved out of the city to be together. All my other friends found significant others after they moved away. They're all still in relationships, as far as I know. Then again, it's been a little over a year since they sent me any letters, and I know none of them know my current address yet... Probably need to send a letter to my parents soon..." She let out a small sigh.

"Still... that must be tough, to have to be away from someone you were so close to... Any idea why Whitney moved away? And what about that other couple you mentioned...?" Max asked now looking at the rabbit in interest. Citrus had quickly become someone who was within Max's inner circle, along with Bob who was just so easygoing it was hard not to absolutely be comfortable around him. It certainly made it a lot easier for her to speak about all her curiosities.

[spincycle]

"If I had to guess, only Apollo and Amelia would know why Whitney moved. But it's a bit of a sore subject, y'know? Probably for the best that I've never asked. It's sad when people move away, huh? But that's how things are. And it's not always bad! You've moved away and now we've met. Doing scary things leads to good things."

Citrus examined her apple before taking another bite. She wasn't one to get too wrapped up in the town's gossip and various social circles. Bob wasn't always the most social of company. But she'd be lying if she said was never curious. Never wondering what her neighbors said to each other while she dusted off her fossil collection. She wasn't invested, but she was a little nosy. After all, she did introduce herself to a stranger who hopped off the train very casually. Thankfully, not too casual for the one who turned out to be her future mayor.

"Buck and Winnie. Remember, Bob? Those two horses who lived here. They were neighbors. Pun intended," she giggled. "Buck liked to exercise, our designated athlete before Ribbot rolled in from a factory. I'm assuming... But Winnie lived right beside him, and she was a ray of sunshine. Loved to cheer him on while he exercised. They moved away together, and Lily said they got married. Isn't that romantic? Just like Reese and Cyrus. Have you met them? At Re-tail?"

Citrus crossed her short legs and finished her snack, tossing the core aside and telling herself it was good fertilizer for the soil.

[okintsukoro]

Max smiled a little upon hearing about the horse couple that moved away to be together, and supposedly got married. It was a nice, happy story to hear while they finished off their juicy apple, giggling a little. Unlike Citrus, however, she put her apple core along with the bag of weeds just to be safe. Sure Ribbot had said nothing about apple cores, but she hadn't heard anyone complain about them. They were fairly certain that there'd be plenty of others who partook of the apples around town, not just the three of them.

She nodded at the mention of Reese and Cyrus.

"They seem really nice. At least... Ms. Reese does. Cyrus... he was asleep last I saw. Apparently he works really hard though, so I can respect that. It... must be really nice, having someone you know is going to stick by your side, no matter what..."

She looked up at the afternoon sky. It was oddly peaceful and clear... save for a yellow balloon that was floating by with a present box seemingly attached. She looked in awe of it. She'd heard stories about towns who made it a tradition to send off gifts on balloons. Some sort of karma thing, she thinks. But, as curious as she was to know what was inside, she had nothing to shoot it down with. Not to mention, she figures that someone else might need a present more than she would. Maybe when the balloon starts to deflate more, someone else will get a gift and be happy. That was certainly a nice thought.

Her attention returned to Citrus, glancing up at the bunny's ears for a moment before a tinge of pink spread across her cheeks.

"I... I'm really happy you came up to greet me when I got here, Citrus. I know I didn't say much but... I honestly... think you look kinda cool. Especially those piercings you got on your ears..." they noted, carefully pointing up in their direction. They truly meant it as a compliment; Max wasn't sure if she could brave getting piercings like that, but it definitely worked on Citrus.

[spincycle]

Citrus's face warmed up, smiling shyly as she reached up to stroke her left ear. She nervously laughed and looked away from Max.

"Oh-! I got these because Amelia said I should read one of her fashion magazines. I think that sort of stuff is silly, y'know? But the piercing idea kinda grew on me. Plus, I like the jingle sound they make. Seasonally appropriate around Toy Day. I'm glad we met too, though... Dobutsu is my home. So I always have to make sure the newcomers are friendly, y'know? It's like my own personal civic duty, but maybe you'll take over that department after you get signatures. Which you will, without a doubt."

The bunny didn't have a shadow of doubt that Max would have plenty of signatures just as quickly as their quest had begun. Max was nervous and quiet, but Citrus found that charming. Always a firm believer that actions spoke ten times louder than words. Which, could be seen when the human opted for disposing of their apple core properly.

Citrus kept smiling, but awkwardly stammered as she looked over at the core she just threw aside.

"But don't get all sappy or anything. I'm not good at receiving compliments, y'know?"

"Citrus only accepts compliments in the form of wow your fossils are so cool, ptthpth."

She tutted and shook her head in disapproval, making a quick crawl to grab her garbage off the ground. She placed the core in Max's plastic bag. She recognized it as a stationery wrapper, which made sense given Max's love for writing.

"I'm really happy we have a new face. Bob and I get along great, but having a new cog in our machine is amazing. Especially considering we didn't know who our next mayor would be. I kind of assumed it would be another old person. Or a young person who is super serious all the time. I like that you wear normal clothes and write letters in a casual way. Winnie loved to write letters too, but it's been a long time since any of us heard from her."

Citrus liked receiving letters for sure, but she wasn't very practiced in writing her own. Just the usual stuff, like thanking her mom for mailing her a nice sweater. An idea sparked.

"Say, you're pretty good at writing. And you can write stories and stuff, right? You should teach us how to do those sorts of things. We can all write a story together, and in exchange we'll teach you stuff. I'll teach you all about fossils, and Bob is actually pretty good at fishing. Cats are naturally good at that sort of thing."

Bob nodded, before laying on his back and splaying out into the sun. He didn't mind the remaining morning dew since most had already evaporated for the day.

"If there's anything you would ever need to know about Dobutsu, Citrus is the one to ask. Seems like a pretty good deal, ptthpth."

[okintsukoro]

Max couldn't help but smile at Citrus's expression. The bunny just managed to look even cuter with the way she was stroking her ear and looking away. She tilted her head a little, attempting to get a better look at her bespectacled face, though not trying to pry any further or move from where she sat. After all, she couldn't say that she would've taken compliments any better.

Their eyes became a bit softer, a light tinge of pink on their own cheeks when Citrus assured her that she'd get her signatures eventually.

"...thank you. I mean, I'll definitely try my best. But... I hope you won't mind if I look to you for help along the way..." she noted, just before Citrus continued with her desire to 'not get all sappy', causing Max to giggle a little. The giggles only continue when the bunny gently reprimanded Bob for his little laid-back contribution to the conversation.

However, what she didn't expect was to see Citrus grab the apple core she tossed away and putting it inside the plastic bag that Max had brought with them. Her eyes widened slightly as she watched, taking in the moment and realizing what she might've inadvertently started. Was Max, maybe, already setting an example for the citizens of the town just by being herself? She didn't want to think too highly of herself. She'd only arrived just yesterday, after all.

Upon hearing Citrus mention who they thought their new mayor would be, Max put on a nervous smile. Should she tell her? She feels like she should. After all, Citrus has been so kind and forthright with her. Would it be okay to say it around Bob too? Maybe, just to be safe, she'll tell Citrus later.

Max blinked when her thoughts were interrupted by Citrus offering a sort of trade: practice in writing letters and stories in exchange for information about fossil gathering and fishing. Admittedly, those were both things that Max knew little to nothing about. Not to mention, a story made together with friends sounded like a lot of fun!

She managed a small smile, nodding at the idea.

"That sounds wonderful," she agreed, feeling a small gust of wind blow through the leaves of the apple tree. She scooched a little closer to Citrus, her tone getting a little more serious.

"Um... after we're done walking around, is it okay if we talk, just us? It's a secret," she whispered, leaning back in the hopes that she didn't scare Citrus off. Afterwards, she would start to stand up, ready to finally approach Roscoe's home.

[spincycle]

Citrus's eyes widened at the request, the sudden change in tone throwing her off. She glanced over to Bob to see if overheard anything, but he was already dozing off for his first of many daily naps. She nodded at Max feverishly and motioned with her right paw to show she was crossing her heart to keep her friend's secret.

She followed Max's lead in standing then poked at Bob's side with her foot.

"Up, you. Go home, sleeping outside is how you get fleas, y'know? Come find us when you're up again."

Bob groaned in annoyance, sticking his tongue out to blow a raspberry towards Citrus before trudging off towards his house.

"Right back atcha," the bunny returned. The rolled her eyes shook her head, looking at Max with an expression that said 'get a load of this guy.' Though it was never serious. Bob meant the world to her, and her to him as well. She dusted herself off before starting back on her adventure. The party was now two, but maybe that was a good thing. Because Roscoe was the only remaining citizen Max needed to visit, and the old steed didn't exactly appreciate Bob's lifestyle. He was a bit rude to most people, but especially Bob. Maybe at the very least Citrus could charm him with her intelligence.

She couldn't help but wonder what Max had to say, but since Max was the first to stand she decided to focus on this single mission. Roscoe's signature first, Max's secret second. The bunny strategically avoided sporadic flowers around Dobutsu and the occasional butterfly resting on top. Walking near them was perfectly fine, but Citrus's skip in her step made her more prone to destroying the flora. The duo eventually reached Roscoe's home tucked away on the western side of the town. If Citrus looked across the lake, she could see Bob's silhouette making his trip to bed. The two stood in front of the door for a moment, inhaled, glanced at each other, and exhaled.

"You can do it," she assured with a pat on the back. "Just be yourself. Don't overthink anything."

Before she could give Max a moment to change her mind, Citrus knocked on the steed's front door.

[okintsukoro]

Max was glad to see that Citrus trusted her enough, and liked her enough, that she would be okay with keeping a secret from Bob. It was nothing against the lazy cat; he seemed just as nice, and Max thought his laid-back antics were such a breath of fresh air, especially considering her own anxious nature. But, she thought Citrus would have a better idea if Bob was the type to be able to keep secrets well. She could always tell him later, if she trusted him with it.

Along the way to Roscoe's, Max would continue their small side quest of picking up weeds. Perhaps showing the bag to Ribbot after they visit Roscoe would be enough to get his signature? One could only hope.

She simply gave Citrus a nod of affirmation before flinching at the sound of the knock on the door.

Roscoe's hoof steps could be heard inside before he opened the door, red eyes regarding the two of them.

"Afternoon, you two. What brings you here?" he asked.

Although Max was shaking a bit, they hesitantly held out the clipboard, allowing the older horse to read. But, oddly enough, instead of taking it, he simply smirked down at Max.

"I already told you what you need to do. Did you already forget, nay?"

Max blinked, glancing over at Citrus for a moment before looking back at Roscoe, looking a bit embarrassed.

"The letter, kid. After I read your letter in the morning, if I like it, I'll swing by myself to sign yer little petition. It's that easy. Citrus said you can write letters, so write 'em. Make 'em good." He nodded towards Max, as if to assure the human that he meant no animosity by it, but he was stern in his words. He meant what he said, and he was gonna stick by them. He glanced over at Citrus.

"In any case, hope you two are getting plenty of rest in between. The population may be small, but there's plenty of walkin' space between homes. Not to mention, I know you get plenty of exercise as it is, with all that fossil diggin', nay," Roscoe noted, shaking his head.

[spincycle]

The letter Roscoe requested completely slipped Citrus's mind. She placed a paw on her forehead when she remembered, shaking her head as her cheeks felt warmer. She was a little embarrassed, but things were going smoothly. Roscoe seemed genuine about his request, and she felt like she had his word about his signature.

"Will do, Mr. Roscoe. Hope you're resting too, since you're always taking your daily walks. Hopefully Max's house won't be too much of a disruption in your usual route, y'know?"

Citrus and Roscoe didn't know much about each other, but she was always flattered when people remembered things about her. Everyone in Dobutsu knew she was Blather's right-hand rabbit. But hearing people acknowledge her as such was always heart-warming. She nudged Max's elbow, but kept looking up at the taller horse.

"We're also out and about picking weeds right now, Max is making the town cleaner already," she bragged. "Maybe less weeds in your path will make up for the house in your way."

Citrus turned to look at her friend beside her.

"We'd better go rest inside so you can work on your letter."

[okintsukoro]

Max flustered a bit at Citrus's attempt to bolster her reputation in the horse's eyes, but did hold up the bag of weeds as proof.

The horse nodded with approval at the bag, before waving a hoof dismissively when Citrus mentioned Max's house in his path.

"Nay... no need to worry about the walking path. Though I won't say no to a path devoid of weeds. Definitely more pleasant on my hooves," he chuckled. "I'll... admit I was just being a bit sour. Been a while since there's been any big changes in this town. With a new mayor around, s'pose it's just something I need to come around to again. Heh, bet you youngin's are all excited about it, huh? All the strange and new stuff you'll be learnin', just from one person comin' to town. It's a wonder, ain't it? How much one person can change the lives of so many people, for better or for worse."

Max couldn't help but nod in agreement before hearing Citrus finally say that they should get going. With Roscoe and Max waving their good-byes, the horse slowly closed the door while Max started to walk across the bridge back to the other side of the river, silver eyes glancing down to see the shadows of fish swimming underneath.

"Do you think... Ribbot is still out? I wonder if this is enough weeds to prove myself to him..." Max noted, holding out the bag and looking around. With how active the robot frog was, they were almost fairly certain they wouldn't be near the house. But considering they didn't know Ribbot that well, it was hard to say.

[spincycle]

Citrus scanned the area for any of her neighbors out and about. She spotted some flowers shaking in the breeze and a white butterfly floating around before she spotted a silhouette. She knew from the speed alone she had caught Ribbot having a jog through the orchard. The shine of the sun made him distinguishable from Lily or someone else their height.

"Over there!"

She grabbed Max's arm and started leading the way to Ribbot before he could move his jog somewhere else. The hot sun sort of killed any desired Citrus had to play a game of chase today. It was a little curious how Ribbot wasn't overheating. But then again, Citrus didn't know how he functioned. A discussion for another day. She focused on catching up just enough to be heard, reaching the outskirts of the orchard before letting go of Max and waving her arms instead.

"Ribbot! Over here! We have something for you!"

Luckily the machine noticed her cries before she had to draw anymore attention to herself. The orchard was usually a calm place, and since it was near Lily's home she didn't want to disturb the kind woman who shared her treats. Bob wouldn't forgive her if she sabotaged his relationship with Lily. Ribbot jogged to meet Max and Citrus halfway. He stopped by putting his hands on his knees and hunching over, an exaggerated sigh showcasing his exhaustion. Citrus patted the top of his head, confused but playing along with a 'there, there.'

"Zzrribbtt...Great day for running. Training for a marathon in the next town over, but I'm sweating like crazy. No pain no gain."

Did he need to practice? Citrus bit her tongue to avoid asking if Ribbot could feel pain and instead opted to focus on Max's plucked weeds.

"We've cleaned up around town. Well- Max did. Not me. We're hoping you'd want to sign your name now, y'know?"

Ribbot nodded, taking the clipboard from the human and printing his name. His handwriting was square and seemingly perfect, almost resembling the numbers displayed on an alarm clock. He handed it back to Max and spoke up with his deep robotic voice.

"I've noticed your work while out jogging. This place already looks cleaner, zzrrbbitt. Just make sure you dispose of what you've got, and I won't revoke my signature or anything. I trust you'll keep this place shiny and polished."

Citrus nodded in agreement, proud of her new friend and always looking for an opportunity to brag about those she cared for.

"Zzrribbt. I'll be on my way then, don't forget your daily stretches. Don't hurt yourself pulling weeds." The android let out a deep noise that vaguely resembled a laugh.

[okintsukoro]

Max was more than relieved when they found Ribbot, nodding along with Citrus when they promised to dispose of the weeds. As soon as Ribbot left to continue jogging, Max was practically jumping for joy with the clipboard in their hands, overjoyed that they were only one signature away! They just needed to write some letters tonight.

But now that that was over, they turned to Citrus. They hadn’t forgotten what they wanted to do. She nodded towards the bunny, gently taking her paw before leading her back to her home.

Her home was still very small with nothing inside outside of her bed and luggage bag and lantern. But before she closed the door, she caught sight of the mailbox lighting up. She blinked. No one should’ve been able to know her address. Who sent her mail?

That’s when she took out the letter and brought it inside, opening it as she went to sit on the bed and patting the seat beside her to offer Citrus a seat. Her eyes widened when she read it. Thinking this was a good segue into what she wanted to talk about. She tilted the letter so Citrus could read.

“Hey friend,

Sorry to dump this all on you. I know I was supposed to be the mayor. But when I saw that you were looking to move into this lovely town, I knew I wouldn’t have another chance. I’m not done seeing the world. Maybe, one day, I’ll come back. But don’t hold your breath. I hope you’ll take care of those good folk for me in my place. “

There was no address, no name. Max could only slowly watch Citrus’s expression, wondering what she thought.

[spincycle]

The bunny caught a quick glance around Max's new home before the two turned their attention to the new letter. She couldn't wait to see how Max would eventually fill the home in a way that made it unique. Maybe they would want Citrus's old dresser for her clothes. But before she started throwing furniture left and right at Max, she watched the human open an envelope. Perhaps a letter from Roscoe?

Citrus cocked her head to the side as she glanced over Max's shoulder to read the letter. Nosy was her middle name, after all. Maybe she was reading into the letter the wrong way. Context was important after all.

"So...you traded places at the last minute? That's pretty responsible, y'know? Who's this other person?"

Citrus just assumed Max and this cancelled mayor were friends and Max stepped up because the other person got last minute jitters. Citrus wanted to assume that Max is the kind of friend to do that. To some degree, she was right. Max did seem like a kind friend. But in hind sight, she does seem a bit shy to put herself in that position.

"You do know them. Right?"

[okintsukoro]

Max stared at Citrus, a pit growing in their stomach as the bunny tried to draw their conclusions based on the letter. It was a reasonable conclusion to draw, for anything less would've seemed much more suspect, much less...respectable.

So when Citrus asked if she knew the sender of the letter, she slowly shook her head.

"...that's... what I wanted to tell you. I wanted to try and clear it up as soon as I got here. But I was too startled by everything and hit with so much all at once that I couldn't really speak. And... you know by now my trouble with speaking to strangers. It's... still kind of a miracle that I've opened up to you so soon. But I think it's because... you're the first aside from Isabelle who's been super kind to me. And... that sort of kindness deserves honesty. The truth."

They placed the letter down on the bed, while her face lowered to look down at her own lap, her hands folded tightly in it.

"...I tried to explain to Isabelle, but she was just so happy that a new mayor had finally come. She told me how she'd been running things on her own, how hard it was to do it all by herself, but that the idea that a new mayor would be arriving soon to take Mr. Tortimer's place was what kept her spirits high. After she told me all that... I couldn't bear to come forward with it."

She slowly looked back up at Citrus's eyes past her glasses, wondering what the bunny might think of her now.

"I wanted so badly to say this job isn't for me... I just wanted to move here as a citizen, not take on a huge responsibility like being a mayor. But... after hearing all of you be so supportive... and hearing how much you look forward to new and great things for this town... it just got me thinking. If I left, who would be here to help Isabelle? Who else would this town be willing to trust to be their new mayor? There was no telling if the person they were waiting for would come by. Sure I held out hope they might, that maybe I'd just be the interim and hold their position until the true mayor got here. But..."

Her eye narrowed down at the letter.

"...they're not coming."

After a few seconds to pause, she immediately went to punch the pillow on her side of the bed out of frustration, tears in the corners of her eyes.

"...they set me up! They must've seen me getting off the train! That's the only explanation! They must've known that the first person to enter Dobutsu station would've been seen as the new mayor!"

Punch. Punch. Punch. The pillow had a large, fluffy dent in the center of it now, with Max's fist still in the center of it.

"...Citrus, I... I hope you don't hate me. But I don't blame you if you do. If you feel like you've been tricked... at least we'll have that in common..." she spoke softly.

[spincycle]

Citrus stared blankly with furrowed eyebrows, swallowing before taking a seat beside Max. She chose not to interrupt the punching. The pillow wouldn't hurt anybody. Instead she crossed her legs and placed her hands on her knees. She would usually pat the human's back or something along those lines, but instead waited for Max to calm down.

"I don't resent you for that...not exactly your fault, y'know?"

She pushed her glasses up, but it was useless since she decided to stare down at the simple bedding. She fidgeted with a loose thread and thought about what the situation meant. She was almost embarrassed. Maybe she should have recognized what was wrong the moment the two bumped into each other. Some people were shy, sure. But maybe she should've recognized Max seemed more than a little bashful when she arrived.

But she pushed her embarrassment aside and decided to focus on what might happen now. She wouldn't share Max's secret, but maybe they would decide to come clean on their own. Maybe she'd move away. Maybe she'd promote Isabelle to mayor and skip town so she didn't have to worry so much about this place. But why would they care? Max wasn't obligated.

"Are you...gonna go? I mean...I guess you didn't sign up for all this. I don't want you to go. I like you a lot, y'know? But I would understand if you wanted to. Being thrown into being a mayor is hard."

She truly didn't want Max to leave. But even more than that she wanted Max to be happy here. People often came and went to Dobutsu, but few made an impression as quickly as Max did.

"If you don't wanna do this anymore, we can switch," she suggested.

"You be me and live here, I'll be mayor. I'm a native, I know lots of things about this place. I'll figure it out."

The suggestion was half genuine. Citrus wasn't a natural leader, but she was a reliable friend. One to do the heavy lifting if it would make someone else happy.

[okintsukoro]

Max slowly glanced up to look up at Citrus as she spoke. To hear the rabbit say that she had grown to like Max too had her flustered a little. Did that mean the feeling of being fast friends was mutual? That would be a huge relief to hear. After all, she had admitted to thinking Citrus was pretty cool. Certainly reminded her of the friends she used to have before they moved away from Bogstead. But Citrus was cool within her own right. As nice as her old friends were, none would be so bold as to lead a complete stranger around town, especially if they didn't think they were getting anything out of it.

Max's eyes went wide slightly when not only did Citrus think there was a chance that Max might still want to leave, but that she was already offering options for her to go to a less stressful life, for Citrus to take up the mantle as mayor. Almost instinctively, Max grabbed Citrus's paws, a little tight but not so tight to be uncomfortable.

"No!" she blurted out, staring at Citrus for a second before realizing what she did, clearing her throat and removing one of their hands from Citrus's paws. However, her right hand remained on the bunny's paws, grip much more loose than at the start.

"...I-I mean... no. You don't have to do that. I... know you said you wanted some change and excitement in this boring town, but I'm not sure jumping at the chance of being mayor would exactly be what you want. You'd be too busy doing mayor stuff to dig up fossils. And as soon-to-be mayor, I can't deprive Dobutsu of their best fossils expert, second only to the museum curator," she partially joked with a soft giggle, managing a small smile.

She was quick to lean in for a tight hug around Citrus's shoulders, nuzzling their cheek into the rabbit's fur.

"...I'm not leaving. And... I'm scared but... I want to be able to earn my keep here too. I'll admit... I don't think I'm good enough at collecting natural resources yet to get a whole lot on my own in the long run. I don't think I could make fishing or fossil-finding my job. So... I'll do it. For you, and Bob, and all the good people here, even the ones I haven't met yet. Besides... I'm just one letter away from being mayor anyways. And I think, maybe... I can do it... especially if I have a wonderful friend like you around."

She couldn't bring herself to let go of the hug just yet, settling for staying in it until Citrus made it clear she wanted some space.

[spincycle]

Citrus nodded as she returned the sudden hug, left ear twitching in admiration and piercing tingling as a result. She let the hug linger for a moment.

"For what it's worth, I don't think you have to earn anything. You can just be here with us. We already like you, y'know?"

Her cheeks warmed and she quickly became bashful. Like a switch flipped in her mind, she ended the hug and pulled back. But she was still smiling shyly as she started to scratch the back of her neck.

"But don't get too sappy or anything," she jokingly warned.

The bunny was easily embarrassed by affection, and preferred to express admiration in other ways. Her love language was helping others, acts of service she believed it was called. Passing Bob a napkin after he finished a snack. Offering to refill Lily's watering can. Dusting off fossils on display at the museum. Not much of a hugger, but willing to hug a friend if they wanted.

"If you think you can handle being mayor, then Bob and I will help you. We'll show you the basics of gathering resources. Mayoring is its own special job, but you'll need to know at least a little about the other jobs, y'know? But if you don't mind me asking, does nobody fish in Bogstead?"

She didn't want to embarrass the human for not knowing about resource collection. But it was hard to imagine meeting someone who wasn't familiar. This had been the way of life in Dobutsu as long as there had even been a Dobutsu. Did bigger cities rely on shops like Nookling Junction? But even that old store seemed too small for a city like Max's.

[okintsukoro]

Max sheepishly smiled when Citrus warned her not to get too sappy, her cheeks pink as she kept her hands in her lap once the hug was over.

"Sorry... But... thank you. So much. I'm so used to expecting no help from anyone. To get this much help after moving to a new town... even under these weird circumstances... it means a lot."

They stopped rambling when they realized Citrus asked if no one fished back in Bogstead. Max's left hand went to rub the back of their head nervously, maintaining that sheepish smile.

"Eheh... well... there aren't many left. From what I heard about my city's history, it used to be actual swamp land, with plenty of fish and bugs to catch. But over time, more people came, and they all wanted convenience over everything else. So more stores popped up, the demand for resources grew. But so much was built and so many people came that the resources started to go away, until the swamp was practically all dried up. Today it's basically like the downtown area here in Dobutsu, but bigger and with more shops and buildings all crammed together. More cars too."

She shook her head, sighing as she managed to look Citrus in the eye again, a little more relaxed now.

"...but... I promise that's not what I want for Dobutsu. I don't want it to be anything like Bogstead. After all, what's the point of moving away from home if I'm just gonna recreate it? But... you can see where I'm gonna need a lot of help learning about these things. I've seen bugs, but I don't usually try to catch them. The only time I've seen a fish close up was on a plate at a restaurant. And I've only seen fossils on TV. I didn't even know you could still dig for them if you knew where to look."

It was a little embarrassing, and maybe even a little depressing, admitting how little she knew about the average culture of Dobutsu.

"But," they added quickly, feeling a little proud of themself, "I did manage to buy a couple tools from the Nookling Junction yesterday. A shovel and a fishing rod. So... once I'm done going through all the urgent mayoral stuff, I hope I'll be prepared to learn everything I need to know."

[spincycle]

Citrus listened in awe with shimmering eyes as Max described her foreign home. Not being the best at things like catching bugs or fish was natural. Almost expected. But living your entire life without doing so was...strange. But she didn't think less of the human for her experiences. It was just a hard concept to grasp since Citrus had never been to such places. No fossils? Did they check? Or did they just place buildings over the soil and move on with their lives?

"Well, having your tools is the first step to doing it, I guess. We all started somewhere. We can teach you how to catch things and find fossils. Not just me and Bob, but everyone else here too. Everyone has their own thing they're best at, y'know?"

Which was entirely true. Lily is best at gardening. Bob is best at catching fish. Apollo is surprisingly good at catching bugs, very much to Amelia's dismay.

"You just have to know where to ask. The only thing none of us are good at is diving. I'm assuming nobody dives in Bogstead either. But animals don't like having wet fur. But you don't have any, so maybe you can become an expert at it one day! Ribbot wants to dive, but Isabelle had to ban him from the beach. For obvious reasons, y'know? He just loves a challenge."

She giggled as she thought about the frog's persistance.

"But starting small with fishing and digging is perfectly fine too. The only problem is that fossils might make you a lot of money. If you discover something new, you'll have to donate it. The museum doesn't pay. But doubles of things we already have are like, worth thousands of bells, y'know? But you'll want to make money to get on your feet. So Bob and I will start by teaching you to fish."

As much as she hated to admit it, digging fossils wasn't a good starting point for someone trying to stand on their own two feet in Dobutsu. She herself was a hobbyist. She knew more than the average citizen about dinosaurs, but still was lucky to find one fossil a week. Maybe Max would become a natural paleontologist and find a new fossil everyday. But until then she needed to make some cash.

"But let's not get too far ahead of ourselves. Mayor stuff first, the easy life second. Do you know what you'll say to Roscoe?"

[okintsukoro]

Max found it a relief that there was potentially a lot of willing teachers in town to show her how to live as a true citizen of Dobutsu. But when Citrus proposed that Max become an expert in diving one day, she rubbed the back of her head with a nervous laugh. Though, hearing about Ribbot's attempt at diving was a little funny.

"Eheh... I-I mean... I'm not too bad at swimming. I don't think I've ever actually gone diving though. I guess that does kinda sounds like fun. I've read all sorts of stories that described underwater as a 'cerulean kingdom, filled with rainbows treasures and lush alien forests'. It really does sound kinda magical down there. Actually... might be a good topic for my first novel: an underwater kingdom, following the adventures of a mermaid sorceress..."

She got a little too lost in her own thoughts for a moment before quickly snapping out of it when Citrus brought up fossil hunting. Apparently the museum didn't actually buy the fossils you found? She could only wonder how the museum made any money or stayed in operation. At least other places like Re-Tail were willing to buy fossils at a large price.

She nodded when Citrus eventually conceded that teaching Max to fish would probably be the best way to earn some spending money. It certainly sounded like the most reasonable course of action, and she'd be more than willing to learn. It would also be a good way to spend more time with Bob and learn about stuff he actually knew how to do.

She gave Citrus a wry smile upon hearing her ask about her letter to Roscoe.

"I... think I have a decent idea. He just wants an introduction letter, right? So... I'll put my best foot forward, give him a proper greeting and introduction that I couldn't when we first properly met," Max assured the rabbit. "But... I think I can leave that for tonight. The post office is open 24/7 luckily, so as long as I get it in before 6 AM tomorrow, it'll get delivered to Mr. Roscoe in time..."

She tilted her head at Citrus, kicking her feet a little. Now that all the business talk was out of the way, and Citrus had assured her she would keep her mayoral secret, she thought maybe it was about time they relaxed a little and just enjoyed themselves for a while.

"So... what do you usually like to eat, whenever Lily isn't making delicious apple pies? Is there a place where we can grab a bite or something?"

[spincycle]

"Well...not exactly. We don't have restaurants like you're probably used to. We all cook for ourselves. Food comes from Timmy and Tommy or trees, y'know? It's okay if you're not a good cook though. Bob isn't either, but he gets along fine. Probably because he's not a picky eater."

Citrus toyed with a loose thread on Max's duvet, but made sure not to damage it. She just twirled it while she spoke. But then it hit her. She had left out a staple of the simple Dobutsu lifestyle. Dropping the thread she sat up quickly.

"Oh! I totally forgot- we have The Roost!" she explained with wide shimmering eyes. The roost was popular among the people of the tiny town and Citrus was a regular. Just about everyone was a regular. Especially Isabelle, who always took her coffee to-go back to her desk. Before Max could ask questions about what in the world a 'roost' was, she excitedly pushed her glasses up her nose.

"The Roost is our coffee shop! This guy named Brewster owns it- he's really nice. You'll have to go meet him soon. You have plenty of signatures, but it's good to be friendly with the shopkeepers too. But also you should go anyway since the coffee is delicious. If you like coffee, that is."

She threw in the last part quickly, just to clarify Max was someone who liked coffee. Citrus loved coffee, but it had to be sweet. More milk than coffee. Coffee on its own was too bitter, and made her too jittery.

"It's not far from here, it's that cute little place we passed near the town hall. Brown with a little bird sign outside. Kinda looks like a big house, but that's the place."

[okintsukoro]

Max smiled sheepishly. Admittedly, they weren't the best cook themselves. So to hear that someone like Bob was getting along well without a strong ability to cook was definitely encouraging that they wouldn't simply thrive off of apples alone.

But as the bunny stood up, Max's eyes widened, now quite invested in this new place she brought up: the Roost. It certainly sounded like a very ritzy place, especially for such a small, secluded town. But it didn't surprise her that even the residents knew this owner by name. It really did seem like everyone was on a first-name-basis here, even the shopkeepers.

"Eheh... I actually like mocaccinos with plenty of cream myself. It was kind of my addiction back home. Coffee shops are the best place to find a quiet space to write if you didn't want to be at home all day," Max informed, already smiling at the idea of visiting this place. She slid off the bed to stand up alongside Citrus.

"Well, how about I treat you to a coffee then? As thanks for helping, as well as keeping my secret. I may not have a steady income yet, but I've got plenty saved up. If I can get a house here for 10,000 Bells, then I think I'll have enough money to last me until I can learn how to fish and do other things." She'd walk over to the front door and opened it, allowing Citrus to lead the way.

Meanwhile, at the Roost, slow jazzy music was playing while a green pigeon stood behind the main counter, cleaning out coffee cups. Along the walls were pictures of old Roost locations, including one where Brewster was stood next to the indie sensation, K. K. Slider.

He'd been in this particular town for about five years or so, having been in the business for nearly his whole life. The life of the big city just didn't catch him so much. It was a bit too fast-paced, too competitive for his tastes. He knew K. K. saw it too, but his particular vocation meant that it hit his wallet harder. K. K. couldn't just be a travelling bard who gave out his music for free all the time. Eventually, he would have to get something steadier. Last he heard, he'd been advertising himself as a DJ for clubs and special occasions. It certainly had the pigeon nostalgic for the old days, when K. K.'s music would grace his humble establishment.

But, he would not let that affect his work. For he was a very professional barista, and the satisfaction of the customer, and the quality of the coffee, always came first.

[spincycle]

Citrus led her new friend into the establishment and made a straight shot to the bar. She loved the atmosphere of the cafe, its jazzy environment matching Brewster's energy perfectly. High class, but relaxed and smooth at the same time.   

"Don't worry about the money too much. Only 200 bells," she mumbled in Max's direction.

Citrus took her usual seat at the very end of the bar, giving a cheery but casual wave to the bird working behind the counter. She always sat nearby, always hoping to get a story out of the bird. After all, he knew the K.K. Slider. He was one of the very few in Dobutsu who did. Citrus sometimes offered a tip in exchange for stories about her favorite musician. When she was broke, she offered dinosaur facts. The barter wasn't always successful.

"Hi, Brewster! I'll have my usual please!"

She kicked her feet back and forth excitedly as she watched the preparation of her order. Blended roast, no sugar, extra milk. Her mouth was already watering, but she stopped daydreaming about the taste when she realized she forgot to introduce Max. The two were becoming close so quickly that she found herself forgetting that Max was still a stranger.

"Where are my manners? I didn't bring Bob today- it's his nap time. This is Max! She's gonna be our new mayor, y'know? She'll want a coffee too. Mocha something...I forgot already."

She put her elbows on the counter and rested her head in her hands. Knowing so few cities, she couldn't help but daydream that maybe K.K. and Max bumped elbows before. Unlikely, but a silly thought for the bunny to have. She'd bring it up another time, but until then she waited for the human to give her own order.

[okintsukoro]

Max was quick to follow after the golden bunny, happy to walk at a more leisurely pace now that there was no rush to obtain signatures. However, her eyes widened a bit when Citrus mentioned the price of one cup of coffee.

Only 200 bells?! Back home it'd be close to 600 or 700!!

But the shock on their face was quickly replaced with a warm sense of awe the moment she got a good look inside. The interior seemed to be decorated in warm colors fitting the equally warming cups of coffee. The scent of freshly ground coffee beans was strong. Max almost felt like she was stepping into someone's well-loved home instead of a business where people came and went in droves on the daily. She'd gotten so distracted by the atmosphere that she almost didn't see Citrus take a seat. But just as Max took her own beside the rabbit, her eyes drifted up to the calm, professional bird, eyes obscured by his glasses while it seemed he was already in the midst of making Citrus's usual.

As Citrus gave her greeting, Brewster gave her a respectful nod in the midst of making her order. As soon as he was done mixing in the milk, he'd walk over and gently place the saucer and cup before her, her cup steaming hot still.

"It's at the perfect temperature to draw out the taste...175.38 degrees Fahrenheit. Here you are," he insisted, his voice a calm baritone, soft on the ears. It was as he put it down that he heard her introduce Max. He figured she would have introduced them sooner or later. After all, he could tell Max was a new face. Still, it wasn't often he got a new customer, and especially not humans. Humans, for one reason or another, always liked to go to those larger cities. Far too noisy and competitive, no time for rest or relaxation. Perhaps Max, too, also saw this.

But as Citrus's words trailed off when they forgot Max's order, he turned his attention to the shy human, who seemed to be a bit unsure of what they wanted. He gently tapped on the chalk board that hung behind him, indicating how he took orders.

"Choose any combination you'd like, and I'll make it for you. Please, take all the time you need," he insisted.

Max's eyes was wide when she listened to Brewster's tone. He wasn't just saying that to be nice; she could tell he truly had an amazing amount of patience. He probably needed it, to deal with any sort of customer that might come his way. Surprisingly, the patience in his tone was enough to coax Max to actually speak, when usually she'd have trouble doing so with strangers.

"Um... can I have... Mocha... two spoons of sugar... and a so-so amount of milk? Please?" she asked softly. Again, Brewster gave that respectful nod.

"Understood. Wait just a moment..." As he started to get out the ingredient for a mocha, he spotted Max taking out four 100-bell coins.

"...the cost for a cup of coffee is 200 bells..." he attempted to correct her gently, to which Max nodded in understanding.

"I know... I'm paying for Citrus's too," she insisted.

"Hmm... how generous of you," he noted before returning to making the cup. However, as he was making it, Max's attention was drawn to some clear casings that were holding what appeared to be sandwiches and other baked goods in the back.

"Um... are those for sale as well?" Max managed to ask, glancing between Brewster and the clear glass cases.

"Hm?" Brewster took a moment to lift his head and look behind him before nodding at the two of them. "Right, I'd almost forgotten. Timmy and Tommy stopped by earlier today. They told me that since there's been an increase in demand for places to eat out, they'd be willing to provide my shop with baked goods and sandwiches to sell, provided they get 50% of the profits. I told them I would have to see if their words rang true for the people of this town first. Not everything is as fast paced as their world of business... So to answer your question, yes, they are for sale. They are also at 200 bells a piece."

Max was once again in absolute shock. How could this man, this pigeon, afford to sell things so cheap?! Still, she was not one to look a gift horse in the mouth, taking a glance over at what was in the case.

"Could I have... that cheese sandwich and blueberry muffin?" Max asked before looking towards Citrus. "Do you want anything? I'm still paying."

[spincycle]

Citrus blew cool air towards her coffee before cautiously sipping it. Brewster always seemed to be right about the temperature being perfect for the taste. But it was simply too hot for her to even drink. So she always tried to cool it down while the pigeon was looking the other way. She wiped the back of her paws against her lenses to clear them of steam. But when she could see again, she leaned onto the counter to see the display of food. Of course, on the one day she didn't make Bob tag along there was food involved.

"Carrot cake muffin, please. But next time, I'll pay for sure."

She sipped cautiously at her drink again while being served her snack. She nodded at Brewster to thank him for the service, mimicking his mannerisms. In general, she was more hyper than the bird. She always had to remind herself to tone it down. To match the jazzy and sophisticated energy he worked so hard to fill the establishment with.

"Timmy and Tommy are always sniffing out new business," she stated factually, but not to be rude. "I'm surprised they didn't try this sooner, y'know? Do you think they'll wanna sell food here forever, Brewster?"

She finished her question by taking a bite out of her muffin. She hummed delightfully before dusting the fallen crumbs from her lap.
"How's your coffee, Max? Is it better than Bogstead coffee?"

Before she could listen to Max's response, she had already turned her attention back to the pigeon behind the counter. Citrus seemed to be getting good at sniffing out opportunities to tell others about her new friend. Just as quickly as the facade started, she dropped her cool and casual act. She couldn't help it. She seemed to be drawn to city-dwellers and loved to annoy them.

"Max is from Bogstead. Do you know that place? It's a big city like where you're from."

[okintsukoro]

Max nodded in agreement, putting out the 600 bells on the counter. Once Brewster would finish making the cup of coffee, he'd set it carefully in front of Max before turning to fetch the items in the display case.

Brewster did his best not to outwardly exhale through the nostrils of his beak. He'd heard Citrus blowing on it, but of course, said nothing of it. All customers have different tastes, after all, even if it wasn't optimal. And so long as Citrus never complained about the taste, he'd allow it. When he returned to the front with their pre-packaged items, he laid them out on the counter before carefully collecting the bells.

"Coo... thank you," he told Max. As he started to put the coins away in the register, he listened to Citrus's comments about Timmy and Tommy. Indeed, the two took after their adoptive 'uncle', taking on all sorts of business opportunities any chance they got. Not to mention, they were still children. It was really hard to say no when the one asking for your business was a child. But upon hearing her question about the fate of the food display, his voice remained calm, as if nothing about this phased him.

"That won't be up to them. But if you and everyone else enjoys having things to eat to go along with your coffee, then I will consider being in perpetual partnership with the young tanuki twins, for as long as no one complains about their goods. I prioritize quality in what I serve to my customers, after all... It's the sort of integrity you'd be hard pressed to find in a large city."

Max seemed a little sheepish about Brewster's comments about the big city. Despite his even tone, it almost seemed as if he had a small chip on his shoulder when it came to that particular subject. But, she'd take this moment to take a sip from her coffee, only to realize too late that it was a little too hot for her. Luckily, only a small part of her tongue was burnt, but from what she did taste, it was actually really good. She glanced in Citrus's direction upon hearing her question, smiling sheepishly.

"It might be... I think I'd have to come here a couple more times to say for sure..." Max admitted. At the very least, Brewster would definitely have a new customer coming in regularly. But just as she said that, she realized Citrus was already speaking to Brewster, leaving her a little flustered as she returned her attention to her coffee, as if to pretend she didn't actually say anything.

Brewster was starting to wipe down a portion of the counter when Citrus asked if he knew about Bogstead, eliciting a small hum from the pigeon.

"I've heard of it. Never been. But I'm sure it's just like any other big city..." He went quiet for a moment, and in that silence, Max wondered if maybe he harbored any ill will towards those who came from big cities. But as he went to put the rag in the dirty hamper to wash later, his glasses glinted when he turned to look at Citrus.

"Actually, I've just remembered something. You like to dig for fossils, correct, Citrus? If you'd humor me, I'd like to ask a favor of you..." he told the bunny, causing Max to blink as she turned to look in Citrus's direction. She must've been really popular at the Roost for the owner to speak to her so casually.

[spincycle]

Citrus sipped at her coffee again with a smile. She clung to every word Brewster said. Always did. She envied his cool but inviting tone. But then he said it. The magic words: 'dig' and 'fossil.'

Citrus's eyes lit up and she stared at the pigeon. Honestly, it was about time her work was recognized.

"Anything. I can find anything. With enough time that is..."

Citrus did know a lot about finding fossils and where to look. But the process was slow and tedious sometimes. Digging was a lot of work for one rabbit, especially when her sidekick Bob would have nothing to do with physical labor. Fossil hunting also took time because she had to cover the holes in the ground just as quickly as she made them. If she left them around, Roscoe would be upset when he inevitably stepped in one. She didn't know how upset he'd be, but she didn't want to find out. Which is why she never dug near his house, despite the untapped gold mine of fossils she theorized were in his yard.

"What are you looking for? I already have my shovel. Never leave home without it, y'know?"

She finished her snack quickly and washed it down with another sip of just-a-little-too-hot coffee. She couldn't think of a time when Brewster had asked for a favor from her before. Her admiration for him and his relaxed attitude made her eager to be at his service. Stopping by the Roost was her second favorite part of her day, the first being her daily visit with Blathers.

[okintsukoro]

"Mm...coo. It's nothing you need to go out of your way for. But... if you happen to go digging for fossils in the rain, but find something else that may be... interesting... I'd very much appreciate it if you could bring it to me. I'd be willing to trade for what you end up finding," Brewster cryptically explained.

Admittedly, this had Max's curiosity also piqued, glancing back at Citrus before tilting her head at Brewster.

"What... sort of 'interesting thing' are you hoping Citrus will find...?" Max asked slowly.

Brewster glanced over at the human. "Coo? Have you not seen one before? Perhaps not. One moment..."

He took a moment to wander into a back room, supposedly where he lived when he wasn't working. But eventually, he'd come out and place something very peculiar on the counter.

It was a tiny little humanoid object, with a face and arms. It was mostly made of up of shades of brown, with vague hints of reds and greens scattered throughout. While Max's gaze was still on it, Brewster gave the figure a gentle tap on its head, causing it to shift suddenly into a new position. Max let out a small yelp as they leaned back away from it. But, upon seeing it was staying in place, just moving seemingly erratically, Max slowly settled back into her seat, still looking as confused as ever.

"This is a gyroid. It's a personal hobby of mine to collect them. I find them very fascinating. I've heard that, in ancient cultures, these sculptures were used in a variety of rituals. They were meant to act in place of worshippers, and would dance to the beat of the drum. As you can see, they do have a rhythm. In my time collecting them, I've learned that they do, in fact, move in tune with whatever music happens to be playing nearby."

Interested in Brewster's description of the dancing figure, they started to pay closer attention to when it moved. Sure enough, the gyroid moved in slow motions, making almost maraca-like sounds whenever it moved. It was as if it became another instrument to add to the jazzy music that already filled the place.

[spincycle]

Citrus stared at the gyroid with her jaw hanging open. Whatever this...thing was had caught her attention. It was strange looking. Silly, almost. It left her with more questions than answers. How did it know when to move? Could it hear? That couldn't be right, because that would mean it was alive. It wasn't alive, right? How did the arms even have the ability to move on their own? Were they buried intentionally or by the sands of time? What exactly were they praying to?

Each rhythmic tick and turn the mysterious object did made one of the bunny's ears twitch. She began listening to the slow music, which she usually ignored. Counting the beat with the twitch of an ear proved that the gyroid was in fact dancing along.

"You found this thing, Brewster? Just out digging one day?" she inquired.

"I've never been digging in the rain. I hate having wet fur, y'know? I can't be out in the rain for more than 10 seconds without my umbrella."

She grimaced at the thought, but then began weighing her options. She could be indoors when it rained and out digging in the smothering sun. Or she could be miserable in the rain and a proud owner of whatever this thing was. Suddenly the rain didn't seem so bad. Most of all, she couldn't let Brewster down. She thought too highly of him. She couldn't have him thinking that she was too scared to be up to the task. So she stopped counting the beat and looked up at the pigeon above the gyroid.

'But I could totally do it!" she quickly added.

"I mean, a small price to pay for getting to learn about whatever a gyro is. Right, Max?"

She turned to ask her friend for encouragement with furrowed brows and a conflicting smile. Brewster's approval was nice, but not entirely enough to convince her to purposely get muddy.

[okintsukoro]

Brewster gave a small nod to Citrus's question. "Back in one of my old haunts, when I used to grow my own coffee beans, I was out collecting the beans from my garden when my shovel hit something. That's when I found my first gyroid. I've been trying to unlock their mysteries ever since."

Upon hearing Citrus's aversion to digging in the rain, he gave another understanding nod.

"Coo... it's alright. If the rain bothers you too much, you might get lucky after it stops raining, so long as the ground is still decently damp. I don't know why, but it just seems much easier to find them either during or right after it rains," he explained.

Max nodded when Citrus turned to address her, having finally finished her mocha and was slowly making her way through her cheese sandwich. "I mean... I could always hold an umbrella out for you if you decide to go digging. I wouldn't mind," she offered.

But she turned her head when she heard an unfamiliar sound.

It turned out Brewster had a soft, good-natured chuckle after hearing Citrus call it a 'gyro'.

"Gyroid, Citrus. And again, there is no rush or urgency in this. Just... something to keep in mind. I know you've liked to attempt to barter with me in exchange for stories about K. K. Slider. I just thought I'd give you an opportunity, is all."

Max's eyes widened, glancing between Citrus and Brewster with disbelief. "He has stories about K. K. Slider?" He may have been an indie performer, but his fanbase was fairly far reaching. Even in the big city, Max had come across people attempting to play his songs on the guitar. He was like a wandering myth and legend. She'd never been to any of his concerts, but she'd heard a few of his songs in passing, supposedly. It'd be amazing if she ever got to meet him in person.

[spincycle]

Citrus noticed the look on Max's face at the mention of K.K. Slider.

"Do you know K.K. Slider? Brewster does from when he lived in a city. Has he ever been in Bogstead?" she wondered excitedly.

How cool would it be if she now had two buddies who knew the musician? Or at the very least, a new friend she could bond with over their mutual love for good music. Even if she and Max had different tastes in music, K.K. seemed to be a natural at sampling all sorts of different genres. He had a song for just about everyone. Maybe that's how he made himself known. He'd travel to a new region, get a feel for what was popular there, and then go somewhere else to restart the process. Sometimes, Citrus liked to wonder what kind of music he'd write if he came to Dobutsu. The town wasn't exactly known for its musical culture. Probably why she had never spotted him in the wild.

"Say, Max. What if we go gyroid hunting sometime? I can teach you about digging, and if we find one of those things we can give 'em to Brewster, y'know. Then maybe he'll convince K.K. to come play music for us. Wouldn't that be cool?"

She looked back at Brewster and sheepishly explained that she was only a little serious. She'd still be up for the task if it meant more storytelling. Beggars can't be choosers, so Citrus would be willing to settle for a new tale. She finished her coffee, now cool enough to enjoy without risking the safety of her tongue.

[okintsukoro]

Max laughed a bit nervously, quickly shaking her head. "No no no no, I haven't actually met the guy... dog? I've seen a couple of his records being sold at the corner of small music stores. Back in school, I've always passed by somebody attempting to learn guitar by playing one of his latest singles. I've listened to a lot of K. K.'s songs that way. I've always heard of him, but I've never seen him, never known any concerts he could've held. I wasn't even sure if he was actually a dog or if he was even real at all."

"Hm." Brewster gave a small nod towards Max. "Well, I can tell you right now: he is in fact real. Real, passionate, genuine. A true artist in every sense of the word."

Max had the same sparkles in her eyes that Citrus had earlier, completely in awe of hearing that this K. K. Slider was in fact a real person. Brewster made him sound like an amazing person to get to know. Was it possible to meet him one day? Citrus seemed to think so. And upon hearing her request to go gyroid hunting, she nodded in agreement, smiling widely. Admittedly, she was getting quite excited to hear more about this K. K. Slider person, why their songs were so widely dispersed, what they did, and more importantly, where they are now.

Brewster nodded towards Citrus, even after she hastily explained that she was mostly joking. "If the chance ever arises for us to cross paths again, I'd very much love to tell him that he has at least three big fans in Dobutsu who'd love to see him perform."

With everything settled, Max slowly slid out of her stool, taking her muffin to go as he bowed her head a little towards Brewster. "Thank you very much for everything. I'll be sure to come back soon." She glanced back at the yellow rabbit with her silvery blue eyes. "I think I'm gonna head home, decompress, and get to work on that letter to Mr. Roscoe. Thank you so much for everything today, Citrus. If I'm not too busy, I'd love to hang out with you again tomorrow."

With that, she waved good-bye to the two of them, leaving Brewster to glance over at Citrus.

"Quite an interesting person we're about to have for a mayor. If I may ask, what do you think of her?" he asked softly, rinsing out and cleaning out the cup and saucer Max left behind.

Meanwhile, Max had come back home to three new letter in her mailbox, from Bob, Lily, and Citrus. Lily's letter was the promised recipe for her apple pie, which Max was happy to stow away for safe keeping. They were more than happy to start reading the reply letters from her new friends, giggling a little to herself when she started reading Bob's. She can already tell, she was going to have fun having them both for pen pals, even though they were practically next door neighbors.

'Dear Bob,
Rocky road and chips sounds like an interesting combination! Maybe one day I'll get a chance to try. I used to read comic books for a while, but lately I've been more into short novels. The latest one I've read was called 'Mount Battery', where a group of friends go on a quest to replace a special battery to return power to their mountain home. There's a special twist at the end that I won't spoil, but I have the book if you're interested in borrowing it. After you left, we went to go see Mr. Roscoe. He's... not as scary as I thought he was. Still kinda scary, but not super scary, if that makes any sense. Anyways, hope you had a good nap.
Your soon-to-be mayor,
Max
PS. Did you know the Roost is stocking food now for 200 bells per item? So cheap!'

After writing her reply letter to Bob, Max felt a little more calm, a little more at peace. With that done, she felt she had the drive to finally make her introduction letter to Roscoe.

'To Mr. Roscoe,
Greetings and salutations! My name is Max, a human from Bogstead. I like writing and would love to become an author one day. But until then, I'm looking forward to be the mayor of the people of Dobutsu, assuming you're willing to give me a chance. I know it's a lot, to ask to trust a stranger you only met a couple days ago to try and make decisions that benefit the town. But I promise that with everyone's help, I'll do my best to keep the town of Dobutsu a wonderful place to live. I want to listen to everyone's opinions and feedback, so I can learn the needs of the people. But, more importantly, I already love this place as it is, I've grown to like a lot of people here, and I don't want to let anyone down. So please, if you're willing to give me a chance, then I would be eternally grateful if you could sign my petition as soon as possible.
Deepest regards,
Max'

Was it a little stiff? Perhaps. But this was the best she could come up with. She could only hope it was enough. With the letter out of the way, she got to work on her letter to Citrus.

'Dear Citrus,
I had a wonderful time today. As stressful as it was, I had an amazing time learning about everyone and having fun with you and Bob. I'm sorry I dropped that bombshell on you before, but I'm glad I could trust you with that secret. I don't think it'd go over well for my position as mayor if people found out. I still can't believe Brewster knew about K. K. Slider, and is willing to share stories for showing him gyroids! I gotta admit, I kinda want one now. They're just so neat looking. Anyways, I just finished my letter to Roscoe. So with any luck, I'll officially be mayor soon. I'm scared, but I'm glad I have a good friend like you to help me along the way.
Looking forward to spending more time with you,
Max'

It was only when she reached the end of that letter that she had a small epiphany: Why not send mail to everyone? Get to know everyone through the mail system?

She'd spend the rest of her evening writing letters to everyone she had met that day. She'd asked Ribbot about his workout routine. She'd thank Lily for the apple recipe. She thanked Amelia for the outfit, as well as for taking her to see Apollo. Max hesitated a little on what to write in Apollo's letter, but eventually settled on a thank you for his signature, and an offer to help in his garden. With everyone accounted for, Max took all her letters to the post office, where Phyllis nonchalantly  scooped them into a red bin for Pete to deliver later.

Max would return home oddly exhausted collapsing into her bed after she turned the lights out.

-------------------

The next morning, there was a knock on the door. Max had only just gotten washed and dressed when she walked up to the door with a yawn. The second she opened it, she froze, seeing bright red eyes staring down at her.

"Morning. So... I read that letter you sent." He shrugged. "...eh, a bit stiff, but good enough for me, nay. I can tell you were tryin'. Still got that petition?"

Max fumbled and stumbled a bit as she made a 'wait here' motion with her hand before rushing inside to grab the clipboard, handing it over to him so he could finally fill out the final spot. Once he signed in a nice, legible style, he handed it back, hoof on his hip.

"... Listen. I've sorta been actin' as Dobutsu's 'shadow mayor' for a while, ever since ol' Tortimer was on his way out. I really care about this place. I just wanted to make sure our next mayor did too." His words were gruff, but soft. He scoffed a bit, glancing a bit in the direction of Citrus's house. "...already fast friends with the rabbit. She's an energetic one, can hardly keep up with all that she gets into. But... as much as it pains me to say, we kinda need more people like her. People who are all about discovering new things. And it really looks like she trusts you..."

He turned his red eyes to glare down at Max, his sclera looking as if they glowed yellow as they did so. "...can I trust you not to betray that trust?"

Max's eyes were wide, a shiver of fear going down her spine as she quickly nodded, too scared to actually speak once more.

The dark horse smiled almost instantly at that, eyes shut happily. "Well, then that's all I need. You have a good morning then... Mayor Max."

Max nodded slowly and waved good-bye as the old horse finally started to walk away, leaving a petrified Max to watch him go about his morning walk once more.

[spincycle]

After Max parted ways, Citrus nearly talked Brewster's ear off. She answered his question honestly, spilling why she liked Max and all the interesting facts she had learned from the new human. She was itching to share the new secret with someone, but kept her word and didn't mention it. Although, Brewster was reserved enough to not spread the word. It made her worry a bit about whether or not Max could stick out her unprecedented job. But for some reason, Citrus trusted her. She had Max's word that she would earn a spot in the town. It just seemed so bold for someone so timid. Most people contributed to the community by gardening or baking or selling goods. But mayoring was something nobody new had signed up for as long as the bunny could remember. But Citrus thought Max was wonderful, and didn't really doubt her abilities. The bunny could easily be convinced that Max hung the stars in the sky each night, if the right person told her so.

So she finished telling Brewster about Max's previous arrival and potential future projects. She tipped him with the few bells sitting in her coin purse and a fact about fossils before parting ways. Tipping wasn't required, but Citrus became obsessed with the idea since Brewster explained its significance in larger cities. She spent the rest of her day reading on Bob's couch while the tomcat watched TV.

The next morning, she woke up earlier than usual and had her morning tea while she waited for the sun to finish rising. She needed all the light she could get, since she would be excavating today. But first she checked her mailbox for a letter from Max- and look! There's one now! She hastily read the letter and began a responding note of her own as she sipped her tea.

"Dear Max,
I've had an amazing time too! I can't wait to find gyroids with you. I'll let you keep the first one we find, then we can give Brewster the next. But shhh, it'll be our little secret. Speaking of which, I promise not to tell anybody what you told me. Even if I really want to. I'm an expert secret keeper. In return, I'll tell you a secret of my own. I sleep with a night light - I'm afraid of the dark. Now we're even! Although mine seems less serious.

Anyway, you'll be mayor in no time. Roscoe is just tough on you because he cares about this place. Maybe even as much as I do. That's a lot. Let's hang out again real soon! Tell me all about the letter you wrote to him!
Your new right-paw rabbit,
Citrus"

She made a quick stop to give an unenthused Phyllis her letter to be sent off. She later found herself examining the soil near Amelia's house. The two exchanged waves when the eagle spotted Citrus in her yard. They had a mutual agreement that digging was allowed there, as long as Citrus cleaned afterwards. But after an hour or so of zero leads, she decided to go visit Blathers. Maybe he could point her in the right direction.

As she crossed the stone bridge spanning the stone town's river, she found herself side-by-side a certain steed. She smiled awkwardly in Roscoe's direction, dusting the dirt from her clothes and hoping he wouldn't point out that she had gotten dirty. She slowed down just enough to give him a respectful bow and a "good morning," but then hurried past him. From the northern side of the bridge, she spotted Max outside her home. She considered it perfect timing and rushed over to her new friend.

She wiped dust from her lenses as she smiled and waved at Max.

"Good morning! You're up early. Did you sleep good?"

[okintsukoro]

Just as Max was taking some time to decompress and look over her finally full petition sheet, she glanced up in time to hear Citrus calling out to her, a relieved smile on her face. She couldn't help herself. As soon as Citrus was close enough she ran up and hugged them tightly for a few seconds. Once they finally let go, they backed off a step to properly hold out the clipboard.

"We did it... all the signatures are here," she spoke softly as she started to tear up. She didn't mean to, but it had been such a stressful journey, and she was just so relieved. Quickly, she wiped away her tears.

"I think... I think I just need to bring this to Isabelle and that's it... I'm officially gonna be mayor...." Their body was shaking. It was still scary, taking on such a huge job. But she meant what she said to Citrus: she wasn't going anywhere. At least, not without a proper replacement. Not just forcing Isabelle or Citrus into it. They couldn't bear putting someone in the same, sudden position as Max was.

With a sniffle and a nod, they took in a deep breath.

"...okay. I'm... I'm okay. I got a decent amount of sleep, I think. I was... really nervous about today. But... I think that's just gonna be every day until I get the hang of all this," they chuckled a little. "But... I think I'll just... get this over with. Hopefully..." They turned their attention to the town hall. It looked so big and intimidating to her, even in this small town. But even so, she started to take a couple steps towards it before glancing back at Citrus.

"I'd... I'd love the company, if you'd like to come with me to see Isabelle," she spoke softly, offering a hand if they wanted to hold hands. If not, Max would just start walking, trying to put on the bravest face they could as they went through the front doors.

They saw Isabelle, as well as the mayor's desk behind her. She remembered what Isabelle said: 'If it's mayor business, sit in the mayor's chair'. So she walked past Isabelle, causing the dog to perk up and turn around just in time to see Max seat herself down.

"Oh! You're sitting down! Does that mean...?!" Isabelle began just as Max held out the clipboard to her, allowing Isabelle to take it with stars in her eyes.

"It does!! Oh, congratulations, Mayor Max! I knew you could do it! So quickly too! Well, there's only one thing left to do now!" She went into the back closet, taking out what appeared to be a large tree sapling. "We've got to hold the ceremony!"

[spincycle]

Citrus hugged her friend back just as tightly before letting go to jump up and down. She knew Max could do it; and she made sure to let them know that. She shook Max's shoulders (maybe a little too roughly) and grinned.

"This is so exciting! Welcome to your new life!" she exclaimed.

She was thrilled by the possibilities both Max and Dobutsu now had. It was about time someone new spruced this place up a bit, and if Max had gotten the town's approval so quickly, then who else for the job? The bunny held Max's hand and basically skipped alongside them towards the town hall. Although she was in a hurry to see what would come next, she let Max into the building first. She stood by Isabelle's desk- the farthest she had been inside the town hall. She let Max take the rest of the trip to the mayor's desk alone, giving her space to really bask in the first time experience.

She clapped excitedly when Isabelle brought out the young sapling. Although the feeling was bittersweet for her. Change was good, and Max seemed like good change, but just a week ago the old tree in the plaza was cut down. Surely the wood will be used for something practical. But Citrus couldn't help but think of how that was the plaza tree for so many before her. Her family before they moved. Those who stopped in Dobutsu for a few months before heading towards bigger things. She was sad to see it go, but ready to move on all the same.

"This is so exciting! I've never seen one of these ceremonies. We should have party poppers, y'know? With confetti and maybe balloons and party hats. Or is that too much like a birthday party?" she stopped to tap her chin and wonder. But that thought trailed off pretty quickly. Before anyone could answer, she was stepping backwards to the exit.

"I'll go get Bob! And Lily! And everyone else! You guys go ahead and get ready- I'll meet you in the plaza in ten minutes, y'know?"

Then she was off. Skipping into a jog towards the nearest neighbor she spotted. She was determined to knock on every door in town as fast as she could.

[okintsukoro]

"Oh, thank you Citrus! We'll be making the announcement soon!" Isabelle told the rabbit, waving her off as she looked over at Max. "Oh, Max, could you do me a favor? There's a box of party poppers in the closet! I've been saving those for this occasion as well!"

Max nodded as they got out of the chair to glance about the seemingly large and impossibly deep closet before finding the box and picking it up. As they started to make their way out, she saw Isabelle come up to the intercom.

"Attention, citizens of Dobutsu! There will be a tree planting ceremony being held in the plaza in ten minutes! Party poppers will be provided! Thank you, and hope to see you there!"

Max was shaking, slowly realizing that they were going to have to come up in front of a bunch of people. Hopefully Isabelle would do all the talking, because she had no idea what she was supposed to say up there.

With a satisfactory nod, Isabelle picked up the sapling once more, leading the way out the town hall. "Come on, come on! Right this way, Mayor Max!"

Still, the human couldn't help but smile at Isabelle and Citrus's enthusiasm. If that was one thing she learn, practically everyone seemed so happy and welcoming. It made her feel that much better about staying to help them out.

It didn't take long for the two of them to reach the plaza, where Isabelle would stand there with the box of poppers open while Max wandered over to the square plot of dirt reserved for this special sapling. It just seemed to oddly official, like this would be her tree.

The first villager she saw arrive was Roscoe, who Isabelle happily handed a party popper. The older horse shrugged as he glanced over at Max.

"Nay... I could've saved myself some trouble and come straight here after I signed your petition. Plum forgot that new mayors got this type of ceremony, Haven't seen one since I was a little whippersnapper... ga ha..." he snorted to himself with a bit of a smirk. He stood ready and waiting for everyone else to come back, leaving Isabelle to stand on top of the planter while motioning for Max to come on top with her.

Once everyone who was coming was in attendance, Isabelle turned on the microphone to speak.

"Welcome everyone to the official inauguration of our new mayor, Max! I'm the town hall secretary Isabelle, and I will be your host for this event!" She giggles and shyly accepts any applause given to her. "But before we begin the official ceremony, I'd just like to take a moment to say how grateful I am for this town and its citizens. Even with our great former mayor Tortimer retired, we've maintained a strong sense of community and a welcoming atmosphere to be proud of. It makes me so happy to see that no matter the changes that may come, no matter who decides to stay or who decides to move on, Dobutsu will be welcome for everyone who has ever called this place home!"

Max smiled at Isabelle's moving little speech, lightly waving over at Citrus and Bob in the meantime. But, just as suddenly, Isabelle held the microphone over to Max, causing their silvery-blue eyes to widen.

"And now for a very very short speech from our new mayor! Take it away Mayor!" Isabelle encouraged as she gently pushed Max to be up front and center, the human shaking a little bit as their wide eyes looked at everyone in attendance. A small gulp echoed into the microphone.

"...I...um... I..." Their eyes landed on Bob and Citrus, as if trying to mentally ground themselves.

They're here. You have their support. You can do this.

"I...!"

Max bowed. "I love you all! I'll do my best!" they blurted out, their face as red as the apples gently swaying in the trees.

[spincycle]

The bunny was a bit winded after her quest to round up her neighbors, but adrenaline kept her moving fast as ever. She cleverly recruited Ribbot to help her knock on doors in the farthest corners of Dobutsu. Luckily, she was aided in her roundup by Isabelle's announcement. She was still polite, but excited and spoke a little too quickly. Bob was dazed and confused when one moment he was watching TV and the next he was being dragged into the bright sun.

She gratefully took her confetti popper from Isabelle and joined her peers around the brick square of soil in the center of the plaza. She fidgeted with the plastic as she waited on edge to hear what Max would say. The stars in her eyes didn't dull despite Max's brief and sudden outburst. It was a bit funny- how someone so poetic on paper could be so timid and short spoken aloud.

As if she was part of a hivemind, Citrus pulled the string at the exact moment the others with poppers did. The confetti harmoniously flew into the air and drifted to the ground like fallen leaves.  As the thin sheets of paper blew, she giggled at the 'speech' in a lighthearted way. She quickly jammed the empty party favor into her pocket so she could clap her hands freely. Others joined in the applause as the short ceremony came to a close.

When Max was finished with her symbolic gardening, Citrus quickly skipped over to give them a tight hug. Bob leisurely strolled over to join them- not much of a hugger but offering a pat on his new friend's shoulder.

"You did it! You're the real deal mayor now!" Citrus exclaimed, "We should all celebrate, y'know?"

Bob nodded.

"Congrats, Miss Mayor Max. As your first mayoral duty, you should decide how we'll celebrate, ptthpth. Ideally with food involved. Or a nap," the tomcat suggested.

[okintsukoro]

Roscoe had snorted at Max's blurted declaration. It was a bit forward of a statement to make in front of several acquaintances, but he did appreciate the enthusiasm and attempt. It did have him getting a little nostalgic once Isabelle and Max planted the new sapling into the brick planter, the two of them coming down just in time to grab some poppers themselves and join the others before clapping.

It was quaint, but the excitement was there. Everyone could feel it: big change was gonna happen soon.

Isabelle would eventually leave Max to her own devices as the crowd began to disperse. From now on, everything Max did as mayor was all up to her.

Max was quick to approach Citrus, slightly surprised by the tight hug but quickly reciprocating it. She even gave an appreciative nod to Bob when she felt the pat on her shoulder. As soon as she let go, she heard Citrus speak up on how they wanted to continue the celebration. And when Bob suggested something with food, Max couldn't help but sheepishly agree.

"Yeah... I haven't really eaten yet. Let's all head to the Roost? We can hang out over there and maybe figure out where to go from here..." she noted as she was already starting to lead the way.

Brewster was already inside, bright as ever, giving them silent nods in greeting.

"So... Isabelle told me that there are things called 'public work projects', which the citizens can pitch in to have something built. She showed me the list yesterday. Everything from huge topiaries, to statues, to benches, and even a couple more bridges for ease of access over the river! But I don't just wanna decide on a random thing and then ask everyone to pay for it... so... Bob, Citrus said you're pretty good at fishing I got a fishing  rod back home I can grab and I was thinking... maybe you could teach me how to fish so I can start earning money while I'm in office?" Max asked the cat, pulling out her wallet to figure out how many bells she wanted to spend on coffee and baked goods.

[spincycle]

Bob and Citrus settled themselves at the bar, usually attached at the hip. But they decided to leave an empty chair between them for Max this time. When Citrus saw Max looking into their wallet, she hastily reached into her pocket and dropped a handful of bells on the counter. With a grin, she pushed them closer to Brewster.

"I'm buying this time," she insisted, "Max is officially our mayor, Brewster! She just planted a new tree in the plaza, y'know? So I'm buying their coffee as a congratulations gift."

She didn't bother counting the money she was handing over, but she trusted Brewster to handle the math on his own. He was smart, and could easily deal with the money aspect after they ordered. He probably wasn't even concerned with payment half as much as he was concerned with a quality product.

Bob gave his typical nonchalant smile at Max as he nodded along.

"We'll show you how to fish, ptthpth. It's easy, and you're basically learning from a professional."

Citrus nodded.

"Right! Bob is good at that sort of thing. Plus you can do it while you think about your first big project, y'know?"

Citrus believed that last statement wholeheartedly. Fishing was time consuming because it was a waiting game. Bob was so good at it because he didn't get bored just sitting around waiting for something to happen. Though it did become a faster process if one practiced it enough.

She turned her attention back to Brewster and requested her usual milk with a splash of coffee. Bob ordered himself the plainest of coffees and the sweetest looking baked good in the glass display. He settled on a chocolate cupcake that would give the average person a toothache.

"Order whatever you like, Max!" Citrus encouraged.

[okintsukoro]

Max flustered upon seeing the two left the middle seat empty for her, smiling gratefully as she took her seat. However, she was a bit startled by the clatter of coins on the counter, jolting a little when Citrus announced that they were paying this time. The human couldn't help but laugh a bit, recalling how Citrus insisted that they would pay this time, as Max's 'congratulations gift'.

Citrus was, of course, completely right about Brewster. He was waiting patiently for everyone to make their order. He'd prepare all those first before anything else. He started on Citrus and Bob's coffee first, since they'd been around long enough to have a usual. To no surprise to him, Max decided to get nearly the same order as last time, except with only one spoonful of sugar this time. This was typical for newcomers: slowly refining what they like after multiple visits. Soon enough, Max will have their usual figured out. If Brewster had to guess, she'd need no more than five visits to determine what their 'usual' coffee would be.

"Coo... so I've heard," Brewster replied to Citrus's little tidbit of big news.

Max would also order the same cheese sandwich she ate last time, allowing Brewster to eventually serve all the coffee and distribute all the baked goods. When all was said and done, Brewster left one 100 bell coin, sliding it back to Citrus.

"Thank you for your patronage," he told Citrus respectfully, placing the collected bells into the cash register.

Max had heard Bob and Citrus talk about how easy it would be to learn how to fish, nodding as she sipped her coffee and nibbled on her sandwich.

"That definitely sounds good... and thank you so much for treating us, Citrus. You really didn't have to do that... but I appreciate it a lot."

"Hmm... if you're thinking of fishing, would you perhaps consider paying Blathers a visit?" Brewster chimed in.

"Huh? Blathers? You mean the museum curator?" Max asked, to which the pigeon nodded.

"He stops by once every early morning for a cup of coffee to-go. Like me, he liked to burn both ends of the candle, so to speak. I highly respect his work ethic. That being said, I know from him that his museum contains not just a fossil exhibit, but an aquarium for fish and a solarium for all manner of bugs as well."

Max's eyes widened at the information. "Really? He takes care of all that by himself?"

"Mm...well, not alone. His sister Celeste helps, although I've heard it's mostly so that she can take care of the bugs in his stead. He is... not particularly fond of them," he admitted.

[spincycle]

"You'll definitely need to meet Blathers. Can't believe you haven't already. I see him everyday, y'know?"

Citrus sipped at her coffee before pocketing the change returned to her.

"It's like what I said before about fossils you find. They're yours- you can do whatever you like with them! But I really suggest the first one gets donated to the museum. For science and stuff, y'know? But a copy of something in the museums already, that's yours to keep or sell," she explained.

Citrus wasn't thrilled about the idea of selling fossils, but if Max needed big mayoring money then she could let it slide. But she wasn't necessarily attached to things like fish and insects. She preferred to earn her bells in other ways like selling old furniture or fruit.

"It's a miracle Citrus hasn't already dragged you to the museum. She's there all the time. Do you think you'd enjoy that sort of thing Max?" Bob inquired.
He practically inhaled the treat Citrus bought him and wiped his mouth with a napkin before Citrus could nag him. Instead she chimed in with a suggestion.

"I've got an idea! Bob will teach you about fishing, and I'll take you to the museum. Whichever you want to do first is fine. Then at the end of the day we can all come back here and get a treat!"

[okintsukoro]

Max laughed sheepishly, rubbing the back of her head. "Well, you know... been busy with the whole 'moving in' and 'getting approval to be mayor' thing. I think I saw the museum down the street when I headed into Nookling Junction the day before... but that's about it," she admitted before taking another sip of her coffee.

She let out a small sigh of contentment. Yeah, this was definitely the right brew for her. Mocha, one spoonful, so-so milk. She'd have to remember that for next time.

She would glance between Bob and Citrus as they were more than willing to inform her about what they knew about the museum, reminding her of tips to live her best life out here. Admittedly, the only work experience she had was something closer to Brewster's job, so getting used to an almost hunter-gatherer mentality that benefit the whole community would be something that would take a bit to get used to.

So glad this town is known for its friendly folk... I don't think I'd last long out here otherwise...

Max chuckled at Bob's question. "Well, as far as I can tell, there aren't many other notable sites outside of the shops and maybe the beach. At the very least I'd go check it out a few times. Maybe more if I end up finding fossils or specimens that the curator might want to take in." She was going to leave the bug-collecting to someone else. She could hardly stand cockroaches back in Bogstead.

Before she could say anything else, Citrus piped up, causing the human to turn her head around to face the rabbit with wide, silverish-blue eyes.

"Eheh... that sounds great! I was actually thinking I'd go catch fish with Bob first. That way, in case any of the fish I catch are something the museum doesn't have yet, I can also donate those to the curator and sell the rest afterward. Timmy and Tommy accept goods for bells, I think. Pretty sure I saw a sign like that on their shop window. That and... I think I should probably see if they have any more furniture I'd like. A bed is a nice starting point, but everything I own is basically still in a luggage bag. Though, come to think of it, my house doesn't feel that much bigger than my tent, save for the tiny restroom..."

"Unless you're made of bells, you likely won't see the same luxuries of the big city, Mayor Max," Brewster suddenly added, causing Max to fluster slightly. Was she perhaps sounding like a spoiled brat who wasn't used to such a small living quarters when practically everyone in town lived that way to a degree?

"Uh w-well, not that there's anything wrong with a small living space! Really! It's just... not what I'm used to. But... I can deal. Really," was all Max felt could say on the matter, returning to their coffee. They weren't sure how, but they felt like they hit a nerve with Brewster. She quickly gulped down the rest of her coffee, slowly sliding out of her seat.

"Um... thank you for the tea and food, Brewster. And thank you for paying, Citrus. I'm gonna go grab my fishing rod back at my house and then, I guess, Bob can lead us to a good fishing spot?" she asked, glancing over at the lazy cat.

[spincycle]

The trio parted ways for a few minutes but quickly found themselves together again. The settled at the bridge crossing the river that drove Dobutsu into two pieces. They kept off the bridge and to its side to not disturb pedestrian traffic.

Citrus opted not to bring her fishing rod today, instead her favorite lacy parasol. In her other hand, a spare red polka dot umbrella. She laid it in the grass, but offered it to Max in case the sun became too much to bear. She already knew Bob rarely wanted one. She took a seat in the grass and watched as her pals stood on the bank.

Bob stood parallel to Max with his trusted fishing rod in hand. His gaze remained on the water, as if he was explaining the activity to the river and not Max. His name was poorly etched into the handle of his fishing rod. There were a few accidental scratches along the pole, but he cherished it all the same.

“Fishing is easy,” the tomcat began, “Just remember a few important things. The river flows that way towards the cliff and into the ocean. Your line will slowly drift that way, so don’t lose sight of it, ptthpth.”

“You’ll have to watch it, so you can see fish silhouettes, y’know?” Citrus chimed in, twirling her umbrella as a sort of bored fidget.

“Right. That’s the first way- watching the shadows. Or, you can wait for a feeling,” he explained vaguely.

He mumbled that Max should follow his example. He cast his line by reeling his arm back and slinging the hook forward into the water. The bright red bobber splashed and shined in the sunlight.

“If a fish takes a bite, you’ll feel the line twitch. Or you can keep an eye on if your bobber disappears. That’s how you’ll know, ptthpth. But we have to stand reeeally still. That’s why Citrus can’t do it,” he teased.

[okintsukoro]

Max found fishing to be a pretty simple experience, once she got the hang of it. She was out there in the sun a little longer than anticipated, so she gratefully accepted Citrus's spare umbrella, complimenting on how cuter her lacy parasol was.

At first, finding the right way to cast her line and the right time to tug up was a bit daunting. Too fast, too slow, too far away, or the fish would randomly start swimming in the opposite direction for no other reason than to spite her. This went on for a good half hour until she finally caught her first fish: a pale chub.

She couldn't help but sigh in disappointment at how small it was. But, it was still a fish, and she'd slowly keep it up until she felt confident that she got the basics down. By the end of the fishing lesson, she caught a yellow perch, two pale chubs, and one black bass. Luckily, she had some plastic bags on hand, so she would scoop up some river water and carefully place the fish inside for transport.

With the fishing lesson done, she held up the fish bags in her hands and showed them off to her friends.

"Well... not too bad for someone who's never fished before, right? I think I could actually make some decent money off this. Honestly, I think bagging up the fish is harder than actually catching them... But, we're headed to the museum now, right Citrus?" she asked the bunny, turning to face her completely.

"Brewster said there's an aquarium there too, so maybe I'll donate whatever fish he'd might like for that too. And whatever he doesn't want, I'll sell. Or maybe I'll even keep. I think I could make some decent sushi or fish sticks with the yellow perch maybe..." she noted, rambling mostly to herself.

[spincycle]

Citrus wouldn’t admit her boredom was a bit exaggerated and fishing wasn’t not fun. But in comparison to her hobbies, fishing was like watching paint dry. Though she didn’t want to discourage Max. She congratulated the human each time they caught something new and clapped with glee. She was proud of Max for how quickly they seemed to pick up new things. They were seemingly a natural at Dobutsu’s favorite pastimes. Maybe with the exception of small talk with the neighbors.

Citrus perked up and stumbled when she practically jumped to her feet. She dusted the grass and dirt from herself and closed her umbrella, nodding at Max in the meantime. Museum time was her favorite time of day. She couldn’t wait to share her favorite corner of the tiny town with her friends. Bob had seen the museum plenty of times before but didn’t make frequent trips the way Citrus seemed to do.

“Blathers will be happy you’re bringing in new fish! We also usually end up eating the fish we catch. But it’s okay because we rarely catch new breeds, y’know?” she justified.

The bunny grabbed a free hand of each buddy and began pulling them northbound towards the train station. The three crossed the railroad tracks and walked uphill towards Main Street. Citrus wondered in the back of her mind if Max had seen all the shops they were passing before. But that was just a passing thought- Citrus usually had only one thought at a time.

Stopping in front of the museum steps, Citrus dropped her friends’ hands and grinned. She gave a quick “tada!” and looked over at Max excitedly for approval. She ran up the familiar stairs and gestured for her friends to follow suit.

The stone building’s bright lights usually took a moment for the average eyes to adjust to, but Citrus marched unbothered. Seemingly skipping ahead to the dark figure opposite of the door. From afar he was mysterious with his head turned towards the floor. The sharp shadows the lights casted gave him a mysterious aura. But upon further realization, the gang realized he was…sleeping. While standing. At 1 pm in the afternoon.

Early bird Citrus was used to this behavior (from Bob, too!) and shook her head in disapproval. She made sure her friends kept a few steps back before clearing her throat and shouting, “Blathers!”

“_Hoooo…WHO?!” the owl cried, feathers ruffling as he snapped awake dramatically just as the bunny anticipated he would.

“Oh-! Yes, hello Citrus! Bob,” he nodded with a sheepish smile. “Welcome back, as always. It appears you’ve caught me dawdling here, how embarrassing. Have you come to discuss our latest discovery, Citrus? Hoo, what I believe to be the tail of a Diplodocus. A fascinating creature really. Not to mention Amelia’s kind butterfly donation-”

The new human finally caught his attention, and he gave Max a polite bow.

“A visitor, hoo! Who might you be? I am Blathers, director of Dobutsu’s one and only museum. The pleasure is all mine. Please, enjoy your time at my humble establishment. _{Do tell your friends!}”

[okintsukoro]

Max was already in awe of the architecture as she stepped inside. It all looked so grand. To think such a place was still in the midst of collecting specimens for display. Though, she had a feeling that she would mostly like to stay clear of the solarium. Bugs weren't her thing. As cool and pretty as some of them could be, she wasn't nearly brave enough to collect some of the nastier ones.

She was a bit startled when Blathers awoke to take in Citrus's fossil before finally addressing her. Oh no, she was going to have to talk to a new person. She scrambled around until she remembered that Isabelle gave her her new citizenship card, showing her name, birthday, and the fact that she was the new mayor.

After she handed her card over to Blathers to read, she would also gently offer up her catches to show him, once he was ready to take a look.

[spincycle]

Sensing the human's anticipation, Blathers cleared his throat as he leaned over to read the card presented to him. He sheepishly smiled.

"Oh, so you're Dobutsu's new mayor. An honor to meet you, Max. I do apologize for getting my feathers all ruffled for a moment there," he chuckled. After the initial startle settled he calmed down into his more characteristic peacefulness.

Citrus chimed in to let Blathers know that Max often did not feel like talking, thus the ID card.

"I see you've already become familiar with Bob and my pupil, Citrus! Yes, plenty of friendly faces in Dobutsu for you to familiarize yourself with. Though personally I enjoy staying here in my galleries. Citrus and I both find great comfort in the pursuit of knowledge. It is my personal goal to study the rich lifeforms and culture of the world. Here, I pride myself on a collection of fossils. I'm sure you've heard this from Citrus before- but we also collect fish and..insects,," the bird grimaced. "Under certain circumstances we collect fine art as well. Paleontology is a fascinating field of study, hoo. I remember having an interest in it from a young age, personally..."

The owl realized he was staring at the ceiling, snapping his gaze back down to his trio of visitors. He pretended not to notice a yawn from Bob. Though he was flattered that Citrus seemed to cling onto every word she had already heard one hundred times before.

"Apologies. I often find myself saying much more than necessary. Hoo...are you familiar with the museums different exhibits? It's run entirely by donations from the wonderful people of this town. I'm sure it would make a great impression as mayor if you were to help our humble exhibits blossom."

[okintsukoro]

Max had listened to Blathers' explanation, or at least attempted to. Admittedly, they started to tune him out towards the tail end, their eyes glancing about to see that each wing had a convenient plaque which displayed which gallery and collection was stored inside. While they easily spotted the aquarium for the fish, the displays for fossils, and the solarium for the bugs, their eyes widened when they caught sight of what looked to be a wing for fine art.

Fine art was something that really did inspire her to write her stories. Her latest short stories had involved fine art in some way.

One would be about a struggling artist, trying to find her muse, only to find it when she spots the most beautiful fish tail in a river. As the artist went on the journey to find out what fish the tail belonged to, she would start creating paintings, all theorizing possibilities of what the river creature looked like, including a mermaid.

Another story had been about a couple finding love by bonding over a painting in an art museum, only for their union to end in tragedy, and so the survivor continues to visit the painting, as if it now harbored the soul of their departed love.

Max had gotten a bit lost in thought, though came back just as Blathers noted that they should attempt donating to add more to the museum. Upon hearing about donations, her eyes widened, quickly rummaging behind her to hold out the fish they caught today. She caught a yellow perch, two pale chubs, and one black bass. If Blathers needed any of these specimens, she'd gladly donate them. If not, she may just sell the pale chubs and bass, use the yellow perch for cooking her own sushi.

But, once Blathers was done looking over the specimens, she'd once again stare over at the entrance to the art gallery, as if a bit fixated with it. She really did want to go see if there was any art inside. She'd never really gotten the chance to see the art museum back in Bogstead. It was far too popular, and the most frequent visitors were art critics and snobs who looked down on those who they considered to have 'poor taste'.

Her curiosity was so strong that she had actually managed to gain the courage to speak up.

"Is...there art in there...?" Her voice came out soft, only amplified by the fact that voices and noise naturally echoed in this large, open hallway.