Welcome to Dobutsu Town! (okintsukoro/spincycle)

[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.