Chapter One - Beginnings
Selena - Isabelle
Taking a wavering step off the train, Selena was surprised to see nobody around. Wasn't there always a staff member at each station during the train's operating hours? Maybe this place was different…
Looking around, she saw a pile of a few town maps behind the staff counter. Unsure if she was allowed to take one, she considered it for a bit, but then grabbed one. She would need it to find her way to the Town Hall. Selena unfolded the map, her bushy tail twitching in excitement.
The town hall was pretty close by, thank goodness. Folding up the map and putting it in her bag, she put a brave smile and her face and moved onward. She couldn't let herself get nervous and give up.
It wasn't long before she arrived, the oaken door in front of her. There was certainly no hope for keeping her nerves at bay, they were back and worrying her more than ever. She took a deep breath, reached for the doorknob, and turned.
Inside was an exhausted-looking golden dog, her fur tied up in a little bun with and some bells attached that jingled with each movement she made. She was dressed in business appropriate attire, and working behind the town hall's front desk, so Selena assumed her to be a secretary. When Selena turned back around after closing the door, she saw the dog's expression was brighter at seeing somebody. "Hello, welcome to the town of Twilight! How can I help you?"
Selena couldn't help but notice the dark circles under her eyes and feel bad. She must have been tired. "Um… I was actually looking for the mayor, I think? I'm moving into town, and, well, I think I'm supposed to speak to them…?"
Isabelle seemed even more happy at the prospect of a new neighbour. "Oh, that;s wonderful! I'm sorry to say that our previous mayor just retired, we've been looking for a replacement, but for now, I'm standing in. My name's Isabelle." She held out her paw over the counter, and Selena smiled and shook it with her own.
"I'm Selena. Sorry for just dropping in so suddenly without letting you know… I was kind of a sudden decision to move here." She said sheepishly. "But it isn't too much of a hassle, is it?"
"Not at all!" Isabelle responded with a cheery expression, pulling out some paperwork from a drawer. "We'll just have to do some paperwork, then you can visit Mr. Nook to sort out some living arrangements… And then we should be all good to go. Alright, so name… That's Selena. Age?" Isabelle mumbled out loud as she read.
"I'm nineteen. My birthday is the twenty-third of February." Selena nodded, then peeked at the sheet to see what was next. "I used to live in the city; in Lakewood nearby." Isabelle nodded, then wrote it down. "Current residence… We'll worry about that later. What about employment?"
"..." Selena remained quiet for a moment, then sighed. "I'm currently unemployed as of recently, but I will be getting a job soon - hopefully." Isabelle nodded, noticing Selena's expression and deciding not to push her for details. "We're a small town, so there's not many of us living here, yet there are a few local businesses who are always looking for help. Or," Isabelle seemed eager to speak. "You could always run for mayor!"
"Mayor…? Me?" Selena seemed nervous. "I'm not quite sure I'd be fit for the job. You seem really capable yourself though, why not become mayor and then go looking for a secretary?"
"To be honest, I don't really think I'd do well as a mayor either… I'd much rather do secretary work like before." Isabelle laughed lightly, but it didn't quite seem like a laugh. "Mr. Tortimer, our old mayor, retired to go to a tropical resort island nearby. And none of our other residents want to take up being mayor now that he's gone, since he did such a good job."
"I see…" Selena frowned slightly. Sure, being mayor sounded awesome. But she didn't even know anyone here and this was her first time in Twilight. Plus, it seemed like such a job would put a lot of pressure on whoever was doing it.
"Well, the paperwork is mostly finished. I need to submit it into the system and whatnot, so would it be okay if I showed you where to find Mr. Nook on the map?" Isabelle asked this reluctantly, afraid that maybe Selena would get lost- and, she was disappointed due to the fact that she couldn't go along with her new acquaintance for a nice walk out of the town hall..
"Sure, that's fine." Selena nodded and took out the map. "Actually, I hope it's okay, but I got this map from behind the counter at the train station. I thought there would be somebody working there." She handed the map to Isabelle, who found a red marker and began to circle a building on Main Street.
"Oh, Porter took the day off today to go play some golf with his friends-" Isabelle abruptly stopped speaking, a worried expression on her face.
"What is it…?" Selena asked, worried herself.
"If Porter is gone on another golf trip… that means Mr. Nook is gone as well…" Isabelle sighed deeply. "We can't get any living arrangements set up for you without him…"
"I can just hop on the next train and visit my uncle." Selena's eyes then widened. "But… that train was the last one today, wasn't it?"
"Um…" Isabelle trailed off, desperately trying to think of something. "Oh! You could stay at my place if you needed to! We, um, don't have any extra beds… but we do have a couch? If that's okay?" Isabelle offered a smile, hoping that would be enough.
"Y-you don't have to do that!" The rose-coloured fox exclaimed, waving her paws around. "That's too much. I'm sure I can just crash at the train station. There's benches there -"
"But, Selena, it's the middle of fall. It's going to be freezing in there." She pleaded. "I promise it's okay, I don't mind and I'm sure my twin brother won't either. It won't be a bother at all! I just don't want you having nowhere to rest…"
"You're sure?" Selena asked reluctantly, staring down at the ground nervously. "Of course I am!" Isabelle exclaimed, then rolled up Selena's map and handed it back to her. "I'll call a town council meeting first, though. I'm sure everyone wants to meet their new neighbour!"
Selena gulped nervously. "If I can ask… How many people are in the town council?"
Isabelle's expression brightened, excited. "Everyone living here! Minus Mr. Nook, Porter, Hopper and Mr. Blathers, since they're on a golfing trip. So that would be…" She paused her preparations to do the math in her head. "Including me and you, fourteen of us. Eighteen when the others are here!"
Selena breathed a sigh of relief. It wasn't as many people as she thought. "Huh. Guess Twilight is as small as a town as everyone says." She stated neutrally, yet Isabelle couldn't hear her; she was distracted with setting up an announcement over the town's loudspeakers.
"Hello everyone! How's your afternoon going? I'd like to call a town council meeting in the plaza, please! We have a new neighbour!"