A/N

Hey, everyone! I know this chapter is later than the others, but hopefully it'll have enough going on to make up for it.

This week, Ethan's going to resolve a villager conflict and get closer to Coco, while Kiki continues to ponder whether Ethan is in town or not.

Review answering time!

TheLonelyAbsol: Thank you for your kind review! Heh, your estimate on Kiki's joke isn't quite accurate, but a funny guess! Thanks also for your review on my Resetti story! About acres, every town has them...they're squares that separate the town into little parts of a whole. Wild World has 16, 4x4; City Folk has 25, 5x5; New Leaf has 20; 5x4 I think, and the original version has a glorious 30, 5x6. In AC for the GameCube, the acres are organized kind of like Battleship...A-1 is the northwestmost corner, and F-5 is the southwestmost corner. If you're on ACC, I have a map of N.Y. on there you can find!

Ichigo Erizabesu/Bitty: Thank you again for your review! Hehe...yes, yes she is. XD

Aw, MitziCrossing and Pokemonfan67 didn't review last time...alas.

On to the story!

"Whoa ho ho ho! Oh ho ho!" Tom Nook chortled as Ethan got up from from falling on the ground from tripping on the corner of the slow door.

"Yes, yes, it's hilarious..." Ethan agreed, somewhat insulted. "I mailed the letter to Kiki."

"Good job! It took you longer than I would have liked, so I'll have to dock you a bit. How does 130 bells sound?"

"Sounds good. Sorry for my lengthiness."

Tom Nook smiled. "But I'm glad you got it done. After all, if you can't even write a letter," Tom Nook suddenly appeared somewhat serious, "you're going to have problems in this town."

"Heh, Bunnie has already given me the idea that people here loooove their mail."

"It just means a lot that one will sit down and take the time to write somebody, hm?"

Ethan nodded. "Indeed...SO!" Ethan sighed, somewhat excited now and forgetting about his previous assault from who knows who. "What's next on the list?"

Tom Nook widened his eyes slightly. "Oh, yes, well...I, uh, haven't actually prepared the next package I need you to deliver, hm? I'm a bit behind..."

"Oh," Ethan mumbled. "I could go help some townsfolk and come back l-" Ethan stopped himself a bit too late. That wasn't...his...line...

"Why, that's just what I was thinking, Ethan!" Phew! "Clever boy, hm? You go ahead, and don't be gone too long, all right?"

"All right, thank you!" Ethan said as he almost ran into the door again. Almost. Missing it by a nose hair, Ethan was beginning to think he was actually beginning to get used to town.

Ethan stepped into the town square and took a whiff. It smelled clean and sweet, whatever it was. But there was a faint scent of...vegetables? And...B.O.? Ethan looked down and saw Snake staring up at him. "Gyah!" Ethan blurted. "Oh, sorry, Snake! I didn't see you there."

"Hey, it's cool, bunyip! What're you sniffing the air for?"

"Uh...I dunno," Ethan replied, suddenly kind of embarrassed. "I guess I just...being new in town, I wanted to take in this village as much as I can."

"Oh. Cool. Hope you like it here! If you ever need someone to hang out with, I'm your guy!" Snake said as he began to walk away.

"Uh, hey!" Ethan blurted again, not good at social conversation. "I was wondering if you had any odd jobs for me to do. Nook-er, Tom Nook is a bit caught up, so..." he realized he probably didn't need to mention that.

"Aw, yeah, killer timing!" Snake beamed. "Hugh borrowed my Game Boy and won't give it back! I oughta give that fool the old BAMA!" Ethan failed to restrain a smile. "So, anyway, I'm sick of dealing with it, so I want you to go to Hugh's place and get it back, OK?"

"Certainly," Ethan said.

"Thanks for your help. Don't forget, bunyip!"

And Ethan certainly didn't, as he jogged merrily to Hugh's house, where, thankfully, Hugh was. Knocking on the door, Ethan ducked in. It wasn't much of a duck...it never was...but Ethan didn't like how he was just an inch too tall. He was thankful he was able to get in, at least. He wasn't a total giant. Just taller than everyone else. And some doorways.

"...So, how's it feel to walk on the carpet of champions, la-di-da?" Hugh pridefully boasted...although there wasn't much to brag about, Ethan assumed. "Yeah, so what did you need me for, la-di-da?"

"I have-uh...let me start over. Do you have Snake's...Game Boy? I think it was a Game Boy...yeah, that's what it was. Do you have it?"

"So, are you here to get this Game Boy so you can return it to Snake, la-di-da?"

"Yep!" Ethan chirped, trying to hold back any sarcasm welling up inside him.

"I... I gotta say," Hugh chuckled sheepishly, "I didn't forget, really. I was actually thinking of maybe returning it probably tomorrow. Possibly." Hugh reached into his pocket ('So this is how everyone does it', Ethan noted, not knowing how pantsless people used pockets.) and pulled out a Game Boy in a gift bag. "Good luck, la-di-da." And Ethan left the house, ready to meet Snake in the town square.

WHACK!

"Whoever that is needs to cut it out!" Ethan yelled as he heard footsteps running away. He didn't bother turning around. He or she was gone, anyway. Finally returning to the town square, Ethan spoke to Snake and gave him his Game Boy.

"Hmm...what should I give you?" Snake thought. "How about some nice stationery? You're not disappointed, are you? Of course not! Not you!" Snake said, digging out some honeybee paper.

"Nah, I love stationery! Thanks a bunch, Snake!"

"No, thank you! Now I have all the errands I need done for the day done! Sweet! You be good! I'm gonna head on home and take a break! Whoo, bunyip!" And he was gone. Snake was fast, Ethan noted. Faster than he expected, for some reason. A lot was different from what he expected. This town was even more real than expected, for one thing.
Ethan found himself wandering around the Wishing Well, where he could hear a loud conversation between two snootier residents, Robin and Cashmere. That's odd...didn't villagers just talk for a second and then walk away with...usually a different mood? He didn't think they talked this long. Coco was standing off along with Bangle, who both spoke briefly just as Ethan thought should've happened with the snoots. Ethan just heard some brief words shared, but they were said simultaneously, quickly, and they didn't get much across. But Bangle definitely didn't have anything nice to say...he heard the phrase "shut up," so apparently this concerned an earlier argument. Bangle skipped away and Coco stormed away. Ethan could tell Coco's point was ignored by Bangle, whatever it was. Coco stormed near Ethan, and being his normal self, Ethan waved hi and uttered a friendly greeting.

"Don't you come near me!" Coco spat as Ethan drew back his hand, widening his eyes. "I'm not in the mood to chat, doyoing, so just leave me alone," she snarled as she stomped away.

Walking over to Bangle, Ethan scratched his head. "Coco seems awfully sore." Wait...can he start conversations like this? Is it all legal or whatever?

"Yeah, she's just sore because I'm right and she's wrong, growf! But it's not important! Need anything, growf?"

"I'm looking to help some people out with some odd jobs...need anything done, Bangle?"

"Nope, 'fraid not! Just this videotape that belongs to Coco, but I figured I'd burn it or whatever since it doesn't matter to me anymore, growf."

"What?! What kind of talk is that?" Ethan scoffed. "You can't burn someone else's property like that! Well, you can, but you shouldn't! That's just not nice!"

Bangle shook her head. "Duh! It's revenge! And I don't recall this being any of your business, anyway."

"Meh, I guess...I guess it isn't. Sorry I bothered you, then."

Bangle glared at Ethan. "Well, if you're here you may as well take this tape off me, O town peacemaker. It's yours now. I don't want it," Bangle said, reaching into her pockets. "Just don't give it to Coco, growf."

Ethan grinned a sly grin. "Hey, it's mine now. I can do what I want with it, right?" Ethan chuckled as he walked away, leaving Bangle fuming. "Hey, Coco!"

"I said I don't want to talk right now, doyoing. Leave me alone."

Ethan pulled out the unwrapped videotape. "But-"

Coco turned. "I said leave me a-hey! What are you doing with my videotape?"

"Bangle gave it to me. Since it's yours, I figured you ought to have it," Ethan smiled.

"Wow...I...thank you so much, doyoing. Sorry for snapping at you, but...we just get in the stupidest arguments and Bangle gets so worked up! She makes a federal case out of anything! She even starts wrecking stuff you gave her. I fear for my handkerchief now, but I have another, so it's ok. Besides, this tape is so special to me...it's got one of my favorite cooking shows on it, doyoing! Thank you SO much, Ethan!"

"You're welcome, Coco! Are there any odd jobs YOU need done?"

"Well...now that you mention it...I have Cashmere's magazine. Do you think you could give it to her, doyoing?"

"Sure, she's right over there, so just give me a bit and I'll try to give it to her," Ethan grinned as he, with magazine in hand, trotted over to Cashmere and Robin.

"...Well, MY boyfriend is the sweetest, la-di-da! He gives my delicious chocolates and flowers every week!" Robin was bragging.

"And you EAT them, baaaby? Hm...so that's why," Cashmere noted.

"What's why? Why what?"

Ethan had been staring at the two for a good thirty seconds now before actually finding a place to butt in. "Ahem!" Well, that was rude. "I'm sorry to interrupt, madams, but I just wanted to give Cashmere this magazine Coco had borrowed from her." About five seconds of awkward silence passed.

"Well, hand it over, stupid!"

"Right! Sorry, Miss Cashmere," Ethan apologized.

"Just Cashmere is fine! Formalities make me sound old, baaaby. ...And I'm not!"

"Yes, yes, of course! Here's your magazine."

Cashmere pocketed it and pulled out a single leaf. "Here, take this merge sign and go, baaaby. It doesn't suit my tastes."

Ethan pocketed said merge sign, thanked her, and walked back to Coco, notifying her of the item's deliverance before walking back to Tom Nook's shop. There was something about Coco, Ethan thought, that seemed really warm and inviting. It might have been her personality, but she did seem kind of the type that stayed inside a lot. Ethan never saw her far from her house much, after all.
Coco, on the other hand, was having some thoughts of her own. She was curious about this awkward boy. He was far different from SPEthan, the other human, but...very much the same. He was more talkative, and Coco liked talkers. She wasn't one to talk a lot, so this way they could share conversations instead of just trying to entertain a seven-year-old kid, or however old that little human was. Coco could tell Ethan, the human in front of her, was a lot older than...hey...Ethan and SPEthan? That's awfully similar, she noticed. Maybe she'd ask him about that sometime...


Kiki stared at the letter over and over again. SPEthan finished his job for Tom Nook years ago. So...why was he writing for him again? Aha! There was no space before his name. Everyone knows SPEthan has a space before his name, but no one knows exactly why...
Maybe her prayer was answered! Maybe Ethan, the human she had oft seen in the save room and through the eyes of her plush form but had never been truly able to contact, was finally here in the flesh! She thought it odd, though. She expected to enter his world, not he hers.
Now she was afraid. He wouldn't break the fourth wall a lot, would he? People could get banned for that...she knew there was a fourth wall. Everyone knew they didn't actually exist. That's what Resetti said, anyway. They could know, but they just couldn't let anyone else know they knew. But now that the fourth wall was pretty much broken down with Ethan here, could she finally just...let loose and talk about whatever she wanted? Could she talk to him at all, or would she be banished for being openly self-aware? Only a few could do that...Kiki and everyone else only could at designated times.
Her head began to swirl. She was getting dizzy just thinking about all of this. It was just too complicated. She was intelligent, but when it came to that stuff about the fourth wall, she just never could nail it. Everyone else seemed to have the same problem understanding it whenever they privately talked about it in their own homes when Ethan wasn't playing. And that brought another thought to her mind. How in the world is SPEthan running around when Ethan is possibly in town at the same time?!


A/N

Chapter 8 is over! In the next chapter, Kiki will finally meet Ethan...and SPEthan will soon meet Ethan! Will there be conflict or will there be peace?

Questions:

1: Coco doesn't know the relationship between Ethan and SPEthan. However, she seems to be quickly building a bond with Ethan she doesn't have with SPEthan. What are your thoughts on Coco? Is she a bit moodier than you'd like or do you think she just needs someone to open up to?

2: Snooty dialogue...did it remind you of the old dialogue or was I too far off?

3: Bangle is really a nice girl, but she's got a few anger-management problems, apparently. Do you think Ethan handled the conflict well or could he have handled it better? How would you have handled it?

Bye for now!