The Fireworks Show Part 1
The month of July was coming to a close and advertisements for the fireworks festival were already in full swing. Everyone was excited that the first fireworks show of the year was coming up, especially for Roll and her friends.
Despite the double drama during their trip to the islands, everyone was able to say that it was a great vacation. Isabelle not only felt refreshed but also was much happier too. This was for two reasons. The first was because Roll had helped her write out a schedule so she knew when to work, to rest, and to take breaks. Roll even had her take Sundays off. Isabelle had asked what if an emergency occurred. Roll's answer was direct and simple.
"If something comes up, then we'll deal with it together. Otherwise, you just rest and don't worry about worst case scenario. We'll prepare ahead of time so we can be ready for anything."
It was the best answer Isabelle could hear and she had to admit, not trying to jump ahead really gave her the opportunity to clear her mind and she didn't feel so bogged down anymore. This brings the second reason she was happier. While she and KK had stayed friends, that didn't mean they had closed the door for any romance. He would often stop by the office several times a day before doing his DJ KK job. Sometimes even practicing his guitar in the town hall while Isabelle did her work. He also continued her guitar lessons, which Roll didn't mind cause despite him being around more often. Isabelle was still finishing her work...ahead of schedule.
Despite it being only a week since she had returned from the island, she was more than eager to accept an invitation from Sakura's friend, Anemone. She had invited Roll and her friends to join her for fireworks festival. Also, while the fireworks show was not for another three days, Anemone had invited her to spend a couple of nights at her house. Roll just figured the twelve year old girl just wanted to get to know her better. She didn't mind that a bit. She was growing to like making new friends. She was looking forward to meeting the girl Sakura not only called her best friend, but also "the lemon fairy". In addition, Anemone had also extended the invitation to the slumber party to Roll's friends as well. Roll had asked Sable, even knowing she probably wouldn't be able to and that was the case. In the end, Margie, Rosie, and Bunnie were more than willing to take the trip with the blonde girl to Flower Town.
So that is where Roll was going today, she had dressed into a pink strapless top that had a white trim on the chest with a creamy pink pep-squad style mini-skirt. She had also left her hair down, which had been cut but was still more than halfway down her back, with her sunhat. She had considered wearing a sandal, but her friends told her to just go barefoot and not worry about what Anemone thought about it. Unlike last time, Roll took their advice but still packed a pair of sandals just in case.
The four friends were now riding the train on route to Flower Town, which was the name of Anemone's town. They were all very excited about the trip, including Roll, even if she did feel a little nervous. Margie had been sketching to pass the time and was sitting right next to Roll on the train. Bunnie and Rosie were sitting across from them, just reading a gossip magazine together. Margie was just looking at Roll as she was fingering something on her top.
"Is your top loose, tootie?" Margie asked curiously.
"Oh, no, no," said Roll with giggle, "I was just playing with my new locket." Roll removed her hand and showed Margie a golden heart pennant that had a gold chain. Bunnie and Rosie had just lowered their magazine and gasped in excitement at seeing the necklace.
"Oh that's so pretty, tee hee," said Bunnie in surprise.
"Where's did you get that, silly?" Rosie asked with just as much curiosity.
"The Able Sister's all pitched in to buy this for me," said Roll as she opened the pendant and show her friends the picture. Inside was a photo taken of the three hedgehogs all hugging Roll tightly.
"They wanted to give me something to remind me that I have a family now who loves me and wants me in their lives," said Roll, "I mean, I know you guys are my family and all but...they were willing to adopt me and...it's nice to know...I was good enough." The three other girls just chuckled to each other.
"We get it, tootie," said Margie, "I mean one of your biggest dreams was to have a mom who loved you. Now you have one."
"Yeah, I do," said Roll, "Thinking about Sable helps me feel a better too since I'm a little nervous. Sakura said Anemone is very, very sweet...and a bit strange, but mostly very sweet. I guess I'll feel better once we start hanging out. She said she was gonna give us a tour of her town once we get settled at her house.
"Is that why you had us come so early in the morning, silly?" Rosie yawned as Bunnie did the same. Their train had left at 7am and it was now approaching 9am as the train continued on its way towards their destination.
"Well I was excited to get to her town and so were the rest of you," said Roll, "I can tell Anemone you guys want a quick nap before we start the tour." Bunnie and Rosie giggled to each other.
"We'll be okay, tee hee," said Bunnie just as they heard a chime.
"Flower Town! Now arriving in Flower Town!" said the conductor.
"Oh! That's our stop!" said Margie, "Make sure you got everything with you!"
"We will Mom!" said Bunnie and Rosie in annoyance. It was such a nuisance to be reminded of the time they had taken a train trip to another town for shopping and had left their shopping bags on the train. They had learned their lesson, but it didn't help they had almost boarded this train and had left their suitcases at the station.
Once the train had come to complete stop, they exited out with suitcases in hand. And as soon as their town pass cards were checked out, they left the station building. As soon as they stepped outside, they found Anemone waiting for them. The instant Roll saw her, she couldn't help but smile. Anemone was wearing a strapless dress that was bright yellow at the top with a pastel yellow skirt that looked like flower petals and also had a waist belt that had a belt buckle that looked like a lemon slice. She also had a stitched lemon slice on the chest as well. Her hair was tied up in the same mini bun she had seen from Cherry's wedding and she also had a pair of yellow colored sandals on her feet in which the buckle had a lemon slice on it. Lastly, in her right hand was a solid gold wand that had a lemon at the top with a pointy star at its tip. Anemone smiled happily when she saw Roll appear.
"ROLL!" she shouted with glee and rushed towards the blonde girl. Before Roll could react, she was being crushed in Anemone's arms.
"You're so cute!" she gushed, "Big Hugs and Pokes!" The poking part came from her tapping the side of her "lemon" shaped wand against her cheek.
"Thanks," said Roll in a strained voice as she tried to catch her breath from her bone crushing hug, "Anemone..."
"Call me Lemon, Roll-chan," said Anemone with a cute smile.
"Oh...okay...Lemon," said Roll, "Where's your mansion?" Lemon giggled to herself.
"Just follow me," said Lemon, "Once you and your friends...oh you didn't tell me who you brought along with you, Roll-chan." Roll blinked before giggling to herself.
"Oh of course," said Roll, "These are my best friends, Margie, Rosie, and Bunnie."
"Very nice to meet you, tootie," said Margie with a polite bow.
"Same here, silly," said Rosie with a wave.
"I love your dress, tee hee," Bunnie added. Anemone giggled.
"Well your friends are very sweet," said Lemon, "come on. I'll take you to my house!"
"Before we go Lemon," said Roll, rubbing her feet together, "do I...well...what I mean is..."
"Roll likes to be barefoot," Rosie cut in, "do you mind, silly?"
"Thanks...Rosie," said Roll begrudgingly.
"Oh Roll can wear whatever she wants," said Lemon, "if being barefoot makes you happy, then it's okay with me. Just be sure to wipe your feet before entering my house okay." Roll smiled.
"Okay," she replied as Anemone guided them towards her house, which was located near the west side of town, close to the cliffside. Roll couldn't help but notice that the exterior of her house looked different.
"How...did you get your house to look like a Japanese mansion?" said Roll, "I recognize the style from Yumi's castle."
"When you check Tom Nook's shop," said Anemone, "You'll see a miniature house model on the right side when you walk in. Once you've built all the rooms that are possible, you can change the shape of your house. I'm assuming you've got the mansion model, which is the default. You can also go with a modern house, Zen palace, and even a fairy tale castle."
"Oh the fairy tale castle would totally be you, silly," said Rosie.
"Or the modern house since you are pretty chic, tee hee," Bunnie added with Margie nodding in agreement.
"I'll have to think about it," said Roll, "I'm pretty sure such an exterior renovation is expensive."
"This one cost me 398,000 bells," said Lemon, "and you have to pay it all upfront. No house loans for this one."
"Oh boy," said Roll wearily.
"Anyway, come on inside," said Lemon, "Just be sure to wipe your feet okay." Roll nodded as Lemon slipped off her sandals and set them against the entrance before opening the door. The inside of her main room was very mansion like but it was also very cozy since she had a pair of comfy white chasse sofas that surrounded a low table. The outer walls were decorated with various sorts of items such as lucky cats, a gold dharma, various rare flowers, a old fashioned music players and a modern wood cabinet to name a few. Her floor was also covered with a very large purple rug that Roll couldn't help but curl her toes into since it was so soft. That was she noticed Lemon was wearing sheep slippers.
"I like sheep, they are so kawaii!" she said giddy and made a pose that cause her entire body to sparkle and her left leg pop up. The rest of the group giggled as they made their way inside.
"What is "kawaii"? Roll asked, not remembering if she had asked that before.
"It's just Japanese for cute," Lemon explained, "it's who I am I like things that are both kawaii and kowai."
"What would "kowai" mean?" Roll asked her again.
"It means scary," said Lemon, "For example, I like a good horror movie as much as the next person."
"That's not the only thing she likes that's scary, silly," said Rosie from the inside the north room.
"Rosie, you know its rude to explore someone's house without asking, tootie," Margie scolded.
"It's alright, Margie," said Lemon, "You can check out the house if you want. I'm gonna go get some black cherry juice."
"Why black cherries, tootie?" Margie asked curiously.
"I feel like I'm drinking blood," said Lemon. Margie's face paled as Lemon giggled to herself.
"Yeah, I think I said too much," said Lemon, "but cherry juice is cherry juice, that's just how I see it. Want some?"
"I'll take a glass, thank you," said Roll. Margie just opened and closed her mouth a bit before recomposing herself.
"Umm..." Margie was still at a loss for words.
"Just get her a glass," said Roll, "Margie loves cherries. Don't you?" Roll gave her a smile and Margie just sighed and nodded timidly before Lemon headed into the west room where her kitchen was located. Margie just sighed as Roll guided her towards one of the sofas, which the elephant plopped onto one of the chasse sofas.
"You know she was just kidding," said Roll, "You know cherry juice can be a dark red when its sweet."
"I know that, tootie," said Margie as she tried to relax, "I just forgot how squeamish I get at the sight of blood. And I mean a large amount of it, scrapes and cuts I can handle."
"I know Margie I know," said Roll, remembering a time Margie was teaching Bunnie how to chop vegetables and the rabbit cut her finger. But what made Margie pass out was when she thought Bunnie had chopped her finger right off until Roll had told her what she thought was Bunnie's finger was just a piece of carrot.
It wasn't much longer before Lemon handed everyone their drinks. Margie seemed the most nervous to take the glass but bravely did so. Yet it wasn't until she had actually taken a drink that she finally started to feel better. Lemon just set the tray down before sitting next to the elephant and folded her hands on her lap.
"I'm sorry if I disturbed you Margie," said Lemon, "It's just who I am. I hope you'll still be my friend." Margie just looked at her and then smiled.
"It's okay," said Margie, "I'm just a bit squeamish when it comes to blood, at least in a graphic sense." Lemon nodded.
"I'll try to remember that," said Lemon, "Most people like my kawaii side more than my kowai side anyways. Speaking of Kawaii...I gotta show you guys to your bedrooms!"
"I...hope none of us have to stay in the creepy room over there," Rosie remarked pointing at the north room and getting nudged by Bunnie to hush. Lemon giggled.
"That room is actually my office," said Lemon, "I use it to do my favorite hobbies and such."
"What...are your...umm...hobbies, tee hee?" Bunnie asked, afraid of what the answer might be.
"Stitching stuff animals, sticker collecting, handheld video games, and reading magna," Lemon answered, "especially Japanese magna."
"You can read Japanese, tootie?" Margie asked excitedly as she finished her cherry juice. Lemon nodded.
"Wow, silly," said Rosie, "I guess your bi-lingual too?" Lemon giggled.
"No, I'm can read Japanese, but not speak it," said Lemon, "Is...Roll-chan bilingual?"
"More like tri-lingual," said Rosie, "she can read and speak Italian and Russian, silly."
"Oh Rosie, I wouldn't go so far as to say I'm..."
"That is so cool!" Lemon gushed, "Roll I didn't know you could speak in different languages! So KAWAII!" Bunnie, Rosie, and Margie giggled to each other while Roll just looked annoyed. But directed her annoyance towards the three giggling girls.
"Come on, I'll show you guys to the guest bedroom," said Lemon, "It's in the east room over here. Lemon guided them towards the room and the girls were amazed. Inside the room was a very elegant guest bedroom that had several pieces of rococo furniture inside along with two large rococo beds, a full moon vanity, and even some pieces of light blue and white furniture that Roll didn't recognize.
"Where did you find those?" said Roll, pointing towards the sofa and table near the entrance.
"That's the princess furniture," said Lemon, "Gracie only sells them at her shop during the spring time."
"Gracie sells furniture too?" Roll asked surprised.
"She sells furniture and other items at her shop," said Lemon, "I can take you there later if you wanna go shopping."
"I'll see," said Roll, "Sakura said her wares are a bit expensive."
"They are," said Lemon, "but the items she offers are more than worth it, but first let me show you where you'll be staying Roll-chan."
"Where I'll be staying?" said Roll, "but...I was just gonna share one of the rococo beds..."
"I actually have your own bed up in my room," said Lemon, "if...if that's okay..." Roll was a bit stunned but then smiled.
"Sure," said Roll, "lead the way!" Lemon smiled excitedly before grabbing Roll's hand and pulling her upstairs. Lemon's bedroom was similar to the guest room except the furniture was completely rococo and there were two beds. Roll didn't need long to figure out which bed was hers.
"Can I assume that the bed that isn't covered with lots of plush toys is mine?" Roll asked and Lemon chuckled. Her bed was loaded with what Roll wanted to believe were a few dozen plush toys of all shapes and sizes. She could also tell that several of them were of Japanese origin.
"Yeah," said Lemon, "I just love plushies. I can't get enough of them! Just look at how kawaii they all look together. It's like one big happy family. And the best part is that these plushies won't try to chop your head off in the middle of the night!" Roll squeaked at the thought and Lemon put her hand over her mouth.
"I said too much again," she remarked, "Sorry...I have a weird sense of humor. Not that it means that I would hurt you. You're my friend. At least you know I won't eat your poop...oop! I said too much again...maybe I shouldn't talk anymore..." Lemon just turned away, knowing she was probably making Roll feel uncomfortable. Roll did feel a bit awkward but then she saw that Lemon's brown eyes had gotten a bit glossy, as if she was fighting back tears. Roll just took a deep breath and held the brown haired girl's hand, giving it a gentle squeeze.
"It's okay," said Roll, "Those things are disturbing, but I'll adjust. We all have our quirks. Look at me. I like going barefoot everywhere! And I hate shoes! They make my feet feel like they are gonna suffocate and die!" Lemon giggled.
"Well I'm not that big on being barefoot," said Lemon, "it's why I wear sandals or slippers."
"Just not your comfort zone?" she asked.
"No...well...you see," said Lemon, "I'm kind of clumsy so I would most likely stub my toes or hit my foot on something. I do that even when I wear shoes! It's embarrassing...at least with shoes I can hide the bruises on my toes or draw attention away from where it hurts." Roll giggled.
"It's nothing to be ashamed of," said Roll, "it's what makes you who you are. I also noticed that you have a bit of accent."
"I'm from one of those regions where girls are commonly called a "southern belle"," said Lemon, "I am so happy you like my voice. Those back home thought my accent was annoying."
"Do any of the villagers give you a hard time about it?" Roll asked.
"Oh no, they love my voice," said Lemon, "and they are so kawaii in their own special ways! Come on! You can unpack later! I want you to meet my villagers or as I call them, my real family!"
"Real family?" Roll asked, but she would have to wait for an answer as Lemon set her suitcase next to her bed and then pulled her back downstairs. Roll's friends were still unpacking when she entered.
"Come on, I can't wait to show you all my friends!" she said excitedly, "they need their daily dose of hugs and lemon pokes." She waved her gold wand to emphasize her point. Margie, Rosie, and Bunnie couldn't help but giggle as they tried to finish unpacking quickly before Lemon escorted them out of her house, changed from her slippers to her lemon slip on sandals, and then guided them towards the first house just north of her house. Roll and her friends were shocked to see that the house was rather run-down.
"What's with her house, silly?" said Rosie, "Whoever lives here is at risk of the house falling down!"
"That's just the ramshackle exterior and door," said Lemon, "she just likes old and worn down things."
"She?" Bunnie and Rosie asked together as they headed inside. This time Lemon didn't remove her sandals and just walked inside. Inside the house looked polar opposite to the outside of the house. The girl's house had a cobblestone floor with bamboo walls. There was an outdoor bath, spa sink and chair, and even a wash bin.
"This place looks lot like a Japanese bathhouse, tee hee," said Bunnie.
"Thanks, me-Wow," said a peppy voice. They turned and jumped in surprise to see a orange and brown stripped cat with a very toothy but also creepy grin on her face.
"Hi, Tabby!" Lemon said in a high pitched tone, "hugs and pokes!" Lemon tapped her wand against her cheek, making the orange cat giggle.
"Hi there Lemon!" said Tabby, "Whose your new friends?"
"This kawaii young lady is Roll," Lemon replied, "and these are her friends, Bunnie, Margie, and Rosie." The orange cat gave them a smile, which looked creepy, but they knew she was being friendly.
"It's really nice to meet you all, me-Wow," said Tabby, "just don't forget your first BFF Lemon!"
"Never!" said Lemon, placing a hand in shock at such a thought, "I would flood the river and drown everyone here if you ever left me Tabby. You were one of my first friend here in Flower Town!" Tabby giggled as they shared a sisterly hug with each other. Roll just smiled.
"Guess you can't always judge a book by its cover huh, silly?" said Rosie quietly.
"Pretty much, tee hee," said Bunnie, "Just cause Tabby has a toothy smile doesn't mean she is any different from you and me. She's still a peppy."
"Exactly," said Tabby since she had heard the both of them. Bunnie and Rosie blushed slightly in embarrassment since they hadn't wanted to be heard. Tabby giggled.
"It's okay," said Tabby, "it's not the first time I've been misjudged cause of my face. I mean I like a good horror picture or anime as much as Lemon here, but I still like a good gossip session and girl talk. I hope we can do manicures again Lemon!"
"Well I was gonna have a slumber party later tonight, Tabby," said Lemon, "wanna join us?" Tabby squealed with glee and bounced on her feet.
"You bet I would like too, me-Wow," said Tabby, "And let's not forget to invite Kiki as well!"
"Oh of course!" said Lemon, "We just wouldn't have a slumber party without Kiki-chan!"
"Is Kiki your other best friend Lemon?" Roll asked curiously.
"She is my kawaii kitty nyan-nyan," said Lemon excitedly, "You're not the only one to have villagers as best friends Roll chan. Tabby and Kiki are mine, at least in terms of girls."
"Oh you have boy best friends too, tootie," said Margie, "Roll here has a boy best friend."
"They make a cute couple too, silly," said Rosie.
"Rosie!" Roll retorted in annoyance, "it's not like that!" Sure she and Marshal were close but they only saw each other as brother and sister and nothing else.
"I get it Roll-chan," said Lemon, "It's okay if you do like him. I bet he's really good to you. Why else would he be your best friend?" Roll smiled and nodded in agreement as Lemon gave her a poke with her lemon wand.
"Now come on," said Lemon, "Tabby is just the first villager. We still gotta meet my other best friend."
"Let them meet Coco, me-Wow," said Tabby, "She another good example of someone who might look creepy but is actually really sweet and friendly."
"Oh Coco, she is so totally kawaii!" said Lemon, "Come on you guys!"
"Can I come too, me-Wow?" Tabby asked.
"Of course," said Lemon, grabbing her hand, "Let's get going!" Once Tabby had remembered and managed to lock her door, the group headed towards the opposite side of town where Coco had her house located. Along the way, they met Mint, a squirrel with light creamy "mint" colored fur that seemed to be a big fan of ice cream. She was even eating a mint ice cream cone when they spoke to one another. She even offered them a cone to eat along their way, which they accepted and they couldn't resist giggling when Lemon got a scoop of lemon sherbet for her flavor. The next was Hazel, who was a professional manga artist who had written several different manuscripts. She had even given Rosie and Bunnie and exclusive copy of one of her earlier works since she was the artist for the moon princess series. They got special handmade copies of issue number one, which they were very grateful to get. Lastly was Filbert, who seemed to be very obsessed with balloons. In fact, he almost floated away when he tied a cyan balloon to his tail. Luckily Lemon used her wand to pop it and bring him back down. She scolded him for being so careless but he seemed too upset at losing his balloon to notice. As they left the sobbing squirrel, they finally reached a rather wooden square house that belonged to Coco. Lemon got in front of the group as they approached the door.
"Just like Tabby said," said Lemon, "Coco's face might be creepy, but she is actually a real sweetheart."
"Just like me, me-Wow," said Tabby excitedly. The group chuckled to themselves as they entered and as they saw the rabbit, they screamed in surprise at seeing someone with large empty black eyes and with a smaller circular mouth. Coco just looked at them for a moment before turning away and started to cry. It wasn't longer before Roll and her friends felt guilty.
"We're sorry," said Roll, trying to do damage control, "we didn't mean to scream."
"Yeah it's not your fault your face is scary, tee hee," said Bunnie. That comment got her death glares from Roll, Rosie, and Margie as the burnt orange rabbit cowered back and Coco cried harder. Roll slowly approached Coco.
"Coco, please turn around," said Roll gently, "Bunnie didn't mean anything by that. So your face is different. That's not a bad thing...it just means your special." Coco stopped crying and turned to face her, cheeks stained with tears.
"I didn't ask for this face you know," said Coco, "I was just born with it. The only thing that might be considered creepy is my decor, but I just like the outdoor furniture, fossils, and gyriods, doyoing. But just cause of my face...people think am I freak!" Coco continued crying until Roll took both her hands in her own.
"You're not a freak!" said Roll, "and if you are, so am I!"
"How is someone as cute and pretty as you be a freak, doyoing?" Coco asked, her voice still cracking. Roll just lifted her left foot and wiggled her toes.
"I'm fetish," said Roll quietly, "and I go everywhere barefoot cause I hate wearing shoes. I'll probably be the only girl walking through the snow barefoot!" Coco just stared and then laughed.
"Being barefoot doesn't make you a freak, doyoing," said Coco, "Look at me! I'm not even pretty! Who could look at me face and say that I'm a beautiful girl?"
"I would," said Roll. Coco blinked and then looked at her angrily.
"Don't, doyoing," she retorted sternly, "Don't do that! Don't just say something like that to me for my sake!"
"I'm not," said Roll sternly, "I meant what I say and I say what I meant and I'll stand by it 100%!" Coco smiled at her with watery eyes.
"That means alot to me, thank you, doyoing," said Coco as she gave Roll a gentle hug. Roll giggled as she hugged her back.
"Anytime," said Roll, "I'm sure Lemon thinks you're pretty too."
"She's beautiful," said Lemon, "and so kawaii. I love her face! It's why I give it lemon pokes!" She tapped Coco cheek a few times, making the rabbit giggle since she was feeling much better.
"So...what brings you guys here anyway, doyoing?" Coco asked curiously.
"I invited some friends to stay for the weekend so they could join me for the fireworks festival on Sunday," Lemon explained, "We were going to have a slumber party later tonight. Did you wanna join us?" Coco pondered.
"Will there be lots of sweets?" Coco asked hopefully. Lemon giggled.
"Uh-huh," said Lemon.
"Count me in!" said Coco as she clapped excitedly and Roll and her friends cheered. Once they bid Coco farewell, they headed on towards Kiki's house. Along the way, they ran into Klaus. While he looked intimidating, he was very polite when he met them. Next was Jeremiah, who Rosie couldn't help but stop talking about how awesome the color blue was until Margie picked her up and carried the cat away. Genji was one of the male villagers that Lemon got kawaii overload about. While he was very similar to Rudy in Roll's perspective, he also had a like for both scary and zen like items, which could be seen by the types of items that were in his house. Once Lemon had calmed down did they finally let Genji do his daily workout and continue on their way towards Kiki's house. They had just crossed the final bridge when Bunnie noticed something.
"Wait a minute here, tee hee!" said Bunnie skeptically, "Kiki was just south of your house!" Bunnie pointed out in the distance where she could see Lemon's zen palace. Roll, Rosie, and Margie blinked in surprise as Lemon, Coco, and Tabby just giggled to each other.
"Well, this way you got to meet some of the other villagers in town," said Lemon, "I just haven't seen the one I really wanted you guys to..."
"Roll? Is that you, hi there?" said a voice. Roll blinked as she turned towards her side to see a rather familiar bear cub with yellowish fur.
"Tammy!" Roll exclaimed as the two embraced each other.
"How are you, hi there?" she asked excitedly.
"I'm great, Tammy," said Roll, "I didn't know you moved here!"
"Flower Town was the best place I could go to fulfill my dream of hosting costume parties, hi there!" said Tammy, "Lemon fairy really embraces that "cute and scary" part of herself really well. Once a month, I get to host a party here in town where we all dress up in costumes and just have a good time with each other. I've hosted two parties already and they've both been rousing successes! Other towns are asking for Lemon to open her gates to they can come!"
"That's great Tammy!" said Roll, "I'm glad things have turned out well for you!"
"It's all thanks to you, hi there," said Tammy, "I still feel indebted to you."
"Tammy, the past is the past and all is forgiven," said Roll and then noticed Lemon fairy smiling next to her, "Uhh...yeah Tammy and I..."
"She told me everything," said Lemon, "We've all made mistakes. Tammy needed a place where she could start her life with a clean slate and I was more than happy to give it to her."
"She's family," said Tabby, "the big sister I always wanted, me-Wow."
"Thanks Tabby," said Tammy, "Well I better get back to my house. I still got some work to do for my yukata for Sunday so I'll see you later, hi there."
"See you!" said Roll and waved her goodbye. She turned to Lemon as they headed towards Kiki's house.
"I'm glad to see Tammy is doing well," said Roll and Lemon nodded in agreement as they reached Kiki's front door. Lemon allowed herself in as the rest of the group followed.
"Kiki-chan?" she called out. The black cat was washing dishes when she heard Lemon's voice.
"Oh hello there dear?" said Kiki sweetly, "What brings you to my humble abode, kitty cat?"
"My new friends have arrived and I wanted them to meet you," said Lemon, "How could I not introduce you, my kawaii kitty nyan-nyan!" Kiki chuckled to herself. Kiki was used to Lemon's kawaii as well as her kowai side.
"Well then, let them come inside then, kitty cat," said Kiki as she waited patiently for Roll and her friends to let themselves in.
"Kiki-chan," said Lemon, "these are my new friends. Roll, the mayor of Animal town, and these are some of the villagers who are her best friends: Bunnie, Margie, and Rosie."
"Hi, silly."
"Glad to meet you, tee hee."
"Hello, tootie."
"It is an honor to meet you," said Roll with a polite curtsey. Kiki just smiled.
"It is a pleasure to meet all of you, kitty cat," said Kiki, "I do hope you enjoy your stay and pardon my daughter's random sense of humor."
"Mom!" Lemon exclaimed, blushing in embarrassment. Roll giggled.
"So you're Lemon's momma?" Roll asked the black cat.
"In a sense, kitty cat," Kiki answered, "Lemon was really shy when she first came here and was very insecure with herself. She was looking for a little love after what she had been through."
"Been through?" Roll asked curiously.
"That is a story for another time, Roll-chan," said Lemon, "Come on, We've still got one more villager that I really want you to meet." Roll looked a bit concerned but decided not to press the issue any further.
"Okay, Lemon," said Roll, "Oh! Before we go, Kiki...Lemon..."
"I remember Lemon's little slumber party, kitty cat," said Kiki, "I'll be there."
"YAY!" Lemon squealed, "hugs and lemon pokes Momma!"
"Hugs and pokes sweetie," said Kiki, "Now go on. I'm sure your friends will want to meet Kabuki. He's at his house."
"KABUKI!" Lemon screamed aloud, making everyone cover their ears.
"Indoor voice, kitty cat," said Kiki gently.
"KABUKI!" Lemon squealed again, but not as loudly, "EEEEEEEE!" Lemon then dashed out of the house and ran towards the villagers house. Coco and Tabby looked at each other, each holding a hand over their mouth to avoid bursting into laughter.
"I heard from Sakura that Lemon has these episodes called "kawaii overloads" but I had no idea this is what she was talking about," said Roll. Coco and Tabby were still trying to calm down as a few snickers escaped their mouths.
"Well when it comes to Kabuki, he is definitely one of the villagers that gets her the most excited, me-Wow," Tabby explained. Roll just laughed, but clearly looked a bit exasperated.
"And I thought it was bad when Rosie found a 60% off sale on pink dresses," said Roll. Rosie looked indignant.
"Oh and you're reaction to that shop that had all those Super Mario Brothers plushies wasn't kawaii overload, silly?" she retorted and Roll blushed deep red as Rosie and Bunnie giggled to each other.
"I think you better go find Lemon, kitty cat," said Kiki, "The poor guy must feel like he's being held hostage in his house right now."
"Oh please don't bring that up, doyoing," said Coco, looking a bit distressed, "It took all three of us to drag her out the last time that happened! The claw marks are still on his door posts!"
"Why does she have such a kawaii overload with Kabuki, tootie?" Margie asked, "Does she like him or something?"
"We think she does but yet she says that it's not romantic, me-Wow," said Tabby, "yet the kawaii overloads she has over him kind of say otherwise."
"Tabby, she was telling the truth about that," said Kiki, "She just thinks he's really cute, but its platonic, kitty cat."
"I still think otherwise, but that's just me, me-Wow," said Tabby, "We better go save Kabuki...again." Roll and her friends nodded as they bid Kiki goodbye and then headed towards his house. Surprisingly, he was just south of Lemon's house. Tabby and Coco wasted no time rushing inside but were surprised to see that Lemon was just sitting quietly with a cup of lemon tea in front of her as Kabuki was cooking something.
"Oh hi there," he replied, "what's the emergency, meooo-OH!" Tabby and Coco was rather surprised at how calm Lemon was being around him when the white cat recognized the blonde girl.
"Roll?" he asked curiously, "is that you, meooo-OH?" Roll blinked a bit before her memory caught up with her and she gasped.
"Oh yeah!" said Roll, "You were training with Yumi in Kung Fu when I came by. You were one of the boys who looked out for me while I was there!"
"Really?" said Tabby and Coco in shock. Even Lemon looked stunned and grabbed his arm.
"MY KABUKI! MINE!" she bellowed, "HARD POKES!" Unlike her other pokes, which were with the side of the wand, this poke used the pointy end of the star on top of her lemon wand.
"Ouch!" said Roll since she felt that sharp point of her wand against her cheek and stepped back.
"Easy there, Lemon," said Kabuki, "Roll was learning how to protect herself and while she was clearly a better fighter, I wanted to look out for her. You know...like a good friend does, meooo-OH." Lemon just looked into his yellow eyes and softened.
"Sorry," said Lemon and released his arm, "You're just so cute and I like having you as my kawaii kitty nyan-nyan!" Kabuki chuckled.
"I understand," said Kabuki, "I'm used to your kawaii overloads. Quite flattered you get them over little old me, meooo-OH!"
"Surprised, but you are SO KAWAII!" Lemon gushed. Now it wasn't just Tabby and Coco, but also Rosie and Bunnie who were covering their mouths and trying not to burst out laughing. Margie could tell they were gonna burst.
"Well it's nice to meet you Kabuki," said Margie, "I think I better take these four outside. Will you be okay Roll?" Roll was still stunned at the hard poke but then recomposed herself and nodded. Margie smiled as she escorted the other four girls outside of the house. As the door closed, Lemon put a hand against Roll's cheek. The gesture unnerved the blonde girl a bit before she noticed the sad look on her face.
"I'm sorry for poking you so hard, Roll-chan," said Lemon, "I don't know why I did that. I mean I've gotten kawaii overloads over Kabuki, but I've never gotten possessive of him before. I hope I didn't hurt you." Roll could hear the sadness in her voice and smiled.
"It's okay," said Roll, "You didn't hurt me. Just startled me with the sharp tip. I'm alright Lemon." Lemon just nodded before turning to Kabuki and gave him a quick hug.
"Hugs and pokes, Kabuki," said Lemon, "I'll see you."
"See you later Lemon," said Kabuki as the brown haired girl made her way outside and Roll followed until Kabuki grabbed Roll's arm.
"Kabuki?" Roll asked curiously.
"I wanted to speak to you alone about something, meooo-OH," he replied quietly, "As I remember, you were a good person to confide in about stuff."
"What's up?" Roll asked curiously. Kabuki just looked at her bashfully, unsure of what to say, which was kind of funny since it was quite a contrast. With all the makeup on his face, it tended to make him look rather intimidating.
"Roll, what do you think about Lemon, meooo-OH?" he asked. Roll just blinked, feeling a bit puzzled at his question.
"She's really sweet and friendly," said Roll, "Why?" Kabuki just rubbed the back of his head sheepishly as his cheeks suddenly turned deep red. It didn't take much longer before Roll realized what Kabuki was trying to say.
"Kabuki..." Roll said slowly, "Do...do you have a crush on Lemon?" Kabuki just blushed deep red and just looked at the blonde girl shyly before he nodded.
"She's always so happy and excited to see me," Kabuki explained, "Plus she always knows how to make me smile. She's so sweet, kind, caring, not to mention absolutely beautiful, meooo-OH." Roll giggled to herself.
"You really like her," said Roll with a smile on her face, "but...why tell me?" Kabuki chuckled.
"Cause I can trust you not to say anything about it?" said Kabuki, "Nobody needs to know, mew-OH!"
"Why not!?" said Roll surprised, "You should tell Lemon how you feel."
"Are you kidding me, meooo-OH?" Kabuki retorted, "She probably would stop being my friend if I said anything."
"I don't think so," said Roll.
"Well how would you feel if one of your male villagers came up to you and said that they had a crush on you, meooo-OH?" he asked. Roll then just blinked in surprise.
"You are kidding?" Roll asked her curiously, "I'm not worth anyone's love interest in my town." Kabuki snorted.
"You are the strongest fighter I have ever met," said Kabuki, "and you faced the Uchi gang all by yourself! Yet you don't think boys wouldn't be attracted to you?"
"It's not that," Roll retorted, "I just...I'm just not looking for a boyfriend right now. I need stable love in my life and romance just seems too...unstable."
"Well, that's why I don't want to tell Lemon," said Kabuki, "Why ruin a good thing over feelings, me-oh?"
"Yeah, but you shouldn't keep your feelings to yourself," said Roll, "You should be honest with her." Kabuki just sighed to himself.
"Well, it would be nice if I could be her date for the fireworks show," said Kabuki, "That seems like a innocent date opportunity. Just not sure how to ask her."
"I'm sure you can do it," said Roll, "I know I have no right to give any advice..."
"Any advice or tips from a friend would be very useful," said Kabuki, "So please speak freely, meooo-OH."
"Try not to rush anything," said Roll, "Just stay friends even if you ask her on a date. Then just let the feelings come out on their own."
"Sound advice, meooo-OH," Kabuki nodded, "I guess my biggest worry is that my feelings might be one sided."
"Well if you take things slow, then you will be able to at least come to terms with your feelings and Lemon can do the same," said Roll, "Trust me Kabuki, you will either feel something or you both will not. Lemon doesn't seem to be the type of person to break anyone's hearts, especially yours." Kabuki just nodded.
"Point taken," said Kabuki. It was just then Lemon walked in.
"Is everything okay?" Lemon asked curiously. Kabuki then felt like he couldn't speak.
"Roll was...uhh...just sharing me...uhh...good cooking recipe, meooo-OH!" Kabuki stuttered and turned the blonde girl. She had given Kabuki a puzzled look but decided to help him out since he was looking rather nervous with Lemon around. Suddenly it made sense to Roll why Kabuki was so quiet when Lemon was having her kawaii overloads.
"Y-yeah," Roll replied, "Kabuki wanted my recipe for homemade pizza."
"That's right, meooo-OH!" said Kabuki quickly, "Sorry for keeping her here so long Lemon. I'll...uhh...see you later." Kabuki felt his cheeks turn pink again but Lemon didn't seem to notice and just gave him a cute smile. A smile that made Kabuki's knees turn to jello. He loved the way Lemon smiled.
"Okay then, Kabuki," said Lemon, "hugs and pokes! Now come on Roll! We got other things to see and shopping to do before we get ready for the slumber party later tonight." Roll just nodded as she followed the brown haired girl out of the house. Yet as she left, she took notice that Kabuki looked rather sad to see Lemon leave.
Afterward, the topic of Kabuki took a backseat as they continued to enjoy the sights. Roll noticed that while most of the bridges and town hall were fairy tales themed as well as a few lampposts and benches, Lemon also had a couple of zen public works projects as well, but the most amazing thing was that she had an emporium which was the next upgrade that Roll needed for her town.
"I hope Gracie is in today," said Lemon, "I'm sure she would love your outfit!" Roll just chuckled sheepishly as they continued to browse the shop. She really didn't want to meet Gracie and was very nervous once they headed to the third floor where GracieGrace was located. Roll instantly felt a huge wave of relief when she looked around and saw that the fashion icon was nowhere to be seen.
"Thank goodness," said Roll. Lemon looked at her worried.
"Why are you afraid to meet Gracie?" she asked curiously as the rest of the group started browsing the shop.
"Just...still learning to feel...beautiful," said Roll, "I don't need her..."
"There is no way she would not think you're not beautiful, Roll-chan," said Lemon, "If she even dares, I'll give her a hard lemon poke and I won't be sorry for doing it either!" Lemon waved her wand to prove her point as Roll giggled to herself before browsing around. She ended up buying quite a few of the summer clothes, such as the flashy hairpin, black floppy hat, butterfly dress, and she just couldn't resist getting the pink tank and lacy skirt. Once they finished the rest of their shopping, they went to get everything ready for tonight. While Lemon originally wanted to handle the cooking alone, Roll was more than willing to help.
"I normally don't have people help me in the kitchen," said Lemon, "Worried people will chop their fingers off and burn the rest of the house down so that it crushes me and makes me splatter all over the floor...and I said too much again..." Roll just giggled.
"Don't forget Lemon that I am a prodigy when it comes to cooking," said Roll, "I know how to do a perfect risotto. Something even people twice my age spend their lives perfecting and never do!" Lemon giggled and conceded. She was glad that she had. Roll helped her do everything she had wanted to do so they had lots of homemade party foods and snacks to eat. Roll took notice that when it came to sweets that she put a kawaii touch to the cookies and brownies and yet the only kowai treat were some cupcakes that had crumbled cookie on top with a gummy worm sticking out of them.
By the time it was dark, everyone was just enjoying all the sweets and were wearing their pajamas. While Roll had Sable make a pair of her summer pajamas in pastel yellow with a white headband, Lemon had worn a rather cute tee shirt that had the face of a sheep on it with a pair of baggy yellow pajama capris. Unlike Roll, who had stayed barefoot, Lemon had kept her slippers on, even while sitting Indian style next to her. The rest of the group were also in their pajamas as well yet Margie was the only one wearing a tank with baggy capris pants like Lemon's but were light green with cherries on them. Everyone else was in a sleeveless nightgown that was knee length. Lemon gathered everyone into her office, which was also her kowai room and turned off the lights as she told them a good kowai story.
"Long ago," Lemon began, "there was one this doctor who was loved by everyone in the town. He always knew how to make those who were sick and injured not just feel better, but happy as well. Everyone who went in hurt, frightened or scared came out with a smile on their face and the doctor was very happy with his work. Then one day this young boy came into the office. He had come in crying that his ankle was hurting. The doctor took him into his office to examine him. The entire time the young boy wouldn't stop screaming for his life. No matter what the doctor tried to do to examine him, the boy refused to stop his ear-piercing screams. It seemed everything the doctor tried to examine his ankle made the boy screamed louder. Then the boy tried to run away and tumbled into the floor, still crying. That was when his mother came in, found the boy on the floor sobbing. The boy said that the so called doctor had tried to hurt him. The doctor tried to defend himself but the mother wouldn't listen as she angrily took the child away."
"Talk about a brat, tootie," said Margie.
"Indeed," Lemon continued, "From that day on, the doctor found that he no longer could get any patients. He discovered that the angry mother had told everyone that he had hurt the boy. He tried to prove his innocence but nobody trusted him. He soon found that both his office and waiting room were empty. A month had passed and one day he was busy watering the flower outside, trying his best to keep his doctor's office in good shape despite no customers. He saw the boy walking by. The same boy that had ruined his reputation. He just looked at the boy when the boy just looked at him and laughed at him before sticking his tongue out at the doctor and walked away, showing no remorse. That hit a nerve for the doctor. Some might even say that something snapped as he threw his watering can to the ground and stomped inside. That was the last time he was ever seen in public. For he no longer wanted to help others. He wanted...revenge."
"Oh boy," said Roll, now seeing the scary part was coming up.
"The revenge consumed his mind, heart, and soul," Lemon continued, "it was all he ever thought about. He wanted everyone to pay for what they had done to him. He especially wanted that boy to pay and everyone that might have known him. One evening, in his madness, he tried combining medicines together. Figuring he could make some sort of poison. Just as he was finishing mixing some ingredients together, the mixture exploded."
"GASP" Rosie, Bunnie, and Margie exclaimed.
"The explosion was heard all over the town," said Lemon, "they found that the doctor's office and home was now in flames. They assumed the doctor was long gone, but they still tried to find him. Yet what scared them to most was then three of the villages ventured into the brunt building to find the body...they never came out. Those outside described their screams as someone who cried out in terror and were instantly silenced."
There was a long silence before Lemon proceeded.
"The town the doctor lived was soon abandoned and fell into disrepair. The surviving villagers had moved away in fear that staying would cost them their lives and the lives of those they loved. Thirty years would pass before the young boy, now a man, had returned to rebuild the town. Despite everyone's fears and warnings that the town was haunted, he returned to the town he had once called his home. As he examined the hundreds of now dead, fruitless trees and weeds that had now populated the grounds. His feet came towards the old, now abandoned doctor's office. He had plans to destroy the building when he suddenly felt a cold chill brush his fingers and suddenly the door to the doctor's office slowly opened on its own. The man didn't think much of it before he felt a large gust push him inside and the door shut tightly. The man couldn't see anything in the dark but heard the creaks of the aged floorboards beneath his feet."
It was at this point in the story Tabby had started tip-toeing back into the room since she had mysteriously disappeared when nobody was looking. She was slowly making her way towards the group as Lemon continued the story.
"The man suddenly felt very cold," Lemon continued, now lowering her voice, "he could feel an ominous presence moving about the room. The click-click of his shoes tapping slowly against the floor. The man couldn't see where the footsteps were coming from. Then he felt something warm against the back of his neck. He turned around...and his face paled at what was before him..." Lemon flashed a light on Tabby, who was covered, wearing glow in the dark goggles over her eyes and holding a axe that had red paint on the blade of it. Her trademark smile made her presence even scarier.
"Are you ready for your final examination?" she asked in an overly sweet tone as Lemon flicked a piece of tin foil and flickered the light.
"EEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEK!" Roll, Rosie, Bunnie, Coco, Kiki, and Margie screamed at the top of their lungs as they huddled together in fright. Tabby stared laughing as did Lemon before she turned on the main light. Then Lemon gave a light scream of her own. The group looked at her fearfully.
"Tabby! You got flour all over my nice clean floors!" Lemon scolded angrily, her southern accent heard clearly in her tone.
"Sorry!" Tabby exclaimed as she set the axe on her desk, "Do you think it's easy making flour stick all over my orange fur?" That was when the group suddenly relaxed and just looked annoyed at the orange cat.
"Tabby, you scared the jelly beans out of me, silly!" said Rosie.
"I thought I was gonna jump out of my skin, doyoing!" Coco exclaimed.
"I found myself needing to go to the bathroom during the story, tootie," said Margie, "I don't think I need to anymore!"
"Ewww!" Bunnie exclaimed as she scooted away until realizing that Margie was just bluffing as Lemon just chuckled.
"You'll be okay," said Lemon, "I just wanted to give my guests a good scary story and thanks to Tabby, despite the mess that's driving me crazy right now, I did my job."
"I'm sorry, me-Wow," said Tabby, "Let me help you clean up this mess!"
"First we need you to clean off all the four first," said Lemon, "you're still spilling it all over the floor."
"I'm sorry!" said Tabby sadly.
"Why not try vacuuming it off," said Roll, "and using a cloth so she can wipe off the excess on her face."
"Good idea, Roll-chan!" said Lemon, "Just please stay in here until I can get the vacuum. I don't want anybody walking through all the flour. I kind of did and now I have to walk barefoot on my floors till I can shake the flour off my slippers!"
"What's wrong with being barefoot?" Roll asked lifting left leg and wiggling her toes. Lemon just smiled as the other girls giggled as she went to get the vacuum. Roll then remembered about Kabuki and decided now was a good time to asked the other's about him with Lemon busy.
"Hey, Tabby, Coco, Kiki," Roll asked as she sat Indian style and held her ankles, "can I ask you three a question about Lemon?" The three looked at each other and then gave the blonde girl a warm smile and nodded at the same time.
"Are you guys sure that Lemon doesn't have a crush on Kabuki?" she asked. The three girls looked at each other for a moment and then laughed.
"Roll, you are clearly mistaken, kitty cat," said Kiki, "Lemon doesn't see him that way at all."
"She just thinks he's kawaii, doyoing," said Coco, "she says that she's not into guys honestly. Or love for that matter."
"So...she wouldn't be interested in dating him?" Roll asked and the three shook their heads.
"Of course not," said Tabby and then looked at her curiously, "Who gave you the idea that Lemon would, me-Wow?" Roll didn't want to say it was Kabuki and just looked at her feet and fingers her toes mindlessly.
"Oh...just asking," she said casually, hoping they would believe her. Fortunately they did and she let the subject go once Lemon had returned, slippers now cleaned and the her voice would have been drowned out by the roar of the vacuum gobbling up the flour on the floor and then sucking it off Tabby's fur. Roll was now feeling rather worried for Kabuki.
If Lemon has no interest in Kabuki... she thought, or even being in love...then what's gonna happen if he asks her out to the fireworks show?
The sparkly pose that Anemone/Lemon Fairy makes is "Lottie's All Set" emote from Happy Home Designer.
The "moon princess" manga had already been referenced to exist in the Animal World. In fact, readers who have read this story will remember Bunnie and Rosie singing the Sailor Moon theme song.
Plus the sentence Roll says to Coco I believe is from Dr. Seuss. Roll is a very sincere girl.
Also a yukata is just another version of a kimono but is lighter and cooler and more fitting for the summer since most kimonos are long sleeved and near ankle length. At least traditionally since Animal Crossing kimonos are knee length in game.
Plus it is only in City Folk in which Gracie only appears sporadically in her shop. In New Leaf she is actually at her shop every day. Roll will meet Gracie soon enough.
Intros are done and Roll has taken on Kabuki's predicament. How will she help him?
Stay tuned.