POV
Alex/ human

The insistent knocking on their door is what finally woke Alex up in the morning. "I'm coming, I'm coming; give me a second." Alex grumbled loudly as they hurriedly dressed. Running their fingers through their hair to make it halfway decent, they opened the door to see Reneigh standing there, holding her toolkit.

She ran a critical eye over Alex's lackluster appearance, but chose to not comment on it directly. "Good morning to you too, Sleepy head," she said dryly. "Bad night?"

"Was up too late," Alex yawned. "What are you doing here?"

Reneigh raised an eyebrow. "Your kitchen," she said pointedly, but there was a smile in her eyes.

Alex stared at her blankly before suddenly gasping. "My kitchen!" they exclaimed. "Oh, Reneigh, I'm so sorry!"

She snickered. "Don't worry about it; I'm in no rush. Besides, I sorta expected you to be on the beach this morning."

"The beach? Why?"

"To look for star fragments—I mean, meteorites. Blathers explained it to me once; it was something about surface currents and gyres, but for some reason the island is a hotspot for star fragments from shooting stars to end up on."

Alex's eyes grew wide in fascination. "And they are just sitting there on the beach?!"

"Well, yes, but I don't know for how long," she gave them a quick smile. "Tommy might have beaten you to it at this point—have fun!" She called as Alex raced past her and out the door, needing no more encouragement. "I think he typically starts down by the Campsite. And don't forget to stay out of the water!"

Alex dashed to the shoreline. Assuming Reneigh was correct in guessing where Tommy would be, they would start at the Campsite and work away from there. Alex could see the footprints in the sand, as the little tanuki had walked toward the stretch leading toward the Airport. Alex briefly considered going the opposite direction to search, but decided against it. I haven't seen a meteorite up close and in real life before. I'm not sure what they look like. Alex dashed after the footprints trying to catch up. Turned out Tommy wasn't too far ahead, as he had made it just past the Airport. At the sound of Alex's running footsteps on the sand, he turned to look to see who was coming. He smiled and gave a wave.

"Hey, Tommy!" Alex said breathlessly, once they reached him. "I heard about the meteorites. Any luck on finding any?"

Tommy nodded and pulled something out of his pocket. He opened his palm to show a small gray-black chunk of rock, about the size of a quarter. "Cool!" Alex breathed, "So that's what they look like." Tommy nodded again and put it back in his pocket. "So they will just be in the surf?" A second nod. "Alright then, let's get looking!"

Alex and Tommy walked along the beach, eyes looking around their feet, hunting for the small dark-colored rocks on the shore. At least they stand out in against the sand, Alex thought as they kept their eyes searching. They scanned the foaming surf, watching for the dark tumbling rocks in the water. Neither they nor Tommy was having any luck though.

They had climbed over some rocks sticking out over the water line—checking for hidden meteorites caught among them—when Alex finally spied one slightly ahead. It's a big on too! It was slightly larger than a fist, shifting faintly on the shore in the crashing waves. Unfortunately, Alex could tell by Tommy's slightly stiffened posture that he had spotted it at the same time. "Race you! First one there gets to keep it!" Alex yelled as they sprinted off, laughing. Alex raced along the tide-line, keeping to the hardened, wet sand where they had better traction. Even though they had a head start, they still kept running at full speed. Alex felt a little guilty at racing Tommy for it. It's not really fair. Tommy is just a kid after all. I should do the grown up thing, and just let him win to keep it. But Alex didn't feel quite bad enough—or grown up enough— to give up the meteorite that they really wanted. And Alex was certainly not prepared to give up the meteorite just to make Tommy feel good about winning.

Except Tommy apparently wasn't prepared to just let Alex win either. In a shockingly small amount of time, Tommy had not only caught up to them, but raced on by. It wasn't just that Tommy was fast; he had this weird, bounding kind of stride that allowed him to cross a much larger stretch of ground. It was…well…not human. He ran on by, feet kicking up sand, to snatch the meteorite out of the water. He turned around, chuckling gleefully, holding it above his head like a trophy.

"Well, I underestimated you," Alex gasped, as they finally caught up. "Good job." They bent down with their hands on their knees, as they gasped for breathe. If Tommy can outrun me, and he's just a kid, what does that mean for everyone else? What everyone had been trying to tell them was slowly sinking in. Fauna, Reneigh, Stiches—those hybrids could outrun me. Probably Isabelle and Ankha too. Raymond sure could. Not to mention that they can all see or smell better than me. Sure, they could outrun someone like Zucker or Lucky, but those two seemed more like outliers, as opposed to the average hybrid. And if the average hybrid was faster, or stronger, or had better senses… I really am at a disadvantage, the thought twisted uneasily through them.

Tommy was watching them, and must have seen the disappointment on their face. He misinterpreted it though, because he walked over and hesitantly held out the meteorite to them. "No, you won it fair and square." A stubborn look came to his jaw, and he held it out again, more forcefully this time. "No, really. It's fine. I'm fine." Alex shook their head, as if that would reset their expression, driving away the disappointment. "You keep it."

Tommy slowly put it in his pocket, looking far from convinced. Those blue eyes—which stood out starkly against the surrounding brown fur— were watching them way too closely for a kid his age. Alex could see that he was analyzing them, trying to judge their mood and reactions.

"Really, it's fine. I'll just be sure to get the next one." Alex teased with a wink. They didn't want to get into the real reason that they were upset. It wasn't Tommy's fault after all.

They both went back to walking along the surf, eyes still scanning for meteorites. Alex ignored the fact that Tommy kept glancing up at them, still not entirely satisfied with Alex's answer. Alex decided to try to distract him. "So, what do you boys do for fun around here? When you aren't minding the store?"

Tommy paused for a second, considering. . "I…I… ike….tooooo…" He made a frustrated sound and shook his head, giving up with a role of his shoulders. With an embarrassed smile at the corner of his lips, he reached up and touched his throat.

Alex frowned. Hm, I didn't want to make him upset. Maybe it would be easier if he only had to answer with a 'yes' or no'. "Hey, let's make it a game. I'll ask some questions, and I'll see if I can guess what you were trying to say. Want to play it?"

Tommy looked uncertain, but nodded anyway.

"Great! Let's see…" Lacing their fingers behind their head, they tilted their head back to better catch the sunshine on their face as they thought. "I know you like to fish. And gather meteorites. And winning races."

Tommy giggled. He skipped off to the side and picked up lone shell. "Shellllsssss"

"So you like gathering shells too, I would guess." Tommy nodded as he brought it back to them.

"Blathers also said that you used to help him with his Museum. That you would catch bugs?"

Tommy nodded proudly.

Alex was starting to notice a pattern. "What about stargazing? Do you like to do that with Celeste?"

Tommy had started to nod, but at the mention of Celeste's name, he abruptly shook his head.

"Oh, so not with Celeste then." Alex decided to not press it right then, but mentally filed that little tidbit of knowledge away. What did she do to you? "But you do like to stargaze?"

Another nod.

"Hmmm," Alex drawled as Tommy stopped to dig up a clam that was squirting up water in the sand. "Sounds like you like to do outdoor activities. Is that it? Are those your favorite things to do?"

Tommy gave them a big, toothy grin. "Beee…..oooowt…side." he managed to say.

"Ah, so you just like to be outdoors?" Tommy nodded.

Alex smiled at Tommy as he pocketed the clam, before brushing off his sand-covered fingers and claws. Sure, I eventually figured out what he was trying to tell me, but it took a while. And it must be hard to have people try to guess what you are trying to say all the time. As Alex watched Tommy smooth out the sand at his feet, an idea came to them.

"Tommy, do you know your letters?" Alex asked.

Tommy gave Alex a look that said quite clearly what a babyish question that was. He deliberately wrote YES in the wet sand with a clawed finger.

"Okay, so why don't you use pen and paper to comminute then?"

Tommy turned and glanced around, clearly looking for something. Not finding it, he scurried off into the tree line. "Hey, where you going?" Alex called after him.

Tommy waved behind him. "Stay," he said simply, before disappearing among the trees. He appeared again a few seconds later, coming back to the shore with a skinny branch. He snapped the twigs and leaves off of it, leaving a bare stick. When he was back next to Alex, he placed the stick in his clawed hand. Very purposefully, he held the stick as if it was a pen or pencil. Or more precisely, he tried to. Oh, his claws get in the way. He can't grip it to write properly.

"Oh, I get it. It would be hard to write, trying to hold it like that." Tommy nodded and tossed the stick away.

Well, that's a shame. It's a disappointing that he can't communicate—wait a second!

"Hey, Tommy, do you know what sign language is?" Tommy looked at them in interest. He slowly nodded. "Do you know it?" Tommy hesitantly shook his head. "Do you want to learn? It will allow you to talk without speaking or using paper."

Tommy looked at them seriously and then slowly nodded.

"Don't worry, it's easy. It just takes practice. I don't know a lot," Alex mentally winced. They really should have but more time into this. "But I do know the basics. And right now, we just need the alphabet. That is the main thing for right now. You already know how to use your letters and spell, so you just need to know how to make the signs to represent the letters. We can work on learning the proper signs for things later." Alex turned to face him more directly, getting excited. This is a bit of a rocky start, but it will work for now. They held up their fist, making the first sign. "This is 'A.'" Alex opened their hand to make the next sign. "B," Alex continued on through the alphabet, with Tommy eagerly watching and copying each sign. "Great. Now why don't you try to say 'hello'."

"HELLO, ALEX." Tommy spelled out, clearly a quick learner.

Alex smiled at him. "Hello, to you too, Tommy." Alex signed quickly. "Don't worry; you will get faster and cleaner with it. Now, what were you trying to tell me earlier? Why do you like being out here so much?"

"NOTHING. I JUST LIKE TO BE OUTSIDE." Tommy dipped his hand in the salt water and flicked it at Alex. Alex just snickered as they wiped the water off. "ITS CLEAN OUT HERE. FREE".

"Hm. I guess," Alex grumbled. "But we are trapped here, so I don't know if I would consider myself 'free'." Alex looked out at the sparking water. "We are surrounded on all sides by the water—which we can't go into—so it is kinda like we are in a cage—what?"

Tommy had made a sharp growl sound and vehemently shook his head. He reached down again and drew a square in the sand with three lines going down it. "CAGE." he signed deliberately before pointing to it. And then pointed to himself. "CAGE."

Alex looked down at the drawing, and then back up at Tommy. And then back down to the drawing again. The meaning of what the little tanuki was trying to tell them was slowly dawning on them. "You don't mean…like, a real…how long?" The questions ran together as one terrible thought connected to the next.

Tommy looked them with those solemn, blue eyes—clearly thinking— before beginning to count on his fingers. Alex was alarmed at the rising numbers, before Tommy just gave a shrug. "TOO LONG." He reached down and rubbed away the drawing, as if it would be that easy to erase something so horrible. He made a vague gesture around himself. "NOT A CAGE."

"Ya," Alex agreed weakly, "I guess you are right."

Tommy suddenly cocked his head to one side, as his ears shifted in response to a sound Alex couldn't hear. "NEED TO GO. STORE."

"Oh, right. Sorry to keep you so long." Alex stood up. "I'll come back—"

"Stay," Tommy said. He grasped their hand. "Nicssse… oooowt …"

"Um, okay, as long as you are sure." Alex said.

Those too serious blue eyes were looking intently at them, as if trying to convey something. "Stay…Allllllex," he said, was a squeeze of his hand. "Pleasssse…."

Alex gave him a smile. "Don't worry, Tommy, I'm not going anywhere. For better or worse, I am stuck here."

Tommy gave a snort and rolled his eyes, apparently not agreeing with Alex's attitude. He reached down, and scooped up a fistful of wet sand before chucking it at Alex's hair.

"Hey! Rude!" Alex laughed, as they ducked their head and brushed at their hair, trying to get most of it out. Tommy just gave his barking laugh and a wave, before he began the hike back to Nook's Cranny.

Alex sat on the now quiet beach in silence, watching the waves come and go. They pulled their legs up to their chest, and wrapped their arms around them. If someone would have seen them, they would have been surprised at how still the human was being. But Alex was deep in somber thought. After a few minutes, they finally came to their conclusion. It comes down to a matter of perspective.

For me, when I had the whole world to see and explore, staying on this island makes me feel trapped, suffocated even. But to Tommy (and I guess Timmy too) who…who lived…Alex's mind rebelled against the thought; it was so horrible. No wonder they like it here so much.

It's not like the island is a bad place. It could be worse. The island really was pretty, and peaceful, and everyone (for the most part) has made me feel welcome. It wouldn't be so bad to stay here…

But that was a hard pill for Alex to swallow. They loved to travel, to see everything, and to go everywhere. Alex just wanted to see the world. Maybe there is a way off, and I just haven't found it yet. I just have to keep looking. It's not like I have to commit to staying here. It can be like when I stay in one place to get a temporary job to boost my finances. That's it; I'm just here…for an extended stay. I just need to continue to make the most of it in the meantime. Speaking of making the most of it…

Feeling better now that they had a plan, Alex decided to head back to their house. They shouldn't keep Reneigh waiting too long after all. To their delight, Alex ended up finding a meteorite lodged in the rocks on their return route. Could have sworn Tommy and I checked there…oh well. They turned it over in their hands. It looked kind of similar to the one Tommy had won, but maybe all meteorites looked like that…? It wasn't as if they had seen many up close before.

Reneigh had been busy while Alex was away. There were several boxes off to the side, taking up the extra room in the house. "Your appliances," she said when they asked. "I went ahead and brought them over from Nook's Cranny. So you ready to get busy and wrap this up?"

"Absolutely!" Alex was eager to get this finished.

It wasn't too long after that the kitchen was finally complete. "Great job, Alex." Reneigh said as she gathered up all of the tools and leftover supplies. "You now have a fully functional kitchen."

"Nice! No more cold meals." Alex ran a hand over the gleaming counter. They had a small counter area, sink, and a compact oven with a stove area over it. They even had a mini refrigerator off to the side.

"Everything is hooked up and ready to use. You can see Nook about the bills, yes yes." She and Alex both laughed as she mimicked his voice. "You can also see about placing an order with him for any specific item that you want," Reneigh continued. "I'm not sure how many pots and pans they happen to keep in store. Plus, I assume you would want a microwave oven as well?"

"Yes, that would be great. Thanks again for all your help."

"No problem. You are getting better at DIY projects, by the way." She snickered at Alex's skeptical look. "You are."

"If you say so," Alex hedged. "At least I can start to check that off my to-do list. Now on to practicing my pole vaulting and using my slingshot." Then Blathers will have to give me his tool to get onto the cliffs. I should wait to explore the island until I am better prepared at least. Them I can get serious about finding a way off. "What are you going to do for the rest of your day?"

Reneigh gave a sigh. "Well, I do have another project to work on, but I'm not particularly excited to get started on it." She glanced at the watch on her wrist. "Maybe it is too late to get started on it," she muttered. "That is, even if she has finally picked out the spot for her house."

Alex looked at her in sudden interest. "What is this?"

"Oh, you haven't heard? Ankha has decided to move back into the village. So Mr. Nook commissioned me to build her house. Again. So I guess she plans to stay around after all. Goodness knows for how long this time though," Reneigh grumbled. "I mean, if he wants to keep doing this, he's in charge, but I would think he would do something to discourage it. Charge a cancellation fee or something."

"You don't like Ankha very much do you?" Alex asked hesitantly, wondering how much they could pry. "Why?" She seems nice enough, and a good friend to Lucky. But I haven't really spent much time around her.

Rather then being encouraged by the questions, they seemed to pull her out of her mood. "I shouldn't gossip…" she hedged. "It's just that… Lucky is already so fragile and vulnerable, I wish—never mind." She cut herself off with a huffing sound. "Sorry, I shouldn't involve you,"

"But—"

"It's nothing, really. Just a clash of personalities." She gave them a gentle smile. "Here, let's get your house cleaned up. Where is that willing assistant of yours anyway? I'm surprised he hasn't stuck his head in yet to check on you."

Alex laughed. "You mean Zucker? I'm sure he's around."

"Oh. I bet he is." She gave a wink. "He is stuck to you like glue. I hope it doesn't bother you…?"

Alex shook their head. "Nah, it doesn't. He is good company."

"Well, I'm glad you feel that way. Let's see if he will appear as we clean this up. An extra pair of willing hands will save a few trips over to Resident Services to put some of this in the recycling bin at least."

"Sounds like a plan." Alex gathered up some of the extra materials that they no longer felt like keeping. "Let's head out."

POV
Tom Nook/ tanuki

Hey, Mr. Nook!" a voice interrupted Mr. Nook's thoughts as he worked. He looked up to see the human walking over to his counter. "Hello, Isabelle," they greeted his coworker as well.

"Why hello, Alex." He turned from his computer, as Isabelle also voiced her greeting. "Just the person I was hoping to see. How is the renovation coming along? Is your kitchen complete?"

"Yup," Alex gave a nod. "We are just cleaning up. Zucker showed me where the recycling bin is outside. He is helping me bring the waste materials over with Reneigh."

"Good, good. We want to be good stewards of what resources that we do have. Oh, did Reneigh mention that she stopped by Nook's Cranny to pick up some items that she claimed were necessary for the completion of your kitchen? Timmy brought over the invoice over already, and I took the liberty to charge the items to your bill. Is that satisfactory to you?"

Alex rolled their eyes, but otherwise just accepted it. "I don't see much of a choice, so I guess that will do." Even though Nook didn't let it show, he was secretly pleased that debt bothered Alex. The idea of being beholding to someone annoys them. Their free-spirited nature is bothered by being tied to someone like that. At the very least, it shows that they are a good investment because I will be sure to get my return.

"Come now, I have something that might lift your spirits," he chuckled. He reached for the paper behind him. "I assume you have head that Ankha is staying with us? Yes, well, I have enough wood and stone to get Ankha's house built, but it will leave me with less of a reserve then I am comfortable with. So I was wondering if you would do me the favor…" He held out the Nook Miles Ticket to them.

Alex's lit up with delight. "Oh, sweet, yes! I can go —" they went to grab it, but surprisingly Isabelle was faster. She nimbly plucked it out of Nook's hands.

"Tomorrow," Isabelle finished Alex's sentence for them. "You can go tomorrow. It's late, and there is no rush. Besides," she bit her lip. "I'm not sure if Ankha actually ended up choosing a spot for her house to be built. Would you mind seeing if you can help Ankha choose a place? It would be a great help to me, and it would best to keep the peace between her and…certain people."

"Sure, no problem," Alex turned to walk out, but turned back around almost immediately. "I almost forgot. Did you say that we could order specific items that we wanted through you?"

"You can try to order specific items through me," Mr. Nook said dryly. He pulled up the form on his computer. "I organize the order that we have to submit to Redd co. It's up to them whether or not it falls under "allowed" items. But hey, we have not because we ask not. What did you have in mind?"

"A microwave oven and a set of basic pots and pans," Alex rattled off confidently. "Oh, and a beginner's book in sign language." Alex paused tapping their chin. "Actually, make that two different beginner's books and an intermediate. At the rate he is seems to pick it up, we might need all three," Alex mused.

"Who is?" Mr. Nook turned to Alex, baffled. "Who are you learning sign language with?"

"Tommy." Alex stated. "I offered to teach him, and he seemed really interested. But I don't know that much. So I need the books, so we can learn together. It's wouldn't be much use if only one person learns it, after all," Alex laughed.

Mr. Nook stared at Alex blankly. "He…he wants to learn sign language..." he said slowly, feeling slightly dazed.

"Well, ya," Alex smiled at him. "I think he wants to express himself more." A loud crashing sound suddenly came from outside, causing everyone to start. "I bet that is Zucker," Alex said sheepishly, as they started to walk backwards toward the door. "I should go, so if that's it…"

Mr. Nook absently gave a dismissal wave, which is all Alex needed before they took off. "Bye, Mr. Nook. Isabelle!" They called over their shoulder. He stared blankly at the place where they had been standing in a daze. Tommy wanted to learn sign language.

"Bye, Alex!" Isabelle called after them, before turning to her coworker. Mr. Nook could see the concern in her eyes. "Are you alright?"

Mr. Nook was not used to feeling this off- kilter, but Alex's news had really thrown him "I am a horrible caregiver," he finally said.

"You are not," Isabelle rebuffed firmly.

"It never even occurred to me," Tom groaned. "I'm so stupid, how could I not have—"

"How could you; you don't know sign langue. You can't teach someone something if you don't' know it yourself. Besides, you understand him," Isabelle said kindly. "Anyone can if they simply try. He might not say much but he is understood well enough."

"Yes, well, it never crossed my mind that he would want to say more." Tom rubbed at his eyes tiredly. I thought I was getting better at this, but I'm still making mistakes. And such a critical mistake at that. "I'm ordering two copies, of all the books. If Tommy wants to learn, then, darn it, so am I."

"We all can," Isabelle said. "Anyone who wants too." She paused for a moment. "What if Redd co. won't send us the books."

"Then we will make up our own version. It will be ISL: Island Sign Language," Tom insisted stubbornly. Tommy wanted to learn sign language. So learn it he will.

The rest of the day was business as usual for the two of them. But Tom found that he couldn't really focus on the normal, everyday tasks that he normally did, trying to keep some sibilance of order and normalcy on the island. His mind kept going back to the issue at hand. Tommy wanted to learn sign language. Ever since the two boys had come, Tom was severely insecure in his ability to raise them on his own. He wanted to raise them to the best of his ability, but he always felt lacking and so unsure in what he was supposed to do. He had started to gain confidence as the months had turned into years, but occasionally something like this would happen that would cause him to question whether he was really doing a good job of the whole thing. Surly a decent guardian would have realized much sooner that—

"You're doing it again." Isabelle's quiet voice interrupted his thoughts, her town mildly accusatory.

"Doing what?" He looked over at her, she wasn't even bothering to look at him; she was still working on logbook she was filling out.

"Overanalyzing and being too harsh on yourself."

Tom felt his lip twitch into a quick smile. "I didn't even say anything…"

"You don't have to; I can tell. You are doing the best you can, and that's what the boys need."

"But is that enough—"

"Yes." Now those soft eyes turned to up look at him, with a gentle smile. "You love them and they adore you, and you are trying to do right by them. They are lucky to have you."

Tom Nook snorted. "Lucky to be here," he scoffed.

"Lucky to have found someone like you, after all that they have been through, yes. I will stand by my statement," she insisted stubbornly. "But why don't you head out early? Go spend time with them. You clearly won't be able to get any more work done, until you talk to them," she suggested. "I think I can hold down the fort by myself for the rest of the evening."

"You sure?"

"Well, if some crisis occurs, I know where to find you," she joked. "Go on. Get out, you workaholic."

Tom chuckled lightly. She is accusing me of a working too much. But Isabelle had really turned out to be a true help. Once the boys came, she had taken over most of the late-night hours, practically shoving him out the door to go spend time with his new young companions. Not to mention how good she was with the residents of the island. She had the patient ear, with an open heart and mind, that made her ideal to handle the growing pains of an interspecies community. Tom was more than happy to turn that aspect of managing the island over to her capable paws—that is, hands. Tom had come to rely on Isabelle's quiet company, only broken by the soft jingle of the bells she always wore in her hair. Her presence wasn't a strain or distraction to him. She had become a presence in the building, like the creaky fan or the flowers she insisted on setting in the window.

"Alright, as long as you are sure. Have a good night, Ms. Isabelle."

"You as well, Mr. Nook."

Tom walked out of Resident Service's into the fading light, the sunset turning the sky into brilliant reds and oranges. As he walked the short distance to Nook's Cranny, he sensed more then heard a presence come up beside him. "Hello there, Raymond."

The cat made a disgusted sound. "You knew I was there?"

Mr. Nook chuckled. "Being around Alex must have lulled you into a false sense of security. Their dulled senses have made you feel like you are more subtle then you are." A couple of loud voices across his little village caught his attention, and he glanced aside to see Alex, Zucker, Reneigh, and Ankha were all together discussing something. The body language of the two women suggested that they were wasting no time in getting on each other's nerves. "What are they up to now?" he asked, as he looked at Alex, his young human guest.

"Who knows," Raymond grumbled. "They are never in one place for too long, constantly up to something. They are disrupting the peace of the village."

Tommy wanted to learn sign language.

"That's not always a bad thing," Mr. Nook mused. "Fresh ideas can be good things."

"Or they can be trouble," Raymond ground out.

"Are they, though?" Mr. Nook looked back at Alex. They appeared to be negotiating something between Ankha and Reneigh. It seems like they are trying to honor Isabelle's request. "Has your surveillance rewarded you with anything?"

Raymond was quiet a moment, glasses catching the reflection of the burning sunset. "No." he said simply. "Besides being curious to a fault and naively friendly, there is nothing else I would consider dangerous about them. They are more dangerous to themselves than anyone else."

"What do you mean by that?"

"They are insatiably curious, about everyone and everything. And I think it would kill them if they sat still for too long. They might actually implode. They seem to run on adrenaline and excitement, constantly having the need to do something."

"That's a problem," Mr. Nook mused. "We are on an island after all. We will have to give them a job or some long-term task to keep them occupied."

"Assuming they stay," Raymond muttered.

Mr. Nook looked at him fully. "Why do you want them gone? Is it really because they are human?"

Raymond tensed, his shoulders rising, but he answered reluctantly. "It…it…hurts to have them stay."

"Hmmmm." Mr. Nook turned to look back at the human. Alex raced off again, off on some mission. Zucker followed after them, much like a leaf caught in an eddy. "I am sorry for that. Truly. But I won't turn them out. They won't survive on their own." He looked back at Raymond. "You realize that, don't you?"

"Yes. I do," Raymond grumbled. "Just…don't expect me to be thrilled about it."

"I expect you to tolerate them," Mr. Nook said firmly. "But I won't ask more of that from you. You have already been through enough. I won't ask you to relive your pain."

Raymond gave a nod. "Thanks for that, at least."

"If it is any consolation, they should be gone tomorrow at least. You will have a day away from them."

"Another trip for resources? So soon?" Those eyes were concerned behind the glasses.

"Nothing like that. We aren't short or anything," Mr. Nook soothed. "It's Ankha's house. It's perfectly normal to make a run after something like that."

Raymond nodded and crossed his arms. "Makes sense." His lip twitched. "I'm surprised you let her back."

"Why? She didn't leave in bad graces. She left at her own time, on her own terms."

"Well, she's doesn't exactly get along well with some of the others."

"The same could be the same about you," Mr. Nook retorted bluntly.

"Touché," Raymond acknowledged with a nod and small smile.

"Besides, that is Isabelle's headache, not mine. And she was fine with it. I just sign the paperwork," he joked.

Raymond snorted, and started to walk away. "Well, I guess I should go see where they have run off too. You enjoy your evening, Sir."

"Same to you."

Mr. Nook knew that having the human here would cause issues, but having Raymond keep an eye on them would prevent a lot of the predicted problems. Also, spending time around Alex might convince the cat that they weren't so bad.

Or if they were, Raymond was sharp enough to catch onto it.

But Mr. Nook was seriously starting to doubt it. He was very insecure about his ability to judge character—at the present, at least—but Alex didn't seem dangerous in any sense. Physically, they weren't a threat even to the boys.

Tommy wanted to learn sign language.

Mr. Nook continued on to the store, pushing the door open to the familiar chimes. The store was tinged with the sunset's golden glow and fond memories, made dearer by the presence of the two current store clerks. "Welcome to—Mr. Nook!" Timmy cried, running to him. "You're back early; is everything okay?"

"Oh, yes." Mr. Nook affectingly, ruffling Timmy's hair, as Tommy also came over. "What do you two say to closing up a little early, hm? We can finish up here, and then spend some time together. Maybe play a board game or watch a movie."

"Ohhh, can we?" Both of them were excited. "Yes, Sir!" Between the three of them, they were able to wrap up closing the store in record time.

Sometime later, Mr. Nook sat on the worn couch with Tommy, while Timmy went to go get ready for bed first in the shared bathroom. Mr. Nook begin to write in his journal—a habit that he had started soon after coming to the island. He found it easier to put his thoughts down on paper— to keep his notes, ideas, plans, and observations of the island in a daily log. He wanted to chronical life on this island as much as he could. Besides, one day—hopefully, far away—he would have to have a successor as Caretaker to the unfortunate residents of the island.

That is, if Redd doesn't end up just killing them all.

But that was a problem for a different day. He could only handle the problems at hand.

Tommy wanted to learn sign language.

He glanced at his ward sitting on the couch next to him, rereading one of his favorite books. "So," Mr. Nook began, feeling awkward. He never really knew how to bring stuff up like this casually. "Celeste was here yesterday—hey, what's up with the attitude?" he asked as Tommy rolled his eyes.

"Sssssshhheeeeeeeee…doesn't…ike…..youuuuuuuuu." The words drawled out.

"Be nice to her. She is Blather's sister, after all. And family is everything." He reached over the tweak Tommy's tail. Tommy playfully swapped at him, giggling. "Be nice to her," he said again, as Tommy scooted closer to him. "Well, she always comes before a meteorite shower. Did you find any on the beach?" Tommy just shrugged, not making eye contact. "Really? None?"

"He gave his largest one to Alex." Timmy volunteered the information from the bathroom. His voice was heavily distorted by toothpaste but still understandable. "Well, technically, he tossed it back into the surf for them to find."

"Really? That was nice. Possibly 2,500 Bells nice," Mr. Nook teased. Tommy looked sheepish. "I'm sure it was worth it. Alex is a nice person, and I'm glad you are trying to make them happy."

Tommy nodded. "Day…arrrr…cool." Tommy wanted to learn sign language.

"That they are." Mr. Nook paused, uncertain. "Tommy," he begin softly. "Alex mentioned that they are teaching you sign language." Tommy turned to look fully at him, concerned. Mr. Nook could see the analyzing look in his eyes; the young tanuki had honed that skill at the Lab he guessed. The ability to try to judge what others were feeling—if they were pleased or not, by his actions—it must have been useful at the Lab. A child shouldn't have to develop that as a survival technique. "I just want to check, is that something you want to learn? I just want to make sure that it is something that you want to do, and not something just to do with Alex. To make them happy."

"I…want…tooo… earn. Because, I…want… too…toooo…" he shook his head, frustrated.

"It's okay, take your time. I'll wait." Mr. Nook encouraged.

"Tooo…be…abllllllle….to talk. I...don't…want toooo…" he touched his throat. "be…trappptttt."

Mr. Nook slowly reached out and pulled Tommy into a tight hug. "I'm sorry, you feel trapped. I didn't know that you felt that way. But I am glad Alex is teaching you, so you can feel you can communicate more freely." Mr. Nook pushed the harsh pain in his chest down. I have failed him. But this is something I can fix. "Do you think you can show me what Alex has already taught you?"

Tommy pulled back, a delighted smile on his face. He held up his hand. "'A'," He said as he did the sign with his fist.

"'A'," Mr. Nook copied the letter name, and sign. Alex's words came back to him. Tommy wanted to learn sign language. So learn it we will.

POV
Celeste/ owl

Celeste didn't fly back until it was almost dawn. She knew the others were jealous of the freedom that she had. She could literally fly the coop if she wanted to. At the beginning, a couple of the Redd co. hybrids had asked her to deliver messages or to try to get word out to friends/family on the outside. She had promptly refused; after all, that would endanger everyone and jeopardize the safety of Redd co.

Naturally, she reported them to Redd co. as well.

After they were made examples of, the other hybrids quickly and quietly fell into line, and stopped pestering her. They should all be grateful anyway, that they were given the option to work for Redd co. themselves.

Celeste slept in most of the day. She got up late, and was in the process of getting cleaned up, when there was a knock at her door.

"Who is it?" she asked out of habit. She was pretty sure she knew who it was. Slider wasn't known for his patience after all.

"Me, Celeste." Slider, of course.

"Hang on; I'll get the door." Towel drying her hair, she went and unlatched the door. "You waited longer than I thought."

"I expect good things." Celeste didn't feel the need to challenge Slider for his role as leader of their little group. He was strong and capable and loyal to Redd co.; all things that a good leader should be. He kept the others in line, so she didn't have to. She could just focus on being the best version of herself. She didn't have the time or energy to try to rein in the others. So he deserved her cooperation at least. "Were you successful?"

Celeste paused, considering. "I'm a good 99% sure that Alex is the human. Circumstantial evidence points to them."

"'Circumstantial evidence?'"

Celeste winced slightly. "I could not visually or verbally identify them as the human. They didn't announce themselves as the human, nor did the others report them. They kept the hood of their hoodie up, so I couldn't see their neck or ears. They have a bandage covering their left leg, from what I assume is the wound that Gulliver gave them. But no, I have no absolute, positive proof."

Slider paused, tapping a drummer's rhythm out on his leg absently. "Is it enough to go to Redd co. about?"

Celeste shrugged and went back to drying her hair. "Up to you, but if you do, keep my good name out of it. I have a reputation to uphold."

Slider snorted. "Don't we all? But I guess you are right; it is better to be sure that we are right then to be wrong."

"Besides," Celeste said. "It's not like we are under a time crunch or anything. We are just to find this human without causing a scene on the island."

"I know, but this is dragging on. I want this over and done with."

"I agree. The faster they are removed the better. But none of them are making this easy. The islanders seem to think that they are doing the human a favor by keeping them there, and the human has the impression that they are safer there for some reason."

"I wonder why," Slider said sarcastically.

Celeste paused running the towel through her hair. Alex really had seemed nice. "Slider, what will happen to the human once they are found?"

Slider stood up. "You know what will happen to them, Celeste. The same thing that happens to everyone that gets too close to the Redd co. or its secrets."

Celeste felt an uncomfortable sensation in her chest, a sense of revulsion at the thought. Mr. Redd was trying to help people ultimately, and while it was unfortunate that people…didn't turn out the best…he could hardly be held accountable for that. New science was always rocky at the beginning. And secrecy was of the upmost importance at this stage; nothing could jeopardize the Project specifically or Redd co. in general. But the thought of Alex—smiling, laughing, stargazing Alex—being hurt…well, it didn't sit right.

She hated these feelings: these faint glimmers that came and went. Mr. Redd was the most important thing, but it felt like her own heart…forgot…sometimes. It was weird, like they were part of her and not, these traitorous feelings that refused to go away.

She shoved the feelings deep down, where hopefully they would stay. Mr. Redd knew what was best and what he was doing. If he decided that Alex...needed to go…then that was it. There was no other alternative.

"Yes," she murmured. "I guess you are right."

()-()

Leif held the glass cup firmly against the wall. He knew that Slider would eventually cave and go find Celeste; he would just have to watch and wait. He wanted to know how they were faring in the hunt for the human, and eavesdropping was the fastest and surest way to get his answers. But now that Slider's footsteps were coming back to the door, it was time to disappear. Using quick, light steps, he raced down to the end of the hall. He knew that because of his easygoing and slow mannerisms (plus the whole sloth thing), the others assumed that he would move slowly as well. His slowness only extended as far as he needed it to, and right now he needed to move.

He ducked down the end of the hall right before the door opened, but almost plowed into someone. Leif hurriedly glanced down to see a blurry image of brown and cream-colored squirrel fur—and nearly swore. Of course it would be the precious little favorite, the one hybrid that he was specially warned against harming. He snapped out an arm and caught the smaller hybrid, using his momentum to throw him out the way. "Stay out of my way, Runt," Leif snapped. But the flurry of movement had caused him to drop the glass. Thankfully, it didn't shatter on impact, but rolled across the wood panels.

"You ran into me," Marshal sputtered in protest. He picked up the dropped glass. "What were you doing in such a hurry anyway…" he paused, turning the glass over in his hands.

Leif snatched the glass back. "Mind your own business," he snapped before stomping away. Leif didn't like the newest hybrid, mainly because he hadn't really done anything to earn his keep yet in their group. But, he had Mr. Redd's protection and favor (however temporary that would be), so everyone had to walk on eggshells around him. It was still up in the air on where he fell in the hierarchy, and would be until his place of favor was lifted.

Leif was confident that he could knock the squirrel down a couple of pegs to be sure. He certainly wasn't going to let a smart-mouthed, weak, little rodent tell him what to do.

He could barely put up with Slider and he only did so because Slider made it abundantly clear that he was the Boss of their group of hybrids. And Slider made sure that that point hit home. Literally.

Leif was a little bit of a slow learner and it had taken three different instances for him to finally get the idea that challenging Slider wasn't going to work. At least, not challenging him directly. But if I find this human first, and report to Redd co. independently… Leif smiled. I can increase my favor with Mr. Redd directly. Cut Slider out as a middleman altogether.

The trick was that the islanders weren't stupid, and it appeared Alex wasn't stupid either. A direct approach didn't seem to be working. So an indirect approach it is. Something a little more…sneaky. Leif smirked and, changing direction, headed toward his greenhouse. After all, being sneaky was something that Leif was very good at.

POV
Marshal/ squirrel
About six months ago

"Well, look who's here today?!" Marshal started slightly at the voice calling behind him. He was in the process of stacking his crates and boxes on the cart to bring out to the catering van. He turned with a smile at the voice though. "I thought for a second there that I was seeing a ghost."

"Feels like it," Marshal grumbled. "I'm not supposed to be here. I should have left half an hour ago." He doubled-checked his list of backed good to bring to Redd Biotech that day. He had baked everything yesterday, but he wanted to make sure that he didn't leave anything here.

"Oooohhhh," Bonnie grinned. "Someone is gonna get in trouble with the Boss."

Marshal snorted, with a glance at Bonnie. "Hardly. I'll make up the time." Marshal did a double take. "Hang on—are you growing your twists out?"

"Ya, I'm growing dreads."

"Ugggghhhhhh," Marshal directed his frustration up at the ceiling. "I feel so out of the loop; I never know anything anymore."

"It's because you aren't around anymore."

"Don't remind me," Marshal grumbled. "What's the point of working at The Roost, if I don't ever get to actually work at The Roost?"

"What are you complaining for? You got your fancy new title with your fancy new catering department."

"Ya, you would think it would be fun and but it isn't."

"Not, me," Sally interjected, "I never thought it sounded fun,"

"I hate it," Marshall continued right on past the interruption. "I'm going to quit."

Bonnie ignored him—he had heard this threat too many times to take it seriously, but Sally gave Marshal the reaction he wanted.

"Marshal, don't!" Sally said horrified. "He might make me take over, and I wouldn't be able to handle it. I need this job."

"He won't quit." Bonnie said before Marshal could. "He's in his senior year. He's only got to suck it up for a few more months and then he will be home free. That is, unless you end up working for Redd co. permanently," he asked with a raised eyebrow at Marshal.

"Um, no thank you," Marshal said firmly. "The money is nice, but it's not worth the headache. I am going to quit. Just…tomorrow."

Bonnie nodded. "Sure you will. Just keep pushing that tomorrow back until after you graduate. Then you can go start your own place, just like you want."

Marshal gave a longing sigh. "My own place, where I will be my own boss and run the place just how I want. I can't wait."

"We can't either." Sally said as she helped grab a box. "I want to see you get it off the ground. And if you need some new employees…"

Marshal laughed and threw his arms around both their shoulders. "Hey, I don't mind stealing you two away from The Roost. We can all escape Redd co. and Mr. Redd together."

"I will hold you too that." Bonnie laughed. "Here, let me help you load this stuff up."

The three of them got the van packed up, and it wasn't long until Marshal was fighting the morning traffic.

Marshal sighed as he leaned forward to rest his chin on the steering wheal while he wanted for the traffic to start to move again. Being head of the new Roost Catering Department was exciting at first. Except it turned out to be a catering team of just one: himself. Mr. Redd insisted that Marshal and Marshal alone was to be the one to actually come to Biotech. Which suited his fellow coworkers (if he could even still call them that), just fine. They made it quite clear that they had no desire to get sucked down this particular rabbit hole themselves.

The mornings spent at Redd Biotech were more of a drudgery then excitement. Sure, there were the occasional odd days, where he was involved in catering to the higher ups or providing refreshments for important business meetings, but most days it was the same old thing. He would come to Redd Biotech, set up his table, display off his wares, wait around for everyone to come by to get their complementary coffee and pastries for their participation in the Employee Health and Wellness Program (whatever the heck, that was), pack up, go back to The Roost and get ready to do the whole thing all over again.

The employees of Biotech were on an every other-week rotation, so it wasn't like he even saw the same faces that often. They would drudge by after their "health evaluation and screening," looking more like they came back from war then just having a routine checkup. Based on how exhausted and demoralized they acted, it looked like the "volunteers" didn't actually have that much of a choice. Marshal didn't mind giving his best work to them though. They looked like they needed something to look forward to on these days, if nothing else. Even if the Catering Department wasn't what he had envisioned, it wasn't their fault. It looks like they hate doing this, just as much as I do. That's something we may have in common. He still tried to be cheerful and chatty with them, just as he would to any customer at back The Roost. It was slow going, but some were finally warming up to him.

Marshal finally made it to Biotech, and parked the van in the normal spot. After unloading everything onto the cart, he rolled it into the office. He didn't bother to stop at the receptionist deck, but just walked on by with a cheery wave. After all, the receptionist knew who he was at this point.

"Got anything new today, Marshal?" she called.

"Raspberry chocolate tarts. It's a new recipe."

"Ohhh, sounds amazing. See if you can sneak me one."

"Will do," Marshal said, as he continued on to the elevator. Once he reached the correct floor, he stepped out into his little patch of hallway, the tables already set up and ready for his arrival. Marshal suppressed a sigh. So different from the warmth and life of The Roost. Mr. Redd had acted like that this would be Marshal's big chance to meet a bunch of new people, with connections to start his own place. It hadn't taken Marshal long to realize that it wasn't the case. If anything, he was being hidden away. Hoarded, almost. Marshal got the feeling that Mr. Redd didn't handle sharing very well, and that he wanted to keep his favorite Roost employee to himself. Marshal was starting to feel like a personal prized possession.

Marshal quickly finished setting up and then there was nothing left to do but wait. That is another thing that is different from The Roost; it's so boring here, Marshal thought as he sat down in the folding chair to wait.

But it wasn't just the monotony of the job that Marshal had come to hate, it was the fear. Marshal couldn't quite put his finger on it but there was something wrong here. The employees seemed edgy; not everyone, but enough to give to just give a general vibe to the place. Like they were afraid of something or someone, but were too frightened to really say what. There was this undercurrent of unease that seemed to be there, just under the surface.

Maybe it was the Black Security guards. Marshal saw them occasionally, but he never dealt with them. They were downright creepy. Who needs that much security anyway? Sure, some security made sense; the company was into medical research and innovations after all. But the black-clad security just seemed…a little extra. Maybe that is where the paranoid vibe is coming from.

Marshal was bored out of his mind. He gave a sigh, and rested his arms on the table. I miss The Roost. With his senior year classes and course work, he didn't have a lot of hours for his part time job. Mr. Redd made sure to fill up every available hour though. When Marshal wasn't actually at Redd Biotech, he was prepping to get ready to go to Redd Biotech or cleaning up from going to Redd Biotech. It had been forever sense he had worked just a normal shift at The Roost. I miss everyone, Marshal thought as he rested his chin on his hands on the table. Not just my coworkers, but my old customers. I never get to see anyone anymore, cause I am always tied up here. It's not even like I get to see Mr. Redd that often either. He just makes sure I am kept locked up here.

I'll quit. Tomorrow. Marshal smiled slightly at thought. Bonnie is right. I just have to hang on a little longer. Just a few more months… just hang in there and then I get out of here for good.

"Hello, Marshal." Marshal rolled his eyes in the direction of the voice. Oh. Lottie. Marshal was forced to deal with her more than he ever wanted, but with her being his Boss's personal assistant, it wasn't like he could avoid her.

"Hi, Ms. Lottie," he said, not bothering to raise his head from off the table. "What do you want?"

"I've told you; you don't have to be so formal. Lottie is fine."

"Sure thing, Ms. Lottie."

She sighed. "You were late today."

"So?" Marshal shrugged his shoulders. "I was still on time and ready to go when I was needed." He wasn't kidding when he had told Bonnie that he could make up the time. He had drove—sped, if he was being honest—through the morning traffic. He had been doing this routine of setting up and tearing down every Tuesday and Thursday for several months now.

"Well, you were still late," she sniffed. "And where is your badge?"

Raising his head, Marshal made a show of clipping his Visitor's ID onto his shirt. "Here."

"Good, now you look like a real Redd Biotech employee." Marshal bit his tongue against reminding her that technically he was a Roost employee. The Roost just got bought out. Thankfully, the first wave of workers coming back from their screening was on their way, so the conversation between them was forced to end. Marshal gave them a real smile, glad to have an excuse to stop talking to her.

Ms. Lottie hung around though, looking like she had something else to say. He kept busy, keeping up the chatter, so she couldn't just tell him. When the crowd finally died down, he was forced to acknowledge her presence.

"Did you need anything else, Ms. Lottie?"

"Yes." She adjusted her tie and swiped open her tablet. "What is your schedule for next week? We need to get together to go over some business details."

"Like what?" Marshal gave her a look as he wiped down his table from where someone has spilled some of their coffee. "Has someone complained?"

"Oh no! Nothing like that." She blushed slightly. "You are very good at your job, but that is to be excepted. Mr. Redd won't have chosen you, if you weren't the best. And you are so passionate about your job and what you do. It's…admirable." Her blush deepened.

"Okay…." Marshal said slowly. "So what exactly would we be discussing then?"

"Oh, just how to improve The Roost" she said. "It is such a hole in the wall, but now that it is under our control, we can fix it."

"There is nothing wrong with The Roost," Marshal said with narrowed eyes.

"Well, there certainly isn't really anything special about it either. The old," there was extra emphasis on the word, "owner really let it go. The only really good thing he had going for him was you. You were the only noteworthy thing there, in my opinion," she said with a wink. Instead of feeling complemented, Marshal could feel his temper starting to flare. Oh, no, you did not just snob The Roost. Or Mr. Brewster.

"You have talent, you know," she continued, aware of his change in mood. She reached for one of his new raspberry tarts. "Are these new? They look delicious—"

"Oy, paws off!" Marshal said, as he lightly popped the cloth at her. "Those are for the people participating in the Health Program."

"Oh, come on, Marshal," she gave him a smile that Marshal decided was supposed to be flirtatious. But one thing working in retail had burned him out on very quickly was flirty customers. "Surely, you can spare one for me? I'm Mr. Redd's personal assistant, after all."

Marshal decided that he had had enough of Ms. Lottie for the day. And all the unwanted attention from her was starting to make more sense. Rumor said that she was already sweet on some guy who worked in HR or something: Diego, Dezi, Diggy? Something like that. Anyway, Marshal wished she would go back to crushing on him. "Ya, and I'm head of The Roost Catering Department. Pretty sure department head trumps lowly assistants."

"I'm not anyone's assistant, I'm Mr. Redd's PA," she stuttered in protest. "It's a very important job."

"Really? The way I heard it, you were someone's niece, and that's why you got the job. Weren't you like a receptionist before or something?"

The smile was still there, but had frozen cold. "I got this job," she ground out, "because of my hard work and competence."

"Suuuuure." He pulled out a specially marked tray of specifically requested pasties. "Here is Mr. Redd's personal order. You can take it to him. You are his PA after all, right?"

"Yes, of course," she fumed.

"Thanks," Marshal gave her a salute. "Now, if you excuse me, I have to go. I actually have a job to do. Being head of The Roost Catering department is busy and important work after all, not that you would know. Have a good day running Mr. Redd's errands and doing…whatever it is that you PA's do."

Marshal watched as she walked stiffly away, quietly seething. I can't believe she said those things about The Roost. The Roost is much better than this place. He started to place out more of the pasties that he had brought. I am leaving here, just as soon as I graduate. I'll quit, and never have to deal with her or Mr. Redd or anyone connected to this place ever again.

A faint smile touched his lips. I'll quit…just tomorrow.


Author's note!

I'm sorry, I know I'm late. Life just got in the way. But this chapter is pretty juicy, so I hope it made up for the delay!

Star fragments: this is as much explanation as I'm going to give for this phenomenon. There is no real, actual reason why the star fragments from meteoroids should end up on some random island. This is another example of AC not following the scientific laws of our world.

Sign language (ASL): I'm in no way an expert on the subject, but as someone who has a speech impediment, the frustration of trying to get your words and ideas out verbally can be very hard. Sign language is a wonderful tool, not just for people with speech impediments, but the entire hard of hearing (deaf) community. I think everyone should learn the basics. Plus, this is practical and useful in so many ways. I'm not going to explain every sign and gesture; that's not the point of this fic, and with the internet, if you are interested then you can find your own resources of people who explain it much better than I can. Tommy is going to become faster and smoother, so don't worry; his new "voice" won't feel so awkward to read/write. It will be treated as any foreign "language" in this fic. Because it is a language to those who are willing to learn and "listen".

Also, some of you may be aware that the rumors of FF being shut down are circulating again. This happens sometimes, because of how buggy and glitchy this site can be. So just in case, I want to officially announce that this fic is also on Ao3! (Some of you already found it, lol.) It has the same name and my penname is the same over there as well. I personally refer using FF over Ao3, which is why I update to this site first, but Ao3 does have some benefits. One of the major ones is that you can comment underneath the story. This allows me to answer questions/comments directly and quickly, instead of waiting to answer in my next update (which, let's be honest, means you are probably going to have to wait about a month). I'm just putting it out there, if anyone wants to pop over to that site as well.

Response to reviewers!

GhostTurtle (and friends): Thank you for your review! I really enjoy hearing from you and your friends! 3

Now onto your questions! 1. This is going to have an embarrassing long answer. This is one area that, as a writer, I can take shortcuts. Unlike illustration artists, I don't have to worry about drawing my characters the exact same height over and over. Plus, I know the readers will fill in the gaps anyway. Soooo, I don't have a reference sheet to exactly how tall everyone is. Also, how character acts will affect how tall they appear. For example, Zucker would be taller if he stood up straight, but he has such a nervous disposition, that he is constantly hunched over and appears shorter. Same for Lucky, because of his crutches. This isn't even something that I have really had to say; you probably just picked it up. However, because of Alex's POV, I keep a running tap of how everyone appears to them. (I have to keep track if Alex looks up, at, or down when talking to a character). I picture Alex as "average" height, but maybe slightly on the shorter side, so you can use that as a reference. Alright, here is the breakdown. Freakishly taller than Alex: Raymond, Redd, Slider (there is no importance to the order of the names, fyi. I just wrote them out as I remembered them). Taller than Alex: Celeste and Labelle (mainly because of her heels), Reneigh, Isabelle, Tom Nook. About the same height: Leif, Zucker, Lucky, Mabel, Sable, Ankha, Blathers (basically everyone, lol). Shorter than Alex: Tommy and Timmy. I think you can loosely deduce anyone else from this point. Hope this answer is satisfactory enough!

2. Yes, if Alex was caught at the beginning, it would drastically change pretty much everything. Ultimately, I don't think it would change the ending, but several major plot points would have to be altered. For example, Alex would have met the Redd co. hybrids before the island hybrids. Interesting enough however, this is loosely addressed later on in the story.

3. Oop, I can't answer this one right now, because you aren't the only one who will want to know, and it will contain spoilers. See if you can figure it out before Redd co. does.

4. Bob is…fine. I think. (Checks timeline to see what is happening at this point). Ya, he's fine. For now….

LuckiestMikey: Thank you so much for your review! And your take on my story makes me so happy, because it is the exact vibe I am trying to create! I plan to continue it (however slow that may be…) for a while.

Izzi: This chapter is pretty Lore heavy, so I hope some questions got answered. The next one will also be pretty big. Marshal's days as a human are quickly running out. (Unless I change something drastic, this is the last time we see Bonnie and Sally for a while. This was their goodbye chapter.) But no one stays the favorite forever: Celeste just has to wait it out…and Mr. Redd is pretty fickle…

Thanks to everyone for reading this. I appreciate you all! (Of course, if you want extra appreciation, you can Follow, Favorite and Review (hint hint)). Bye for now!