Yuna started awake at sunrise to the sound of a bell tolling. Isabelle's tiny voice boomed in through the walls, saying "good-morning" and telling everyone it was time to start the day. She scrambled up on her fawn legs and, realizing she didn't even have a change of clothes, inched over to the nearest dresser and peered inside. There was one dress she reached for, a dark blue one made of velvet and adorned with a bell.
It'd be awfully bold of me to just take this. Yuna padded into the main room, where the lights were dim and the music was silenced. Alice appeared at the bottom of the stairs like an apparition, making Yuna bolt back into the room she'd spent the night in with a diminutive squeak.
"Shit, did I scare you?" Alice asked from the den. "Sorry about that. I'm not used to having anyone in my house."
"I-it's alright," Yuna assured as she came back from her hiding place behind the wall. "I was, uh, just going to ask if I could borrow a change of clothes? I didn't bring anything with me when I came, I mean… until I can buy my own clothes, of course."
Alice tilted her head forward and chuckled, baring her white teeth that gaped a little in the center. "Of course you can. I don't really wear any of the stuff I keep in there anymore, so feel free to take whatever you want."
Yuna went and changed into the dress and packed a small suitcase of clothes, enough to get her through the first week. Most of what she took were sundresses and tights which, after seeing Alice in her blazer and fitted trousers, she couldn't picture her hostess wearing anyways. Alice fed her coffee-cake and tea, then ushered her out the door as soon as she finished.
"C'mon, girl," Alice tittered. "You've got a big day ahead of you. Let's go see your house."
Nook was good on his word when he said he'd be finished the next morning. Yuna's new home was stout and little, built with gray bricks and capped with straight blue shingles that gleamed in the early morning sun. Hanging off her tiny mailbox were Yuna's keys, which Alice handed to her with a polite toss.
The inside took Yuna's breath away. It was small, but it was hers. The ceiling was high and the wooden floor was polished to the grain. Yuna twirled around, laughing despite herself with excitement. Alice stood back and smiled at her, with one corner of her mouth pulling farther than the other. Yuna caught a glimpse of the lopsided expression just for a moment when she stopped spinning, then Alice reverted her face to rest. Her smile is probably the only thing lopsided about her.
"Hey, princess, I have a few presents for you," Alice said. She pulled a green leaf the size of her hand out of her pocket and walked to one corner of the room. Alice tossed it out of her hand, and it landed on the floor as a double bed with a small bang. Yuna jumped back and yelped.
"What in the world?"
Alice looked back at her and smirked. "A lot easier than moving trucks, wouldn't you say?"
Yuna relaxed and got a better look at the bed. God, it's big enough for three. The rose-printed cotton sheets were sheltered by a tall blue canopy, the supports of which had floral curtains tied to them with elegant blue ribbons.
She slowly turned back to Alice. "Thank you, but I… I can't. It's beautiful, but I can't."
"That's going to be a problem, because I insist," Alice declared. "You're going to have to get used to getting gifts, especially today. Everyone is going to want to give you a housewarming gift. Besides, I have some less glamorous things for you too."
Seemingly out of thin air, Alice threw a butterfly net, a fishing rod, and a shovel into Yuna's startled arms, all of which tumbling out onto the floor. Yuna took a deep sigh and rested her hands on her knees while Alice laughed.
"If you want to start making your own money, you'll have to learn how."
Alice escorted Yuna out to the edge of the river. Lopez was waiting there with a rod in his hands, and he waved when they approached.
"Good morning, little Miss Y!" Lopez exclaimed.
"Morning."
"Just so we don't waste any time," Alice interrupted, "do you know anything about fishing?"
"I know that you cast your line and wait for a bite," Yuna replied.
"That's basically all there is to it," Lopez said. "Now you just need to learn when to reel in."
Alice nodded and casted her own line. "The fish in this town are awfully quick, so as soon as the bobber drops, you need to reel in."
Alice's silver bobber suddenly plunged beneath the surface with a splash. Alice pulled back on her rod and reeled faster than Yuna thought she ever could, eventually pulling a sleek salmon out of the water.
"Like that," Alice said triumphantly. She tucked the fish away somewhere what the hell and looked to Yuna.
"Your turn."
Yuna made her way to ReTail with half a dozen crucian carp in her pockets. They didn't sell for very much, and Yuna had let a lot of larger fish go, but Alice seemed proud of her and that was what mattered. Yuna was in the process of strolling back to the river when Lopez got a firm grip on her dress collar and pulled her in the opposite direction.
"We're not done yet, kid."
They took off running until they reached a clearing a little bigger than Alice's house. Alice stopped them dead in their tracks with a wave of her hand, then motioned them to slowly come over. Alice pointed to a nearby tree where a green cicada hissed.
"Alright, get your net out," Alice murmured. "Cicadas don't scare too easily, but you still want to be careful."
Yuna took her net and held it awkwardly in her hands, gripping the handle at the bottom and resting it on her shoulder. Before she got too much closer to the insect, Alice tisked and placed her hands over Yuna's, sliding them up to the middle of the pole and shoving her elbows in different directions.
"You'll be much more accurate and fast if you hold it here," Alice explained. "Now, just creep up and swing."
Yuna managed to hear Alice over her heartbeat's roar. Once she was a foot away, she swung her net down and brush the cicada into the mesh. Yuna reached in and pulled it out, cradling it curiously in her palms.
"Good first catch," Lopez commended. "I'm sure you can figure the rest of it out yourself."
Yuna looked to Alice, who smiled and tilted her head. Yuna turned back to Lopez and grinned. "Yeah, I think so too."
A/N: oh god i'm sorry about the little errors in the other chapters. i don't have beta and i don't have the patience to reread my own writing (and sometimes don't catch things regardless) so if there are any glaring errors, feel free to alert me. this might be the first chapter with over 1k words lol