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Stinky insisted that we take a look at the accessories section at the Able Sisters’ place on the way home. I was tired and a bit not really in the mood, but he made the best puppy dog eyes a cat could muster, so he won.

To our surprise Labelle wasn’t there.
Instead, we saw Mabel, humming a little tune to herself as she examined the merchandise.

“Hey boys!” she smiled, dimpling those rosy cheeks of hers. “Welcome to the one and only fashion palace of the Able Sisters. How can I help you?”

Stinky was too busy eying the hats on display, so I managed the greeting.
“Mabel,” I said in surprise, “what are you doing all the way on the right side of the store? Is it Opposite Day or something? Did you fire your sister?” I meant that last part as a joke, obviously, but the way she rolled her eyes made me worry that I had accidentally said something I shouldn’t have.

“Oh,” she said, dismissively, “let’s just say that she convinced me to let her leave early today. You may have also noticed that the shoe shop is mysteriously empty tonight.” She had a knowing, almost mischievous look on her face, but I felt quite oblivious.

“Yeah…” I said, trying to sound as if I was on the same page. “That is weird…” Mabel saw right through my confusion and couldn't help but laugh.

“I sure hope you came carrying bells, honey!” she said, turning her attention to Stinky, who was practically throthing at the mouth as he stared at the novelty hats and glasses and things. “You look like you’re about to buy my whole store!”

Stinky finally unrooted himself from the spot and skipped over to the items of his affection. “I-I was just wondering if you had any masks I could buy, but all of this stuff is so cool!”

Mabel started to show him around the small selection of stuff on the counters, even promising to let Stinky take a look at some of their stock in the back of the store. I can’t lie, it was really cute. With her being the youngest of the Able sisters, I was surprised to see her acting so motherly.

With those two preoccupied, I peeked inside the main part of the shop, where Sable was no doubt sitting at her sewing machine. She was, of course, but she wasn’t alone. None other than Mr Thomas Nook was there, the two of them making conversation. I couldn’t believe it when I saw it, but both of them were smiling. Not just regular smiles either, but warm smiles. Fuzzy smiles. Warm AND fuzzy smiles. I saw Sable giggle. I caught Tom grin with his teeth. It was trippy.

They were so engrossed in each other that they didn’t notice me stroll up until I started talking and ruined their fun. Although, before my interruption, I did make out some conversation:
“I’m happy for you. You’ve done really well, yes?”
“We’ve gotten by. You look well!”

“Hey there, Tommy boy!” I exclaimed, his smile disintegrating. “Come for a new suit?”
I fake-whispered to Sable. “You may wanna order some extra materials for this one…”

Sable chuckled quietly, which I think flustered Tom a bit.
“Hm. I was passing by,” he said. “Catching up with an old friend, yes?”

“Uh huh,” I nodded. “And where are the boys?”

“Cleaning their store,” he explained, bluntly. Aw come on, he was chatting up a storm just a moment ago. Now he’s giving me the old ‘I’m Old And Grumpy’ shtick?

Sable revived the conversation, which is something I never thought she’d ever do not too long ago.
“Did you need my help with something, Mayor?” she asked, her tone considerably more pleasant.

“Nah, I’m good. I’m just letting my own boy take a look around the hats and all that.”

Tom looked at me, concerned. “Hm? Your ‘own boy’?”

“Stinky!” I nodded. “He’s my squire.”

“Ah.”

“So, what’s going on with Labelle?" I asked them both. "How come she gets to go home early?”

Tom and Sable shared a puzzling look. What does everybody know that I don’t?

“You tell me,” Sable answered, passively and aggressively. “It wasn’t exactly my decision.”

Tom took the reins before I could quiz her about it.
“Mable allowed her to attend an arrangement she had planned,” he said, carefully. Jeez, these old folks have managed to make this difficult subject equal parts interesting and boring. Since Labelle seemed to be a topical minefield, I changed the subject.

“How about you, Mr Nook?” I asked. “What brings you here? More business meetings? Want a new hat? I won’t judge if you've got a bald spot that needs covering up.”

“As I said, just catching up with an old friend, yes?”

“But you won’t leave empty handed, will you Tom?” Sable asked him - dare I say it - cheekily.

“W-Well I, um, didn’t plan to but I suppose I could…”

“We have some polka dot shorts that you could try on,” she smiled, turning the poor old racoon’s cheeks bright red.

I’d never seen Sable look at somebody with so much fondness before. Tom also seemed to be really enjoying his time with her. Weird. Even though they’ve certainly changed since I first met them, it was still surprising to see them so unreserved and playful.

Wait a minute… weird! That was exactly the word Timmy and Tommy used! They knew something was happening between them. And Lyle - he was trying to tell me something too! Although, he was being way too subtle about it.

“Do you two have a secret romance going on!?”
Is what I would’ve liked to have asked them, but before I could, my squire appeared at my side.

“Look at this, sir!” Stinky exclaimed, pointing to his head. “Mable let me buy a wrestling mask that wasn’t even on sale. Isn’t it awesome?!”

“Not on sale?” I said. “You mean for free right?”

“Um, well, not exactly…” he winced, looking down at his feet. “A-And I didn’t kinda bring any bells with me, so…”

I groaned, which gave Tom and Sable a good laugh at my expense.
Maybe it was better not to pry, I thought as we left the shop. The two of them look so happy, regardless of how ‘close’ they may or may not be. Besides, they’ve each got plenty of other secrets for me to uncover to satisfy my own curiosity, so maybe I should just not be nosey here.

…

…yeah, nuts to that!
I’m gonna dig deeper!

Tom and Sable?
A couple?!

That’s way too juicy to ignore!

Ahem, that is: “potential” couple, of course. Yes, yes.

~Author’s Notes~
Obliviousness is one of the Mayor’s many talents, but in this episode I wanted to sort of push him along and have him at least think that he knows what's happening, if only for a change of pace.

I was originally gonna have the conversation be a bit more confrontational and awkward, hence Tom and Sable’s deer in headlights expressions in the pic, but I thought it’d be nicer to have them act cute with each other. They both know the Mayor’s dumb, they don’t need to pretend too much.

Also, maybe I should start implementing more clickbait-y text at the bottom of these polaroids, like I did today. Imagine it: “Tom Nook did WHAT?!” “Isabelle EXPOSED” “The Rise and Fall of KK Slider”. I’d make millions.

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Description

Stinky insisted that we take a look at the accessories section at the Able Sisters’ place on the way home. I was tired and a bit not really in the mood, but he made the best puppy dog eyes a cat could muster, so he won.

To our surprise Labelle wasn’t there.
Instead, we saw Mabel, humming a little tune to herself as she examined the merchandise.

“Hey boys!” she smiled, dimpling those rosy cheeks of hers. “Welcome to the one and only fashion palace of the Able Sisters. How can I help you?”

Stinky was too busy eying the hats on display, so I managed the greeting.
“Mabel,” I said in surprise, “what are you doing all the way on the right side of the store? Is it Opposite Day or something? Did you fire your sister?” I meant that last part as a joke, obviously, but the way she rolled her eyes made me worry that I had accidentally said something I shouldn’t have.

“Oh,” she said, dismissively, “let’s just say that she convinced me to let her leave early today. You may have also noticed that the shoe shop is mysteriously empty tonight.” She had a knowing, almost mischievous look on her face, but I felt quite oblivious.

“Yeah…” I said, trying to sound as if I was on the same page. “That is weird…” Mabel saw right through my confusion and couldn't help but laugh.

“I sure hope you came carrying bells, honey!” she said, turning her attention to Stinky, who was practically throthing at the mouth as he stared at the novelty hats and glasses and things. “You look like you’re about to buy my whole store!”

Stinky finally unrooted himself from the spot and skipped over to the items of his affection. “I-I was just wondering if you had any masks I could buy, but all of this stuff is so cool!”

Mabel started to show him around the small selection of stuff on the counters, even promising to let Stinky take a look at some of their stock in the back of the store. I can’t lie, it was really cute. With her being the youngest of the Able sisters, I was surprised to see her acting so motherly.

With those two preoccupied, I peeked inside the main part of the shop, where Sable was no doubt sitting at her sewing machine. She was, of course, but she wasn’t alone. None other than Mr Thomas Nook was there, the two of them making conversation. I couldn’t believe it when I saw it, but both of them were smiling. Not just regular smiles either, but warm smiles. Fuzzy smiles. Warm AND fuzzy smiles. I saw Sable giggle. I caught Tom grin with his teeth. It was trippy.

They were so engrossed in each other that they didn’t notice me stroll up until I started talking and ruined their fun. Although, before my interruption, I did make out some conversation:
“I’m happy for you. You’ve done really well, yes?”
“We’ve gotten by. You look well!”

“Hey there, Tommy boy!” I exclaimed, his smile disintegrating. “Come for a new suit?”
I fake-whispered to Sable. “You may wanna order some extra materials for this one…”

Sable chuckled quietly, which I think flustered Tom a bit.
“Hm. I was passing by,” he said. “Catching up with an old friend, yes?”

“Uh huh,” I nodded. “And where are the boys?”

“Cleaning their store,” he explained, bluntly. Aw come on, he was chatting up a storm just a moment ago. Now he’s giving me the old ‘I’m Old And Grumpy’ shtick?

Sable revived the conversation, which is something I never thought she’d ever do not too long ago.
“Did you need my help with something, Mayor?” she asked, her tone considerably more pleasant.

“Nah, I’m good. I’m just letting my own boy take a look around the hats and all that.”

Tom looked at me, concerned. “Hm? Your ‘own boy’?”

“Stinky!” I nodded. “He’s my squire.”

“Ah.”

“So, what’s going on with Labelle?" I asked them both. "How come she gets to go home early?”

Tom and Sable shared a puzzling look. What does everybody know that I don’t?

“You tell me,” Sable answered, passively and aggressively. “It wasn’t exactly my decision.”

Tom took the reins before I could quiz her about it.
“Mable allowed her to attend an arrangement she had planned,” he said, carefully. Jeez, these old folks have managed to make this difficult subject equal parts interesting and boring. Since Labelle seemed to be a topical minefield, I changed the subject.

“How about you, Mr Nook?” I asked. “What brings you here? More business meetings? Want a new hat? I won’t judge if you've got a bald spot that needs covering up.”

“As I said, just catching up with an old friend, yes?”

“But you won’t leave empty handed, will you Tom?” Sable asked him - dare I say it - cheekily.

“W-Well I, um, didn’t plan to but I suppose I could…”

“We have some polka dot shorts that you could try on,” she smiled, turning the poor old racoon’s cheeks bright red.

I’d never seen Sable look at somebody with so much fondness before. Tom also seemed to be really enjoying his time with her. Weird. Even though they’ve certainly changed since I first met them, it was still surprising to see them so unreserved and playful.

Wait a minute… weird! That was exactly the word Timmy and Tommy used! They knew something was happening between them. And Lyle - he was trying to tell me something too! Although, he was being way too subtle about it.

“Do you two have a secret romance going on!?”
Is what I would’ve liked to have asked them, but before I could, my squire appeared at my side.

“Look at this, sir!” Stinky exclaimed, pointing to his head. “Mable let me buy a wrestling mask that wasn’t even on sale. Isn’t it awesome?!”

“Not on sale?” I said. “You mean for free right?”

“Um, well, not exactly…” he winced, looking down at his feet. “A-And I didn’t kinda bring any bells with me, so…”

I groaned, which gave Tom and Sable a good laugh at my expense.
Maybe it was better not to pry, I thought as we left the shop. The two of them look so happy, regardless of how ‘close’ they may or may not be. Besides, they’ve each got plenty of other secrets for me to uncover to satisfy my own curiosity, so maybe I should just not be nosey here.

…

…yeah, nuts to that!
I’m gonna dig deeper!

Tom and Sable?
A couple?!

That’s way too juicy to ignore!

Ahem, that is: “potential” couple, of course. Yes, yes.

~Author’s Notes~
Obliviousness is one of the Mayor’s many talents, but in this episode I wanted to sort of push him along and have him at least think that he knows what's happening, if only for a change of pace.

I was originally gonna have the conversation be a bit more confrontational and awkward, hence Tom and Sable’s deer in headlights expressions in the pic, but I thought it’d be nicer to have them act cute with each other. They both know the Mayor’s dumb, they don’t need to pretend too much.

Also, maybe I should start implementing more clickbait-y text at the bottom of these polaroids, like I did today. Imagine it: “Tom Nook did WHAT?!” “Isabelle EXPOSED” “The Rise and Fall of KK Slider”. I’d make millions.

Next>
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