Maple loves acorns. Ever since they were a child, they would collect them from the leaf-covered forest floors on the continent of Autumneve, where they lived, along with the rest of the Autumn animals. Whenever they went outside - every day seeing the golden and russet leaves hanging off thin branches of trees in the near forest - they would scavenge the ground for the best looking acorns they could take home to add to their growing collection. Maple’s best friend, Aspen, who had amber coloured fur, with light brown accents around their face and that swirled upwards from their feet, had been by Maple’s side and went with them to collect acorns, which had originally been for the purpose of a food source, but they had recently just done it for fun. A few months after that, Aspen got lost deep inside the forest and was presumed to have been taken by an Autumn bear. Maple and their family spent weeks looking for them, but could never find even a strand of amber fur. Though one day as Maple was searching for their best friend, they tried to skilfully make out the light yellow furred body of them against the golden leaves cascading through every tree in the forest, but deep inside the forest, found no one, except a large pile of acorns. All gathered together, not looking natural. Maple suspected it could have been another Autumn animal who loved collecting acorns for themself, maybe an Autumn squirrel. But even if it was not a sign of Aspen, it meant to Maple that Aspen was telling them to carry on. And so, Maple continued collecting acorns which held special value, making up for the years of their life they had spent with Aspen.
