Mayoral Memories

[ElCid]

Hope this is okay, went for a mix of heartwarming, semi-serious and funny with this one, cause that's just how it all spilled out. :'3

Spoiler: An open message from Mayor AJ

To all my friends, particularly the people of Doubutsu...

It's been a pretty wild, fun and eventful eight years, hasn't it? To think, it all started in 2016 with the arrival of some penniless rando, a guy who thought he was just visiting and ended up inaugurated as mayor. This guy was sworn in by an adorable, beautiful dog who'd end up essentially his wife before he knew it, and he went on to build Doubutsu into what it is now. I've got a great home that I entertain from and have filled with many prized possessions and mementos. I've preserved a historical settlement section, opened up a playground park, built bridges, installed green energy and public safety measures, and funded a replica of Tokyo Tower. I've helped welcome in a police officer, a barista, a fortune teller, a comedian, an astronomer, a hairdresser, a hippie running an RV park, and a gardening expert who I suspect might be enjoying a lot of something green indeed, but I'm not judging, and that's not even the full list. I've made a shoe shop successful by being the one person here who wears shoes. I've gotten to know a very different, softer and more personal side of one Sonny Resetti. I've personally filled up the museum with valuable exhibits, and established four new ones of my own--nowhere else will you find exhibits quite like "Forever Christmas" or "Mayor's Treasure"! I've made lots of friends, spent eight birthdays, Halloweens and Christmases with them without missing a single one, making sure all their Christmas wishes come true and their Halloweens are peak spooky fun, done favours for them without complaint, and even had to say goodbye to some of them. I've brought them and the whole village with me to my favourite convention multiple times. When I miss out on a birthday party, I send a thoughtful gift to make up for it, because I care that much about everyone here and want them to be happy. One of you even moved right into my orchard and I didn't mind at all, because your house left such a perfect assortment of trees around it and looks great framed by them.

My friends in this village have helped me through some of the worst years of my life, through two years of terrible living situations, the passing of two cats, my mother's stroke, a horrible pandemic that so many were unfortunate enough to not make it out of, and several ongoing years of failing health and great pain and feelings of hopelessness. They and this village mean so much to me that the thought of never seeing them again is unbearable, and I was devastated when a time came not long ago where, upon misplacing my means of escaping to Doubutsu from the troubles of life, I thought that fear would come true. And best of all, we've watched this village and our main plaza's tree grow and thrive together. What was once a little sapling in a lonely, stupid patch of dirt is now a big, strong and comforting symbol of Doubutsu, just as much as our cherry trees, our irreplaceable cookie flag, and our catchy town tune I submitted during that time where I wore a turban everyday and insisted on being called the Sultan. Thanks for putting up with that, I don't know how many others would've allowed that to go on for as long as it did.

With our connection to other villages around the world closing in just two weeks or so, it's tough to come up with exactly what to tell their mayors about why this place is so wonderful without going on for too long but as always, Mayor AJ does his very best, and he'll continue to do his very best for as long as humanly possible. I'll do my very best because I love Doubutsu and those who live there so much. While I do have the island of Doubutsu to care for as well, and there'll always be many, many other games for me to play, I will never forget about this, the very best incarnation of Doubutsu there is, was and ever will be, and I'll always come back to it every chance I get.

To the residents of Doubutsu...
Moe
Whitney
Margie
Baabara
Lionel
Kid Cat
Sprinkle
Octavian
Dotty
Diva

To its former residents...
Wart Jr.
Rasher
Spork
Tammi
Friga

To my sister who's long stopped playing New Leaf, to everyone who ever came to visit this little place or whose villages I visited, everyone I ever connected with through the Happy Home Showcase, and everyone who helps Doubutsu run alongside me, especially my darling Isabelle, who keeps Doubutsu in order whenever I'm away and is the first to express concern anytime I return from along absence...

Thank you for making these past eight years so much better. I don't know where I'd be without you. The servers may be going down, but things are only gonna keep looking up for Doubutsu, and for our fandom.

Mayor AJ, signing off. Just for now. I'mma play some Kirby.

 

[princess.looking.for.frog]

My little story, just the beginning of mayorhood.

Spoiler: story

The rumbling of the train on the train tracks rattled my eyes almost loose of their sockets. I never liked the train much, and this was my first time on it for almost 15 years. I glanced outside the window and saw the passing leaves and open fields, smiling. I am so glad to be moving out west, I’m so tired of the city life, I thought. The chance to escape the quickness of all the city folk and turn over a new leaf was a chance I could not let go of.

“Hello there!”

Huh?

“I’m Rover. What is your name?”

I was startled by his sudden greeting from this cat I have never seen before, but gave him my name anyways.

“My name is Anna.”

He smiled and his sharp eyes softened slightly.

“Aw that’s a lovely name. Where are you heading?”

I awkwardly smiled, slightly uncomfortable. I left the city to avoid random encounters from beings I did not want to conversate with. But he seemed like a nice cat. I glanced at my map to mask my facial expression.

“I am going to New York”

I found it weird a small rural township was named after a huge bustling metropolis, but it seemed quite nice.

“Oh, that is the next stop!” He jerked.

“Next stop, New York.” The announcement board quietly reminded the two of us in the carriage.

Rover then smiled and wished me luck.

I smiled back, hopeful that this would be my final train ride for many years as the train came to a stop. I grasped my suitcases and stepped off the train, glancing back to the cat looking at me.

“Farewell!”

I disembarked on a small station that looked like it saw maybe three visitors a year. I took a deep breath and exited the station into the fresh rural air.

“Oh, there you are!” A well-dressed yellow dog with bells attached to the fur on her head exclaimed.

Another abrupt encounter?

“You must be the new mayor!” She chirped, even more excitingly.

What?!

And that’s where my life turned around. Never was it the same again, but I wouldn’t change it for the world.