Giveaway Merengue the Normal Rhino! ^~^
- Thread starter Flop
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HoneyBunny
Mayor of Honeymoon
Since the thread is old... do I still need to have an account before Jan 29? @.@
HoneyBunny
Mayor of Honeymoon
I would post a video but it's not appropriate for this forum lol "Lazy Town-Cooking by the book remix ft. Lil Jon"
wait what why has this thread been open for a month ahh floppy
I'd like to enter, please! I want her because she's so ridiculously adorable and pink, and she has a strawberry for a horn, for goodness's sake. *_* Strawberries are my favorite fruit, and strawberry shortcake is delicious, and she's pretty adorable ;u; She's one of my dreamies and she'd have a forever home with me.~
I'd like to enter, please! I want her because she's so ridiculously adorable and pink, and she has a strawberry for a horn, for goodness's sake. *_* Strawberries are my favorite fruit, and strawberry shortcake is delicious, and she's pretty adorable ;u; She's one of my dreamies and she'd have a forever home with me.~
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omg, the lemon MERiNGUE pie xD
This is such a nice drawinggg!
I like the graffiti-style wording you did!(Sorry for the double post below!!!)
But that's my entry.
I'm going to be resetting my town out of guilt for inactivity over the holidays and I currently have my own thread going, where I'm giving away my (mostly popular) villagers for free in hopes of getting people their dreamies.
Anyways, I never had the chance of getting Merengue, despite her being my alltime dreamie, and when I reset I'm making it a candy themed town (Mayor Mint of Sodapop!) so getting her is definitely a top priority. So as soon as all of my villagers move out, I'm going to start working on it uwu
So yeah my story is below. Part 1 is a series of 'Mayor Logs' to help give some background information on (my old) town and then 'Part 2' is up to date in time, with the story.
If you don't feel like ready the whole thing (50,000 words) I totally understand and you can start at the important part, at the start of my second post.
I hope you enjoy my story, I wish it didn't have such a bittersweet ending! Good luck with your competition uwu
But that's my entry.
I'm going to be resetting my town out of guilt for inactivity over the holidays and I currently have my own thread going, where I'm giving away my (mostly popular) villagers for free in hopes of getting people their dreamies.
Anyways, I never had the chance of getting Merengue, despite her being my alltime dreamie, and when I reset I'm making it a candy themed town (Mayor Mint of Sodapop!) so getting her is definitely a top priority. So as soon as all of my villagers move out, I'm going to start working on it uwu
So yeah my story is below. Part 1 is a series of 'Mayor Logs' to help give some background information on (my old) town and then 'Part 2' is up to date in time, with the story.
If you don't feel like ready the whole thing (50,000 words) I totally understand and you can start at the important part, at the start of my second post.
I hope you enjoy my story, I wish it didn't have such a bittersweet ending! Good luck with your competition uwu
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Sweet Tooth
Part 1: Sweet Escape
August 25, 2013
"Mayor's Report,
She hasn't picked up the game at all this week. She even missed the fishing tourney, but that's alright because I made sure everyone played fair. I wasn't allowed to compete since I couldn't have the Gold medal randomly appear in my inventory, but I know we would have won. I've been really improving on my fishing with all the time I've had off this week and I can't wait to show Her all the sharks I can catch!
I know school must be really hard for Her, she's never been gone for more than a few days, but I hope she gets to see her town one last time before the leaves change!
- Mayor Pearl of Lagoon"
September 1, 2013
"Mayor's Report:
She finally came back! I was so nervous when I saw Isabelle standing in front of the tree this morning, she'd spent all week making preparations and I'm sure she was just as excited as I was when I got the alert to 'take position' (every villager has to return to their home to ensure normal game play). She didn't stay on for very long, but she still captured a few screenshots by the cut outs and got the picnic basket from Isabelle! She must be busy with her own plans, I'm so grateful that she found time for us.
My friend Smalls for Tiptree didn't have any game time today, so I invited her over and we put the picnic basket to good use. I always try to include other Mayors who were abandoned by their Players. Smalls thinks her game card might have been lost in her Player's room. I wonder if that's more comforting than the alternative. Poor girl...
- Mayor Pearl of Lagoon"
October 3, 2013
"Mayor's Report,
All of the trees have finally changed colors. It looks like the sky is on fire when you lay on your back and look up! I've been super careful not to step on the mushrooms that have started growing, and I've made sure none of the other villagers have picked them up. I'm saving them all for when She returns.
Where has She been??
- Mayor Pearl of Lagoon"
October 12, 2013
"Mayor's Report,
She sure did have an exciting night tonight! She turned her console on pretty late and then a little after midnight, a new game registered: Pokemon X! She must have gone to the midnight release. She started the game for a second, but she must have forgotten to change the cartridge because she turned her 3DS off and put her name game in, instead.
I wonder if her character in Pokemon is also named Pearl!
Maybe a new game will remind her to check in more often. All the bugs have gone, the town has been so quiet lately!
-Mayor Pearl of Lagoon."
October 31, 2013
"Mayor Report,
I know how much She loves Halloween - she's been using Sable's sewing machine to download costumes for me since the summer! I kind of understand that with school and trick or treating she must be a little busy, but we tried our best to make Lagoon fun and exciting, too. I really think she would have enjoyed it, had she seen what we'd prepared. Jack came down and issued out pumpkin heads for everyone to wear, then we went around begging for candy and playing tricks!
Where was she?
- Mayor Pearl of Lagoon."
November 5, 2013
"Mayor's Report,
Smalls came to visit again, today. She told me that she's started leaving her game on most days. Her player hasn't shown up since the summer and it's looking less and less likely that she will.
I knew it was very possible to leave the game - just hop onto one of the trains once you get past the Monkey attendant and you'll be transferred to the nearest Game Central Station (ideally your local arcade) through the WiFi connection, where you can choose to enter another game, or stay in the lobby.
Leaving your game for whatever reason has always been an act of betrayal for me, especially for the main player. Smalls seemed really optimistic about it though and so I tried to be excited for her and kept my prejudice to myself.
Some villagers have left the game before, but I chose to blindly ignore it because they always come back within a day.
I really need Her reassurance right now.
- Mayor Pearl of Lagoon"
November 26th, 2013 3:30 pm
"Mayor's Report,
She's back! She's really, really back! I knew that fall break would give her the free time she needed! I have to go, she's almost at the loading screen will write later!
- Mayor Pearl of Lagoon"
November 26th 9:15 pm
"Mayor's Report,
Time traveling is what I imagine jet lag to feel like. I wouldn't go quite as far as saying it's traumatizing, but it does get a little frustrating having to repeat an already uneventful day, without as much change as a new selection of clothes or furniture in the shops.
I think she felt guilty for missing Halloween, because that was what we were launched back to. She got every piece of the spooky set, it was amazing! She had this great strategy, she dug holes around everyone who she knew wasn't Jack and then all she had to do was find the one pumpkin-head that was running around whenever he reappeared! She worked on it for hours and got all the candy she needed. I'm really proud of her. Afterwards, she skipped ahead to Thanksgiving, since it is coming up in just a few days and we cooked every meal flawlessly. She even added the extra ingredients, so now we have a Cornucopia to decorate with!
Today was exhausting but I'm so relieved to be back in the current time (if not a few days early!).
I'm scared that having done so much in one day will mean that she won't come back until our next big event, Christmas, which is over a month away. Is she going to miss the first snowfall?
- Mayor Pearl of Lagoon"
December 14-18, 2013 (Real life time: November 28, 2013)
"Mayor Report,
It's not really December 14, at least not to Her. It's actually Thanksgiving! She must be waiting for her dinner to be ready, because she skipped ahead to the first snow and started making different types of snowmen off the bat. She only skipped ahead a few days after today - am I writing from the future? - to finish the snow family and get the full Santa costume!
I'm so glad she's back! I'm pretty sure she's preparing her town for winter. She finally paid off the debt for the Dream Suite and she spent hours placing down Santa-themed paths throughout the town. Nobody has ever had a dream in our town and a Christmas-themed dream would be perfect for the holidays. I'm sure all the villagers would really love it, too!
I can't believe she came back twice in one week! Maybe this is what winter vacation will be like too!
I really hope she stops time skipping, though. Her bad luck has caught up with her and I have to face the consequences with a face full of snow every feet steps.
- Mayor Pearl of Lagoon."
December 16, 2013
"Mayor's report,
She missed Christmas, so she set the time back to its actual date. Finally back to normal! She didn't play for very long, today.
- Mayor Pearl of Lagoon"
December 19, 2014,
"Mayor's Report,
The Winter Solstice was today. I wish she was here to see it. She would have really loved it.
- Mayor Pearl of Lagoon."
December 25, 2013
"Mayor's Report,
Why isn't she here? How could she miss Christmas (again) after she started preparing over a month ago? I don't understand why hasn't been on in over two weeks. She doesn't have school... Where is she?
I'm glad I paid attention to the villagers requests, I was able to ration them all out from Jingle properly. They're staying in the game less and less everyday. Bunnie moved out without notice and there seems to be a wait list of villagers that are ready to Ping! when She plays next. Nobody wants to admit it, but I think we were all disappointed.
- Mayor Pearl of Lagoon."
January 28th, 2014
"Mayor Pearl of Lagoon.
Where is she? It's been well over a month since she's even checked in. She missed New Years, Ground Hogs Day - for what?
I'm trying really hard to make excuses to everyone as to why she's been busy, but I'm feeling more and more insecure about the whole thing.
- Mayor Pearl of Lagoon."
February 5, 2014
"Mayor's Report,
Every villager is out today. Over the past six months I've tried to keep myself busy, to dull the unavoidable boredom of a game that has no player, but I'm running out of ideas. I've finished every bug and fishing log for the season, not that there is much wildlife around with all of this snow, knowing that none of it would be logged without Her playing. I've all but memorized every Showcase house, unearthed every fossil, pulled every weed, and watered every flower that could be watered.
It's hard to play a game with such a reliance on bells, when you have no way of obtaining/spending them without the Player. It's really quiet without the other Villagers, but even if they stayed they still wouldn't feel the embarrassment of being the main character. They could move out at any point, find a new town that offered more game time, but even if they chose to stay they wouldn't feel the personal abandonment of the Mayor. They weren't controlled by Her and apart from the errands that she occasionally used to run for them, had no reliance/personal relationship with Her.
So where does that leave me? I'm her icon, dressed and created to specifically please her and yet I've been wearing a Santa costume for two months too long. Doesn't she care about me? About the well being of her town? And even if I left, there's no other game that I belong in. I was made to represent Her and when I'm forgotten, I lose my incentive in the game, which is likewise my Universe.
What do I do if she doesn't come back?"
- Mayor Pearl of Lagoon"
Part 2: Candy Kisses
She slammed the logbook shut as angry tears strung at the corners of her eyes. She was beginning to realize the fault in her optimism for someone she was so dependent on, who was almost destined to let her down. Coming to terms that she needed to be prepared if She, theoretically, never came back and impassioned by the documented soliloquy, Pearl found herself at the gates of the town.
She guiltily scanned Lagoon before taking a quick step into the station, suddenly relieved that the town was bare of Villagers who would judge her hypocrisy. Soaking with adrenaline and vulnerable hope, she had overlooked Porter the universally snobby ticket master.
"Let me see if Smalls is at home," he smirked, pulling out the lists of Available Towns.
"No! I uh," she blurted as he eyed her over his clipboard. "Grand Central Station," she confirmed, with an attempted confidence that only felt childish.
"Finally decided to leave this dead town, huh? EEEE EEE!" he snorted, unabashed by his screeching laugh. With a forced closed-lip smile, she nodded politely and pounced into the train as soon as the doors opened.
The trip took seconds; as soon as we were in motion a voice announced our arrival at the station, followed by the warning that 'if you die outside of you game, you won't regenerate!'.
"I hadn't even thought about the violence in other games," she breathed, feeling sheepishly naive. What else haven't I predicted?
But her concern was overlapped as she was introduced to the station, which consisted of a dull-blue metallic interior, a chaotic amount of creatures, and dozens of arches leading to other games. Although it was unrealistic to think that she drew attention to herself, given her size and placement amongst hundreds of others, she still anxiously felt eyes on herself and ducked into the most familiar game - Pokemon X.
It was strange to change graphics to a lower dimension, but she nonetheless retained the same stunted size and shape. She hadn't thought that she'd be thrown into the game without some sort of transportation, but the portal had brought her straight to the Main Character of the game.
A skate park?
She stumbled back as a figure, what she assumed was one of the NPCs of the area, assumed their course. Following his skates, she caught sight of a brunette with a pleated red skirt and black accents.
That's her...!
The girl paid her no mind and she continued to duck and kick through the concrete slopes and Pearl would have assumed that she wasn't spotted, had the girl abruptly yelled out.
"You aren't going Turbo, are you?"
"Pardon?" she asked, unfamiliar with the phrase.
"Turbo. Are you invading my game?" she clarified, her voice strained as she continued to elaborately twist through groves in the ground.
"No, no I'm from the same Person, I'm another one of her games, I-" she began, hands clasped together in the 'Nervous' emotion. Thanks to Dr. Shrunk, emotions were automatically represented by one of his fancy 'Moves,' regardless of will to hide them. Apparently it was something that stayed in her coding in different games, as well.
"Well if you don't have a second agenda, why didn't you say anything? Don't you have manners?" the girl had stopped at a nearby bench, but was turned away with much more focus on her water bottle.
"I'm Mayor Pearl of Lagoon," she reflexively admitted before adding, "from... Animal Crossing New Leaf!"
"Ah, so you're the game I replaced," the girl smiled bitterly at her. She knew she was being taunted, but before she had a chance to react the girl introduced herself as Cosette.
"So we don't have the same name," Pearl thought to herself, at a loss of words to carry on the conversation (or perhaps a lack of motivation to put effort into talking to someone so rude).
"Have you seen Her recently?" she asked hopefully, overlooking the snarky comment that was sure to come in hopes of hearing of Her whereabouts.
"Oh yes, she plays me almost everyday since she' gotten me. She's taken the map very slowly, she talks to every person on the way. She's probably scared of finishing the game and isn't ready to let it go," she girl beamed and although her words were littered with insults, there was an unselfish pride in her eyes when she talked about their Player that let Pearl know she wasn't a wasted person. They felt the same basic need to be recognized and appreciated and an even stronger need to please their Player. Pearl had been starved of it for some time, but the understanding was all the same.
"Wait --- are you still wearing clothes from Christmas?"
"I've actually made a mistake. I didn't mean to end up here, my bad! Good luck with your training," she blurted out and swiftly turned around, biting her tongue to keep herself from snapping back.
Back into the station, she held her head high for the short few steps that brought her back to her town's train and sat with a frigid motionless during the short journey to Lagoon.
She could feel the rude intentions form as the monkey attendant drew a breath and in hopes of containing them she snipped, "I'll be back tomorrow."
As she walked under the overhanging of her town, temporarily blinded by the whiteness of everything, she could hear hiccuped, broken laughs from the monkey. And almost in unison she found herself being analyzed by a handful of returning villagers.
They weren't supposed to be back yet...!
She could hear her heart beat in her ears as the villagers politely turned their heads and continued walking back to their houses. A voice broke through the fog of panic but it took several moments for her to register the words.
"Oh dearie, you're back!"
Fauna was at her side, flowers blooming around her as she swayed happily in place.
"I heard that you took a little trip, I hope it was fun!"
Pearl stood there with a forced smile, trying to suppress her emotions with every pixel of her being. She knew she had to move, to say something, to reassure the other villagers if not only to maintain peace in the town, but her emotions were at a tipping point and soon enough tears were dramatically flung from her eyes.
"Oh dear," the little fawn glanced around, trying to encourage the others to come to her aid.
"I'm sorry, it was fun, it was really fun," Pearl mumbled after a few seconds. "I had a lot of fun," she repeated, furiously wiping away the tears as a spongy tapped her shoulder.
"Oh, Pearl! There you are! Erik and I were brainstorming all the ways to mix up Sushi and I need you to come be my taste tester! Unless you don't like sushi, then you can help me cook, gumdrop!" Zucker smiled and without so much of an answer, grabbed her hand and began leading her away to his house.
She found comfort in mindlessly trailing behind him, one of the aspects of the game, and when they arrived he pulled up a chair beside one of the mobile sushi tables.
Zucker went on about the different flavors for a while as he placed them on the conveyor belt and Pearl picked at each, trying her best to give feedback.
"Sometimes it takes a while to get used to, y'know gumdrop," he said, finally addressing the issue. "I spent a month in one of the Sonic games before I realized that I needed to find one that suit my interest - like Cooking Mama! Although I don't recommend it unless you have a real passion for food, since they can be snobs."
"Thank you," she smiled, finding comfort in his sincerity and clear passion for food. "I don't know what kind of games would fit a Mayor..." she said absentmindedly, more curious than hopeless.
"Well I didn't think there would be a good game for an octopus, but then I realized that that's just a title. I am an octopus in an animal-villager game, but that doesn't mean I only have to play Zoo Tycoon! Just like you, you're always so kind and helpful to everyone. You should have seen yourself on our first Halloween, you won nearly all of the candy but then you still passed it out to everyone!" Zucker chirped, although it was clear that neither was confident of what her 'Passion' might be.
"Why don't you go to Sugar Rush with me, tomorrow? It's entirely made out of candy and I owe it to you for Halloween! The people are normally real nice now that President Vanellope's in charge and it looks like the entire map was decorated by Gracie's Sweet collection!" he offered with excitement that was hard to reject.
"Sure, I'd love to," Pearl said with a little smile, guiltily tearing up over his effort to cheer her up, when he was one of the villagers she was supposed to be taking care of.
"Oh and I got something for you!" he suddenly beamed, bouncing over and picking up one of the dresses displayed in his room. Handing the folded material to her, she automatically flipped and changed into it in a Magical Girl Transformation-esque way (one of her favorite aspects of the game).
"A flan dress," she said, a variation of the octopus's signature pattern. "It's beautiful, thank you," she blurted forgetfully, as he explained that it would help her fit into the Candy Kingdom.
If only out of a bad habit, Pearl opened her Mayor's Log that night, a book of her feelings that she claimed to be 'duty' rather than her secret indulgence in a diary, but after a restlessness that made the day seem like a premature ending to what had the potential of being a great experience, she decided to let the memories of the events run their course in her own head where they would hopefully be changed in the coming day and gladly opted for sleep.
Part 3 The Candy Kingdom
Pearl woke with the sun the next morning and admired the Flan dress, which she'd draped over her Mermaid chair the night before, and promptly changed into it. Glancing at the bubblegum vanity, her blue hair and eyes stood in stark contrast to the summery dress and (gradually) warming conditions. So slipping on a pair of brown boots and fitting a few pieces of fruit into her pocket, had she stayed out later than anticipated, she headed over to Shampoodle.
After the Christmas absence, the disappointment was most visible in the stores where normally-changing shelves now laid dormant. Timmy and Tommy had rearranged all the furniture in their Uncle's shop to resemble more of a clubhouse and the Sable sisters began to work on more private commissions.
After popping in to the Able's for a quick check up, Pearl pulled herself up the stairs nervous of how the poodle may react.
"Oh dear, my paws have just been waiting to make aesthetic beauty, but I'm afraid you will still have to pay," the worker explained, with more eagerness that was ever anticipated.
"Yeah, of course," Pearl nodded, gladly taking a sac of bells out of her pocket.
"I hope that'll repay you for your time off," she smiled and after a small conversation of what she was looking for, the machine was strapped to her head.
"What do you think? Is the color right?" the employee asked, proudly offering her a mirror.
She traced her hair with her fingertips and admired the ponytail: it wasn't a great change from her usual bun, but the freedom from her otherwise dictated appearance may as well have turned her into a Villager.
"The color is great," she beamed, fingering the candy-pink locks.
"Would you mind holding onto the colored contacts for a bit?" she asked, as the poodle dashed to get her a lens holder. Blinking from her original warm-brown eyes, she big adieu to the artist and headed to meet Zucker at the gate.
"Ready?" he asked and she returned it with a genuinely excited nod.
Zucker chattered about Sugar Rush and how she was 'bound to love it' throughout the ride and wouldn't have stopped, had he not been picked for one of the 'random security checks'.
"You go on without me! I don't want you to miss the start of the races, just go left and you'll walk right into it!" he yelled over hologram guard and she nodded again, trying her best to be brave.
Although it was just her second day, she was starting to pick up trademark lessons of the station like how less crowded it seemed in the morning and how the more violent games seemed to be farther back.
"Heads up!" someone shouted as a bird with angry black eyebrows was pelted past her, landing directly in the spot she'd just dove from.
"Sorry!" the same unidentified face called and as she turned to brush it off, something else caught her ear.
S-U-G-A-R
Jump into your racing car
Say SUGAR RUSH!
SUGAR RUSH!
The cheery tune pulled her in with the ease of a siren and without looking at the sign, she skipped into the portal and was immediately welcomed with the smell of cake batter. She had entered blindly and remained that way to savor the moment. The cuff of her boots hoofed curiously at the sugared ground and she dipped her hand into the thick wall beside her, trying to imagine it all but fell drastically short of its vastness for when she opened her eyes she was afraid the 'Shocked' expression would never end.
Leaning back on her heels, her eyes followed the runway of belted rainbow strips down to the land, where hues of brown pink and sea-foam stood beneath swirls of icing. Behind her a mountain made of wafer-cone was dipped in chocolate, the same kind that now colored her hand. She took a few careful steps on the sprinkled carpet and wondered if she'd even be in pain if she fell, doubting this place could be the catalyst of pain.
Leaning forward she attempted to get a good luck, wanting nothing more than to dive forward and indulge in every type of candy but wanting to stay faithful to her friend, but overestimated her step and slid down the spiraled entrance. She was on her stomach but the otherwise-abrasive sugar coat had the consistency of bubbles popping on her skin and was in a fit of giggles before she was weightlessly dropped into a sprout of cotton candy. When she managed to untangle herself, she found her footing on what looked liked dried strawberry icing, but after it elastically gave her under her weight, she wondered if it made made of marshmallow fluff.
Scanning her horizon, she was still relatively elevated but lost the advantage of the landscape view that the entrance had given her.
"Better find the racetrack," Pearl thought to herself, knowing Zucker would find her there.
The tips of towering peppermint sticks were just out of reach and with a leap of faith and hurled herself over the pink cliff and caught onto one of the thin, jutting branches. Although the cluster of trees obscured her view, the ground beneath was blueish green and dotted with specks of pink and orange.
"I won't get anywhere if I can't see anything," she noted, knowing if she climbed down she'd just be trying to aimlessly weave through the trees for miles.
So instead she pulled herself up, steadied her balance, and scouted out the tallest of the trees. When she found her aim, which was locked tightly on the pillar centered in the middle of the green-ring below. Most of the trees were close enough for her to reach and comfortably step onto, but she found herself having to stretch more and more the closer she got to her destination.
(continued below)
Part 1: Sweet Escape
August 25, 2013
"Mayor's Report,
She hasn't picked up the game at all this week. She even missed the fishing tourney, but that's alright because I made sure everyone played fair. I wasn't allowed to compete since I couldn't have the Gold medal randomly appear in my inventory, but I know we would have won. I've been really improving on my fishing with all the time I've had off this week and I can't wait to show Her all the sharks I can catch!
I know school must be really hard for Her, she's never been gone for more than a few days, but I hope she gets to see her town one last time before the leaves change!
- Mayor Pearl of Lagoon"
September 1, 2013
"Mayor's Report:
She finally came back! I was so nervous when I saw Isabelle standing in front of the tree this morning, she'd spent all week making preparations and I'm sure she was just as excited as I was when I got the alert to 'take position' (every villager has to return to their home to ensure normal game play). She didn't stay on for very long, but she still captured a few screenshots by the cut outs and got the picnic basket from Isabelle! She must be busy with her own plans, I'm so grateful that she found time for us.
My friend Smalls for Tiptree didn't have any game time today, so I invited her over and we put the picnic basket to good use. I always try to include other Mayors who were abandoned by their Players. Smalls thinks her game card might have been lost in her Player's room. I wonder if that's more comforting than the alternative. Poor girl...
- Mayor Pearl of Lagoon"
October 3, 2013
"Mayor's Report,
All of the trees have finally changed colors. It looks like the sky is on fire when you lay on your back and look up! I've been super careful not to step on the mushrooms that have started growing, and I've made sure none of the other villagers have picked them up. I'm saving them all for when She returns.
Where has She been??
- Mayor Pearl of Lagoon"
October 12, 2013
"Mayor's Report,
She sure did have an exciting night tonight! She turned her console on pretty late and then a little after midnight, a new game registered: Pokemon X! She must have gone to the midnight release. She started the game for a second, but she must have forgotten to change the cartridge because she turned her 3DS off and put her name game in, instead.
I wonder if her character in Pokemon is also named Pearl!
Maybe a new game will remind her to check in more often. All the bugs have gone, the town has been so quiet lately!
-Mayor Pearl of Lagoon."
October 31, 2013
"Mayor Report,
I know how much She loves Halloween - she's been using Sable's sewing machine to download costumes for me since the summer! I kind of understand that with school and trick or treating she must be a little busy, but we tried our best to make Lagoon fun and exciting, too. I really think she would have enjoyed it, had she seen what we'd prepared. Jack came down and issued out pumpkin heads for everyone to wear, then we went around begging for candy and playing tricks!
Where was she?
- Mayor Pearl of Lagoon."
November 5, 2013
"Mayor's Report,
Smalls came to visit again, today. She told me that she's started leaving her game on most days. Her player hasn't shown up since the summer and it's looking less and less likely that she will.
I knew it was very possible to leave the game - just hop onto one of the trains once you get past the Monkey attendant and you'll be transferred to the nearest Game Central Station (ideally your local arcade) through the WiFi connection, where you can choose to enter another game, or stay in the lobby.
Leaving your game for whatever reason has always been an act of betrayal for me, especially for the main player. Smalls seemed really optimistic about it though and so I tried to be excited for her and kept my prejudice to myself.
Some villagers have left the game before, but I chose to blindly ignore it because they always come back within a day.
I really need Her reassurance right now.
- Mayor Pearl of Lagoon"
November 26th, 2013 3:30 pm
"Mayor's Report,
She's back! She's really, really back! I knew that fall break would give her the free time she needed! I have to go, she's almost at the loading screen will write later!
- Mayor Pearl of Lagoon"
November 26th 9:15 pm
"Mayor's Report,
Time traveling is what I imagine jet lag to feel like. I wouldn't go quite as far as saying it's traumatizing, but it does get a little frustrating having to repeat an already uneventful day, without as much change as a new selection of clothes or furniture in the shops.
I think she felt guilty for missing Halloween, because that was what we were launched back to. She got every piece of the spooky set, it was amazing! She had this great strategy, she dug holes around everyone who she knew wasn't Jack and then all she had to do was find the one pumpkin-head that was running around whenever he reappeared! She worked on it for hours and got all the candy she needed. I'm really proud of her. Afterwards, she skipped ahead to Thanksgiving, since it is coming up in just a few days and we cooked every meal flawlessly. She even added the extra ingredients, so now we have a Cornucopia to decorate with!
Today was exhausting but I'm so relieved to be back in the current time (if not a few days early!).
I'm scared that having done so much in one day will mean that she won't come back until our next big event, Christmas, which is over a month away. Is she going to miss the first snowfall?
- Mayor Pearl of Lagoon"
December 14-18, 2013 (Real life time: November 28, 2013)
"Mayor Report,
It's not really December 14, at least not to Her. It's actually Thanksgiving! She must be waiting for her dinner to be ready, because she skipped ahead to the first snow and started making different types of snowmen off the bat. She only skipped ahead a few days after today - am I writing from the future? - to finish the snow family and get the full Santa costume!
I'm so glad she's back! I'm pretty sure she's preparing her town for winter. She finally paid off the debt for the Dream Suite and she spent hours placing down Santa-themed paths throughout the town. Nobody has ever had a dream in our town and a Christmas-themed dream would be perfect for the holidays. I'm sure all the villagers would really love it, too!
I can't believe she came back twice in one week! Maybe this is what winter vacation will be like too!
I really hope she stops time skipping, though. Her bad luck has caught up with her and I have to face the consequences with a face full of snow every feet steps.
- Mayor Pearl of Lagoon."
December 16, 2013
"Mayor's report,
She missed Christmas, so she set the time back to its actual date. Finally back to normal! She didn't play for very long, today.
- Mayor Pearl of Lagoon"
December 19, 2014,
"Mayor's Report,
The Winter Solstice was today. I wish she was here to see it. She would have really loved it.
- Mayor Pearl of Lagoon."
December 25, 2013
"Mayor's Report,
Why isn't she here? How could she miss Christmas (again) after she started preparing over a month ago? I don't understand why hasn't been on in over two weeks. She doesn't have school... Where is she?
I'm glad I paid attention to the villagers requests, I was able to ration them all out from Jingle properly. They're staying in the game less and less everyday. Bunnie moved out without notice and there seems to be a wait list of villagers that are ready to Ping! when She plays next. Nobody wants to admit it, but I think we were all disappointed.
- Mayor Pearl of Lagoon."
January 28th, 2014
"Mayor Pearl of Lagoon.
Where is she? It's been well over a month since she's even checked in. She missed New Years, Ground Hogs Day - for what?
I'm trying really hard to make excuses to everyone as to why she's been busy, but I'm feeling more and more insecure about the whole thing.
- Mayor Pearl of Lagoon."
February 5, 2014
"Mayor's Report,
Every villager is out today. Over the past six months I've tried to keep myself busy, to dull the unavoidable boredom of a game that has no player, but I'm running out of ideas. I've finished every bug and fishing log for the season, not that there is much wildlife around with all of this snow, knowing that none of it would be logged without Her playing. I've all but memorized every Showcase house, unearthed every fossil, pulled every weed, and watered every flower that could be watered.
It's hard to play a game with such a reliance on bells, when you have no way of obtaining/spending them without the Player. It's really quiet without the other Villagers, but even if they stayed they still wouldn't feel the embarrassment of being the main character. They could move out at any point, find a new town that offered more game time, but even if they chose to stay they wouldn't feel the personal abandonment of the Mayor. They weren't controlled by Her and apart from the errands that she occasionally used to run for them, had no reliance/personal relationship with Her.
So where does that leave me? I'm her icon, dressed and created to specifically please her and yet I've been wearing a Santa costume for two months too long. Doesn't she care about me? About the well being of her town? And even if I left, there's no other game that I belong in. I was made to represent Her and when I'm forgotten, I lose my incentive in the game, which is likewise my Universe.
What do I do if she doesn't come back?"
- Mayor Pearl of Lagoon"
Part 2: Candy Kisses
She slammed the logbook shut as angry tears strung at the corners of her eyes. She was beginning to realize the fault in her optimism for someone she was so dependent on, who was almost destined to let her down. Coming to terms that she needed to be prepared if She, theoretically, never came back and impassioned by the documented soliloquy, Pearl found herself at the gates of the town.
She guiltily scanned Lagoon before taking a quick step into the station, suddenly relieved that the town was bare of Villagers who would judge her hypocrisy. Soaking with adrenaline and vulnerable hope, she had overlooked Porter the universally snobby ticket master.
"Let me see if Smalls is at home," he smirked, pulling out the lists of Available Towns.
"No! I uh," she blurted as he eyed her over his clipboard. "Grand Central Station," she confirmed, with an attempted confidence that only felt childish.
"Finally decided to leave this dead town, huh? EEEE EEE!" he snorted, unabashed by his screeching laugh. With a forced closed-lip smile, she nodded politely and pounced into the train as soon as the doors opened.
The trip took seconds; as soon as we were in motion a voice announced our arrival at the station, followed by the warning that 'if you die outside of you game, you won't regenerate!'.
"I hadn't even thought about the violence in other games," she breathed, feeling sheepishly naive. What else haven't I predicted?
But her concern was overlapped as she was introduced to the station, which consisted of a dull-blue metallic interior, a chaotic amount of creatures, and dozens of arches leading to other games. Although it was unrealistic to think that she drew attention to herself, given her size and placement amongst hundreds of others, she still anxiously felt eyes on herself and ducked into the most familiar game - Pokemon X.
It was strange to change graphics to a lower dimension, but she nonetheless retained the same stunted size and shape. She hadn't thought that she'd be thrown into the game without some sort of transportation, but the portal had brought her straight to the Main Character of the game.
A skate park?
She stumbled back as a figure, what she assumed was one of the NPCs of the area, assumed their course. Following his skates, she caught sight of a brunette with a pleated red skirt and black accents.
That's her...!
The girl paid her no mind and she continued to duck and kick through the concrete slopes and Pearl would have assumed that she wasn't spotted, had the girl abruptly yelled out.
"You aren't going Turbo, are you?"
"Pardon?" she asked, unfamiliar with the phrase.
"Turbo. Are you invading my game?" she clarified, her voice strained as she continued to elaborately twist through groves in the ground.
"No, no I'm from the same Person, I'm another one of her games, I-" she began, hands clasped together in the 'Nervous' emotion. Thanks to Dr. Shrunk, emotions were automatically represented by one of his fancy 'Moves,' regardless of will to hide them. Apparently it was something that stayed in her coding in different games, as well.
"Well if you don't have a second agenda, why didn't you say anything? Don't you have manners?" the girl had stopped at a nearby bench, but was turned away with much more focus on her water bottle.
"I'm Mayor Pearl of Lagoon," she reflexively admitted before adding, "from... Animal Crossing New Leaf!"
"Ah, so you're the game I replaced," the girl smiled bitterly at her. She knew she was being taunted, but before she had a chance to react the girl introduced herself as Cosette.
"So we don't have the same name," Pearl thought to herself, at a loss of words to carry on the conversation (or perhaps a lack of motivation to put effort into talking to someone so rude).
"Have you seen Her recently?" she asked hopefully, overlooking the snarky comment that was sure to come in hopes of hearing of Her whereabouts.
"Oh yes, she plays me almost everyday since she' gotten me. She's taken the map very slowly, she talks to every person on the way. She's probably scared of finishing the game and isn't ready to let it go," she girl beamed and although her words were littered with insults, there was an unselfish pride in her eyes when she talked about their Player that let Pearl know she wasn't a wasted person. They felt the same basic need to be recognized and appreciated and an even stronger need to please their Player. Pearl had been starved of it for some time, but the understanding was all the same.
"Wait --- are you still wearing clothes from Christmas?"
"I've actually made a mistake. I didn't mean to end up here, my bad! Good luck with your training," she blurted out and swiftly turned around, biting her tongue to keep herself from snapping back.
Back into the station, she held her head high for the short few steps that brought her back to her town's train and sat with a frigid motionless during the short journey to Lagoon.
She could feel the rude intentions form as the monkey attendant drew a breath and in hopes of containing them she snipped, "I'll be back tomorrow."
As she walked under the overhanging of her town, temporarily blinded by the whiteness of everything, she could hear hiccuped, broken laughs from the monkey. And almost in unison she found herself being analyzed by a handful of returning villagers.
They weren't supposed to be back yet...!
She could hear her heart beat in her ears as the villagers politely turned their heads and continued walking back to their houses. A voice broke through the fog of panic but it took several moments for her to register the words.
"Oh dearie, you're back!"
Fauna was at her side, flowers blooming around her as she swayed happily in place.
"I heard that you took a little trip, I hope it was fun!"
Pearl stood there with a forced smile, trying to suppress her emotions with every pixel of her being. She knew she had to move, to say something, to reassure the other villagers if not only to maintain peace in the town, but her emotions were at a tipping point and soon enough tears were dramatically flung from her eyes.
"Oh dear," the little fawn glanced around, trying to encourage the others to come to her aid.
"I'm sorry, it was fun, it was really fun," Pearl mumbled after a few seconds. "I had a lot of fun," she repeated, furiously wiping away the tears as a spongy tapped her shoulder.
"Oh, Pearl! There you are! Erik and I were brainstorming all the ways to mix up Sushi and I need you to come be my taste tester! Unless you don't like sushi, then you can help me cook, gumdrop!" Zucker smiled and without so much of an answer, grabbed her hand and began leading her away to his house.
She found comfort in mindlessly trailing behind him, one of the aspects of the game, and when they arrived he pulled up a chair beside one of the mobile sushi tables.
Zucker went on about the different flavors for a while as he placed them on the conveyor belt and Pearl picked at each, trying her best to give feedback.
"Sometimes it takes a while to get used to, y'know gumdrop," he said, finally addressing the issue. "I spent a month in one of the Sonic games before I realized that I needed to find one that suit my interest - like Cooking Mama! Although I don't recommend it unless you have a real passion for food, since they can be snobs."
"Thank you," she smiled, finding comfort in his sincerity and clear passion for food. "I don't know what kind of games would fit a Mayor..." she said absentmindedly, more curious than hopeless.
"Well I didn't think there would be a good game for an octopus, but then I realized that that's just a title. I am an octopus in an animal-villager game, but that doesn't mean I only have to play Zoo Tycoon! Just like you, you're always so kind and helpful to everyone. You should have seen yourself on our first Halloween, you won nearly all of the candy but then you still passed it out to everyone!" Zucker chirped, although it was clear that neither was confident of what her 'Passion' might be.
"Why don't you go to Sugar Rush with me, tomorrow? It's entirely made out of candy and I owe it to you for Halloween! The people are normally real nice now that President Vanellope's in charge and it looks like the entire map was decorated by Gracie's Sweet collection!" he offered with excitement that was hard to reject.
"Sure, I'd love to," Pearl said with a little smile, guiltily tearing up over his effort to cheer her up, when he was one of the villagers she was supposed to be taking care of.
"Oh and I got something for you!" he suddenly beamed, bouncing over and picking up one of the dresses displayed in his room. Handing the folded material to her, she automatically flipped and changed into it in a Magical Girl Transformation-esque way (one of her favorite aspects of the game).
"A flan dress," she said, a variation of the octopus's signature pattern. "It's beautiful, thank you," she blurted forgetfully, as he explained that it would help her fit into the Candy Kingdom.
If only out of a bad habit, Pearl opened her Mayor's Log that night, a book of her feelings that she claimed to be 'duty' rather than her secret indulgence in a diary, but after a restlessness that made the day seem like a premature ending to what had the potential of being a great experience, she decided to let the memories of the events run their course in her own head where they would hopefully be changed in the coming day and gladly opted for sleep.
Part 3 The Candy Kingdom
Pearl woke with the sun the next morning and admired the Flan dress, which she'd draped over her Mermaid chair the night before, and promptly changed into it. Glancing at the bubblegum vanity, her blue hair and eyes stood in stark contrast to the summery dress and (gradually) warming conditions. So slipping on a pair of brown boots and fitting a few pieces of fruit into her pocket, had she stayed out later than anticipated, she headed over to Shampoodle.
After the Christmas absence, the disappointment was most visible in the stores where normally-changing shelves now laid dormant. Timmy and Tommy had rearranged all the furniture in their Uncle's shop to resemble more of a clubhouse and the Sable sisters began to work on more private commissions.
After popping in to the Able's for a quick check up, Pearl pulled herself up the stairs nervous of how the poodle may react.
"Oh dear, my paws have just been waiting to make aesthetic beauty, but I'm afraid you will still have to pay," the worker explained, with more eagerness that was ever anticipated.
"Yeah, of course," Pearl nodded, gladly taking a sac of bells out of her pocket.
"I hope that'll repay you for your time off," she smiled and after a small conversation of what she was looking for, the machine was strapped to her head.
"What do you think? Is the color right?" the employee asked, proudly offering her a mirror.
She traced her hair with her fingertips and admired the ponytail: it wasn't a great change from her usual bun, but the freedom from her otherwise dictated appearance may as well have turned her into a Villager.
"The color is great," she beamed, fingering the candy-pink locks.
"Would you mind holding onto the colored contacts for a bit?" she asked, as the poodle dashed to get her a lens holder. Blinking from her original warm-brown eyes, she big adieu to the artist and headed to meet Zucker at the gate.
"Ready?" he asked and she returned it with a genuinely excited nod.
Zucker chattered about Sugar Rush and how she was 'bound to love it' throughout the ride and wouldn't have stopped, had he not been picked for one of the 'random security checks'.
"You go on without me! I don't want you to miss the start of the races, just go left and you'll walk right into it!" he yelled over hologram guard and she nodded again, trying her best to be brave.
Although it was just her second day, she was starting to pick up trademark lessons of the station like how less crowded it seemed in the morning and how the more violent games seemed to be farther back.
"Heads up!" someone shouted as a bird with angry black eyebrows was pelted past her, landing directly in the spot she'd just dove from.
"Sorry!" the same unidentified face called and as she turned to brush it off, something else caught her ear.
S-U-G-A-R
Jump into your racing car
Say SUGAR RUSH!
SUGAR RUSH!
The cheery tune pulled her in with the ease of a siren and without looking at the sign, she skipped into the portal and was immediately welcomed with the smell of cake batter. She had entered blindly and remained that way to savor the moment. The cuff of her boots hoofed curiously at the sugared ground and she dipped her hand into the thick wall beside her, trying to imagine it all but fell drastically short of its vastness for when she opened her eyes she was afraid the 'Shocked' expression would never end.
Leaning back on her heels, her eyes followed the runway of belted rainbow strips down to the land, where hues of brown pink and sea-foam stood beneath swirls of icing. Behind her a mountain made of wafer-cone was dipped in chocolate, the same kind that now colored her hand. She took a few careful steps on the sprinkled carpet and wondered if she'd even be in pain if she fell, doubting this place could be the catalyst of pain.
Leaning forward she attempted to get a good luck, wanting nothing more than to dive forward and indulge in every type of candy but wanting to stay faithful to her friend, but overestimated her step and slid down the spiraled entrance. She was on her stomach but the otherwise-abrasive sugar coat had the consistency of bubbles popping on her skin and was in a fit of giggles before she was weightlessly dropped into a sprout of cotton candy. When she managed to untangle herself, she found her footing on what looked liked dried strawberry icing, but after it elastically gave her under her weight, she wondered if it made made of marshmallow fluff.
Scanning her horizon, she was still relatively elevated but lost the advantage of the landscape view that the entrance had given her.
"Better find the racetrack," Pearl thought to herself, knowing Zucker would find her there.
The tips of towering peppermint sticks were just out of reach and with a leap of faith and hurled herself over the pink cliff and caught onto one of the thin, jutting branches. Although the cluster of trees obscured her view, the ground beneath was blueish green and dotted with specks of pink and orange.
"I won't get anywhere if I can't see anything," she noted, knowing if she climbed down she'd just be trying to aimlessly weave through the trees for miles.
So instead she pulled herself up, steadied her balance, and scouted out the tallest of the trees. When she found her aim, which was locked tightly on the pillar centered in the middle of the green-ring below. Most of the trees were close enough for her to reach and comfortably step onto, but she found herself having to stretch more and more the closer she got to her destination.
(continued below)
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She was nearly there when her foot slipped as she was reaching for another branch and by some chance of luck caught the one beneath her - but ignorant of the laws of physics there the double stripes soon vanished and she plummeted down and sunk into the sea-foam swamp bellow.
The swamp had the consistency of a mint milkshake and had she not been far from any source of water or means of cleaning herself, would have willingly jumped in. But given the circumstances and stickiness of her clothes, she surfaced with sounds of disgust.
"Sticky sticky sticky sticky sticky," she mumbled as she swam to the nearest floating gumdrop, knowing her diving badges had finally paid off.
Pulling herself onto the spongy candy, she laid on her back in defeat and rested for a moment before her reversed- vision caught a flutter of movement. Quickly sitting up, she expected to see someone on the other end of the mint swamp, but nothing seemed out of place.
"Hello? Who's there?" she called out, hoping candy-butterflies were a thing. Squinting, she almost didn't notice what looked like a floating strawberry and when the Shocked emotion kicked in again, a pink rhino peeked from behind the tree in the same way the villagers of Lagoon did when they played hide n seek.
"Oh my, I didn't mean to startle you. I mistook you for someone else," she said in a babydoll voice, her hands clasping together in the all-too-familiar worry emotion.
"Y-you're from animal crossing?" Pearl asked bluntly, confusion clouding her manners.
"Oh yes, I'm Merengue from Swirlz. It's nice to meet you!" she chirped, as flowers circled her in Joy.
"I haven't seen a Mayor here before... Are you new?" Merengue asked when she didn't respond.
"Yeah, I- uh, am here with a friend?" she explained, uncertainty hinting that she was lost.
"Oh wait are you with Zucker?" she asked as an exclamation point appeared over her head. When the Mayor nodded slowly, still processing the entire situation, little hearts appeared around the rhino's face as she explained how nice their mutual friend was when they first met.
"You haven't seen him, have you?" Pearl asked and explained that she's trying to find their rendezvous point.
"Oh the race track? That's easy, shortcake!" the rhino beamed, jumping onto one of the floating gumdrops and following the trail down the swamp. "This way!"
The gumdrops were easy transportation and were positioned to almost guarantee successful landing on each. When she jumped off the last one, she tilted on the edge of the swamp before the rhino quickly came to her aid.
"Thank you, although I'm not sure I can get much messier," Pearl mumbled, acknowledging the goo that was pact nearly everywhere.
"Oh don't worry, it'll dry up really fast when you get under the sun," the rhino reassured her and it seemed unlikely until she was lead from the outskirt of the peppermint forest to a candy-waffer path, where the candy melted off with ease under the sun.
"It's going to start soon so we'll need to be fast!" she said and took Pearl's hand, swiftly guiding the two down the path and onto a bridge that overlooked a sea of colossal lollipops. Pearl felt guilty for not stopping and admiring every new scene for all it was worth but the excitement of what she had yet to see kept her going.
"It's just over there!" Merengue called over her shoulder, brushing past a cluster of cinnamon sticks and revealing a string of candy-box stands beneath the hill they were on.
Just beyond the structures was the checkered start-line and a handful of the Sugar Rush Racers preparing for the day.
"W-Wait, let's just watch it from here," Pearl called ahead as she slowed down, accidentally jerking Merengue by her shoulder. "I don't think Zucker is here quite yet and this is a really great view," she explained, to which the two took a seat.
Each racer began to introduce themselves and resumed position in their specialized cars, and Pearl couldn't help but think how nicely Merengue would fit in with them.
"Sugar Rush Racers, start your engines," the speaker called out and the cars winked like gems as they bounced alive.
During the countdown Pearl caught sight of Zucker down by the stands and made a note to check in with him once the racers were off.
As the cars tore off the many residents of the game cheered them on and after elbowing Merengue and silently filling her in, we slowly headed down the hill. When they entered the stands, their friend was cheering on his favorite, jumping as high as his tentacles would take him.
"So much for being a lazy villager," Pearl teased him and was returned with the bashful emotion.
"Oh, I ran into your friend. She helped me find my way," the Mayor explained, introducing the shy rhino. The two hugged, something Pearl had never seen villagers do before, and then they shuffled into the seats beside him. After a few moments she excused herself to go to the concession stand and the Lagoon villagers were left alone.
"I hope you didn't have too much trouble getting here."
"It wasn't too bad, I got to see all the scenery."
"Did you miss the beginning?"
"No, we watched it from that hill."
"Aaaah. I get so excited for the racers, gumdrop!"
"Yeah it's crazy how fast they were going."
A casual conversation seemed forced and awkward amongst all of the excitement, so Pearl skipped ahead to the important parts.
"So you didn't tell me other animal crossing villagers were here?"
"Oh, you mean Merengue? She's the only other villager I've seen here, except for someone from Lagoon once or twice. Really sweet girl, with a really tragic backstory. I'm glad I was here here to help, though," he said vaguely and only wetting Pearl's curiosity.
"Her back story? Wait what happened to her, is she glitched or something?" Pearl asked, checking over her shoulder to make sure their topic of interest hadn't returned.
"No, she just had one of those players that your friend - Smalls I think? - had. They stopped showing up after a few weeks of playing, just to get everyone attached, and then all the villagers got bored and ended up somewhere like here. Well Merengue was the only one out of her town when her Player reset and even though the Mayors retain their memories, all of the other villagers were sent to the void and wiped clean. She tried for a while to find her Mayor but she lost motivation back in the fall. She was heartbroken when I found her, but I guess anyone who just lost all of their friends would be," he explained with an uncomfortableness that was probably due to how impersonal it felt to share someone else's story.
"I mistook you for someone else."
The word reset was enough to make anyone's gut wrench but to be, in essence, the only survivor disturbed the Mayor's heart. She seemed so sweet, so eager and willing to help - why would something like that happen to her?
"I think they're close!" Merengue said when she returned, explaining that she could hear them go through the bonus level when she was buying snacks.
The three watched the races go on several times, it must have been a popular game at the local arcade, the majority of which were won by the President of the game. Although the sun never set, the passing of time still wore them out and soon Zucker mentioned that he normally returned around that time.
"Oh, you're right it is getting late," Merengue said, stand up and shyly mentioning that she aught to get going as well.
"It was nice meeting you!" she smiled before turning around and Pearl wondered where she stayed every night.
"We can't just leave her here," she finally whispered to the octopus, who sat in thought for a moment.
"This is her home now, she's been here for months. I'm sure she's settled in," Zucker argued, trying to soothe her conscious.
"Does she know anyone else here?" she asked with no reply.
Pearl really did intend on reaching out to her, but when she traced her steps the rhino had all but vanished from sight.
"Merengue? Merengue!" she called out, only to be hushed by the crowd as the racers neared in for the last time.
"I guess you're right," she sighed, with the secret agenda to come back the next day.
The walk back was exhausting and although Zuckr assured her that he knew his way, he began to add in that 'it had been a while' as his worry grew. After squeezing through all types of over-sized truffles and fudge slip-n-slides they caught sight of President Vanellope's Castle and through Pearl's persistence, which was really just curiosity, stopped to ask for directions.
The focused on their exhaustion and moving their own legs, neither noticed the familiar face waiting at the gate ahead, until the voices interrupted the trance.
"Lemme guess, you need somewhere to stay for just one more night?" one of the cop-like pastries who was guarding the door teased.
"Tomorrow's the day, right?" the other danish mocked, and the pair laughed in unison as they opened the gates.
The rhino blushed, ducking her head as she walked in and Pearl felt the same pluck at her heart, of how wrong the girl had been treated. Her voice was choked in her throat for a moment, as not to say anything that might embarrass the friend anymore. As they drew nearer, the doors firmly closed, Pearl felt the anger bubble over until her face reddened, with two puffs of smoke on either side.
"How could you treat her like that? She doesn't have anywhere else to go and you're going to make it harder for her than it already is? Don't you think it's bad enough staying in a game where you don't know anyone or have anywhere to stay, without people like you reminding her that she doesn't belong?" she yelled at the two while Zucker stood bashfully aside.
"Sorry to offend 'ya, Miss Mayor, but your friend's come back here every night for the past 6 months claiming that it will be her last. That she's got all these big plans, going to find a new town of her own, it's a joke. The girl's got to be delusional if she can't see it by now," the danish said hoarsely, as if naivety excused his bullying.
"No, YOU'RE a joke, you call yourself a guard but you still attack harmless visitors," she countered and would have gone on, had the cop not straightened out, walking up to her with his towering height and promptly kicked the pair out.
"You tried, I'll let her know that you stood up for her," Zucker said, not sensing the passion that had boiled through her.
"I'm not leaving without her," Pearl said angrily as soon as they weren't in open sight. "I'm going back for her. I don't know how, but you should go back and let everyone know I'll be a little late. I don't want to get you involved in this," she said and after denying his polite offers to stay and help, the octopus went off and she was left to form some sort of game plan.
Her doubt grew with the passing time but as if coming to her aid, the sugar rush racers soon pulled up in their cars and when the last one passed, Pear silently clung onto the bumper. The guards had taken a statue-like position, each holding their bats at their side and looking forward with determination, allowing her to sneak by with ease. When the doors shut behind her, she quickly jumped off and dashed to the nearest staircase, which led to a series of halls.
Taking blind turns left and right, she eventually lead herself to a large pair of semi-circular with overhead scripture of "The Glitch," that could only belong to the President.
Merengue stood quietly beneath, her hooves pressed shyly together as she patiently waited. Pearl was halfway to calling her name, before the voices of the other racers approaching startled her into ducking into a niche in the wall. Did they all stay in that room together? Why was Merengue there? Did she work for them? Were they her friends?
"Is she seriously waiting for Vanellope again?"
"I'd be embarrassed to come back."
"Path-e-tic!"
The first and last voice was the same and Pearl got a glimpse of short blonde hair, followed by stubby pigtails, as the racers divided themselves amongst the open doors. The other racer's didn't acknowledge the Rhino as they passed, or looked shyly at her but weren't brave enough to speak up.
By the time the hallway had cleared, Merengue had dark purple clouds swirling around her that were stunted with shock as Pearl revealed herself.
"I thought you'd gone home...!" she gasped, looking down at her feet and blushing.
"And leave you in this drab place? Please," Pearl laughed, trying to lighten the situation but realizing it made her seem like she wasn't returning to Lagoon at all.
"I came back to ask if you'd like to stay in Lagoon," she smiled and quickly tried to counter any doubts that the rhino may have, "we have an open campsite, I know it's not much but since it's still snowing the igloo is much bigger and the stew isn't half bad."
"I... I couldn't do that..." she whispered as a thought bubble appeared overhead.
"I want you to," Pearl urged, trying to reassure her that she wouldn't be a nuisance.
"Just for one night and if it's so bad then I'll never make you come back," she winked and Merengue nodded silently, following her through the backdoor.
Pearl tried to keep the two busy with happy conversation as they walked back to the portal and in some ways the distance was actually pretty enjoyable. Merengue was easier to talk to than the other villagers, maybe because Pearl had taken a Uchi protectiveness over her or because her Mayor title didn't really hold much power with her, or perhaps the coming together of two compatible friends naturally bred delight.
However, the mood shift when they entered the train and Merengue sat in silence with the thought bubble over her head. Accepting that she really could online imagine what the villager must be feeling after all of this time, Pearl respected her silence until they arrived at Lagoon.
Pearl studied her when they arrived at the station, how her neck craned to get a better look before the doors even opened. When they entered, she stood patiently by the Mayor as she explained to the attendant that they had a guest, but the rhino was facing the entrance and could not have been more relieved when the conversation ended.
You could tell that entering the town was a powerful moment, by the way she took everything in at once and then found amazement in simple features. Her eyes clung to the erratically placed flowers, the town fruit, the way her footsteps sounded on the brick, nearby weeds, the position of the moon in the sky.... Pearl didn't speak until Merengue glanced at her, silently giving her permission, during which she directed them to the igloo.
"I'm really happy with its placement, but if the waterfall bothers you too much I'll find other arrangements," she said, crawling through the entrance behind the rhino. Inside, stew was churning in the center, while a large rug brought relief to cold feet.
"I know it isn't much..." the Mayor sighed, wishing she could offer her, her own house.
"It's perfect," she said quietly, her bubblegum voice cracking.
The rhino turned towards the wall and Pearl knew she was intruding in a personal moment, so she took a step back before the rhino spoke up again.
"It's been so long since I've been back in my game. I almost forgot what it feels like," she smiled, tears fat in her eyes, "to have a set place to belong, I mean. I really took it for advantage... How it feels to be home..."
Pearl breathed angrily through her nose, frustrated at the pain that the villager had been put through, of the injustice in her story, of her own stubbornness to leave when she could have offered her friend some closure months earlier. And in part of the heightened emotion that comes with adventures and exhaust, Pearl walked over to where her new friend was turned away and with a comforting touch to her shoulder broke down beside her.
The rhino turned towards her and the comforting touch became a hug as the two sat kneeling on the carpet in each others' arms. The sound of the boiling stew was sprinkled with small crying noises from either of them.
"Please don't go..."
"I promise."
Pearl soon found that returning home was a lot like offering the richest dishes to someone who hadn't been able to eat whole foods for year: they wanted to indulge in everything at once and were just as entertained as the ones helping.
The grass seemed to retain its color with Merengue's return and with it, the excitement of spring. The next few weeks were spent on the island, where not unusual activities bore greater excitement than before. They spent an entire day in the shops just talking to the clerks and listening to Dr. Shrunks' jokes and an entire night with Celeste, learning about the constellations. They became familiar with parts of the game that even Pearl overlooked, like the photo booth or the little benches on either side of the shops. The smaller, largely abandoned, part of the beach now harbored their daily seashell finds and the part of the map that was most barren and unused turned out to be the ideal picnic spot. Each day consisted of multiple trips to the island, where lazy morning tans were earned during mini games in Club Tortimer and every night they retired after a visit to K.K. Slider's Club.
Each day was determined on the whim of their feelings and although there was repetition, never boredom. Every day was a new experience that brought fond memories and strengthened their otherwise unbreakable bond. And each morning brought potential for uninterrupted, boundless amounts of fun and the assurance that they'd be together during the best moments of their lives.
And while Pearl helped Merengue experience everything she'd been deprive of, Merengue seemed to bring out the best in every aspect of the game, reuniting the mayor with her lost-appreciation for her town and even bringing comfort to her unresolved feelings towards her missing Player. They were together and the rest seemed to fall in place.
When cherry blossoms sprung throughout the town, Pearl finally settled Merengue in with her own customized house and made her an official resident of the town. Although her house had to be a prototype of her character, it fit her spotlessly and as far as she knew, Merengue was more than pleased with it. She chose to place it to the upper right of the tree, in between the river and the stone circle and directly parallel to Pearl's. Even so, the two spent most nights at Pearl's nearly-completed house, if only for the comfort that space brought. And so when Pearl woke on March 7th, it was nothing strange to see Merengue at the kitchen table, rereading Zucker's birthday invitations.
"I've been meaning to ask you about that, what time are you heading over?" Pearl asked, referring to the card in her hands.
"Oh, I don't know, probably later. I'm going out tomorrow morning to get his present and I guess it just depends how fast I can be," she explained, turning it face-down on the table.
"I think I'm going to get him President Vanellope's autograph or picture or something. She was always his favorite racer and I know her well enough to be comfortable asking for a favor," she let on and Pearl's Slushie Machine DLC that she'd received months before suddenly seemed shallow.
"I think he'll love it! Do you want me to go with you?" she asked, more for the support of facing the other racers than for her company, but Merengue insisted that she go and keep Zucker company.
When said morning came, after a pre-birthday night out with Zucker, dancing and celebrating until midnight, Pearl found the usual letter that Merengue sent when she left.
"Off to become paparazzi! Tell Zucker I'll be there soon, shortcake!
<3 ~ Merengue"
"11 am... Guess I should head over there," she thought, quickly changing into the Flan dress Zucker had given her months before and stuffing the wrapped-present into her pocket.
Most of the villagers had stayed in town that day, or at least weren't going out until later, and Pearl soon found that she was far from the first to get there.
"Pearl! Hey!" he called across the room, squeezing between villagers to greet her.
"Hey Birthday Boy!" Pearl squealed, offering him the present that he (politely) placed in the pile of unopened gifts.
"Here, try the cake! Beau made it himself!" Zucker said, leading her across the room to the cake and Birthday sign.
You're the mayor and you're getting shown up for things as simple as birthdays...!
"Oh Merengue said she'll be here a little later, sh-"
"The game is loading, please return to your position!"
Isabelle's voice abruptly cut through the party and Pearl gave him a questioning look before she was ushered outside and back to her own house. One villager stayed behind, as was custom on their birthday, and for the first time her Player was more of a nuisance than anything.
"She doesn't know about Merengue...!" the thought sparked an excitement that she hadn't anticipated before. It was tragically timed the rhino was missing at all moments, but she knew that seeing her house on the map would suffice.
Pearl waited impatiently at her door to swing out and do whatever the Player chose and quickly changed back into her Santa costume and recklessly messed up her hair, if only to remind her Player that bed head was a consequence of abandonment.
Pearl peaked through the window when no progress was made, only to see Isabelle's hologram projected into the sky.
What's going on?
"Ok the town will be...
WAIT WHAT?!"
"She's resetting!"
The words hit her with full realization and Pearl flung out her door, grabbing Merengue's picture on the way and any valuable in reach. Her house was farthest on the map from the train station and her panic seemed to spring some bad luck, for her shaking knees gave out every few steps and she had to clumsily pick herself up again and keep going.
"You... You can't be serious!"
Once the station was in sight, it seemed to grow out miles before her with every extra step.
"I mean, rebuild the town? That means Lagoon with be TOTALLY gone. Is that what you really want?"
It came as no surprise when she was the last to enter. The other 9 villagers were crammed into the shuttle, as well as some of the staff, and two of the villagers were forcing the doors open for her. However, when Pearl stepped onto the train the automatic doors suddenly gave up their fight as the power went out.
"What's happening?!"
"Why isn't it going??"
"It's too late!"
"There's too many people," Pearl mumbled but was packed tightly enough for most of the others to hear, although they were too panicked to think rationally.
As if to prove her theory, she stepped off the train and in doing so, the buzz of the engine returned as the train whirled back to life.
"All the bells you've earned...
All your furniture...
It will be lost."
Opening her pocket, shaking fingers fumbled for the picture and that morning's not that she had grabbed. Turning it over, she tried her best to calm her fingers before quickly scribbling on it and sliding it into the back of the picture frame.
"She's in sugar race. Make sure that she gets this. I love you all, it's going to be okay," she said to the otherwise dumbfounded villagers that still hadn't caught onto her discovery or intentions.
"And those who live in this town?
ALL GONE!"
Zucker took the frame from her and looked back up at her, trying to grasp some understanding. He nodded, studying the picture for a second before looking back at her. Why would Merengue need a picture of herself? Still dazed with the excitement, his eyes followed her hand to the closed doors button, back to her face, back to the page, and as the doors overpowered the villagers trying to keep it open and zoomed in on her face before entirely separating the two, he made the connection.
"No!"
"PEARL! NO!"
"NOOOO! NO!"
"STOP WE HAVE TO GO BACK!"
"PEARL!"
"Are you sure about this?
This is absolutely, positively what you really, really want?"
"Well I hope we meet again somewhere, someplace...
Resetting the town, please wait..."
The swamp had the consistency of a mint milkshake and had she not been far from any source of water or means of cleaning herself, would have willingly jumped in. But given the circumstances and stickiness of her clothes, she surfaced with sounds of disgust.
"Sticky sticky sticky sticky sticky," she mumbled as she swam to the nearest floating gumdrop, knowing her diving badges had finally paid off.
Pulling herself onto the spongy candy, she laid on her back in defeat and rested for a moment before her reversed- vision caught a flutter of movement. Quickly sitting up, she expected to see someone on the other end of the mint swamp, but nothing seemed out of place.
"Hello? Who's there?" she called out, hoping candy-butterflies were a thing. Squinting, she almost didn't notice what looked like a floating strawberry and when the Shocked emotion kicked in again, a pink rhino peeked from behind the tree in the same way the villagers of Lagoon did when they played hide n seek.
"Oh my, I didn't mean to startle you. I mistook you for someone else," she said in a babydoll voice, her hands clasping together in the all-too-familiar worry emotion.
"Y-you're from animal crossing?" Pearl asked bluntly, confusion clouding her manners.
"Oh yes, I'm Merengue from Swirlz. It's nice to meet you!" she chirped, as flowers circled her in Joy.
"I haven't seen a Mayor here before... Are you new?" Merengue asked when she didn't respond.
"Yeah, I- uh, am here with a friend?" she explained, uncertainty hinting that she was lost.
"Oh wait are you with Zucker?" she asked as an exclamation point appeared over her head. When the Mayor nodded slowly, still processing the entire situation, little hearts appeared around the rhino's face as she explained how nice their mutual friend was when they first met.
"You haven't seen him, have you?" Pearl asked and explained that she's trying to find their rendezvous point.
"Oh the race track? That's easy, shortcake!" the rhino beamed, jumping onto one of the floating gumdrops and following the trail down the swamp. "This way!"
The gumdrops were easy transportation and were positioned to almost guarantee successful landing on each. When she jumped off the last one, she tilted on the edge of the swamp before the rhino quickly came to her aid.
"Thank you, although I'm not sure I can get much messier," Pearl mumbled, acknowledging the goo that was pact nearly everywhere.
"Oh don't worry, it'll dry up really fast when you get under the sun," the rhino reassured her and it seemed unlikely until she was lead from the outskirt of the peppermint forest to a candy-waffer path, where the candy melted off with ease under the sun.
"It's going to start soon so we'll need to be fast!" she said and took Pearl's hand, swiftly guiding the two down the path and onto a bridge that overlooked a sea of colossal lollipops. Pearl felt guilty for not stopping and admiring every new scene for all it was worth but the excitement of what she had yet to see kept her going.
"It's just over there!" Merengue called over her shoulder, brushing past a cluster of cinnamon sticks and revealing a string of candy-box stands beneath the hill they were on.
Just beyond the structures was the checkered start-line and a handful of the Sugar Rush Racers preparing for the day.
"W-Wait, let's just watch it from here," Pearl called ahead as she slowed down, accidentally jerking Merengue by her shoulder. "I don't think Zucker is here quite yet and this is a really great view," she explained, to which the two took a seat.
Each racer began to introduce themselves and resumed position in their specialized cars, and Pearl couldn't help but think how nicely Merengue would fit in with them.
"Sugar Rush Racers, start your engines," the speaker called out and the cars winked like gems as they bounced alive.
During the countdown Pearl caught sight of Zucker down by the stands and made a note to check in with him once the racers were off.
As the cars tore off the many residents of the game cheered them on and after elbowing Merengue and silently filling her in, we slowly headed down the hill. When they entered the stands, their friend was cheering on his favorite, jumping as high as his tentacles would take him.
"So much for being a lazy villager," Pearl teased him and was returned with the bashful emotion.
"Oh, I ran into your friend. She helped me find my way," the Mayor explained, introducing the shy rhino. The two hugged, something Pearl had never seen villagers do before, and then they shuffled into the seats beside him. After a few moments she excused herself to go to the concession stand and the Lagoon villagers were left alone.
"I hope you didn't have too much trouble getting here."
"It wasn't too bad, I got to see all the scenery."
"Did you miss the beginning?"
"No, we watched it from that hill."
"Aaaah. I get so excited for the racers, gumdrop!"
"Yeah it's crazy how fast they were going."
A casual conversation seemed forced and awkward amongst all of the excitement, so Pearl skipped ahead to the important parts.
"So you didn't tell me other animal crossing villagers were here?"
"Oh, you mean Merengue? She's the only other villager I've seen here, except for someone from Lagoon once or twice. Really sweet girl, with a really tragic backstory. I'm glad I was here here to help, though," he said vaguely and only wetting Pearl's curiosity.
"Her back story? Wait what happened to her, is she glitched or something?" Pearl asked, checking over her shoulder to make sure their topic of interest hadn't returned.
"No, she just had one of those players that your friend - Smalls I think? - had. They stopped showing up after a few weeks of playing, just to get everyone attached, and then all the villagers got bored and ended up somewhere like here. Well Merengue was the only one out of her town when her Player reset and even though the Mayors retain their memories, all of the other villagers were sent to the void and wiped clean. She tried for a while to find her Mayor but she lost motivation back in the fall. She was heartbroken when I found her, but I guess anyone who just lost all of their friends would be," he explained with an uncomfortableness that was probably due to how impersonal it felt to share someone else's story.
"I mistook you for someone else."
The word reset was enough to make anyone's gut wrench but to be, in essence, the only survivor disturbed the Mayor's heart. She seemed so sweet, so eager and willing to help - why would something like that happen to her?
"I think they're close!" Merengue said when she returned, explaining that she could hear them go through the bonus level when she was buying snacks.
The three watched the races go on several times, it must have been a popular game at the local arcade, the majority of which were won by the President of the game. Although the sun never set, the passing of time still wore them out and soon Zucker mentioned that he normally returned around that time.
"Oh, you're right it is getting late," Merengue said, stand up and shyly mentioning that she aught to get going as well.
"It was nice meeting you!" she smiled before turning around and Pearl wondered where she stayed every night.
"We can't just leave her here," she finally whispered to the octopus, who sat in thought for a moment.
"This is her home now, she's been here for months. I'm sure she's settled in," Zucker argued, trying to soothe her conscious.
"Does she know anyone else here?" she asked with no reply.
Pearl really did intend on reaching out to her, but when she traced her steps the rhino had all but vanished from sight.
"Merengue? Merengue!" she called out, only to be hushed by the crowd as the racers neared in for the last time.
"I guess you're right," she sighed, with the secret agenda to come back the next day.
The walk back was exhausting and although Zuckr assured her that he knew his way, he began to add in that 'it had been a while' as his worry grew. After squeezing through all types of over-sized truffles and fudge slip-n-slides they caught sight of President Vanellope's Castle and through Pearl's persistence, which was really just curiosity, stopped to ask for directions.
The focused on their exhaustion and moving their own legs, neither noticed the familiar face waiting at the gate ahead, until the voices interrupted the trance.
"Lemme guess, you need somewhere to stay for just one more night?" one of the cop-like pastries who was guarding the door teased.
"Tomorrow's the day, right?" the other danish mocked, and the pair laughed in unison as they opened the gates.
The rhino blushed, ducking her head as she walked in and Pearl felt the same pluck at her heart, of how wrong the girl had been treated. Her voice was choked in her throat for a moment, as not to say anything that might embarrass the friend anymore. As they drew nearer, the doors firmly closed, Pearl felt the anger bubble over until her face reddened, with two puffs of smoke on either side.
"How could you treat her like that? She doesn't have anywhere else to go and you're going to make it harder for her than it already is? Don't you think it's bad enough staying in a game where you don't know anyone or have anywhere to stay, without people like you reminding her that she doesn't belong?" she yelled at the two while Zucker stood bashfully aside.
"Sorry to offend 'ya, Miss Mayor, but your friend's come back here every night for the past 6 months claiming that it will be her last. That she's got all these big plans, going to find a new town of her own, it's a joke. The girl's got to be delusional if she can't see it by now," the danish said hoarsely, as if naivety excused his bullying.
"No, YOU'RE a joke, you call yourself a guard but you still attack harmless visitors," she countered and would have gone on, had the cop not straightened out, walking up to her with his towering height and promptly kicked the pair out.
"You tried, I'll let her know that you stood up for her," Zucker said, not sensing the passion that had boiled through her.
"I'm not leaving without her," Pearl said angrily as soon as they weren't in open sight. "I'm going back for her. I don't know how, but you should go back and let everyone know I'll be a little late. I don't want to get you involved in this," she said and after denying his polite offers to stay and help, the octopus went off and she was left to form some sort of game plan.
Her doubt grew with the passing time but as if coming to her aid, the sugar rush racers soon pulled up in their cars and when the last one passed, Pear silently clung onto the bumper. The guards had taken a statue-like position, each holding their bats at their side and looking forward with determination, allowing her to sneak by with ease. When the doors shut behind her, she quickly jumped off and dashed to the nearest staircase, which led to a series of halls.
Taking blind turns left and right, she eventually lead herself to a large pair of semi-circular with overhead scripture of "The Glitch," that could only belong to the President.
Merengue stood quietly beneath, her hooves pressed shyly together as she patiently waited. Pearl was halfway to calling her name, before the voices of the other racers approaching startled her into ducking into a niche in the wall. Did they all stay in that room together? Why was Merengue there? Did she work for them? Were they her friends?
"Is she seriously waiting for Vanellope again?"
"I'd be embarrassed to come back."
"Path-e-tic!"
The first and last voice was the same and Pearl got a glimpse of short blonde hair, followed by stubby pigtails, as the racers divided themselves amongst the open doors. The other racer's didn't acknowledge the Rhino as they passed, or looked shyly at her but weren't brave enough to speak up.
By the time the hallway had cleared, Merengue had dark purple clouds swirling around her that were stunted with shock as Pearl revealed herself.
"I thought you'd gone home...!" she gasped, looking down at her feet and blushing.
"And leave you in this drab place? Please," Pearl laughed, trying to lighten the situation but realizing it made her seem like she wasn't returning to Lagoon at all.
"I came back to ask if you'd like to stay in Lagoon," she smiled and quickly tried to counter any doubts that the rhino may have, "we have an open campsite, I know it's not much but since it's still snowing the igloo is much bigger and the stew isn't half bad."
"I... I couldn't do that..." she whispered as a thought bubble appeared overhead.
"I want you to," Pearl urged, trying to reassure her that she wouldn't be a nuisance.
"Just for one night and if it's so bad then I'll never make you come back," she winked and Merengue nodded silently, following her through the backdoor.
Pearl tried to keep the two busy with happy conversation as they walked back to the portal and in some ways the distance was actually pretty enjoyable. Merengue was easier to talk to than the other villagers, maybe because Pearl had taken a Uchi protectiveness over her or because her Mayor title didn't really hold much power with her, or perhaps the coming together of two compatible friends naturally bred delight.
However, the mood shift when they entered the train and Merengue sat in silence with the thought bubble over her head. Accepting that she really could online imagine what the villager must be feeling after all of this time, Pearl respected her silence until they arrived at Lagoon.
Pearl studied her when they arrived at the station, how her neck craned to get a better look before the doors even opened. When they entered, she stood patiently by the Mayor as she explained to the attendant that they had a guest, but the rhino was facing the entrance and could not have been more relieved when the conversation ended.
You could tell that entering the town was a powerful moment, by the way she took everything in at once and then found amazement in simple features. Her eyes clung to the erratically placed flowers, the town fruit, the way her footsteps sounded on the brick, nearby weeds, the position of the moon in the sky.... Pearl didn't speak until Merengue glanced at her, silently giving her permission, during which she directed them to the igloo.
"I'm really happy with its placement, but if the waterfall bothers you too much I'll find other arrangements," she said, crawling through the entrance behind the rhino. Inside, stew was churning in the center, while a large rug brought relief to cold feet.
"I know it isn't much..." the Mayor sighed, wishing she could offer her, her own house.
"It's perfect," she said quietly, her bubblegum voice cracking.
The rhino turned towards the wall and Pearl knew she was intruding in a personal moment, so she took a step back before the rhino spoke up again.
"It's been so long since I've been back in my game. I almost forgot what it feels like," she smiled, tears fat in her eyes, "to have a set place to belong, I mean. I really took it for advantage... How it feels to be home..."
Pearl breathed angrily through her nose, frustrated at the pain that the villager had been put through, of the injustice in her story, of her own stubbornness to leave when she could have offered her friend some closure months earlier. And in part of the heightened emotion that comes with adventures and exhaust, Pearl walked over to where her new friend was turned away and with a comforting touch to her shoulder broke down beside her.
The rhino turned towards her and the comforting touch became a hug as the two sat kneeling on the carpet in each others' arms. The sound of the boiling stew was sprinkled with small crying noises from either of them.
"Please don't go..."
"I promise."
Pearl soon found that returning home was a lot like offering the richest dishes to someone who hadn't been able to eat whole foods for year: they wanted to indulge in everything at once and were just as entertained as the ones helping.
The grass seemed to retain its color with Merengue's return and with it, the excitement of spring. The next few weeks were spent on the island, where not unusual activities bore greater excitement than before. They spent an entire day in the shops just talking to the clerks and listening to Dr. Shrunks' jokes and an entire night with Celeste, learning about the constellations. They became familiar with parts of the game that even Pearl overlooked, like the photo booth or the little benches on either side of the shops. The smaller, largely abandoned, part of the beach now harbored their daily seashell finds and the part of the map that was most barren and unused turned out to be the ideal picnic spot. Each day consisted of multiple trips to the island, where lazy morning tans were earned during mini games in Club Tortimer and every night they retired after a visit to K.K. Slider's Club.
Each day was determined on the whim of their feelings and although there was repetition, never boredom. Every day was a new experience that brought fond memories and strengthened their otherwise unbreakable bond. And each morning brought potential for uninterrupted, boundless amounts of fun and the assurance that they'd be together during the best moments of their lives.
And while Pearl helped Merengue experience everything she'd been deprive of, Merengue seemed to bring out the best in every aspect of the game, reuniting the mayor with her lost-appreciation for her town and even bringing comfort to her unresolved feelings towards her missing Player. They were together and the rest seemed to fall in place.
When cherry blossoms sprung throughout the town, Pearl finally settled Merengue in with her own customized house and made her an official resident of the town. Although her house had to be a prototype of her character, it fit her spotlessly and as far as she knew, Merengue was more than pleased with it. She chose to place it to the upper right of the tree, in between the river and the stone circle and directly parallel to Pearl's. Even so, the two spent most nights at Pearl's nearly-completed house, if only for the comfort that space brought. And so when Pearl woke on March 7th, it was nothing strange to see Merengue at the kitchen table, rereading Zucker's birthday invitations.
"I've been meaning to ask you about that, what time are you heading over?" Pearl asked, referring to the card in her hands.
"Oh, I don't know, probably later. I'm going out tomorrow morning to get his present and I guess it just depends how fast I can be," she explained, turning it face-down on the table.
"I think I'm going to get him President Vanellope's autograph or picture or something. She was always his favorite racer and I know her well enough to be comfortable asking for a favor," she let on and Pearl's Slushie Machine DLC that she'd received months before suddenly seemed shallow.
"I think he'll love it! Do you want me to go with you?" she asked, more for the support of facing the other racers than for her company, but Merengue insisted that she go and keep Zucker company.
When said morning came, after a pre-birthday night out with Zucker, dancing and celebrating until midnight, Pearl found the usual letter that Merengue sent when she left.
"Off to become paparazzi! Tell Zucker I'll be there soon, shortcake!
<3 ~ Merengue"
"11 am... Guess I should head over there," she thought, quickly changing into the Flan dress Zucker had given her months before and stuffing the wrapped-present into her pocket.
Most of the villagers had stayed in town that day, or at least weren't going out until later, and Pearl soon found that she was far from the first to get there.
"Pearl! Hey!" he called across the room, squeezing between villagers to greet her.
"Hey Birthday Boy!" Pearl squealed, offering him the present that he (politely) placed in the pile of unopened gifts.
"Here, try the cake! Beau made it himself!" Zucker said, leading her across the room to the cake and Birthday sign.
You're the mayor and you're getting shown up for things as simple as birthdays...!
"Oh Merengue said she'll be here a little later, sh-"
"The game is loading, please return to your position!"
Isabelle's voice abruptly cut through the party and Pearl gave him a questioning look before she was ushered outside and back to her own house. One villager stayed behind, as was custom on their birthday, and for the first time her Player was more of a nuisance than anything.
"She doesn't know about Merengue...!" the thought sparked an excitement that she hadn't anticipated before. It was tragically timed the rhino was missing at all moments, but she knew that seeing her house on the map would suffice.
Pearl waited impatiently at her door to swing out and do whatever the Player chose and quickly changed back into her Santa costume and recklessly messed up her hair, if only to remind her Player that bed head was a consequence of abandonment.
Pearl peaked through the window when no progress was made, only to see Isabelle's hologram projected into the sky.
What's going on?
"Ok the town will be...
WAIT WHAT?!"
"She's resetting!"
The words hit her with full realization and Pearl flung out her door, grabbing Merengue's picture on the way and any valuable in reach. Her house was farthest on the map from the train station and her panic seemed to spring some bad luck, for her shaking knees gave out every few steps and she had to clumsily pick herself up again and keep going.
"You... You can't be serious!"
Once the station was in sight, it seemed to grow out miles before her with every extra step.
"I mean, rebuild the town? That means Lagoon with be TOTALLY gone. Is that what you really want?"
It came as no surprise when she was the last to enter. The other 9 villagers were crammed into the shuttle, as well as some of the staff, and two of the villagers were forcing the doors open for her. However, when Pearl stepped onto the train the automatic doors suddenly gave up their fight as the power went out.
"What's happening?!"
"Why isn't it going??"
"It's too late!"
"There's too many people," Pearl mumbled but was packed tightly enough for most of the others to hear, although they were too panicked to think rationally.
As if to prove her theory, she stepped off the train and in doing so, the buzz of the engine returned as the train whirled back to life.
"All the bells you've earned...
All your furniture...
It will be lost."
Opening her pocket, shaking fingers fumbled for the picture and that morning's not that she had grabbed. Turning it over, she tried her best to calm her fingers before quickly scribbling on it and sliding it into the back of the picture frame.
"She's in sugar race. Make sure that she gets this. I love you all, it's going to be okay," she said to the otherwise dumbfounded villagers that still hadn't caught onto her discovery or intentions.
...I understand what I have to do....
"And those who live in this town?
ALL GONE!"
...To protect my villagers....
Zucker took the frame from her and looked back up at her, trying to grasp some understanding. He nodded, studying the picture for a second before looking back at her. Why would Merengue need a picture of herself? Still dazed with the excitement, his eyes followed her hand to the closed doors button, back to her face, back to the page, and as the doors overpowered the villagers trying to keep it open and zoomed in on her face before entirely separating the two, he made the connection.
...It may be hard at first to be remade. It might hurt a little. But my memories will come back to me soon, wherever I am...
"No!"
"PEARL! NO!"
"NOOOO! NO!"
"STOP WE HAVE TO GO BACK!"
"PEARL!"
"Are you sure about this?
This is absolutely, positively what you really, really want?"
...It might take me a little to find you... But I'm not scared because I know that we'll be together again...
"Well I hope we meet again somewhere, someplace...
Resetting the town, please wait..."
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I'll be honest, Merengue is not a dreamie of mine, but she is a dreamie of a kind soul who helped foster my favorite villager, Avery, when he decided to leave without telling me. She didn't ask for anything in return, but I sincerely want to repay her with this cute rhino. By the way, did you know common floppy disks can store 1.44 mb of storage?
aimeekitty
Senior Member
This is my entry! I had a lot of fun drawing her today, I think her design is so cute. She reminds me of the bakeries when I visited Japan years ago and I would really really love to have her in my town, she's definitely one of my dreamies and totally fits my towns theme and colors, too. I'm newish to the forums but am happy to provide references or feedback on other sites to prove my trustworthiness if needed. Thanks so much for considering me. Floppy
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super cute picture of her!! may i ask what program you used to draw her?
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