MY PLACE s01:e49 - Missing Mayor

September 23rd 2013 ~

Sometimes the mayor forgets to turn up for work and I can’t say I really blame him.
I know that sounds mad when said aloud, but if I had the option of either sitting in here or catching exotic fish… I’d probably choose sitting in here, but I can totally see why most other people would say otherwise!

However, his latest absence just… doesn’t make sense.
I open up Town Hall at the usual time of 5:30am, organise our separate piles of paperwork and make sure the coffee I’ve bought on the way here is ready for him. He’s hasn’t drank any coffee for a full week now, at least none that I’ve prepared for him. Not that he can’t have other coffees! It’s just that I haven’t so much as seen his face for seven days and I’m starting to worry. I’d go out and look for him but… I dunno, I can’t bear to leave my post. I gotta make sure the fort is running smoothly - no galivanting off on adventures!

It was just after 15:00pm today that a familiar face finally entered the building.
I got really excited at first, thinking that the mayor had finally returned, but it was only Digby. WHICH I DON’T HAVE A PROBLEM WITH!! I LOVE MY BRO! I was just hoping for the mayor, that’s all!

“Hey sis!” he waved as he entered. “How’s the daily grind going?”

“Fine” I muttered, doing an awful job at disguising my concern.

Digby saw right through it, and I know he spotted how high my stack of today’s papers was despite it being the afternoon. He can be very perceptive when it suits him.
“Okay” he said “what’s bothering you?”

“Huh?”

“I know that face. You’ve either forgotten something or you’re missing something.”

I sighed.
“I’m missing something”.
I gestured towards the empty chair behind me and the now stone-cold cup of mocha.

Digby shook his head.
“Is that mayor of yours taking the day off again?”

“It’s been a full week, Digs!” I cried, unable to hide my frustration any longer “I have no idea where he is! Do you think he left? Like, forever? Oh, I knew this would happen! It’s all my fault! He’s gone because of me and now we’ve got no mayor and I’ve had to do all this work to keep Place afloat and there’s just too much to—”

“Relax, sis! Relax!” Digby exclaimed, putting his hands on my shoulders. “Deep breaths, ?”

I very slowly inhaled before letting it all out of my lungs. I have to do this more times than I care to it.

“It’s not your fault, alright?” he said reassuringly “He’s probably just under the weather and forgot to tell you. Haven’t you asked anybody else if they’ve seen him?”

“I… err… don’t exactly leave the office. Nor do I really know anyone who lives here…”

“Oh, Isabelle…”

“I’m too busy to have a social life!! And it’s not as if you do any better over at HHA!”

“At least I talk to my co-workers! A-and sometimes they even talk back!”

Digby likes to act like he’s the mature twin, but I know that as soon as I bring up his social life he’ll immediately go on the defensive. It never fails to make me laugh!

“Thanks for coming in today, bro” I smiled “I really needed a good laugh!”

“Yeah, yeah” Digby said, rolling his eyes. “I’ll go ask around, see if anybody’s heard from the mayor at all. Heck, he’s probably just in his house or chasing butterflies… oh! Didn’t you say he was gonna get a P done for that Gruff geezer? He’s probably taking time off because of, well, you know.”

“I never considered that…” I itted “That makes a lot of sense now that I think about it. He… just needs time off. Yeah…”

Time off. I’ve never both loved and hated a concept more…

And with that, we said our goodbyes.
As the door ahead of me clicked shut, I was once again alone with my thoughts and the ticking of the clock behind me. I looked down at the conch shell that sat upon my desk. He had given that to me, he went out of his way to do so. The mayor was the first boss I ever had that actually cared about me – saw me as more than just a fax machine. His coat still hung by the window as it had done for well over a month now, so he couldn’t have gone far. He wouldn’t just… abandon me… would he?

Oh no, now I’m getting selfish!
This isn’t about me, it’s about Place! He just needs some time to recuperate after Gruff’s death, it was silly of me to jump to all these wild conclusions!

Besides, when is it ever about me anyway?

~Author’s Notes~
Another Isabelle chapter! I really like how the art for today’s episode turned out – it really encapsulates to isolation and loneliness Isabelle is going through. I’ve had to draw Town Hall so many times, but this might just be my favourite attempt at it yet.

I was very eager to include Digby in this one; he’s easily one of my favourite Animal Crossing characters and giving him just one appearance in season one just didn’t feel right. I intend to give him a larger presence as time goes on though, so don’t worry about him.