Wrighton: Strange Memory

[Rabbit ♠]

“Sure, what do you need help with?” she whispered back instead. “My name is Itzel, by the way. What’s yours?”

Itzel. Ani would have to remember that name. She turned to a different page in her notebook and wrote down her name and a basic description of her. As well as being able to communicate through writing, Ani liked having a notebook around because she wasn’t very good at remembering people at first. She still had notes from when she first met Claire in one of her older notebooks.

Before she got writing, Ani looked around the area to see if Mrs. Bizelli or Claire were close by. Neither of them were around. She wouldn’t have to worry about Mrs. Bizelli looking over her shoulder, but she still wishes that Claire was nearby to help plan. She’d have to meet up with her later.

Then Ani began to write.

“My name is Ani. You know the librarian here, right? Sharron Bizelli? Well she has a daughter named Beatrice and Ms. Bizelli seems to be a little upset that her daughter is going off after new stuff. I feel like she wants to see her daughter, but I can see why Beatrice goes off in search of new things. I’m trying to find a middle ground between the two. Maybe that can help Mrs. Bizelli.

However, I’m having some trouble thinking of a middle ground. I don’t know Beatrice, so I don’t know how she feels about any of this. Do you think you can help with that?”

It felt like she was missing something, though. Ani tapped her pen on the table for a little bit before she decided what she needed. She drew a smiley face in the margin of her notebook and slid it back to Itzel.

SPOILER: Click to show

Ani writes down info about Itzel so she won't forget and writes down her want to bring Sharron and Beatrice Bizelli together. (Ginz ❤ , June Scarlet  (I think you should be tagged in this June, I dunno, here it is just in case))

[June Scarlet]

Beatrice listened to the sharply dressed man, nodding and looking him seriously in the eyes. "The Park Trees, you say? At least it's not the forest, eh? There's a quite bit more over there."

She gave him all the respect she gave anyone she interviewed, but those that knew her well enough would have seen the smile around her eyes. She was humoring him, rather than taking his word as gospel truth.

She accepted the pen he handed her. "Thank you, I think this will be most effective. They say the pen is mightier than the sword, after all." She looked back towards the park. "I wonder if I wrote on a piece of paper, if they'd consider it a threat? They're just a few chops away from having the same fate as the paper, after all."

Beatrice looked out at the part of town that was supposedly dangerous. It had been safe as long as she could remember. But any connection with a person could turn out to be the connection needed for the next big story. This was a man who paid attention to details others missed. Who knows what story he could help break.

If you were working right now, Beatrice chided to herself. Some habits were hard to break.

She sighed. "I'm just here to what everyone's up to, I haven't been in town for a few years. This seems like where people are gathering, at any rate, dangerous or not."

"Oh! But I didn't catch your name, good sir!"

***

Sharron Bizelli sorted through books behind the counter. She peered over to the corner, where Ani and Itzel were hitting it off, intently discussing something. She smiled to herself as she slid a book onto a cart. Libraries were a magical place to make friends.

SPOILER: Click to show

Beatrice humors Edward Fox (Draco ) by discussing the trees, as you never know when a connection will pay off.
Sharron sees you two chatting, Ginz ❤ and Rabbit ♠ . She doesn't need to know what they discuss, it's just nice to see people chatting.

[Lizica]

"Oh, you here for the festival?" the girl with the bicycle answered. Hannah glanced askance and murmured an evasive "Weelll..."

But thankfully, she was spared having to explain her visit when the girl gave her directions. Hannah's face broke into a relieved grin. Not only was a hotel somewhat close by, but it also looked to be close to the cathedral! She could hit all her main sightseeing goals in one area without having to cross the entire town again.

"If nothing else, there's some campgrounds over in the woods. There's some good sites there," the girl went on.

"Ah. That's wonderful."

Hannah tried to sustain her grin; she hoped it didn't look too unnatural. So additionally, she nodded vigorously several times, hoping to convey that yes, yes, Hannah knew ALL about campgrounds, what an excellent suggestion, why, thank you very much, she'd love to camp out tonight.

After a brief pause, however, the girl asked her, "By the way, did you happen to see a stand selling tarragon?"

Hannah thoughtfully rubbed some sweat off her brow.

"That's an herb, right?" she prompted before unlatching herself from her backpack. She eased the huge bag to the black pavement, where it hit the ground with a very decisive THUNK overlaid with a series of jangling protests.

What a relief. Hannah thankfully massaged her sore shoulders momentarily before wearily bending back down and digging into the backpack up to her elbow. Another series of jingles, shuffles, and dull clunks were heard before she finally found what she was looking for and emerged with Gladys Skipping's Guide to Edible Plants. (The tagline on the cover read, "If it's not in here, it's poisonous!")

She flipped to the index and found the page for tarragon. "Artemesia Dracunculus," Hannah read aloud proudly. She liked sounding as if she knew what she was talking about. "Tarragon's name comes from words meaning 'little dragon.' It's a perennial," she added, even though the word meant nothing to her because she herself could never remember the difference between perennial and annual (annual was the other one, right?).

Then, remembering that the girl with the bicycle had only asked where to buy it, she quickly turned the guide around and showed her the photo of the herb. She looked up and did a quick scan of the surrounding market. Somewhere, someone was playing music.

"Have you tried the table with the rabbit?" she asked, pointing. "It looks like it's got some greens."

SPOILER: Click to show

Hannah attempts to appear enthused about camping and knowledgeable about plants to Alexis (Gelquie) before spying Rowena's stand (Mostly Harmless (flufflepuff)) and pointing it out. She also gets to finally take off her backpack!

[icon]

"It looks like… it's certainly got a lot of green, I'd say."

The woman on the other side of the desk looked at the calendar and pursed her lips. "Yeah, okay, but we've got a few of gaps, still." She pointed at the calendar of post-its littering the wall with her pencil. "See that slot of three weeks in February, and the one right after the Sian Tiscar play closes in October? We need to find plays to fill those holes, Ari." She leaned back in her chair, tapping the edge of the desk with the pencil. "To say nothing of next spring. Not bad for a season schedule, though, I have to say."

Ari Cheng, sitting across from her supervisor, five-foot-three and green hair and all, grinned a dogged grin. "Of course it is, Beck—it's been months of work into figuring out next year's list of plays, and I'm absolutely positive that the rest of the staff will agree with what we've got." She glanced at the clock, starting to rise from her chair. "But before that meeting… you on for lunch? Go grab a bite, check out the fair construction?"

"I'll pass," Beckett replied with a shrug. "I brought mine from home. Tell you what, though, still go stop by the fair—I think Dannel and the staff are still putting the stage together. Go mess with him for me, will you?"

Ari was already at the door, grabbing a tote bag and a pair of lime green rollerblades from the coatrack. "I'm telling him you replaced all the coffee in the break room!" she said, and was out the door before Beckett could protest.

• • •

Left on Durang, right on the second lane over Winsbury, and here's the park… Sparks trailed up the black behind Ari as she skimmed the street, tote bag haphazard over shoulder, and rolled into the park. The marketplace had put up ordinances against the use of rollerblades after a pair of particularly close shaves, but the park at the center of Wrighton had, fortunately, no such issues.

Skidding to a quick stop, Ari took in the scene: there were a good number of booths and tents being erected already, and a general bustle in the air. A couple of people were dancing and playing music. She recognized a number of faces from her delivery job: after a few months as a courier she got a sense of matching names to parcels.

The stage, the stage, where is the stage… somebody's got to know, right? Ari looked around the stalls for anyone familiar. An elderly face at a stall caught her eye—Ari sped over, skidding sparks on her skates as she braked abruptly in front of the table.

"Pardon me—Rosemary O'Rourke? I think I've delivered some packages for you before, I think?" she offered with a slight wave. "I'm looking for the staff from the Wrighton Playhouse setting up the stage for the fair. Any idea where they might be?"

SPOILER: Click to show

Ari Cheng and her boss at the Wrighton Playhouse are figuring out next year's season of shows.

Ari rollerblades into the park to grab lunch and also to look for the staff from the Playhouse who are setting up the stage. She recognizes Rosemary O'Rourke (Shinko) and taps her for directions.

[Shinko]

Rosemary looked up in surprise from where she'd been busying herself planting the stakes to keep her awning from blowing over in the wind. She hadn't gone with Holly to fetch Esther, trusting that her granddaughter had the situation firmly in hand, so she was surprised to hear someone addressing her.

Then she saw who was talking to her, and the old woman smiled. "Ah, yes. Ms... Cheng, was it? I remember, you've carried my order letters for goat milk to Farmer Whitby. If you come around the day of the festival, you can see the fruits of your labors actually- I'll be selling my granddaughter's handcrafted goat milk soaps right here."

Rosemary chuckled softly. "But here now- you look like you've somewhere to be, and I'd imagine it's not here listening to an old woman hawking wares." She winked cheerfully. "The stage is just past the old gazebo- I think they wanted to makes sure it was strategically accessible to festival-goers both here in the park and those trawling the market." A smirk twitched at Rosemary's lips. "And I'm sure it being within casual walking distance of the pub for an after-show drink is a motivating factor too, though you didn't hear that from me."

SPOILER: Click to show

Rosemary cheerfully answers Ari's (icon) question, dropping bait for further conversation if Ari wants to take it but leaving her open to leave again if she's in a rush to get to where she's going~

[Gelquie]

Alexis grin grew when the stranger seemed to nod vigorously to her suggestion. Obviously, it seemed like she was going to try for the hotel first, which she understood; sometimes you just want a good shower. But maybe she would go camping on future days! Though she wasn't sure how to interpret her answer about attending for the festival; was she here for other reasons? ...It didn't matter; she was sure camping was in her future.

"Try some of the sites by the river," Alexis eagerly recommended. "I mean, all the sites are good, but the river is right there and the sound of it will rush you right to sleep!"

Having encouraged the stranger's clear love of camping, she then asked her question. At this, the stranger seemed thoughtful. "That's an herb, right?"

Alexis nodded tentatively... She thought it was. She vaguely remembered hearing about it being discussed along with other herbs. And herbs were one of the things her mother would occasionally ask for when she was in town and her mother wasn't, even if she'd never asked her for tarragon before.

The stranger took off her backpack. Her eyes went wide as the bag hit the ground with a loud THUNK (and some clanging), and her mouth gaped open in awe. Wow, she must be really serious about backpacking. That looked heavy even for her. (...If it were a backpack more her size, that is; Alexis knew she was still growing, after all, and couldn't always lift the weight adults could. One day!) She watched her shuffle around for the book and took a good glance at the cover before waiting for the woman to find the right page. It wasn't the location of the stall, but Alexis also didn't really know what the plant looked like. ...She supposed she could've look it up, but the book was right there...

"Artemesia Dracunculus. Tarragon's name comes from words meaning 'little dragon.' It's a perennial," the stranger explained to her. Alexis nodded with interest. Of course, she doubted she'd remember the scientific name of the plant without much practice at it (although she really liked how it sounded). But little dragon, that was a cool definition.

"Wow, that really cool," Alexis said with a eager nod. She seemed to know what she was talking about, or at least was ready with an answer. "I wonder if it tastes like a dragon! ...Or, um, not a dragon, but if the taste... reminds me of a dragon. ...Um. Like fire. If it's hot. ...I guess I'll find out, if I find it."

The stranger showed her the book and she looked at the picture. Finally, an idea of what it looked like! She examined its stalk with long, thin leaves while the stranger looked around the market. Then her voice caught her attention.

"Have you tried the table with the rabbit? It looks like it's got some greens."

Alexis looked up and glanced to where the woman was pointing. Indeed, it looked like it had some greens, though she was too far away to see if it had tarragon.

"I'll see," Alexis said, walking her bike closer. She looked over the greens, trying to recall what it looked like in the picture...

"Oh, there!" Alexis pointed at a batch of plant cuts with long, thin leaves, just like in the picture she was shown. "Thank you, miss!"

She planted the brake of her bike on the ground so that she could free her hands as she looked to the lady manning the stand. "Excuse me, could I have..."

...Oh no, she didn't say how much she wanted! Alexis worried. She could call or text her mom, but she kind of wanted to get the tarragon right away. And if she didn't specify, then maybe she just wanted one batch of sprigs after all, right? She guessed she could always go back if she was wrong. She knew where the stand was now.

She nodded to convince herself of this. "Could I have one of these batches of tarragon?" she asked, pointing to what she hoped was the tarragon. She reached for her wallet in her pocket, while occasionally glancing over at the rabbit in interest. "How much is it?"

SPOILER: Click to show

Alexis is impressed by Hannah's (Lizica) obvious eagerness for nature and the fun facts about tarragon that she doesn't fully understand either. She checks out the stand that Hannah pointed out (the one owned by Rowena (Mostly Harmless (flufflepuff)) and indeed finds tarragon! She thanks Hannah, then asks Rowena how much it is for one batch of tarragon sprigs.

[Killix]

'Aster, huh? Now that's a cool name', Velia thought, and nodded in acknowledgement.

He added, “Uh, I like how your butterfly is really bright and colorful.”

Velia grinned, "Oh, thanks! I based that one on Crystal Mirror Dragonfly from Piximite!" she exclaimed proudly, as if Aster would even know what that was. "I originally wanted to make a shiny diamond pattern to represent the reflective crystal wings, but I ran out of metallic paint, so I just improvised with a simple colourful flower pattern instead!" Velia gestured the outline of a flower in the air.
"Then I couldn't decide what to do with the shape, but after staring at some of the flowers on my desk for a few minutes, the answer hit me! It was so easy! Crystal Mirror Dragonfly's prismatic reflection!" She continued, excitedly.
"It all ended up different from what I originally envisioned, but turned out so much better than I planned!"

As she said that last line, her brain caught up to her enthusiasm. Ah, whoops. He only gave a small compliment, he probably doesn't want your life's story, Velia.

It was also apparent that Aster was not a fan of handshakes. She withdrew her hand in the most casual way she could pretend to be casual.

Hopefully that whole thing hadn't come off as brash, or boastful or... brag-ful, if that was even a word.

But to her relief, Aster simply continued the conversation. “Hey, so—have you always lived here? I made some pictures of other places here I can show you, but I really need a bag or something to protect them. Do you have anything like that, or—can you tell me where I can buy one?”

Velia's interest was immediately snagged by the hook of promised pretty pictures- Ooh is that a sketchbook he's holding? Crafts that required cutting, sewing, sculpting and minor paint applications were all familiar to her, but she didn't draw particularly well and had always admired those who could.

"Oh! I should have something..." She turned to the plastic container that was still sitting open on her stall's table. Reaching in, she dug around inside. Carefully.

"Ah! This should work, maybe?" A large, clear plastic bag was withdrawn. It was the "fancy" kind, with a resealable opening. It also had a paper label taped onto it, with a blue and white dragon doodled poorly in the center. Velia figured that Aster could simply peel it off if it got in the way.

She closed the lid on the case with one hand, and offered the bag to Aster with the other.

"I like to store my things in these, just in case the container doesn't do its job at keeping everything dry... or I leave the lid open like a goose," she punctuated that last part by patting the top of the case with her hand.

"And I'd love to see your pictures," she grinned, "I've lived here for as long as I can remember, and... I've never traveled outside of town before." she rubbed at the back of her head, and tugged at her braid nervously. It was a bit embarrassing to admit, but it was true. Traveling just wasn't in her, no matter how curious she was, or how many national Piximite Melee tournaments she was dying to participate in.

SPOILER: Click to show

Velia is really chatty, oh boy.
She infodumps on poor Aster (Nut ) about her hobbies, getting a bit caught up in the excitement to share them, but is also equally excited to see Aster's artwork. She offers up a blinged-out zip-lock baggie for his supplies.

[Thorn]

He smiled back at her! He didn't think she was being weird or clueless after all! This was going so well. Dion tried to hide a rush of excitement.

And Fionn complimented her! At least, she was fairly certain that the phrase 'just as beautiful' indicated he was comparing the aforementioned beautiful music to herself. He didn't think her nose was weird or anything! This was turning out to be a good day, Dion was exceptionally glad she'd decided to go and investigate these stalls so early.

The saxophone-music reverberated though the air. Normally Dion would close her eyes and listen, letting the sounds wash over her, but the furry man was being interesting again. He was dancing, as people were wont to do. She swayed with him, not mirroring him exactly, but going for motions which complimented his own. Made nice patterns in the air, when she squinted and pretended everything was luminous. It was nice.

"Thank-you!" she called as he finished the tune. "That was most certainly very lovely. If only I could provide a demonstration of my own- but alas, I possess no true artistic talent. Where did you learn such mastery of your craft?"

She pointed to the dolphin on her shirt. "I can swim really well, though. Perhaps that is even considered artistic in some circles?"

She hoped this was funny. She still hadn't quite got the hang of jokes.

SPOILER: Click to show

Dion listens to Celestial's Fionn play a lovely tune just for her (and the dozen others in the marketplace)- how sweet! She asks him where he learned to be So Cool, and points out that while she doesn't have any traditional artistic talents, she is a really good swimmer.

[Thundy]

Randolf Delacroix's alarm clock uttered its shrill ring throughout his town house. Groggily, he unstuck his face from his pillow, and without really looking, turned it off. He yawned and stretched, pulling himself out of bed, fumbling for his glasses. It was not an unusual day, he'd have to be at the Post Office in an hour for an early meeting with his boss, Postmaster Harold Sanders, before the tedium of the mail resumed again.

A few minutes, and one shower later, he was feeling a little bit more awake as he poured a cup of coffee. Instant, no time for the real deal, and strolled onto the upstairs balcony. He lit a cigarette as he lent on the railings, looking out over the river as it flowed past. He sighed, it had been a few years now, but he still wasn't used to taking the view in alone after the divorce had gone through. Presently, his cat, Jess, joined him, rubbing up on his legs and giving a small meow that indicated "Yo, where's my breakfast?" He smiled, giving her a little scratch behind the ears, before crushing out the cigarette and going back inside. A small tin of tuna would do the job.

Time was getting along so he got dressed into his Postal Service uniform, a light blue shirt with his name badge over the right breast in shining brass, navy trousers that had a careful crease ironed into them, and a navy blue flat topped cap that bore the logo of the postal service, two red arrows stacked one on another and pointing in opposite directions. He checked himself in the mirror, grabbed his briefcase, wallet and phone, and headed out the door.

Locking it behind him, he looked up, it was a beautiful day, not very unusual for this time of year. Putting his free hand in his pocket, he began the walk to work, it would take him past the market. Wasn't there something about a festival he thought to himself?

SPOILER: Click to show

Randy wakes up and gets ready for work, he will stroll past the market

[Liou]

The gaudy printed curtains had to go - the lighting in the sitting room was bad enough without them in the way. That drab fruit bowl painting could be hidden upstairs. The picture of the cliff and sky should be positioned better - at the back, near the window, to add depth to the room. Draped in their favourite sheer floaty dressing gown, Ayo had curled up on the sofa to inspect the house around them critically.

Their parents had had the right idea when redesigning it. Most of the walls and upholstery were now a clean, icy white, a suitable backdrop for brilliant touches of red or pink. The glass, chromium and smooth black surfaces gave the impression of a penthouse apartment rather than a country house. There were only minor adjustments to make and things to get rid of - like worthless knick-knacks kept out of sentimentality.

The best paintings with bright geometric shapes could be repositioned, for a more dramatic angle. The small parlour had decent lighting; it could be turned into a little studio - but there was no point in that.

A beep sounded from the coffee maker in the kitchen. Ayo stepped carefully between cardboard boxes, opened a cupboard, pulled out two mugs - the only items in there - and filled one with coffee. In the second, they dropped a bag of green tea from a new box hastily bought at the supermarket.

The sound of the hairdryer had stopped and a woman was coming down the stairs, a tall woman with a shirt carelessly draped around her broad shoulders and intricate tattoos sheathing her arms. Ayo finished pouring hot water just as she entered the kitchen. She nodded and accepted the tea - it wasn't kombucha, but it would do. As she turned away, beads of shower water glinted on her neck, and Ayo caught a familiar whiff of sandalwood and clove. The same scent still clung to the pillow upstairs.

Eve took a bread roll from a pack that had just been opened and sat at the kitchen counter. "There's going to be this rural fair thing in town," she said as though continuing a conversation. "You should go."

"Nah. It'll be creepy."

"Less creepy than this house."

"Point."

"You could sell some prints."

Ayo had just taken a sip of coffee; their lips pursed as if they had swallowed sour milk.

Eve drained the rest of her tea without further ado, got up and rinsed her mug in the sink.

Ayo waited for her near her jacket in the hall, gazing into their half-empty mug. "Thanks for helping me settle."

"It's fine. I like road trips." Eve walked briskly past them.

"So. If you ever want to try again, as a long-distance thing, I'm still here."

Eve looked up from the backpack she was zipping shut. Her murky green eyes scanned Ayo intently. Her thin lips gave her a constant air of determination. Ayo wanted to turn away and hide in a cupboard; now they sounded like they would languish and wait for her forever.

Eve shrugged. "If you ever move back to the city, I'll see you there. Take care."

For a moment, Eve's solid, straight back was framed by light. And just like that, she went out and shut the door behind her. Her car started, gravel crunched under tires. The rumble of the engine soon faded away. The bloody grandfather clock was still ticking.

Ayo went to finish breakfast and clear the kitchen. The rain seemed to have stopped. Ayo could hear cars more clearly in the distance. By now, Eve's car would have turned at the roundabout and taken the road that led out of town.

Ayo dropped the tea towel and sprinted to the garage. Fumbling for their car key, they reached the driver side door, then slumped against the window and began to sob, because they were still in their slippers and dressing gown and Eve was already gone, with her quiet laugh, her warm hands and her startling smile. The garage was full of the echo of their ugly snivelling. Ayo hoped that the neighbours couldn't hear.

Trying to contain their sniffs, they pushed off the car door and stumbled back into the main house. They should take themself out of the empty house. On a date.

Ayo showered, aiming the hot water straight at their face to slap the crying away - and rinsing all trace of Eve out of the shower. Their clothes, at least, had been unpacked. A cute dress would be too much; jeans and a comfortable top would have to do. Ayo forced themself to put on at least a little makeup - soft pink, to bring out the rosy undertones of their brown skin.

They went out and headed vaguely towards what the town called its center, in search of activity, of anything or anyone that could keep them busy.

Ayo turned a corner and ran straight into their mother. She wore an extravagant sequined gown and coat that billowed around her. The glittering jewellery that hung from her neck and wrists was almost eclipsed by the fiery reflections of her hair. The billboard had no text covering her, only a small brand name logo - the kind of brand that doesn't even need to specify what it's selling. That was from an old ad campaign; Ayo was surprised to see it still up.

It was grossly unfair that this woman should still look so good at age forty-five. Her deep ochre skin was positively glowing, silky smooth, and Ayo knew that it was not only photo editing. They had a few of her features - her eyes, lip shape, something familiar about their face - but the similarities ended there. Kemi was taller, enviably thin, with longer legs and famously sharp cheekbones. Her confident black gaze struck the camera like the challenging slap of a glove. Ayo's eyes held only wariness, like those of a bird about to flutter away. And a red tinge left over from crying.

Please, let no one in this forsaken excuse for a town recognise them. It would be difficult to remember a child who'd been standing behind a supermodel, right? Ayo only vaguely remembered any Wrightonians. A few kids who liked animals, and outdoorsy things, and stuff that could get you dirty, in general. There had been a goth kid too, hadn't there.

It was too early for a drink. Ayo ended up near the park thing, where the fair thing was supposed to happen. They walked with their phone held high in front of their face, browsing old photos of Wrighton that they'd dug up to help find their way. The photos were disappointingly similar to the backdrop of the town. Oh, the saxophone man in the fur coat was still around. Ayo easily found a picture of him.

SPOILER: Click to show

(Oops, I overdid it again~)
Ayo's girlfriend just left them, well that's a great start, they're in such a good mood for the first day of this. (Wrighton, you silly town, look what you done! You done broke another heart with your mysterious people-gotta-stay-here and other-people-cannot-stay ways.)
So here you have a young person wandering around the fair setup place while looking at photos on their phone, and they've obviously been crying, and they look more like their supermodel mother than they realise, and characters who've been in Wrighton for more than 5 years might remember them.
They at least remember Fionn Celestial because he's quite easy to remember. x3 But it's fine if he's already busy.

[Kyn]

As he and Peaches followed Mina into the kitchen, Cade found himself drawing in deep breaths that were succeeded by sighs of appreciation.

"Your kitchen smells even lovelier than usual, Mrs K," he said with a cheery grin. "Dad's got overtime too, so we can fret over their workload together. Don't worry about Peaches; she's a very professional guide dog and would never allow herself to be distracted by something as trivial as food. Unless..." he paused and deliberately assumed a sombre expression. "...there's chocolate on that table? Chocolate's darned irresistible, even when you know it's bad for you. Peaches, busca empty chair."

The Yellow Labrador glanced at the flower-full chairs and let out a mournful whine.

"Oh, are they all occupied? Suelta, echate, quieto."

Relieved, Peaches lowered herself to the floor, legs tucked neatly beneath her.

Cade resumed, "If the scent is anything to go by, Mrs K, you're preparing beautifully for the spring fair. Speaking of which, I was wondering if you would be interested in carpooling."

SPOILER: Click to show

Cade and his guide dog enter Mina's kitchen (♥ Azzie), where Cade notes the scent of flowers. He compliments her preparation and brings up the carpool suggestion.

[Ginz ❤]

Itzel looked out the window as she waited for the girl to write a reply. The weather was still nice. The sun was shining, and although it’d get obscured by clouds now and then, it didn’t look like it was going to rain again, so that was good.

The girl slid her notebook back to her with a lengthy message this time. Itzel noticed the smiley face on the corner and couldn’t help but smile herself.

“My name is Ani. You know the librarian here, right? Sharron Bizelli? Well she has a daughter named Beatrice and Ms. Bizelli seems to be a little upset that her daughter is going off after new stuff. I feel like she wants to see her daughter, but I can see why Beatrice goes off in search of new things. I’m trying to find a middle ground between the two. Maybe that can help Mrs. Bizelli.

However, I’m having some trouble thinking of a middle ground. I don’t know Beatrice, so I don’t know how she feels about any of this. Do you think you can help with that?”

Itzel’s smile faded as she read the message. She felt a pang of guilt. She really liked Sharron, she was always kind and welcoming, and she didn’t want to see her upset, but she couldn’t help relating to her daughter. Itzel wanted to go off in search of new things herself. She noticed her parents always looked a bit dejected when she talked about wanting to leave town too, as much as they tried to hide it.

Itzel nodded to Ani to let her know she had read the note and wanted to help. She got up, gesturing for Ani to follow her. She left her book in one of the trolleys on her way out. Maybe she’d come back another day to continue reading it or even check it out, but she had just made other plans.

“We can talk more freely here,” Itzel said talking at normal volume for the first time, once both girls found themselves outside.

“I didn’t know Mrs. Bizelli had a daughter! She must not stay in town a lot. Does she have a job that lets her travel?” she said, trying to hide how appealing the idea sounded to her. “I’m guessing she came back to town for the fair. If so, I wouldn’t be surprised if she was around the park or marketplace.” Itzel was thinking out loud. She made a pause to remember Ani’s message.

“You said you don’t know how her daughter… Beatrice, was it? How she feels about this, right? I think we should go find her and ask her. If she looks anything like Sharron, we can probably recognize her. I’m good at telling if I’ve seen someone around before or not,” Itzel said confidently. “I’m afraid I didn’t bring my bike, but it shouldn’t be too long of walk from here”

*

The park and marketplace were a bit more bustling than Itzel anticipated. She could even hear music in the distance, and the fair was still a few days away from officially starting! She considered suggesting to Ani that they split up looking for Beatrice to cover more ground, but she wasn’t sure she would be able to find the girl again if they did.

Itzel was looking around for anyone who resembled Sharron, but her eyes kept wandering towards anyone who looked unfamiliar at all, itching to approach them and ask all about their towns. “Come on, Itzel, focus!” she thought to herself. “If we find Beatrice, she might have some interesting out of town stories to tell.” She continued her search reassured by that thought.

SPOILER: Click to show

Itzel agrees to help Ani (Rabbit ♠) find common ground between Mrs. and Ms. Bizelli, while simultaneously feeling guilty about her own desires to eventually leave town. She suggests going to the fair area to look for Beatrice (June Scarlet) and talk to her, so both girls head there.

((Real talk, though: I'm getting a bit mixed up about who's in the park and who's in the marketplace, and I didn't want to mess it up XD; But anyone around is welcome to talk to the girls. I didn't write them directly finding Beatrice right away to keep it open to other interactions, and also, to give Rabbit a chance to reply and have her say!))

[Elcie]

"It's fine," Anise reassured the woman. "It's not the first time I've run into someone, and it's usually only my own clumsiness to blame." She laughed. A few of the cats had followed her from the stall, and most didn't seem particularly keen on the family's dog, but it didn't concern her much. They'd have made more of a fuss if the big dog was any real danger to them, or to her. One, a black shorthair, even walked up to him fearlessly and gave the dog a polite sniff.

"He's very well behaved," she added politely. "Are you setting up for the festival? I'm putting up a stall myself - it's my first time participating." She pointed back in the direction of her stall, and explained, "I'm the owner at Calico Coffee. Anise Carter."

SPOILER: Click to show

Anise reassures Holly (Shinko) and introduces herself. The cats aren't too keen on Dunkin, but aren't disturbed to the point that Anise would be concerned.

[Shinko]

Holly smiled, reaching down to scratch Dunkin's ear with the hand that wasn't holding Esther against her hip. "Holly O'Rourke, and this is my daughter Esther. And thank you- He's very thoroughly trained- he's my partner at work, so it would be pretty bad if he got distracted every time he saw a cat. Work at least gives him plenty of mental stimulation so he's not bored and feels the need to go after small animals to entertain himself- but I digress."

Holly rubbed the back of her neck sheepishly. Esther, briefly unburrowing her face from her mother's shirt collar, piped up, "Mama loves Dunky. An' I love 'im too."

The girl's mother chuckled. "Anyway, yes we're setting up for the fair. I have to work that day, sadly, but I'm helping my grandmother get her stall all fixed up." She tilted her head. "I've never been a big coffee drinker, but some of my coworkers have mentioned your place. Officer Fitch says your place has lovely banana bread- I wouldn't be surprised if he finds an excuse to wend his way down here if he finds out you're running a stand."

"Our stand is good too," Esther put in. "Mama you can make soap that smells like 'nana bread!"

Holly laughed. "Well aren't you Mama's little marketing agent?"

Esther, the scrape on her hand seemingly forgotten, gave a watery smile and turned to Anise. "What's 'nana bread smell like? Mama only uses plants and goat milk to make soap. 'Cause chem'cals is bad for your skin."

SPOILER: Click to show

Holly introduces herself to Anise (Elcie), is rather rambly, and Esther has zero social filter because four-year-old. XD

[Celestial]

Once Fionn had finished the piece, he stopped playing and looked up at Dion, smiling broadly. Normally he would simply keep going with the music, moving from one tune to another but right now, he had a rapt audience, and a pretty one too. He had to interact with her, keep her interest, otherwise she might just get bored and leave. Besides, he did want to get to know her better.

He took a bow to Dion, one that was as dramatic as his coat and the heavy sax would allow. "Thank you!" Fionn patted the saxophone. "It's easy once you get the hang of it. All you need to do is breathe properly and practice a lot while loving it and viola, eventually you'll get good."

At the mention of swimming, Fionn let out a sudden laugh. "Well, yeah, it can be artistic. There's animals in parks that are trained to swim well for humans, but even wild ones have a grace and beauty to them. Everyone's got something they are good at."

He glanced around the marketplace. Since the fair had not started, the crowd size was modest at best but he could see some familiar faces. If only he could go say hi to them, but he did not want to leave someone as sweet as Dion behind...

An idea suddenly hit Fionn and he turned to the woman, grinning. "Dion, do you want to meet some of the others who live here? They're all great! Come on, I'll introduce you!"

With that, he marched the short distance towards a small group, all of which he recognised at least in passing: Holly, the local police offier and her daughter, Esther, who were chatting to the lady who ran the cat cafe. Anise, he thought her name was? Fionn had spoken with her a bit less often than Holly...though having said that, not all of his interactions with the officer were pleasant. Still, no reason to hold a grudge. Perhaps he could get to know Anise better too, especially now that she was outside her cafe. It wasn't like Fionn did not like cats, he just did not care much for them either.

"Hello!!" he called over, waving to them both. He nodded his head curtly to Holly. "A nice day, isn't it, ma'am? You're looking well, and so is your daughter," he gave Esther a little wave and a smile before looking up at Anise. "You're the lady who runs Calico Coffee? Anise, right. Hi to you too. How are you doing?"

Fionn gestured back at Dion, his gaze shifting between her and the group. "This is Dion, by the way. She's new in town. Here for the festival. I can't wait! It's going to be great!"

SPOILER: Click to show

Fionn finishes playing and takes Dion's(Thorn) compliments and statements in his stride. However, he wants to speak with more people while still chatting with Dion, so he gets the bright idea to introduce her to some Wrightonians. Specifically, Holly and Esther(Shinko) and Anise(Elcie). He goes over and starts chatting to them all.