A summer fête ! [Mingle]

[ourearth]

Date: 11-08-2018
Characters: Everyone!

---

It's a way too hot day what did we do to deserve this beautiful hot summer's day. The very crispy brown Greens bustle with activity. Volunteers, artisans and some professionals are setting up the town's largest summer fête, nicknamed Triple-F ("Faith Full Fête") due to the organisers being all the local religious communities working together for this special occasion. More or less. Until we discuss which church, mosque, or other congregation is selling the best food. At that point things might become a bit more tense because obviously ours is better, laddie, but don't say that too loud because those poor sods two stalls down from us really think their samosas are better than our scones and we don't want to crush their dreams...

Even before things are fully set up, visitors are starting to trickle in, and there will be more and more over the day until it gets very busy around mid-afternoon, only starting to thin out again once the little ones have to go to bed.

And there's a lot to do besides buying and eating food (though that isn't to be scoffed at)! The official main attraction is obviously the cake judging and award ceremony for the best cake. Small visitors can enjoy a bouncy castle, a craft tent, a Punch and Judy show, face painting, and a storyteller.

Athletics start around mid-afternoon, are mostly split between age group and gender and come with a small reward. The only exception is the tug-o-war where in addition to the usual men-against-women tug there's also a congregation-against-congregation single-elimination tournament. There also used to be a tournament between the various towns/villages in the Mossgate Council, but that was banned a while ago because of the various incidents during the Folkton vs. Moss Manor matches. Other athletics include a three-legged-race, egg-and-spoon-race, sack race, various runs ("mums run", "dads run", "kids run", "grandpas run", "queens run", etc.) and a relay race.

After the athletics there is a pet show with the categories being "large dogs", "small dogs" and "various other pets". Awards go to the fluffiest pet, the one with the waggiest tail, and so on, but there also is an obstacle course and a prize for the best in show.

All throughout the afternoon and early evening, people can enjoy tombolas, raffles, coconut shies, a bat a rat stall and white elephant stalls along with the stalls of the local artisans and some local shops. In addition, there is a live band that seems to play more and more ABBA the later it gets. There is also a BBQ running the entire day, the proceeds of which all go to charity.

And of course there is cotton candy and donuts. And instead of just one ice cream van, this year the council has managed to engage a fleet of them. Make sure you eat your ice cream before it melts and the wasps eat YOU.

Comments

[saveournpcs]

One of the artisans is an elderly lady dressed much too warmly for the heat in a dress with a long skirt and long sleeves. Though perhaps she's onto something, since she also sports a large hat and sunglasses - might just be that she's in no mood to look as lobster-y as some of the gents and ladies around.

She sells a large variety of items: Mugs and teapots, pillows, figurines, candy, and many other things. What they all have in common is their theme: They are all Dormouse themed.

Whenever someone stops by her shop, to look or just to perhaps catch a bit of shade, she'll comment something along the lines of: "It is so hot today, really, one just wants too nap all day."

[dragoonrouge]

Sadie's eyes light up and she lets out a happy gasp as she enters the shop and she spots the Dormouse themed everything. She smiles at the old lady as she speaks and nods,

"It is draining, isn't it?" Score, they're talking about the weather, there is no safer subject to speak of in existence. "At least it's shady in here, some people outside are looking a little crisp."

[dragoonrouge]

Sadie is not to be found in the same place once over the course of the Fete, drifting eagerly between the various food and craft stall. She has made it her mission to try at least one thing from each of the food stalls. Later on in the evening, she can be found by the live band very much enjoying the increasing amount of ABBA that they're churning out.

Those who get close to her will notice that she is holding on to a lead at the other end of which is a very energetic Bengal kitten in a harness, bouncing about and going up to strangers in an attempt to sweeten them into petting him.

[saveournpcs]

"Very crisp, very crisp," the old woman mutters. "Like lobsters." She chuckles. "Just less snappy."

[dragoonrouge]

Sadie looks up at the old woman from the teapot she is inspecting. What an odd comparison...

"Lobsters are crisp?" The question is slightly confused but sincere, Sadie doesn't really know anything about lobsters.

[iamnotgod]

Walter had been, if you'd asked him, "just passing through" the Fête, with a small amount of spending money in-pocket and no real plans.

And then, for no reason he could fathom, a cat jumped on him.

"Oh, hello- hi, Sadie!" Walter amended, offering both a sheepish smile and a wave as he turned to spot the girl while in the midst of talking to the cat.

"He sure is lively, I'll give him that much."

[saveournpcs]

"Very crisp. Well stewed to just the reddest tones." She nods, a very careful kind of nod, slow and precise. Perhaps her joints or her balance aren't as good any more as they used to be.

[runs]

Someone managed to get stung by a wasp.

In her hand.

Just now.

There is a yell, and Kitty drops her ice cream, frantically waving both hands as the wasp takes off unharmed. "WASP!"

[dragoonrouge]

"Hey Walter," She waves at him, the motion a bit sheepish as she looks at the kitten that is now meowing and chatting away at Walter very loudly about his shoulders.

"Sorry about Tigger, he's a bit too friendly sometimes. You're the third person in the last quater of an hour that he's chosen as a perch."

[iamnotgod]

"As long as perching is all he does, I can cope."

Walter moves sideways, slowly enough to not disturb the cat, but fast enough to get out of the way of any other passers-by.

"Do you think he can still smell the peahen?"

[iamnotgod]

That wasp doesn't get far - Walter's close enough at hand to hear the buzzing, and a newly-purchased kitschy bowl is used to slam the wasp into a nearby wall.

The bowl doesn't smash, but Walter's immediate thought is that he's glad it was cheap.

"Hey, are you okay?" Walter's attention now turns to the somewhat familiar girl, sympathetic look on his face.

"... You're not allergic or anything, are you? Should I get a doctor?"

[cannibalartist]

At some point in the afternoon in between the food and drinks Takamasa just about trips over a cat weaving in and out of his feet. He definitely crouches to pet the kitty cat. The cat definitely jumps into his arms. Oops, he catches the cat. Now he's holding the cat. Holding and petting the cat. Yes. This is worth it despite the heat.

He followed the harness to the cat's owner. In almost comical way he stood next to her, holding the cat as if he were some super villain from Secret Spy Movie, petting the cat as it pleased.

"Okay but... Why would you make this precious little creature walk in this heat."

The question was said in a joking tone as he gave the cat a good scratching behind the ears, clearly smitten with the creature.

[darkmagiciangirl]

Chi had seen Sadie walking around the festivities and decided to get her a little surprise - she hadn't had the fortune to see her since the petting zoo incident, despite their texting since then. She came up on Sadie with two ice creams in hand, surprisingly unmelted despite the heat - how fast was Chi moving?

"Sadie! There you are!" She was grinning as she offered an ice cream to Sadie - she had gotten two of the same thing so it didn't matter which one Sadie took. "I got you an ice cream! I didn't know what your favorite was, so I just got you what I got for me. I hope you like it anyway!"

[darkmagiciangirl]

Chihiro wandered into the shop, smiling large at the items. Everything was Dormouse themed - how cute! Chihiro gently picked up a teapot and investigated it as she heard the lady's comment.

"It's quite miserable out today - praise be shady places like here and the fleet of drinks and ice cream for sale today, though! Quite a few opportunities to at least keep up and running."

She glanced up to the woman with a friendly expression on her face.

[dragoonrouge]

"He won't be able to smell the peahen at this point." Sadie assures him, "Tigger just likes jumping onto high up places, hence the name."

She gives Tigger a scratch under his chin as he balances on Walter's shoulder.

"How have you been?"

[saveournpcs]

"The ice cream is good, you say?"

She sounds thoughtful as she stands there, not moving much, simply watching the visitor.

[iamnotgod]

Tigger is a very loved-on kitty right now, as Walter's giving him a scratch in-between the ears as well.

"Oh, fairly well."

And then he gives Sadie a lighthearted look.

"You? You didn't drag Ben along to this, did you? I know his aunts are somewhere around..."

[dragoonrouge]

Sadie just takes a moment to stare at the man who is currently holding her very smug and purring kitten. She then takes another quick moment to bemoan the fact that most of the people she has met so far in this town.

"He starts to fuss if I don't let him walk...His name is Tigger. Um...I don't think I've seen you around before?"

[dragoonrouge]

"Oh, Chi!" She smiled at the older woman and waved with the hand not currently containing a wriggling kitten. "Good to see you!"

Sadie tentatively took the ice-cream from Chi at her insistence, "Thank you, that's very kind of you." She smiles shyly and takes a lick of the ice-cream, which turns out to be absolutely delicious. "Where did you get this from, its fab?!"

[dragoonrouge]

Sadie frowns at Walter, "Why would I drag Ben here, He went home yesterday?" She's not sure what Walter is trying to imply but she certainly wouldn't drag her friend somewhere he didn't want to go.

His asking after her wellbeing does remind her that she hadn't told anyone about what had happened yesterday and she grins at him. "I'm great!" She leans in to whisper. "I can breath underwater!"

[iamnotgod]

A reminder that gives Walter a measure of relief. Oh, that's right. Good, good.

"Well, that's fair." He is still a little distracted by Tigger purring at the moment, though.

And then Sadie drops her news bomb, and he's back to staring at her (and glad he got out of peoples' way).

"... As in, inhale water without hurting yourself? Do I want to know how you found out?"

The second's a rhetorical question; of course he does. And whispered, since shouting doesn't seem like a good idea right now.

[dragoonrouge]

Sadie has the good grace to look a little bit remorseful but it seems less sincere when tempered by her obvious glee at her newfound power.

"I can breathe the water in and as I swallow it's like it turns to air!" She continues in an excited whisper. "I also saw another one of those weird memories, except this time I was in this giant bubble underwater with a load of giant turtles. They did this magic ritual and voila! Water breathing!"

"...I may or may not have drowned. Just a little bit..."

[iamnotgod]

... Whatever Sadie's getting these memories from, science clearly works differently. Or magic, or biology, or whichever.

Walter mostly just looks baffled, though some of Sadie's excitement catches on.

"And here we were worried about lion tails!"

Actually there's a lot about that vision Walter wants to unpack - because turtles, really? - but then she whispers that last part. His smile fades.

"Sadie, how long were you down there?"

There is very clearly Concern in his voice, and while he's not tempted whatsoever to ask 'Did you die?', he's still getting a post-fact scare.

"Did you bring yourself back up, or did someone come get you in time?"

He takes small solace in the fact that water-breathing decreases the chance of this happening again, but the fact it happened in the first place is distressing enough!

[cannibalartist]

Takamasa believed her - Tigger seemed like a troublemaker despite his clear good taste in people. The way his little fuzzy face was so smug as he purred and Takamasa scratched behind his ears was absolutely too adorable and the entire display too loaded with the ulterior motive of getting ALL the pets.

"Tigger seems like he's a little trouble maker!" Takamasa went to put the cat down just for Tigger to climb up onto his shoulders. He looked to Sadie with a good-natured, helpless expression, hunched over a little so Tigger could easily settle on his shoulders.

"You may not have - it has been a couple years since I was last here. My name is Ishihara Takama- ah, sorry. Takamasa Ishihara. Takamasa is my given name." He gave her an awkward little polite bow, making sure not to jostle Tigger too much. While it was clear English wasn't his first language, he was doing great.

Someone should have worn a life jacket

[dragoonrouge]

Walter, she is turning into a cat. Clearly what is going on is magical in some way, shape, or form, as loathe as Sadie would be to admit that.

"I know!" And there's a small twinge of guilt there as she can't help but think of the change Ben is currently going through. "I can talk unhindered too. It's so bloody cool Walter!"

Excuse Sadie for a moment as she becomes very interested in scritching Tigger's chin. "Umm...I don't know exactly?" It sounds even worse saying it out loud like that. "I, er, I cracked my head against the side of the boat when I slipped overboard and gave myself a concussion. Ben and James got me out though!"