Realistic or Modern Apple Pie: The Hometown Slice

[FireMaiden]

Chapter One: July 4th​

​

It's once again that time of year. The long time locals of Hadbury know what it is, The Hadbury 4th of July festival. It has been the talk of the town for the past month, all starting the moment the Belles started praticing their dance in Town Square. This is, like every single parade or festival, is the biggest thing to happen to Hadbury. Everyone loves it, the summer air, the way the town smells like various fried foods and the fruits from the orcharchs not too far away. Red, white, and blue dot the town's landscape, smiles and friendly faces all congratulating each other for no reason in particular. That's just how a town like this is. The old ladies claimed their spot very shortly after set up began, just so they could watch everyone running around. Mrs. Dansby had her stall set up at five am like always just so she could spend the next 12 hours baking every pie imaginable. Both for the pie eating contest and for sale because nobody can leave without at least a slice.

Mr. Jenkins has the large griddle set up for the flapjacks and the fryer for funnel cakes and what ever challenge he's set up for this year. I'd be careful, it is most likely another egg. Or maybe a habanero like two years ago. And the pageant, the Belles are all preparing for their performances (Gigi once again using the violin in hopes of wowing the crowd). Of course they aren't the only ones who can sign up.

Stalls line the town square, more life filling the grounds the closer it gets to 5pm. Everyone who wants to go is closing up shop early, and heading out to join the crowd of their friends, family, and neighbors. Even the newbies are welcome to join, though reception maybe be a bit awkward. And there's more to do than just eat and watch the pageant. There are plenty of games to play, prizes to win, and little competitions until 11pm when the festival wraps up with the giant fireworks show. There have been a few rumors here and there about someone maybe playing a prank on the Belles, but that's just a rumor anyway.

Rumble Fish BeyondDandy laceanddoodles Miracle Corgi King Vioogra Paltajayd Chimney Swift ​

 

[Chimney Swift]

MOOD: Distressed
location: The Town Square
❛ interaction ❜ Open

✦ DANIEL ESHEL-DONOVAN ✦

At least one social outing a week.

That had been the rule ever since Dan's mother took over custody of him. "You can't stay shut up in here like some sort of cave shrimp. Not in my house." His mother's scolding voice ousted him out the door week after week, despite the inevitable anxiety and sensory overload that had come to be part of his routine in and of itself.

Normally he would make it easy on himself and just go to the diner to hide out for an hour or two with some coffee and a book, but today was different. It just so happened to be Independence Day, and there was a special annual festival to commemorate it in the town square. So, it being his first year in town and all, he felt obligated to at least give it a try.

So here he was, alone at this 4th of July festival, anxiously twisting his fingers through his curly dark hair, chewing his lower lip, eyes wide and darting back and forth at the crowd like a prey animal looking for tigers. Honestly, he didn't even realize that was what he was doing at this point. All that was running through his head was noise. Noise, noise, noise everywhere. Hundreds of conversations all happening simultaneously, vendors shouting, music coming from god knows where. It was all way too much for his brain to individually process, which was what it was currently trying and failing to do.

Daniel seriously wondered how most people actually enjoyed this.

Still, he'd read up on this festival ahead of time and knew where everything was, including his potential escape routes if things got too intense. Really, he'd put a lot of effort into making this as painless as possible. He came dressed in his most comfortable light green t-shirt and grey shorts, brought a small map of the town square for reference, and some pocket money in case of emergency. His whole family was a little short on cash, so it wasn't much, but if he needed anything he had 5 bucks to spend as needed.

But he stayed frozen in the middle of the busy Square, trying to work up enough courage to go out and try something. A few people were starting to give him odd stares, but he hadn't noticed-- not yet, anyway.

There was simply too much else going on.

code by fudgecakez

 

[laceanddoodles]

Kirsten

Independence Day. Kirsten had only been in town a couple of months, and it felt like she hadn’t stopped moving since she arrived. She’d always been a hard worker, and now, with a baby to take care of and nobody to help her with bills, she found desperation pushed her even farther than she was naturally inclined to go. The diner was a nice place, and she felt safe there. She felt safe in Hadbury. And now it was the Fourth of July— her first, since leaving Darrell. She had Elouise in her arms, bedecked appropriately in red-white-and-blue, and for once, the usually shy and skittish waitress could not stop smiling.

It didn’t matter, much, that she didn’t know... pretty much anyone. It didn’t matter that she was getting weird looks and standing by herself. She had her baby and her freedom, and she was going to enjoy the day, and nothing and nobody could stop her.

For her part, baby Elouise hadn’t started fussing, yet. She was asleep, drowsy in the heat and the sun. Kirsten kept her bouncing, humming something soft as she drifted off in thought, watching the crowd pour in and the festivities start. She glanced over towards the group of elderly ladies, sitting not too far away in the shade, and offered an awkward, but genuine, smile.

 

[King Vioogra]

Jon Carter
Location: Town Square (wandering)
Interactions: Open

Johnathon stepped out of his house hastily, quickly slapping on a pair of sunglasses, despite the time of day. He heard the sounds of people chattering in the typical festival fashion, a short sigh coming from him as he adjusted the strap on his violin case, making it swing halfway across his back before coming to a rest near the middle. He adjusted his glasses as he kept walking through the rows and rows of stalls. Unfortunately, Jon was very much still adjusting to the heat, forcing him to roll up the sleeves on his button-up shirt and regret the black slacks he had put on before leaving. As he continued through the stalls, he was doing a bit of mental math. He'd done an art commission for a grieving widower a few days earlier, so he had a few extra dollars to spend on food and trinkets, nice. The boy scratched the back of his neck nervously as he made his way past other people. He stopped at one of the stalls and ordered a bottle of water, laughing off the woman's jokes about his long sleeve shirt and thick black pants. Wanting to avoid small-talk, he walked away from the stand, unscrewing the cap on his bottle and taking a long sip.​

 

[Miracle Corgi]

David Farris
- - - - - - ​

Something, suddenly, was off. Despite the noise and air circulation from the fan, the kitchen had felt completely still. It was unusually quiet and solely populated by only one member of the Farris household, David. But something had disrupted his mindless scrolling through his phone, his peaceful alone time. It was the sudden smell of AXE body spray wafting down the stairs. Then, there was the familiar creak of the second step and foot steps across the wood. There was Noe, potently reeking the literal smell of post-shower desperation. He was wearing jean cut offs with a bright red tank top and beaming straight at David.

"4th of July, brother!" He laughed, clapping his hands and swaying into the kitchen. He stopped in front of the refrigerator and looked back at David, "You're ready to go aren't you? All you're wearing is that faded red shirt? No white? No blue?"

"My jeans are blue and that counts. I mean, it's going to have to count," David replied getting up from his chair and shoving his phone into a back pocket. Noe was grabbing a protein drink and violently giving it shake, and then promptly opened and began downing the chocolate-y mixture. "You're dribbling," David lovingly pointed out, headed towards the door that led out to the backyard. It would be quicker to cut through some of the other yards to get there. He reluctantly had to go to the festival tonight to watch over his little sister who was already there with their mother. He would much rather stay at home, but someone needed to keep an eye on Celeste while his mom did emergency makeup and hair for the pageant tonight. She was on duty to catch and fix any falling lash or lock, and Celeste can't sit idly by her the entire night.

"Hey. I was wondering, could I take the truck tonight?" Noe asked suddenly, just as David was walking out the door. Noe brushed his hand across his mouth, wiping away any protein dribble that escaped during his chug. "You know it's perfect to sit in the truck to watch the fireworks, and, y'know, well it's romantic." Noe sheepishly continued, staring at David's back. "No. Find a bench to make out on, dude. I value the truck more than that." David responded, walking out. Noe clicked his tongue, following him out and quietly picking the truck keys off the counter, stuffing them into his pocket.

In the time between the back door and the town square, the two had broken out into a fight. They were approaching the center of the festival and still yelling at each other. "Lately, all you think about is yourself, man!" Noe angrily said, quickly pacing to put space between him and David. He pulled the keys from his pocket, holding them as he stared at David's sudden shock. "The truck is still a truck, and it's meant to be used!" He yelled, shoving them back in his pockets as he cracked a "I win" grin on his face. Noe suddenly took off, dashing further into the festival while laughing.

"You've got to be kidding me!" David shouted, disgruntled and already breaking a sweat. He angrily huffed and then groaned, slumping his shoulders and looking around. "You never get used to people staring, not even when you've lived here for years," He said loud enough to cast off a few of the curious glances that had gathered on him and his brother. Festivals. Always fun.

 

[Rumble Fish]

Interactions: Open

​

Kim really did not want to go. It was not that she did not enjoy this annual festival, there was blue candy floss, some party games and them retreating before the fireworks scarred the sky and she could retreat into her room and hide under her bed with Macbeth. That at this point was just her own tradition. She did not want to go for other reasons, it would be the first time she would have been seen in three months by the locals. She had hoped to spend at least one more night in her fortress of solitude.

Peggy was not having it. The small and plump Glaswegian had practically dragged her skinny granddaughter out, but not before forcing her to change out of the black hoodie she had been wearing for the last four days into a long-sleeved and loose top with the American flag alongside her torn jeans. It had to be long sleeved, Kim was adamant about that fact. Peggy herself wore a simple maroon top and navy trousers, close enough. Kim glanced at the small Scottish flag in their font garden as they walked out their house. Peggy’s mind was made up, clearly. Kim herself did not understand all the hype around this date. Of course she knew the cultural and historical significance but this amount of hubbub? She knew Peggy did not care either, but still, it was a sociable event and she had been looking for a good time to encourage Kim outside again so what time would be better than the 4th of July?

As they walked, Kim rubbed her shoulder anxiously as she stared at Macbeth, the little black Scotty dog trotting ahead contently. Kim wished she could have brought Jack and Victor too. The cats usually liked to wander around the town, but they seemed to know there were going to be fireworks tonight and opted to hide under the sofa until tomorrow morning. Her blood was already running cold at the thought of going and she seemed to have gone pale, as Peggy noticed and gently wrapped a hand around her skinny forearm.

“Ye missed a good The Chase today.” The Chase was their favourite quiz show that the pair watched religiously, apart from today where Kim’s anxieties over tonight ran too ramped for her to enjoy it. Kim simply stayed quiet and allowed Peggy to explain why it had been good. She was a fast talker and once she got started, it was best to wait until she had finished before speaking herself. “They had a stupit question. Dunno how anyone was supposed t’know it. Shower of bastards, they know fine well nobody would know it.” Peggy concluded with a frantic wave of her hand while Kim waited for her to finish. She was about to ask what it had been when a sharp pain began to seep into her right leg, making the girl groan. Macbeth, who had been snuffling a patch of grass nearby, scampered back to Kim’s feet with an anxious squeak and sat obediently at her side.

“Gran um- my crutch-?”

“Oh aye aye,” within seconds the crutch was out of the woman’s bag and in Kim’s grip. “There ye are, darlin’.” Once she took the weight from her leg onto the metal pole, she could not help but release a sigh of relief. After a few seconds, they resumed and Kim asked her what question it was that got Peggy all riled up. “Right, git this. How many Japanese Zero planes struck the Cornelius on July 27th, 1944? Two, five or fourteen?”

“Och um… Huh, that’s a cracker aye,” Kim thought for a moment. “Hm. I’d wanna say five but five sounds like too many so, two?”

“Naw! Fourteen!”

“Fourteen bloody planes?”

“Aye! And they didnae know that! They said five! How in Gods name do they expect people t'know that? Thievin' buggers...” Kim’s thick brows furrowed as she glanced upward in thought.

“Fourteen-?” she pointed to the ground with each ‘bang’ that followed, “Bang bang bang bang- ye’d think some’dy would’ve phoned’r radioed some’dy else after the first two or three?”

“Aye but the Japanese was fly though, Kim, they always take oot the communications first!” Kim could not help but chuckle alongside her grandmother. “Fly bastards, ay? Well I suppose if ye were ambushin’ ye’d wanna take oot the gabbiest lot first.” Kim snorted slightly and nodded in agreement. She knew how Peggy felt about people who would run their mouths without caring about other people.

The pair talked some more until they grew closer to the gathering. The closer they got, the louder the music and chatter from the crowd became and already, Kim could feel her heartbeat race. Why hadn’t she gone out sooner? Her first social outing after almost three months shouldn’t have been a block party as big as the 4th of July. She found herself frozen on the pavement, gripping Macbeth’s leash with a white knuckle grip. The Scottie dog felt the sudden resistance against his neck and turned to look at his owner with a confused furrow of his shaggy brows. Peggy paused, realising her granddaughter had stopped and walked back to her.

“Kim?” She went to take the girl by the hand, but her own hand swatted against her wrist, causing Kim to jerk backwards, “Och, sorry ducks. I keep forgetting. Are ye okay?” Kim opened her mouth to answer, but words seemed to escape her. Sensing this, Peggy sighed gently, “Look, ducks I know yer worried. Listen if ye really don’ wanna go-”

“Naw, no I do it’s just… I dunno, I cannae think properly-”

“Hmm…” Peggy put a hand on Kim’s skinny shoulder, “See, we’ll go for a wee bit. A hour maybe. We’ll find Chloe, she’d be happy t’see ye again.” The mention of her one friend did cause a very small smile to curl across her face, she had missed Chloe's company and Peggy knew that. “First thing we’ll do is get some candy floss-”

“Blue candy floss-?”

“Och what else?”

“I hate pink.”

“Aye, me and all.” Peggy still answered, even though this exact exchange would occur whenever the topic of candy floss was brought up. “C’mon noo, let’s let our hair down and have a good’un ay? It’s a nice evening.” With that, she gently took her granddaughter by the hand and unclipped Macbeth from his leash. The scruffy young dog bounded a few feet from them but stayed close by. He always kept one shiny and minstrel coloured eye on Kim at all times. As they began to slowly wander, Kim kept an eye out for Chloe, or any other vaguely familiar face. Peggy would surely notice people before she did.

Mentions: FireMaiden (Chloe)

 

[laceanddoodles]

Kirsten

She spotted somebody she knew, better than most others. Peggy— an older woman who was a regular at the diner. Peggy had always been sweet to Kirsten, but still struck the younger girl as intimidating. Peggy wasn’t the type to take people’s nonsense, and she’d seen the lady pick a couple of arguments. Never quite shouting, but sometimes a quiet anger was more frightening than the explosive variety. And the way she could turn from telling somebody off to being sweet as pie when talking to Kirsten in a second flat— it put her on edge. Still, logically she knew that this women wasn’t an abuser. She wasn’t like Darrell, and Kirsten had nothing to be frightened of.

She smiled, putting on a brave face, and shifted her baby’s weight slightly so as to wave. Slowly and carefully, she wove her way through the crowd towards her, avoiding as much small talk along the way as physically possible. When she reached Peggy— and a girl she’d never seen before —she gave an uncharacteristic grin. “Hiya, Ma’am, have you met my baby, Elouise?”

The little girl in Kirsten’s arms was, somehow, still asleep. Dark chocolate curls and a round face, flushed from the warmth of the evening, lent the baby a cherubic look.

Mentions: Rumble Fish

 

[Paltajayd]

So many times they killed me,
So many times I died,
Nonetheless I'm here, resuscitating

He remembered reading something along those lines while being tumbled on his bed early morning, about a renowned latin singer called Mercedes Sosa, an icon worth some hours of study from his part until he would only remember the essentials of her impact and maybe add some of her songs to one of his multiple playlists. Though it was the 4th of July, he wasn't really expecting himself waking up and hearing this type of foreign folk music at his balcony, in one of the multiple single bedroom apartments downtown, even less on such a patriotic day, such a patriotic town to his eyes. Yesterday, he'd been handling over curriculums at the local cafes on main street to see where he can get a job as a cook, after all, the rent wasn't going to pay itself and his savings were starting to run short. Luckily enough, the landowner was one of his friends from the big city, and he said he wasn't going to put any pressure on his friend, at least for now.

The day went on and he stayed on the cafe in the afternoon sipping on his black tea, which was pretty british like and thus, somewhat illegal in his mind, but that wasn't his main concern. The only people he knew from this place were his neighbors at the apartments, some of them pretty inactive, and others old enough to make him distance from them since their topics and preferences didn't match at all, but still, he felt sympathy towards many of those beings, and so if aid was needed at least he would be there. This lack of acquaintances was a thing he hadn't grown used to, the fact that he was alone at this town made him worry a bit. Though if he got accepted at some of the jobs he applied for, that could a perfect chance for him to meet the locals and get to have a lil' chat with them, not that he hadn't done this before, but it's not like you're going to meet your best friend out of pure coincidence by just bumping on people at the town square. Lottery, he had the same probability of getting to meet a good companion as of winning the jackpot. Not even mention getting to know his better half, why was he even thinking about that anyways? jezz.

And so without giving it a second thought, Lyon finished his tea to move on to his next destination, Hadbury town square. All the way to the center of the jolly town, pennants were hung from buildings and poles of the main street from one side to the other, flags hoisted at every visible entrance and the happy folk, sweet smiles intending to enjoy the day as best as they could. He loved it, though he wasn't a proud american, it was surely a gorgeous ambient to be surrounded by. The town square was even more ornamented, which impressed him at first sight, he didn't expect them to have many resources to decorate and make their way to his top 3 of the best towns to be at this particular day.

As he walked through the crowds of people gathering around, some joyful greetings could be heard from families, schoolmates and fellow colleagues getting to see each other once again. Faces with all types of expressions ranging from ecstatic to peaceful varieties, the smell of all kinds of fried and sweet food that tempted his empty stomach, he wouldn't say no to it's sudden rumble which made him look down to it and then on to the various food trucks around the square. However, the silhouette of a male, watching everything as it went on from his stance in the middle of it all, somewhat frozened by the whole scenery caught Lyon's keen aero blue colored eyes. The whole environment made him think about those probabilities of meeting someone he could connect with, what if... this was his chance. If it went on well, great! If it didn't, better luck next time ain't I right? so he went forward, walked over out of his sight to approach from the side, as if he was on the same state as him, mind boggled by the pageant the wrapped them both and everyone else. "Beautiful innit? never thought this town would have so much to show." He said looking straight to the void in front, almost gazing into the fast shadening skies above the building roofs that enclosed the gorgeous site.

Mood: Amazed
Location: Town Square
Interactions: Daniel
Tags: Chimney Swift

 

[FireMaiden]

Chloe Stewart and Gigi Stewart
Location: Town Square
Interaction: laceanddoodles (Kristen) Rumble Fish (Peggy/Kim)
Mentioned: N/A
"Don't you just love this time of year Chloe?" Gigi cooed, parade waving as her figured bobbed over the slight hill the town square sat on. She was wearing that signature red wine and blue belle dress she had tailored enough so the neckline was just a little lower than regulation because Gigi Stewart never missed the opportunity to show off. Chloe however, was wrapped up in leggings and a light windbreaker because she hated the whole dressing up part of these things.

"I gu-"

"I mean it has all your favorite foods! Deep-fried, covered in some sort of dough, oh, and look! That hotdog is absolutely covered in bacon!" Gigi laughed, getting a chorus of laughter from the other girls in Belle dresses bobbing over the lush grass. A light red hue passed over Chloe's cheeks as they kept laughing, pointing out a few other stalls with fair foods.

"Oh, and Chloe, you could sign up for that pie-eating contest!" Julie Davis snickered, the short girl crossing her arms over her chest as she looked away. "You, Mr. Tiller, and Old Jenkins could probably finish all those pies, Mrs. Dansby baked. Or maybe just you by yourself, you could handle it right?" She spoke again, fanning herself a little.

"I am...not signing up for it," Chloe mumbled harshly, reaching up to tuck some hair behind her ear. If not for the fact she was the one with the backpack and carrying phones and wallets, Chloe would have ditched them all by now. It smelled like summer and deep-fried food out here. Magnolia's and sweet tea, it always smelled like that during this festival. The smell of sugar and various berries got stronger as they passed Mrs. Dansby's stand, the Belles all waving to everyone. Chloe hated it, she really hated it, Chloe could never be a Belle. Though there was more than one reason for that. Like so many other places, this town didn't like people like her.

"Oh look over there! It's that Peggy woman and Kim, and that new Kristen girl from Duffy's. Why don't we go say hi?" Gigi suggested with a sugar-coated smile, her and the girls already heading over. Chloe hung out near the back of the group like always, arms still cross as she walked. The girls never cared about making friends with people like them, but Gigi knew just how important it was to make sure everyone saw the Belles in the perfect light. And you can't do that if you didn't say hi to everyone.

"Well hello there!" She chirped with a smile, curtsying as the other girls did the same. "It's so good to see that the festival brings everyone out, it's good to see you again Miss Peggy." Of course Gigi would ignore Kim, or at least, not speak to her directly. None of the Belles would. Chloe however, did wave. "And you, you're Kristen right?" Gigi asked, turning her attention to the woman with the baby. "This is your first festival, right? How are you liking it?"

 

[laceanddoodles]

Kirsten

It took her a moment to register that she was being spoken to, and when she turned, there was an expression on her face of momentary fear. But then, like a flash, it was gone, replaced by a sunny, if awkward, smile. She didn't know the Belles, all that well. They'd gone out of their way to be friendly to her, in that intimidating, over enthusiastic, way that left Kirsten jumpy and wondering what it was they wanted from her. And then there was the quieter girl, at the back. Kirsten didn't know any of them well, but she was pretty sure that quiet girl was a sister of... was it... Gigi? That sounded right. And the girl's name was— oh gosh. She shifted the baby again before nodding in response to Gigi's question.

"Right. The festival's lovely— reminds me of when I was a kid. I— I'm grateful that Elouise will be able to grow up somewhere like here. Real safe and quiet." She paused, fighting the instinct to keep her gaze lowered in submission. She didn't have to do that, anymore. "You're... Gigi? I'm not the best with names, but I'm tryin'."

She glanced back at Peggy, briefly, before directing her attention back to the flock of brightly colored young women in front of her. And that one girl in the back— what was her name? "Have you been here your whole life? You and—" Oh, right. "You and Chloe?"

Mentions: FireMaiden Rumble Fish (briefly)

 

[Chimney Swift]

MOOD: Startled
location: The Town Square
❛ interaction ❜ Paltajayd (Lyon)

✦ DANIEL ESHEL-DONOVAN ✦

The sights, the sounds, the heady smell of grease in the air, the constant movement of the crowd: it was a sensory experience not unlike getting repeatedly kicked in the guts. He had unconsciously started to hyperventilate a little, hands still raking through his hair in a now repetitive motion. He had only been here maybe five minutes, and was already dreading the next two hours and fifty-five minutes until his mother would let him come home. He squeezed his eyes shut, blocking out some of the assaulting stimuli, just in time to hear someone speak too close by to be to anyone but him.

Cutting through the thick wall of noise came a voice from just behind his ear:

"Beautiful innit? never thought this town would have so much to show."

The nauseated teen suddenly found himself side-by-side with a short, pale young man with striking blue eyes. He flinched back in surprise, his brain trying to fight through the overload to give him the opportunity to respond.

"Y-yeah. It is... something. A Lot." He stammered out, his voice a little too loud as he tried to gauge how much volume was necessary to be heard. He wasn't quite looking at the man, rather past him... eyes locked back on the bustling swarm of people that kept dragging his attention every which way. His olive skin blushed, his shaky hands now wringing together by his chest in an effort to keep still.

"...Who're you?" Dan's northern American accent set him apart from the crowd, something he and this stranger had in common. He took it they were both newcomers. And that, in a weird way, was just a little comforting. Talking to strangers may be unnerving, but he supposed they were both strangers here, which made them... less strange? It was a weird train of thought.

code by fudgecakez
Art by harveychan.tumblr.com

 

[Rumble Fish]

Kim simply snuffled on her blue (they had to wait a few minutes to be made but it was worth it) candy floss as she stood near Peggy, watching Macbeth wander about her feet. Meanwhile, Peggy noticed a somewhat familiar face approaching. Kirsten from the diner. She was new and seemed shy but Peggy chocked that up to new-town nerves and could not help herself from keeping an eye on the young lady as she went around her business. Seeing her approaching in her lovely dress with a baby on her hip, Peggy could not stop her smile.

“Och would ya look at you?" she crooned like a mother hen, low enough as to not wake the sleeping infant “Ye look fantastic, and naw I don’t think I have,” she adjusted her glasses to get a closer look at the snoozing baby, “Isn’t she gorgeous?” she smiled, “Look at her wee curls, Kim.” The teenager, who had simply been behind Peggy the whole time moved out from behind her gran to look at the baby, before offering a sheepish smile to the mother.

“Kirsten, this is Kim, my granddaughter.” Peggy introduced her, rubbing the middle of Kim’s back, the aformentioned girl could only pray that she wouldn't question her grandmother on why she only now met her, “Kim, this is Kirsten, she’s the lassie I said started working at the diner a wee while ago.” Kim blinked softly and turned to Kirsten.

“Hullo-”

Before she could finish, the Stewart family approached. Kim grimaced slightly as she spotted Gigi. While the girl herself seemed okay, there was something about her Kim did not like. Her grimace faded as she spotted Chloe and reciprocated her wave. Soon the conversation shifted to be between the Stewarts and Kirsten. Peggy cleared her throat, choosing not to interject . Still, she could not bring herself to fully walk away. There was a sense of maternal protection she felt for the waitress and walking away would have felt wrong. She fished into her purse.

“Kim darlin’, here,” she placed three ten dollar notes into her pale palm, “Here’s $30, go git yersel’ some skran.”

“Oh eh, okay, thanks gran. Ye want anythin’?”

“Oh um… Gie us one of they um… och what are they called? It’s the wee wings all covered in barbecue sauce."

“Buffalo wings?”

“Aye them!”

“Okay…” Kim sighed, thankful to remove herself from the talk. The lights, noise and amount of people was already getting to her. She scooped down and grabbed Macbeth, who sat comfortably in her arm. She looked to Chloe, seeing she was at the back of the group and coughed slightly, “Ye eh… wanna go play some games’r somethin’?” she asked. She did not really want to leave Peggy’s side, but that amount of interaction in such a short time was too much. At least she had Macbeth craning himself to try and lick her ear.

Interaction:
@ laceanddoodles (Kirsten)
FireMaiden (Chloe)

 

[Miracle Corgi]

Darla McFarland
mentions: King Vioogra
- - - - - - - -
​

"Darla Pauline McFarland, you are my sun and stars. But I had to get into a cat fight with Trudy for the last bottle of hairspray. Why did you decide to sign up for the pageant so late?" Gwen asked from the depth of her walk-in closet. She emerged, throwing a variety of dresses down on her bedroom floor. Darla looked up at her from her spot on the floor, still applying blue body glitter to her arms. Darla's hair looked like it had doubled in size, curls and teased waves were gathered up into a very high a voluminous ponytail. It fell around her done-up face charmingly, held up by a patriotic red and blue ribbon. She was already wearing a royal blue dress with a swooping and proud A-line that gave her a classic look.

"There's been a rumor that something is going to happen, a prank!" Darla responded, now swinging her arms in circles at her side to allow the glitter to set. "Oh and the audience wont be able to see the prank?" Gwen asked, lifting up a sequin vest with a puzzled look on her face. "If I enter this pageant I'll get some recognition from the cheer team, I think. Then, whenever I go out for the squad, they might pay a little more attention to my efforts," Darla stated plainly, now standing and looking at some of the outfits her mother was laying out for her. "Right, right, and you decided to join the cheer squad when?" Gwen asked as she re-entered the closet. "They're the center of everything, like a weird cult," Darla smiled, following her mother into her closet.

"You think the prank will be like Carrie? You know, all of the pretty contestants standing there and then BAM! Pigs blood," Gwen joked before emoting the look of a horrified pageant queen. Darla laughed, "Mom. This is Hadbury." The two did one more lap around the closet, looking for something to bring with them for tonight. Gwen stopped then and pulled off a denim shirt from a hanger. "Put this on and get us some food, I'll meet you there with all the dresses and hairspray. Two hot dogs wrapped in bacon, some deep-fried goodness, and lemonade. Pie! slices of blueberry! If you spill make sure it lands on the shirt, ok? Please?" Gwen sweetly asked, looking at Darla. Her daughter groaned, grabbing the denim button-up and threw it on over the dress. "I'm going to MELT!" She cried, rolling up the sleeves.

After a quick walk in bright red heels, Darla was waiting in line at a food stall. The air was rich and warm, engulfing the entire town center. The low summer sun caught on Darla's exposed blue body glitter, giving an odd shimmer to her arms and legs. She noticed someone new standing in front of her, someone she hadn't seen around. She wanted to reach out and tap the violin case, maybe it was full of money. Maybe, he was on the run, and stopped here to get lost in the crowd. Make a sketchy trade, and then jet. He was dressed nicely as well, and wearing sunglasses? She watched as he walked away, sipping water. It was her turn to order, but Darla bit her lip. She was too wound up in her own curiosity, and she wanted answers more than she wanted deep fried oreos.

"Only water?" Darla asked, following behind the newcomer. "Not even the funnel cakes got to you, huh?" She added, now pacing beside the stranger.

 

[Paltajayd]

His answer soothed him like a tranquilizer that gave the approval with the message "Congrats! You've passed the first barrage". And his reaction? expected to be honest, but rather unusual. Lyon wasn't a guy whose appearance would scare off random men and women, he would describe hisself as an attractive man, not that he was egotistical or anything. Though he had more confidence with the opposite gender, thus preferring to meddle with them rather than men, he liked personal challenges, he loved them in fact. Being able to go further and explode, break barriers and become someone capable of taking a chance and develop it, like a seed that's being watered carefully to make it grow into a massive tree. That's his style at least, and he liked it that way. "My name's Lyon, it's spelled like that french city known for its cuisine. I sure know how to cook but I'm no french" He chuckled before finishing his little introduction, looking now into his brownish eyes with a mellow grin changing his pose from his hands in his pockets to one with his arms holding his forearm from behind and oriented to the boy "What's your name? you from around here?". The unusual part about his reaction was the hand trembling he noticed, not that introverted people are rare, Lyon considered himself sometimes as an introverted guy, although many friends told him otherwise, but he thought that because when being alone, he could be a totally different human being from what you see outside. Relaxed is the best word he could find until now to describe his attitude at home.

His black leather jacket and boots didn't match the main theme of the holiday, but at least his tight blue jeans and white shirt let him join the color scheme of the rest, he hadn't payed attention it either way. Even though 4th of July was a nice day to him, he wasn't fond of celebrating the country's birthday, for reasons he hadn't told anybody yet, except for his sister who was miles away at home with their parents, focused on high school stuff. Damn he missed Vitória, hoping for her to be doing just fine alone, without anyone to ask how this and that went, how's this and where did it come from, the ol' days they would say around here. Still, that was no reason for not going out and have a little taste of social life. Writing down on his little mental notebook, "gotta get that sweet southern accent". On top of it all, a blue dressed girl clicking her red heels came out of nowhere visible at the corner of his eye. She was at one of the stands apparently chatting with another guy in the square, lovers? He could only wonder... she looked younger, maybe around the same age as the boy in front of him, though she was evidently confident, meaning she was one of the long time locals. She'd catched his attention and Lyon trying not to divert his eyes from the boy facing him, he wanted to know the olive skin boy, and maybe her too.

Mood: Interested
Location: Town Square
Interactions: Daniel
Tags: Chimney Swift Miracle Corgi King Vioogra

 

[King Vioogra]

Jon Carter
Town Square
Interactions: Miracle Corgi

Jon turned around quickly when he was met with a tap on his violin case and a smooth voice from behind him. He saw the girl standing in front of him, stunned for a moment at how pretty she was before clearing his throat and adjusting his "July 4th" sunglasses and peering down at his water bottle. "Yeah, I'm not super hungry at the moment. But I'll definitely come back at some point. Those bacon wrapped hot dogs sound fantastically heart-stopping." Jon chuckled quietly at his own joke, his northern "city-boy" accent being painfully clear to hear, before taking another sip of water and running his hands through his hair.

"But hey, while you're here, I'm very open to suggestions if you have anything in mind." Pulling on his button-up to free it from his skin, that was quickly getting sweaty. As a way to counter that, he poured some of his water into his hand and ran it through his hair, before patting his face with his now wet hand. He shook it off quickly and wiped it on his pants before extending his hand for Darla to shake. "Oh I haven't even introduced myself. I'm Johnathon, but please call me Jon."​

 

[Chimney Swift]

MOOD: Awkward
location: The Town Square
❛ interaction ❜ Paltajayd (Lyon)

✦ DANIEL ESHEL-DONOVAN ✦​

Daniel bit into his lip, nodding along as the young man gave an introduction that was a smooth, stark contrast to Daniel's stilted response: "I'm Dan. Uh, no, not from around here... Boston. Boston Massachusetts, not Georgia." He said as if that needed clarification. The fact that there was a town named Boston in Georgia was a little known one-- actually, there were 16 American cities named Boston, but that was something only someone like Dan would just happen to know. To anyone else, it likely just would have been obvious that he meant the capital city.

He said nothing else, staring off into space with his hands still folded tightly together. He rocked back and forth slightly on his heels, not sure if he was awaiting a response from Lyon or not. Conversations were difficult for him at the best of times, and these were not the best of times by any stretch of the imagination.

code by fudgecakez

 

[Miracle Corgi]

Darla McFarland
mentions: King Vioogra Chimney Swift Paltajayd
- - - - - ​

"The years those hot dogs take off your life are incredibly worth it," Darla said, placing her hands on her hips proudly, thinking about how many of those atrocities she had eaten through the years. Her smile was wildly apparent, excited to be talking not only with a new face but also someone who didn't have a southern accent. So he's from the north! So desperately on the run from the law, but couldn't help stopping after seeing the charm of the southern town. Darla began reaching out her hand to meet his, but stopped, noticing the glitter on her own arm. "I'll give you a shake later, Jon. I don't want to infect you with the glitter," She joked, returning her hand back to her hip. She smoothly spun on her heels, now looking back at the new guy. "Let's take a lap around the stalls, I'll tell you what's good. If you don't finish the night with a stomach ache, you wasted your time."

She started walking, her hands now neatly folded behind her back. She had an excitable bounce to her walk now, still beaming. "My name is Darla! I've lived here my entire life. And you?" She asked, looking back at Jon again when she caught a glance at two other strangers. Two fresh faces over there, too! They both stood out slightly in the crowd, Darla let her eyes hover over the two for a moment to take in their appearances. One was active on his feet, rocking. Was he nervous? Maybe excited. Darla really fixed her eyes on the black jacket the other was wearing. It would be perfect for her last minute pageant talent performance. What was happening? Darla felt butterflies flutter in her stomach. With a rumored prank at foot, a pageant, three new people here in the square that somehow flew under her radar. Hadbury suddenly felt lively and exciting! She couldn't wait to tell her mom.

"Wait, I actually need to pick up some of those ornate hot dog delicacies for my mom," Darla stopped, looking at the first stall they were at previously. "We can also get some sweet tea, city-slicker."

 

[Paltajayd]

"Boston Massachusetts" He slowly repeated his answer as if deglossing each syllable to think about it. Showing an impressed face to the now officially named Dan, eyebrows raised and slightly tilting his head to the side with his hard to take away smile, he answered back "Seems you were closer than I thought, I'm from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania to be more precise, you never know if there are more states have that same city name. Anyways, nice to meet you Dan" finishing the sentence with a lighthearted wink at him. There wouldn't be any hand shake for that greeting, he noticed his sensibility and touching was the last thing he'd want to do in cases like this. Changing on subject to try and lighten his stressed mood, he thought of inviting and maybe go meet some locals so that they get to show them the place around. "I'm a bit hungry right now, so I was thinking we could go check around for something to eat. Wanna join me?" If he was going to be honest, he was starving at that moment, anything would work for him, even a glass of water would be enough to make him last another hour, but if he wanted to go on without feeling his empty stomach rumble again, he would have to find a nice hot dog or a hamburger that would fill him up. Looking ahead to the spots they or he could go to, behind Dan there were some stalls selling different types of candies, one of them could suit him nice to stand the night, but one of the stalls stood out above the rest, and when he sees what they're serving to the townsfolk, his eyes glisten and he's ready to heed the call for those Buffalo wings. His hand rose to his face while making a comment to see if he caughts his attention "You know... I'm seeing some Buffalo wings over there really tempting me and I just can't stand watching them" he giggled at his own desperate self.

The girl of the american flag colors disappeared from where he last saw her, out of thin air, not noticing she had actually seen them already. At least he was able to recall faces and remember them for long periods of time, it helped him at the gigs he attended and whenever his group went out and met some bar owners who turned out to be friends of this guy and that gal, the connections he was capable of making was a true gift, even more impressive the fact that he knew all of the faces names. Dan wouldn't be the exception, and he'd stay on point if she appeared again, but for now quickly forgot from her appearance and focused on the mission, he needed to eat, not immediately, but it'd be perfect right now.

Mood: Interested, Hungry (me wanna nom nom)
Location: Town Square
Interactions: Daniel
Tags: Chimney Swift Miracle Corgi

 

[BeyondDandy]

Ryan Combs
Interactions: Open
Mentions: laceanddoodles

...

"I'm going to train..."

"No you're not son, you're going to the festival, your mother wants you there," John Combs ordered Ryan. The old man giving his son a stern look as he locked Duffy's Diner closed. "You're living under our roof so you'll follow our rules, that’s the deal. You can train any other day but not today, understood?" his father reiterated, paying homage to tradition.

Ryan bit his lip, holding back the brewing growl that wanted to escaped him. "Yes sir..." he responded respectfully, his fist clenched inside his pockets as all his muscles tensed in frustration. Since his return all he had been doing on his off time was fight prep, physically and mentally getting ready for the next big event. It may have been bling optimism, but he never wanted to feel ill-prepared for when the opportunity presented itself - even though he had been six months without a fight at this point. There was no fight game in Hadbury, but nearby towns ran underground events and Ryan was trying to get a piece of the action.

Weeks ago he spoke with a promoter and felt good about their starting negotiations. There was no real money involved, but Ryan could get a chance to step back on the canvas - which was all he really wanted at this point. He craved the competition, the needed to show people that he could really make a name for himself in this sport. All he needed was a shot and he was very close to getting it. Nevertheless, at this point training was not an option - he was going to the festival and that was final. Hence, he cleaned up the last set of tables, put away the dried dishes and changed into his favorite green shirt before heading out reluctantly into the fray.

Town square was packed by the time he got there. Ryan did not remember Hadbury housing so many inhabitants - let alone allow them to fill the streets as such - but he had been gone for quite some time. He decided that the town must have changed and grew during his excursion, but moved away from the thought when his eyes caught a glimpse of his coworker Kristen. He wanted to approach her and say hello, but decided against it. He did not want to be bothersome as she seemed deep into conversation. Instead he moved on through the crowd, keeping to himself as he tried to enjoy the ambiance.

“Hey! Ryan!” A voice called for him, the gentlemen approaching uncommonly quick from behind. Ryan turned to meet Jake eye to eye, an old high school friend from years ago. The two met in mandatory art class where they hit it off for their love of country music. “Hey, what’s up? Can I help you with something?”

“Oh nah man, just wanted to invite you over. Couple guys were up here having some drinks, saw you in the crowd and throught I’d come get you.”

“Thanks but I don’t drink...” Ryan admitted, preparing to continue his walk.

“C’mon man, just come hang out then. We got some ladies that would love to see you,” Jake pushed with a smirk and devilish eyes. Ryan was reluctant, but he did not want to get on the guy’s wrong side - he was an outcast as it was.
​

 

[King Vioogra]

Jon Carter
Town Square
Interactions: Miracle Corgi

Jon chuckled quietly at Darla's comment, following behind her quietly. "I can't say I would mind being infected with glitter. Sounds like it's fun." He stopped talking for a moment when he saw Darla slow her walking speed a moment. He traced where her eyes might've been looking, and what do you know? Yet another set of faces he had never seen before, nothing new. He stopped suddenly when the girl turned around and started walking back to the heart attack hot dogs, walking back with her until they got back. He smirked as he saw an opportunity for needless flirting, opening his mouth to speak as he intentionally deepened his voice a bit. "Only a few weeks in town and I'm already getting taken on a date by the prettiest girl here. I think that's a new high."

He snickered at his own garbage sense of humor, looking at the next stand over. 'Wow, a whole turkey leg. Oh what the hell, I'll take one." With a 'fuck it' smile, he got into the non-existent line for the food stand. Once he'd gotten one, he stepped back into place behind Darla, taking a few chunks out of it every now and then. "You know, this is actually pretty good."​

 

[Chimney Swift]

MOOD: Easing up
location: The Town Square
❛ interaction ❜ Paltajayd (Lyon)

✦ DANIEL ESHEL-DONOVAN ✦​

Lyon repeated Dan's response back to him, something which Dan found difficult to interpret. Was he somehow unfamiliar with the city? However, before Dan could ask what other information, Lyon continued. "Seems you were closer than I thought, I'm from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania to be more precise, you never know if there are more states have that same city name. Anyways, nice to meet you Dan"

A look of relief crossed Dan's face when the glossy black-haired man didn't reach out his hand for a shake, rather giving him a subtle and friendly wink, which Dan gave back, a bit more forcefully. Dan had a bad habit of moving his eyes with excess muscle tension. But either way, the greeting made him feel a little more understood. And for that, he couldn't be more grateful. He hated touching.

"Nice to meet you too! And... and... There are eleven other Philadelphias in America. Virginia, Tennessee, Missouri, Mississippi, Alabama, New York, New Mexico, North Carolina, and... I'm forgetting a few. But my point is, we Americans like to recycle city names, e-especially down south." He laughed, a bit tenuously, running his hands through his hair again.

Lyon then expressed that he was hungry, offering to take Dan along with him. "Yes!" He answered overeagerly, all the more rocking on his heels with an excited flutter of his hands. Even though he still felt more sick than hungry and was fairly certain he wouldn't be able to find any food that accommodated his finicky palate here: Meat, and anything greasy made him gag. Regardless, it wasn't food that he was so eager for: it was companionship. Feeling a little less alone, he could face the crowd amd chaos more easily. He had a task, a guide, and just a little more structure now. With a grin and a nod, he followed after.

code by fudgecakez

 

[Paltajayd]

His laughed assured him. He gave him enough security to just relax and show more of his own self, Lyon enjoyed that more than anything, free men and women and no restraints, no fear to show who you really are. "Whoa!" The surprise from the sheer amount of states using his cities name was genuinely unexpected, and that's just in the US, who knows about the rest of the world. "I've only heard about 4 of 'em, didn't know there was a whole other bunch of them across the country" He couldn't avoid the tenderness shown by his cute hands running through his hair, a natural response people do when wanting to chill out or feel attracted towards the person they're facing. Lyon resolved his worrisome personality was calming down more and more, and a more surprising response to his invitation. His energetic "Yes!" followed up by all cues of explosive happiness made him think there was something more at hand here regarding his psyche, of course he didn't cared about it at all, it's just that his tendencies to analyze who he was face to face with felt unavoidable sometimes, and he unconsciously started picking up clues, pieces of a jigsaw puzzle that he would be slowly, but surely completing in a nearby future. "Well then! By the way, anything you wanna eat? Imma go for the Buffalo wings right now, but if you see anything around let me know and let's just go for it"

As they walked to that magical stall from where the barbecue scent emanated, his vision spotted a black scottie dog, his favorite breed which he'd been trying for years to introduce to his house when he lived with his whole family. When arriving at Hadbury, his hopes for getting a pet to live with had lightened up, but unfortunately his expenses made his savings unable to give a comrade a comfortable life, he could only hope for now that his sister did keep the inception process until at some point, his mother adopted a scottie to have as a pet. Driving his sight away from his yearned dream. Lyon felt quite curious for the reasons that brought his companion to a town in the middle of the southern region. Not that it wasn't a prefered place for vacation purposes, but there's always something else hidden behind that facade. Resolving to sacciate his own thirst for more information about his past, Lyon asked turning his head to just be able to see his friend and not trip on anything on the way to the stand, his right eyebrow lifted to enhance his inquisitive character "So Dan... how did you end up here in the middle of a southern independence festival? There must be a reason why you traveled all the way from Boston to lil' Hadbury."

Mood: Tranquil
Location: Town Square
Interactions: Daniel
Tags: Chimney Swift Rumble Fish

 

[Miracle Corgi]

Darla McFarland
mentions: King Vioogra
- - - - - ​

The spirited girl was already looking back at Jon when he suddenly deepened his voice. Her wide smile mellowed slightly, relaxing into a confused but enthusiastic grin. Then the confusion setting into her face was much more apparent as she narrowed her eyes and looked away for a second, exposing the fact that she had to stop and think about what he just said. Darla noted the fact that he admitted he had been here for only a few weeks, eliminating "traveling criminal" from her running description of Jon she was creating. Moving on, there was the other part about being on a date with the prettiest girl. She went through the last weeks events, recent gossip, potential scandals, but there was nothing coming to mind. Darla's eyes widened suddenly, her eyebrows lifting as she stared back at Jon. In that moment when she understood what he meant, she could barely hold back a snort. "You just haven't gotten out enough, wait until you see the Belles tonight," She said, chuckling through her own response.

Darla watched Jon as he set out on a quest for a turkey leg, releasing a sigh as she returned her gaze forward. So a new resident, not just a drifter. Still interesting! She was idly day dreaming her time away in the line, fishing out the cash she stuffed in the denim shirt pocket before leaving. As she stepped forward one more slot in the line, Jon had returned. "If you think that is good, you'll find the wings are just to die for," She said, adding a old southern twang to her voice as she described the next stall she planned to show Jon.

Suddenly it was one of Darla's favorite times of year again as she stepped up to place an order at the stall. "Three of the dogs with bacon, one lemonade, two sweet teas, and..." Darla paused, making sure she didn't forget anything, "That's it for now!" She shared a laugh with the attendant, bubbly as ever. After the trade she proudly faced Jon, just barely able to hold the three drinks and food. "Here you are, a welcoming gift to Hadbury," she said, offering the classic disposable white cup of cold sweet tea to him while just barely clutching the other items. After a few paces away from the stall she slowed her stride to a casual stop away from most of the foot traffic. She had decided it was the right time for more reconnaissance. With a sweetened her tone and a tilt to her head she spoke,"So, where are you from? How did you wind up our little old town?"

 

[FireMaiden]

Chloe Stewart
Location: Town Square
Interaction: laceanddoodles (Kristen) Rumble Fish (Peggy/Kim)
Mentioned: N/A
"Yes, we sure have," Gigi replied, that same smile on her face. The smile she always had when it came to charming the older folk in town. Sure, Kristen didn't need it but Peggy did. She may not be speaking, but Gigi knew the older woman was listening. "Me and Chloe were born in Hadbury General, that little clinic may not look like much only being the two stories, but you and that darling little baby have nothing to worry about." It was always pretty unassuming. Chloe would have spoken up instead of Gigi but...well, her sister was always in the spotlight. So she just stood there quietly, hoping the colorful fabric of the dresses the other girls had been wearing would hide her.

But suddenly Kim spoke up, asking if she wanted to go play some of the games. Chloe opened her mouth to answer with an enthusiastic yes, she didn't have any friends really who wanted to hang out with her at festivals like this. But slowly she deflated, remembering the weight of the backpack she was wearing. "I'd love to but I'm the one carrying their stuff," She explained, giving the strap a slight tug. Chloe really did want to hang out with Kim, but she had a job to do. At least until the pageant was over. Then all the girls changed or at least walked around with their families so she was no longer on pack mule duty. Though just as she was about to tell Kim this, a gentle hand was placed on her shoulder.

"I'll carry it, you go have fun Chloe," One of the Belle's smiled. It was Carly Donan, Gus Donan's daughter and their leader. Since she was the oldest she was in charge of most Bella activities even though Gigi would mich rather be the one calling the shots. Chloe couldn't help a smile as she slipped the bag off, patting her pocket to make sure she had her phone and wallet before once again turning to look at Kim.

"Come on, let's go!" Chloe ignored whatever looks the other Belles were giving Carly, and she was especially ignore any look from Gigi as she made sure her and Kim started heading off to some of the nearby games as quickly as possible. "I don't know how many games are that quiet, so when you need a little break just let me know, okay Kim?"

Gigi Stewart
Location: Town Square
Interaction: BeyondDandy (Ryan)
Mentioned: N/A
Gigi never liked being upstaged like that, her face hid it well but Carly's actions had sparked just a bit of anger as she watched her pudgy sister and one of the town freaks wander off to go play some games. So, since she didn't have a real reason to go and be making friends with these two, Gigi curtsied a little. "I'm sorry I have to cut this short ladies, but me and the other Belles have a dance to prepare for. Don't miss it, we'll be performing right there at the gazebo. Oh! And the pageant, if you want to try your luck you can still sign up!" Not like either of them had a chance, but Gigi needed to make sure everyone saw her in the same light. And if that meant telling a newbie and an old woman they might have a chance, however fake it may be, to win a cheap trophy and 500 bucks, then so be it. That of course didn't mean she wanted to win any less, but still.

With a wave and another round of pleasant smiles, Gigi and the Belles were all off again to go find some other poor soul to talk to. And it wasn't like they were missing victims, but you always had to keep up appearances. The big five families were off limits for a variety of reasons. No drunks, pervs, or anyone who had been caught within a mile of someone from either of the surrounding towns football teams. But...outcasts were perfectly fine. Everyone knew about Ryan and his big return. And further more, Gigi was very interested. So while the Belles had started to wander around and greet who they wanted, Gigi approached the older man.

"Ryan Combs, you've become a topic for gossip round town," Gigi giggled, her arms crowds a bit under her chest to make sure her female charm was on full display. The modified dress was certainly helping. She was without a doubt ignoring Jake should he still be around as she gave Ryan a once over. "It must be weird being back in town, especially having to serve at your dad's diner," She spoke, finding his eyes. Though after a second or two, Gigi's head tilted. "What happened to your ear?"

 

[Chimney Swift]

MOOD: Venting
location: The Town Square
❛ interaction ❜ Paltajayd (Lyon)

✦ DANIEL ESHEL-DONOVAN ✦

As the two boys ventured off in the direction of the food stalls, Daniel found himself once again overwhelmed by the cacophony of smells and sounds, feeling himself instinctively cringe back a little to put a little more space between himself and everything else. He nevertheless trailed after Lyon, looking across at him occasionally, but his eyes never lingered too long in one place.​

"Well then! By the way, anything you wanna eat? Imma go for the Buffalo wings right now, but if you see anything around let me know and let's just go for it"

"No," Daniel quickly and curtly responded before pausing, mulling over his choice of words before he came up with the more polite "I'm okay for now." He smiled apologetically, shifting his hands once again back into their habitual hair-twisting positions.

Still walking, Lyon turned back to Dan, ever so briefly catching his gaze. Daniel's dark brown eyes widened, his lower eyelids twitching in discomfort before he deflected the brief moment of eye contact down to the ground, a faint blush fading into his face. Lyon's eyebrow lifted as he asked the younger boy to tell how he'd come to Hadbury. Daniel suddenly looked back up, the question rapidly turning the gears in his brain. How to explain such a long and complicated story? Dan took a shaky breath, and defaulted to his usual approach: just telling the truth.
Way, way too much of the truth.

"After my parents divorced four years ago, my mom has been moving Iris and I around like crazy. Iris is my sister, she's a freshman this year at Hadbury high school. I'm going to be a senior-- uh, anyway, first we moved to Washington DC, but my mom didn't like it there so we moved to Bend, Oregon. That's when she started taking yoga classes and I think that's where she got the idea for the candle shop. That's what she does now. But first we moved again to a different town in Oregon, and then another one, and I don't remember their names anymore because then we moved to Kansas City, which is in Missouri and not Kansas. And I guess she liked the south cause the next time we moved... it was down here." He stopped, almost out of breath from his little tangent. He was quiet for a moment, twirling his hair around his fingers, eyes still shifting side to side before he whispered under his breath, as if he were ashamed to say it: "I miss Boston." He wondered if Lyon missed Philadelphia, but it didn't occur to him to ask. Instead he stayed silently following, trying not to bump into anyone as they moved through the crowd towards the buffalo wings vendor, but he was no longer paying as much attention to his surroundings, lost instead in the memory of the last time he saw his dad. His mother wouldn't let her ex visit under any circumstances, not even to see his own family. Having that relationship suddenly ripped away was very hard on Dan... almost as hard as living with just his mother, and her constant insults and put-downs. He furtively rubbed at his eyes, looking back to Lyon, who was staring off at a nearby Scottie dog.

Dogs always made Dan a little nervous because of how loud some of them were. He preferred cats... they were quieter and more predictable. Still, this little dog had an undeniable charm to him. No wonder Lyon was so enthralled. For a moment, it almost took Dan's mind off his troubled family.

It was around this time that he realized he actually was hungry, but decided not to say anything about it to Lyon. Again, there wasn't really anything he could eat here, and he was on a tight budget of only five dollars. Better to hold off until he got home, where he was pretty sure they still had some apples or other raw fruit. Dan had always eaten like a rabbit, subsisting off of mostly uncooked vegetables and fruits and the occasional bowl of cereal or soup. Almost anything else had a weird texture or smell that he couldn't get himself to stomach, even at seventeen. So he just swallowed down the feeling, along with the rest of his distress, and waited for Lyon to get his food.

code by fudgecakez