The Egg Festival

Emily awoke before dawn, eager to color the eggs for the hunt. It was her favorite spring tradition, ever since she was a girl. While other children scrambled to find the most eggs, Emily always sought out the most intricately designed. The eccentric girl always knew which egg would be hers when she found it. Usually, it was an egg dyed to a deep, lovely jewel-tone. The last year before Emily took on the task of dyeing the eggs, it was a gorgeous deep blue egg that inspired her to dye her hair to its current hue. The young woman knew then that she had to replicate its magnificence.

Before Emily had taken over the task of dyeing the eggs, it had been Mrs. Mullner who decorated them. Evelyn always such a beautiful style, applying beeswax to the eggs before dyeing them, which resulted in almost lace-like pattern on many of them. It was a shame when Granny Mullner could no longer keep her hand steady enough for the intricate work anymore, but Emily had been more than ready to learn from the best. After a few transition years, in which Evelyn provided tips and tricks of the art, the torch had been officially passed down to a new generation. The aspiring textile artist hoped her decorative abilities made Evelyn proud.

Emily sat back in her chair, admiring her work. The early riser had arranged the eggs by color, as one would see in a rainbow. They were exquisite! She beamed, satisfied with a job well-done and carefully set the fragile masterpieces out to dry and away from the kitchen, where they were more likely to get knocked over and shatter. Emily would hate to disappoint the children - and Abigail - after all. Oh, yes, and Mayor Lewis would probably have Violet participate, if only to allow the farmer the opportunity since she had not lived in the Valley as a child.

Emily passed her sister, Haley who was coming into the kitchen for breakfast, on the way back to her room. "Please leave the eggs alone, they need to dry!" she requested as she shut the door behind her. Now that the most important part was finished, she had to prepare herself for the festival.

Haley curled his lip in disgust. "Why would I want to touch your gross eggs anyway?" she replied to the empty room. Though, despite herself, there was one in particular with a bright sunflower pattern by which she was not so repulsed. Emily had a way of doing that. The blonde sighed, pulling some fruit salad out from the fridge for breakfast before she returned to her room to perfect her hair. While the Flower Dance was not today, she still had to look her best, after all. Now, what to wear...?

Maru returned to the house after her morning errand, the small box of her purchases tucked under her arm. It was lucky that she worked at the clinic and had access to these sorts of things so comparatively easy. Not to mention Harvey's generosity in allowing her to do a quick transaction on a day he was technically closed for business. "I'm glad your brother is taking the next step toward a healthier lifestyle," the doctor told his assistant. "I'm sure he'll see great improvement in the future, thanks to you."

The nursing assistant smiled, "It wasn't my idea, it was Sam and Abigail who thought of it," she replied. "I'm only making the option easier."

Harvey nodded, his mustache twitching as he spoke, "A strong support system is equally important in a lifestyle change like this. I'm sure Sebastian is grateful for you all if he decides to take the plunge." The doctor smiled, ushering Maru out the door. "I'll see you later at the Egg Festival!"

"Sure thing!" the young woman responded, practically drooling at the thought of all the food she wanted to eat. "I can't wait for the deviled eggs."

"Just be sure not to eat too many -" Harvey immediately stopped himself, grumbling about his "doctor's hat" and his inability to remove it. Maru had not stuck around to listen to the rest of his murmuring and now that she was home, she had a new mission. Opening the basement door, the scientist descended the stairs to her brother's room. She knocked, and upon hearing a grunt in response to know that he was awake, Maru entered the room.

"Good morning!" the younger sibling chirped, opening the curtain above Sebastian's bookshelf.

"No," He practically hissed and the lump under the blanket retracted into a ball. Maru was not sure if her brother's objection was to the light, her presence, or the fact it was a town festival day and he therefore had to wake up earlier than usual. If it was the light he was complaining about, Maru could not see how it could possibly make much of a difference while he was still buried under the covers.

She placed the box on his computer desk, "This is from Sam and Abigail," Maru informed her brother. Sebastian inched the comforter off of his face slightly, so that only his eyes peered out. Seeing that she had her older brother's attention, the brunette added, "It comes with the message: 'In case you don't want to be flower repellent today. Enjoy, fam.'" The woman laughed, "I have a feeling Sam was not referring to actual flowers..."

With a heavy sigh, Sebastian finally sat up and gestured to Maru to hand him the parcel. Wordlessly, he peeled off the sticker that sealed the box and folded back the flaps to reveal its contents. "Band-aids and cough drops?" he said doubtfully. "Why the hell would I need these?"

Maru rolled her eyes, "They're nicotine patches and lozenges. So instead of smoking a cigarette, you use one of these to administer the nicotine your body is craving," she informed her brother. "That way, you're not damaging your lungs because you're no longer inhaling the smoke and all its harmful chemicals, and you're not fumigating The Stardrop Saloon. It's all about harm reduction."

"Look, I get it. Everyone wants me to quit." Sebastian shook his head and dropped the box on the floor. "Why are you all being so fucking pushy?" he snapped. Returning to a horizontal position and retreating back under the blanket, the young man dismissed his sister.

The young woman shrugged, "No one's making you do anything, Sebastian," she argued. "We just want to make it easier on you if you decide to give it a try," Maru informed him. In her usual fashion, she gave one last statement before heading back up to the main floor. "We care about you and your well-being."

Maru saw herself out to find a snack upstairs. Waking up earlier made her significantly hungrier than she anticipated, but she did not want to spoil her appetite for all those delicious festival foods.

Sebastian rolled back over to face toward the door, making sure Maru had indeed left. Once he had confirmed he craned his neck over the side of the bed to where he had dropped the box. Huh, he was already on step two of three because he only smoked in the evenings. Other than yesterday's fuck-up, Sebastian could hardly remember a time he had smoked more than two or so at a time. He checked the not-cough drops. Cherry, cinnamon, mint... Those were all decent flavors.

There was a sealed note inside from the doc.

Hello Sebastian,

I realize this is a grey area in terms of doctor-patient relationship, but I hope you won't find this all too bothersome. Maru asked for a recommendation to help assist you on your health journey. If, per our last conversations, you are still using your cigarettes as a coping mechanism for emotional distress I would strongly suggest the patches over the lozenges. The nicotine is administered in small doses throughout the day, so it should help keep the 'edge' off.

You may experience the side effects listed on the packaging of these products. If any of them manifest in such a way that becomes concerning, please do not hesitate to stop by day or night.

Should you decide to take the next step, best of luck! Please know that we are all here to assist and support you.

I look forward to hearing about your progress during your appointment next season.

Best regards,

Dr. Harvey

So even Harvey was in on this. It was unsurprising, since the doc had been trying to convince him to quit ever since he moved into town and set up the clinic. He did not normally feel the need to smoke right when he got up, unless something interrupted his routine. Then again, he kind of threw all of that out the window after the family meal yesterday. Sebastian sighed, glancing between his pack of cigarettes on the desk beside his computer and the box of goodies from the doc. The programmer thought of things had changed lately and whether or not this was the price he would have to pay. Was that really so bad? The dark-haired man did not want a repeat of the night before to happen again. Sebastian knew in his bones that he wanted to improve his lot in life and only one person could make his decisions for him.

Either way, he needed to get ready for the festival or his mom would nag him about being late. Rolling out of bed, he went into the bathroom to clean up, snatching up the carton of his choosing on the way in.

Violet had a relatively large harvest to gather this morning. Fresh parsnips, kale, cauliflower, and potatoes! Overall, things were going well with the whole farming business. The young woman had enough to eat, she was making connections with people in town, and she was making money. Slowly, sure, but that was to be expected until Violet could reasonably upgrade and expand her current garden plot and tools.

Once she finished with the crops and re-filled Bruno's bowl, Violet quickly changed into clothing that was not covered in dirt and shook out her hair. When the farmer was finished, she donned her grandfather's straw hat to keep the sun out of her eyes, and headed into town.

The main square was decorated with pastel-colored flags to block off areas of town that were not in use during the festivities. Probably also to mark off the boundaries for the egg hunt as well, Violet thought to herself. The tables were draped with matching green cloths, two of which were enormous service tables absolutely packed with food. The young woman was glad she had purposefully skipped breakfast and worked up an appetite from her work in the small field.

"Good morning, farmer Violet!" Pierre greeted from his booth. At this point, the pastel-haired woman should not have been surprised that the grocer found a way to work, even during a town festival. "I have your special order for dog food in the shop, so don't forget to come by and pick it up before you go back home today."

The female farmer exchanged pleasantries with Pierre and sold the majority of her produce from her most recent harvest. "I have something I think you'll really like," Pierre said with a mischievous twinkle in his eye. He pulled out a packet of seeds from under the counter. Violet's breath caught in her throat when she realized what they were: strawberry seeds!

"Pierre, you were holding out on me," she accused teasingly, making a grab for the packets. "I love strawberries!"

The shop owner yanked the seeds away and they rattled inside their envelope, taunting Violet. "They are 100 gold each," he stated firmly. "I only just got them in last night."

After some quick calculations, Violet discovered she only had enough for two packets if she wanted to make sure she had enough spending money to replenish the crops she had just sold and do anything else before her next harvest on Tuesday. The farmer huffed slightly, but gave in. "Two packets, please."

The bespectacled man beamed widely, and happily exchanged the seeds for his payment. "I look forward to seeing the end result!" Pierre chirped, waving her on. "Enjoy the festival!"

The female farmer tucked her newly acquired seeds into her bag and swung the pack back onto her shoulders. Shane was the closest person to the booth, so she decided to greet him first. "Hey, Shane, how's it going?"

Unlike usual, Shane did not wear his holey Joja Mart uniform jacket today. Instead it was his bright green shirt that looked like a gridball team jersey. "Hey, Violet!" he replied back with a smile. The farmer was not sure what to think of his chipper mood this morning. It seemed so out of place for her experience with his personality thus far. "Our hens have been working overtime to prepare for this festival," Shane said, gesturing to all the food on the dining tables.

"Sounds like some well-deserved rest is in order, then," Violet chuckled, noticing the sheer volume of dishes prepared for the festival.

Shane nodded in agreement, "They deserve the best tonight... bowls full of sweet yellow corn!" Violet was pleased with how happy the poultryman looked today. She had been so concerned that night out on the dock of the Cindersap Forest lake. Maybe she somehow misjudged the situation?

Violet smiled at him, trying to reflect the level of his excitement. "They did eggs-cellent work, Shane," she complimented him, sprinkling in a bad pun. "And so did you!"

The chicken keeper did not seem to notice and went to enjoy some more of the food laid out upon the tables. Oh, well. Once Shane had moved, however, she saw the leaf-clad wild man that lived up in the mountains near Robin's shop. "Oh, hello there, sir," Violet called over to him.

"No one really talks to me..." he told her, as if he were talking to the wind. "I just come for the deviled eggs." Once again, Violet found herself at a loss for words when it came to this guy. I was literally just speaking to you, she thought.

"Oh, uh... I also like deviled eggs, but I will keep that in mind if they are your favorite," Violet said awkwardly. "I... guess I'll go say 'hello' to everyone else then." The farmer made a quick retreat into the thralls of the rest of the party. She first encountered Gus and Clint at the tables, perusing the options to fill their plates. "I hope everyone's enjoying the food..." Gus shared with her quietly as she filled her own plate. "I've been cooking for days to get everything ready. Fried eggs, boiled eggs, poached eggs, deviled eggs, scrambled eggs, chocolate eggs... you name it!"

Violet smiled as she found each of the listed items among the offerings on the tables. "It all looks delicious, Gus. I'm impressed you were able to make so much!" While eggs were not her favorite, the farmer was not about to turn down a free meal and it would be impolite to not even try the food that Gus had spent so much time, effort, and love making. The chocolate eggs and deviled eggs were clear winners for her, however. Violet put a few extra of each on her plate as well as some salad, so she did not eat too much protein and sugar. Once Gus left, Clint leaned over and asked, "Is there any more food?"

The farmer, slightly appalled the the enormous bounty in front of them was not enough for Clint, shook her head, "I... don't think so. Sorry." The smith looked slightly saddened by the news, but said nothing. Violet shrugged, and as she went toward the tables to enjoy her food she encountered Pam.

The curly-haired woman chuckled to herself, tilting her head toward the punch bowl. "I put something nice into the punch," she whispered, though not particularly softly, to Violet.

"Shouldn't we make sure Vincent and Jas don't -" Pam pressed a finger to Violet's lips to silence her, "Shhh... that's just between you and me, kid." The drunken woman did not remove her hand until Violet nodded in agreement. "Good girl!" the older blonde laughed, giving Violet a slap on the back. The female farmer choked slightly, having not expected the force on her back. After a few second of coughing, Violet had recovered somewhat, but not before she caught the attention of the two mothers nearby.

"Are you alright, dear?" Caroline asked with concern. "Was the stew a bit too spicy?"

Violet shook her head, "No," she wheezed slightly. "Just went down... the wrong pipe!" She coughed and Robin handed her a glass of punch. Violet paused, knowing that the drink was spiked, and decided it was worth potentially getting drunk if she did not suffocate. "Thanks!" she said appreciatively. "That helps. I don't normally have a drink this early, but I guess it is a festival day."

Robin, who had actually not had any of the punch yet, sniffed the cup. "Oh, my!" she blushed at the strength of the smell. "You're right," she chuckled, somewhere between surprised and pleased. "I'll have to keep the kiddos away from that one." The red-head looked around at the party-goers and sighed wistfully. "Spring is a busy time of year... so it's nice to have a day off to catch up with friends," she mused. "Don't you agree, Violet?" The carpenter did not wait for an answer, however, before she left to tell Jodi and Marnie to keep Vincent and Jas away from the big bowl of punch. Gus, luckily, had a smaller bowl they could use to make a new, virgin punch for the little ones.

Caroline looked at the kids playing in the grass. Her gaze fixed far off into the distance, as if she were reminiscing. "Abby's always loved the egg hunt, ever since she was a tiny girl," she told Violet. "And it's one of the few innocent things she still enjoys." Her emerald eyes glanced over at Violet, "Abby's always had a strange interest in the occult. I'm not sure where she gets it from..."

"I'm sure it's nothing to worry about," Violet assured her new friend's mother, gathering up her plate. "Thanks for checking up on me, Caroline. I'm going to go mingle now."

Before she joined the majority of the crowd, the pastel-haired woman noticed the old man that gave her the sword in the mines lingering near the entrance of the general store. "Marvon, right?" Violet asked hesitantly. She had only met the man once, and briefly at that.

The bearded man's lips curled up in a smile, "Replace the 'v' with an 'l' for 'limp' and you've got it," he corrected her, leaning on his bad leg for emphasis.

Violet panicked, thinking she had insulted the only guy in town who clearly carried a weapon on his person at all times. "Oh, no, sir! I would never say that about anyone!" Her arms flailed in front of her in a side-sweeping motion, back and forth, trying to assure her elder that she had no intention of insulting him. "Really, I would never!"

The man with the eye patch gave a hearty laugh. "Relax, kid. I'm the one who said it," he stuck out his bad leg toward her. "Besides, it's true! And it's a good way to remember, wouldn't you say?"

"I - I suppose, Marlon, sir." Violet had to admit it was a good mnemonic device, even if she worried it was insensitive.

"Even with my bad leg, I never miss a town festival," he proclaimed proudly. "Now quit with the 'sir,' and go be with your friends. I ain't your father."

The female farmer never imagined talking with some of the older folk in town would get so stressful. "O-oh, okay." She needed more chocolate. Chocolate made everything better. After inhaling a chocolate egg, Violet noticed Maru and Penny, who were watching over two ridiculously excited children running around in circles impatiently.

As she approached, Penny actually greeted Violet and she in turn said hello to the pair. She must be getting used to me! the pastel-haired woman thought happily. "The kiddos look like could run a marathon right now," she joked.

Penny smiled at the comment, "The children have been looking forward to this festival for weeks," she told the newcomer. "I'm sure both Jas and Vincent woke up early today, only to be told they would have to wait!" she giggled.

Maru grinned, "Ironically, if they had slept in later, the kids would not have to wait as long," she chuckled, agreeing with Penny's statement.

Violet shrugged. "Well, maybe they'll crash early tonight from all the food and exercise." Just looking at the kids made her a little tired and with all the farming Violet had done lately, that was saying something. "I'm sure the adults are banking on that."

"I always look forward to these gatherings..." the overall-clad woman said, looking around at all the townspeople gathered in the square. "Even if we are not all part of the same social circles in town or agree on everything, we all still take the day off to relax and enjoy each others' company. It makes the valley feel like a real community." She grinned guiltily as she plopped a deviled egg into her mouth. "And the food is always excellent!"

Violet verbalized her agreement, "I can't believe Gus made so much food! I don't know how we're going to eat it all," she told the duo doubtfully.

Penny pursed her lips, like she had a secret, and smiled behind her hand. "Oh, trust me. It doesn't go to waste with everyone here the whole day. You'll be surprised how much we can eat!"

"I suppose if we are grazing all day," Violet mused.

The red-head turned her gaze back toward the children. "I hope either Vincent or Jas win the egg hunt this year, I always feel so badly for them when they lose to Abigail."

The farmer's jaw dropped slightly at this comment. "You mean Abigail still participates? And she doesn't let the kiddos win?" Violet was slightly appalled.

Penny looked embarrassed for having said anything. "Yes, well... Maru and Sam technically do as well, but..." The ginger hesitated, but then added, "I suppose it's just a difference of opinion on how to best approach the situation."

Oh, hell, no. Violet looked over to the kids again, "I'm going to go talk to the children," the farmer informed the two women. She had a mission in mind.

"Best of luck!" Maru said around a mouthful of egg.

As Violet approached the kids, Vincent nearly collided with the farmer, but dodged at the last possible moment. The boy flashed a goofy smile, that Violet realized was not unlike his older brother's, just smaller. "When does the egg hunt start?! I'm so excited!" he demanded to know, jumping up and down as she spoke.

"Take it easy, kid," Violet chuckled, trying to make sure the overzealous child did not knock her over. "I'm sure Mayor Lewis will let us know when things are ready."

Vincent frowned at this information, then continued to jump his circuit on the lawn of the square.

Jas pouted, "I hope I can find some eggs before Vincent takes them all..." folding her arms across her tiny body despondently. So maybe her idea would work after all...

Violet knelt down to her level. "So I guess what that means is you're going to need a buddy."

The little girl tilted her head quizzically. "Isn't that cheating?" she asked.

The female farmer tapped her forefinger on her chin, "If I were helping you look, probably. But think of it more as using a prosthetic - or a mecha suit!"

"A what?" Jas blinked, obviously confused.

Violet put her hands on Jas' small shoulders, "You get to ride on my back and tell me where to go," the woman explained. "I won't find any eggs for you, but I'll be your longer, faster pair of legs. How does that sound?"

Jas' dark eyes sparkled at the proposal. "You mean it?!" she squeaked. Violet hushed her discreetly and pulled the little girl aside.

"We have to keep this a secret until the egg hunt starts, or someone might try to break up our team, okay?" the farmer winked conspiratorially. "Deal?"

The pig-tailed girl held out her pinky and Violet hooked hers to Jas' to seal the promise. "I'll report for duty when the hunt starts, Captain!" the pastel-haired woman said theatrically, saluting the little girl. "See you then!"

The child giggled, and went off to play with Vincent again until they were summoned for the big event.

Violet, in the mean time, wandered over to Elliott and Leah, who stood chatting nearby. "Morning!" she greeted her artsy friends. "How's it going?"

Elliott looked like he had not slept, but his smile seemed as brilliant as ever. "Good morning, Ms. Violet! Beautiful day for festivities, would you not agree?" It was basically perfect weather, Violet could not deny that. She could not help but wonder if anything was wrong, however.

Leah seemed to notice Violet's scrutiny and tried to assist her best friend, "Mmm, this fruit punch is unusually good!" she interjected, surprising both Elliott and Violet. Luckily for Leah, the female farmer took the bait. "I think that's because it's a little... slutty, if you know what I mean, she laughed.

Elliott looked horrified at Violet's verbiage, but Leah laughed, "Oh, so Pam got to it again this year, huh? No wonder!" the red-head said. So this was a regular occurrence, Violet realized. Good to know and keep in mind for future events, the young woman thought.

"So, Elliott, how is the writing going?" Violet inquired politely. Maybe this would give her answers about his condition.

"Taking breaks from work can make you more productive in the long run," Elliott stated mechanically, as if from a script. He sighed forlornly, glancing at Leah, "So I have committed myself to rest and recuperation for the next few days while my heart -"

"I am intervening as you requested, Elliott," Leah cut him off. "I think you need some of this slutty punch and some good food. C'mon," she ordered, grabbing him by the sleeve. Violet, left talking to no one, stood there wondering what prompted such odd behavior from the two of them. It would definitely be something to address next Friday, if they did not hang out again before then.

Violet spent a while drifting from group to group, mingling and drumming up conversation. She learned that Emily was the one who dyed the eggs each year and had a hobby of dyeing and sewing her own clothing. Jodi was relieved to get most of the day off as other adults would keep an eye on her youngest, who loved the egg hunt more than life itself, it seemed. The brunette was worried that Kent's absence would effect Vincent's behavior, and while it had in some ways, Vincent appeared to be like any other young, happy boy. Violet noticed the sad smile on Jodi's face when she spoke about her husband. The farmer hoped that Kent would return home safely - and soon.

Marnie, Demetrius, and Mayor Lewis all stood around near the center of the square, discussing relatively boring topics, like why people eat eggs at all. George, nearby with his wife Evelyn, echoed the sentiment, but did not join in the larger conversation. The man in the wheelchair grumbled about the happiness of those around him. Evelyn, on the other hand, simply said, "This festival has been a tradition for as long as I can remember." She smile, the wrinkles on her face stretching with the gesture, "Tradition connects us with both the past and the future... it's comforting."

"I never thought of it that way," Violet realized, acknowledging that people in the valley would likely be doing this long after any of them were gone. It was both surreal and quaint to think that kids a hundred years from now would be just as excited as Jas and Vincent. "Huh..." The female farmer did not stick around, though. George did not seem in a mood to speak with anyone but his wife.

Alex and Haley looked like two peas in a pod next to one another. The jock held a plate in his hand with at least half a dozen eggs' worth of food on it. "I try to eat at least three eggs every day," he explained when he saw the farmer's face. "I gotta load up on days like today, though. I need that protein for my legs."

Without thinking, Violet glanced down to see that Alex's legs were relatively scrawny in comparison to the rest of his well-muscled body. "Did you skip leg day?" she asked teasingly.

The athlete frowned, "I do squats and presses," he insisted.

"Okay, but do you run?" Violet countered. "All that that muscle is going to slow you down, otherwise."

The brunet thought for a moment, "Muscle is what helps you go faster," he argued. "Everyone knows that."

Violet sighed, realizing she was not the person to get through to Alex. "Why don't you ask Maru about red muscle versus white muscle? I'm sure she could explain it better..." The spiky-haired man considered this a moment, "I could use some muscle training tips if I'm gonna go pro..." he thought out loud, "but I'm already pretty great."

The farmer shrugged, "It's your call, dude." Haley, completely bored of the conversation that did not include her sighed audibly.

"This festival is alright..." she stated, clearly disinterested, "but what I'm really looking forward to is the Flower Dance."

"Oh, I've heard that's the one with the white dresses and dancing," Violet replied. She decided to at least make an effort with Haley today. Maybe she would lighten up a little once you got talking to her, like Shane had the previous evening.

Haley smiled, "And of course, the most lovely woman in the valley is crowned the Flower Queen!" she informed the farmer, practically bubbling over with delight.

Ah, so there's a beauty contest of some sort. That's what Haley wants: recognition. The pastel-haired woman smiled, "I assume you are the defending champion, then?"

The blonde flipped her hair, revealing her bare shoulders over her tube top. "Of course, farm girl. Who else would it be?" Violet decided not to touch that topic with a ten-foot pole. Violet had expected Alex to be drinking in all that Haley had to offer, but he had wandered off to speak to Maru and Penny of all people. There's a surprise... the female farmer thought to herself. Maybe he does want to learn more about his muscles.

Haley, who also noticed Alex's absence immediately abandoned her conversation with the newcomer to retrieve her friend. Violet was incidentally grateful for the escape from the self-absorbed blonde. The young woman had enough of those in her past already. Harvey at least had a decently interesting story to tell, but half-way through, the doctor realized he had slipped into lecturing. "Oops... I should take off my Doctor's hat for the time being," he chuckled, somewhat nervously. It was like the guy did not know how to talk to people without the doctor persona. Violet wondered how long it would take to chip away at that before she got to the real "Harvey."

She discovered from Willy that he was the one to hide the eggs. "Sometimes I'll hide an egg too well and no one finds it..." he chuckled under his breath. "Well, until summer rolls around. Then the hot air starts to bring out the rotten smell..." Violet did not want to imagine how rancid that would get in the summer.

"Let's hope that doesn't happen this year," she replied. The farmer certainly did not want to be the person to find any such egg. She hated the smell of rotten eggs, but then again, who didn't?

Finally, Violet reached her pool table buddies. "How's it going, everyone?" she called in greeting.

Poor Sam looked miserable. His eyes were puffy and his nose was visibly dripping. "Ub... my doze..." he explained through clogged sinuses. "Allergies." Violet dove into her bag and offered the blond some tissues. "Maybe ask Dr. Harvey about some allergy meds?" she skater accepted them graciously, "I did. I took one about twenty minutes ago. It should kick in soon, I hope." Then Sam excused himself to blow his nose away from everyone else.

Abigail was fired up for the egg hunt, more so than Violet had expected. But, then again, from what she heard from Penny, Abigail showed no mercy to the kids when it came to competitions. "Searching for eggs is like going on a treasure hunt!" she proclaimed. "And I am the ultimate hunter!" The amethyst-haired woman went on to proclaim her prowess at all sorts of festival events, with the exception of - what Violet understood to be a maze of horrors for Spirit's Eve. Hm... That sounded interesting. Violet looked forward to the holiday. It was one of her favorites.

Violet noticed that today she had no problem around Sebastian. If she were so vain, the new farmer might have even thought he went out of his way to ensure that he did not smell like tobacco smoke today. While his hoodie was still a black one, the young woman could tell it was a different one by the way it hugged his body. Violet could appreciate physical aesthetics. There was no crime in that. "Is the hoodie new?" she asked him casually.

He grimaced, "You could tell?" he asked, rubbing the back of his neck. "I didn't think anyone would."

The farmer smiled, "It actually fits!" she said, trying to compliment him, but as soon as the words came out, she realized Sebastian might take it the wrong way. "Uh... what I mean to say is... the other one is just bigger. Not that you're bigger, but it's more casual and this one is more tailored to your body. It looks nice and-"

Abigail stepped in. "Hold on there, girl. Relax," she said, grabbing Violet's shoulder. The grocer's daughter laughed at the farmer's back-tracking. "You're going to short-circuit yourself."

Sam, who had just returned to the circle, looked at the trio quizzically. Sebastian found a sudden fascination with a bird in the sky and a case of instantaneous sunburn by the coloration of his face. Violet, equally afflicted despite her hat, stood in wide-eyed silence while Abigail stood next to the newbie with a wide, satisfied grin. She winked at Sam, who realized something must have happened in his absence, so he tried to get the conversation moving again. "So how are you liking your first festival, Violet?"

As if the words finally allowed Violet's brain to re-wire itself into cognition, the pastel-haired girl smiled. "It's a lot of fun to just spend time chatting with everyone," she replied, "and you can't beat free food." The woman's dark blue eyes scanned the area, "So do you all have any other festival traditions besides the feast and the egg hunt?"

Sebastian, too, seemed to have recovered from his intense distraction. "We used to do a rotten egg toss..." he told the newcomer. "Mayor Lewis put an end to that pretty quick."

Violet laughed nervously, "Oh, man. I can't imagine getting pelted with rotten egg yolk. Gross!"

The spiky-haired blond cackled, "You should have seen the look on Lewis' face when he tried to stop the last one we did. He accidentally got right in the line of fire to scold us and WHAM! Right in the face."

The farmer could not help but laugh at the image. "Ew, I bet it got all in that mustache of his," she cringed, imagining the smell.

"And all over his favorite hat," Abigail chimed in with a satisfied smirk at the memory. "Which apparently looks the same as his casual-wear hat, but who can tell but him?"

Sebastian sighed, "Yeah, I think I remember he threatened to sue us for some bogus reason until my mom stepped in and said something to him. I'm not really sure how that one got resolved, now that I think about it."

"You think your mom has some dirt on him?" Abigail conjectured excitedly. "You know the guy has to have something he's trying to hide. He's been mayor way too long."

Violet contributed her opinion, "Oh, I have no doubt about that. There are lots of things in ill-repair in town and he says there aren't any funds to fix it all, but from what I can tell, nothing has been fixed in years."

Sam joined in, "Yeah, like he totally shut down my skate park idea because there were 'building projects to address first,' but nothing has happened!" he complained.

"Has he really run for mayor unopposed for over twenty years?" Violet asked curiously. "I mean, no one even tried to primary him as a joke?"

"Oh, we entered Sam once," Sebastian revealed, "but he was still under 18, so it technically didn't count." He shrugged his shoulders, "It's just another part of Pelican Town's 'tradition," he muttered.

The farmer got a determined look in her eyes, "Well, we're going to find a challenger for him this year!" she declared. "If only for the sake of scaring him into making some actual improvements around town."

"That's kind of devious, Violet," Abigail reflected with a mischievous smirk. "I like it!" she said, adding her stamp of approval to the idea.

It was then Mayor Lewis approached the group of four. "Enjoying yourself, Violet?" he asked. The quartet had to wonder if he had overheard them or his presence was entirely coincidental.

Violet nodded, "Yeah, I'm having lots of fun," she said sweetly. "Does this mean it's time for the egg hunt?"

Lewis adjusted his cap, "Right you are, Ms. Violet!" He gestured toward the rest of the townsfolk in the square. "Gather 'round, everyone. It's time to get started with the main event: the annual egg hunt!"