Rascally Rennies with the Gal Pals – Part Two
(Story Summary: Continuing directly after Part One; the gang continues to go about their day at the faire, despite learning that a criminal is hiding within the grounds. What is this felon's purpose here, why would he/she come to a Ren Faire and most importantly, how will this affect everyone's plans?)
Sometime after lunch, the Gals and Guys continued the rest of their faire day. But the whole time they were exploring the grounds, their minds kept looking back to their conversation with the officers just moments ago.
(Minutes Earlier)
After taking a moment to collect themselves from the officers' news, Carol immediately asked them if there was anything else they could share. "It goes without saying that there's a lot of valuable stuff to steal from a place like this" Simmons replied, "but there's one particular item here that the crook may have higher interest in." After this, she questioned everyone on whether or not they heard of the Costume Contest that was being planned that afternoon?
"Yeah" cried Phoebe, "I think I saw something in the program about it, while me and my group were waiting for the Acrobats show to start." The others echoed the same response, which seemed to please the trio of officers greatly. "Wait...what does this have to do with a crook hiding out in the grounds" questioned Whitney, "unless...do you think they could be hiding amongst the participants?"
Campos gave the young lady a sullen nod, while also adding that such a situation could provide excellent cover for the thief. With so many people in costume, it would be near impossible for any security staff to spot them immediately. As a result, the thief would be able to slink through the crowds and make off with their loot.
"Now...on to the main point of our story" she whispered, "under the ad about the contest, did any of you happen to catch anything interesting about it?" Curious as to where this was all leading to, Lincoln decided to take a peek at the ad in question. When he found it, he saw a notice regarding on what the winner would receive; an item called the Golden Scepter.
"According to this, whoever wins would be named King or Queen of the Faire" Lincoln said while reading the page, "it also says that they would also receive this scepter to symbolize their title." This bit of news perked everyone's curiosity and they began to ask if this scepter was made with real gold or if it was just simply gold-plated like a pageant winner's scepter? Almost immediately, Simmons answered with the latter option; assuring everyone that the only real gold items available on the grounds were found at the jewelry booths.
"So, if it's not really gold...why try to steal it" questioned Paige, "gold plated stuff isn't really worth all that much, right?" The officers nodded in unison and told her she was absolutely correct in her assumption. "That being said however, the scepter was handmade by some of Michigan's finest craftsmen" explained Officer Higgins, "as such; while the plating doesn't make the scepter all that valuable, it's the jewels on the pommel that are what's most important."
She then explained how, in spite of them being artificially created, the scepter's gems were near identical to the originals. "There's also the possibility that the crook could use it as leverage" Zach interjected, "you know...force all of the merchants trade the money they've collected for it." While the young man's statement didn't help make the situation feel any less stressful, there was no denying the truth behind it.
"We can't let that happen" Campos said firmly, "the faire was planning on donating half of their funds to charity at the end of the season." This bit of news shook everyone to their collective cores. Attempting to steal this scepter was bad enough on its own. But using it to force all the vendors to hand over their money in exchange for it was lower than low.
But then, a much grimmer thought suddenly struck Haiku; one that made the whole situation seem even worse than it already was. "Guys, I just realized something" she murmured, "if this criminal gets away with either the scepter or any of the money...my grandmother could lose her job!" Now, the Gals and the Guys were all at an emotional crossroads; upon hearing this news.
On one hand; anybody losing their job, regardless of profession, was a bad thing. But on the other hand, some of them thought the idea of a band losing their position as entertainers here wasn't quite that severe. "My Nanna is more than just a dancer for her band, everyone" she said bluntly, "she...she's also the operator; which makes her sort of like the manager." The moment this reveal was presented, everyone either came close to choking on their food/beverages or falling out of their seats in shock.
Upon recovering, Lincoln stared at her dumbly; like a stag caught in the headlights. "Sorry, Haiku" he chuckled softly, "but...could you speak into my good ear, I thought I heard you say your grandmother operates this place?" Everyone else murmured similar statements of confusion, wondering if they too heard her correctly.
"Look at me, everyone" she murmured, "does this look like the face of a joker to you?" Both groups did just that and, even while she was in costume, she still managed to keep up her cool Gothic demeanor with ease. This signaled to everyone that their friend was quite serious in her words.
"Now...to be clear; my Nanna doesn't own the faire" she said matter-of-factly, "she simply helps makes sure things are running smoothly while also providing some entertainment for the patrons on the side." Haiku then explained how her Nanna had become the operator in the late 80's and had held that position for almost three decades. "If anything happens to that scepter, she could be in big trouble" Higgins said while shaking her head sadly, "that's why we need all of y'all to help us."
While the kids were all more than willing to help, they still questioned what they could do in this situation. "Just go about your faire day like natural" whispered Campos, "at the same time; every once in a while, keep your eyes peeled for anyone suspicious." Upon hearing this, Carol said that such a tip didn't quite make their "mission" any clearer.
"She's right, Ma'am" Clyde interjected, "is there anything specific about this guy we should keep a lookout for; like piercings, tattoos etc.?" Upon taking the boy's inquiry to heart, Higgins mentioned one specific clue that would make this crook stand out above everyone else; a small tattoo on the back of his neck. "It'll be in the shape of a black crescent moon" she stated, "if you see anyone who has this on them, tell somebody."
The Gals, Lincoln and the boys all nodded in understanding; while also groaning with annoyance on the inside. Just when things were starting out so well for them, Fate came along and threw a monkey wrench into their plans. Somehow, the three officers could sense their discomfort and smiled at them sympathetically.
"Chin up, guys" Simmons stated, "don't let this news stop y'all from having a good time at the Faire." Higgins seconded her colleague's words and encouraged everyone to keep going about their day like normal. "Go out there, have fun" she insisted, "just make sure to immediately notify someone, if you come across anybody who doesn't belong here."
On that note, Campos added that the kids should also keep watch for anyone who was wearing suspicious outfits/attire. "If you see anyone carrying strange looking backpacks, wearing heavy trench coats or if they even have a scarf around their necks; give us a call" she instructed, "we will notify the other security teams afterwards." The kids all nodded in understanding and thanked the officers for their warnings, before the trio went off on their way.
After that, the gang returned to eating up the rest of their lunches. But while they ate, some of them couldn't help but feel just a little tense. "Don't get me wrong, y'all; I do wanna help our friends" Liam said suddenly, "but is it really our place to get wrapped up in police business?"
At first, Jordan was poised to scold her friend for making such a suggestion; believing he was being cowardly or selfish. But then, the rest of the boys all voiced similar concerns; as did the other Gal Pals. "I mean...we're all just kids and teens" Clyde murmured worriedly, "keeping watch for a criminal is police business...isn't it?"
Upon sensing the ever-growing worry amongst her friends, Haiku let out a soft sigh and quickly called for their attention. "Remember, guys" she began, "the officers just want us to keep watch for this guy...they aren't expecting us to catch him or fight him." Everyone nodded slightly in agreement, realizing the truth behind the wee Goth's words.
"Maybe so, Haiku" Cristina said matter-of-factly, "but how can we keep watch for some random person and enjoy ourselves at the same time?" For a moment or so, Haiku did not respond; as she was busy thinking of an idea while mildly playing with her food. "If we go about looking around at everyone around us, it might make the crook think we're onto him" Lincoln said suddenly, "so...the best thing we can do is act natural, just like Ms. Higgins and Simmons said."
Everyone nodded in agreement and decided to go about their day like they did earlier. But as a minor change in plans; Carol appointed herself and Becky as the heads of their group (calling themselves Group One,) while making Whitney and Dana the heads of Jordan's group (Group Two.) As her final order, she named Phoebe and Cici the heads of Lincoln's guy group (Group Three.)
"As those of us gals who are in the 'middle ground' in terms of age; I'm counting on you two to help watch the boys' backs" Carol ordered, "should anyone try to come at you all." With a mild pout on his face, Rusty proclaimed that he and the boys were "tough enough" to look after themselves. "Not all of us are quite that tough, Rusty" Clyde said in rebuttal, "besides, we promised my dads we wouldn't get into any trouble."
At first, Rusty was prepared to say that trying to help catch a criminal wasn't really them "getting into trouble." But Lincoln quickly interjected in saying that because they didn't know too much about this person, attempting to approach him could be dangerous. "Don't worry, dudes" Cici said confidently, "we'll take down anyone who looks at you funny...unless they're part of the staff."
As if on cue, everyone suddenly heard their phones go off; signaling that a message was incoming. Upon turning them all on, they saw that it was a text from Officer Higgins. "There's one last thing we forgot to mention earlier, y'all" the message read, "another good way to find this crook out is by seeing whether or not he/she has any bands or pins on."
Before anyone could question the meaning behind her words, they saw something appear beneath the officer's message; a picture showing a plastic wristband beneath her hand. Upon closer inspection, they saw that this band was labeled "Security Staff." After that; another message soon appeared saying that the security team, the vendors and performers all wore pins or bands like this on them to help tell each other apart from the patrons.
With a smile on her face, Carol sent a quick text to the officers; thanking them for this tidbit. "You heard 'em, Gang" she declared, "if you see someone dressed suspiciously in any way and if they don't have any proper identification on them, this could be our guy." After that, she encouraged everyone to continue having fun and stay as vigilant as they can while doing so.
With that said; everyone high-fived each other, said their goodbyes and went off to enjoy the rest of their faire day. But as she went off with her group, Haiku suddenly felt a cold chill run through her...and not in the way she liked. "Don't worry, Nanna" she thought to herself, "this creep won't put your job or any of these people in danger, as long as my friends and I are here."
(Cut back to the present; the Sword-Swallower stage)
The crowd gasped in alarm, as the performer slowly eased a blade down his throat; one that measured the length of his forearm. Among those present in the audience who appeared shocked but highly invested was Jordan's group (consisting of herself, Stella, Haiku and Paige.) Meanwhile, Dana and Whitney found it rather difficult to watch the performance and keep their earlier meals down at the same time.
Just then, the performer drew out two more swords and proceeded to gently slide them down his throat; which made the girls tense up even more. Finally, once the third blade was in; he proceeded to gently yet gracefully bow to the crowd. After taking a moment to collect themselves, the crowd sounded off in satisfied applause.
"Thank you, Lords and Ladies" said the sword-swallower's assistant, "now...I wish to have a volunteer from the audience to come help remove the blades from my associate's gullet." For a moment or two, she silently scanned the crowd for anyone she felt worthy to aide her. Then, her gaze suddenly fell upon Dana; who was doing her best to not Ralph on the person standing in front of her.
"Young lady, wouldst you be so kind as to help me" inquired the assistant, "I'd perform the duty meself...but this lout here claims my hands aren't gentle enough for the task." At first, Dana refused to move from her spot; proclaiming she was no gentler than the performer on stage.
But then, she could hear the crowd clapping rhythmically while chanting the word "go" in unison. At the same time, her friends were all giggling like mad; while also urging her to accept the summons. "C'mon, D" begged Stella, "one should never miss out on a chance to be up on stage!"
After a couple more seconds of encouragement from everyone, Dana finally relented and made her way onto the stage. "Thank ye for your help, milady" said the assistant gratefully, "now...gently draw out the blades one by one." Before continuing on, Dana took a few cleansing breaths; hoping that it would all ease her nervousness.
Mind you, she wasn't scared of being up on stage in front of everyone. Rather, she detested the idea of having to pull a sword out of someone else's mouth; which was "totally yicky" to someone like her. Finally, after one final deep breath; Dana grabbed hold of the first sword's hilt and slowly drew it out of his mouth. The whole time this was going on, Whitney and Jordan were recording the whole thing on video or taking pictures of the whole performance.
Once the sword was out, Dana quickly handed it to the assistant and started waving her hands fearfully; all while murmuring "ew, ew, ew" under her breath. This happened again after she drew out the second one, seconds later; same with the third. Then, when the time came for the final one to be pulled out; the sword-swallower's face suddenly contorted into an odd look.
This led poor Dana to suddenly quiver fearfully; thinking she might've hurt him, somehow. But the assistant urged her to keep going for just seven more seconds. Slowly but surely, Dana did just that until the blade was completely out of the man's mouth.
Then, without warning; the man turned around with a start and...he sneezed. Mind you, this was a rather loud one; not a teeny kittens "ka-choo" sound. Regardless; the moment it happened, both Dana and the crowd groaned loudly with relief. "There ya go again, ya silly sod" said the assistant to the sword-swallower, "you got the wee lass scared out of her wits."
Upon realizing her behavior, Dana shook her head vigorously and assured the duo she was fine. "I'm just...new at this sort of thing" she murmured, "no harm done." The sword-swallower smiled warmly at her and confessed that his line of work wasn't for everybody. "Ye gotta have the stomach to take the kind of risks I do" he chuckled while patting his belly, "and I mean that both figuratively and literally."
Dana offered the man a soft yet hearty chuckle before the two performers asked her to take a bow. Upon facing the crowd; she could see every man, woman and child going nuts for her; even her friends. With a soft smile upon her face, the young teen curtsied graciously at the crowd and thanked them for their adulation.
While bowing, she took brief pauses to have a brief look over the crowd. Three times over, she curtsied to everyone and three times over, she looked over every face before her. But much to her dismay, there didn't seem to be anything amiss.
There wasn't even the slightest glimpse of someone who was too overly dressed to be seen as a costumed patron. "Guess it's all clear here" Dana thought to herself, "maybe we'll spot him somewhere else in the faire." After leaving the stage, she made a quick beeline back to her friends; who proceeded to shower her with many questions and an equal amount of praise.
"OMG! Girl, you really held yourself together up there" Whitney said with glee, "to be perfectly honest, I thought you were going to lose it before you got to the third sword." No sooner had her friend said all this, Dana's stomach suddenly gurgled irritably and her face turned a deep shade of green. Before anyone could ask if she was okay, the poor girl rushed over to a nearby garbage bin and immediately vomited inside of it.
No one, not even the Gals themselves, said a word while all this transpired. Then, twenty seconds later; Dana made her way back to the group and gave them a thumbs up and a weak smile. "Sorry, gang" she murmured, "that was the end result of me trying to keep myself together while helping out the performer."
Stella smiled warmly at the teen and handed her a napkin from her bag, which Dana immediately used to clean off her mouth with. "It's cool, D; we understand" chuckled Whitney, "I'd do the same thing, if I were the one pulling swords out of somebody's mouth." A minute later, Dana's mouth was now all clean and everyone was ready to leave.
"Just to let you know, Gals; I saw no signs of that crook in the crowd" she whispered with a slight frown, "did you all have any luck?" Without hesitation, the group shook their heads in sad unison; proclaiming no one appeared too out of the ordinary. "On the lighter side, I did get a good video of you pulling out the swords" murmured Haiku, "I can't wait to show the others."
While Dana dreaded the idea of Carol or any of the others seeing her almost lose her cool on stage. At the same time, she hoped and prayed they were having better luck than she and her group had in finding the criminal.
(Scene Change: The Mud Pit)
In another area of the faire grounds, Cici and Phoebe were seated alongside Lincoln's group (Group 2;) who were all watching the jolly antics of the three performers splashing about in the makeshift mud pit. "I can't believe big city actors like them get paid to roll 'round in mud several times a day" Liam chuckled, "makes me wanna think about joinin' 'em, when I'm old enough." Cici rolled her eyes slightly and murmured how "unbelievable" it was to hear someone actually want to jump in mud for a living.
"It's not all that bad, actually" Clyde stated, "mud really helps in soothing sunburn, poison ivy and mild to moderate acne problems." As expected, both the two ladies and the boys (sans Lincoln) gawked at him in astonishment. "Okay, dude" murmured Rusty, "first of all...eww with the info dump and second, are you serious or are you just messing with us?"
Clyde shook his head confidently and told everyone that he learned all this from Lincoln, who had histories of doing Mud Mask Treatments with Lori at home. "It's no wonder you like going to the spa with us so much, dude" Phoebe gasped, "but seriously...is all that info Clyde said for real?" Without missing a beat, Lincoln said that every word of it was the honest truth.
"I've seen the results myself after Lori put on a mud mask after her last...mild break out" he said while whispering the last three words, "but don't tell her I mentioned anything...okay?" The girls smiled at him while performing a sort of lip-zipping gesture, which meant they wouldn't tell her anything. The boys meanwhile, had yet to say or do anything; which made Lincoln feel concerned.
"C'mon, guys" Cici said insistently, "you wouldn't rat your best bud out, would you?" The moment she said this, Clyde immediately assured her they would never do such a thing. "But the thing is...Lori can be pretty terrifying" Rusty murmured fearfully, "even before all the stuff happened last Spring!"
The other boys nodded in unison, recalling all the times they've seen Lori Loud show off her anger; either at them or someone/something else. "Ah, don't worry about her" Cici said reassuringly, "you're with us and even if Lori tries to mess with you...she'll have to deal with the Queen's Guard." Lincoln couldn't help but chuckle a little at her words, understanding they were referring to both the knights at the faire and the security team.
The rest of the boys also took comfort in their lady friend's words and soon found themselves becoming more at ease. "Besides, we need to keep watch for this crook Officer Higgins told about" Cici stated, "they might be a bigger issue than any of your sisters, Linc." With that statement, Lincoln's earlier fears were brushed aside and replaced with a mild feeling of heroic vigilance.
"She's right, I can't afford to let my family distract me" he thought to himself, "I may only be in costume but today...I am Robin Hood and I need to protect those around me." Before he could think anymore on it, one of the mud wrestlers performed a weird pratfall and fell into the mud; splattering it on anyone seated in the first three rows of benches. Afterwards, the crowd roared loudly with sounds of cheering and laughter, even those who were caught within the "Splash Zone."
Unfortunately; Cici, Phoebe and all the boys were also among those in said zone. But in spite of it, they actually seem to be bothered by it. "YEE-HAW" cried Liam with joy, "just like 'rasslin' Virginia back on the farm!"
While the ladies weren't quite so keen on the pig wrestling idea, they still laughed giddily; thinking that them being caught under the mud was like being part of the show. Then, at that moment; Lincoln took a glimpse over in the mud pit and saw a surprising sight. Standing in the mud amongst the wrestlers was none other than Lana, who appeared to be having the time of her life.
"Huh, guess her shift at the petting zoo is over for now" Lincoln thought with a smile, "nice to know that she's having a good time here too." With that thought in mind, he considered the idea of checking on Lana and his other sisters during his stay; should he cross any of their paths. Just then, Lincoln caught a glimpse of someone in the crowd at the corner of his eye.
Unfortunately, the crowd was so thick and the person moved so quickly that he couldn't get a full view on them. But in the brief moment he did see him, he could've sworn that the person was wearing a thick coat of some kind. Said coat had a rather big collar around the figure's neck, which made Lincoln feel all the more suspicious.
"Nah...I might've been seeing things" he thought with a light shoulder shrug, "still...I should let everyone know about this, once we've all regrouped."
(Scene Change: The Fountain Area)
As we briefly leave Lincoln and his group behind for the moment; we join Group Three of the gang, whose leader could seen dancing with a trio of belly dancers by a majestic marble fountain. Becky couldn't help but smile, as Carol dance and swayed along to the music. Meanwhile, Cristina laughed and clapped along to the music; while Kat recorded the entire dance performance on her phone.
"Wow, she is good" she said while in awe at Carol's dancing skills, "has she ever done this sort of dancing style before?" Becky turned her attention towards her friend and shook her head no in reply, claiming this was Carol's first time dancing this way. "It must be the music" Cristina surmised, "something about these kinds of tunes just...takes over you, you know what I mean?"
The others happily agreed with their friend's explanation, proclaiming that the music truly was infectious. "I'm just glad the boys aren't here, to tell you the truth" Kat chuckled, "if they were...they'd go gaga over these gals." This statement caused everyone to break out into a fit of laughter.
Just then, the music's tempo began to intensify; which signaled the dancers (including Carol) to dance faster. With a broad smile across her face, Becky pulled out her camera-phone and prepared to take a shot; declaring this moment to be perfect for a photo op. For several seconds, she steadied herself; making sure the angle of her camera was exactly on point.
Then, just as she was mere seconds away from taking the picture; someone suddenly pushed Becky to the ground. Before she fell however; her thumb pressed down on the camera icon on the screen, snapping a photo of the figure in the process. Carol caught sight of this, thanked the performers for letting her join their dance and rushed to Becky's side.
"Are you okay" she asked while helping her friend up, "the nerve of that creep, the least they could've done was say excuse me!" Becky smiled at her bestie and said that aside from a little dirt on her outfit, she was okay. Everyone smiled slightly with relief, despite their earlier disdain towards the rude patron's earlier actions.
Just then, Becky's smile faded; as a sudden chill of realization washed over. "Oh, jeez...MY PHONE" she cried, "I think I dropped it when that jerk knocked me over." Upon hearing this, everyone began searching the area around them; hoping that the phone hadn't either cracked on the pavement or that anyone hadn't accidentally stepped on it while leaving the area.
Thankfully, mere seconds after this realization, Haiku was able to spot the phone and it appeared to be undamaged. Just as the young Goth reached down to pick up the phone, she caught a glimpse of the snapshot on the screen. "Okay...this is weird" she thought to herself, "why would someone be wearing a coat like that in the..."
Her train of thought came to a sudden halt, as she suddenly thought back to what the officers said earlier; "keep watch for anyone wearing heavy trench coats." As she looked at the picture more closely; Haiku could see that the fellow was indeed, wearing such a coat. "Hold that thought" she said to herself, "check to see if he has any I.D. on him first, before you jump to conclusions."
As she gave the snapshot another look, Haiku saw that it was too blurry to see anything else clearly enough; thanks in part to the stranger knocking Becky over. Without any further delay, she quickly reported this finding to the others and showed them the image. "Now, that guy really looks overdressed" Kat stated, "wonder if the others saw him around where they're at?"
With that thought in mind, Carol suggested to Haiku that she'd send that photo to the others and the officers; hoping they might've seen him or her as well. "The pic isn't exactly a clear one, guys" the young Goth murmured, "do you think Officer Higgins and her partners would get any use for it?" Sadly, the gals couldn't deny the truth in Haiku's words.
But then, Cristina pointed out that she hadn't seen anyone else dress like how the figure in the photo did. "Besides, the security team could probably clear up the picture lickity-split" she said matter-of-factly, "it's the only lead we've got, so far." With that said, everyone unanimously agreed with the idea and Haiku quickly sent the photo out via mass text to the others.
(Scene Change: The Picnic Area)
Sometime later, everyone reconvened at the picnic area to both report their findings...and share some stories about the shows they've seen; in order to help balance out the mood. As Kat predicted; the moment the boys saw the videos her group recorded of Carol and the belly dancers grooving, they came close to passing out (Clyde especially.) "I'm glad y'all are havin' fun, in spite of things" Simmons said with a bright smile, "I'd also like to thank Haiku for sendin' us all that picture from Becky's phone."
Despite feeling thankful of the officer's praise, the young teen in question felt she didn't quite deserve it. "As Haiku said, that pic is too blurry to properly tell who the person is" she grumbled, "I doubt we can find any pins or what have you on the coat either." The moment she said this, Officer Campos reminded Becky of a fundamental factor in the plan.
"The main thing to look out for is if whether or not the crook is wearing staff identification" she explained in a hushed tone, "if no pins or bands show up on the picture, it's a good thing." Everyone took a moment to process this information and soon, they realized she had a point. "Besides, this chump has two of the main tells we need to tell them apart from the rest of the crowd" Simmons added, "the coat and the scarf."
Upon hearing this, Lincoln immediately felt a sudden jolt rush through him; as if a thought was screaming at him in his head. "May I have a look at that quick" he requested, "something about what Ms. Campos said seems...familiar." Without pause, Becky slid her phone over to her young charge and watched him eyeball the image in stern silence.
"I've seen him" he blurted out softly, "the guy in the picture, I saw him earlier; over by the Mud Pit." With this reveal, everyone soon felt they were getting closer to the end of this case. "Did you see where he went, chamaco" she asked in mild desperation, "right after your show ended, where was he heading off to?"
With a sad smile across his lips, Lincoln shook his head and confessed that the crowd at that time was too thick to properly see where he was headed off next. "Hold it, now" Liam interjected, "if this feller and the one Miss Becky saw are the same feller, they could still be in the faire grounds someplace." While there was a ring of truth in the boy's words; the guys and gals all realized unfortunately, that finding him again might be harder now than it seemed.
"What if this creep pulls a sudden costume change when we're not looking" Paige suggested, "they might not be in the same getup the whole time we're all here." The three officers nodded in understanding, thinking they should ask any clothing vendors if any clothes they've made just up and disappeared recently. At the same time, Simmons said she'd send out Becky's picture of the figure in the trench coat to every security team on the grounds.
"We'll put out an A.P.B. on this crook and have everyone on the lookout for them" she assured, "if even so much as a jester's hat goes missing anywhere, we'll be on him like caramel on a Red Delicious apple." With that said, everyone was almost ready to go off on their way...until Haiku suddenly stopped them.
"If I may say so, Officers" she murmured, "you should also notify my Nanna about this creep as well; if anything happens to the Golden Scepter prize for the Costume Contest, she and her troupe could all lose their jobs here." The moment this bit of info was presented; Higgins, Simmons and Campos suddenly realized that the issue was much heavier than they thought.
But just as Haiku started to feel her worries get the better of her, she suddenly felt a pair of arms wrap around her. Then, she felt three other small pairs do the same thing; along with someone lightly patting her on the head. She opened her eyes slowly to find that it was Lincoln, his guy pals and Carol all showering her with these affections.
For a moment or so, she didn't say anything; feeling that doing so would be rude. Then, Lincoln smiled at her and offered her an apology; despite the fact it wasn't really needed. "We know Goths aren't really into public displays of affection" he chuckled, "but we figured...you could use a little comfort from some friends."
The others sounded off in agreement, proclaiming that they hated seeing their friend look so distressed...and not in the appealing way. Haiku stared at the group surrounding her in silence, for a few moments; until some small tears began trickling down her cheeks. Before anyone could say anything, Haiku sniffled slightly and assured everyone that she wasn't sad; just very touched.
"I just...I love this place and so does the rest of my family" she murmured, "I don't want them to be forced out of here due to some greedy JERK!" With confident smiles upon their faces; Officers Higgins, Simmons and Campos vowed that it will not happen. "Go and continue the rest of your faire day, y'all" she urged, "we'll take care of the rest."
With that said, everyone rejoined their respective groups and went off to explore the faire some more.
(Line Break)
It was almost three in the afternoon and so far, there had been no further signs of the stranger in the coat. While he and his friends did their best to continue having fun, Lincoln's mind was still quite frazzled. More than anything, he wished there was a way to find this crook and stop him before they could do anything harmful to anyone.
"Someone...anyone out there" Lincoln thought while looking up at the heavens, "please, tell me there's a way to stop all this brouhaha!" No sooner had he thought this, a soft voice suddenly called out to him in saying "perhaps...I can help you, Sirrah?" Lincoln yelped softly at the sound of the voice and quickly turned himself around, expecting someone to approach him.
What he found instead, was both an unexpected yet...somewhat welcomed sight. Before him was the Fortune Teller's tent and sitting inside behind a crystal ball was none other than Lincoln's younger sister, Lucy. But instead of the outfit he saw her wearing earlier; she was dressed in a child-sized gypsy outfit with a purple bandana wrapped around her head, had golden bracelets on her wrists, a matching purple skirt and what looked like a child-sized bodice around her midriff.
She was sitting behind a circular table that was covered with a hand-woven blue table cloth, which was decorated with a series of star and moon designs. At the center of the table, Lincoln could see a large crystal ball; one that matched the size of a Dodgeball. "Do not be afraid, young Sir" she said in a soft yet welcoming voice, "draw closer and let me tell your future."
With a smile upon his face, Lincoln casually made his way towards the tent; whereby he proceeded to greet his sister with a loving embrace. "I had a feeling it was you I saw earlier" he chuckled, "the bangs were a dead giveaway." Lucy shared a small yet ironic laugh with her brother, which he knew was rare for her and returned his embrace.
"So, dear Brother; how fare thee" she murmured while doing her best to remain in character, "art thou having a merry time with thine fellowship of female compatriots?" Lincoln chuckled softly under his breath, removed his cap and bowed graciously before her. "Everything is going well for us" he replied, "except...well, there is someone out there who seeks to disrupt not just my good time here but everyone else's as well."
After making sure no one else was close enough to hear him, Lincoln began to softly whisper into Lucy's ear. Through it all, she could feel a wave of distress washing over her like a raging storm. Once she and Lincoln broke away, poor Lucy suddenly fell back into her chair in shock.
"This...This is real, right" she said while momentarily breaking her character, "this isn't some kind of prank or anything?" Upon being asked this, Lincoln gave her a sort of odd look; one that seemed to say "do I look like Luan to you?" After a while, Lucy managed to collect herself enough to speak with her brother.
"This is serious" she murmured, "and you're telling me everyone else knows about this already?" Lincoln nodded slightly while also clarifying that the security staff on duty may have also been informed about the crook, thanks in part to Becky's accidental snapshot on her phone. "We don't want word of this spreading around too much" Lincoln whispered, "if it did, there could either be a panic amongst the other patrons or the crook would know he's been busted and try to escape."
Lucy nodded in understanding and promised to do her part by keeping an eye out for them. "But...enough about all that" she said with a light smile, "would you like for me to tell you your future?" Now...long ago, Lincoln had dealt with one of his Gothic sister's predictions before; which involved a day (allegedly) "ending in tragedy."
There was a point where he almost thought the prediction to be true, until he became the only one among his family to witness a geyser going off. From then on, Lincoln chose not to take his sister's fortune telling to heart. But due to the circumstances of his situation...and the fact that it was Ren Faire tradition, he decided to give it a go.
With that decision made, Lucy began to wave her hands around her crystal ball while chanting softly. For a moment or so, she didn't say anything to him. Until at last, the ball lit up and she let out a gasp. "What is it, what did you see" Lincoln asked anxiously, "please, don't tell me my day will 'end in tragedy' again."
After looking into the ball again for a few more seconds, Lucy shook her head at her brother and said there would be no tragedy in his future. "However...I do see possible tragedy in the future for Haiku's Nanna, Miss McNair" she murmured, "I also see you and the others battling the stranger in the trench coat for the Royal Scepter costume contest prize." In spite of himself, Lincoln gave a light chuckle and asked what sort of "battle" she claimed to see for him.
"This is no joke, Lincoln" Lucy said bluntly, "the thief will try and take the staff and you all will make an attempt to stop him." From here, she also added that the thief also harbored a deep grudge against Ms. McNair. "Why, what did she ever do to them" questioned Lincoln, "is there anything else you can see?"
With a heavy heart; Lucy said that the only other thing "the spirits" told her was that if this thief got away with their scheme, it could mean the end of both the faire and the careers of all involved.
(First AN: And what started as a typical Loud House two-part event has now gone into a three-parter! Will the crook get away with the Golden Scepter, will Fiona and her trope lose their jobs and just how will Linc and Co. "battle" the thief for it? Find out next time!"
(Second AN: As said above, this was originally meant to be a two-part story; much like all the special episodes from the original series. But because of the seriousness and because of the fact the gang will be attending both weekend days of the faire, I realized that wasn't enough.
The third part will involve Lincoln and everyone going to the second day of the Ren Faire; where they'll hopefully, find and apprehend this crook...before he does anything irreversible to the faire and its staff. This will then mark the finale of the Summer Arc of Oneshots for A Day in the Life of the Gal Pals.
Afterwards, we'll be moving on to the Fall Arc; here's hoping to see you all there.)
(Third AN: To anyone who thinks Dana was being OOC during the Sword-Swallowing act, you are mistaken. Having attended a Ren Faire for years, I've seen such performances before; as well as similar responses from audience members and volunteers alike. Besides, I think that's the best possible way anyone would act; if they've had to pull a sword out of someone else's mouth. LOL!)
