Rascally Rennies – Part Three
(Story Summary: As our heroes find themselves at their wits end over the identity and motives of their mysterious felon, Lincoln tells everyone about the prediction Lucy gave him earlier. Upon learning that this criminal bears a grudge against her grandmother, Haiku decides to share a story; one that reveals that someone else desired Fiona's position as well. What clues will this tale hold for the mystery at hand?)
For the rest of the day, everyone did their best to enjoy their time at the faire; including Lincoln. But after his earlier meeting with Lucy, his mind couldn't stop thinking about what she said to him. What sort of "battle" would he and this crook have for the Golden Scepter, would anyone get seriously hurt during it...and more importantly of all, what sort of grudge did this criminal have with Ms. McNair anyway.
"Since we arrived here, Haiku's grandmother been nothing short of kind and generous to all of us" he thought confusedly, "who could possibly want her to lose her job?" After barely coming up with any ideas, Lincoln sighed deeply and rejoined the others over at the picnic area. There, he told them all of his meeting with Lucy and about the prediction she gave him.
But as he expected, this reveal was met with mixed reactions from both the Gals and the Guys; the latter appearing on the verge of bursting with laughter. "I know, I know; it's crazy" Lincoln said with a sigh, "but there have been times where my sister's predictions actually did come true...in some shape or form." As an example, he reminded Carol's posse of the time Joey came to her for a peek at his future.
"I remember that" Becky gasped, "it was during Lori's party...but he spent much of that time studying." Now, for those unaware; this event in question was a time where Linc's eldest sister attempted to throw a "sophisticated" party for her friends at home. This involved everything from country line dancing, "amusing" anecdotes and salmon mousse with toast points.
As time went on, the whole thing felt like such a bore that Joey's sole means of escape from it was studying for an upcoming test. Of course, things did turn out for the better; when everyone joined in for the real party (which was orchestrated by Lori's siblings) later on. In time, everyone returned to the Loud House to join in on the fun.
But then, when Joey sat down to receive a psychic reading from Lucy; she foresaw a B- in his future. Now, this wasn't a horrible grade...but it was still something within the "average" spectrum and Joey didn't appear happy about it. On the other hand; after the party, he went to school the following day and was prepared to "defy destiny" and not get a B minus grade.
"I remember now" murmured Dana, "Joey said that the moment he sat down for the test, his mind just...(mimics explosion sound) and suddenly forgot a good chunk of the stuff he researched at the party." Becky nodded her head vigorously and added that in the end, he did indeed get a B- on it...which made her then feel rather uneasy. "My sister's predictions may not go exactly how one would expect" Lincoln confessed, "but one way or another...they do come true, sometimes."
Everyone took a few moments to process this information, while also thinking back to Lucy's prediction for Lincoln. "Did your sister say what kind of battle you might have with the crook" questioned Zach, "I mean...did it involve swords, fists...or even pies?" After taking a moment to softly snicker at the "pie fight" idea, Lincoln shook his head in reply.
"She told me the 'spirits' weren't able to show her anything that far ahead" he explained, "it's weird, I know...but who knows what could happen before things are over." Once more, everyone took a moment to process everything they've been told. On one hand, everyone believed Lucy might've been playing a trick on Lincoln; in a possible attempt for revenge against him for their court sentence.
But...on the other hand, they also remembered how warmly they greeted each other at that time. If she was still sore with her brother (as some of the gang believed,) Lucy certainly wouldn't have hugged him; let alone offer any kind advice or help. "Okay, dude...for the sake of the argument; say that we do believe you" Kat murmured, "please, tell us you won't do anything nuts and try to fight this crook on your own?"
With a broad smile upon his face, Lincoln tipped his hat to her and vowed that would never happen; "on his honor" (as Robin Hood would often say.) "Okay, gang; I think that's enough bad vibes for now" Carol interjected, "I say we go have some more fun before the day's over." While this suggestion was met with overwhelming agreement, this brought up a glaring and fundamental issue in their situation; leaving the faire while the criminal remained at large.
"Don't worry guys; all is well" Haiku assured with a warm smile, "the passes I gave you also work as return passes, which will allow us to come back Sunday morning." This bit of news seemed to please everyone, not just for the fact they would be able to come back for more fun. But the return passes would also grant them a second chance to find and apprehend the criminal.
"I just wish we had some clues as to who this crook might be" Lincoln murmured, "the only other thing Lucy told me is that he or she supposedly, holds a grudge against Haiku's Nanna." Upon hearing this reveal, the first question on everyone's minds was "did Ms. McNair have any enemies?" "This is just my personal opinion, guys" Rusty murmured, "but Miss M. seems far too nice of a lady to have any enemies, am I right?"
For a moment or two, no one said a word; mostly due to the (unfortunate) fact that everyone isn't quite so nice all the time. With that in mind, all eyes fell onto Haiku; hoping that she could help provide some insight on things. "We know it's a touchy subject" Paige said uneasily, "but did your grandmother ever gain any enemies over the years, even by accident?"
Much to everyone's dismay, their young Goth friend didn't have any answers; proclaiming she was just as curious/concerned as they were. "Although...I think I do remember something" she murmured, "do you all remember when I told you my grandmother became the faire's operator sometime during the mid-80's?" Without hesitation, everyone nodded their heads "yes;" wondering what it had to do with their situation.
"Well...she wasn't just handed the job simply because she looked and acted like she belonged here" Haiku said matter-of-factly, "just like everyone else applying for a role here, my Nanna had to show the team in charge her credentials and/or show the staff what she could do." She then went on to explain how the original operator/manager left his position due to having to move out of state with his family. "But before he left, he wanted to find someone to take his place" Haiku stated, "among those who applied, two of them really stood out."
After wracking her brain for several seconds, she pulled out her phone and did a quick search online. Mere seconds later, she found the name she wanted and showed off the picture result to the others. It was one of a woman with shoulder-length greyish-blonde hair done up in (what Carol and Dana recalled was) a bouffant, hazel eyes and she had a sort of snooty look on her face.
At first glance, she reminded Carol and her crew of their former drama teacher; Mrs. Bernardo (before they graduated.) But Mrs. B was a rather charming woman (in her own way,) whereas this one looked like the Queen of Hearts from Wonderland. "Who's she" questioned Kat, "she looks like one of those prissy, old-school actresses from the 1930's."
With a light smile upon her face, Haiku proclaimed that her friend's assumption might not be too far off. "Her name was 'Madame Victoria Chapman'" she said while doing air quotes towards the woman's name, "she actually is one of those snooty actresses, even claimed to have been part of the Royal Shakespeare Company, at one time." Haiku then said that eventually, she became "outdated" in the eyes of the public and her studio had to let her go.
"Chapman tried her luck on stage, after that and for a while...things were great for her" she stated, "but then, there weren't that many casting calls coming in for her; which left Victoria with one last hope...the Ren Faire circuit." As everyone listened, the Gal Pals couldn't help but feel sorry for how far the actress had fallen.
At the same time, everyone suddenly speculated that Victoria might've been the one dressed in the huge trench coat and scarf they saw. "That's a possibility" murmured Lincoln, "but then again, the criminal isn't always the most obvious suspect; believe me...I've made such assumptions like that before." While everyone agreed with his words, they weren't quite ready to dismiss Victoria's name just yet.
"Lincoln may be on to something" Haiku said suddenly, "especially after what my grandpa told me happened between them, so long ago." Their collective curiosities piqued, both the Gals and Guys asked what happened. "It was just before the faire's original operator moved away" Haiku began, "from the start, Victoria thought she'd go far here; due to her credentials and supposed 'extensive knowledge' of the Renaissance Era." The kids nodded their heads slightly in unison, thinking that Ms. Chapman might've had things in the bag.
"But then, she hit a little bump on her 'road to success'" Haiku said matter-of-factly, "Lincoln...remember what you said earlier about your sister, Lisa; that if she were here, she might get upset about things being 'inaccurate' in the Faire's environment?" Lincoln groaned softly, upon hearing his friend's question; due to all the rather embarrassing memories he had of such times. "Well, Miss Chapman was just as bad" Haiku said bluntly, "some would say she was the worst of the worst."
(Flashback to years earlier)
As the Michigan Renaissance Festival approached its new season, it was time to make sure everything was in order. But after hearing the news that their current operator would soon be leaving them, everyone felt it was now time for someone else to take up the reigns. There were two promising candidates for the position, as luck would have it; Miss Fiona McNair and "Madam Victoria Chapman."
Now, Fiona was relatively new to the circuit; having only started working there in 1984. Victoria, on the other hand, had been with the Michigan Renaissance Faire since it first started in 1979. Since then, she wowed much of her audiences with stellar performances; whether she was a noblewoman or even a rakish pirate.
At the same time however, she was not always so beloved by the people. By 1984, some people soon started calling her performances "hammy;" while children felt that she acted "incredibly snobbish" towards them, whenever they asked to have their pictures taken with her. Fiona on the other hand, seemed to be Madame Chapman's polar opposite.
Though she was a simple serving wench; whenever she approached patrons to offer refills on their beverages, she would always greet them with a smile or a simple yet sweet "how may I be of service?" On some occasions, Fiona would share songs with those at the picnic area and even get them to sing along with her. Soon, performers and other staff members alike took notice of this and felt it was time for her to really show the faire what she could do.
The following year, before opening day arrived; Fiona was asked to show off her performance skills with the casting director. At first, she was dreadfully nervous about doing it; fearing that she might embarrass herself in front of everyone. But then, an idea struck her like a blow to the head.
"Just pretend you're back in the shire, lass" she told herself, "imagine that the people in front of you are the patrons and remember how much ya loved singin' to them." With this in mind; Fiona shut her eyes, took in a few calming breaths and felt her soul becoming much calmer. When she opened them again, Fiona could still see everyone waiting patiently for her to begin.
But in her mind; instead of seeing everyone in their usual semi-formal business wear, they were all wearing either casual street clothes or Medieval/Renaissance costumes. It was as if she was back on the grounds again and everyone was waiting for her to sing (which they were.) With her spirit now at ease, she approached a group of musicians and made a quick song request for them to play.
When she returned to the center stage, Fiona took in one final deep breath and began to sing.
Saw ye Rory Murphy, Rory Murphy, Rory Murphy
Saw ye Rory Murphy comin' frae Dumbarton
Saw ye Rory Murphy, Rory Murphy, Rory Murphy
Saw ye Rory Murphy comin' frae Dumbarton
Now Rory was a piper bold
Hieland blood wi' in him flowed
And lowland bodies' hearts aye glowed
To the tunes of Rory Murphy
He filled the warriors' breasts wi' fire
He cheered the heart o' sage and sire
And made the listening groups admire
As he gae'd through Dumbarton
Saw ye Rory Murphy, Rory Murphy, Rory Murphy
Saw ye Rory Murphy comin' frae Dumbarton
He had a beard o'lammer gloss
His cheeks were fresher than the rose
His sparkling eyes as black's a sloe's
And a nose as red's a partan
Rory stood six foot or more
The brawest man on Scotland's shore
And all the lassies did adore
The piper o'Dumbarton
Saw ye Rory Murphy, Rory Murphy, Rory Murphy
Saw ye Rory Murphy comin' frae Dumbarton
He oft times played the night awa'
And never was he tired at aw
Piping note for one and a'
And a tune for every tartan
When Rory drank an extra gill
He made his chanter sound say shrill
You'd hear him on Ben Lomond Hill
As clear as in Dumbarton
Saw ye Rory Murphy, Rory Murphy, Rory Murphy
Saw ye Rory Murphy comin' frae Dumbarton
'Twas whisky that did him betray
While tottering home more drunk each day
He fell headlong all doon the brae
That killed him dead for certain
(the music suddenly becomes somber)
No more we'll hear his witchy tones
No more he'll blow his Hieland drones
His bones lie cold beneath the stones
In the kirkyard o'Dumbarton
(the music perks up again)
Saw ye Rory Murphy, Rory Murphy, Rory Murphy
Saw ye Rory Murphy comin' frae Dumbarton
Saw ye Rory Murphy, Rory Murphy, Rory Murphy
Saw ye Rory Murphy comin' frae Dumbarton
Saw ye Rory Murphy, Rory Murphy, Rory Murphy
Saw ye Rory Murphy, the piper o'Dumbarton
When the music slowly died down, all was quiet; save for the squeaking of Fiona's shoes on the stage surface. As she looked around at the staff, the wide-eyed looks on their faces filled her with a great deal of anxiety. "Criffins" she thought to herself worriedly, "I knew I'd embarrass meself like this, now...I might get sacked!"
Then, just as she started to assume the worst; a soft noise slowly reached her ears. She looked over towards the crowd and found her husband, Gareth clapping his hands with a broad grin on his face. Afterwards, things started to pick up, as two more people started clapping along with him.
Not long after that, several more people started to clap; until the whole auditorium was echoing with thunderous applause. Briefly taken aback by this unexpected response to her performance, poor Fiona stood frozen in place on stage; as if her feet felt like stone blocks. But she was quickly shaken out of her trance, when she heard the casting director calling her name.
"Ms. McNair, I speak for everyone when I say...that was the most stellar performance we've seen in years" the woman gushed, "we would be honored to have you join our family as our newest entertainer!" After taking a moment to recover from her initial surprise, Fiona smiled brightly at the crowd before her and accepted the position with gusto. Meanwhile, in the backstage area; Victoria watched the entire scene unfold with great outrage.
"This...This is inconceivable" she thought bitterly, "I had to wait for a week for my first callback...while this...upstart comes into my realm and leaves them applauding within minutes?!" Much like any diva, Victoria hated the idea of someone possibly upstaging her. However...at the risk of possibly losing her place, she chose to swallow her pride and show her "support" for Fiona...for now.
In time; the Scottish lass was properly outfitted, given an instrument and received her instructions on how to go about her new role from the staff. When opening day came around, at last; it was time for Fiona to strut her stuff. As she strummed the strings of her lute, she could feel the burning passion of performing flow through her like a wildfire.
Then, as she started to sing, her voice began to attract the attention of many passersby. Men, women and children alike suddenly started flocking to her by the dozens. Naturally; Fiona was surprised by all this, at first and almost froze up on the spot. But then, she looked down and saw a group of children smiling at her.
"Please play some more, musician lady" said a little girl no older than three, "you sound really pretty." Not long after that, several other kids and even their parents began urging her to sing some more. Touched by all this, Fiona shook off her earlier fears and resumed playing with great and burning passion.
(Line Break)
Meanwhile, at another area of the grounds; Madame Victoria was in the midst of performing as Lady Macbeth for a faire production of the play called Macbeth. Of course, her show was a tad off-schedule due to her having some "difficulties" with her costume moments earlier. However, these "difficulties" were nothing more than her fussing on the look of her gown.
"C'mon, Vicky" groaned one of the stagehands, "the dressmakers spent hours working on this, it's close enough to the real thing." Victoria glowered bitterly at the young man, proclaiming that "close enough" wasn't "good enough;" when it came to making accurate period clothes. "It's bad enough I have to perform in front of people drinking pop out of Viking mugs and eating corndogs" she growled, "but I refuse to perform unless my attire isn't an accurate match to the original gowns!"
At that moment, one of the other cast members appeared before them and asked if "Madame Chapman" would be coming on stage soon. "Until I am dressed in the proper outfit, the audience will wait until closing time; if need be" she grumbled, "who else out there can enchant them as well as I could?" Neither the stagehand nor Victoria's cast-mate said anything in reply, fearing that they would suffer another one of her famous tantrums.
When she finally decided to grace the stage, almost an hour later; Victoria and her fellow cast members were in for a shocking surprise. The benches before them were almost completely empty, save for a few people thereabouts who were patient enough to wait for the show to start. "What...What is the meaning of this, where is the audience" Madame Victoria growled softly at the stagehand, "you said the rows were halfway filled, you twit!"
After taking a moment to collect himself, the stagehand assured that the seats were filled halfway. But due to her holding up the show for too long, many of the patrons got bored and wished to see something else instead. "No doubt, they went to go see those imbeciles at the mud pit" she grumbled, "or perhaps, they went to see the pirates down at the Market Square...PIRATES WEREN'T PART OF THE RENAISSANCE, YOU UNCULTURED FOOLS!"
As the actress stomped about the stage, ranting and raving; her associates began to back away from her slowly in alarm. "She's at it again, mate" said an actor dressed as Macbeth, "best inform the boss-man about this forthwith." The stagehand nodded vigorously in understanding, scuttled away from the stage and put in a call to the higher ups with his walkie talkie.
"Hello, Sir" he whispered, "Ms. Chapman is making a scene again, it's the fifth time today." After listening to a bit of chatter on the other line, the stagehand nodded and turned towards the still raving actress; sweating profusely. "Uh...M-M-M-Madame" he murmured, "the boss wishes to see you in his office...r-r-right away." Madame Victoria lightly scowled at the young man, for a moment; as if contemplating on his words.
Then, she shrugged her shoulders slightly and proceeded to walk away; all while muttering under her breath. During her trek, she had a look around at the people around her and grimaced. There were people dressed as Dungeons & Dragons style barbarians, people drinking Flippees at a beverage booth, others eating burgers or hot dogs at picnic tables and other things she found "hideously inaccurate."
Just when her anger was nearing its boiling point, Victoria looked ahead and saw something that made her heart stop (metaphorically speaking.) Near the fountain area was a crowd that seemed to consist of almost three dozen people. Upon closer inspection, she noticed that half of the audience members were people who originally came for her show earlier.
"What the...who would dare to steal my audience from me" she demanded, "when I find them, I will..." Before she could go any further in her tirade, the loud sounds of a bagpipe suddenly rang out. Victoria looked all around her feverishly, like a hound would for an intruder, and soon found the source of the noise.
Standing before the crowd was Ms. Fiona McNair, dressed in her serving wench attire and playing on a set of bagpipes. In that moment; Victoria didn't know what offended her more, the fact that that someone else was "stealing her glory" or that Fiona was playing and singing Drunken Sailor (a song that she herself believed wasn't part of the period.) "How dare she steal my patrons" she seethed mentally, "she's nothing but a serving wench, I'm the star of this faire!"
Desperate to relieve herself of her rage, Victoria decided to grab for the nearest object and either tear it up or break it apart. After doing just that however, she suddenly heard the sounds of wild sobbing from somewhere near her. She opened her eyes, turned her head and spotted a little girl crying beside her.
"MOOOOOOMMMMY" she wailed, "SHE TOOK MY DWAGON FROM ME AND BWOKE IIIIT!" Upon hearing this, Victoria looked down and saw something that made her blood run cold. In her hands were the remains of what was originally a dragon puppet, the kind one puts upon their shoulder and use a cable to make it move slightly.
Now, much of its pieces lie strewn on the ground; while the head still remained clenched tightly within Victoria's left fist. In her desperate attempt to save face, she used every trick she knew to try and get the little girl to stop crying. But alas, every attempt was met with the same result; bitter tears."
In time, the child's parents arrived at the scene and saw the toy's pieces lying at Victoria's feet. To say that they were displeased with her would be the understatement of the decade. As the mother picked up her weeping child and did her best to console her, the father fumed angrily and got right up into Victoria's face.
"I don't know who you think you are, lady" he seethed, "but nobody treats customers this way and gets away with it, I'M GOING TO REPORT YOU!" With that said, he and his family proceeded over towards Ms. McNair's group to watch her perform; leaving an extremely frazzled Victoria behind them.
(Line Break)
Sometime after the incident, the performers said their final farewells to the patrons at the main gate. At which time, everyone that passed her gave Victoria either a vicious glare or a messy raspberry. Meanwhile, everyone else among the cast of performers were being given the warmest of farewells from the crowd; especially Fiona.
Among these lot was the little girl whom Victoria had upset earlier. Upon seeing her, Victoria noticed that she had a brand new dragon puppet toy on her shoulder; which had been graciously given to her by Fiona sometime earlier. The actress fumed bitterly, she couldn't stand seeing a "low-class wench" receiving such kind gestures from the people but she did her best to hide it.
In time, the faire had closed down for the weekend and everyone prepared to head off for home until next week. But then, the still active faire operator called for an emergency meeting. "All staff and performers are to meet back at the hotel at once" he ordered, "and this includes you, 'Madame.'"
Normally, the attitudes of others didn't quite faze her; choosing to instead respond with either snide comments or backtalk. But after what happened today, Victoria had a sinking suspicion on what was going to happen. When everyone gathered at the hotel, minutes later; they each took their seats inside of a large conference room and waited for the meeting to begin.
In time, the main business staff took the stage; consisting of members like the current operator/manager, the artistic director, acting director, improv director, entertainment director and so on. After greeting the performers accordingly, the group congratulated everyone on a successful opening weekend. "We've heard a lot of great things from many of you" said the manager, "but...there have been some issues concerning a particular member of our 'faire-mily."
In the back row seats of the room, Victoria suddenly cringed at the word "faire-mily;" calling it a "juvenile" word that the staff used when describing their camaraderie. During her moment of discomfort, she was utterly oblivious to the fact that all eyes in the room were now upon her. Like a drunk being confronted by the authorities, Victoria scratched her head and asked for the reason behind such looks.
It was then that she saw Fiona rise out of her chair, clear her throat and timidly proclaim that she had been...relieved of duty. "What...WHATEVER FOR" Victoria shrieked in outrage, "if it's about the little girl's toy, it wasn't my fault; I was...I wasn't thinking straight!" The production staff members shook their heads in unison; ashamed that such a "dignified" woman would hide behind excuses, instead of admitting her mistake.
"This is about more than just that, 'Madame'" the entertainment director seethed, "since you've started working here, your behavior has completely disrupted the workflow of things here at the faire." After this, the acting director placed a large pile of papers upon the table; which caused everyone to murmur in confusion. "What we have here, everyone, is a list of complaints from our patrons" she said with a weary groan, "and this is all from today, the one from yesterday is a smidge bigger."
Upon passing out the papers, everyone could clearly see many complaints being directed towards Ms. Chapman. These included but were not limited to holding up performances for personal needs, viciously calling out patrons for "inaccurate" costumes, making several unwarranted complaints about the food the vendors chose to sell and many other things. While all this was going on, Victoria tried her best to stand firm and hold her ground.
"People...this is a renaissance festival" she grumbled, "I've heard many other patrons complain about how inaccurate it is for vendors to be serving soft drinks or fast food here before...why single me out specifically?" No sooner had she asked this; a man rose up from his seat and revealed that last year, she threatened to have his stand close if he didn't offer "period appropriate food." "Do you really think people would want to eat just porridge, plain cheese and/or something you call black bread" he prodded, "if we served the third example to the patrons, the Health Inspector would have our heads!"
Rather than feel intimidated; Victoria simply scoffed and proclaimed that all three examples were what "common people" ate, back then. "Things like turkey legs or bread bowls were not available to them, in that era" she said firmly, "so...why should it be for the public today?" To say that everyone felt offended by Victoria's words would be putting it mildly.
Truthfully, they were tempted to have her reported to the police for such slanderous talk. "What about your behavior towards the wee ones" Fiona said suddenly, "what you did to the lass earlier today is but one of many sins you've committed towards our patrons...'MADAME!'" Perhaps it was her jealousy towards Ms. McNair's sudden rise in popularity or maybe, it was how she chose to address her title.
Either way, Victoria was finally pushed over the edge with her and was prepared to show the Scotswoman a lesson in "respecting her betters." With her fists clenched tight and her face blazing with rage, the actress screamed like a banshee and charged toward Fiona; knocking several empty chairs over in the process. But just as she was prepared to land the first punch, Victoria was suddenly dog piled on by the other actors and vendors.
She struggled and strained beneath everyone's combined weight, desperate to break free. But with almost twenty people lying atop her, it was impossible to do. Needless to say, this little display of bad behavior was just what the production staff needed to decide her fate.
"Victoria Chapman; for your continuing and...baffling display of crude, mean-spirited and undignified behavior toward us and our patrons...you are hereby relieved of your duties here at the faire" the still active operator said firmly, "furthermore, you are banned from ever setting foot on these grounds; so long as the faire lives on!" This news caused all staff and cast members (with the exception of Fiona) to cheer, while Victoria simply went white with shock; feeling a brief moment of pity for Victoria. "On one final note, I have made my decision" decreed the manager, "the person who will take my place as Faire Manager is...Miss Fiona McNair!"
This reveal caused practically everyone in the room to cheer wildly. But Victoria, on the other hand felt as though she had been cheated. "How can you give the position to her" she cried, "she's just a lowly serving wench; she has no acting credentials, no theater experience...she's not even a licensed performer!" After hearing her say all this, the manager gestured for everyone to move off of Victoria.
Afterwards, he casually approached her and gave her a stoic look in the eyes; one that made even her blood run cold. "You may have the papers, 'Madame'" he said coolly, "but if the people can't become invested in who you are on stage or screen...you have lost your right to be considered an actress." After that, he pulled out a walkie-talkie from his pants pocket and said only three other words; "send them in."
After that; a pair of officers entered the room, hoisted Victoria up off the floor and proceeded to handcuff her hands behind her back. Naturally, Victoria tried to put up a fight; while also telling the officers that "she would have their badges," if anything happened to her. "Yeah, yeah" grumbled one officer, "you can tell the judge all about that, lady; once we get ya to the courthouse."
As Victoria was being roughly led out of the room, she looked over her shoulder and saw the manager giving Fiona his pin. She growled and sneered, as all of the other performers proceeded to shower her with accolades for her "triumph." "This is all your fault, you Scottish cow" Victoria shrieked, "I was the queen of the faire until you came and took away what's rightfully mine!"
While the officers did their best to keep hold of her, Victoria made one final pledge towards everyone in the room; including Fiona. "I swear to you, even if it takes the rest of my life to try and do it, I will return" she declared, "and when I do, everyone in your precious faire will suffer for my indignities!"
(Back to the Present)
By the end of her story; Lincoln, the Gal Pals and the boys appeared to be on the verge of fainting from shock. The idea that someone could act so obscenely out in public was baffling enough. But ironically enough; Haiku's description of Madame Victoria seemed to remind him just a little of his sister, Lola.
"No, Lincoln...don't even joke like that" he scolded himself mentally, "even on her worst days, Lola would never behave the way Madame Victoria did." After a while, Carol was the first to share her thoughts on her friend's story; proclaiming that it was a lot to take in. "I know...and I'm sorry" Haiku murmured, "but I promise you; on my word, everything I said is 100% true."
Not long after that, everyone started murmuring frantically in alarm; proclaiming that no one suggesting she was lying. "It's just...I've never heard of people getting that upset over accuracy on things" Zach stated, "not even when it came to that big Harvester remake that premiered last Halloween." After hearing everything Haiku told them; the Gals and Guys all agreed that this Victoria Chapman was a bona fide, Class "A" diva.
They also agreed that her grudge against Fiona and the Ren Faire could still be going on, even after so much time has passed. "But you heard Haiku, everybody; she got banned" Rocky said matter-of-factly, "would anyone really be stupid enough to try and come back somewhere they'd been kicked out of?" While there was a strong ring of truth in the Spokes Boy's words, everyone suddenly remembered the odd figure in the trench coat.
"She could be here...but only in disguise" Jordan stated, "in any case, we should report this to Officer Higgins and her partners." Everyone nodded in agreement and proceeded to try and locate the three officers in question. When they did manage to meet up with them; the time had, unfortunately come for the faire to close for the day.
Thankfully, the Gals remembered that their passes would allow them to return the next morning. "Dang it, we don't have return passes" grumbled Lincoln, "and I doubt there's any left to buy now." Just as he and the boys were about to lose hope, everyone suddenly noticed Officer Campos playfully dangling four golden passes in front of Lincoln's face.
When the young Loud boy finally looked up, he gasped delightfully and took them in is hands. "Consider them a gift from the girls and I, chamaco" Campos said with a smile, "it's our way of saying thanks for agreeing to help us out on this case." Without missing a beat, Lincoln proceeded to hug the Latina officer tightly around her waist while thanking her.
"There we are" Carol said proudly, "now that our team is sticking together, let's promise not to rest until we find this sleazeball and bring them to justice!" Without a second thought, every Gal and Guy present sounded off loudly and sealed their pledge by tapping their swords or staves together above them. "Nobody disrupts our weekend and gets away with it" Whitney said fiercely, "tomorrow, let's find this creep and join the Queen's Guard on a little fox hunt...with him/her as the fox!"
Lincoln and the boys couldn't help but chuckle at their lady friend, reminding themselves to never cross her. Meanwhile, Officer Simmons was chatting into her walkie-talkie; possibly corresponding with any security staff still present on the grounds. After meeting up with the gang earlier, the trio was immediately told the same story they heard from Haiku.
"Yup, I've heard some things 'bout Miss Chapman before" murmured Higgins, "big shame...I used to love watchin' her old movies." This story combined with the photo of the figure in the trench coat and scarf made the case a tad easier. After that, she proceeded to inform security about what she had been told and requested that an A.P.B. (or All-Points Bulletin) on Victoria Chapman or a person disguised in a heavy trench coat and scarf throughout the grounds.
"Disguised or not, we now have everything we need to try and catch her" Simmons assured, "we best try this again tomorrow." Before everyone left, Haiku suddenly started to sniffle; which made all of her friends feel quite concerned. "I...I'm sorry, guys" the wee Goth sniffled, "I just...I hate what this person has done to not only my Nanna...but all of us and the people of the faire as well."
She then turned towards the officers and expressed her deepest hope they would be able to find this creep. "I can't bear to leave the faire behind while they're still at large somewhere here" she murmured, "I hope we'll catch them soon...before it's too late." After everyone, including the officers gave Haiku a quick group hug; they assured her that the crook would be stopped, once and for all.
"In the meantime, go get some rest" Higgins instructed, "maybe tomorrow, things will be better." With that said, everyone said their goodbyes and headed off for the parking lot.
(Line Break)
Later that night, the faire grounds had been closed down for the day and all appeared quiet as the grave. But in the Market Square of the grounds, a figure was hiding out within one of shoppes. After making certain no one was around, the figure crept through the shadows as quietly as they could.
They did this for almost ten minutes until they at last, reached their destination; the security office. After jimmying the lock for several moments with an old playing card, the figure slowly opened the door and found the object of their desire; a large case. Upon collecting the item in question, the figure went to work on the next part of their plan.
They looked beside the case's latch and spotted a keyhole, much to the thief's delight. Now, in this day and age; most cases would have a card lock or a push-button combination lock to help keep it secure. But this was one of those "old-school" style cases, the sort that required the turn of a key to help undo the latch; which made things all too easy for our thief.
After taking a moment to reach under their hat, the figure fished their hand around for a few moments until they found what they needed; a hairpin. After procuring the item in question, the figure began to fiddle with the lock as gingerly as they could. Eventually, the figure heard the lock give a sharp and sudden click; before it swiftly loosened up.
Afterwards, they proceeded to open the case to reveal the true object of their desire; the Golden Scepter. "At last, I have you in my clutches" the figure muttered, "and if these...heathens want you back, they will have to do whatever I wish."
(First AN: Yuh-oh...now that this mysterious figure in a trench coat has the scepter, what do they plan to do with it? Will anyone notice it's been taken and most of all; when they do find out, will Miss McNair and her band be sacked? Find out next time as we end the Fall Arc of A Day in the Life with the conclusion of Rascally Rennies.)
(Second AN: What started as a three-part story has now been given an extra kick. I figured adding a fourth part was necessary, considering how the gang will be attending both weekend days of the faire. But rest assured; next time, the crook will be caught.)
(Third AN: The song that Fiona sings during her audition is a *possibly* traditional Scottish folksong called Rory Murphy. Much like with Good Luck to the Barley Mow in Part One, this melody was made popular by the Irish Rovers; an Irish folk music group that originated in Canada. Considering Fiona's ethnicity, I figured it would be a perfect tune for her to sing.)
(Fourth AN: The child's toy that Victoria broke is based on a real-world toy people young and old buy at Ren Faires. I am uncertain on what they are typically called, truth be told. But they are a sort of puppet you can control with a cable of some kind.
You move said cable around to make the head go up, down, left or right. While there's also a button that either makes its wings flap or its eyes blink. These are a popular toy with the little ones, which made it the perfect idea to use for a scene in the flashback.)
(Fifth AN: The word Fiona mutters, "criffins," is a sort of Scottish interjection term that means "Christ" in English or "Crikey" in Australian)
(Final AN: Speaking of Victoria, she's not only a caricature of all the hoity-toity, hammy actresses of Olde Hollywood. But she's also the embodiment of all the complaints people have made towards Ren Faires across the globe. These complaints range from the food, the dialect, the clothing...even the items that are sold at the market square.
This sort of complainer is shown in all manner of media, from Sheldon on The Big Bang Theory to Velma Dinkley from Be Cool Scooby-Doo. It's rather sad that these people can't just let themselves get lost in the illusion of the faire, am I right?)
