Festival Day 1: Pueri Non Grati
…
"Castle Island!" Lukka declared as the Sokkarokka Band's nine members, in addition to Link and Line, stopped at the mouth of the main road on the south side of the island. Lukka took in a deep breath. "Aaaaah! The energy! The soul! The sounds!"
"The people who don't bathe until the festival ends," Talukka, one of the band's female members, commented.
"The horse crap all over the road," Line piped up as he looked down at a pile in front of the group.
"The ban on our returning to the ship until the end of the festival," Link added as he dropped his arms and let the open letter in his hands slap against his thigh.
"That's character," Lukka said.
"Wait, what!?" Line snapped at Link.
"Here," Link told him as he handed the letter past Lukka to Line.
Line grabbed it and glanced it over. "We're barred from embarkation," he said as he dropped his arm. He turned back and forth for a moment, causing Pokka and Gorkka to take a step backwards. "What'd we do this time?!"
"This happen often?" Kookka asked Link.
Link rubbed his eyes with a hand. "No, this is pretty new, actually," he said with a groan.
"We've been good for the past two months!" Line hollered as he balled up the letter. "I even cut my hair twice this month!"
"Still a mess," Link commented.
"I actually cleaned my underwear!" Line snapped before throwing the letter into the crowd. "What does that old man want from us?!"
"Probably to punish us for the rest of our lives."
"We stayed away from him! I wanted to strap a bucket to my head and joust the empty crates in the hold, and I didn't!"
"How long—" Pea began to ask.
"He'll shut up here in a second," Link replied, not looking up.
Line looked past Lukka at Link. "You could at least be mad about this!" he snapped.
"I don't really have anything to add," Link said as he cast a weary look to the crowd. "But now, we don't have a place to stay the night."
"There's a fine alley outside the amphitheatre," Kookka suggested.
"Kookka…" Trikky groaned as she gave him a disappointed look.
"Think we can talk Jekka inna gettin' another room?" Pea asked.
Kookka snapped in Pea's face and pointed, earning him an offended look. "Either of ya boys play an instrument?" he asked.
"No," Line replied as he kicked a discarded bottle across the ground.
"Nuh-uh," Link answered.
"Great!" Pokka hollered. "Neither do we."
Po-po-pop. All but Lukka (who was still admiring the street with his hands on his hips) turned to Spakky. He gave them a wide grin before opening his mouth and using his middle fingers to play against his cheeks po-po-pop.
"You're adopted," Pokka told him in annoyance. Spakky responded by sticking out his tongue.
"We gotta more instruments than musicians," Talukka pointed out. "I bet we can fake it."
"Sweat beans!" Gorkka declared. His tone made it hard to tell if he was being sincere or sarcastic as he added, "Let's get them in more trouble!"
There was a snort from the back of the group. "Did someone say 'sweat beans'?" Kanowanotakka asked as Pea jerked him so he would not fall off Pea's back.
"Not near the bean farm yet," Pokka told him. "Go back to sleep."
"Whatever, dickhead," Kanowanotakka replied before settling his head against the back of Pea's head.
"Let's hurry up and do something before he drools down my shirt again," Pea said.
"Don't worry," Talukka said. "We'll get ya boys a bed for the night."
"Great, okay," Pea said with impatience coloring his voice. "Can we go lie'a Jekka now?"
"I've always wantedda test our contract with him," Kookka said as the group started for the sidewalk nearby. Po-po-pop.
"Yep," Lukka said to himself. "I love this place!"
"Shut up, asshole," Kanowanotakka called to him. "The moment's gone."