Rose was unusually late for breakfast the next morning, arriving at the kitchen with frizzy hair, a pair of sullenly pursed lips, and a pamphlet in her hands. She threw a tired look at the trio already present, before making her way to the coffee machine.

"Good morning. I came across this yesterday," she dropped the pamphlet on the table while the coffee brewed.

Maggio was the first to snatch it, opening it to reveal an advert for a fair. A yearly occurrence. Menat hadn't even given it much thought before now as her mind had been elsewhere but upon seeing the pamphlet, she began brimming with excitement.

"Oh the fair, how nice!" she exclaimed, marveling at the image of the Ferris wheel at night. It was pretty to look at but no way, she'd ride the thing.

"Yes," Rose answered with a yawn, "I propose we all go."

Upon hearing that, there was a round of mixed reactions from the table. A happy Menat, an apathetic Nash, and a reserved Maggio, who seemed to slump in his chair.

"Aprile too," Rose added and that seemed to return the joy in his eyes.

"Awesome. I'll call her right away!" he left the morning table without even bothering to put his plate in the sink. The smeared dark stains on the porcelain surface revealed that he had been eating the chocolate spread for breakfast again, but Rose didn't notice, taking his spot with a cup of coffee in her hands and pushing the plate away.

"It's happening today by the way. If we get ready by noon, we should be able to walk the distance and enter before the crowd flocks in," she spoke into the mug, regaining some vigor from the battery acid.

Menat leaned over the table with a pleased hum, "Oooh it's gonna be so fun! Maybe they have a bunch of fun souvenirs there too! Last year was a little bare."

"Don't use all your money on those," Rose warned her sternly and Menat felt her cheeks redden.

Curses, it had been three years ago when she was a wide-eyed teenage girl, spending so much money on fun trinkets and souvenirs that she ended up getting bad credit and needed Rose to bail her out. Menat had received a stern lesson in the dangers of impulse buying and had since picked up her act. The downside of this was that she'd never live that blunder down.

"…Yes, Master…" she uttered, shifting her gaze to Nash, who stared back at her. He hadn't said a word and he didn't look like he wanted to but Menat was more than thankful for that.

"I expect you to keep an eye on her," Rose pinned him with a stare, watching until he nodded, and she huffed with satisfaction, ignoring the displeased look from her apprentice. Before Menat could even think to protest, Rose preempted her.

"It's far too early for complaints from you. You stopped overspending at least but instead, you say that every year, you're gonna be fine, and then I have to spend hours looking for you because you got lost, distracted by something, or both. I reckon you have the attention span of a goldfish, Menat."

Each harsh truth felt like a kick to the gut…probably because Rose wasn't incorrect in her statements. Menat just wished she hadn't delivered them so bluntly. She ate her toast in silence, feeling her cheeks burn from the shame.

From then on out, the morning continued until a busy mood settled over the Palace of Mysteries as the time between morning and noon was spent preparing for the fair. Clothes needed to be picked, makeup applied, and battle plans constructed. It felt as if time moved at lightning's pace.

By the end of it, Menat, fully prepared, paced back and forth, excited and giddy but partly relaxed by the clicking of her kitten heels against the stone floor while she waited for everyone to get ready. For the occasion, she had settled for a simple red dress with a black top and black-heeled sandals with red ribbons. Just for safety's sake, she wore shorts underneath.

Outside, life was bustling with voices and music, as it did this exact same time of year. Hearing the noise made it hard to remain still and wait but Menat could soothe herself with the fun of going with more people. Maggio had already left to visit his sister, meaning that the remaining trio would go together.

Menat was used to going with Rose but adding a third member, could make things different. Fun too, she hoped. After a while, footsteps from the basement emerged and Charlie ascended with a hood up over his head and a facemask. He looked almost unrecognizable.

"Oh…" Menat cocked a brow, pointing at his face as if to ask him about the mask. She felt a little dejected about seeing it cover the makeup she had applied so meticulously. Under the mask, Nash shifted his eyes, "I need it…for reasons."

Before Menat could contest this, Rose descended the staircase, with her heels clicking loudly against the stone stairs, dressed elegantly in a warm jam-colored dress, setting with black stilettos. Menat knew her master well enough to understand that high heels were just a part of her and hardly bothered her no matter where she went.

"Sorry for being late. Are we all ready?" she adjusted one of her red earrings as Menat nodded vigorously.

Upon reaching the entrance to the fair, Menat began to wonder if Rose had been completely off the mark with her battle plan. Already there was quite the crowd, all mingling and talking amongst each other while never quite deviating from the comfort of their own groups.

The sun hung high in the sky, obscured by clouds, bringing the temperature to bearable levels but not burning them all alive, under the minor crush of people. A gentle breeze still blew cold air over Menat's bare legs, and she shivered a little. Once inside, she spotted the massive Ferris wheel in the distance, not quite lit up as on the pamphlet.

The joy of their surroundings continued, louder than Menat remembered them to be but not uncommon for such an event.

"First things first, candy floss!" Menat announced once they had found a good spot to not be overwhelmed by the crowd.

"…Cotton candy?" Nash asked and she scoffed at him playfully, "That's what I said!"

Rose interjected, "I suggest something with actual nutrients."

"Master, you keep saying that because you're gonna go and taste wine next."

"…Fair enough," Rose chuckled in easygoing defeat, unable to contain the grin on her face as she crossed her arms, "Four hours, then we meet up, got it?"

"Got it!" Menat answered and wrapped her arm around Nash's, dragging him into the crowd. If he was going to watch over her, she might as well attach herself to him like a spider monkey. In the meantime, Nash looked around, scanning the crowd as if he was looking for something.

After a few more minutes of walking, Menat spotted the cotton candy booth, distracted by the feeling of Nash wriggling his arm free. If he didn't catch her by the wrist as he spun around and walked away, she would have lost him for good. With her arm firmly under his grasp, he dragged her away from the booth, marching through masses of people, eventually reaching the exit of the fair and the park nearby.

"Nash? What's happening? What are you doing?" she asked, staring back at the fair as worry and confusion made her ponder whether or not to stop when they turned a corner, leaving them rather isolated.

"What's gotten into you?" she asked, resisting just a bit without turning her arm into a rope for a tug of war.

Nash didn't look at her as he answered, "Go back if you want to."

"Huh?" Menat blinked, left with more questions and no answers. Had he seen something at the fair? Or someone? That blonde woman, he once mentioned? Menat would soon get her answer when an unfamiliar voice called out to them; "Charlie!"

Nash stopped abruptly, tightening his grip around her wrist. All the meanwhile, Menat stood like a deer in headlights, thoroughly confused. Charlie…Charlie Nash. His first name. Menat felt wholly strange having heard it this way. It was just a name honestly, but it felt as if she was intruding on some sacred territory.

Which made her wonder who that man was when she turned to look at him. He looked like a true military man; tall, muscular, and broad with a neatly trimmed beard coating his chiseled chin and jawline. With his blonde flattop hair, he was quite the striking character. As she studied him, it made her wonder why she hadn't spotted him in the crowd. He wasn't exactly conspicuous, especially not with the tattoos on his shoulders.

Maybe he was that old friend, Nash-no, Charlie alluded to. Should Menat even be thinking of him as Nash anymore? The feeling of not belonging here slowly became suffocating, even more so when her wrist was released. She questioned if she should even say something but those musing were interrupted when the man walked right up to them, past Menat, then snapped his gaze to her.

"Excuse me, are you his…date?" he asked, looking her up and down. She stiffened, then shocked at that suggestion, although she didn't know why.

"Huh?! N-no, I'm a, uh, friend," she said and kept it at that. Saying that she was Nash's housemate too seemed like a recipe for disaster. The man put his hands through his pocket, searching until he pulled out a note and a small pencil.

And a set of dog tags.

He gave Menat the tags and wrote on the paper, eventually giving over the paper as well.

"Here," he said and looked at her again.

This time, discomfort mixed with hope and curiosity flooded Menat as the man put a hand on her shoulder and looked at her as if she was asked to leave most gently. Menat felt it was for the best, lest she was thrown for more loops in this emotional rollercoaster of confrontations and revelations. With her heart in her throat, she cast one look at Nash before she walked away.

Menat returned to the fair, surrounded by happy people, passing the cotton candy booth alone. Worry began to emerge under all her other emotions, as she sat down on a lone bench, taking in her surroundings. Sometime after, someone sat next to her and she turned her head to see Rose looking at her with a raised brow.

"Menat? Where's Nash?" she asked, the smell of wine lingering on her breath. Really poignant stuff, reminding Menat why she chose not to drink.

"He uh…" she began, unsure of how to describe the confrontation, she witnessed, "He had to say hi to an old friend, I think."

Rose sat for a bit, picking at the words before she pointed at a dart booth nearby, "…Come, let's play a game."

Together, the two of them headed towards the booth, earning six darts each. On the walls of the booth and around its rim, hung a bunch of prizes; mostly massive chocolates, funny trinkets, and plushies.

One of them was a pink cat that Menat fell in love with immediately. This new infatuation drew her to pick up a dart and throw it – and missed. Stubbornness got a hold of her, and she tried over and over, only to miss every single miserable time.

"Better luck next time, missy. Unless you wanna pay again?" the booth operator smiled with mischievous, greedy intent and Menat's mood soured.

Even more so when Rose only hit the outer rim of the dart board once and earned a tiny heart-shaped locket. It looked like a kid's toy. Defeated, they were about to walk away when someone else came up to the booth; the stranger that talked with Nash – with no sign of him either.

"Three darts," the stranger said, paid the money, and received his set.

As it turned out, he was ridiculously efficient, hitting the middle of the dart board each time with the precision of a sharpshooter. Now, it was the booth keeper's turn to be a bit sullen and he sighed in defeat, looking at the stranger as if asking him to pick a price.

"Is there anything you'd like?" he turned to Menat, his eyes shifting to Rose and the trinket in her hands.

"The pink cat…" Menat looked at the stuffed animal wistfully.

Baffled at this turn of events, the booth keeper took the plushie and handed it over to a stunned Menat. She blinked, then blushed at the gesture, "Wow…thanks!"

"Consider it my way of saying thanks," he said, relaxed and calm as if he hadn't just aced a carnival game like a pro.

"Uh wait, what's your name?" Flushed and somewhat confused, Menat called out to him and he stopped for a bit, flashing a faint smile.

"Guile. He's at the Ferris wheel if you're wondering," he answered, and then he was gone, slipping into the crowd. Menat remembered she still had his phone number in her purse.

"That was the friend, I talked about, Master!" she exclaimed, clutching onto the plush as if it would slip away into the ether.

Rose looked at her with narrowed eyes, then cleared her throat to collect herself, probably just as confused, "I see. I suppose it's time to go to the Ferris wheel."

And without looking back at the booth, they walked away, aiming for the giant Ferris wheel. Menat thought of the stranger and his relationship with Nash – and Nash in general. Of the life, he led before his death. Of the people he knew, of the person he used to be.

She'd imagine he was happier and had a more stable existence. Maybe hobbies as well. He was resistant when she tried to pry him open for information, but she felt that this revelation was a sign of a boundary being passed. Starting with his first name.

Soon they reached the Ferris wheel and a massive line of people waiting for a ride. Menat hesitated, feeling the anxiety bubble inside, sliding away from Rose's side while she stepped in line.

"Still afraid of heights, I see," she raised her brows, pursing her lips. Her stare made Menat shuffle on her feet.

"Sorry, Master…" she bowed and walked away.

After a few hours or so of trying to find Nash and getting momentarily distracted by booths, Menat bought her cotton candy alongside some drinks and found herself in a small rose garden; a new addition this year as people could come and watch the Ferris wheel when it was turned alit and if not, relax from the festivities.

It was here by a wide tree, she found Nash sitting by himself, his head buried between his knees. Menat had come to find out that he was a silent sleeper, though not entirely still; his eyes and expression tended to twitch in slumber as if he was dreaming. She never asked what he was dreaming about, and such nights tended to forgo them whenever she used Soul Power on him.

"Found you! I hope you're not hungry because I got you candy floss," she sat down next to him, watching as he lifted his head.

He was still wearing the facemask and some of the makeup had been rubbed off on it, revealing patches of green skin underneath when she pulled it down. Putting the teddy in his lap and handing him one of the cotton candy sticks, gave Menat the opportunity to find the makeup in her purse and apply it.

Afterward, she took out the two bottles of watermelon soda. Admittingly, she just picked something without even looking. Above them, the afternoon sky began crawling towards the evening and it became time for the Ferris wheel to have its lights turned on.

"Wow, it's pretty," Menat said in awe. Then she remembered that it was actually a ride, not just a spot for sightseeing and she looked at Nash, who seemed mildly fascinated by the light show proceeding slowly.

"Uh, you want to ride it?" she asked, and he shifted his gaze sideways toward her.

"Do you?"

"…No," she shifted uncomfortably, biting a huge chunk of the candy floss off. Thus, they sat in the rose garden, leaning against a tree, sipping soda here and there when not fighting against the stickiness of the cotton candy while the day passed into darkness.

In the far end of the garden, by its entrance, Rose eventually emerged, only partly illuminated by lampposts. Menat felt sticky from the cotton candy, but the sugary artificial taste was worth the hassle. And with the plush present, she felt like a child again.

Child…childhood.

It had been many years ago now and moments of happiness still lingered but they lead to a thread of things, Menat didn't want to remember. She closed her eyes, and breathed through her nose, forcing the wounds to a close before they could even begin to open.

Fluttering her eyes open, she ate the last of her cotton candy and pulled her knees to her chest, feeling the chill of the coming night. With a silent sigh, she leaned her head against Nash, taking in his faint warmth.

"So…can I call you Charlie now?" she asked, a little anxious for his answer.

"…Sure."

Menat hummed in pleased satisfaction, eventually feeling the plush in her lap again. She took it and gave it back, "You can keep it. Guile won it for me, but I want you to have it. Since he's your friend and all, right?"

"Yes, I suppose that never changes."

"Mm, that's good. You know, someone's fate can take many shapes by even the tiniest of actions, as Master says. I think we can ensure ourselves a great destiny when we have people in our lives. I think…loneliness is an awful feeling," she mused, wondering if she was even speaking about Nash or herself at this point. Such reflections made her think that they probably had more in common than she initially thought.

Nash – Charlie looked at her, with an expression she couldn't quite define. Menat felt warmth shoot to her cheeks in rosy blush, wondering if she had been too pretentiously vague.

"…I think we can both attest to the fact that…life isn't that easy but that goes without saying," he said as he looked at the Ferris wheel again and Menat sat with a feeling of confusion.

And then not when she thought about it.

Without really meaning to, she probably painted a big red mark on herself and her own inner woes. She bit the inside of her cheek, embarrassed with herself but fascinated too.

Happy that he understood.

With the night over them, the Ferris wheel was fully lit, casting its sparkling light all over the fair like a beacon. It meant that more people began to pour into the garden. Friends were such a wonderful thing to have, Menat concluded, taking the last drops of her watermelon soda.