Closed RP Gourd Vibes Only

[Phoenix]

Sam’s smile grew as she watched Todd take Adelyn’s hand. Something easy was settling into her skin, despite the overwhelming vibrations. She had long gotten used to sensing people and animals and machines moving. And there was something so cheerful about this place. She had only gone to a few with her family as a child. It came to her so vividly. She almost stopped walking, slowing down, as she realized that it was the first time in years she had thought of… good memories?

She shook herself out of it and took a few long strides to regain her pace and footing with Todd and Adelyn, both of whom had such long legs. For a moment, she searched around them, her eyes telescoping– then tugged them both over in the direction of a map and directory. There were pamphlets piled up on the table in front of it, but she took a moment to study it. This pumpkin patch was far more than just a pumpkin patch. There was a petting zoo, horse rides, a zip line, a carousel, two corn mazes, contests, apple picking, and pig races. Pig races?

She took a moment to look up at her companions and gauge their expressions when she had finished looking at the map. Neither of them, she realized suddenly, had the worry that her parents used to have taking her to events like these. Neither of them were looking at her like they were worried she’d get in trouble. Had… had her parents always looked like that when they went places? Sam remembered the days of her parents wearing and carrying oven mitts around with them for in case she had a meltdown. She remembered, though, that they always had a good time. Even so, how had she never noticed?

She turned her attention back to the board as she thought about it. That would be on her mind for a while. But maybe, for now, she could put it out of her mind. She breathed in deep, and let out a small rush of hot air as she breathed out. It spiraled up and away from them, dispersing into the air. She turned a smile back onto them.

“It looks like it depends on if we want to go right or left. That way–” She pointed to the left, “Looks like it’s the petting zoo and the carousel. And the other direction is the mazes and apples and pumpkins.”​

 

[Wendigo]

Todd smiled back when Adelyn met his eyes, without any teeth. He held her hand firmly – reassuringly, tightening back when she tightened her grip. I’m here. Nobody will hurt us.

Then he broke her gaze, looking up at the same board as Sam, then looking to each side.

“Maybe the petting zoo and carousel to work up an appetite?” He made the suggestion, but he kept it a question for Adelyn. “Then if we do apples, we can go into the maze when it’s less crowded, and pick a pumpkin right before we go home.”

He glanced at Sam for a moment, for reassurance of his own. She’d gotten lost in her own thoughts for a second. He was learning what that looked like, the slight haze in her eyes. There was a warmth in her exhale that was almost something tangible, carrying the spice of her core cinnamon-scent. He swallowed, and looked back at Addy.

“Unless you wanna do something else first, kiddo. Today’s totally up to you.”

 

[Katpride]

Adelyn lets Sam drag her over to a little wooden stand without complaint, leading Todd along in turn and peering curiously at the paper plastered to the wood once they drift to a stop. Oh, it’s a map! It’s different from the maps she’s used to looking at, but it’s a map nonetheless! She studies it, occasionally glancing up and around as she tries to match the little graphics and labels to their real-world equivalents.

“I wanna do the zipline,” she announces, after diligently listening to her friends’ suggestions. It strikes her as strange that neither of them brought it up, but she shrugs the strangeness off, not allowing her smile to dim. “If y’all wanna do the carousel you can, but I think I’d get dizzy. Oh, the horse rides sound fun, though! I’ve always wanted to ride a horse!”

She’s pretty sure Uncle Barclay had a horse, at one point, but she never got the chance to ride it because she was too young. It’s past time to correct that injustice, in her opinion. Determined, she takes up Todd’s hand again (she’d dropped it to look at the map), seizing Sam’s as well before forging her way into the fairground. It was so much easier to ignore the people around her when she couldn’t hear their every breath and shuffling step. She was glad for her new Shift, even if she was still in the process of figuring it out, and gladder still to have her friends on either side of her, a buffer between herself and the crowd.

Not that she needed her powers, to follow a simple map! No, she could do that just fine on her own. She located the horse rides quickly - they were right next to the carousel, as it turned out, and the carousel was a big structure with a distinctive pointy roof - and slotted the three of them in at the end of the line before dropping their hands again.

Trying not to think too hard about the people standing and chatting just ahead of them, she adjusted her sunglasses and turned to smile at Sam, then Todd. There was still nervousness lingering in the edges of her expression, but for the most part she was eager, gloved hands fidgeting together like she couldn’t figure out how to shake out the energy that had overcome her. “You said they do this every year? How do they find the time? Is it always like this? This… elaborate, I mean.”

 

[Phoenix]

Before they left the map, Sam grabbed one of the smaller portable maps. She caught Todd looking at her, a question in his eyes. She smiled warmly at him as Adelyn took their hands and raced off, declaring what she wanted to do first. Sam even laughed a little as she was pulled along to the horse rides, which looked like a fairly standard, if large, round for them to prance through. As they stopped in line, Adelyn started to ask questions.

“Yeah, every year! They tend to shake it up and do different things every year. But a lot of places are so popular that all they do all year long is prepare for this! The farm we went to back home, with my parents, it wasn’t quite this big, but it was full to the brim with things to do. So, I guess, yeah. It’s usually this elaborate.” Sam rested a hand on Adelyn’s elbow, trying her best to calm the girl’s nervous energy. She wasn’t good at calming people, not like Todd was. She was better at getting people excited and revved up.

The line moved ahead of them, and the three of them stepped up to almost the front of the line. In front of them was a younger couple, with a young toddler in the husband’s arms. She found herself staring for just a moment, a bit of sadness entering her heart. It was a quick, sharp pang. Sam would never have that. She would never have kids. The doctor had told her that when she was fourteen, when her parents had taken her in to see a specialist, when she hadn’t grown an inch in two years, when she was still less than eighty pounds. She would never have kids running around her feet, in her arms, to tuck into bed at night– something she hadn’t told Todd yet. She’d have to do that eventually.

But Adelyn, or maybe Todd, shifted next to her, and the vibrations brought her attention back to them. Her face softened into a smile again. This was good. To be surrounded by people she cared about, people she adored. This would be enough for her. She might never be a mom, but she could take care of Adelyn while her mom wasn’t there to do it. She knew the girl had her grandparents, but she could still help. She could be the older sister she needed. She could be a driving force, a helping hand, whatever Adelyn needed. And that would be enough. Her, Nat, and Todd. She could be happy with just them.​