The Timeless Faire

"There'st thine's"

The vendor behind the counter handed Salinae her treat, fruit dipped in thick, sugary syrup. She gave a nod and thank-you, walking to Oushiqae and Nexakii, both women licking and their own treats.

"Sounded about the same..." Oushiqae spoke, nodding toward the church across the road as Salinae approached. "And look, if it's like last time, there should be a drunk guy falling off the room into the bushes to the glee of his friends."

Just as she predicted, there was the drunken man, shirt off, trying to dance on the roof of the church while the guard shouted at him to get down.

And get down he did, with a slip, falling off down into the bushes. Just as he did last night. And the night before.

"Ugh, this doesn't make any sense." Nexakii huffed, biting into her treat. "Oushiqae, you're booksmart, aren't you?"

"Sure. I guess."

"How does this kind of thing happen?" She asked, side-stepping the charging group of guys. She'd be knocked over by them one time too many.

"What part of it?" Oushiqae chuckled, crossing her arms. "That Vusdoe doesn't appear on any maps? Isolation...uh....shoddy cartographers and census takers."

The cow woman leaned against the building behind her. Its architecture was old. Very old.

Like the rest of the buildings and people and speech and even food in Vusdoe, it was reminiscent of Illaminian culture from almost 200 years ago. No factories or railways.

Just wholesome small towns, drinking, partying, farming, and the like.

"A few cartographers...maybe..." Salinae mused. "But none? And not one tip-giver's ever mentioned a town out here. Far as I know, we're the only wanderers to know this town exists."

"Maybe it got wiped out after the droughts." Oushiqae offered.

"In 6th turn? You think this is *actually* a 6th turn town from 200 years ago?" Salinae asked.

"Sure. And maybe this is the ghost of the town, brought back to life today in 8th turn, to relive the same night for all eternity."

Salinae looked over her shoulder, watching the couple fight, the burly wife knocking her husband out in one clean punch.

Again.

"Yeah...this can't be some town-wide act. It's too...precise."

"This candy's pretty tasty for being ghost candy, though." Nexakii noted.

"Maybe it's not a ghost town, then." Oushiqae continued her speculation. "Maybe we've just been...transported 200 years in the past. A real live pre-drought village..."

"That just sounds more far-fetched..." Salinae shook her head, breaking off some of her treat for Nexakii.

"Well, hey, why speculate? Let's ask someone." Oushiqae pushed away from the building, sauntering toward a group of people, with the other two reluctantly following behind.

The group was lounging in the garden of a noble's house, chalices in hand.

"Lo! One doth approach!" One of the girl spoke with authority, the others snickering. "And rather...*queer* clothing, I mayst add."

"Yeah, I guess it would be." Oushiqae laughed, turning on her nature charisma. "Pour me one?"

"I do believe thou meanst to say 'mayst I', aye?" The girl replied, cocking an eyebrow. Oushiqae frowned at the communication barrier, shaking her head.

"Uh...sure. Mayst I?"

"Thou mayst." The woman replied, pouring some liquor into a spare wood chalice.

Oushiqae gave her thanks, taking a drink. Salinae and Nexakii milled behind, letting Oushiqae talk.

"Say, mind helping my friend out? What's today's date."

"Why, tis the 21st of Spring, 6th Turn and 10, of course." The woman replied.

One of the others whispered something to her. She nodded, speaking again, her voice...and inflection changing.

"'Less jerbeen serious? Zhaneed za akshul date?"

"Do I...?" Oushiqae blinked. "...what? I mean...yes I'd like the actual date."

"Vite, vite, sosaur. Yea, it's like eeeeyy..." the woman clicked her tongue, her friends speaking in a similar, bizarre dialect. "Sumlik twemtiff turn...fiffy-fid?"

"I'm sorry...did you say..." Oushiqae paused, trying to process what she heard. "...*20th* turn?"

"Yea, sovvat?" The woman asked. "Common, kwit breakin charata. An worda advice: yer costume'd all rong. Izza siff turn faire, not eif turn."

The group laughed, taking sips of their drinks. Oushiqae blinked, slowly taking a drink from her own chalice.

Salinae and Nexakii said nothing, brows furrowed as they listened in. Salinae put a hand on Oushiqae's shoulder.

"So...how do you explain that...?" Nexakii spoke quietly.

"Dunno..." Oushiqae sighed, finishing her drink in one gulp and setting the chalice down.

Oushiqae stood, dusting herself off.

"Well...er, good folk. Verily did I enjoy...eth the drinks but now we must away yonder."

"Indeed, thou must." The girl replied, smiling. Oushiqae put her hand on each of her friends' shoulders, leading them away.

"Come on, we've spent enough nights here." She said, the trio walking down the cobblestone pathway, passing the lovingly replicated 6th turn buildings, the costumed people passing them by.

"Best to not spoil their faire, aye?"