"Oh, now isn't this a treat!" Star's voice boomed over the loudspeaker. "If my sparkling eyes don't deceive me, isn't that our beloved Second Prince, Arjuna making his way through the audience?"

A chorus of "ooh's" and "ah's"bubbled up throughout the gaggle of spectators, eagerly trying to get a sight of their hairless blue monarch.

"Prince Arjuna, it's so good to see you!" some people said.

"It's wonderful to see you, My Prince!" others cheered.

"How are you enjoying the festival?"

"Are you having fun, Prince?"

The sudden onslaught of greetings, cheers, and queries startled the country's second born ruler. A bashful smile decorated his face.

"It is good to see all of you." he said to the crowd. "I am enjoying myself, quite well. Seeing your smiling faces and hearing your joyful laughter is just what I needed to lift my day."

"Well, let's see if we can continue to lift you up! Why don't you join us on stage as a guest judge?" Star suggested.

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The troublesome twins held each other close, while Mint and Sugar watched their tender display. Sugar glanced over at her viridian friend and gave a start when she noticed the forlorn look that painted her face. Quietly, she walked over to the gentle queen and touched her shoulder. Solemnly, Mint looked at her true-blue friend and forced a somewhat convincing smile upon her face.

"Yes?" she asked, her voice sounding exceptionally dulcet.

"Are you alright?" Sugar asked softly.

Mint's smile became somehow more enchantingly sweet. "I am alright, do not trouble yourself over me. I am sorry to have worried you."

Sugar shook her head, lightly. "You are my friend, you could never be troublesome to me."

"...thank you."

Throughout the morning, performances and performers delighted the audience with extraordinary feats of talent and flair. Jugglers, fire-eaters, pole dancers, and more galloped across the stage, putting on a show that was fit to attract the eyes of royals. ...and so...

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"Ginger is so cool!" Candy cheered, pouncing on her tangerine twin.

"Ginger is the best!" Tange agreed. "I just wish we could be on the same side. I don't like having to compete against her, even if it is just a silly beauty contest."

"It is pretty silly, but still a lot of fun." Candy said. "And Ginger loves you, so I bet she feels the same way. Just have fun and forget the rest."

Tange smiled and hugged her bosom buddy, tightly. "You can be very wise when you want to be, Candy."

"I always WANT to be wise, but I know I can't always be. So, I'm happy whenever I can say something that helps you, even a little."

"You always help me, even if you don't say anything at all, because you're my best friend."

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At that moment, there was a hushed stillness that fell upon the girls. Mint was their exotic, gentle, beauty. She wouldn't hurt a fly, much less another cat. What in the world did she mean? Who was this lover that she abandoned and why did she leave him? What did he do to drive the lovely queen away?

Just then, the girls of Brandy's Place finished their performance and trotted to the backstage where the Sweet Shoppe girls awaited their turn. The woman Tange had been watching earlier, jogged toward the orange cat and placed a quick kiss on her lips.

"Hey, pretty girl." she sang, then skipped off with her team.

Tange giggled at the gesture of affection and shouted, "You were great Ginger!" as she watched her dash off.

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"Though I've never been in love," Tange began, "I doubt that is how it's done."

"It is not." Mint confirmed. "Love is not something that can be bartered or sold, it can only be given and taken. Nothing more and never anything less."

"You speak as though you know." Sugar said. "Have you ever been in love, Mint?"

Mint looked down at her feet, her expression somber. "Yes." she answered. "But, in the end I must have caused him great pain"

"Pain?"

"Yes. It must have deeply hurt him...when I left him." she admitted, quietly.

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"But," Sugar began, "what does she want him for? What is she planning to do with him if Sweetheart gave him to her?"

The sweet, adorable innocence Sugar had was refreshing and Mint and Tange could not help but to smile at her gentle query.

"She" Mint began, "wants him, because she believes that his heart can be swayed. It is not just Boomer she desires, she longs for his love, as well."

"But," Candy said, "Boomer already loves Sweetheart. If she could get Sweetheart to give him to her, then would she also give her his love, since she already has it?"

In many ways, Tange wished that her friend wasn't so naive, and yet, she also couldn't help but to hope that she would remain bright eyed and curious, forever. It was an unusual juxtaposition.

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"What?!" Candy and Sugar asked at once.

"The other half of her soul." Mint replied.

When blank stares were all the cotton candy duo offered, Tange clarified.

"Her mate." she said. "In this case, Boomer."

It was impossible for Candy and Sugar to look more surprised. Wanting to have another person's lover was just too much to believe, but to not believe their words would be foolish. Mint was as wise as she was lovely, and Tange had been studying to be a doctor ever since she was a kitten. If anyone had any insight into this...thing, then these two surely could be counted on to shed light onto a questionable situation.

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"Sometimes, it is prudent not to give up your hoping." Mint said. "There are times in this walk that hope is all that we have, so do not release it so easily. ...although, when it comes to that one, I fear that this time--"

"...isn't one of those times." Tange concluded. "Not unless Brandy comes to her senses and gives up her stupid quest. When she finally realizes that it's never going to happen,"

"What's never going to happen?" Candy asked in confusion.

"Huh?! You mean you never noticed?" Tange asked, and when Candy shook her bright pink head, she continued. "The reason why they are fighting, is because Sweetheart has something she wants, but will never give her."

Mint nodded her head. "It is not something that can be shared. This is a time where Sweetheart cannot abandon that which Brandy covets. Her refusal to share cannot be viewed as a selfish act. If I sat in Sweetheart's position, my decision would the very same. I could not give mine away...not ever."

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With a smile and a lilt in her step, Star skipped across the stage to the stage curtain and ducked behind it, just as Brandy's Girls' sauntered and sashayed onto the scene looking more like lingerie models than restaurant hostesses...much to the delight of more than a few entranced men.

From behind the curtain, just slightly out of sight,Tange watched, quietly. A smile touched her face, as one of the performers noticed that she was watching. The dancer held her gaze for a moment, then smiled and winked at her admiring little onlooker. Tange smiled brightly, then ducked back behind the curtain, hurrying over to her team.

"How were they?" Candy asked, excitedly.

"Amazing!" Tange answered. "As expected. I know right now we are competitors, but I wish we could be on the same team."

"That would be lovely." Sugar agreed. "If only we could be more amicable toward one another."

"That'll be the day." Tange chuckled. "I don't think Sweetheart and Brandy will ever be friends."

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The grandstand was swarming with onlookers. Mothers, fathers, children, customers, and many others chatted together as they waited for the show to start.

"Queens, toms, and kittens," a loud voice boomed over the loud speaker, "we are ready to begin, so please be seated. Welcome! Welcome to our annual Festival of Return: Showcase of Artistry, a pageant displaying the talents of employees and vendors throughout the city. I am your host, Star.

"For those of you that have never attended the show, let me give you a quick rundown; workers from restaurants, taverns, shops and other vendors around the city compete in this battle of the best. Employees will give a group presentation representing their assorted outlets and showing you all they've got.

"The order of performances will be in alphabetical order, starting with "Brandy's Place". These girls will be performing a feather dance. Parents, please be warned, this dance is a little...exotic."

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"The stage is set, and the performers are ready, Ken."

"They sure are, Sabrina. The hustle and hurry of the early morning has quieted, almost as though sound itself is waiting with bated breath, as the rest of us watch on with sweeping anticipation."

"Why Kendrick," Sabrina said with feigned awe, as she brought her hand to her chest, dramatically clutching her nonexistent pearls, "that was rather poetic."

"Rina, please..." he replied, blushing beneath his blue fur in mild embarrassment.

Sabrina laughed softly and moved closer to her co-worker. Playfully she pounced onto him, wrapping his arm around hers and gave it a fond squeeze.

"I'm sorry, Ken." she said, "But there was an elegance to what you said. It pairs well with your heavy Cathalean accent. People from your island dedicated themselves to the pursuit of knowledge and art."

Kendrick smiled and continued to blush beneath his coat. "Yes, but that was a lifetime ago. We are still rather scholarly, but, the notion of pleasure for its own sake, has been added to our overall social curriculum."

"...poetry." Sabrina teased.

Kendrick's skin was warm enough to toast a marshmallow. Sabrina delighted in their play a moment longer, then returned to her task at hand.

"So, tell us Ken," she began, "do you have a favorite in the talent competition?"

"I do," he answered, his body beginning to cool, "but, I'm afraid my vote is a little biased."

"Oh?"

"Yes. My little sister is to participate in this contest, representing a delightful little cafe on Main Street, where she works. She..."

PS: sorry for the length...

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Sweetheart was unsure what to think, much less say. He seemed like a perfectly charming man who was giving her the reins of command over the situation. It was her café, so of course that was how things were supposed to be. But, she did not know what to do with the unreasonable authority she had been unequivocally given. Seeing her struggle with indecision was a sight that disturbed the caramel-colored male. Just as she had no knowledge of him, he had no real insight into the woman beyond the handful of seconds they had just shared. Yet, even if he knew nothing about her, he knew that he didn’t want to cause her to fret over a situation he essentially caused to escalate into a dilemma.

“How about this,” he began, “allow me to visit your shop tomorrow to have one chance to clean this mess up with her. If I cannot change her image of me and she tells me to leave, then I will not set foot into your establishment, ever again. Does that sound reasonable?”

Sweetheart continued to stare at the man, searching for any sign of deceit or mistrust, but she could find none. On the contrary, he seemed unabashedly upon and honest. What in the world had happened between he and Plum to cause such tension? …well, tension from one of them. She wasn’t sure and he wasn’t offering her a clear explanation. Of course, he had also been told that she and Plum were very close, so it would be safe to assume that he would have reasoned that she would have gotten the details of the story from her. He didn’t feel the need to try to explain or make excuses, he was simply allowing the woman that he had acquired a genuine affinity for, to give her account of the events that had transpired between the two of them. Whatever Plum would tell her, would make or break his chances with her and that was all that he was asking for…a chance.

Sweetheart sighed, closed her eyes, took a deep breath and said, “Her favorite flower is, hyacinth.”

When she opened her eyes to see the result of her abbreviated permission, the warm, glowing, hopeful smile she was greeted to, told her that she had made the right choice.

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“The pleasure is all ours.” Sweetheart said.

“No it isn’t.” Plum spat. “The pleasure will be in finally watching you leave!” she said, snatching the bag of ice away from him. “Thanks for not knocking the wind out of my best friend’s lungs. You can go, no.”

“P- Plum?” Sweetheart stammered.

“It’s alright.” Tennessee said, pleasantly. “I’m afraid we didn’t’ get off to a very good start, so I quickly wore out my welcome. I should go.”

“Finally!” Plum growled, stomping back to the stall with the bag of ice.

Though he tried, Tennessee could not help but smile as he watched the fiery lavender cat storm off. “Plum…” he whispered, happy to finally have a name to go with the face he would surely see in his dreams that night. “May I ask,” he said to Sweetheart,” is your Sweet Shoppe in town?

“Ah…it is.” she answered, warily. “But, if you have done something to Plum, then I—“

“Only everything that a man can do to ruin a first impression.” he admitted, his eyes still on Plum as she retreated to the stall. “But, I intended no harm. I would love the chance to get to know her and for her to know me. Still, it is your establishment,” he said, turning to look down at the little shop owner, “so, if you say the word, I promise not to visit. I want to, but I will not if you forbid me to enter.”

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“Until next time, Miss Sweet Shoppe.” he said, nodding to her, then starting on his way. Yet, he had hardly taken a step when his chosen direction caused him to collide with someone who had chosen a similar path. Being a sturdy fellow, he bore the collision without harm, but the little golden queen he ran into did not fare as well. She fell over backward and had it not been for his keen reflexes, Sweetheart would have hit the ground. Before she came anywhere near crashing into the dirt beneath her feet, the fox grabbed her and the bag of ice she had been carrying with ease.

“I’m so sorry!” he exclaimed, setting the little shop owner down on her feet. “You’re not hurt, are you?”

“No, no, I’m fine, thanks to you.” she assured him. “Thank you for that.”

He smiled kindly, still holding the bag of ice. “It was my fault. I was not paying attention.” he said.

“Sweetheart! Are you alright?” Plum asked, hurrying from behind the stand to check on her friend.

“I’m fine, Plum.” she promised. “Thanks to him.” she added, looking up at the fox.

“Oh, so this is your stall?” Tennessee asked.

“Yes.” she answered. “I’m Sweetheart and this is my best friend and the best assistant manager, ever, Plum.”

He smiled. “It has been a pleasure meeting you, both. I’m, Tennessee.”

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“Hmm?” he murmured, nonchalantly, as he returned to an more upright position. “Looking at the markings on your tail.”

“Why?!” she exclaimed.

“I was curious.” he said, with a grin. “I am about two heads taller than you, so I can already see well over your head, easily. But, when you leaned forward, I could see your entire backside more clearly.”

The icy glare the lavender cat gave him made Tennessee wonder if this was, in fact, a tropical region. At the moment, it seemed anything but. If he didn’t want to become a frozen fox, he knew that he needed to recover the situation, quickly.

“Ah, Miss…actually, I still do not know what to call you.” he said.

“Don’t call me anything, you creep!” she hissed. “Leave, now!”

He sighed in defeat and took a step backward. Pressing her further would only succeed in incurring her ire and his chances of getting to know the girl would be lost, possibly, forever. It was a risk that was too big to take. He looked up at the banner above the stall that bore the store’s name and committed it to memory. He took one more glance at the furious woman that he still found absolutely mystifying and smiled.

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“Yeah, I didn’t know you cats had bushy tails.” he explained. “Granted, I only just started working on Calico, but since I've been here, I’ve only ever seen slender, snake-like tails on you folk, so from the rear, you look like one of my people.”

To this, Plum did not know what to say. It was true that a slender tail was dominant on Calico, but she never truly gave it much through, until now. “So then, your” she began, pointing to his lower half, “…is like mine?”

“Well, no. You see, I’m male, not female, so I’m built a little differently below the belt. Male foxes and I assume male cats don’t have lady parts, we have—“

“STOP TALKING!” Plum all but shouted. “I wasn’t pointing to THAT! I was pointing to…oh, never mind!” she growled, as she marched to the very front of her stall where the cheeky fox was standing and grinning down at her. She leaned over the counter to get a better look at the man who was surely going to be the cause of a migraine, later. Sure enough, a full, bushy, caramel-colored tail with chestnut brown at the tip and a snow-white band just below it, was wagging playfully behind him. It reminded her of a waffle cone of vanilla ice cream with hot fudge on top.

“I’ve been working at the Sweet Shoppe for too long.” she thought to herself. “I see everything as a dessert analogy.” she lamented, as she returned to standing normally. But, when she looked up and noticed that he was hovering above her, examining her backside, she gasped. “What are you doing?!” she shrieked.

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Tennessee continued to smile at her, but found that he could say nothing. When he had first come across her, he just thought that she was attractive, but now, as he watched her bashfully hide her face from him, he found that she was more than that. She was captivatingly curious, enchanting, engaging, and absolutely beautiful and he wanted to know everything about her.

“Anyway,” she said, abruptly pulling him from his thoughts, “why did you mistake me for one of your people? I didn’t think that people on Adohi had fur that was the color of a flower. I thought you all were more…earthy.”

He knew that the smile that was painted across his face would never vanish as long as his thoughts were on her. “So, is there to be no apology for me, then?” he teased, earning him an over-the-shoulder glare so frigid, he wondered why they bothered with an ice machine. Once again, he chuckled at the sight. “We are.” he said, at last. “We’re pretty dull when compared to the cats in the cat kingdom.”

“…so…” she drawled, looking notably at her lavender coat.

“Yeah, I thought that was strange, too.” he said, instantly regretting his words when a second, icier glare was fired at him. “No, no, no!” he said, quickly, once again throwing up his hands in peace, “Not you, I didn’t think that you were strange…curious, but not strange.I thought it was strange to see a floral-colored fox, too. But, I figured it must be dye. The thing is, that tail of yours threw me off.”

“My…what?” she asked, in disbelief.

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“You thought that I was insulting your home when I said, ‘a place like this’! Is that it?” he asked.

“At last, the slowest bird finally crosses the finish line.” she answered, crossing her arms across her chest. But, when the man began to laugh, heartily, she unfolded her arms ad balled her fists at her sides.

In an act of peace, or surrender, or both, Tennessee threw his hands up before him and smiled. “I’m sorry.” he said. “That wasn’t meant as an insult. When I said, ‘a place like this’, I meant that literally, as I was surprised to see a pretty little vixen like you living so far south of home.”

“Haven’t we already figured out that I’m not a vixen?”

“Yes, but at the time, I thought that you were.” he pointed out.

“Whatever. And what do you mean, ‘south of home’?

“Home for me is up north, in Adohi.”

“So? That’s your home. Why would you think that I’d be living there?”

“Because, if you were a vixen, you almost certainly would be.”

Plum furrowed her brow in confusion and irritation, then shook her head. He smiled, his expression a bit warmer than before, then continued.

“The reason a vixen would probably call Adohi home, is the same reason most other foxes call it home. …because we were born there. And, if you were a vixen, you would have as well, because you’d be just like me, except, female.”

“Just like…” Plum started to say, but paused as she processed the entirety of the dialogue and felt moderately sheepish when she realized that the source of her offense, was a genuine case of mistaken identity. She sighed, wearily, “A girl fox.” she whispered. “A vixen is a girl fox, isn’t it?” she said, quietly, as she turned away from him in embarrassment.

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“Can’t do that.” he replied.

“Why?” she growled.

“Because, I’ve done something to offend you and that doesn’t sit well with me.”

“Then sit somewhere else, away from here and away from me.”

He sighed, though it hardly seemed a sigh of frustration, but rather, one of amusement. “Please tell me what I’ve done wrong.” he pleaded.

Plum sighed with the frustration he was lacking. “Look, this town may not seem like much to someone like you, but it means something to me.”

He continued to stare at her, as though she had started a joke of which the punch line had yet to be delivered. His obtuseness was beginning to get tedious and Plum was rapidly losing her already worn patience. Suddenly, an astonished expression adopted the stranger’s face, as he snapped his fingers, for he finally caught up to the line of thought of the feisty feline before him.

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Plum continued to stare at the green-eyed canine who was staring right bat at her with a puzzled look upon his face.

“Hey, now,” he began, “you’re a lady cat.”

“How very astute of you.” Plum returned.

A playful, male chuckle left him as the pieces started to fall into place. “So, I gave you my name, might I have yours?” he asked, cheerily.

“No.” she answered, flatly. “And I’m busy, so please leave.”

“Hmm?” he murmured. “Just a second ago, when I mistook you for a lovely, lavender vixen, you asked me to give you a moment. “Why can I no longer be graced with your beauty, all of a sudden? It’s not because I’m not a cat, is it?”

“It’s because I’m not a…vicar…or whatever it was that you erroneously thought that I was.”

“That would be a vixen.” he corrected.

“Whatever! I don’t even know what that is, so—“

“So, how can you know that you’re not a vixen if you do not know what one is?”

“Didn’t you just say that you ‘mistook’ me for one?”

“Yes, but—“

“Then unless you are a liar…”

“No, I am as honest as the sun is hot.”

“And now, you’re wasting both of our time. I’m not what you thought I was, so please leave.”

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“On site, we are touring the festival grounds, as shop owners scurry to get their stalls setup and ready to receive guests.”

“I don’t know about you, Ken, but my favorite stalls are the sweetest ones. I’ll be on the lookout for milk cake and catnip tea.”

Kendrick laughed. “Well, I can’t say I’m surprised, Sabrina. Still, I’ll be looking for something a little more filling and from the scent of things, there are plenty of things here to garner both of our appetites.”

“And not just ours, Ken, but there is a little something for everyone and I do mean everyone.”

“Very true. From sweet, to savory and everything in between, there is a booth that will have something that will interest every member of your family, from kittens, to grandparents.”

“But,” Sabrina said, “not everything on display at the festival will be something you eat. There will be a talent competition held just before the midday respite.”

“Yes,” Kendrick agreed, “the staff members of various establishments will be competing in an exhibition that pits one shop’s talents against the others. But, even though it’s a competition, my baby sister says that it’s all in good fun.”

“Oh, is she competing, then?”

“Yes, she is, so, please come out and support her.”

“Tell us about where she works, Ken.”

“Sure. My sister…”

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“You’re…you’re a…” she stammered.

“…a ruggedly handsome fellow?” he suggested, a cocky grin adorning his admittedly attractive features.

She blinked in surprise at his cheeky retort. “Um…no.” she replied, her brow furrowed in frustration.

“A dashingly witty fellow, then?” he decided, playfully.

“…yeah, still no.” she ground out.

“Pine needle!” he cried in mock frustration. “Well, then what in the world am I?” he asked, throwing his hands up in defeat.

“You’re” she started, her eyes roaming up and down the expanse of the tall, lean, green eyed, tawny brown male in front of her, “…a fox.” she answered, a quiet awe returning to her voice.

“Ah, that.” he chuckled. “Yeah, I reckon I’m that, too. The name’s, Tennessee.”

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“OUCH!” Plum yelped as she banged her head upon the underside of the machine. “Ah, sorry, give me just a moment, please. I’ll be right out.”

“Oh, no rush, sweetheart.” the voice returned. “I was actually just wondering what a pretty little vixen like you was doing in a place like this.”

She froze, both inward and out. Her blood felt like ice in her veins as she emerged from beneath the machine while her mind digesting what the stranger had imparted to her. “A…place like this?” she asked, her voice dangerously soft.

“Well, yeah.” the stranger replied, unaware of the ice in her tone.

Quietly, she climbed to her feet, her back still to the unknown person as she lightly dusted herself off. “Look stranger, I don’t know who you are, but you’re clearly not from around here.” she hissed. “At any rate, how dare you ask something like that of me?”

“I…I beg your pardon.” the male stammered.

“’A place like this’ is my home!” she growled. “This is where I was born and raised and for you to insinuate that it—“ she continued, spinning about to face the one who had given her such offense. Yet, the moment her eyes found his, she gasped in shock, for standing before her was not a tomcat as she expected, but rather a stranger both in nativity and in creation. Not a cat or anything indigenous to the lands of Catriona. No, the stranger who filled the expanse of her sight was, apart from himself being stunned by the sight of her, a…

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“Anyway,” Sweetheart continued, an amused lilt to her tone, “I’d better find Boomer before this thing gets started. I think he’s by the water with Amber and Malki.”

“I’ll man the fort until you return.”

“I won’t be gone long.” she promised as she slipped out from behind the booth.

“I’ll be counting the minutes.”

“Because you’ll miss me so much?” Sweetheart sang, her voice dripping with feigned sweetness.

“No, because you’re on the clock.” Plum grinned.

Sweetheart opened her mouth to deliver what would undoubtedly be a rousing response, but seemed to think the better of it and simply laughed as she galloped away. Plum, like Sweetheart, laughed as well. Festivals always brought out the best in her and in everyone else. It was easy to be merry on days where spirits were high and merriment was abundant. With that thought, she turned her attention back to the ice machine. With ease, she crawled back under the device, hiding herself once again from the world save for her protruding bright purple tail that served as a waving flag announcing her presence.

“Goodness, what a sight.” a pleasant, masculine voice said.

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Meanwhile, back at the shop stall…

“Hey, Plum, you got that ice machine working, yet?” Sweetheart asked as she adjusted the fabric of the stall’s awning.

“Yeah, I think so.” Plum replied from beneath the defective device. “It looks like a chord was unplugged, is all.”

“Oh thank goodness.” she breathed. “We would have been in a lot of trouble without that.”

“True. But, even though it’s working, it’s still going to take some time to chill.”

“…hairballs!” she growled.

“My, such language!” Plum teased as she emerged from being hidden beneath the frosty machine.

“Sorry.” she sighed. “It’s just, I wouldn’t be surprised if Brandy had something to do with this machine ‘mysteriously’ having a chord unplugged.”

“It does have her handiwork written all over it.” Plum agreed. “But, even so, it’s no big deal. Just have Boomer run off and fetch some ice. We can pop a few bags in and cool the unit down in a jiffy.”

“Really?!” she exclaimed. “Oh, Plum, you’re amazing! I’d be lost without you!”

“Yeah, you would!” she replied, a self-satisfied grin painting her face.

Sweetheart chuckled. “Fine, you earned that so I won’t argue the point…Madame Humility.”

“And I appreciate that you appreciate me.” she teased.

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