Rainy Day for Fishing

It was a dull day, overcast with a twinge of silvery grey darting through the clouds over the town. People were out and about sure, but barely enough to call it a real fest in Lavender's book; even he knows Starsail is more bustling than this. Glancing around at the sparsely dotted streets with a subtly raised eyebrow only to lower it again, must be something in the air today or something. Everything just felt... melancholic.

Even he could remember his first Starsail being way more lively than this, continuing his stroll as Lavender reminisced to those earlier days. Being freshly new to the settlement and during the height of the festivities no less, being able to toddle through these streets and see the colours bloom in every nook and cranny as the sun shone boldly on his wee scales; bright pink eyes wide with wonder and curiosity whilst housemaster Carina held his little purple paw in gentle guidance. Keeping in step with the rest of the younger finley of Winter's Cold and the begruding teens that were roped into helping keep watch, gawping at the stalls and the sights and the smells! 

It was, for once in his life, saddening to open his eyes to nothing of the sort.
Sure the few kids who were there were racing through the stalls a mile a minute, but the adults seemed... Offput.

Lavender wasn't dumb; he remembered the role-call Vortea issued, the meetings in town hall over matters he was "too young to understand", the expedition that set out last month even. He knew something was up, something that was enough to rattle the very feel of this year's Starsail to its core no matter how hard people tried to pretend it hadn't. Even though people had opened up more stalls after returning home, all with the intent to givng hope and respite despite the stilted start to the traditions, it didn't hide the fact that something wasn't right this year.

The gloomy weather certainly didn't help, if he wasn't gently encouraged by his housemaster Lavender would've much more likely be sat in his room reading as per usual after all. I mean; who would want to willingly go out in weather like this to go to Starsail, an event that lasts more than one day, with the expectations of it being anything more than just kinda depressing? What could he even do that wasn't just looking a little sad and weepy in the clouded grey tones of the sky? He had to prove to Carina that he's got a little bit of a whimsical bone in his body, just some sort of proof that he didn't just go sit in the library instead...

Oh hey, look at that stall. Draped in gorgeous ocean blues that somehow still shone against the monotone filter the day had chosen to apply. Accompanied by a lonely little pool to the right of it and a line of brightly coloured toy fishing rods leant against the stall's side, all hosted by a minty green draken who stat there slumped against the desk blowing a couple strands of brown hair out of his eyes. The look in his eyes giving the vibes of someone who's stall has seen no such activity for the past while, the sort of stall that was perfect for Lavender's tastes no less! No noisy kids nor nosey teens in sight, just him and the earth draken who anxiously bolted straight up at the young fire draken's approach.

"O-Oh! Hello! Welcome to Wish for a Fish!"
Oh, it was Remy. The Farm-bloke, he seemed nervous as ever.
"I- I mean Fish for a Wish..."

Hah, the way he stumbled with his words made Lavender smile a little.
"Hello sir, this pond taken?"
"Er... not really. You looking to fish?"
"Yeah, theres not much else of substance to do here as is."

Though his blunt tone may have spooked the poor leafy lad a little, it didn't stop Remy from stepping out of his booth to lead him to the selection of rods with a quiet nodding "Aight.". Waving a brown clawed-hand to show him the rainbow of various, albeit endearingly tacky, fishing rods he had at his disposal; some dotted with stars, others striped and spotted, there was even one with a gaudy but wonderfully gradiented blank that shifted from blue to pink with gentle white freckling. The shimmery little purple tackle adorned to the hook staring at him with its one still standing googly eye, by the spirits it looked bloody awful... but it spoke to him.

Reaching out a paw to pick it up, firmly grasp its handle, maybe even give it a gentle tester thwip before cranking the reel just to hear the whizz. Lavender knew it wasn't real fishing of course, just a fairground game, but he couldn't help but pretend even for a little while that this garish little toy was a mighty rod capable of reeling in the most immense catches from the shallow depths of this dinky little pond. Made the young draken chuckle to himself as he slowly walked over, with nobody but the stall-host to bother him and his rod as the skies rumbled slightly.

Sitting at the edge of it, staring into the misty blue water and the koblaine bobbers that adorned its surface. Glancing at the rest of the festival just to check in case there was some equally as bored finley about to rock up to the stall; you know, so he'd know to keep his fishing brief. But well... there was nothing.

No one. Just him, Remy, and the pond. Perfect.

Casting a line, right as rain began to drizzle from the clouds above. Scattering small ripples in the pond and spattering on his snout, but contrary to what you may believe for a fire draken... he enjoyed it. Lavender found it quite the calming experience in all honesty, could not even care for the people who began to awkwardly shuffle for cover out of fear of getting slowly dampened. 

He was fishing, and he was content.