The air of Competition [Noa]

[Kelly Thompson]

It was a pleasant day to be out at the field day. The sun was high and warm, and there was a cool breeze that swept by occasionally. People from Pilot Ridge and Hammel were happily making their way around food stands and little game booths. There was laughter and chatter as a busy but pleasing ambience. Little kids would run around, squealing with delight at the toy they just one with their parents chasing after them.

Kelly was there wandering the fair aimlessly. He was just there to enjoy a good time of getting out in the fresh air. He didn't plan to meet up with a friend and join every game in sight. Instead he just wanted to maybe grab a few things to eat and just enjoy watching others have fun. That was enough for him today.

"Couples' Scavenger Hunt"

That's what the sign next to an energy filled man read. A few couples had gathered around, one coaxing the other to join. Kelly watched as a few of them tried to get out of it, but ended up reluctantly agreeing. He got a kick out of the lack of backbone they had.

Of course after standing behind the couples for a little while watching them, the man holding this little event caught notice. "So young man, would you like to join~?" He spoke quick and with purpose much like a salesman.

"Um... I'm alone..." Kelly wouldn't mind joining, but only if he had a friend who agreed to do it as well. He wasn't going to eagerly coax someone walking by.

"That's alright, we'll find another loaner who can be your partner." The man's smile was bright and very fake. He really didn't want to be surrounded by lovey dovey couples, the Canadian could tell. All the same the man pointed to a girl walking by. "How about you young lady! Would you be so kind as to join this little hunt."

Kelly stared at the girl the man pulled from the crowd. "Please say no, please say no." The thought was the only ting running through his head. He didn't want to go looking for things with her at his side.

[Noa Reese]

At long last Noa had made it to the Pilot Ridge field day. She liked the event, and had made a special effort to get to it despite living closer to UVM now. Today was a great day for it, too, and she had taken advantage of that fact to flaunt around in a vintage-inspired dress that made her feel straight out of the 50's. But in the adorable way, not the 'oppressed female' way.

"How about you young lady! Would you be so kind as to join this little hunt?"

Noa turned in surprise to find a barker - the cheap kind that are found at carnivals and such, the kind that often put her in a bad mood by setting off her internal lie detector almost every time they spoke - and pursed her lips. She could handle it, it was nice out. Besides, she wasn't even entirely sure what he was asking for. But as her eyes skimmed over the sign next to him, and onto the crowd-

Oh, god. Noa wasn't sure what to do. She was always a little cautious about being around Kelly - they didn't exactly hate each other, but they weren't really friends, either. At school, she'd been fine running into him occasionally, sharing a few barbs, and going about their day pretending to be friends. He was kind of an attention whore, though she knew she was too. Maybe that was why they clashed. But she wasn't at school now. Still... was he expecting her to help him out on this?

Well, in any case, she figured it couldn't hurt. They could always bail and split ways, the way they'd done at numerous functions. She shot a tentative half smile/half smirk at him. She wasn't trying to make him mad, but she had to hold up the persona she'd grown used to using with him. "Sure," she told the barker, going to join her... frenemy? Is that what they were? She didn't dislike him, just his behavior on occasion.

Slipping back into her old role, she nudged him - not too hard, but not exactly gently, either. "You came by yourself?" Before he could answer, she added, jokingly, though there was a slight edge to her voice, "Well, I suppose you're used to that, aren't you?"

Ugh. She hated these stupid semblances of friendly mocking. Wasn't it about time they got over their stupid rivalry for attention, now that they weren't at school together? But she was really the one at fault here, starting off on a familiarly tense foot, and she was frustrated at herself for not just making the change herself.