[Gift] Of Fears and Festivities

After a long day of delivering messages and packages throughout the Burrowgatory, Azuca looked forward to a rare moment of leisure as she promised her friend Taho that they would visit the local fair to eat good food and win plushies from game booths. This would be the first time the two buns would hang out with each other so Azuca hopes that all goes well. At the fair’s welcome sign, she dabbed a small handkerchief on her forehead as she waited for Taho to arrive. Behind her, the fair was a lovely mix of sounds, lights, and laughter that beckons her to join the festivities.

Relief washed over Azuca as she spotted Taho with a smile on her face that mirrored her own excitement. They exchanged a quick greeting and headed inside the fairgrounds after crossing arms with one another. The colorful stalls that lined the pathways offered dozens of colorful trinkets, mouth watering food, and game prizes. Their eyes both gleamed as they spotted a shooting range booth. They peered at the plushie prizes that hang over the stall. A large lepidaisy plushie caught Azuca’s eyes and she thought it would be a cute toy for her pets to play with. While Taho spoke to the bun manning the stall, Azuca silently prayed to all FPS gods to grant her the hand-eye coordination she needed to win the plushie. 

After paying five carats each, the bun handed Azuca and Taho plastic toy guns and told them to hit ten targets to win big prizes. Both friends nodded enthusiastically as the bun cranked a lever to start the range mechanism. “You go first!” Azuca smiled at her companion, hoping to shake the nervous energy away. She watched in amazement as Taho decimated the whole range except for one quickly disappearing blue target. Taho whooped excitedly as she pointed at the boba plushie before the bun manning the stall handed it to her. 

“Your turn!” Taho nudged Azuca closer to the edge as she hugged her prize. Azuca readied her toy gun and pointed it at the target in front of her. She prays again one last time before firing a shot at the targets. Foam darts fired rapidly across the target range as one hit the elusive target. Taho cheered loudly beside her as she counted the targets Azuca hit.

“Aaaaaand TEN!” Azuca lifted her head from the rear sight to recount the hit targets. The bun congratulated Azuca for her win and asked her to choose from the prize selection. She couldn’t keep her smile off her face as the lepidaisy plushie was handed to her. “Damn, I didn’t know you were so good at this!” Taho teased Azuca who smiled shyly.

The toy was half the size as Azuca so she slightly regretted playing the game before going around the fair. Taho snickered playfully as Azuca struggled to lug the plushy around. “Come on, let’s go check out other stalls!” The two buns explored the fairgrounds some more and bought some snacks to munch on while walking. The place slowly transformed into an enchanted kingdom of twinkling lights as the evening wore on. 

One structure stood out illuminated brightly against the night sky as distant screams of roller coaster riders fill its backdrop. Azuca has never been a fan of roller coasters because 1) her stomach doesn’t like the deep dives 2) her head doesn’t like the high rolls either. In summary, her motion sickness leaves her nauseated for the rest of the day unless she takes medication for it. It was an unfortunate affliction for someone who loves to be on an adventure. Taho, aware of her dilemma, gently squeezed her hand, “maybe today’s the day you overcome that motion sickness of yours.”

Azuca’s eyes widened at her friend’s suggestion. “Uhh I don’t think a single ride can make it go away,” she smiled sheepishly. The bun felt her stomach start to churn at the thought of previous experiences but Taho patted her head encouragingly. They got in line for the roller coaster with a mix of excitement and nervousness. Azuca tried to slow her thundering heart beat as she distracted herself in conversation with Taho. They talked about Taho’s mad baking skills and teased her for a pasalubong to take home the next time they meet. The more they talked, the more Azuca’s nerves calmed as the queue grew closer to the booth. 

When it was their turn finally, both buns settled into the seats and fastened their seatbelts as securely as possible. Azuca clutched the metal safety bars over her chest with both hands before Taho reached out her hand over to her friend, “It’ll be okay, I’m with you!” Azuca grasped Taho’s hand tightly as the cart underneath them rumbled to life and started to ascend the steep climb steadily. All buns behind them started to shout in a mix of pure excitement and fear as the carts hung suspended at the top of the curve. Azuca and Taho joined the scream fest as the ride began its rapid descent. The wind whipping through their hair as they hurtled downward. 

Although Azuca felt a slight twinge of pain in her head, her initial fear turned into exhilaration. She fought to keep her eyes open as they moved through the ride’s twists and turns. Eventually, the coaster came to slow stop and Azuca felt as if her spirit remained untethered at the peak. Taho held out a hand to help Azuca as she stepped off the ride sporting a triumphant smile as both of her legs slightly shook. 

Azuca wobbled slightly, “I did it!” Taho embraced her in a tight hug to steady her for a moment before giving her some space. Azuca smiled as she was feeling grateful for Taho’s calming presence otherwise she might have been hurling her stomach’s content into the nearest bin. The stars twinkled above them as they strolled through the fairgrounds again arm in arm. Azuca realized that sometimes good moments come when you conquer the fear and anxiety of the unexpected. As she turned to her new found friend, Azuca knew that this was a night she would never forget.