It was supposed to be a simple trip to the store. With her handbag clutched tightly in her fist, Arden walked briskly through the town with her head down. She couldn't shake the dark cloud that had been hanging over her lately. She didn't want to see anyone, talk to anyone, do anything. There was a large crowd directly in her way, and inwardly, she sighed.

Tucking her head down a little further into her chest, she started maneuvering through the mass of people. Some remarked loudly at this, but she ignored them, and kept moving. She was about halfway through when something on the ground caught her eye.

"What!" she yelped, startled, and jumped back. There, in a wicker basket, was a snake wiggling like limp spaghetti. Behind the snake, a boy, dark haired and reeking of mystery was playing some sort of instrument. Arden couldn't help but to stare.

When the music stopped, most people turned away and continued their business. Arden, on the other hand, began to stare. When everyone else in the crowd had left, she clapped. She had been the only one to do so, and it made an awkwardly loud sound in the otherwise quiet square.

"That was amazing," she said to the boy. A closer look told her that he wasn't much older than herself, maybe even the same age. She couldn't be sure. But in any case, he was talented and confident - two things Arden wasn't sure if she could say for herself. In a way, she envied this man, who didn't only charm snakes but audiences as well. She wished she could do that.

Well, she could live without the snakes.

Arden blinked in surprise. "Really?" she asked. "Wow. Well, I guess the fact that I'm the only one here clapping should mean something to me, but I'm surprised that you're not applauded more often. Not many people can tame snakes, after all." She tucked a piece of hair behind her ear. "So, I guess you're pretty new here, huh? I mean, I think I would've noticed your presence before." And then she caught herself, and smiled, embarrassed.

"And I'm talking too much again," she said apologetically. "Sorry. It comes in spells." Either she was babbling like an idiot or she was withdrawing into her shell. She felt bipolar sometimes.

"Well, so do I, but it always ends up feeling a little one-sided. I babble. A lot. When I'm nervous, mostly. And talking too much makes me even more nervous, so I talk more because of that. It's kind of like a never-ending cycle." She laughed sheepishly, rubbing the back of her neck with her hand. She wiped sticky strands of her blond hair from the back of her neck as she did so; even in the early fall, as the temperatures died down, she was still dying in the heat.

"It's easy to get lost around here," she said, bending down. She drew a couple of lines in the dirt with the tip of her finger, and, still squatting, began, "This is the center of town. The inn and most of the residences are over here. On this side, across the bridge, that's where the smaller farms are. Up here is the waterfall. Over here is the mansion, and down here is the beach." She rocked back on her heels and smiled upwards at the towering man.

Straightening up, she said, "I got lost a lot, too, when I moved here. It gets easier with time. Trust me."

Arden paused. "...Aren't you hot, in that hood?" she asked, tilting her head. "I'm burning up, and I'm in short sleeves." She pulled her hair over her shoulders. "Y'know, it's a small town here, but there are buildings with air conditioning units. If you weren't planning on doing another show soon, it'd be much more pleasant to hang out there."

And then, she smiled again. Ducking her head a little bit, she said, "I'm Arden."

"Well, Max," Arden said. "There's quite a few places around here that we can go to. There's a library, a bakery, and a clinic with its own cafe. You get to pick." She tied her hair in a ponytail over her shoulder and added, "However, the library is free. But since you're new, I'd be happy to cover any purchases you might want to make at the cafe or bakery. Call it payment for your performance."

She peeked in her purse quickly. Scattered around were a few gold notes. She was disorganized as of late, but she had enough gold to pay. Good.