Talia tilted her head as the male went silent, clearly he was thinking and she didn't want to distract him. She really knew nothing about festivals like this one.. They had some back home from time to time, but nothing like a humans festival. He mentioned going around to stalls with his mom when he was younger, and smiled some. That sounded nice.

She easily nodded to his question, smiling more now. "Sounds exciting!" Talia said with glee and a giggle.

(( I'm so sorry for disappearing ))
(( Also, can I suggest a skip to the night parade? ))

Kael accompanied Talia through the stalls, stopping every now and then to look at the wares or stare at gimmicks. A few musicians were playing under their own tent, their music filling the air, light and airy, and very festive. It replaced the festival sounds that had stopped playing through the speakers on the streets.

There was a stall selling wooden furniture and decorations, another selling plants. Scattered along the street were food stalls offering a wide variety of food ranging from eastern to western cuisine. People moved about, chatting with their own groups as they enjoyed what the festival had to offer during the day.

(hey! it's okay ^~^ -- and sure thing, i don't mind a timeskip :p)

Talia followed Kael through the stalls. She was too excited to really know what to do with herself, and she may or may not have noticed a thing or two about Kael that made the mermaid fall a little for her neighbor. He was sweet, caring, funny, AND just happened to like music almost as much as she did! Maybe. She really couldn't tell. She tried to play a few of the games and managed to win a small trinket, which she didn't know what to do with so she gave it to a little girl. Throughout the day, she started to feel the effects of leaving the house and pretending to be all right, when she hadn't been feeling very well to begin with. Still writing it off as nothing though. Of course, later in the day when the two got hungry again, they ate at one of the food stalls and Talia really liked what she was given.

They managed to hang out at this festival all day long, and now dawn was approaching, and they were getting ready for the night parade. Despite feeling tired, she was eager to see this parade.

(Bump?)

(( I disappeared again. Sorry :( ))

Kael brought them back to the main street in an area not as crowded as the others where they could move around freely without fear of bumping unceremoniously into other people. The streetlights were on but he knew that in a few minutes when the last shades of light no longer painted the sky, most would turn off to allow the parade lights to illuminate the streets of their small ocean-side town.

And the lights did turn off, a little sooner than he expected, but not without warning. The two MCs who entertained the crowd during the day returned with a glorious welcome and a grand introduction to the night parade.

A mystifying hum of chimes and bells rung in the air from musicians stationed on the rooftops of the buildings lining the street and a group of bamboo flutes accompanied them as a soft prelude for what was to come. And as a loud thud from a drum thundered around them, the lights from the floats and lanterns illuminated the night sky. An explosion of music and tradition empowered the dancers who once again moved with the rhythm, and glowing lanterns that were made to look like fish swam through the street in schools, twirling around castles and ships before scurrying away.

Children gasped in awe and adults couldn't help but chuckle and marvel at the sight. And through it all, Kael didn't notice how his hand moved to wrap his fingers around Talia's.

(( no biggie <3
Its good to hear from you again ^~^ ))

Talia made sure to stick close to her neighbor while he led her around, without stepping too far into his comfort zone. She watched as the lights turned off and she jumped when the voices of the MCs sounded through the speakers, and her eyes scanned the street for the parade. Once she heard the music, and her eyes caught sight of the lights from the floats, her face slowly brightened to that of an innocent child.

Her very first festival up close, and her very first light parade! How could she not be excited? Watching it though, it began to sink in just how far from home she was, but she reminded herself of her"mission" and watched the show with a bright smile. Part of her wondered how she was managing to stay so calm, and it was then that she glanced down at their hands and felt her cheeks heat more than they had from her on coming fever. He was holding her hand.. Was that why this wasn't as scary as it would've been, if she had come alone?

Once the parade had come to a close and the lights were turned back on, Talia really started to feel bad, and anyone could tell by looking at her that she wasn't feeling great. She excused herself and went to sit on a bench nearby for a moment before they had to go back to the apartments.

Even under the insufficient lighting provided by the street and shop lights, Kael noticed that Talia looked kind of … off. His thoughts rushed back to when he was sick and she came by to give him some soup, and a flood of discomfort gathered at the pit of his stomach. He strode over to where she sat and promptly pressed his hand to her forehead.

Guilt painted its way onto his face as he studied hers. "Why didn't you tell me that you felt unwell? No …" he shook his head, "It's my fault for not noticing."

Talia lifted her head when she felt his hand on her forehead and gently took his hands into hers, and made sure to make eye contact with him. "Kael, no.. I knew you'd be against the whole idea. I wanted to be here with you more than anything.." She murmured softly, ignoring herself for just a little longer. "And I'm not sorry I didn't say anything. Today was amazing." She slowly let go of his hands and offered him.a sweet smile. "My parents never let me do anything like this when I lived at home.." She murmured quietly, lowering her eyes a little.

(( How many days has it been since Talia arrived? ))

Kael frowned before a resigned look took shape in his eyes. "Still, if you'd told me earlier then I would have bought some medicine for you." He looked around at the shops that lined the street. "Stay here for a bit. I'm going to the pharmacy." He told her before jogging to the pharmacy that he spotted on the other end of the street. It hadn't been five minutes when he returned with a paper bag and a bottle of water. "Now take one and I'll get us home. We can still see the fireworks display from there anyway." He smiled, panting.

(I believe this is the third day- well, evening now lol)

Talia blinked. Medicine? He would have done that for her? Wait, could a mermaid even handle human medicine? She wondered, then found herself watching him as he headed off. She stayed there like he had said and tried to reason with her troubled thoughts, which seemed to melt away by the time he returned. How could she get out of this? He had gone without even asking her if she was allergic to anything.. With the fever came difficulties to think straight and finding herself very light-headed. A human cold, she remembered reading in a book, could become potentially harmful to a mermaid if not treated properly. Their bodies and immune system were very different.

Not really thinking it through fully, Talia quietly thanked him for the medicine and did as she was told. The medicine was bitter, and she couldn't really hide her distaste for it. Maybe she'd be just fine. If not, she'd have to go home and admit defeat in her theory about humans. Now, she'd let Kael take her back to the apartments and watch the fireworks from there.