Hopefully, it'll turn out for the better. This'll be my first winter in Excolo so I don't even know what to tell anyone to expect. Having new friends though, that makes it easier to face. Verdandi says optimistically and I nod. Than Melania goeso n about how much the money the carnival musta made and I can feel my mood slide even farther down.Wait, you said, 'we'. You from the carnival too? That must've been wicked cool, what did ya do? She's smiling innocently an tipsily at me. I force myself to smile back. "Yup. I grew up with the carnival. My family runs the bar tent. L'Heure Vert it's called. I been helping Mama run it for years. I also did hairdressing an stuff for the performers." I find enough good memories in that for my smile to be real enough.

Melania tries to get the last word in on the night time stuff with, Yeah, they all seem to crawl out of the woodwork at night.

But Verdandi goes on to mention something real weird. For example, did you know that I've heard there are wolves in town? Some of them are said to shift from human to wolf.Have you ever heard such a thing? She says it with such a sweet smile too. going to have to watch her for that.

Melania gets real nervous at that but tries to cover it by laughing, Usually along with tales of vampires, zombies, and fairies,Why, people saying ya got them running round here too? And how much have they drank?I'll watch my ass,

huh, maybe I'm only imagined her getting so tense. Melania, I gotta finda nick for her, has gone back to being relaxed again. I lean forward pushing my mug over towards Verdandi.

"Mug's empty c'n I get another drink?" I say giving her a wide eyed cute look.