The Primarch Keeps Breaking Things

SpoilerShow

> BZZ! BZZ! Your second-hand last-generation cracked-screen PocketPilot is going off! Read what it says.
> Carry on the conversation, as awkwardly as possible
> Tell her you were here to meet a friend, but they never mentioned there was a festival on. Kind of a jackass friend, you might just bail on them and enjoy this festival instead.

"Iiiii had no idea there was a festival on," you admit, just as a series of trolleys bearing crepe paper flower crowns, strings of brightly-coloured banners, and bottled rainglow flies rolls through the crowd behind you. "I came to meet a friend and they never told me about it. They're kind of a jerk—might just ghost on them and enjoy the party."

The old woman grins. "Good idea. There's more to the First of Summer than parties, if you're more interested in events--"

Before she can finish, your PocketPilot buzzes at your hip.

"Oh, uh--"

"You take that," says the woman. She tosses the birds another helping of grain. "I've nowhere to be."

You excuse yourself and skim the notifications quickly stacking up behind your cracked screen. The colour drains from your already pale face.

It's Elana. She's wondering about the baton.

- aghgh Aedan can you come home real quick
- I need my old wand back, it's important ;;;
- tell me if you can't make it ASAP

Sweat pearls at your brow. You suck in a breath and let it out slow, the midday sun no competitor to your own racing heart.

Haha, wow. This is terrible. Like, genuinely awful stuff. Elana looks sweet and fluffy as a blueberry muffin, but god forbid you break anything of hers. Doesn't matter that she's your twin sister—Elana's going to be capital-U Upset.

"Is something wrong, young man?"

You really shouldn't dump family problems on a total stranger. You shake your head absently, then consider the melted stump of Elana's wand.

Hahahaha.

Shit.

What now?

>_