who: arden and jesse
where: the park
when: mid day

For a girl who had spent her morning with only herself to occupy it, Arden had certainly put it to eventful use. Other kids might be sleeping in their Saturday safe and warm in their homes, but she couldn't get out of hers quick enough. She had spent the early hours lying still beneath her covers, not daring to go the bathroom, trying not to breath unless she had to. Once her dad's footsteps had disappeared with the sound of the front door Arden got up, ran to the bathroom, got dressed, and headed out the door.

Who: Arden and Janey
Where: Church! Potluck-dinner-thingie
When: Evening

If there was one thing Arden hated more than going to church on Sundays, it was going to church on any other day of the week. Right now she was very much not-the-happy-camper, shooting dirty and occasionally threatening looks at her schoolmates; and adopting the air of a grumpy cat whose displeased glaring went unnoticed by the ladies that pinched her cheeks and cooed "my, how you've grown" ...as if they didn't see her every Sunday. And the stupid dress she had to wear was annoying too: it was all white and frilly and itchy -- this was just a dumb dinner, not her First Communion.

Yet even though it was supposed to be a dinner, they hadn't been able to eat anything! Seriously, what was that about? Her dad had been telling her not eat anything at home because they were coming here, yet the food was just splayed across the table and covered up and she was stuck standing around having to smell it!

She broke away from the gaggle of touchy-feely ladies now talking to her father, pausing only to shoot them a look reminiscent of a hissing cat before inching her way towards the table. As she got close, Arden kept her eyes on the chubby priest who stood guard over the food, shooing away and threatening excommunication at any kid who glanced too long. Of all the priests, he was her least favorite. In fact, when her Sunday school teacher prattled on about the battle between Good and Evil and and picking sides, Arden imagined it happened much like a kickball match where the Devil and Jesus were Team Captains -- and she was pretty sure it was only because Jesus got Last Pick that the chubby priest was here.

As the Chubster became distracted with an angry red-face lecturing at a pair of twin boys, Arden's hands went to work behind her as she stood innocently in front of the table, facing the crowd. It took a second or so for her hand to grab hold of a small mini-sandwich, but when it did she couldn't help the wide, not-so-innocent grin at her triumph. Ha, success!

Who: Arden & Pepper & Open (for all!)
Where: Occam Automotive
When: Noon-times

Arden was standing atop the edge of the fountain, testing the boundaries of her balance; she was leaning forward, one leg outstretched behind her as an arm holding her umbrella reached out before towards the fountain's waterfall. Every now and then, a perfectly horizontal line formed from the tip of the umbrella to the tip of her outstretched foot... but mostly she wobbled around a bit as she tried to figure out what to do with her other, umbrella-less arm.

She was a bit damp. Her hair hung about her, initially beaten down by the off-and-on showers and the less successful balancing attempts. But it was soon dawning a voluminous frizziness that defied both gravity and its own dampness, so ha! Although had she used the umbrella for umbrella purposes and decided that balancing atop the fountain's slick edge was a trick saved for a dryer day, she wouldn't have been nearly as damp as she was. But Arden didn't care. She was decked out in well-worn jeans and an old coat of her dad's, and they were the perfect clothes for getting dirty and causing trouble in. Heck, she practically looked like a street kid in them! ...Except that upon closer inspection it was evident that her clothing wasn't patchy or soiled. Although the jeans she wore were worn they had been recently laundered and a pair of fairly new bright red rainboots gleamed despite the dreary weather.

Who: Arden and Pepper
Where: Fontaine Park
When: Late Afternoon
  
  
Arden was beating up a tree.

And she must've looked like quite the sight, because respectable people approaching her in the park shot her appalled glances and moved to the other side of the path as they neared. All in all it was a smart move on their part. Her face was scrunched up in a fury that was as much feral as it was childish. It was the kind of expression that came with snarls and growls before you found something's sharp canines embedded in your leg.