Chapter Text
Ever since they first arrived on Pabu, Omega and her brothers had learned just how much the island’s inhabitants loved to throw a big party.
Nearly once a month, there was some kind of holiday, festival or special occasion.
They had no complaints, though, because they enjoyed it as much as anyone else, even though they hadn’t been on Pabu as long as most residents had. But even they had noticed that, as the island’s population had grown, so had the celebrations.
Last year, the Founders’ Day Festival had been a relatively small one.
The island had hosted an informal football game in the morning — with Omega and her brothers taking part — but the official celebrations hadn’t kicked off until noon and only lasted 10 or 12 hours.
But this year’s festival was going to be bigger and better, Omega told her brothers at dinner one night.
Because Pabu could only host large crowds in the colonnade, Shep and other leaders had decided to spread the celebration out over three days so the activities weren’t competing for space, she explained.
The first day would feature the football game followed by feasting and dancing; the next would include a bigger-than-usual market with merchants from all over Aoturoa and other Outer Rim planets; and the final day would include a carnival with rides and games.
Omega and her brothers recalled how the Founders’ Day Festival had gone last year. While it had been a fun day, it had also been a very long one. They remembered how compact everything had been, both in terms of space in the colonnade and in terms of getting everything set up and taken down on time.
So, they agreed this three-day format was worth a try.
The festival finally arrived, and the first day was a long one, as Omega and her brothers played in the second annual football game. It went even better than last year, thanks to more players and more attendees, as well as being designated an official festival event this time.
But once the feasting and dancing started, the brothers were exhausted. They had to sneak away for naps throughout the afternoon, so they didn’t have to leave the celebration early that night.
The family took things much easier on the second day, only stopping by the market for an hour or two. It had only been a few months since they vacationed on Caguya, which had a similar market every day. Thus, it wasn’t as big of an attraction for them as it was for many other residents. They still bought a few trinkets but decided to save most of their money for the next day’s carnival.
Thankfully, it didn’t disappoint.
In previous years, the carnival had been fairly small and run by local volunteers. It usually consisted of a few games, a tall slide, a petting zoo and a small engine-powered motorcade that drove passengers around one side of the colonnade. Of course, while anyone could enjoy it in theory, it was primarily designed for families with young children.
This year, though, Shep and the other leaders had decided to hire a company from the island Songo. The company workers covered the entire colonnade with large engine-powered rides. Some lifted off; some hovered; and some spun and flipped and whirled around.
In addition to the rides, there were about a half-dozen food stands around the colonnade selling all sorts of drinks, sweets and fatty dishes. Some were Aoturoa favorites, but some were new items. Omega and Wrecker were particularly excited to see Mantell Mix on the menu.
There was also a row of games along the far side of the colonnade, near the weeping maya tree. From what Omega and her brothers could tell from a distance, the games seemed more for adults than children.
While there were plenty of attractions, the carnival-goers were far and away most interested in the rides.
Parents and their children, groups of teenagers and even groups of adults were lining up to go. Even in the heat of the day, there were dozens of people standing in line for tickets and passes.
Omega and her brothers had gone early that morning, but so had basically everyone else on Pabu.
The instant the carnival officially opened, the colonnade was packed with people. It was easily an hourlong wait just to get tickets or day passes, and at least a half-hour wait for each ride.
Omega and Wrecker initially wanted to stay all day, but Hunter — with some help from Crosshair — convinced them it wouldn’t be worth it.
Hunter said it’d be better to return in the evening. It’d be cooler then, and most of the people who’d been there all morning would’ve gone home, leaving shorter lines, he argued.
Omega and Wrecker reluctantly conceded and followed their brothers back home, eager to return later that day.