dear reader.

"Really, no elevator pitch at all then? I worked hard on it." She gave an overly dramatic sigh before her lips tugged up into a teasing smile, kind of glad she didn't have to do the whole spiel she initially planned. Upselling was never her intention, but she was quite excited about the drinks, especially being tied to the cause, and having Mack's trust that she was able to do the fun menu. She waited for the other to finish up his notes, knowing how important it was to get a thought out when it was on your mind, before continuing. "Got'cha, no lemon or anything overly tart," she nodded, keeping it in mind. "I've got a good balance of fruity and floral options; any flavor profile you want to start with?"

Nadine partially expected those who weren't normally recognizable faces to show up during the summer months. Whether tourists or those drawn by the local cause, she always tried to remain personable with them. Nodding at his statement, she tilted her head to the side slightly. "No worries! Would be glad to work around your taste," she offered, her normal assumptions around those who took a seat on the opposite side of the bar taking a backseat to try to sell more of her specialty cocktails, hoping to at least somewhat feel like she was making an effort in conserving the small town. "Any drink you typically gravitate towards? Even if it's not from here. I can try to match flavor profiles or the typical vibe and offer you up something feasible, or if you're feeling brave, I can offer you something off the new menu as a sort of blind item."

After a grueling shift, Jo had enough energy to make it to Mack after a long nap. She wanted to try some new drinks and get some appetizers. She responded to some text messages she missed as she waited for Nadine. “Hey girlie!” She grinned. She listened to Nadine and nodded happy to get some recommendations. “Yes, please! I am all ears. What you got for me.”

She was happy to see Jordyn on the other side of the bar, Nadine's shoulders loosening slightly. "Hi, Jo! Glad to see you out tonight," she gave a friendly smile. While she was quite familiar with regulars, she also knew those who came out every once in a while. Nadine always had a knack for remembering the faces and their drink orders, but was glad for the change every now and then. "Absolutely. Tell me, are you more of a fan of out-of-the-ordinary flavors, or the tried-and-true classics?"

Taryn craned her neck slightly to see the cotton candy the other woman was referring to and hummed. "That does look good." she nodded. "I think I'm going to get the one with all the colors mixed together. I like the colorful rainbow." she nodded before seeing her dog. "Oh my goodness! You have an adorable dog! I love their bandana! I just put rainbow collars on my three because they can't stand when I put decorations on them." she chuckled with a roll of her eyes. "Are they friendly and can I pet them?" she said as she bent down to get on the dog's level.

"It's essentially sugar on a cone. Despite the different gradients and flavors, it all kind of tastes the same in a way? But still, a great choice nonetheless," Nadine theorized, a hum before noticing Taryn taking notice of Seymour. "Even without them, they still seem quite content," she giggled as she eyed the wagon with the others' pups. "Between you and me, he has a closet of accessories; he's quite the diva," she lowered her voice, as if the floppy-eared beagle would be able to understand her words and accuse her of slander. "Of course he is! And he lives for the attention."

who? @nadinesuh where and when? carnival, 2026

Following Harley's eyes to the deer with almost cartoon eyes, she pointed at the stuffed animal. "That one?" She turned slightly, raising an eyebrow with a small smile. She herself found herself in a fierce game of skeeball the prior night for a panda plush, so she could understand their dilemma. "For sure. It's definitely one of the more 'easier' games," So to speak, knowing they were all a bit skewed in favor of those managing the booths. "Want me to help you try to win it? We can definitely get the odds in our favor if we both get in on it."

"That's probably because our frontal lobes weren't fully developed when we were younger. It was easier to make impulsive decisions back then," Erin remarked as she let out a soft laugh. Watching as the swings went higher and higher, she shook her head. "I did it yesterday, and it was... the worst experience ever. But then again, I also did it on a full stomach. So, that's on me. I don't mind going again today, though. God knows I need a redo." Erin could not let this ride be the one thing that defeated her. She had to conquer it somehow. "How about we check out the teacups after this?"

"Y'know, you may be onto something," Nadine considered with a thoughtful hum. "Pretty sure I was more inclined to get on these rides or try my hand at a game when I was younger." Everything seemed a bit more vibrant, and less like something you had to check the last date of inspection was. She supposed she got a bit jaded in the latter part of her twenties, in hindsight. "But I like the energy, kind of trying to carpe diem the night on the swings?" She gave a bemused smile before nodding. "Definitely the teacups after. Something to ground us," she joked.

Location: Carnival Fairgrounds Date: July 3rd OPEN

"Cher," Nadine emphasized her name as she gave an exaggerated sigh, catching the pink-looking creature with a questionable look on her face. "Pretty sure you could've bribed the booth attendant for half the price it took you to win this." Maybe because she was salty that she hadn't won a prize herself yet. "So can I finally convince you to do the teacups with me? Because spinning alone is essentially a cry for help."

closed starter for: @nadinesuh

"You've heard correctly!" Nadine nodded, turning to the other who'd been examining the options as well. "Ooh, I always love a fruity ice cream- strawberry or blueberry is hard to beat in my opinion," she attested, with a firm nod, mainly because she knew the produce from it came from local farms as well, so it'd be double the treat. Glancing down, she gave a bright smile, noticing the dog. "I may be biased because of that cute face of his, but I'd say it's a well-deserved one, honestly," she teased. "What's his name?"

Well there you go, now you have something new in your vocab. I've never really understood the buckets thing in general but this one at least makes sense to me. A good start, or goal entirely, plus you'll have like, a side quest if you wanted during July specifically with the dine and drink for a cause thing going on.

Yeah, I don't really get where it started. I much prefer calling it a "life list". But even that seems so daunting. A sand bucket list is much more spontaneous. Well- I do love a good side quest, and considering Mack is letting me try my hand at some speciality cocktails for the event, I definitely can't wait to see what everyone else is planning for the cause.

"Why would I need to say all that?" Tae queried, teasing his sister with a bright smile. A brow lifted a moment, and then he laughed, shrugging it all off again. "Obviously, thank you for showing up," he added. "You didn't actually have to." He never really expected any of his siblings to be obligated to turn up to his shows, but it was nice, obviously, when they did. "I'll make do with a water," he chuckled. "But thanks."

Giving a dramatic sigh and shake of her head, she continued. "I guess it was wishful thinking," she teased, before waving her hand, as if to say the thanks was unnecessary. "Please, you know whatever you and Jo do, I'm usually front row." Even if she didn't necessarily like the spotlight herself, she could admire the fact that her siblings were putting themselves there. "Alright then. Got any after-concert plans- or can I convince you to maybe get a sweet treat with me?"

[open / dash/gif chat - @merrock ]

Wait! How have I never considered calling it that before? Sounds less grim than a bucket list, and more of a chance to accomplish it over the season than over a lifetime. I fear you may be onto something. I personally want to try as many of the seasonal flavors from Seabreeze as I can and have a summer bonfire. Maybe not the most outlandish goals, but I think it's a good start.