No, I don't need no help
I can sabotage me by myself
I can sabotage me by myself
17th March, 1888 — Celtic Street Fair
If he had still been the Assistant Head of his department, Ari might have gotten to stay at work for the overnight shift whilst the head healer was out of the hospital. But he wasn't, and his shifts were now startlingly regular, and even his tendency to stretch out the long hours of a workday and spend time at the hospital just so he had something to do had seen him have to leave eventually.
Ari had nearly made it to his front door (where all that awaited him for the evening was a light supper left out by his housekeeper, and the last third of a novel he wasn't really enjoying but nevertheless could not bring himself to give up on) when he stopped, and frowned.
Maybe he needed something different.
Shoving down the anxious burst in his chest that seemed pained at allowing such perfect plans to be so abruptly disrupted, Ari glanced again a poster pasted to the nearest streetlamp, turned on his heel, and headed for the park.
The fair was heaving, even at this time of the evening: no wonder, Ari realised belatedly - today was St. Patrick's itself. Perhaps he should have come tomorrow morning, and avoided the worst of it -
Internally, he rolled his eyes at himself, and began to wander amongst the stalls, picking up an ale to accompany him as he did. By the time he had watched a performance of Irish dancing, avoided buying all manner of little Irish figurines, and had someone at a stall attempt to guess his star sign, Ari was on his second ale and rather more relaxed.
That was, until a woman at a nearby stand had started squawking about volunteers: Ari had glanced up, mostly out of reflex, the innate instinct to be helpful - but his eyes widened in horror at the thought of getting dragged into some kind of handfasting demonstration, and so, before the woman could catch his eye, he ducked hastily out of the way. Once he had picked up his pace to a fast walk (perhaps a near jog) he threw a glance over his shoulder, turned to look back where he was going - and ploughed straight into another man.
"Sorry!" Ari exclaimed as he leapt back, a little flushed from his mistake. "I can't believe I didn't see you coming."
Ari had nearly made it to his front door (where all that awaited him for the evening was a light supper left out by his housekeeper, and the last third of a novel he wasn't really enjoying but nevertheless could not bring himself to give up on) when he stopped, and frowned.
Maybe he needed something different.
Shoving down the anxious burst in his chest that seemed pained at allowing such perfect plans to be so abruptly disrupted, Ari glanced again a poster pasted to the nearest streetlamp, turned on his heel, and headed for the park.
The fair was heaving, even at this time of the evening: no wonder, Ari realised belatedly - today was St. Patrick's itself. Perhaps he should have come tomorrow morning, and avoided the worst of it -
Internally, he rolled his eyes at himself, and began to wander amongst the stalls, picking up an ale to accompany him as he did. By the time he had watched a performance of Irish dancing, avoided buying all manner of little Irish figurines, and had someone at a stall attempt to guess his star sign, Ari was on his second ale and rather more relaxed.
That was, until a woman at a nearby stand had started squawking about volunteers: Ari had glanced up, mostly out of reflex, the innate instinct to be helpful - but his eyes widened in horror at the thought of getting dragged into some kind of handfasting demonstration, and so, before the woman could catch his eye, he ducked hastily out of the way. Once he had picked up his pace to a fast walk (perhaps a near jog) he threw a glance over his shoulder, turned to look back where he was going - and ploughed straight into another man.
"Sorry!" Ari exclaimed as he leapt back, a little flushed from his mistake. "I can't believe I didn't see you coming."
