Howl Disc Con Prompt! (pt.2)

Thankfully, the trip to the town where the convention was being help went without issues— there was a lot of walking, and a little bit of cart-sickness, but other than that nothing major. Of course, Theo experienced spikes of anxiety here and there, but with Mako and Fishie by his side he was able to push through.

It didn’t take long for them to check in to their room at a mom-and-pop run bed-and-breakfast near the shoreline, and it took even less time for them to settle in. The convention was scheduled to start the nest day, and despite the fact that Mako had made plans for them to fill the rest of the day, Theo’s battery had been drained and all his spoons were used. 

So— after he assured Theo that ‘it’s fine! Don’t’cha worry about it, just rest and we’ll be raring to go tomorrow!’— Mako dragged his surfboard out with him to enjoy some waves before the beach was packed due to the festivities. That left Theo to spend the rest of the day laying in his bed, reading and then rereading the books he had brought along.

When the next day came, Theo was re-energized and his excitement was starting to outweigh his anxiety. The pair walked down the beach, sticking close to each other to not get lost in the crowds. Theo’s eyes were wide as they looked at all the stalls that had been set up. The Pip barely restrained the impulse to quickly flutter between every stall he saw. 

Soon enough, they ended up at one specific stall. It was selling clay figures of a variety of sea creatures. Theo was enraptured. However, his eyes were trained on one special figure. 

Sitting to the left side of the table was a sand dollar figure a little over an inch in diameter. It was meticulously crafted to the point that, if it wasn’t painted in swirling patterns of bright colours, it could be mistaken for the real thing.

The seller, a similarly brightly coloured Pip that was a little shorter than Theo, chirped in greeting.

“Hello! Would you happen to be interested in any of my figures?”

Theo didn’t respond (not that he could have properly done so anyway) due to being too focused. He trailed his eyes over the figure again and again and again. Finding new ways to connect colours or spotting new slight imperfections. 

The other Pip’s once happy smile strained slightly and was pulled into something awkward before Mako stepped in. 

“Hey-ya! These are some real cool figures ya got here. Are they all wing-made?”

The Howl nodded, “Yes sir, they indeed are! I model them, then my significant other helps to paint them.”

“Well, they’re all very well made. And it seems my friend here is really interested in the sand dollar one.”

Finally, with a light tap from his octopus, Theo tore his eyes away from the figure to glance up at Mako and then over to the stall owner. Very timidly, the Pip passed over the exact amount of money that was labeled on the tag attached to the figure.

To their credit, the seller didn’t miss a beat. They smiled again and accepted the payment easily.

“Do you want it wrapped up?” they asked, to which Theo nodded.

It took no more than a minute for Theo to waddle away from the stall with the precious sand dollar figure held carefully in one of his wings. The figure was wrapped in a protective layer of bubble wrap and nestled in a shimmering bag. Mako was hot on his tail, a warm smile graced the Snake’s face as they watched Theo happily gaze at his new item.

The rest of the convention seemed to pass in a blur. Over the course of the next couple days the pair did what they could to get their fill.

They visited more stalls (with Theo making one more purchase of an informative book, and Mako making one of his own by acquiring a new surfboard wax), treated themselves to a few of the many food stalls that were available, and Mako even entered a surfing competition that was held on the second day. 

(Theo had watched from the sidelines and cheered to the best of his ability. Mako had only come in second, but it was still a memorable experience. He even got a commemorative medal.)

Then, on the final day, the convention hosted its own touch pool event, where you could go and stick your wings in specialized tanks to touch specifically chosen sea animals. The enjoyers were mainly younger Howls, but a few adults joined in along with Theo.

(The Pip may have spent nearly the whole day there, jumping from one touch pool to the next and then restarting his circuit over again multiple times.)

———

As they both unwound in their room after the final convention day, Theo reflected back. It had been a little stuffy— Theo wasn’t wrong when he thought the convention would be nearly overflowing with Howls— but he had seen so many things. There had been games, informational panels, and even wing-made items that you wouldn’t be able to get anywhere else.

He was happy to have gone, and grateful that Mako had helped.

The bagged sand dollar figure sat on the nightstand beside his bed. The bad glittered from the moon light that seeped in between the curtains. Theo knew it was going to fit perfectly on one of his selves at home.