Lead & Follow

Sauté

Part 1: Lead

Fifth Movement, Sauté

sau·té

/sōˈtā,sôˈtā/

noun

1.

BALLET

a jump off both feet, landing in the same position

🖤🤍

A flock of seagulls swoops past you, and the close encounter makes you jump. Your hip bumps against the warmth of the person beside you, and you groan in embarrassment.

"S-sorry about that," you mumble, and you bite the inside of your cheek. Well, this is off to a good start, you think sarcastically.

The offending gulls dive for a splatter of hot fries against the stone walkway of the place your crew has come to call "the shopping street," and the sea breeze which sweeps through your hair carries with it the animated chatter of the passersby.

When Baxter requests a novel tourist locale at the start of your journey, this is the place which comes to mind. It's lively, chalked full of interesting shops and stalls, and peppered with the occasional street performer.

You hope this setting suits his tastes, but worry that your bird encounter has ruined the chill vibes.

"No apology necessary, [Name]," he assured you with a bright smile. "This is wonderful."

"I think so too," you sigh with relief. "This place is a staple of my childhood."

The two of you amble from vendor to vendor at a pace which suits Baxter's curiosity, and you realize something as you watch him. You've never gotten this close to a tourist before.

The thought of his transient existence in Sunset Bird makes you sad for him, and all the things he might never get to experience in the town you love so much.

"Have you noticed the street performers?" you question, though talking to him one-on-one makes you kind of nervous.

"Indeed I have," he replied simply, and his gaze rests upon you expectantly.

"The most famous, to me anyway, was a magician called the Amazing Alexander," you explain somewhat wistfully.

The performers which you can spot along the strip remind you of Alexander and his card tricks, though their acts are much smaller. You spy a juggler and a preoccupied saxophonist, but none of them hold a candle to your memories of the past.

"The Amazing Alexander ?" Baxter repeats, already transfixed by your recollection. "That sounds amazing."

His obviously excellent taste puts you at ease, and you wax nostalgic, "When I was younger, I had a friend who thought about doing his own show too."

From there, the two of you get to talking. You tell Baxter about your childhood, and he comes to divulge a bit about his own life.

You discover his love of trees and his adoration for fall; you discuss his hometown in Golden Grove, Oregon, and ask about his college life in Virginia. Through it all, the two of you make an ambling exploration of the whole street. It is only when you pass a souvenir shop you hardly frequent that an idea strikes you. There's nothing that screams "I'm just visiting" more than a personalized souvenir for the return trip.