Hoi. I'm at an airport terminal with a lot of time to kill and I don't really have the motivation to do anything else, so I'll do this.

No? Plan. Just? Write. Hotel? Trivago.

Later edit: be prepared for more Shakespeare references than you've ever seen. I'm ridiculously theatrical and it shows in this chapter.

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~ Y/N's PoV ~

"Y/N, honey, come look at this!"

I quickly hung up the remainder of the canes in my hand and trotted to the front of the store, where Mrs. D was grinning out the window at something.

I followed her gaze up to the streetlight, which now had a flag waving happily in the slight breeze.

"SHAKESPEARE FESTIVAL!?" I screeched.

Before Mrs. D could utter a word of confusion, I slipped past her and began the short run to my cousin's residence.

It turned out that the run felt a lot longer when you actually ran it, so I stopped about halfway there on a bench, panting.

If I couldn't interrogate him in person, I'd have to settle for the next best thing.

"C'mon, Wy, pick up, pick up..." I muttered into my phone.

"Hey Y/N, what's going o-"

"WHY IN THE HELL DIDN'T YOU TELL ME THERE WAS A FREAKIN SHAKESPEARE FESTIVAL!?"

I heard a sigh from the other end. He tried again.

"Look, they just do it every few years, and I never know when exactly it happens. If I did, you'd know."

"No dip, Sherlock!"

I hung up. This was his fault, after all. If he'd told me, I could've been more prepared for this momentous occasion.

I jogged back to the costume shop - more careful of my pace this time - and brainstormed what I could do. There would be plenty of Mercutios and Tybalts dueling in the streets, no doubt, so that was out of the question. It was easy enough to drag one's significant other into being a lover. Lysander and Hermia, Hamlet and Horatio, that sort of thing, so they'd most likely be taken.

"What's got you all in a tizzy?" Mrs. D asked rather amusedly as I entered the shop, most likely with a deeply contemplative expression.

I froze mid-step, held up a forefinger, and then whirled around to face her.

"Do we still have that dark green mask with the gold accents?" I asked.

"I-I think so, it'll be in the back. What's this all about?"

I half-listened to her (now rather concerned) questioning as I dug through various bins.

"Here it is!" I exclaimed, holding up the mask above my head in triumph.

"Y/N."

I scrambled to my feet, putting on my best no-you-don't-understand-this-is-a-big-deal look.

"Tis a glorious day, Mrs. D! There be nerds afoot! I must take my leave now, and walk the streets a chang'd character. Strike, drum!"

On the final word, I took a bow and grabbed a few articles of clothing on my way out of the shop.

~ Time skip ~

I looked myself over in the mirror.

(A/N: pick a mask, children) 

Yeah. I suited Puck.

I strode proudly down the sidewalk, waving as passersby and occasionally exchanging a quote with one of the other costumed characters.

Some looked miserable, while others seemed to be having a great deal of fun. A poor teenager playing a servant for what appeared to be King Lear on one end of the spectrum, with a Juliet being wooed by a giggly and doe-eyed Romeo on the other.

Just for kicks, I placed a flower petal in the aforementioned Juliet's water from the rose I was carrying. She took a sip, winked at me, then fell into her Romeo's arms. The "but soft, what light through yonder window breaks" monologue faded away behind me as I moved along.

I grinned to myself as I spotted a familiar bright yellow raincoat among the greys and greens.

"Pardon, m'lady, but thy hair looks as though the very sky has fallen into it," I said smoothly. Coraline rolled her eyes and smiled.

Wait. Smiled?

Did she know it was me?

Oh, this was going to be FUN.

"Right, sure. And what character are you?" she asked, rolling her eyes but retaining the amusement on her face.

I held up her hand and kissed it, causing her to laugh a bit, and... was that a blush? Cute.

No no no, not cute. Obviously. Duh. Ew.

"I go by many appellations. Puck, Goblin, Robin Goodfellow..."

"Robin Goodfellow?" she echoed, putting a hand on her hip and arching an eyebrow.

My face lit up beneath the mask at the chance to quote.

"Thou speakest aright, I am that merry wanderer of the night! I jest to Oberon and make him smile-"

Suddenly, I saw a figure approaching behind her. A stumbling, awkward figure with a mop of brownish reddish hair and a black cat by his side.

"But room, fairy! Here comes Oberon!"

Wybie waved at me, and just as Coraline turned to him, I sent him a wink and put a finger to my lips. He was a God-awful liar, but I hoped he'd be able to handle this one. 

"Oh, umm, hey there Coraline!"

Okay. Not as awful as it could have been.

"Ill met by moonlight, proud Titania!" I exclaimed. I grabbed Coraline by the shoulders and hid behind her, effectively turning her into a shield. She laughed.

To more surprise than I've ever felt, she play-glared at Wybie and quoted. She QUOTED.

"What, jealous Oberon?" she teased.

Despite not knowing what the hell either of us were talking about, Wybie crossed his arms and fought a smile.

"Yes. Is a Shakespeare character going to replace me as your best friend?" he pouted.

"Maybe," she mused. "Robin, this is Wybie. The cat doesn't have a name."

Oh, yes! The cat!

"And a prince of cats is he," I said, kneeling to stroke the cat. I knew he recognized me.

"How did you know he's a he?" Coraline asked.

Heck. I need to pay more attention to what comes out of my mouth.

"Merely a guess, m'lady. Apologies."

During the following silence, in which Coraline and I were content watching the cat, Wybie rocked on his feet and looked every which way. Finally, he withdrew himself.

"I'm gonna, um, go... s-seeya."

Coraline gave him a small wave and moved to sit next to me.

"Are you allowed to break character while you're in costume?" she asked.

I chuckled. "I suppose so."

"Can I know your name?"

"... No."

"Why?"

I mulled that over for a moment, Coraline patiently awaiting an answer.

"You simply can't," I finally sighed.

She nodded, downcast, and stood up.

"Well, I have to go. It was nice meeting you, merry wanderer of the night," she said. She looked to the cat. "C'mon."

I firmly suppressed the regret bubbling up in my chest as she walked away.

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Sorry this took so long. Writer's block decided to descend upon me halfway through, but I finally did finish it.

If you're here for a slow burn, exit this book right now. I love them, but I can't stand them. I shan't write one.

Adieu, adieu, adieu.