#avhqevent003

[nick-duval]

The amount of respect Nick had for Quinn just kept skyrocketing, every time he got a little glimpse of what she'd been doing by herself for more than a year now. Today, it was getting Beth ready to go out for the carnival -- a production in and of itself, and something that he wasn't quite prepared for even after several weekends taking care of his daughter -- daughter!! -- on his own.

He'd promised to take Beth for part of the day on his own, so Quinn could explore a bit without a toddler in tow, and Nick was absolutely a man of his word -- even if the amount of gear they had was already a bit daunting. Stroller? Check. Diaper bag? Check. Snacks and juice? Check. Stuffed animals and toys in case Beth needed a distraction? Check. Sunscreen and a sun hat and a sling in case she wanted to be carried? Check. And Beth herself, of course -- looking up at him with very trusting blue eyes, which was still a sucker punch in the solar plexus every single time.

"We got this, right?" Nick asked her very seriously. "No sweat. If you get it into your head that we need to ride the carousel more than four times in a row, though? We're gonna have to talk." He'd gotten into the habit of talking to her like she was just a very small adult, and even if she didn't understand most of what he was saying, she still babbled back. It was devastatingly cute, and once she could say more than a handful of words he was going to be a complete goner. As if he wasn't already.

With complex conversations currently off the table though, and the more kid-friendly rides stretching out in front of them -- carnival. Quality time. Yeah. He could do this.

[charlierhodes]

Charlie was currently standing by the cotton candy stand, waiting for her order and taking in the fairgrounds. The music from the rides was loud, the lights were everywhere, and she was already completely in her element. When she finally grabbed her stick of pink cotton candy, she turned around and bumped right into someone, laughing softly as she stepped back. "Oh, sorry! I'm completely distracted by all the bells and whistles," she said, her usual bubbly energy shining through. "Hey, were you headed toward the rides or the games? Because I'm trying to do absolutely everything tonight, and I definitely need a partner in crime."

[mercedesjonesx]

Mercedes was leaning against one of the railings near the front gates, a fresh funnel cake in one hand and a lemonade in the other. The carnival was fairly packed, and she was mostly just people-watching while she waited for the sugar rush to kick in. Spotting a familiar face in the crowd, she offered a bright, easy smile. "Honey, I know you're not about to ignore me," she called out playfully, offering as much of a wave as she could with her hands already occupied. "Because I'm gonna need someone to hold this food while I go waste all my money on the ring toss. Come win a giant stuffed bear with me."

[kaitlynrhodes]

Kaitlyn stood off to the side of all the rides, more specifically by The Zipper as she took a sip from the drink she'd gotten from the alcohol tent just before. She had been debating if it was worth it to ride anything and, admittedly, watching yet another person stumble off of it to throw up in a nearby garbage can was not making the idea very appealing. She grimaced at this, shaking her head with a disapproving hum. "You'd think people would realize by now that maybe they shouldn't shove funnel cake in their mouth right before getting on these things, but I guess you can't assume everyone will have common sense or make good decisions for themselves."

[ashfordvalleyhq]

Just a reminder, the Ashford Valley Fire Dept. Carnival event is coming to an end tonight at 11:59pm EST and there should be no new event starters posted after that time. As always, feel free to take as long as you need to continue any event threads that you have going on or if you'd rather, you can always headcanon with those you’re writing with on how you’d like to wrap them up. We hope that you enjoyed the event!

[kurtxhummels]

Kurt had already spent far more money than he cared to admit trying to win one of the oversized stuffed animals hanging from the prize booth. At this point, it wasn't even about the prize anymore—it was personal. With another ring bouncing uselessly off the bottle necks, he let out an exaggerated sigh before looking over at the next person in line. "So..." he began, gesturing dramatically toward the booth. "Are these games actually winnable, or are we all just collectively funding someone's retirement?"

[jasminexsuttons]

By some miracle, the secret had actually stayed a secret. Somewhere around Memphis, with another long stretch of highway still ahead of her, Jaz had made one quick phone call to one of Matt's firefighters. She'd been gone for a few months, having been needed back in Texas to help with the ranch, and while she'd originally planned on coming back in another two weeks, she decided to leave early. Just in time for the Carnival and to surprise her boyfriend. "I want to surprise Matty," she'd said with a grin. "Think you guys can help me out?" The answer had been an immediate yes. By the time she'd crossed back into Ashford Valley, what started as one phone call had snowballed into nearly the entire department becoming accomplices. Now she sat perched in the rear crew cab of the Squad truck, leaning back against the seat with her feet perched up on one of the seats across from her. From where the truck was parked beside the firehouse, the carnival was alive just beyond the lot — music drifting through the warm July evening, laughter carrying on the breeze, and the occasional burst of cheers from one of the game booths. Her well-worn cowboy hat hung from the grab handle beside the open cab door, its brim swaying lazily whenever the breeze caught it. Across the lot, two firefighters finally caught up with Matt. "Cap," one of them called, trying to sound considerably more serious than he actually was. "We've might...maybe...okay, definitely got a bit of an issue." He paused for a moment until he actually had Matt's attention, watching as some kids nearby still lingered in the man's presence, before he continued to relay the so-called 'problem'. "Some kid climbed into the back of the Squad truck while everyone was distracted. And now we can't seem to convince 'em to come back out." It wasn't exactly an uncommon occurrence during community events; kids were always interested in the trucks and the firefighters themselves. The firefighter jerked a thumb toward the truck where Jaz was tucked away inside unbeknownst to their Captain. "Figured you might have better luck?" the man remarked while Jaz pulled her phone from her pocket, shooting off a quick, unasuming text to Matt with a smirk on her face. 'Missing you even more than usual. I can't wait to see you again. 😭'.

[ @matt-schue ]

[maggiexevans]

Maggie wasn't one to really go to the big events around town, but between her boss/landlord closing the shop that she worked at early and one of her friends dragging her out of her apartment, it became clear that she had no choice. And though the carnival grounds weren't very large by any means, it was always a very crowded space on the last day. It didn't take long before she managed to get separated from the friend she came with, losing them among a sea of faces and getting a bit disoriented in the process. As she tried to steady herself, a couple of kids ran by and she almost fell backwards, only realizing she hadn't hit the ground because someone had caught her. "Oh my gosh, I'm so sorry, I don't really do well when I'm feeling like a sardine packed into a tiny, aluminum can." She turned to look at them, concern in her eyes, making sure they hadn't lost any carnival treats they may have been holding in the process. "Are you alright? I didn't hurt you or anything, did I?"