The Legacy: Fruit of the Shadowflower (Original Horror) (contains Magical Girls)

I was right to be worried.

Lulu: I told you... I hunger only... for vengeance...!

Lulu Drake, a human schoolgirl who became an undead dragon, insists on murdering her classmate Molly Knight and Molly's friend Jack Dunbar. The two of them are the last living culprits in her murder. With their death at her hands, she believes that she'll be able to move on in peace, and similarly peace will return to the school and her friends.

Sarah: And I told you, we don't serve vengeance here!

Sarah Kennedy, my niece and a Magical Girl (Woman? I should ask later), refuses to go along with what Lulu wants. Having already accepted Lulu's death, she wants to send Lulu up to Heaven immediately. She's even offered an exorcism to do just that, and naturally Lulu has refused the offer. Her offers to seal away Molly's powers and make her and Jack suffer legal justice are falling on deaf ears... and to be honest I can't blame her. Not just because my niece has no idea how she can actually do either of those things. Hurt and hate like what Lulu feels aren't so easily addressed and cast aside.

Not to mention that it takes two to tango. If Molly doesn't want to cooperate, what then?

Under Lulu's pressure, Sarah has no answer, and so resorts to demands, which are then subject to Lulu's counterdemands, and so on and so forth. It takes the combined efforts of Aster, Violet, and myself to get them to stop and focus on eating. Well, Lulu is a ghost and doesn't eat, so she fumes in her seat instead.

It's a tense peace...

...that I unfortunately am about to break by voicing my opinion.

I start by focusing on Lulu, since she's not eating. She's completely out of place, not even touching any of the re-heated vegetarian morsels on display, mostly stir-fried offerings accompanied with rice and pasta. She's got a thick frown on her face, just like her mom's, and her expression could burn a hole through the table.

Me: Lulu.

She immediately glances up and turns her wrathful gaze at me. I shudder, and thankfully she notices and tones it down a notch.

Me: You know, it occurs to me that I didn't introduce properly myself to you. I'm-

She cuts me off.

Lulu: Kentarou Kennedy... I know, you said it on the way here...

I shake my head.

Me: Yes, but I'm not just any person. I was supposed to be your new homeschool teacher before any of this happened. I would have preferred to meet you that way, rather than like this.

Lulu: I see... I also would have liked that...

I take a deep breath. Here goes...!

Me: Lulu. What was done to you was horrific and deeply wrong. My niece knows that too. We all agree with that part. What we don't agree with is the idea that you should get to kill anyone, have the right to decide who lives and who dies.

Sarah smirks at Lulu and Lulu glares back at her. But thankfully she's content to bask in her temporary victory. I let her, since it'll be short-lived – I'll address her soon. Instead, I pose two questions to Lulu.

Me: Lulu... what would happen to you if someone else killed Molly and Jack, or if they died on their own from some other cause? Would that satisfy you? And putting revenge aside, how do you – as Lulu Drake – want to be remembered? How do you feel about how your mom and friends will remember you?

Silence surrounds us, emanating from Lulu as she thinks the matter over, eyes closed. The last remnants of Violet's incense are faint and fading in the dry air. I wonder what could be going through her mind. Has she committed herself to her revenge totally? She's thinking it over, so maybe there are bits of doubt floating in her mind. Or perhaps she's trying to figure the best way to disappoint me with the truth of her vengeful convictions?

When she opens her eyes, the fire in them is raging cold despite their sudden wetness.

Lulu: There is nothing else left for me... not even my friends or my mama... I can never go back to them...

She shudders and folds in on herself.

Lulu: I... I didn't want this, but...

Her tears evaporate before they can fall.

Lulu: There's nothing else that I can do...!

Sarah: You can leave it to-!?

But Lulu cuts her off with a roar that takes her (as well as Aster and Violet) aback.

Lulu: NO! IT HAS TO BE ME! Me or no one... but then how can I rest... with this pain, this ache, this fire burning inside me... I didn't start it, but I have to put it out...!

Lulu then turns to me, who had remained steadfast.

Lulu: So, no, that wouldn't satisfy me... I'm sorry, Mr. Kennedy...

I sigh.

Me: No, a part of me expected that. But I meant what I said when I didn't want you to kill anyone else. It's not just for your sake.

Lulu: ...it's for Mama, Rosalyn, and John as well...?

I nod as she continues.

Lulu: I never thought any of them would know... since I was moving in secret under the cover of darkness... and I didn't want them to see me like this... so, I never worried about that...

She pales slightly.

Lulu: You're not going to tell my Mama about this, are you!?

Me: Well, I have to tell her something. I can keep some secrets, but your fate won't be one of them. We'll need to find your body for a proper burial.

Truthfully, I'd rather bring her back in one piece, but that might not be possible. Not unless Sarah or one of her friends is hiding some secret mystical power. ... but then, I get the feeling that if she could do that, she would have for Iris.

Lulu: My body... I think it's in the school still... but I can't go back inside it anymore...

I glance over to Sarah, but before I can ask her anything, she and her roommates all shake their heads somberly. Is this really the end for Lulu...? Can she accept that? Can I accept that...? She's already here, even if not in the flesh, so what does that mean for all the rest of the dead? If magic is real, and curses are real, then surely miracles can also be real, right?

Ken: Even so... I want you to think about what it is you really want, Lulu.

I thought she might get angry at me for trying to deny her, but instead she's turned pensive and nods. With her somewhat settled, I can turn my attention to my niece.

Ken: Sarah, my niece... if we actually want Lulu to stand down, then we need a way to deal with Molly and Jack without killing them. Something definite, not just a promise. Can you do that? Otherwise, there's no way the Lulu will be able to rest in peace, so we might as well.... well, you know.

Sarah glowers at me while Lulu sticks her tongue out at my niece.

Sarah: I know that I can beat her in a fight, but getting rid of her powers is something else entirely. I don't know how she got them in the first place or where they came from.

Lulu: I think it's the tiara... she always keeps it away from me... and as for Jack, he was still powerless last I checked...

Sarah snaps her fingers.

Sarah: Okay! So I can take Molly's tiara away and force them both Molly and Jack to confess their crimes and admit their guilt. I doubt they'll apologize, so that's the best I can do there. What I need now is just a way to get to the two of them... maybe we cold try stopping by the school? But then we'd need proof that they're involved in this, something tangible and not just a ghost's testimony...

Lulu doesn't look impressed, so I ask my niece another question.

Me: Then the last thing will be to bring closure to Charlotte, Rosalyn, and John once Lulu is at peace. How can we do that?

Sarah: You already said it.

I blink, confused. I have?

Sarah: She needs a proper burial done by her loved ones. Since her spirit is here, she can even say goodbye to them herself. All we need to do is make a private space for them.

Lulu: Goodbye... to... to...!

Lulu shudders and wails loudly, crying tears that can no longer fall.

I abandon my seat to go and comfort her, as does everyone else.

But comfort doesn't come easy for someone consumed by cold flames of hatred...

.

.

.

It's Sunday morning now.

Normally I don't remember my dreams, but one this night was too vivid to forget. An orange-scaled beast with eyes of fire rampaging, crushing a castle made of crystals and killing a knavish knight. Cold flames consumed the world, burning everything in their path, burning both the innocent and the guilty, burning in my eyes, burning me –

I leapt out of bed, hot and sweaty. I must have screamed, but no one was around to hear. Not unless my own haunted house has its own ghosts that I can't see.

(I hope no one else is home here.)

It's still pretty early, but Mary is an early riser too. Since I said I'd spend time with her, may as well do that now. I pointed out last night that we still don't know anything about the Baker or Dunbar families, so I can always try reaching out to one of them in the afternoon. Lulu thought that the Bakers wouldn't know anything and doubted the Dunbars would want to talk though.

I'll have to find a way to get them to talk. That or get Molly to incriminate Jack somehow. She's seen me, so I don't want to drop by her house unannounced and definitely not by myself. Hmm... maybe Sarah and I could try tracking her down after school tomorrow...

While thinking that matter over and deciding to talk with Sarah again first, I get ready and head outside to a beautiful day. I also told Sarah that I'd be spending some time with Mary today with no complaints from her. She has schoolwork to do. She – along with Violet and Aster – were curious about Mary's flower garden and wanted to meet her after this was all over. Somehow, none of them had met her, though they knew of her thanks to me. That's not too surprising – despite her sunny demeanor and fashionable attire, Mary's not really a socialite. I think I'm one of the few people she actively spends time with. She's also one of the few people I spend time with.

We're two little loners in a big world, a world that's a lot bigger than I thought.

I swim through her sea of flowers and knock on her door. No point in calling or texting – she wouldn't answer. Besides, I knock loud enough to get her attention. I have since I was little and her parents were the ones opening the door instead.

There's shuffling inside the house.

Mary: Huh...? Kenny, is that you...?

She yawns as I reply back with a yes.

Mary: The sun's still rising... did something happen? You normally get up later...

Me: Well, I had a bad dream. But never mind that! Let's hang out a bit today.

I can almost hear her perk up.

Mary: Oh! Okay, sure! You can wait inside while I get ready; you know where the spare key is. Be back in a bit~!

I hear her dash off and take that as my cue to grab the key. While I'm looking for it, I ought to decide where exactly we're going.

[] Let's stay in. No, I want to go out somewhere.... but where...?
[] Let's go to the West Shores for some (window-)shopping.
[] It's a nice day, so let's go to Sunshine Park and bask in it!
[] Maybe we can go to the city center where there's variety?
[] (write-in to go somewhere else that's been mentioned)

For that matter, she probably wants to know what I've been doing lately... but should I tell her?

[] Tell Mary everything. She's your friend, so she'll trust you.
[] Tell Mary nothing. This just isn't her business, after all.
[] Tell Mary only certain things. (write-in further details)

QM Note: I did have to massage the write-in a bit, so hopefully I still captured the spirit of it. I need to work on other stuff for a bit, so this vote will be open for a good while.

...since I'm leaving work early due to bad weather.

Mary's my friend.

She's been my friend about as long as I can remember.

It's not like we've never kept secrets from each other, but...

...this scenario with Lulu isn't something that I want to keep secret from her. I don't think I should keep it secret from her either. After all, if it wasn't for her, I wouldn't be involved in this whole thing the first place. I'd have never learned about my niece's own secret, nor about Lulu's struggles.

So, I'll tell Mary everything that's happened ever since she showed me those seeds of orange lilies the other day, and also of things that happened before then. How a moment of idle curiosity sparked by her words led to my entanglement in a young girl's ghostly revenge story. How this city of ours – our home – is a much stranger place than I remembered it being. How I've started to wonder if Mary herself might be a part of this strangeness, given those flower seeds and her vast garden.

But I can ask her things later. Now is the time for me to talk.

Mary leaves her spare key underneath a certain seemingly innocuous pot in the back. I grab it and let myself in through the back.

I then immediately exit, as its full of junk and trash, and try the front instead.

When I open the door, I get a whiff of a thick floral scent filled with sweetness and spice. It's delightful, like red roses in spring, and it's easy on me. Don't see any roses though, so it must be from incense, I guess.

Mary's front door opens up to a big living room, and the incense holder is on the center of a small table in the center. While all the real flowers are outside, the wallpaper has an old floral pattern all over it. It's only covered up by the occasional piece of furniture or a picture of the two of us as kids. I recognize one in particular as one my mom took long ago, where we were playing around in Sunshine Park on a clear day, the two of us smiling brightly. My dad is in the background, but her own parents are nowhere to be found.

This framed photo is resting atop an old square piano, keys uncovered, no score. Huh, wonder what she was playing... she's asked me over from time to time to hear her play, but hasn't recently. I walk over to it, take a seat, and start playing. With no score, I'd have to go for something I can at least somewhat remember... or I could improvise, so I do that instead. It's what I'm used to, after all.

(The consequences of this choice will play out in Poppy's route.)
[][Piano] Music flows out of my fingers like magic. Even without practice, I still got it.
[][Piano] Frankly, it sounds awful, but I'm having fun and that's what counts.
-[][Piano] This was never my instrument anyway, I preferred the guitar.
-[][Piano] This was never my instrument anyway, I preferred the drums.
-[][Piano] Music was never my hobby anyway, I preferred (write-in OR leave it up to the QM)

I get so into it that I don't notice that Mary's done until she comes up behind me and drops her hands on my shoulders all of a sudden.

Mary: Nice playing, Kenny~!!!

Me: Gah!

I jolt up in my seat and stop at once, nearly knocking over the stool, turning to face her.

Me: Hey, watch it! I'm playing your piano, you know!

She, thoroughly pleased with herself, is not wearing her usual blood red, instead wearing a dress closer to shade of orange, with similarly colored gloves. Looks like we're matching, since I put on a bright orange button-down shirt and black slacks without thinking too much about it.

Mary: I was watching it, thank you very much! I didn't tell you to stop either~!

Me: Well, you shouldn't have thrown me off... I was just about done anyway.

Mary chuckles, her smug aura mocking me.

Mary: Oh, of course you were. Anyway, where are we going?

Me: Sunshine Park. I want to be out in the sun.

Mary: Okay, let's go! You know, you're lucky that it'll be sunny all day today. Yesterday's rain was pretty harsh. Not that I or my flowers mind it though.

She leads me out of her house through her flower garden. These flowers...

Mary wanted to plant something new, she asked me for my preference, and I'm the one who picked the Orange Lily. My picking that flower can't have been what caused this all to happen, since Lulu was transformed weeks ago. But my picking that flower led to me getting involved in Lulu's life. Was that on purpose or was it just a coincidence...?

Me: Mary?

Mary: Hm?

She turns to look up at me as we walk to the nearby bus stop.

Mary: Something the matter? You thinking about that dream again?

Me: Actually, no, but something is the matter. I got some things I want to tell you once we get to the park about what I've been up to lately. But before then I have a question for you.

She nods.

Me: Why did you ask me back then to pick out a new type of flower for you to plant? It's not like you need me for that. You do a good enough job caring for your garden on your own.

She preens.

Mary: Why thank you, I am doing a good job~! Oh, I just love hearing you say that~!

I roll my eyes.

Me: Yeah, yeah, you'll love it as much the next time I say it too.

It's not like it's not true or that I secretly don't believe it. She is doing a good job. Her garden's beautiful. So, I can't help but wonder why Mary wants me – someone whose knowledge of flowering plants is at best second-hand from her – to give her advice. Why was it so important that I pick this time?

Me: But I did ask you a question.

Mary: Ah, well...

She puts a finger to her cheek and looks away before answering.

Mary: ...I just felt like it~! That's all.

Me: Uh-huh. You just felt like it.

She nods.

Mary: That's right~!

She then leans over into me, red eyes shimmering with delight.

Mary: That's why you finally answered too, right? Because you just felt like it.

Me: ...well, you got me there. And I also just happened to feel like investigating what happened to Lulu Drake. It's a shame that she's been missing for so long; her mother is worked sick about her.

Mary: Hmph, must be nice to have parents who worry about you... ...but, Kenny, is she actually missing? You're making it sound like you found her!

Me: I did. Well, I found her ghost, so it's not quite the same.

Mary blinks, staring straight at me. I can't tell I she's confused or concerned – maybe it's both.

Mary: ...ah?

Me: You heard me.

She then chuckled.

Mary: Oh Kenny, ghosts aren't real~! That has to be some kind of prank!

Me: ...a prank?

She nods vigorously, perhaps hoping that I'll believe her if she puts more enthusiasm into it.

Mary: Yes, yes, I mean you know how kids are...

Me: You're right, I do. So, I'm pretty sure Lulu turning into a dragon ghost and being accosted by her bully-turned-magical-knight isn't merely a prank.

Mary stops in place and stares at me, eyes wide, full of shock and yet brimming with hate I've only ever seen when someone brings up her dead parents.

Mary: WHAT!? What do you mean Molly is-!?

She cuts herself off, covering her mouth frantically looking around to make sure no one overheard.

Me: ...so, were you that cloaked figure Rosalyn talked about?

Mary: Ahaha, oh you've learned quite a bit, hahaha, um, dear Kenny, is there any way I can convince you to, uh, forget all about that, ehehehe~?

Me: Not a chance.

She sulks.

Mary: Awww... well, you got me. I was hoping to stay in the shadows.

In the distance, we can both see the bus pulling in, and I wave it down.

Mary: So, I have to ask... please do keep this a secret, got it? I mean it!

Me: No worries, I was gonna do that anyway.

I mean, who'd even believe me?

No one who wasn't already in the know or a witness to these miraculous or monstrous events, that's for sure. I wouldn't have believed it without seeing it for myself. ...though, Rosalyn had been willing to believe without evidence or hesitation. Maybe that's just how some kids are?

Mary's quiet on the bus and I don't prod her. Instead, I check my phone. I've gotten messages from a couple of people. I was expecting texts from my niece, and got a couple on what's happened in my absence. In the middle of the night, Lulu tried to sneak out and track down Molly. The trio of Aster, Sarah, and Violet managed to keep her inside though, much to Lulu's annoyance. In the morning, Lulu had seemingly vanished, but the truth was that she had taken on the form of a dragon plush, covered in orange scales, four legs, two wings, fangs bared. Sarah had sent me a picture, and even I could see that there were dim embers writhing in its plastic eyes.

I showed it to Mary and she nodded. This was her doing.

So, that's one mystery resolved. Maybe she'll even help us fix this.

As for the other messages, they're from Rosalyn and her mother. As it turns out, Mrs. O'Keefe got Rosalyn to tell the truth about who exactly she had been spending time with last night. Well, enough of the truth, as Lulu isn't mentioned in her texts at all. Her messages are full of threats if I ever so much as get near Rosalyn again. Rosalyn, meanwhile, is apologetic. She's also been, in her words, "ultra-grounded". Guess I won't be seeing her again unless I go to her school. I'll have to do that anyway eventually, but I'll have to be careful about keeping her safe and Molly at bay.

Not skipping a beat, I pass Rosalyn's number over to my niece along with the appropriate context and ask her to stay in touch with the girl. I doubt Mary will contact her again, but with Molly roaming around, it's better to play things safe.

I'm so focused on this that I hardly pay attention to the ride from South Hills to the Sunshine Park neighborhood, leaving Mary to lead us off the bus once we get to our destination: the titular Sunshine Park the neighborhood is named after. The whole neighborhood is a series of dense clusters surrounded by a sea of trees, and this park takes the cake as the largest single park not just in the city, but in the wider region. In this weather, the trees have a mix of vibrant deciduous and solid evergreen foliage, picturesque and bright beneath the sun's rays. The park's crowded, but even with all these people Mary and I can find privacy on the trails.

Me: So, my involvement starts the same day you had me pick out a flower. I go to work at the Calderon family's home as usual, along with Sarah. She wants to meet you too by the way, her and her two roommates.

Mary: Oh, of course! But why all three of them?

I chuckle.

Me: You'll understand once you all meet. You have something in common.

She gives me a pointed stare and demands more of an explanation, but I refuse to give it, telling her to wait. I'll have to mention that later on anyway. Besides, we're not going to do the actual meeting until after Lulu finds closure.

Mary: Hmph! Fine, fine... anyway, I assume nothing happened while you were at work.

Me: That's right. Afterwards, Sarah and I decided to go to Elfwoods to investigate the missing and dead kids. We managed to get into Diamondwood High School, thanks to an old contact from high school. You remember a guy named Florence Bowie?

She nods but doesn't speak up, so I continue.

Me: He gave us a tour of the school, answered some of our questions, offered to keep me abreast of any rumors, and gave Rosalyn my contact information. After we left to get dinner, we then got our first glimpses of Lulu and Molly, not that we knew who either one was at the time. Lulu approached us, having overheard that we wanted to talk to Rosalyn. I wanted to talk to her then, but Molly showed up and chased her away, so we decided to try again the next day after talking to Mrs. Drake first.

Mary: And how is Mrs. Drake doing?

Me: About as well as... well, you can imagine how my mom would react if something like that happened to me.

She nods, sagely, hair drifting in the breeze.

Mary: She's doing terrible then, got it. I'm surprised she hasn't been out looking for her daughter.

Me: She's been trying to get information out of the school, but they refuse to talk. Lulu was last seen on their campus.

I pause.

Me: You did see her at the school, right?

Mary nods.

Mary: Yeah, she was locked up inside in that big castle when I found her. Poor girl... by the time I found her... well, it was already too late for her.

We're walking between rows of green, red, orange, and on, still alone but not for long.

Me: But not too late to transform her.

Mary gives me a curious look.

Mary: Would you rather I had done nothing and left Lulu for dead?

Me: ...

I don't answer.

Instead, I continue the story. After talking to Mrs. Drake, Sarah and I met up with Rosalyn, and then with Lulu, and then Molly crashed the party. She grows agitated when I tell her of Molly's transformation, re-assured when she hears about Lulu and Sarah driving her off, and stops stunned when she hears that Sarah has her own transformation. She asks for more details, and when I describe what little I know – her flashy outfit, her healing abilities – Mary's face folds into a mask of confusion.

Mary: Huh? I've never heard of something like this before!

Me: So, there's more women like you two in town?

Mary grimaces.

Mary: Unfortunately, yes. Now's not the time for that tale though.

Apparently, she can tell that I was about to ask why, because she glares at me and shakes her head. Fine then... I finish up my tale, ending with the four of us going to Sarah's place to interrogate Lulu and Rosalyn, the tension between Sarah and Lulu, and the resolution we all came to last night.

Mary: Well, I'm sure you can guess what I think you should do.

Me: Leave Lulu to her business?

Mary: Of course! My special spell is just what she needs to get her revenge, hehehe~!

She's so pleased with herself, cackling in the sunlight, almost sparkling with delight. This is...!?

Mary: And you can forget about getting anything out of Molly! There's no way she feels guilty about what she did. I doubt Jack does either. But if all you want to do is lock them up and throw away the key, a confession should be good enough. As for that tiara... I'd like it if you gave that to me. Tch! I should have destroyed it when I had the chance. I won't make that mistake a second time.

Her face had been steeled with determination as she made those declarations before shifting to a somber demeanor.

Mary: As for Lulu... unfortunately, I have no way to bring her back to true life. She will have to be buried after all... but not until after she's completed herself.

She then sighs and whines to me, leaning on my shoulder, pretending to swoon.

Mary: Now Kenny, my darling Kenny, can we please just have a nice and normal walk under the sun from here on...? That's what I thought was going to happen... it's such a nice day and all; it'd be shame to spend it thinking about such a dreadful state of affairs.

As she finishes, we come near some other hikers on the trail.

Well, I did want to spend time with her. I don't have to spend all of it thinking about this deadly scenario I'm in. But at the same time, it's not like I can just ignore it. Lulu is suffering while Molly and Jack are free.

Sarah and I have decided that we have to do something about that.

Then again, she's busy right now.

So... what should I do then?

[] Maybe I should just spend the rest of the day with Mary.
-[] (may write-in things to do or say)
[] I can spend some more time with my friend, but then I need to go...
-[] ...check in with Sarah, Aster, and Violet (and Lulu)
-[] ...see if I can get lucky and catch the Dunbar family
-[] ...try to investigate the Knights without Molly noticing
-[] ...(write-in)

QM Note: And here it is! If you vote to do something else besides spend time with Mary, it'll still be the afternoon; otherwise you're skipping straight to the night.

well, I've freed myself from the iron grip of Master Duel, so let's see how the vote is doing...



ooh, these votes are everywhere...

well, I'd like some tie-breaker votes before I close the vote at this time - Jan 30, 2024 at 6:00 PM - and get started on the next part

Mary has a point. Today is a nice day.

Me: Alright, alright... you win. I'll drop it. For now, anyway...

Mary claps her hands in approval.

Mary: Oh wonderful~! That was exactly what I wanted to hear. So-.

I cut her off.

Me: But I do want to ask you about something else you mentioned.

She blinks confused while hikers pass us by and orange leaves fall down.

Mary: Huh? About what?

She frowns, glaring at me with her red eyes.

Mary: Ah, wait, I think I know. Those other women I mentioned. Kenny, I said I didn't want to talk about them and I meant it. There's nothing you need to know about them.

She lets out that last word with a growl that rolls out of her mouth. For a moment, I consider simply pressing again anyway, but only for that moment. Mary can be pretty stubborn when she puts her mind to it. Just demanding an answer won't get me anywhere. No, I need to softer about it, but still firm.

Me: Well, I certainly don't need to know anything about one of them, since she's dead right? That's where the tiara came from?

Mary nods.

Mary: And it would be for the best if all of them had suffered the same fate.

She then sighs, dramatically placing a hand on her forehead.

Mary: Alas, it was not meant to be. Viticulture continues on in the darkness.

She smirks.

Mary: For now, anyway.

I start at that remark, filing that name aside for now.

Me: For now? You're going to go after them again?

Mary: Naturally. Pests need to be removed.

I shudder. I don't like hearing that out of my friend's mouth. I don't even know what to say in response!

So, I try changing the subject.

Me: W-well, can that wait until after we've satisfied Lulu. You know, we could use your help with that.

Mary: Huh? But I'm already helping!

Me: You know what I mean.

Mary rolls her eyes at me.

Mary: Yeah, yeah... you want to do things your way. But that's not Lulu's way, so I don't see why I should help. Let her handle things on her own.

I whisper my next words harshly in her ear.

Me: Letting her handle things on her own got a bunch of kids killed. Besides, even if all you care about is Lulu getting her revenge, she can't do that now that Molly is a match for her. She'd need more help anyway.

Mary didn't care much about that first part, but that second part got her to consider the matter... and me to consider what the hell is going on inside my friend's head. Was she always like this and I just didn't know? Did her parents get her into this? Is that the real reason they died?

Mary: Hmmm... fair enough. But if Molly and Jack are unrepentant, you have to promise not to get in Lulu's way. And I want to hear from Lulu that this is what she wants. Got it?

She doesn't wait for me to answer, a smile suddenly bursting out on her face.

Mary: Now let's stop talking about this and have some fun, shall we?

Yet her words are tense. I better drop this now while I can.

Me: Alright, alright... sorry.

She shakes her head.

Mary: Oh, there's no need for that. I know that you're concerned. And you're right to be! This city can be quite a dangerous place... but that's all in the background. You were never meant to interact with it. You were never supposed to be a part of this... and neither were they...

Me: Pardon? Didn't catch that last part.

Mary: Oh, nothing.

Didn't sound like nothing to me...

Mary: ...actually, excuse me for a moment.

This is clearly a distraction, but I go along with my friend's whims anyway and let her walk over towards... a large white dog with crystalline blue eyes? Sunshine Park is a pretty dog-friendly place – they're allowed to go around leash-less if they're properly trained – but Mary certainly doesn't have a dog, so I'm not sure who's this is or what the matter is. At least, not until she starts talking to it and acting like she can understand it when it barks back at her.

...

Not knowing how to respond to this sight, I leave her to it and text my niece about Mary's involvement with Lulu.

Moments later, she calls me.

Me: Hello?

Sarah: Uncle Ken, you need to bring that woman over.

Her voice is sharpened like a knife.

Sarah: Tonight.

Me: Huh? Didn't you want to wait until we've helped Lulu?

Sarah: I did. Now, I don't. I know she's your friend, but don't let her make any excuses or talk her way out of this. Trust me, I need to talk to her.

Me: Well, she wanted to help out anyway...

Sarah: I think she's done quite enough!

Me: Niece, relax. She's helping us too.

As long as Lulu cooperates, but I don't bring up that part.

Sarah sighs and agrees, but makes me promise to restrain Mary. As if I could do that!

But all I can do here is say yes, hang up, and tell Mary that my niece wants to meet her tonight. Lulu will be there too. By this point, the dog's slinked off somewhere and Mary seems pretty pleased with herself, so she agrees without hesitation.

We then continue our stroll through Sunshine Park.

It is such a nice day.

I hope it stays that way...

(So, what are Ken and Mary doing in the park? Vote for as many as you like, the four with the most votes will go through.)
[] Speaking of dogs, go and find some willing dogs to play with!
[] Go check out the tennis courts and play some doubles matches
[] There's a small gazebo with two big pianos open for people to play
[] Haven't been to the Sunshine Park Zoo and Aquarium in a long time...
[] Neither of us are fishers, but there is a big pond and practice rods...
[] Oh, there's movies in the park today... three of them, actually
[] Do an actual hike, the park can get pretty hilly and has stunning views!
[] Take a long walk along the Riverfront (happens last at around sunset)
[] (perhaps you have some ideas of your own...?)


QM Note: Decided to call the vote here and have y'all choose what to do in the park before we go back to the plot. Enjoy!