[X] Okay, looks like as the LEAD INVESTIGATOR you have to take the part of the BRAINS of this operation. Put on your MOST STRICT FACE and politely but firmly ask Mari to CLEAN OFF the wound with water and BANDAGE it. Or else... or else you'll do it! No, you won't budge on this.
-[X] Her tights are ripped anyway.
--[X] You'd help, but if she is no less defiant on the 'no touching' rule, she'll have to do it herself.
[X] Insist that Mari try to be more careful. Getting hurt once or twice might not bother her much, but little wounds can pile up until they become something serious.
"Mari."
"Calloway?"
"You're hurt. Clean it up, okay? Please."
"Shan't. It's really nothing at all. It's not broken, or burnt, and there's only a little blood, so there's no point making such a fuss about it. Besides, it's none of your business. Stop
worrying about me, you idiot."
Taking a deep breath, you decide to switch tactics. "We'll be able to find your father much quicker if we're not slowed down by your injury. So get it cleaned up, and tie something around it. Got it?"
She scowls, looking down at her feet. "Fine. Whatever."
As she turns to go get water from the tap, you call out after her. "Try not to get hurt like that again, okay?"
"I told you, I've had worse." Mari mutters sullenly over her shoulder, then proceeding to pointedly turn her back on you. At least you feel like you accomplished
something.
[X] Turn on tap
[X] Fill up watering cans
[X] Repeat the attempt now that you have WATER.
[X] Make FLOWER PUNS as you water the FLOWERS.
-[X] Maybe try to KEEP A STOCK of SNAPPY ONE-LINERS and BAD PUNS on hand for FUTURE REFERENCE
You wait a little while for Mari to wash off her BLOODY KNEES before you go up to the newly-fixed TAP yourself, filling up both WATERING CANS from it. You then carry them to the CIRCULAR FLOWER GARDEN, and water the PASSION FLOWERS with the HOUR WATERING CAN, and then run around the GARDEN to quickly water the EVENING PRIMROSE with the MINUTE WATERING CAN. While you do so, you decide to make some BAD PUNS to take your mind off the situation. "Hope, uh...
thistle make you feel better!"
Wow. That was
awful. Although you decide not to EMBARRASS YOURSELF FURTHER, the SHEER SILLINESS of that PUN succeeds in cheering you up a little.
[+5 ÉLAN]
The WATER quickly SOAKS THROUGH THE SOIL, seeping into the DRY CANALS next to the FLOWERS and running into the POOL in the middle. Of course, there's not nearly enough WATER in the WATERING CANS to fill it up, right? However, after a few seconds of GURGLING as the water seeps through the GRATE at the bottom, there is a MUCH LOUDER SOUND OF RUSHING WATER, and suddenly WATER SPOUTS FORTH from the GRATE, a FOUNTAIN OF WATER quickly FILLING UP THE POOL. The fountain of water also seems to DISLODGE SOMETHING that was previously stuck in the GRATE, and you catch sight of something SILVER glinting in the light as it goes flying, landing on the grass nearby. You pick it up and discover it to be a STATUE OF A FLOWER made out of SILVER. Pretty!
[X] Ask Mari if she had to take a special test, one that was sponsored by the GSC.
[X] Tell her about the strange memories that the keys keep bringing up. Has something similar happened to her?
-[X] Would she be willing to see if the key has any effect on her? If so: Mari: HIW the SMALL KEY.
By the time you're done GARDENING, Mari seems ALMOST DONE patching herself up. She's discarded her UNIFORM JACKET instead of further tearing up her TIGHTS for some reason, but she's at least GOT SOMETHING WRAPPED AROUND THE WOUND. You feel a little bit better knowing that she'll be all right.
[+15 ÉLAN]
[MARI: +25 VITALITY]
"Hey, Mari. You wouldn't happen to know anything about a, uh..." You're not entirely sure what you were going to answer. You can remember, you can, you really can!
"A 'uh', no, I wouldn't happen to know anything about a 'uh', pray tell, what's an 'uh'?" The sarcasm is so thick you could cut it and then spread it with a butter knife.
"I mean, a... test. A special test." You're concentrating really hard, and you can just about REMEMBER - why is it so hard to remember?
She frowns. "Nothing of the sort."
After a few seconds of thought, you point towards the FUSE BOX KEY. "You've examined that, right?"
She stares at you for a few seconds and nods. "Yes, Calloway. It's a
key. That's a little piece of metal that you use to open locks." She uses the tone of voice one would address a five-year-old with.
This, you decide, is probably a fruitless avenue of conversation.
[X] Ask Mari to switch the lights off and take another look at the SQUARE GARDEN.
When Mari flicks the switches, the ARTIFICIAL SUN abruptly GOES OUT. This leaves the GARDEN completely dark, and ALMOST IMPOSSIBLE TO NAVIGATE. Thinking for a few seconds, you instead tell Mari to turn it back on, and to only turn it off when you're standing by the SQUARE FLOWER GARDEN.
This time, not EVERYTHING is in COMPLETE DARKNESS - some of the FLOWERS in the garden are GLOWING IN THE DARK. You're almost TOO CAUGHT UP in HOW COOL THAT IS (because, wow, glow in the dark flowers!) to notice that THEY FORM AN 'X' SHAPE.
