Rosie immediately grabs my attention. Not because she's said anything, but because of her actions. Her eyes are glowing white again, and objects are slowly and gingerly being moved around in front of her as if she has access to another pair of hands!
Me: Rosie!?
The glow stops and the objects fall back on the table.
Oh, so Rosie can not only know information that she isn't supposed to know, but she also has telekinesis, neat!
But yeah, I do agree with Ken that Rosie should go to school. She's been sheltered for so long, so it's fair for Rosie to explore her freedom more. And Rosie is so excited about it too, so sweet.
Olive meanwhile doesn't really like school that much, huh? Well, every kid has different preferences, so maybe Olive's passion lies somewhere else, like her birds for example.
For the vote, I think it would be plausible for Ken to make a charm to drive away evil that has a dragon design to it. Guess Lulu inspired him. Though, I do wonder what "driving evil away" means when it comes to Lulu, since for her, it's primarily revenge on her part. I also voted for the regular votes in case my write-in one didn't win.
Edit: After thinking about it, I decided to change my non write-in votes to a vote for Freedom. I mean, seriously. This is Rosie's route. I can't just pick Lulu's options just because they're colored Orange! Plus, I'm curious to see if there are any dream exploration segments, which I'm admittedly a fan of.
Edit 2: Ooops, I mixed up psychic terms. Telepathy changed to Telekinesis!
Though, I'll keep the write-in. Since I'm curious about what resulting charm could be made from that combination.
My Votes:
[X] Maybe it's best to double down on "freedom", since I'll need that while exploring my dreams.
[X] Maybe it's best to come up with my own idea...
-[X] ...such as "driving away evil", Louise comes to mind for such evil. Make it "dragon-like" too, somehow. After all, Lulu did manage to defeat her own evil. Sure, it was violent at first. But Molly and Jack eventually got what they deserved without needing to be killed by her.
(Since Ken is making new charms, he gets to focus on what they're meant to do. Rosie's will be focused on "protection" while Olive's will be focused on "freedom". Ken, meanwhile, will choose one of the following.)
agh... this is fruitful, but the whole "a magical girl's power can only be one thing, and cannot grow to be something else entirely"
Olive's powers are based in her birds, and from what I understand will never be able to be say commanding and communing with cats.
I dont know if she's strictly limited to (ravens yes? or was it crows?), or if she can grow to work with other birds (or other corvids).. but, still, even if she uses her powers for a specific purpose, her powers are initially of summoning and communing, yes?
Freedom is probably pretty well-aligned with her powers already, the freedom of birds and their flight, yes yes!
I like that there's the set of ideas, and write-ins.. but hm =w=;;
I feel good fortune is nice, but this isn't hugely a resource management narrative, and while 'luck' could work out, I have a feeling this would amount to say
"an event that would have sealed the fate of (character) is instead a critically injuring wound as opposed to a mortal and fatal wound"
This narrative isn't hugely dice or number crunching in basis, so I have my expectations for how applicable this is narratively, when deus ex machina and the like works out just as well.
This could have applications, but.. mm, idk how repelling it would be in practice.
These charms are useful, surely, but idk if they're that compelling.
Ahhh, this event can be fueled by having completed other routes..
honestly this one tempts me most.
It seems obscure, it seems like it wouldn't work right?
But... "dragon-like" in terms of a scaled hide that withstands attacks (Lulu held herself now and again against an enemy magi, revenant or not)
Maybe it won't make our hero able to breath fire, but I'm curious how that could apply to say, if Goldie had to be in a fight, or one of Olive's birds, or the van, or a gun.
I think the "make your own" are truly a "throw a wrench in the works" options, and that write-in is potent.
Unless a compelling argument is made, I'm kind of amused at Dragon Charm, since theoretically we'd have access to Rosie and Olive's if we're all down to make multiple / make them again to share 8V
[X] Maybe it's best to come up with my own idea... -[x] ...such as making something "dragon-like", somehow.
I dont know if she's strictly limited to (ravens yes? or was it crows?), or if she can grow to work with other birds (or other corvids).. but, still, even if she uses her powers for a specific purpose, her powers are initially of summoning and communing, yes?
[X] Maybe it's best to come up with my own idea...
-[X] ...such as "driving away evil", Louise comes to mind for such evil. Make it "dragon-like" too, somehow. After all, Lulu did manage to defeat her own evil. Sure, it was violent at first. But Molly and Jack eventually got what they deserved without needing to be killed by her.
Scheduled vote count started by Solarstream on Feb 24, 2025 at 6:32 PM, finished with 6 posts and 3 votes.
[X] Maybe it's best to come up with my own idea...
-[X] ...such as "driving away evil", Louise comes to mind for such evil. Make it "dragon-like" too, somehow. After all, Lulu did manage to defeat her own evil. Sure, it was violent at first. But Molly and Jack eventually got what they deserved without needing to be killed by her.
Not sure how much use an amateur talisman will see, and their domains are broadly defined, but I want ours to give us a window of opportunity to act when time comes.
[x] Maybe it's best to come up with my own idea...
-[x] ...such as "driving away evil", to keep Louise away.
I'd probably frame it as "warding off evil", maybe leading one of her spells astray or something of a sort, rather than hiding from her which is also a possibility with a domain like this.
Winning vote: [X] Maybe it's best to come up with my own idea...
-[X] ...such as "driving away evil", Louise comes to mind for such evil. Make it "dragon-like" too, somehow. After all, Lulu did manage to defeat her own evil. Sure, it was violent at first. But Molly and Jack eventually got what they deserved without needing to be killed by her.
White Rose ~Flower of Innocence~ (20)
Me: So, you know which plants you'll be using in your charms, Rosie?
She nods and points to two bunches of roots in particular from the four piles Sarah gave me.
Rosie: These two! They're...
Her eyes glow softly white once more.
Rosie: ...High John and Low John roots. They smell like sweet earth. They're protective!
Me: ...yes, but Rosie that was on the papers. You didn't need to use your powers for that.
She gives me a confused look. Oh, maybe she doesn't realize what she's doing? Hmm... but she only does this when the other Magical Girls are away...
I point to two other piles of roots. They all look almost the same.
Me: Tell me what these are, only from your memory. Since you just read their descriptions.
Rosie: Oh, those are Devil's shoestring and Vetiver, Mister Ken.
No glow this time.
Me: Good job, Rosie. Now, those are for me and the other ones are for you. Go ahead and make your charm. You need my help?
She shakes her head, declaring that she can do it, and gets to it. Olive, in the meantime, has returned with a bunch of black feathers, all from her friendly crows and ravens.
Olive: Alright, what else do I need?
Me: Ah, for you... here, try these.
Her "mojomamori" will be focused on a sense of "freedom", which is a bit harder to define. As far as I can tell, most people who make these charms plan for them to do something more definite. Protection from evil spirits, drawing in money or luck, things like that. So, we'll mix and match for Olive. A bit of luck and a bit of warding by combining Devil's shoestring with Low John. And then all those feathers will do... something. She says they'll help but doesn't specify how or why.
We'll see, I suppose...
As for me, well I also want that warding but also something more. Something to help me access that odd space I fell into inside those distant dreams. That's what vetiver root is for. Its soothing scents will help me focus and center myself, even in my sleep. And the Devil's shoestring will draw in some luck and trip up evil, or so Sarah says. Put them together and I ought to get a breakthrough.
But there's one more thing too...
I want something a bit more.
Driving away the evil of Viticulture isn't enough. I want to see it defeated.
So, I need to take cues from someone who has already defeated her evil.
Lulu Drake.
In honor of her, I want to make this charm dragon-like. I wasn't sure how I'd do that initially, but then it came to me. First, the color. The bags and silk wrappings are normally red, but in this case I can make them orange. And speaking of orange... orange lilies. Don't have any here, so I'll have to ask Mary for some. Assuming she can set foot anywhere near her home.
(I wonder if Demi is doing well...)
Once I have them, it'll be complete. ...and while I'm at it, how about I make a second one for Mrs. Drake?
While I get started on that, Rosie and Olive finish up their charms and go over to watch TV. I let them at it for a bit before asking Olive to read a book with Rosie, and Rosie's eagerness means she has no choice but to agree. The two go back and forth between books and the TV, birds occasionally flying by the window to check up and us.
The rest of the day passes in peace, and by the time Mrs. Drake comes back from work, she finds the three of us watching cartoons. But she's not alone, and quickly steps inside so her two guests can enter as well.
Sarah: I think it would have made the news if something did...
Mary: Well, maybe Louise is scouting things out! Maybe she sent one of her agents here.
Sarah: But nothing like that happened, right?
It didn't.
And Mary also has yet to attack Louise.
Mary: I tried marching on her home, but the whole of Alletown is crawling with cops. Couldn't get in close today, but I'll try again tomorrow and keep trying until...
She, my niece, Mrs. Drake, and I are discussing the matter in our host's bedroom so as to not bother the kids. I'm sure we'd all hoped for better news, but at least she hadn't been arrested. ...not that the cops could handle her anyway.
Mary: ...I kill her. I'm going to kill her. That's the only way this'll stop.
Me: You sure?
She nods.
Sarah: I didn't sign up for an assassination, Mary. Rescuing Rosie is one thing, but...
Mary: Don't worry, I can handle her. Last time was just a little slip-up on my end. It won't happen again.
Sarah: ...I hope so.
So do I.
But until that day comes, I'll do my duty here.
(But that doesn't mean the days pass entirely without incident... Choose one.) [] Trouble comes one day when Ken takes Goldie out on a walk.
[] Trouble comes directly to the Drake house, entirely by coincidence.
[] Trouble comes at night, inside that strange dreaming landscape.
QM Note: The charms will be active during this incident.
Thanks for the votes ya'll. I'll be closing the vote within the next 24 hours for anyone else who wants to chime in. Specifically, get em in my this time:
Winning vote: [X] Trouble comes at night, inside that strange dreaming landscape.
White Rose ~Flower of Innocence~ (21)
While that day of Louise's death has yet to come, the days spent hiding from her have started to slip by, one by one. Mary left Monday night and I haven't seen her since, but she hasn't been mentioned on the news as having been sighted either. I can't reach her myself – she's got no phone – but that's for the best. She'll come back when she's ready. As for Sarah, she's taken to her role as the main educator of the Calderon kids well, though I admit it is a lot on top of her studies in college. She's not even trying to be a house teacher like I am – she's in bioengineering with a goal of being a professor. Well, I guess it's not unrelated. Any experience is better than no experience, right?
In any case, good luck to my niece.
I can reach her, of course, but no news is good news, so I don't. Besides, she can always find me if she needs my insight (whatever that's worth).
Didn't see either of them on Tuesday.
Didn't go outside either. It rained all day. I awoke to a lightning strike, falling off the fold out couch. Had no memory of any dreams that night, but I did wake up to orange lily petals in my hand, so something happened... don't know what though. Did Lulu's ghost find me?
In any case, into the charm they went, and now the two are complete. Kept one for me, handed the other one to Mrs. Drake before she headed off to work. No comment from her besides a raised eyebrow after my short explanation. Maybe she doesn't think she needs it, but it's better for her to have it anyway. The fact that she's not a target now for Viticulture doesn't mean she can't be one in the future.
That was the case for her daughter, after all...
(Have I always been this paranoid...?)
No going outside meant Olive sulking all morning, so as a favor to her in the afternoon, I let her bring some of her birds in the house as long as they (including her) promised to behave. And she had to do some more schoolwork. Didn't have to bargain with Rosie, she devoured everything I gave her. Louise was really leaving her to rot in that museum, huh...
Once I offered Olive something, she agreed at once. Of course, couldn't let the birds into the house proper, but luckily Mrs. Drake had an enclosed porch in the back, accessible through her room. It's where she kept the laundry machines. A little cramped, but Olive and the birds didn't mind, so I didn't either.
That night, I had a moment of lucidity in my dreams. Progress!
It started the same. I was surrounded by the smell of damp decay, situated in a cavern... perhaps a giant root to some vast plant. I walked down the trail laid out for me, this time going up and up... there were multiple lit paths ahead, and I chose the one on the right. It was tinted orange.
The cause: a field of orange lilies growing into the side of a mountain that extended on and on into the distance...
So, that was where those flowers came from!
I saw something move and stepped forward. Of course, it wasn't guaranteed that I would be alone. If I could find this place, whatever it was, so could others. I thought I might have found Lulu here, but instead it was Rosalyn, lying upon the bed of lilies in a white nightgown and pink robes. I saw no need to disturb her and would have kept going on exploring, but something shifted in the air and I fell into the ground and woke up again with more orange lily petals surrounding me.
Perhaps that's a dead end... or maybe I'm missing something.
In any case, still no news from Mary and Sarah. Chrys and Anthe stopped by last night and I filled them in on Rosie's age. She's about 5 years old, so now they can look for people who went missing or died 5-6 years ago. The two paused at that, but didn't elaborate on why, promising an answer later.
So, for this Wednesday, we continued almost the same, except we got to take Goldie out for a walk due to the bright sunshine all day. A bit of fresh air was good for us all.
It also gave me the boost I needed for this next dream... one that didn't end abruptly and immediately.
Though that was thanks in part to who I ran into... someone I'd hoped to never see again.
I appeared once more submerged in the cavernous root. And I chose to keep going, passing by Rosalyn's resting place. Perhaps it's a space not for me at all or she has to invite me in. Regardless, I decided to take my chances with another route. I emerged into another part of that same mountain, but here there was forest cover, full of trees adorned with vines. Shambling humanoid shapes were walking in the woods, eyes glazed over and gaze indistinct. Sleepwalkers.
But not everyone.
I heard her well before I saw her or she saw me, so I had time to take cover behind a maple tree.
Molly: ... no walls, but this place might as well be a maze. I don't know why your aunt thinks we can find Rosie this way... at least we're not wasting any time here, since our bodies are still asleep and all.
Molly Knight! And she's on the hunt again!
...and she's with another girl, huh? I recognize her voice... she's none other than Louise's niece Rina Rossi, one of the older woman's two assistants. Guess she has a third one now. This is bad news! If Molly's still working with Viticulture, then maybe she's become a Magical Girl again!
Somehow, I move before she does. Thanks, lucky charm!
Molly lunged forwards and cut down that tree I'd been hiding behind. If I hadn't jumped away, she'd have sliced me right in half! Thankfully, she doesn't attack again, so I get the opportunity to get my bearings and stand back up on my own two feet. She, for her part, stands at the ready, knightly sword in hand. One of her green eyes is glowing purple...!? This is different from before!
Molly: You... I've seen you before. With her. But why are you here?
She didn't name Lulu, but at the mention of her, I felt something shift in the air. Or maybe it was just my lucky charm. Regardless, I'll have to trust in it – and keep her away from me. Despite being in white long pajamas, she has the air of a knight ready to strike down her enemy in cold blood.
Rina: Molly, wai- huh? Who are you?
Rina's someone I haven't seen before. She's quite pale. Wearing red and pink pajamas and with no weapon in hand, but... doesn't mean she can't do anything. She has that poison powder... no, Mary mentioned when we last met that it only made you think you were being poisoned.
Me: You can call me the Floriagrapher. Jack might have mentioned me.
I don't have my mask on, but it doesn't matter at this point. She's already seen me. Better not to give her my real name.
Molly: I'm sure he would have if I'd seen him since that day.
That's some good news. Means he was serious about getting out.
Molly: And if you were there... then you're my enemy too! Tell me, where is Magical Girl Passionflower now!?
Rina: Molly, we're not here for-.
Molly: Can it!
Rina, stunned at the outburst, does so, eyes wide. To be fair, I'd do the same thing if my supposed ally turned her sword suddenly on me. But now Molly's facing me again.
Molly: Answer me, now!
The wind's kicked up. Gusting perhaps from that mountain in the distance. The sleepwalkers have all retreated, some even disappearing entirely. Perhaps they've woken up.
Me: Can't tell you. I don't know where she is either.
Molly: You liar!
Me: Not at all.
I could guess, of course. Maybe she's with her friends at home or off being Mary's only source of companionship. But I'm not saying either way. I know I shouldn't. I won't!
Molly: ...I can always make you talk. I'm sure you'd rather it not come to that.
And she flourishes her sword, swinging it lightly in the growing gales, maple leaves cascading down around here. Where is this wind coming from...? And in the distance, that shape...!?
Molly: Eyes on me, man!
She suddenly steps forward with a sword thrust and I dodge back. As long as I keep out of reach, I'm good. Right?
Me: To be honest, I'd rather not see you. I'm not here for either of you anyway. And since it seems like you're not here or me, how about you just let me go? I'm not a threat to you. You know that.
Molly grits her teeth.
Molly: Anybody working with her is my enemy! I bet you know where both her and Rosie are! Now confess!
Me: ...
There's an orange shape approaching. Winged and fierce.
Me: You want a confession? Oh, I can give you one...
Molly smirks as a shadow falls over us all.
Molly: See? What that so hard, Mr. Floriagrapher? Now-!?
Me: ...you've learned nothing, Molly Knight. You ought to leave people be. Otherwise...
Molly turns back and looks up, but it's too late.
Me: ...they might strike back... right, Lulu?
The orange dragon answers back with a mighty roar!
And the knight responds by rushing recklessly into battle once again, a battle no one asked for, a battle that never had to happen, a battle that'll end only in tears and death.
But I'm in the clear, and Rina...
Rina: Ah... a d-d-d-dragon!? AAAHHHHH!?
...runs away, leaving me alone. And free to do as I please once again. And as for what that'll be...
[] I better follow Molly. Maybe I'll be able to talk with Lulu after she's done with her.
[] I know nothing about Rina Rossi, so maybe I ought to trail her and try to talk to her.
[] I'd rather leave them both be and keep exploring. Who knows what I might find...?
It's a double-edge sword really, Ken can learn more about Rina, but she can possibly learn more about him as well. Still, information gathering is important.
Molly, you and your friends who help you, kidnap, and starve Lulu to death. It's frankly mercy that she didn't kill you or Jack.
Edit 2:
Okay, you know what, no. Kentarou talking to Rina is too risky. Exploring more of the dream is more beneficial to him, and he can potentially uncover more flower girls he can presumably meet in the future.
Edit 3:
Also, wow, love the charm shenanigans. I wonder if Kentarou could meet Rosie and Olive in his dream. Rosie is probably in the white roses section of the dream. Olive may potentially be there as well, maybe.
My Vote:
[X] I'd rather leave them both be and keep exploring. Who knows what I might find...?
[x] I know nothing about Rina Rossi, so maybe I ought to trail her and try to talk to her.
It's not often that we have a chance to talk without trying to get one another. As far as places go, dreamscape isn't the worst one to attempt communication. We'll be here again.
Winning vote: [X] I'd rather leave them both be and keep exploring. Who knows what I might find...?
White Rose ~Flower of Innocence~ (22)
-ROAR!-
Molly: Begone, foul beast!
I see Molly and Lulu clashing in the distance, killer knight versus dream dragon. I could go there to watch. It's about all that I'd be able to do as I am now. But, no, I'd rather keep my distance. Besides, I trust in Lulu. She's handled Molly before and can do so again. Though I'm sure she'd rather not!
As for Rina, she's well out of sight by now. I could try to track her down, but who knows how long that would take? I might even wake up before I find her! No, I won't follow her.
Instead, I'll do what I came here to do – explore.
Me: I suppose I'll walk this way then...
This secret space is expansive. I've found all new places so far, and I'm sure aimlessly going in a different direction, away from both the frightened Rina and the wrathful Molly, will reveal something else that I haven't seen before. But this forest... it's quite big too, even if small compared to the whole place. I walked for a bit and found myself in the company of more sleepwalkers. And a fog has started to set in too, thicker and thicker...
Me: ...I'm not waking up, am I?
I thought to pinch myself, but that might just do it instead.
Me: No, I don't feel it. Nothing's pulling me out of this world, and I'm not falling down either. This is something else...
I see something odd moving in the mist.
Me: ...!? What are those...?
The sleepwalkers all around me are without face. Not to say that they have no heads – they surely do – but they lack the faces they wore in life. Only their eyes remained, and even those were clouded over. But even these faceless people still have their bodies, for what it's worth. Core, limbs, and all.
Yet I can see them clearly upon the bark of a yew tree, just a few feet away from me.
Detached, free floating hands!
Two of them, the left in white and the right in black, both sparkling as if cut from shining gemstones!
The black hand is waving to me while the white hand is pointing ahead to a path that's suddenly opened up from amidst the trees. The sleepwalkers walk through the woods and around me, but don't follow that dirt road. It leads to... a city street? Kinda looks like a street from back home, but really it could be from anywhere. Just what is this...?
Me: ...well, I came here to explore...
I look down at the charm dangling around my neck and gently caress it. It's soft and warm.
How comforting.
Me: I'll trust in this charm.
And with growing courage, I walk forward, those hands floating along myside and guiding me. Now that I can get a better look at them, they're both almost like gauntlets. So sharp and looking plated as armor. There's no name or other identifying information on them.
Perhaps the answer will be found on these dreaming city streets, where voices whisper in the wind.
It's funny, while I was walking through the woods, the city streets looked normal. But now the instant I set foot on those streets, the buildings around me suddenly tower and tower and crowd out the sky and the forest behind me has all gone. Vanished like a fading dream. But there's still sleepwalkers here, so one thing has remained constant. And there's something new too.
Oh! Hello there...
Voices.
And who might you be...?
Is that question for me...?
I'm a fan of your art...
No, of course not. And I don't recognize either voice at all.
Pleased to meet you...
But art, huh? Is this supposed to be Alletown? I know there's other, smaller, art museums, but Alletown has the main one for the whole city. Ms. Blauglas and her predecessors worked hard for that status. So, if I follow the voices, will I be led there? Not the real one, but a dream-like facsimile... well, I might still learn something.
The walls of the buildings around me are swirls of black and white, writhing chaotically, but even there the hands stand out. The jeweled hands, the armored hands, those hands that pointed the way here, these hands that want me to continue on. So, you want me to go that way?
Alright, I will.
Me: I wish you could talk. I'd like to know what you have in mind.
But the hands do not answer, merely guiding me along. Again, the sleepwalkers avoid me, though I feel like someone is watching me. Hopefully, it's whoever sent these hands my way...
Me: Oh?
The Alletown Art Museum is just up ahead. The most striking thing about it must surely be its stained glass façade, all in shades of blue, depicting the Alle River that separates the neighborhood from the rest of the city. The building itself is similarly quite long and imposing, although here it seems to stretch into infinity... not that the sleepwalkers mind. Nor do I, besides my temporary disorientation, as I've found who I'm looking for.
Two ghostly figures, one white and one black, have emerged from the front face, their clicking steps down blue glass stairs echoing through this dream world. They are laughing, in jovial conversation, completely oblivious to the eye glaring at them from above. An eye of blue, made of hollow glass. None of them notice me, so I step to the side and let the couple pass. Perhaps I'm meant to follow them...
...but so is that eye.
Me: That eye... that has to be the work of Louise Blauglas, right? But what's her angle here...?
Unlike the sleepwalkers, these two ghosts lacked faces. No way to tell who they were just yet. But the hands want me to follow, so I do at a distance. Got to keep out of sight of that eye too. It pays me no mind as I walk behind them. Means I don't hear anything, but I don't need to for getting this next part. The two are walking into the only non-towering building – a small apartment complex, 5 floors.
It's someone's home.
The two walk on in and the eye hovers up and up until it parks itself right outside of a specific room on the top floor. Then that one must be...!
Me: ...where I need to go!
So, I enter.
My breath leaves me in a visible fog, yet I don't feel the chill. I do, however, hear the echoes of footsteps walking away from me... they're from upstairs. All the walls are grey and indistinct and all the doors on the apartments plain and unmarked. But the hands are back again, pointing to follow the only sounds I can hear besides my own breath. The sleepwalkers are far from here.
I walk alone through frigid halls.
Me: No, I'm not truly alone. Not with those hands here. Still wish I knew who they belonged to... but they don't seem hostile. All I can do now is follow them.
I must know what this is all leading towards. Where am I being taken?
Me: No elevator, huh? Time to take the stairs... what a pain.
My footsteps echo in the empty stairway.
Me: This better be worth it...
The hands are following me up the stairs, so I must be going the right way. Now who are those-!?
But by the time I hit the top floor, but the smashing and the screams have ceased. Sure enough, shattered glass is spread all around. The last door at the end of the hallway has been utterly destroyed, left in pieces on the floor. And the air reeks of freshly spilled blood. The otherwise grey floor is tinted with it just outside that room.
I don't have the chance to barge in before she walks out.
Louise: Kentarou Kennedy... so, you're involved in this after all. But how did you get here, I wonder...?
Ms. Louise Blauglas, the director of the Alletown Art Museum, dressed in her work uniform, white shirt and midnight blue pants splattered with blood, just like her bespectacled face. She's holding a blue glass warhammer in one hand. Well, not so blue now, it's also been painted red, dripping blood.
Louise: It's rude to stare, you know. And also rude not to answer questions.
Me: I was in the neighborhood.
She frowns.
Louise: On Rafflesia's behalf, I assume?
Me: My friend has a name you know.
Louise: Irrelevant. Though the fact that you call her your friend... curious.
She starts making her way towards me, each step heavy and reverberating, weapon loose by her side.
I stand my ground.
Me: This whole situation is curious. Who were those two people just killed?
I glance at the ground for clues. There's a smashed-up nameplate on the ground. Some of the letters are visible: S, T, E, V, and N. I don't know if there's any more. To get them, I'd have to go past...
Louise: They're ghosts now. Even Rafflesia couldn't bring them back. So, there's no need for you to know their names or remember that you were here. In fact... it'd be best if you forgot everything about this.
Her hammer morphs and shifts to become a lot wider, heavier.
Louise: Blunt force trauma ought to do it. I'll make it quick.
...I need to go.
And as I turn to run...
[] ...I see a left-handed path suddenly appear, accompanied by the white hand. I'll go that way! Smells like rot over there... maybe that's a way back?
[] ...I see a right-handed path suddenly appear, accompanied by the black hand. I'll go that way! Smells like herbs and spice... that's new...
[] ...I don't trust either of these hands! I'll jump out the window! This is a dream, so maybe I can sprout wings and fly my way out of this mess!
QM Note: I've been busy the past few days and only just now been able to finish this update. So, here we are! Next update will end this dream sequence.
Chrys and Anthe stopped by last night and I filled them in on Rosie's age. She's about 5 years old, so now they can look for people who went missing or died 5-6 years ago. The two paused at that, but didn't elaborate on why, promising an answer later.
[x] ...I see a left-handed path suddenly appear, accompanied by the white hand. I'll go that way! Smells like rot over there... maybe that's a way back?
Dive for it! So what if it smells a little, we are looking for dead people anyway!
