When I wrote Wildfall's short solo, the idea was to write a very short and impactful solo to show that you could deliver great storytelling even with a short piece.

Humility aside, I succeeded. I also wrote it hoping - but not knowing for sure- we'd get this girl, Mary Kate. Well, as you're about to see, we got her, and I don't think she's going away any time soon!

 
Jarlsboris Wildfall didn't even realize he was running as he sprinted towards Seaside Town. Not at first, anyway. The rush of finally selling off the house he'd previously shared with Summer was more intense than he expected. Even if he hadn't been home much to use it lately, he'd lived there since being dumped in the Kingdom months ago.

He forced himself to slow down into a jog and then to a brisk walk. Sure, he was still eager to get to Seaside Town but, logically, he was in no rush to get there. No need to get worked up over it, he reminded himself.

If he just needed to take his mind off of recent events, that's what he found as he continued to cross the Nearby Plains. It was still early and the plains didn't really start to fill with monsters and adventurers til closer til noon. As he made his way over another hill, he noticed a bunch of imps in the background pestering some poor girl who didn't seem interested in it at all.

Wildfall didn't recognize the imps, but the girl looked pretty young. Well tanned, cute, just the type they'd pick on. Wildfall started to run towards her, only to quickly realize she wasn't actually trying to run from the imps. In fact, she was taking the fight to them!

Wildfall slowed to a walk. Common courtesy usually required adventurers to handle their own problems, but this gal looked younger than Wildfall. As he moved forward, he took a quick headcount to see that the young girl was up against at least a dozen imps. It appeared she had already taken out 2 of the imps. (Or, ya know, being imps, they'd passed out drunk already.) He decided to move in a little closer to watch but not close enough to distract the young girl and put her in more danger. She appeared to be holding her own in the fight but he wanted to be close enough that he could come to her aide if needed.

She had been doing very well against the imps and was down to only having to finish of 2 of them when she saw a movement out of the corner of her eye. She turned her head slightly and one of the imps moved in on her but she regained her focus, finished him off and turned to take out the last remaining imp. When the fight was over she turned to the smirking figure standing off to the side watching her. She stepped over the body of the last imp and walked cautiously toward the figure when she recognized him. “How long have you been standing there, handsome?” she asked.

He blushed a little. "Sorry, ma'am, just making sure you were okay. That's a lot of imps you took on. Pleased to meet you, I'm...."

She laughed, interrupting him. "I know who are you, Jarsly. Wait, you don't remember me, do you?!"

As she laughed, Wildfall's mind raced to place the figure. "Well, no, it's just I meet a lot of.. I mean, there's plenty, wait, Jarlsy?”

She just giggled again as he stared at her. She could almost see his eyes light up as he recognized you.

"Mary Kate?!" he asked, eyes now wide open. At least he remembered to close his jaw after he finished gasping.

After the initial shock of the two seeing each other, for the first time in years wore off, they spent a short period of time catching up on everything that had gone down, including how they each wound up in the Loathing Kingdom, far across the blue and purple ocean from their native land of Ireaca.

Wildfall flipped his shillelagh up in the air and caught it absentmindedly. "So you've been here a while? I've been here a few times. Surprised I missed ya.. you're really.. um.. grown up ya know?"

Blushing slightly, she responded, "Well we all grow up at some point and I am not surprised you did not remember me."

"What?!" Wildfall forced a chuckle. "No, I totally remembered you. I was seeing if.. I mean, I was worried you.. I was teasing. Testing you."

"Who are you kidding Jarsly, you did not remember me until I reminded you who I was. To you, I was just a little kid that hung around you when my parents were helping you. You looked at me like I was an annoying little sister."

Wildfall just stared for a moment, smiling. "Well, ya don't look nearly so annoying now."

Smiling at Wildfall she shyly asked, “Will you walk back to town with me, Jarlsy?”

He smiled broader at that. "Sure, but it's just, well I just go by the last name now, Wildfall. No one's called 'Jarlsy' in ages, hon. Besides, I need get a new place to live and.."

His voice trialed off as he caught himself. She started to ask what was wrong, but he turned, shrugged it off and said, "Nevermind, I'll tell ya later. Let's get going before the creeps come out for an early lunch!"

There is is, ladies and gentlemen; Mary Kate!

It wasn't terribly long compared to some pieces, but we'll see a lot more of her as the mission goes! In fact, Wildfall and Mary make up two-thirds of the next piece as well. But I'd call it a smashing success in terms of debuting Mary! Coming after the strong Wildfall short didn't hurt any, either. The voter enjoyed seeing Wildfall running into another from his homeland, Ireaca, and of course the two have shared history. Plus it's a new player for AIL!