I'm so proud of the character and handler of Mary Kate.

She's proven to be quite a force in AIL. In fact, she won our last mission, the Rats & Bats one, which is alluded to early on in this one when she discusses washing rat blood off of her hands. Well, you'll see. Check out Mary Kate and the debut of SnowCatCuties!

 
Mary was still upset with Wildfall as she helped him back to safety of her home in Seaside Town. She bandaged up his arm and sat down beside him while he rested. She thought back over everything that had happened with the fight between her and Wildfall and of the fight with the baron. She knew that he was just trying to protect her but she felt that she had already proved to him that she was not the helpless little girl he remembered and it galled her to be treated as such.

Fighting the baron took a lot out of her but she felt she had to prove to everyone that she could hold her own in a fight with whatever monsters they ran into. Otherwise she might as well just give up and stay there in Seaside Town and be bored to death.

"When you feel up to it, Wildfall, we need to start looking for Todd and Fahari. I think we should start looking around Seaside Town and go from there," Mary told him just before he drifted off to sleep.

"I think I will go out for a walk," Mary said as she washed the rats blood off and watched him sleep. Mary started to chuckle when she thought back to the day they met in the woods when she was fighting the imps and he stood there watching her. She thought about how that fight looked like the one she was just in, being outnumbered by the enemy.

"Why am I always having to prove to others that I can take care of myself? Everyone still treats me as a child." Mary thought to herself, "I would've thought that by now Wildfall would see the growth I've made since that first fight."

Mary started for the Council office to find out about rumors of a possible job; that's when she saw a commotion at the Spookyraven Mansion. She walked up to the crowd and saw several people attempting different methods of breaking down a barrier that was surrounding the mansion and several buildings near it. As Mary got closer to the group, she noticed a neko who appeared to be limping.

The neko went to sit down on a rock near by and started rubbing her foot while listening in to the crowd, trying to gather the information from the conversation. Her eyes would dart around as if she was looking for something and her ears where always perked up as she listened.

Mary approached the neko and said, "Excuse me, my name is Mary and I could not help noticing that you are limping. Are you injured? Can I help you? I know a little about healing and if you would like, I can see if there is anything I can do to help you."

The neko was startled by Mary’s approach but kindly said, “Hey sorry, yes I'm fine it's just a medical condition I have called plantar fasciitis. It's just a bad foot basically. My name is SnowCatCuties, one word, or SnowCat, also one word. If it's easier, just call me Snow. Nice to meet you.”

"Have you tried just resting and making sure you have the correct shoes?" Mary asked Snow.

“I’m always traveling so it's hard to rest it but I'll look into better shoes.” SnowCat looked at her feet, her shoes all tattered and torn which made her laugh at the state they were in. “I may need to get some new ones. Know where I can get some decent ones, Doc?”

Mary blushed. "First of all I am NOT a doctor and you are asking the wrong person. I am new here myself and only a lowly medical apprentice. My mother taught me what I know. She went with me father to his new military post and left me here to look after the house."

“Sorry I didn’t mean to offend you by calling you Doc. You’re the closest I’ve come to seeing one in a while. It’s a bit hard keeping a doctor's appointment when I don't know if I'll be around long enough for it. I’ve coming looking for a couple of things. If you could help that would be awesome.” SnowCat added with hope in her eyes, “I’m looking for information on a few people and you seem like a trustworthy person.” She leaned in closer and whispered, “Have you heard about the Somber Six? Or even about a lady called Sarah?”

"I have heard of something called a Somber Six but never heard of a Sarah," said Mary. "But where I come from that is a common name."

Still hopeful, SnowCat added, “She dated a guy called Dr. Handsomenrich. Does that name ring a bell? He's from Honorburg.”

"No, but like I said I am not from here," said a frustrated Mary. "I have never been to that place, sorry."

“Oh, ok.” SnowCat frowned at the news. She continued with a dampened look by asking, “What was it you know about the Somber Six?”

"First of all, the only thing I know about that name is the name and that is it," said Mary. "Secondly if you want to know about that town, and the people in it, go find an adventurer by the name of Sebastian Dash. I hear he knows everything about anything around here. I have no idea where he is but go ask the Council - maybe they know where he is."

“Ok thanks.” SnowCat stood up and got out an odd device. She tapped on it as if to be typing something and looked back at the Mansion before heading off in the direction of the Council.

Mary turned around to leave, muttering to herself, "That was weird and puzzling; I better go check on Wildfall." With that Mary walked back to the house where she hoped Wildfall was still asleep.

"Mary getting fluttered" here, as the voter put it, is the start of something of an emotional rollercoaster for Mary Kate during this mission. Meanwhile, we'll see SnowCat in a pair of solo roleplays before we get to the mission Finale.

Oh- and the voter called this one a "fun read." Next up: Mary returns home to see Wildfall. Things heat up a bit.