The market noise thins into a strange, steady ticking. Mercedes and the others slow near the fountain as the air seems to stretch around them.
Sakura Matou
That man... I know him.
A tall stranger steps out from behind a stall, white hair falling to his waist, pale eyes fixed on Sakura. The crowd keeps moving at the edges, but this pocket of the square feels cut off.
The Stranger
You were right to follow the route. I was beginning to think no one would.
Mercedes Machina
The ticking is coming from somewhere close, maybe not even a machine.
Evan Liecht
State your business. Now.
The Stranger
Relax. I am only here to point you toward the waterfront, and to warn you that someone else is watching that cloth.
He reaches into his coat and produces a small brass token, then lowers his hand before anyone can snatch it. Sakura stays tucked near Mercedes, tense but drawn toward him all the same.
The Stranger
If you want answers, meet me at the old tram steps before sunset.
✓ Quest Accepted
Find Allison
“Does Porsche know who the shadowed figure is?”
NO (Likely, rolled 77)
Porsche shakes her head slowly, her expression clouding with genuine uncertainty as she studies the cloth. She admits that the identity of the shadowed figure remains a mystery even to her.
“I ask the Stranger for information”
SUCCESS (Legendary Charm, rolled +0)
Mercedes Machina
And the stranger. Tell me what you know about them.
Porsche lowers the cloth and studies Mercedes instead of the pattern, as if the answer is in her face. The fountain water murmurs beside them, steady and almost private.
Porsche Machina
Not much. They were watching the market before they ever noticed us. That is what bothers me.
Porsche Machina
They knew exactly when to step forward, and exactly how to make it look like they were offering help.
She turns the cloth over and taps the market mark with one finger, then the route line leading away from the square. Her voice softens, losing some of its usual steel.
Porsche Machina
I have seen that symbol before, near the old tram steps. Not often. Enough to know it is not random.
Evan stays just behind Mercedes, attentive and quiet, while Sakura watches Porsche with open relief. The torn sleeve fragment trembles on the nail in the fountain draft, a small, stubborn clue.
Porsche Machina
If you want, I can walk there with you now. Or I can tell you who in Twilight Town would recognize that mark first.
“I ask Evan to keep an eye on the stranger, while Sakura and I go with Porsche to the old tram steps.”
SUCCESS (Good Agility, rolled +1)