Jasper and Dulcinea!

Dulcinea, as you round the corner towards the front side of Shokyu's house, which overlooks a small shopping street, you see an intriguing young woman just sort of standing there as another drizzle picks up. She looks deeply in pain and your InnerTurmoilometer is reading off the charts! Despite this clear reading of what should be massive internal crisis, you feel an odd connection to this person, like she'd be strangely easy for you to get along with. 

[This is something you'd be able to get an even better read on if you were to spend Will on your weather sense skill to do a really good job of weather science for this situation. A 4+ result there might give you some significant scientific and personal insight into the lady in front of you and your broader investigation, and a 6+ would let you be showy about it.]

Jasper, you're a bit caught up in yourself at the moment, but the young woman who rounds the corner with her umbrella and her journal out seems like someone you could talk to about your problems. More even than normal I mean. Maybe she could help break your curse? Or at least help you feel better about being cursed forever. 

*****

Rinley! Ask and ye shall receive. This is a lovely slice of life XP action. I can just see the rain starting to pool on your lily pad as you stay and reflect on your family. From above, it starts as a few drops gathering in the center, almost helping you keep the lily pad's balance. But it starts getting heavier and the shape isn't quite regular so the water makes the stem start to list to one side. You subconsciously adjust, but there's more and more and the stem of a lily pad isn't really known for its tensile strength. So...after a few moments it tilts and SPLOOSH!!! there's a big puddle of water splashing on your head. Take 1 XP. Oh and here, while you're at it, [i]flings[/i] take this Silver Something to Deal With Issue. It's not isolation, you were socializing with Dulcy earlier this week, but it's clear you're really focused on your thoughts. [i]The Issue bounces near you with a distinctive *dink* sound. You now know that Silver issues go *dink*[/i] 

[As a reminder, you get +1 MP for that, and you've now got the thought
[i]You keep thinking about things you don’t want to think about. It’s uncomfortable. You want to distract yourself from it.[/i]]

You are immediately distracted by the sound of light, tinkling laughter carrying over the storm. It seems that at some point while you were lost in thought, that girl with the straw hair came up behind you to look at what you were doing. She's wearing a royal blue raincoat and holding what looks to be some kind of giant dandelion for an umbrella. It's sort of doing its job as the rain bounces and slides around the puffs and drips around her instead of on her, but it's looking sort of like it might get waterlogged if she doesn't find shelter soon. 

"I think you forgot to empty your lily" she says with a laugh, but she's also reaching out a hand to help you up from your unceremonious soaking. Maybe it's time you both sought some shelter?

*****

Mila, the work is going well. Now that you've turned your attention to the corner, you've managed to dust things up without getting the lace on your dress dusty at all. You're working on replacing the boards, which is not too bad, you've found the studs in the wall easily enough to get the dry rot boards out and the supplies are safely out of the way in the corner. 

Now, I do hate to break it to you, but there's someone at the door. Inside the door, actually. She's already opened it and is peaking inside at you. You and your thick maid's dress with its layers of poofy fabric and your lovely bonnet and all. She's got red hair worn loose. It's looking a bit windblown and it's hanging to just above her shoulders. Navy blue turtleneck and jeans, and a bright yellow umbrella. 

"Oh hey, um, sorry if I'm...uh...intruding..." she says when she realizes you noticed her. "I just, I was walking over to Shokyu's cuz I figured she'd need some help, but I heard something here and I thought this place was abandoned, I mean, you know, because I've lived around here for a long while, like a long while, and it's been abandoned for most of that while, which is a thing I would remember. So, I mean, I figured I'd check it out when I heard somebody here. And um...I didn't know the owner had hired a maid! My name's Seizhi, it's very nice to meet you!"

She extends one hand while kind of working at lowering her umbrella one-handed with the other one.

[I'll note that your scene is invoking a Fortitude region property. If you wanted to do something here, mundane or miraculous, it might be better than normal. Or if you see a way that your hard work gets you into trouble as Seizhi enters the scene, you can pick up an extra MP for your future use.]