"HEY! WHERE DO YOU THINK YOU'RE STICKING THAT!?" Lucy sprang to life, believing her innocence to be under assault.

"Oho, and here I thought someone left their garbage in my park," an old man replied, his shadow casting over Lucy "Tell me, little lady, do you make it a habit to lie down on a trail and wait for someone to trip onto you? Do you think we're in some kind of romcom manga?"

Looking up, Lucy realized the old man throwing shade was prodding her with a white and red tipped cane, wearing large pitch-black sunglasses and carrying an over sized parasol in his other hand. He had to be in his 60's at least, with solid gray slicked back hair, with a shit eating grin plastered on his face making him seem younger than he really was.

"No, I don't--" Lucy began to argue, but was drowned out as he carried on.

"Right, right, manners and all. Come on – up you get."

Withdrawing his cane from Lucy's backside, he stepped forward, shifting his parasol handle to his left hand to hold it along with his cane. He stooped over to extend his hand to Lucy.

"I can get up by my--" she waved it off, unintentionally smacking his hand.

His reaction was swifter than she was ready for. Seizing her arm, he quickly and somewhat painfully lifted her from the ground to help her to her feet.

"Strange, that was easier than I expected. They're really halfassing it these days, putting you kids together. Where's the rest of you?" He tilted to the side, pretending to look around for something he could never find.

"And you're from the tryhard era, who knew they used to stack shit like you that high?" she snapped, almost on reflex.

Oh no, clarity catching up to her, I can't just go at him like I do with Ch-

"HAH, if you can clap back like that you'll be fine. You aren't hurt, or bleeding or anything like that are you?" he asked while reaching for his pocket he took out a small white cloth and held it towards her.

"Um, no, why? Is something on my face?"

"Really? You tell me!" he said, waving his hand in front of his face, that smirk of his reaching an obscene level of smug.

"-- gimme that."

"Mr. Snak, at your disposal--"

Taking the cloth was the only reaction Lucy could come up with in time. Wiping her face, she confirmed she didn't seem to be hurt, and it gave her a moment to collect her thoughts. Or so it would, but this cloth actually smelled kind of nice...

"..-- your turn, little lady. How'd you end up like that?"

This guy, Lucy thought to herself.

"Enough of that little lady nonsense, my name is Lucy!" she replied, reaching her limit.She didn't notice it, but that remark took him by surprise, for but a moment.

"...didn't think I'd hear that name today.." he uttered under his breath

"Today is the absolute WORST. I went out of my way all this week handling all of my errands and business so nothing would get in the way of the plans I made with my friends online today. I was such a good girl and I woke up to the power being out! I called the people and it wont be back up for most of the day!" she shouted with her fists out to her sides, like some kind of furious penguin.

"You couldn't just use your phone? It's pretty wild what they can do these days, that even I can use one even without my eyes.", gesturing to an earpiece he wore on the right side.

"No I KNOW that, but a phone isn't strong enough for what we wanted to do. Besides that, my place is an oven without any AC, and I cant do anything with my frozen or instant food without a microwave or a stove! I didn't want to die of hunger and thought oh it cant be THAT far just to get some nuggets, I just have to make it through this park! Like an IDIOT" The stress of the day was clearly getting to her, her voice was shaking and her eyes were starting to water up.

"Let me guess, it's so hot and you were so hungry that you tripped and fell, and just stayed there in some kind of pou-?"

"DON'T CALL IT A POUT!"

"So I was right. You know, you could have said something. We're wasting time here, we gotta go turn your day around!" he proclaimed, fist in the air.

"...What?" Lucy was facing too many debuffs at the moment to process the way he changed gears so quickly.

"Did you hit your head? You heard me. Come on now, if you didn't drop anything let's gooo~"Picking up her bag, and fixing her hair, Lucy was about to give up on today. She could just go back home, warn her roommates about the power and food scenario and just wait it out, but then,

"Here, you probably need this more than me." Holding out the handle to his parasol, Lucy took grasp of it. The handle was worn down from years of use, but the rest of it appeared to be in pristine condition. The shaft bore the initials d7 in white text, with a little plush jellyfish strap on the end. It was a gigantic 45" canopy, meant for at least two people to use it comfortably, though with Lucy being so much shorter than the old timer that it instead would keep him at bay. The exterior was black with trails of white fabric running down the spines..

Is that lace? Why is there.. Click, click, click. As he began to meander off, the cane was polite enough to announce their departure to Lucy.

"Hey, wait! How do you even know where to go?" said Lucy.

"This is my favorite park, after all." His cadence had shifted for that remark, as if he was dwelling on something. "And if you go this way you can stop by a market before getting to that McWhatuwant you're after. Can't have you collapsing from thirst before you get there, my hands are full as it is."

For the first time in what had seemed like forever, a second set of footsteps accompanied the old man once more.

The adventure of life goes on.