Mai Legacy
1.3 - Susan
James spent the week after the karaoke night where he met Susan improving his house. He was finally able to install his own kitchen, meaning that he didn't have to take the ferry over to Windenburg every time he wanted to eat. He didn't have enough for a shower, so he still had to shower at the gym in downtown Windenburg, but that was the next thing he was saving up for.
The one thing he hadn't done, however, was call Susan. Every time he looked at his phone, he felt nothing but anxiety. He wasn't sure if it'd just been the alcohol speaking when she told him to call her or not. Additionally, every time he opened up his contacts, he saw the numbers for his parents, Ed and Daniela. He knew they had to be worried about him, but he knew that he was nowhere near settled or adult enough to even dream of calling them. When he finally did get around to calling, he wanted to be at a point in his life where he'd achieved something. That way, he could prove that he could find success without following the goals the two of them had always had paved out for him.
This particular morning, however, James was feeling bold. So, after a brief hesitation, he clicked on Susan's name. The phone barely had time to ring before she picked up.
"Hey, karaoke boy. Why'd you take so long to call?"
One glance at James's unpainted, unheated, lightless, windowless house answered that.
"Oh... nothing. Hey, if you're free today could we maybe meet outside Planet Honey Pop, then maybe take the ferry to downtown Windenburg? I really need to get out of the house."
"Uh... sure! Sounds great, James. The only thing I had planned today happens every weekend anyway, so I can skip out on it for now."
"Great! I'll head over."
Excited, James put on his favorite outfit, then headed out to catch the ferry.
When James got to the plaza outside Planet Honey Pop, there was a protest raging. Their signs spoke against the exuberant prices the apartment complexes demanded from their residents. He remembered Susan talking about how unaffordable housing in the Fashion District on karaoke night, and assumed that this must be exactly what all these people were protesting. He'd certainly never seen anything of the sort in Oasis Springs. Big city life was definitely incredibly different than life in a small resort town.
Susan, who was waiting at her apartment window, spotted James entering the plaza. She waved, then hurried to her apartment building's elevator and joined him in the square.
“Usually, I’d be part of them, but looks like todays my day off! Plus, I’m not going to ask you to protest for something that doesn’t affect you at all,” Susan explained, slightly out of breath, gesturing at the protestors.
“Why not?” James shrugged. "I don't mind."
"You sure? This is the fifth weekend in a row we've done this, and the landlords continue to ignore us, it isn't like you're going to make much of a difference."
James shrugged again.
"Okay, then! Let's do this," Susan said, smiling slightly. She led James over to a black haired man who was shouting particularly loudly.
"This is Akira. He lives in the building next to me, and he organized this whole protest," Susan explained. "And Akira, this is James, he just moved to Windenburg."
"Ah. So you're Susan's karaoke boy," Akira grinned. "Good to finally meet you, James. But I can't believe you're all the way over in the Fashion District of San Myshuno, especially when you're at a protest that clearly doesn't affect you. Susan, come on. Take him to Myshuno Meadows at the very least, that would be so much more interesting for him."
"I don't mind" James smiled. "And, plus? This whole thing seems like quite a worthy reason to protest. I've heard all about it from Susan."
"Alright, then," Akira nodded. “Well, it's good to see you joining the fight, James." He dug into his pocket, and produced a notepad and pen. He scribbled something on the card, then handed James the card, which had a number scrawled on it.
“Text me your number later so I can let you know the date of our next protest if you wanna join in again," Akira said.
Akira directed James and Susan over to a box of protest signs. Following that, the two of them shouted and protested for a good hour. Unsurprisingly, not a single landlord emerged to say anything about it.
"Good effort today, everyone!" Akira said loudly. "We'll resume in about two hours, for now, I recommend you all get some lunch. The vendors here are offering discounted food to everyone who took part in the protest, so I strongly recommend you take advantage of that! Hope to see you all back in two hours!"
Susan tapped James on the shoulder, and led him over to a picnic bench. “I’m so sorry for all of this, you can totally just throw that card out, I'd never expect you to protest this issue again... Akira's… he’s been having a rough time with his husband recently, like, to the point where he just refuses to share his money with him. Akira doesn’t work, so, clearly, he's been struggling.”
“What kind of marriage is that?"
Susan shrugged helplessly. “I don't even know... and it’s long distance too. Akira is in San Myshuno and Jacques is in Windenburg... Apparently, after Akira lived in his mansion for a few months, Jacques resolved that he no longer wanted Akira living in his house. So, he said he'd pay for his rent at an apartment in return, but clearly, that hasn't been happening lately.."
Recognizing the name, James frowned thoughtfully. “Jacques as in Jacques Villareal?”
Susan nodded.
“He lives on the same island as me, I think... lives in a giant mansion with way too much land. I’ve run into him a few times, he's definitely a nasty man.”
“As of recently, I couldn’t agree more. But Akira still loves him, and I have to respect that.”
The two of them lapsed into silence.
"So... do you still want to go to downtown Windenburg?" Susan asked.
James nodded, so they said their goodbyes to Akira, then rode the ferry to Windenburg. The whole time, James couldn’t stop thinking about what both Susan and Akira had said. They'd both said that Windenburg and San Myshuno were too far apart for anyone to make regular trips between the two, but... Susan had acted like a trip between the two on a whim was no big deal. Was there... another reason she'd been so eager for his call?
After stopping by a cafe for coffee, James and Susan headed to the very same gym James visited to shower. It definitely hadn’t been his intention, Susan had pointed it out because she thought the architecture was cool, and once he’d mentioned there was a pool inside, she was gone. Susan hadn't wanted to go the other pool in the area, rumors of the nasty gang that gathered there had spread all the way to San Myshuno.
The two headed down to the basement, and as the afternoon passed, they jumped in and out of the pool, rushing to the diving board and back, their laughter filling the room.
"I haven't been swimming in such a long time," Susan said at one point, shaking her head. "I know that there's this whole joke about taking her swimming on the first date, but I swear, fulfilling that stupid stereotype was the last thing on my mind dragging you in here. Swimming's just great, you know? Definitely don't get to do it enough when I struggle to make ends meet to pay rent most months."
"Oh, totally," James nodded.
That only threw James deeper into confusion. Was this... a date? Not that he wouldn't mind, in fact, he'd love it if that were true, he was just... confused. Was Susan expecting him to ask her out?
At one point, an older man entered the room and went outside to a small sun room next to the pool to enjoy the sun. He didn't seem pleased to see them splashing around, but didn't speak up.
“So,” Susan said at one point. “You said at the bar that you’re not planning on talking to your parents until you build a sort of legacy for yourself here in Windenburg, right?”
James nodded.
“A painting legacy, perhaps?”
“I honestly have no idea what I’m going to do yet,” James admitted. “Right now, I’m more focused on just having a house I can be happy living in. The legacy can come later.”
The man outside opened up his eyes, and entered the room, speaking with a thick accent. “A legacy family?”
James and Susan gave him a weird look. He graciously apologized. “Oh, so sorry. I’m Victor. Victor Feng.”
“I’ve heard of the Fengs,” Susan murmured.
“What do you mean by a legacy family?” James asked.
“Oh, pardon me,” Victor laughed. “I thought you were talking about having a legacy family of your own, hm? I’m sorry to have bothered this… splash fest.”
“What if I’m interested?” James said quickly, before Victor could leave.
“Interested, hm? Yes… I could help you with that. I don’t have one of my own, as we Fengs build our power in another way, but I just know much about the legacy. First, and most important, you need a special suit of armor. Within, there’s a writ that verifies your household a legacy. I can get you one, if you like, $8000 is nothing to a Feng.”
“Okay, great! That sounds awesome.” James exclaimed. “But, I’m curious, what is a legacy family, exactly?”
“You want one but do not even know what you seek? Foolish boy…” Victor muttered. “Very well. Legacy families exist to build roots within a town, and often times, they end up controlling said town for centuries to come, their descendants creating a lasting legacy of the founder's original goals and wishes. However, you can’t became a legacy family as a… commoner, such as yourself. If no one pays attention to you, not one soul will care about your or your descendants. You can hardly control a town like that, hm? Therefore, you need… connections. Connections that can grant you attention from the public. I can help you with that. I see promise within you.”
“Um… thanks?” James muttered. He gave Victor his number, and after thanking him, Victor smiled and left the room, promising to give him a call the next day.
“Hm. That was certainly… weird. ” Susan muttered.
“Tell me about it,” James agreed. “I don’t really think thats what I want, I didn’t come to Windenburg seeking fame and power, but I guess if worst comes to worst, I can always sell the statue?”
Susan nodded. “Oh, totally.”
The two fell into an awkward silence. And that awkward silence led to James’s mind going back to Susan’s true intentions in this day out. At a certain point, he could no longer control himself.
The words practically fell out of his mouth. “Hey, Susan, would you be interested in going out with me?”
The air between the two grew very still.
Susan responded very slowly. “Look James. I… I feel like I may have gave you the wrong impression, okay? I like you, just, uh, not like that yet, okay?”
She got out of the pool, then turned around. “I’m really sorry James, I am.”
James watched as she hurried out of the building. He stayed, treading water in the pool, the tears pricking at his eyes making no difference there.
Huge thank you to the original creator of Susan Harper, this legacy wouldn't have been possible without her.