Greenway Park - 8:15 PM.
It seemed only about a quarter of the crowd that had been present at the parade earlier in the day had been frightened away by the spilling of blood among them. The park was filled with civilians toting young children who in turn toted sparklers and spelled out their names in the fading twilight. Dan watched them with impassive yet soft features for a few moments before turning away from the multicolored lights in favor of the willow-rimmed pond at the east side of the park.
There were fewer people on the shore than the lawn, though the various carnival games that were beginning to slowly close up for the evening were still visible on the slight rise. Earlier that day, Dan had netted a goldfish, which he planned on feeding to his jellyfish if Avery didn't get to it first and try to somehow save its meaningless life. Honestly, he felt it was a better fate to be eaten by a brainless translucent being than be pet to his sister.
He leaned against the trunk of one of the willows at the edge of the pond and watched the water ripple with fish through the window that had been created by tying the branches back like drapes. It was growing quieter, and Dan much preferred it to the commotion of earlier that day. For awhile, he tried to ignore the fact that someone had murdered the Oleander boss and focused on the ripples.
The cell phone that Dan had stashed into one of the folds of his blue and white yukata vibrated against his chest. Reaching in against his skin, he automatically pressed the ignore button. If Scarlet wanted him tonight, she could come and find him. He had a feeling she would know exactly where he was.