XBLAZE - Concurrent:Butterfly [IC]

[Airen]

Tsugumi Uro
Nurse's Office, Tomobiki
Morning, April 13th, 2056
Event Stock: 0
Cloudy Skies

Visiting the nurse was always rather uneventful; a daily occurrence that has quickly become a deeply rooted routine, the footsteps that carry your absentminded body forward are those that have already committed this particular path to memory.

Dinner last night had ended positively, which was a net gain when you realized how awkward you had potentially made everything earlier on in that night; the girls had left for their dorms shortly after dinner, and after some prodding from your aunt to go in a similar direction, you had wound up heading that way yourself. She hadn't seemed particularly stressed at the end, rather, citing that you were still new to this school schedule, she had basically demanded that you go to bed at a reasonable hour, and those demands couldn't exactly be resisted...

Still, it was a good thing perhaps...

That strange fatigue had yet to leave you completely; it felt like a deeply ingrained soreness, like something big and heavy had smashed into your body at some point that you couldn't quite recall, but...

Well, things like this were what the nurse was for-!

Turning the corner, putting your hand on the doorknob -always closed but never locked- what greets you is not the normally high-tech hidden office, but rather-

A more normal one, lined with the usual beds, but occupied by four women; there's an almost static like quality to the room's contents, like a filter had been placed over reality... Of course even with that, Ariel's and Isako's figures are easy to make out... Standing around along with another dark-haired girl, one who looked similar to Isako in terms of her looks, they were looking down at another dark-haired girl on the bed that somehow seems familiar, there was the sound of someone crying, a heart monitor, and falling leaves outside the window, and-

"Hello?"

-In a snap it all disappears.

It's a brief moment of hallucination, the static-like quality fades from your eyes, the normal sounds return, as does the normal interior of the Nurse's office and...

The Nurse herself...

"You alright, Tsugumi? You look dazed..."

Seems to be worrying about you, of course...

Seeing as how you were apparently hallucinating, perhaps there was something worth worrying about...

Or maybe you were still just half-asleep?

[Bird of Hermes]

Tsugumi Uro
Nurse's Office, Tomobiki
Morning, April 13th, 2056
Event Stock: 0
Cloudy Skies

It was cloudy.

Tsugumi had never been fond of clouds. The weather had always seemed to affect his mood. That was the only reason that he could think of for him to still be tired. The haze and deep ache was still ingrained into him but even with the travelling being taken into account, he couldn’t think of a reason for still feeling this tired. He hadn’t done anything physically strenuous or anything this week so there was no real justification for it…

Maybe it was his crystal acting up. Being a Drive Union was the worst.

But then-

He saw. The hospital, the women, Ariel, Isako, another dark-haired girl on the bed. Tsugumi hadn’t seen it before but the scene was so familiar to him, tears, a heart monitor, and falling leaves outside the window-

It hurt. Tsugumi didn’t understand, he didn’t want to understand. The young man grasped his head and

-oh.

"You alright, Tsugumi? You look dazed..."

It was gone. But now Tsugumi had a different kind of headache as well. He knew that it was a side-effect of the union virus but he was certain he was only in the first phase.

“Oh, I’m… exhausted.” Tsugumi dully nodded through the daze, rubbing his eyes with his palm. “Head’s a bit of a blur the past few days and I’m seeing stuff.”

He stepped through into the room. His instincts were crying out to say he was ‘just fine’ but this on top of everything else was too much without answers.

“I think there’s something wrong with me.”

[RacingeR]

Loraine Irwin
Tomobiki, Nagatani Estate
Morning
April 11th, 2056
Weather: Clear Skies, Warm.
Seithr Rating: 100 (Safe)
Event Stock: 3

“I’ve figured it out!” Lori exclaimed as she pointed towards the correct path. “It is the path with the sounds of running water! Hah, take that, Headmaster! Your crappy labyrinth cannot contain my genius!”

“I, Loraine Irwin, The Thousand Spells Witch, am undefeated!”

Of course, such an affirmation would require to ignore the last two hundred times this labyrinth had ‘defeated’ her, but those were details that Lori considered best that they stay ignored. Pulling Nina from her hand, she stepped into the next correct path, and…

“Huh. ‘sup”

They met, unexpectedly, a completely unknown person, dressed in an eccentric way, that was making her way out of the labyrinth.

“Uh… yeah, we’re new students.” Lori replied, a bit confused. Suddenly, she let go of Nina’s hand, and stepped towards the unknown person. She seemed to examine her closely, first from the front, then she started to walk around her, examining the new person from different angles, before putting her fist into her palm in realization.

“Oh, I got it! Look, Nina, this is a ninja!” Lori seemed quite proud of having figured this out, perhaps riding the high of having finally defeated the labyrinth. “Sasuga Japan, it even has magic ninjas and all.”

She seemed to be taking randomly running into a ninja girl in a place where there was supposed to be nobody in stride, as if ninjas were frequent random encounters in Japan. No, if one took into account Lori’s previous experience in the country, when she came to steal the magical secrets of the archipelago’s secluded clans, perhaps ninjas were just a common random encounter as far as she was concerned…

[Airen]

Loraine Irwin
Tomobiki, Nagatani Estate
Morning
April 11th, 2056
Weather: Clear Skies, Warm.
Seithr Rating: 100 (Safe)
Event Stock: 3

"Huh, I see, it is a ninja~! Hello~"

It is a seamless transition from slightly hesitant follower in a maze, to immediately giving off the aura and charm of a social butterfly with but a small change in facial expression, indeed...

It is scary how quickly Nina can jump to 'befriend' mode, but even stranger-

"Yes, I am in fact a magical ninja! Well, a superhero, but it's the same sort of thing-!"

Is how proudly the stranger simply accepts your labeling of her, she does not deny it or call it cosplay, no, proudly standing tall with arms crossed -she didn't even seem to mind the obvious gazing on her form- the wind blows her white scarf behind her back as she salutes the both of you, responding to Nina's cheerful smile with a friendly grin of her own.

"Hello there, new students!"

Transitioning from salute to wave, the young woman who can't be much older -or younger really- than you proudly jumps straight into her introductions.

"My name is Zero, local superhero extraordinaire! So who are you girls?"

"Hello Zero~ My name is Nina, and this is Loraine~"

Bowing at this, and then extending a hand in greeting -which Nina beats you to- the stranger -or rather Zero- keeps up her seemingly endless energy without the slightest hint of fatigue.

Really though...

Didn't Nina ever ponder stranger danger...?

[RacingeR]

Loraine Irwin
Tomobiki, Nagatani Estate
Morning
April 11th, 2056
Weather: Clear Skies, Warm.
Seithr Rating: 100 (Safe)
Event Stock: 3

“Uh…” Lori can’t help but to sweatdrop at how quickly Nina befriends the stranger. Really, couldn’t she be the least bit wary? Although the ninja isn’t giving any reason for hostility, and seemed friendly enough despite the circumstances…

“But you can’t be a superheroine too.” Lori replied, as if she was following a thread of absolute logic. “I’ve read some comics, superheroes wear their underwear on top of their clothing!”

She pointed a finger at Zero. “You can’t deceive me, magic ninja! Now… are you someone sent by those secluded clans? I bet those old men are still angry at me.”

Lori seemed to ponder her own question. “Hmm… you don’t seem like an Oda… nor a Shimazu…”

“A-anyway, why would this town need a superheroine in the first place?” She seems to finally figure out the vital question, and asks it, despite the fact that it is obvious that she’s running on her own track of mind. “I mean, it is supposed to be a peaceful place out of the way were they keep people like me contained, so…”

[Airen]

Loraine Irwin
Tomobiki, Nagatani Estate
Morning
April 11th, 2056
Weather: Clear Skies, Warm.
Seithr Rating: 100 (Safe)
Event Stock: 3

"Why? Never thought about it really... Just woke up one day with that mission as my only memory; protect Tomobiki, so that's what I do~"

She admits her lack of a tragic backstory or powerful motivation without hesitation, thus, firmly declaring that she actually must be a magical ninja instead of a superhero without room for a debate-!

...Or something like that.

"I mean Tomobiki is fine, much better than the big cities all things considered, but tourists try to pull fast ones every now and then, and there's a biker gang that rolls in from time to time, so stopping petty crime is a thing I do, I guess? Well, I also save people from the mines from time to time, kinda dangerous there, actually ghosts there you know? But there's tons of signs around the mines talking about how dangerous it is, so really, the people that go inside of em are just asking for trouble-! Heck, we'll consider this a PSA, don't go to the mines!"

"Okay!"

Yes.

It is heroism with a strange lack of motivation behind it-! But she's cheerful and talkative, and with Nina nodding enthusiastically as she listens to her-

"So what are you guys doing in the principal's maze? Looking for treasure? This thing's puzzle resets every week or so, heard the prize is a mystery box!"

Hands held behind her back, she tilts her head slightly to the side in a questioning way.

[Airen]

Tsugumi Uro
Nurse's Office, Tomobiki
Morning, April 13th, 2056
Event Stock: 0
Cloudy Skies

...She was standing awfully close to you now.

Sitting on an examination bed now, your lack of ability to focus could be based on any number of things; your head still hurt, your body still had the bizarre aches and tiredness, and, perhaps as a new factor...

Was the nurse taking your temperature the old fashioned way, leaning over slightly -dressed casually as usual- with one hand on your forehead; it hasn't been very long, the moment you had expressed any sort of discontent with your state she had had you sit down atop one of the beds, and now...

"Hmmm... A light fever."

A note made on a clipboard, although she still doesn't move away...

"What have your extra symptoms been? Was it another fainting spell like earlier in the week?"

Her voice is calm and soothing, and so far...

None of the flashes of static had returned...

[RacingeR]

Loraine Irwin
Tomobiki, Nagatani Estate
Morning
April 11th, 2056
Weather: Clear Skies, Warm.
Seithr Rating: 100 (Safe)
Event Stock: 3

“I-is that so…” Yep, she’s definitely just a magical ninja, no question about it. Still… while she claims to lack actual motivation for doing superheroing, it is still a bit odd. Lori blinked as she thought about it. Surely, Sleipnir wouldn’t be amused with her just running amok like that, and her gut feeling told her the principal wasn’t a simple figure at all, so why was she letting Zero run around like this?

This definitely wasn’t quite as simple as it seemed, but Lori kept her thoughts to herself. She’d just slowly investigate by herself later. In fact, Lori’s eyes were already shining when Zero mentioned ghosts in the mines, and a biker gang she could just go and fight in her free time. Telling that information to Lori was like straight up telling her to go there.

“Hmm… if there are ghosts in the mines, then chances are that cursed or enchanted objects are there… I mean I think that ghosts don’t naturally happen, although they do vary by region, so maybe… either way it is quite worth it to take a look there sometime soon…” Lori mumbled to herself out-loud, barely paying attention to the okay that Nina gave to Zero’s warning.

“Ah, yeah, well, Nina’s in the labyrinth because she thinks that someone should do it since it is there. I’m in on it because I wanna see if there’s something interesting at the end of it.” Lori replied, returning from her reverie. “So, what’s a mystery box anyway?”

[Airen]

Loraine Irwin
Tomobiki, Nagatani Estate
Morning
April 11th, 2056
Weather: Clear Skies, Warm.
Seithr Rating: 100 (Safe)
Event Stock: 3

"Uh... Didn't you hear me? Mines are bad. Don't go to the mines. If you go far enough down it's not just ghosts anymore, bad idea, really bad idea-!"

You ignore this repeated bit of information, or rather, while your body nods as if you understand, you're really just thinking about the many ways in which you are going to inevitably end up in said mines; thankfully, this unconscious nodding seems to satisfy the magical ninja girl, and thus:

"But mystery boxes! They're more or less what they sound like, Isako puts something in a box, paints a question mark on it, and then either gives it to you or hides it someplace. It's kind of a reward box I guess? But there's no consistent theme as to what she puts in there, think the last one had a key to a shrine in it?"

Tapping her chin with a free hand, the smiling girl continues with limitless energy-

"There's one at the center of the maze right now. No idea what's actually in it, but if you want it, you can have it. That's what Isako puts them there for-! I'll even walk with you, if you want?"

-And continues to refer to the principal with her first name, as if they were somehow close to one another.

[RacingeR]

Loraine Irwin
Tomobiki, Nagatani Estate
Morning
April 11th, 2056
Weather: Clear Skies, Warm.
Seithr Rating: 100 (Safe)
Event Stock: 3

“Sure, why not? We can go there together!” Lori’s eyes shined even more when the concept of mystery boxes was explained. It was probably a bad idea to ever introduce this girl into gambling.

“Anyway, I’ve figured out the labyrinth so far, so we can just go there now.” Lori started walking ahead, but then slowed down a bit.

“… You know, you keep calling the principal her first name… and know quite a bit about her. You sure seem close to her.” She pointed out.

[Daiki]

Lucas Guerrin
Shopping District, Tomobiki
Morning April 13th, 2056
Event Stock: 0

Having fun with the doctor?

"Having the time of my life," he answered back, before remembering that stuff like sarcasm doesn't convey all that well in sign language. He thus added with haste; "Just one more complaint to the pile, I guess. This town isn't as promising as I thought it would be."

Lucas wasn't sure why the other party would poke him about an obvious sore point. Was there comedy worth in observing him and Ariel interact? Well, the girl wasn't necessary aware of the weird dynamic between him and the scientist, so he could pass that as just someone finding the duo sufficiently ill-matched to point it out.

Planning on running away, Lucas? Or just distracted by the scenery? Won't do you any good to run~ I have you locked down for the day.

He was surprised how naturally it came to her to deny him even the little bit of escapism he could muster this instant. Someone with an ounce of humanity left, could understand that now was not the best time to prod him. Repeatedly at that.

He would have thrown her an apple to the face in other circumstances. Or a coconut.

"Thought I would willingly turn myself into crystal dust so I could have a better shot at getting away from you and this damn place... But I reconsidered, when the thought occurred that I would have to give up on occasional treats such as glazed mini-donuts."

But really, what was wrong with this nurse? Reminiscing of words he had heard recently;

...Don't you think you're being rather over-dramatic...? She's an easy 9 out of 10 in both looks and personality... I almost feel a little insulted for Ariel's sake...

He truly wondered what kind of glamour Ariel was relying on to deceive so many people... Surely some ought to have an inkling of her hidden persona. Lucas wouldn't be surprised if she was threatening others, having them silenced or altering reports and such.

"I'm glad that my misfortune serves to enhance your day, truly. How someone as evil as you has not yet been placed in a cell is beyond my comprehension. Not like you would need your freedom in order to fulfill tasks for the agency. Or is that head of yours that indispensable that they granted you some amount of authority over it?"

[Mooncake]

Kotetsu Shima
???
Date: April 11th, 2056
Weather: Clear Skies
Event Stock: 2

"Of course, it wouldn't work any other way."

Shima nodded, casting out his line into the strange sea. He didn't expect anything to bite.

It might have been worse if something did.

"Do what you will, that is how things must be; I can only interfere so much as you will allow me too... Yet you claim that you do not care if I do or not, that is quite interesting in it's own way."

Shima propped up his head with his hand, taking a pose he rarely did - that of the lazy fisherman. He'd been whipped into shape on the docks, and deviating even a little from proper posture felt like someone was pushing down on his spine.

"I am curious. If you become worthy of help, would you like me to help you?"

It was all because of this.

He had no idea how to respond; Shima was used to catching people off-guard, not the other way around.

"Without permission I cannot act; the time may come where 'God' itself gets in the way of your path. If you would fail, and your cause is worth defying divinity to succeed, would you like me to help you?"

They sat there until the silence became awkward, and then past that, gazing out onto the the strangest ocean Shima had ever seen.

"Ask me then, and we'll see."

[Bird of Hermes]

Tsugumi Uro
Nurse's Office, Tomobiki
Morning, April 13th, 2056
Event Stock: 0
Cloudy Skies

The first instinct was to lie.

It would have been simple. Saying that he had no other symptoms and to go on his merry way back to whatever it was he would have been doing. There'd be no one looking at him, no one making comments, no fuss and he could sink back into the background and become invisible - well aside to his new friends who for better or worse had thrust themselves into his life.

"I'm tired." he said, gazing off in the distance on nothing in particular and doing his best to ignore the apparent fever. "All the time. I was fine after the fainting episode but since yesterday, I just feel like I have no energy at all."

But it wouldn't fix his problems, ignoring symptoms of any illness would only cause them to grow and eventually spiral.

"The... the t-tiredness seems to be making me, er, angry" Tsugumi continued slower, starting to trip over his words. "Last night I snapped at my aunt for no reason at all."

His second thought to run. Just tapping into his drive for a few seconds and it would be like he was never there. It would have been easy too, he knew that there would be reasonable Anti-Drive tech but he doubted Ariel and her team would have been able to stop someone who could stop the flow of time and move freely in it... or move so fast it was equivalent to initiating a time-stop. But using his drive would only make this worse, not that it stopped him in any almost every other scenario but today seemed to be an outlier to his behaviour for obvious reasons.

"My memories also feel a bit off. It's not that I've forgotten anything recently but yesterday morning feels off. It's hard to explain but... They seem kinda forced, I don't know how to say it. They make sense but at the same time..."

Tsugumi paused, trying to find the right words before palming his forehead and giving up on language as a whole. This had been bugging him, with meeting Chiasa he remembered the meeting the split card as a sign of friendship. It only happened the other day but still it felt-

"I also saw something just now."

Wrong. This all felt wrong. Why was he talking? Why was he staying? Why was he doing any of this?

"There were beds, you, Isako..."

Stop talking.

"...Flatlining..."

Just shut up already.

"...There's also... not Isako."

The more he talked the harder it was, to talk, to think, to function. Why didn't he just stop already? Why didn't he run? Why didn't... stop... why-

"Do you need to look at my crystal?"

There, that should do.

[Airen]

Watanabe Yuuki
Northern Cross Academy, Grounds
April 17th, 2056, Early Evening
Event Stock: 0
Sunny

...It's heavy.

While Unions all tend to be rather powerful existences all things considered, the very first thing that your brain declares as the plummeting box falls into your arms is that it's actually so unexpectedly heavy (a little over one hundred pounds or so) that you're not exactly sure how the much smaller girl had been carrying about five of these all by herself, and yet...

"Ah, right on time, my assistant!"

...The voice that had sounded somewhat panicked, has returned to the usual calm as the sound she had expected -that of shattering glass- was replaced instead with an audible grunt of unexpected effort from you that she identifies in but the span of a heartbeat.

"Excellent assist! Truly the dramatic stars are at work in your favor-!"

Yes.

Holding up a number of these same boxes all on her own, figure visibly only from the side...

"It would have been quite inconvenient for me to lose the spare crystal balls, you know?"

It certainly seems...

That she's simply carting around...

Hundreds of clear glass orbs. To be frank, it is an absurd amount of strength for such a smaller body, and yet while her expression is taut with effort, she also doesn't seem to be in a hurry to put it down, as if she could simply stand here and hold it all day long... Of course-!

"Well then, since your arrival was timed graciously by the heavens, I suppose I should welcome you both early and warmly~"

A laugh:

"Come along, come along~"

And in the span of a heartbeat, so fast that the sheer bizarreness of her actions and collection are left hanging in the air, the girl continues on, mostly unopposed by the stack of now stabilized boxes, and leads you into the 'tent' of which she seems to be making some sort of secondary, non-dormitory affiliated home.

---The inside feels very different from the outside.

While the sensation should be akin to that of entering a building, the actual sense you get is of stepping into another 'space' entirely... Not only does the temperature take a drop from the warmth of summer to a cool that would not be out of place in fall, the light that should pour in from the open door seems to stop at the edge of the main room, giving the insides a darker violet hue, one lit only by a single crystal ball in the room's center, glowing a myriad of colors, and surrounded on all sides by a couple dozen azure pillows.

There are offshoot rooms -which lack doors entirely- on both the east and west sides of the room, and indeed...

The strange feeling that this room is definitely bigger on the inside than it is on the outside...

"Sooo-!"

Is very, very...

"This is my headquarters now! Got permission to enchant away as long as I make it look convincing to normal people! What do you think? Mysterious enough?"

Prevalent...

"Oh wait, I'm being a bad host. Drinks? I have water and lemonade. Anything else and you're out of luck at the moment~"

But she doesn't seem to think it's a big deal.

[palad1n]

Watanabe Yuuki
Northern Cross Academy, Grounds
April 17th, 2056, Early Evening
Event Stock: 0
Sunny

There was something unique about Moto Chiasa.

As the first person he met on this new step in life, the girl has certainly left quite the first impression on him, but the events on the past five to six days had made that encounter on the train seems so distant. Having a fish thrown at him, finding a magical ring, encountering a seemingly sentient doll, meeting Adelina, learning another another trait that he has as a strange red... All had been events significant and amazing enough to distract his mind from her.

And yet just in a span of a few minutes, she had made him remember what it felt like back then, a week ago, when he interacted with the mysterious self-proclaimed fortune teller.

After the events on the past week, Yuuki understood why.

Moto Chiasa, despite her rather eccentric behavior, is actually filled to the brim with subtlety. The stack of boxes she's carrying is a good example; from the outside, it seems obvious that a petite girl like her would have trouble lifting all of them by herself, and yet carrying just one made him realize that it is impossibly heavy, which means she is much, much stronger than her rather petite frame suggested. The 'scene' suggested one thing, and yet the reality is another thing entirely.

Another good example would be her use of magic.

All of his experience with sorcery had been on the amazing side after his encounter with her; Aoi's brilliant display of combining sorcery with cooking, making a doll seemingly sentient, and Adelina's ease of suppressing a magical ring... All had been feats that made him go, 'ah, that's magic.'

But entering Chiasa's tent instantly took him back to the train meeting and her 'grand display' of magic; so far at least, Chiasa seems to use her magic on the little things, such as shuffling cards, and now to control the temperature and lighting of the room. It doesn't scream that it's magic, it's a much more subdued version of it, and yet it captivated him more than those grand display of magic exactly because it's used on such small and little things; there is just enough mystery that one could make a reasonable, logical and non-magical explanation if they don't believe in the supernatural, and yet one can't deny the otherworldly feeling in it.

It's wonderfully subtle, and he appreciates subtlety.

"You definitely nailed the mysterious feel, and it has a very 'magical' atmosphere to it. Good work, senpai." He complimented as he put the box down, all the while being captivated by the tent. He's sure that not everyone can make an atmospheric setting like this, even if they can also use magic, and at the very least this proves that Chiasa has both a good artistic sense and natural talent for magic; how else would she make the tent feels bigger on the inside rather than the outside and yet acting like it's not a big deal?

"Oh, and I guess I'll have a lemonade. I rarely have those."

She really is an interesting girl to be had as a friend.

Still, he wonders how successful this fortune-telling business will be. While the atmosphere of the tent itself is first-class, Chiasa herself might actually clash with the setting if his experience with her fortune telling was of any indication; to be fair, that was with tarot while this is with a crystal ball, so it might be completely different, but her constant use of that smug tone and over-the-top mannerism contrasts heavily with her rather subtle sorcery, which might actually be the reason why it's rather hard to take her seriously in normal circumstances...

But then again this is a fortune-telling booth, so her eccentricities might actually make her look more genuine...?

In any case, he needs to know more if he wants to help her effectively...

"So, I wanted to take senpai's offer to have my fortune told for free as promised a week ago, if senpai don't mind. How about now as a test run of sorts?"

And what better way to know more than to experience it firsthand?

"Also, what exactly am I going to do as senpai's assistant?" He added, curious. He thought he remembered her saying to adjust the light or such, but a more detailed rundown would be nice.

[Airen]

Lucas Guerrin
Shopping District, Tomobiki
Morning April 13th, 2056
Event Stock: 0

"It is not my medical skills alone that make me valuable to the Agency, so yes, I suppose I do have some rather notable authority within it."

She had responded to your question in a way that was surprisingly serious...

With the ninja girl having vanished from her last known position the moment you looked away ala Batman -the normal Sleipnir response- with her last signed response being a simple 'Good Luck' you are once again left alone in the clutches of an enemy that makes you feel very conflicted in quite a number of ways...

"I am Second in Command of this Branch after all, and you do not get in these sorts of positions via flukes, the Agency is quite thorough when it comes to seeking out administrative staff, the promotion process weeds out those who rely on luck. Even those that seem incompetent or silly at a glance are far more dangerous than they let on... It should be fine to trust those inside of this branch, I wouldn't have allowed the patients to come her if I did not trust Isako, but those outside of it, the other Branch Heads well..."

Yes.

It had been a remarkably serious answer, sounding almost like she was giving you some sort of strange advice or warning, or perhaps simply stressing that in spite of being mildly insulting she's not actually your enemy but...

"Let's just say if they haven't been put into cells yet, then the chance of my coming to inhabit one is absolutely minuscule in comparison. I know that is unfortunate news for you, but barring any attempt to take over the world on my part, my record will remain spotless in spite of any attempts at sabotage."

...She knew about that huh?

She closes her eyes with a sigh, then-

"Regardless, the movie starts at noon, I took custody of you for the day, and we need to get these groceries back before then, so let's move along."

Her voice goes back to that strange reasonable form of charisma so fast that you almost do what she says purely out of instinct, but wait, wait wait-

Movie-?

[Airen]

Kotetsu Shima
???
Date: April 11th, 2056
Weather: Clear Skies
Event Stock: 2

"...Hahaha-!"

It laughs, and in that laugh, comes an entity that is not quite Kotetsu Shima; yes, while this entity is certainly borrowing your form, and would certainly be thought of as a "part of you" if looked at in a certain sense, the creeping sense of "other-worldliness" had failed to envelop it until right now, but now, with that amused laugh...

"Interesting-!"

The distinction between the two of you become clear.

"Very well, I'll take that as permission to speak with you again in the future. For now I am but a Dream that will disappear when you awaken, and the time to awaken is certainly drawing close, but before then-"

The boat starts to rock gently, and-

...The line in your hand catches on something in the bizarre sea of fog.

"...Perhaps you should see what's biting. I'm with you, so worry not about irrational fears, all that can be caught here is "truth."

It smiles.

[Airen]

Yoko Aoyama
Northern Cross Academy
Vier's Classroom
April 12th, 2056
Weather: Sunny
Event Stock: 1

"Alright that's fine, I'm pretty sure I can handle two girls-! It'll be fun, watch, there's plenty of stuff to do around here if you know where to look~"

...Her attitude is impossible, or rather, the fortune-telling girl doesn't seem to be scared of literally anything; her words are blatantly flirty in nature, and in spite of the fact that the entire class has glued her attention straight to her, she doesn't seem to care about any rumors that may manifest out of this, no, she just seems to think it's a certain kind of bonus, a 'great success' rather than a 'normal success' if you will, and that's the baffling part...

...That the new student, the "fox girl" that had the entire school's attention for a number of reasons...

Had agreed to it.

In essence, that girl was being rewarded for being so blatant and straightforward with her pseudo-advances?!

"Wait a second, I'm not sure I'm comfortable with this-"

Thankfully-!

Kasumi's brain seems to finally catch up after being slapped so brazenly with another individual that was proving to be "Irmina-tier" in terms of difficulty with dealing with in any logical way-!

"No takebacks~ She agreed right? The knight should follow the princess right? I'll make it fun for the both of you, I swear, heck, I'll pay for everything we do, even the ice cream~! I saw you guys at the shop yesterday, did you try the secret flavor? There's a code for it you know~"

...Dangerous.

Leaping on Kasumi's attempt at a defense before it can become more rock-solid, the girl cheerfully breaks it down by...

Aiming the choice back towards you again~

[Kuroyuki]

Yoko Aoyama
Northern Cross Academy
Vier's Classroom
April 12th, 2056
Weather: Sunny
Event Stock: 1

"Alright that's fine, I'm pretty sure I can handle two girls-! It'll be fun, watch, there's plenty of stuff to do around here if you know where to look~"

I’m glad that Kasumi can come along. Being by myself with her seemed scary less than Irmina...neesan, but still scary… I don’t think I could be in the general area as her without hiding… The biggest reason is that she reminds me of Irmina… neesan’s unpredictable nature.

Aside from that one moment after I gave her a headpat, I don’t think I’ve seen the real her. Aside from her tendency to act all the time and gather as much attention as possible… Which just makes the difference between us even bigger despite both of us being mikos. I didn’t like having attention too much yet I seem to have placed the entire class’s attention on Motou Chiasa, Kasumi, and I.

"Wait a second, I'm not sure I'm comfortable with this-"

Kasumi is getting the same feeling as me. So that’s reassuring to hear. Since Kasumi is opposed to this, there shouldn’t be any odds of this occur-

"No takebacks~ She agreed right? The knight should follow the princess right? I'll make it fun for the both of you, I swear, heck, I'll pay for everything we do, even the ice cream~! I saw you guys at the shop yesterday, did you try the secret flavor? There's a code for it you know~"

Secret flavor… Ice cream? They have a secret flavor ice cream?!? I want to try it! What kind of flavor will it be? Aburage flavored ice cream? Azukimeshi flavored ice cream? I tugged on Kasumi’s sleeve and looked at her with pleading eyes.

“I'm curious on the secret flavor ice cream… So please Kasumi...”

[Airen]

Tsugumi Uro
Nurse's Office, Tomobiki
Morning, April 13th, 2056
Event Stock: 0
Cloudy Skies

...You're sure that much of it sounds like gibberish, but she listens quietly to you anyway.

It's something you normally would not do, to speak so blatantly of 'bizarre' things and thus draw attention to yourself, and yet when the urge to run appears you do not take it. Is it because of a sense of fear, of being afraid of the fact that you were acting differently and failing to understand why? Is it because it feels like a relief to be able to entrust your problems to an adult that wasn't your aunt for once...?

It is hard to say, even so-

"I see... Well, a lot of that could be explained away by stress. But I'd like to take a look at your crystal yes, just to be safe."

So saying, she had allowed you to lay on one of the beds. The fabric is soft, as are the sheets, and there's a gentle calming buzz inside of the room that only becomes blatant once you linger in it for awhile, a buzz that seems to just resonate with something inside of you, and makes you feel strangely... Warm?

Sorcery...?

Some sort of drive...?

Weird magi-tech...?

For you, it's hard to say what it is, but...

"However, if it makes you feel better, I do not recall ever losing a patient."

Holding up a clipboard, the usually teasing nurse just smiles gently in response to your panicked state, as if seeking to calm you down.

"I am a genius after all... So there's nothing to worry about. We'll get to the bottom of whatever this is, so just leave it to me."

...And that's how you wound up falling asleep.

It was a request from the nurse. In order to remove 'conscious factors' from the Crystal and better ascertain it's behavior, she had asked you to close your eyes and attempt to sleep, and the attempt had gone strangely well, indeed...

If it wasn't for suddenly seeing this scenery again, you would have thought of it as a blissful, dreamless sleep, and yet...

Here you are.

Of course it is far more calm than the last time, nothing strange is chasing you, and other than that it seems to be a simple repeat of what had happened on the train ride here...

Or at least, that is what you would say...

"Hello again~"

...If not for the female 'silhouette' that was standing right across from you, what looked like a white scarf trailing along the ground behind her back.