Astronomika - Shooting Down Falling Stars (IC)

[Spinach]

Colt Davin
Location: Pinefall High Main Building
Phase: Morning
Phase Date: 08.09.1994 (FRI)
Weather: Rain

“Well dang, guess I don’t gotta explain what I’m doing here.”

Perhaps it was in his gait, but the eyes of a medical professional were not to be fooled. Even by a layer of denim on top of a tough guy act.

Colt took another few steps toward the desk. The sweet smell of chocolate tickled his nose, and for a second the young man glanced about to locate it. Eyes passing over a peculiar clock, which he noted the craftsmanship of, before finally settling on the nurse.

“I took a bad fall on my bike yesterday and uh,” he poked his knee and winced to demonstrate his point, “now I’m here. I hope your morning’s going better than mine, ma’am. I also hope you might be able to give me some advice for this thing other than putting it on ice.”

[Cheetose]

Hisa Momoi
Location: Pinefall High Dormitory
Phase: Morning Phase
Date: 08.09.1994 (FRI)
Weather: Rain

Oww!

I chuckled as the guy expressed his obvious dissastisfaction with my distorted explanation;

"You just gave me a massage, a massage!"

"But a massage is skin to skin contact, and you were on the floor, and you really were purring, your body was resonating like a...not even sure what. Like really, how can you even do that?"

Right, I never got to ask him about it, though somehow I was doubting that I would get an actual honest answer here...

I was just worried that Hisa was taking advantage of you. She's kinda hard to deal with.

I frowned; After that night, I could kind of understand why she would say things like that, but still...Writing me off as some sort of a bad person made me feel a bit sad.

"Why...Would I take advantage of anyone? I'm just trying my best to help people, and while I have my weird and silly antics...I really mean no harm."

While checking the various posters - portraying rather young looking women with nicely shaped bodies - I eventually noticed one that was different. It seemed like an old photo from a newspaper with Pyry on it, kneeling some...other guy in the head or something...

"Looking really wild here, huh?" I asked Pyry as I turned back to him, pointing at the photo, "Kind of different from the you here and now...Sort of funny even, to think that this nice and silly boy actually has so much fighting spirit in him."

I observed the photo a bit longer; A guy like him could possibly make a really nice ally, though...there are still quite a few answers left to be answered to be perfectly sure about that...

"...do you think it'd be possible to jump out of the window with no rope or outside help, and survive without being hurt?"

"Sounds like you got yourself into a fairly interesting situation at the lighthouse, huh?"

Being somewhat relieved that the topic changed to something more serious, I turned my eyes towards the shorter girl;

"I guess the question was not really meant for me, but...Your explanation leaves just a bit too many loopholes, to be honest. There are way too many circumstances that could let even an average guy do something like that..."

I scratched the back of my head while trying to run through the possible solutions and outcomes;

"But without any preparation, equipment or help from others, jumping down from the top of a lighthouse and getting away without a scratch...Doesn't sound too realistic, no matter how strong you are, right?"

Shifting my gaze towards Pyry now, I was curious about his response as well; he was clearly more well-versed when it came to physical strength and the limitations of a human body, though I was almost certain that he wouldn't be able to come up with a realistic solution for a situation like this.

[Kuroyuki]

Vier Wolff
Location: Pinefall High Dormitory - Your Room
Phase: Morning Phase
Date: 08.09.1994 (FRI)
Weather: Rain

I woke up to the sound of pouring rain. Unlike other people, I liked the rain. It didn’t try to blind you like the sun or burn you. The rain was very calm and soothing. Also, it allowed me to enjoy my more indoor hobbies. Like reading and playing my guitar quietly to myself. So I got up and started to pack up the things I used last night.

I looked into my room’s mirror and looked at my head. It looks bruised like I suspected. Nothing was wrong with my head functionally… Okay now let’s get to work on covering it like Aleen taught me yesterday. Thankfully, Aleen was kind enough to lend me the stuff. Okay, a brush here… and there.

I examined myself a few times from all angles. Even placing my hands around the area to change the amount of light hitting it. Unless I got drenched, it should be hard to spot… It’ll be fine. So let’s meet up with Aleen for breakfast. I moved the dresser out of the way of the door and went to the cafeteria with Fen's bag on me and an umbrella in my hand. Hopefully, breakfast with Aleen won't be too bad.

[Mellon]

Anna Vandemeel
Location: Road’s End - Avery's Diner
Phase: Morning Phase
Date: 09.09.1994
Weather: Rain

Anna raised a skeptical eyebrow for a moment at the Tupperware box on offer. Not really at Shane himself, but rather the words of his brother that the younger boy was echoing. She couldn’t really fault the school cooking angle, but... thin as a twig? Really? Zane really wasn't in a position to criticize her considering he hardly looked that “well-fed” himself. Besides, who the hell did that fake punk think he was?

She would definitely have some choice “words” with him, the next time they met.

"Good morning! I was sorta worried you might skip today since, y'know, it's raining, but you came! Thanks!"

“Mornin, mornin.” A smile flashed on the girl’s face. “I see the weather isn’t getting you down at all.”

Taking the box offered by the boy, caused her eyes to momentarily narrow, but a moment later any irritation she might have felt vanished from Anna’s face. Shane wasn’t really to blame and she didn’t want to ruin the morning by acting all prissy. Although, judging by his sly tone, the younger boy knew exactly that he was causing future headaches for his older brother.

Though for once it's actually working for me, instead of against me.

“Right. Will we head out then? Sitting here in front of the diner will just get us soaked.”

“Shall we head to this hotel that you mentioned before? I have to admit, I’m kinda interested to see what kind of books they have over there.”

"Though if there is something else interesting you want to show me, fire away." Anna gave the younger boy a cheeky grin. "You're my guide for the morning, after all."

[Verg Avesta]

Elaine Winters
Location: Pinefall High Main Building - Music Room
Phase: Morning Phase
Date: 08.09.1994 (FRI)
Weather: Rain

"Fake names, huh? Like who? Haven't been too much snooping around, but... Clearly you got more than I do, as some random busybody who snoops into other people's business, bet you went through their trash, like a real investigator."

Kean wiggled his eyebrows.

"Oh yeah, their underwear drawers too. You just can't stop me when get a whiff of that sweet sweet scent of mystery," he answered. "But ah... well, let's just say I'm having serious doubts about certain Miss Aleen's last name... as well as the whole name of her stoic friend, Vier Wolff. At least the latter sounds something of an 'inside-joke' in certain circles, plus it matches something I... well, it's a long story. Suffice to say, I have my doubts."

Kean then took a hold of his banjo again, but did not play anything. Instead, he looked at the strings of the instrument, musing over something in his mind. It was not the boy's first time doing this. Whenever he was thinking hard, his eyes moved rapidly but his mouth stayed shut and his face stayed expressionless. It was like watching a pressure cooker do its job... until, eventually, those eyes full of dry wit returned to stare at Elaine.

"As for the registry, it's not impossible. It'd be easier to fake our way into the hospital than into Mister Oceandrop's office, but the former case would involve a lot larger area to search for the papers. In any event, whichever we'd do I'm willing to bet we'd need an expert when it comes to picking locks, breaking in, stuff like that," Kean spoke, a somewhat difficult expression on his face. "I'm no good in that. Always preferred just kicking a door in if I could."

An unsaid question was left dangling in the air.

---

Colt Davin
Location: Pinefall High Main Building - Nurse's Office
Phase: Morning
Phase Date: 08.09.1994 (FRI)
Weather: Rain

“I took a bad fall on my bike yesterday and uh, now I’m here. I hope your morning’s going better than mine, ma’am. I also hope you might be able to give me some advice for this thing other than putting it on ice.”

"My morning is going quite fine, thank you," Miss Leuzinger answered. "You can never beat the combination of good coffee and chilly rain outside your window, while you yourself read today's paper with no real hurry anywhere."

Colt's curiosity concerning chocolate was finally rewarded when Ronja Leuzinger set aside some papers on her desk, revealing a tell-tale sight of a pyramid-shaped, long, yellow box where the fragrance of deliciousness was coming from. No, not just one. A quick head-count revealed that Miss Leuzinger had six of those things, neatly arranged on her desk, almost as if waiting for a use.

--- And all six seconds later, they saw some use.

One was handed over to Colt after he was made to sit on the edge of one of the beds by Miss Leuzinger, handing it like handing a sword to a knight-in-training.

"Eat. You'll feel better," Miss Leuzinger ordered, pouring a cup of coffee for the boy was well. "Plus it'll improve your mood. A hurt knee and wet from the rain, no doubt you're somewhat grumpy right now. And that doesn't help me in the slightest when I have to tell you put your knee on ice to reduce the swelling. So... eat. It tastes good after all."

After this... curt and somewhat confusing explanation, Ronja Leuzinger started going over her shelves and drawers, quietly humming to herself some foreign song while packing up various stuff on her desk. Bottles with strange liquids, small aerosol vials, swabs, q-tips, a small scalpel-like knife, various capsule-varieties of medicine, latex gloves and various other knick-knacks. He arranged them in a neat order, keeping up the extremely orderly atmosphere that the room had. Maybe the rumors Swiss orderliness weren't that far-fetched.

What was a bit more disconcerting was that after Colt had eaten some of the chocolate and drank some of the coffee... he could see Miss Leuzinger swivel around on her chair to face her, while pulling one of those latex gloves on her hand.

"After you've calmed down," the teacher started. "I'll need you to take off your pants."

What.

---

Vier Wolff
Location: Pinefall High Cafeteria
Phase: Morning Phase
Date: 08.09.1994 (FRI)
Weather: Rain

The rain was pounding the large windows of the cafeteria when Vier entered it, but the fragrance of freshly-baked bread, bacon, eggs, various other condiments... and what was most likely huge amounts of pudding entered her nose at the same time, driving away that lonely feeling that often came with the rain. It looked like the usual fancy set-up of the breakfast had been switched up a bit. Instead of various choices for what to eat, there were instead huge buns of bread, all warm enough to have just come from the oven. Students could then fill them with whatever they wanted from the vast array of condiments that had been prepared.

For example, take Aleen King.

The girl had stuffed her bread roll so full it was bursting from the seams. Especially bacon was jutting out of every orifice, making the thing seem more meat than it was bread. But at the very least the girl was happily munching on it, taking occasional sips of the large glass of cold chocolate milk she had next to her.

Though, Aleen wasn't alone at her table.

"Oh! Miss Wolff, over here!"

Subaru Iburi's cheerful wave caught Vier's attention as well. She and Gabi Bahkauv of all people were sitting at the same table as Aleen and apparently the girls (and one boy) had a somewhat lively conversation going on. Well, at least Subaru and Aleen were talking. Gabi, in his usual style, just threw a comment in every once in a while.

"Ah, mornin', Vier," Aleen said, her gaze momentarily hovering at Vier's forehead, before she quickly smiled. "Say, you any good with spooky stuff? We're trying to determine if what Gabi saw last night in the dorms was a ghost or just some creep sneaking up to the girls' floor."

The boy nodded, looking rather troubled, while nibbling his plain butter-and-cheese roll.

---

Anna Vandemeel
Location: Road’s End - Avery's Diner
Phase: Morning Phase
Date: 09.09.1994
Weather: Rain

“Shall we head to this hotel that you mentioned before? I have to admit, I’m kinda interested to see what kind of books they have over there. Though if there is something else interesting you want to show me, fire away. You're my guide for the morning, after all."

Shane looked a bit troubled at the mention of the hotel.

"Um, well, I guess we could go to Owl's Nest, but I dunno... it takes really long to hike up there," he explained. "I don't think you're gonna make it in time back to your classes, especially if you wanna look at the books over there."

Well, the boy had a point there. Judging from what Anna had seen of the map of Road's End that was spread in the common rooms of the dormitory, the hotel was at the other end of the town, with only one road leading up there. Getting to there and back in time would require at least a bicycle or an other vehicle, and just walking over there in a pouring rain was just asking to be late. Either that, or heading over there after school was also an option.

"But, but... Yeah, if it's books you wanna look at, we could always go to Store & Post," Shane suggested. "I bet Sue has opened up the place already, and she might have something weird on sale, too. She always seems to have something extra to sell when it rains. Y'know, bunch of unique and odd things. Says it's her: 'Feels Like Home Again'-Sale, or something."

Shane chuckled at this. Apparently the owner of the local store was quite the oddball on her own right.

---

Prushka & Hisa Momoi
Location: Pinefall High Dormitory - Pyry's Room
Phase: Morning Phase
Date: 08.09.1994 (FRI)
Weather: Rain

"But a massage is skin to skin contact, and you were on the floor, and you really were purring, your body was resonating like a...not even sure what. Like really, how can you even do that?"

For some reason, Pyry averted his gaze a little.

"Ehm... it's this... thing... with my throat..." he started, sounding rather awkward. "I just got a rather bad case of... snoring! Yeah, snoring! Sounds really weird because of this one surgery. That's it, nothing weirder than that, aha, ahaha..."

His laughter faded quickly, almost like hoping this topic would be set aside for now.

"I'm not mad at all, Pyry. I was just worried that Hisa was taking advantage of you. She's kinda hard to deal with. But if it's just a massage, there's no problem."

"Why...Would I take advantage of anyone? I'm just trying my best to help people, and while I have my weird and silly antics...I really mean no harm."

Well, if the boy had hoped that the change in the topic of conversation might ease up the slightly difficult atmosphere in the room, he was wrong. It wasn't exactly an argument between the two, but even someone as dense at times as Pyry could read that there was slightly more going on here than just a disagreement, that these two had some history already.

Which is why, as Prushka had already patted him on the head, the boy planted his huge hand on top of the smaller girl's head and mashed it around for a while.

"Eh, you don't gotta worry about me, Squirt. Hisa might be be a bit weird, a bit nosy and a bit of a troublemaker, but she ain't that bad. Not someone to actually take advantage of others," Pyry explained, before looking at the scarred girl with a grin and a wink. "In other words, she's cool in my books. Plus, if she starts being hard to deal, I can just always call for you, right?"

The boy chuckled amicably, trying to ease the tension of the situation.

"But... is your back alright? And the rest of you? If it hurts a lot, you can see the nurse, y'know? And maybe take a break from fighting or doing stressful stuff. The human body gets worn down easily, y'know. Take it easy, okay?"

Pyry blinked twice in surprise, before another smile, this time one that was bit gentler and calmer, rose to his face. He gave Prushka's head one last pat of his own and then removed his hand, standing up from his kneeling position. He scratched his cheek, eyes wandering somewhere outside the window and the rain.

"Well... I suppose this year's suppose to be my break from MMA, y'know? So I'm already taking it way easier than I usually am," Pyry answered with a quiet chuckle. "But my back is what it is. Sometimes it just freezes up a little... though that's not because it's taken one too many hits, like my noggin'. Nah, that's solely because, as you yourself put it..."

Pyry shot a sly smirk at Prushka.

"... I'm freakishly tall?"

"Looking really wild here, huh? Kind of different from the you here and now...Sort of funny even, to think that this nice and silly boy actually has so much fighting spirit in him."

"Excuse me, who the hell you're calling nice and silly? It's like you're trying to pick a fight, sheez..." Pyry answered, rubbing his temple like he had a small migraine incoming. However, he then proceeded to focus his attention to the picture Hisa was pointing at. "A-ny-ways, that's from UFC-1, from the finals. My finishing blow, so to speak. Never thought they'd manage to capture it so perfectly, but there it is. My proudest moment - the one that made me famous outside my hometown."

For a moment, Pyry was lost in his memories, gazing upon the picture and whatever feelings it brought up from inside. At the very least, he didn't seem to have any distaste for it - far from it. If anything, there was an overwhelming sense of pride that was clear in the boy's eyes as he gazed upon that snapshot moment of the fight that put him on the map out there.

But there was time for reminiscence and there was time for here-and-now.

After all, Prushka had a question she had wanted to ask.

"And um, basically... okay, you've seen the Road's End lighthouse, right? Maybe even been there? Well imagine you're on top of that lighthouse, and you want to get away from someone that's chasing after you. But they've blocked the only entrance, so the only way out is the windows. Now, if you've got the body of a human being, do you think it'd be possible to jump out of the window with no rope or outside help, and survive without being hurt? I just figured... since you're the second strongest person in the world, if anyone could give a definitive yes or no, it'd be you."

"Oi! What do you mean 'second strongest'!?"

"Sounds like you got yourself into a fairly interesting situation at the lighthouse, huh? I guess the question was not really meant for me, but...Your explanation leaves just a bit too many loopholes, to be honest. There are way too many circumstances that could let even an average guy do something like that... But without any preparation, equipment or help from others, jumping down from the top of a lighthouse and getting away without a scratch...Doesn't sound too realistic, no matter how strong you are, right?"

Still grumbling about how Prushka had implied there being someone stronger than him, Pyry folded his arms across his chest and sat down on the bed, slight frown on his face. He was clearly trying to think, to make sense of what the smaller girl had just told him.

"Hrm, anyways... well, first of all, jumping from the top of that lighthouse and surviving without a scratch isn't a matter of being strong or not. There's only so much human bones and tissue can endure when it comes to an impact," Pyry explained. "Unless they rappelled or had something big and soft waiting for underneath, no way could a human do it."

Pyry clicked his tongue, directing his gaze at Prushka.

"Still, uh... one thing that comes to mind is 'that'. Y'know, the so-called 'first rule of Closed-Room Murders'," the tall boy continued. "Applies to lots of other situations like it. But in short, it means that the only way to create a perfect closed-room murder mystery is by suicide. There's no other way. Every other option relies on somehow making the case 'appear' like a closed-room, when in actuality it's nothing like that. So, if I had to throw some guess or another, I'd say that instead of jumping out the window, I'd look for a way to make it look like I jumped out the window, you get me?"

Falling into momentary silence, Pyry drank the rest of the cola. When he had finished, his eyes were glued to Prushka still.

And... for some reason... the atmosphere in the room changed a little.

Almost as if it got a bit colder.

"By the way, Squirt..." Pyry spoke again, his voice surprisingly flat. "... This hypothetical situation of yours... when did it happen? During the day? Or at the night?"

There was something odd about Pyry right now.

[Frantic Author]

Location: Pinefall High Dormitory - Your Room
Phase: Morning Phase
Date: 08.09.1994 (FRI)
Weather: Rain

Ahhh...

A good night's sleep. A well-rested person is a well put together person, and that is the sort of person I strive to be. Even if it's a little bit difficult, I'm going to achieve my goal for the day!

I shower, determined.

I nod as I brush my teeth, very determined.

I exit my room--!!

Wait.

I quietly shut the door, my face flushed as I go to my wardrobe and change, embarrassed that I'd even considered exiting in my sleeping clothes. Honestly, who do I think I am? Travis? I have neither the inclination nor the desire for exhibitionism, as it is the height of uncultured behavior.

I exit the room with my school uniform attached firmly to my person this time, proud and ready to seize the day!

Today, I will definitely make one new friend!

[[MOVE TO ==> PINEFALL HIGH MAIN BUILDING]]

[Thalraxal]

Elise Pelltier
Location: Pinefall High Dormitory - Elise's Room
Phase: Morning Phase
Date: 08.09.1994 (FRI)
Weather: Rain

Elise contentedly watched the rain fall from her dorm room window. She spotted the odd student making their way from the Dormitory to the main building, but most of her attention was focused on the gloomy weather.

She pulled herself a way from the window, and prepared to head out. She paused, however, spotting A Certain Book sitting on her nightstand. Glancing about surreptitiously, she grabbed the book, lifted up her mattress and tossed it under there, where no one would ever find it again. Except for her. Later that day.

It's compelling medical drama! And there's a ghost! defended Elise, And not to mention Dr-

Elise strangled that thought with a frustrated sigh, and hastily threw her pencil case into her backpack, grabbed her coat, and marched out of her room.

I think I'll stop by the kitchen and see if Sakura's there... thought Elise as she continued down the dormitory hallway towards the kitchen.

[Kuroyuki]

Vier Wolff
Location: Pinefall High Cafeteria
Phase: Morning Phase
Date: 08.09.1994 (FRI)
Weather: Rain

Breakfast was slightly different from the usual. Instead of a buffet like usual, they wanted us to make breakfast sandwiches? I looked over the choices before settling for something simple. A simple breakfast sandwich with bacon, egg, cheese, and spinach covered in some salsa. Then to round it off, I grabbed some more eggs.

<QUOTE=Subaru Iburi>"Oh! Miss Wolff, over here!"</quote>

Once done, I found Aleen eating with Subaru and Gabi. Everyone had something reasonable for a sandwich except for Aleen… Of course. I don’t know if I should call that a sandwich because it had more bacon than anything else. Does Aleen only know how to eat one way? Which is full-on heavy gorging of food and not eating. I sat down next to Aleen.

"Ah, mornin', Vier. Say, you any good with spooky stuff? We're trying to determine if what Gabi saw last night in the dorms was a ghost or just some creep sneaking up to the girls' floor."

Go ahead and look all you want Aleen. I’m pretty sure I covered it up nicely.

“Spooky stuff like ghosts? I guess I’m good with stuff like that.”

Well… I’m good at not panicking at the sight of them. Handling them on the other hand…

“But if it’s some creep… Well, that’s a bit more realistic and more likely.”

And easily handled if it’s just a low-class creeper. I know they can’t break into my room at night because I block it closed with the dresser. Everyone else, on the other hand, would have issues if they can lockpick or force the door down.

“Anyways, I don’t know anything about this supposed ghost. Could you tell me a bit about it?”

If this ghost sounds like a certain person who kicked me yesterday… Well, they’re going to have a bad time one of these nights.

[Daneel Rush]

Pinefall High Pool
Morning Phase
08.09.1994
Rain



From the janitor’s words, John can draw two straightforward conclusions.

Firstly, he has confirmed that Jake Briggs is a local, and a Pinefall alumnus at that. Good to know.

Secondly, the gaps in his knowledge after hearing Miss Popplewell’s and Elise Marie’s words are in fact connections he does not know nor understand yet. It would be a mistake to fill those gaps with connections of his own creation when he has Jake Briggs here to provide the facts. In fact, he would not be surprised to find out Elise has already spoken to this man.

John Dove no longer feels in any hurry to jump into the pool. He sits on the edge, chlorinated water soaking his feet.

“Clearly I have not heard enough. I can tell there is a story to this…McLampet family whose name I heard in passing, but I am ignorant of the details.”

He needs to know the setting before he can try to navigate it. That’s just common sense. Doing otherwise would be as ludicrous as, let us say, confusing Ubon with Mercedes West just because they both have shapely legs.

John Dove is not the kind of person who considers other people’s feelings when it comes to his pursuits. So, he does not hesitate to ask.

“I would like to know—”

The stage on which I stand.

“How things turned out like this. What happened in this town.”

What brought the man who calls himself “Mister Oceandrop” to this place.

“The decline and fall of Road’s End, if you will.”

Then he remembers manners are a thing he is supposed to extol.

“…if it’s not too much asking. Please.”

[Verg Avesta]

Alexstrasza Lockhart
Location: Pinefall High Main Building
Phase: Morning Phase
Date: 08.09.1994 (FRI)
Weather: Rain

Finding at least one new friend to make should have been easy... well, at least the finding part should have been.

Unfortunately, it looked like the rainfall had made people scarce and if not counting for the sounds coming from the cafeteria, the whole of main building seemed rather devoid of life. Same thing with the dormitory. Most likely people were holed up in their own rooms, not moving outside until they absolutely had to. The empty corridors of the main building were sort of echo-y as Alexstrasza walked through them, past the closed-off staircase into the second floor and to the dead-center of the building.

But, perhaps the blonde girl was in luck, after all!

For there was a tell-tale sight of some light streaming from the otherwise dark and dimly-lit corridor to the left. Following it, it was revealed that the light was coming from under the door of the Reference Library, a room that not many, if any, of the students had used yet. Most likely it held within its walls many a tome related to the schoolwork and would see lot more usage come the test-season, but for now... it was mostly abandoned.

Except for today!

Opening the door, Alexstrasza saw the light coming from a bunch of fluorescent lights up in the ceiling. The library itself was a square room made into a sort of maze by white bookshelves, ones that both lined the walls and stood in confusing rows at the center. On one of the walls was a blackboard, perhaps for use in studying. Meanwhile the wall that had the windows showcasing the rainy weather outside and the looming sight of the pool building, held a row of tables and reading lamps, also meant for studying.

And somebody was using them.

A rather surprising someone.

Mercedes West - the Hollywood Starlet of their class.

The actress was slowly going over some old-looking book, eyes lazily following the rows and rows of text before her. When she heard the door open, she spared one glance towards Alexstrasza... but simply held a gaze that seemed to be looking at something annoying and bothersome. That gaze lasted long enough to be realized by the blonde, but not a second longer. And then, having made her disdain clear, Mercedes returned to her book.

This... might not be a possible new friend. Very likely not.

---

Elise Pelltier
Location: Pinefall High Dormitory - Kitchen
Phase: Morning Phase
Date: 08.09.1994 (FRI)
Weather: Rain

There was no Sakura Tsukioka to be found within the confines of the kitchen.

Instead, there was someone who just about nobody in the First Class wanted to meet first thing in the morning. A punk-like sense of fashion, thuggish face, spiked-up hair and lots of jewelry, along with a face that seemed to hate everyone equally... Travis Gagnon, their resident troublemaker and a youth criminal, was sitting at the table in the kitchen. In his hands were a cup of steaming hot coffee and what looked like a newspaper... though from the looks of it, the newspaper was not one of this day. Or this year even. It looked surprisingly old.

"... Hmh?" Travis grunted, glancing at Elise who had arrived.

That stare seemed to bore a hole right through the girl, but after seeing that she wasn't here to pick a fight, Travis returned to his paper. Disinterest towards her was oozing from him, a sort of aura that told just about everyone that the boy didn't want to be bothered. Then again, that was his usual attitude, so it might have been just natural to him.

Still, showcasing some surprising tact for once, Travis set his cup down and pointed his thumb towards the coffee maker without taking his eyes off the paper.

"There's still some if you want," he spoke.

And then he fell silent again.

---

Vier Wolff
Location: Pinefall High Cafeteria
Phase: Morning Phase
Date: 08.09.1994 (FRI)
Weather: Rain
[BGM]

“Anyways, I don’t know anything about this supposed ghost. Could you tell me a bit about it?”

Gabi nodded, still nibbling on his sandwich. The boy looked like he was suffering from a lack of sleep, judging by the bags under his eyes.

"... I was... awake... late last night... Came back from a walk..." the boy started, and while Aleen looked like he really wanted to know why the boy was on a midnight walk, she held her tongue. "... I was heading to my own room when... when I heard this... scratching sound..."

To demonstrate, Gabi put a fork on his tray against the wooden table and dragged it across the surface. The dry, slow sound came out quite clearly and was definitely not something you wanted to hear in the dead of the night. Even Tonkori, who had happily greeted Vier with a wagging tail and a smile on his face, put his ears against his head and growled quietly. Subaru tried to comfort the animal by petting him gently.

"... It... It came from the staircase... and I followed... thinking it might have been... one of the boys... doing something mom wouldn't like..." Gabi continued. "... I got to the second floor... and saw this lithe black shadow... almost like... sliding across the carpet floor... it didn't move like a normal... normal human would..."

At this point, Subaru nodded, catching the attention of others around the table.

"Um, I can back Mister Bahkauv's tale here," she added. "Late last night Tonkori here was acting rather oddly and his growling woke me up. After I managed to calm him down, I myself heard this scratching sound as well. It, well, it seemed to be dragging across the walls in a slow line, going down the hallway. But... um, I am sorry to say that I was not brave enough to face whatever it was, so I hid under my blanket... with Tonkori... I apologize."

With the tips of her ears burning bright red, Subaru awkwardly hid behind her sandwich. Maybe not noticing or just not caring about it, Gabi proceeded to talk once again.

"... I thought it had seen me, so I pressed myself up against the wall of the staircase to hide... but I lost sight of it at the same time..." he explained. "... The sound continued for a while... and then... it stopped... And when I looked at what had happened... the shadow was..."

The boy grew noticeably a little paler.

"... Gone..."

Aleen clasped her hands together with a loud sound, causing the two younger teens at the table jump a bit. There was a certain shine in her eyes, a type of excitement only reserved for those who were about to jump head-first into something that would eventually get them in trouble.

"Hear that, hear that?" She asked, grinning at Vier. "It sounds... like a mystery!"

The way she said the word 'mystery' didn't promise anything good.

---

John Dove
Location: Pinefall High Pool
Phase: Morning Phase
Date: 08.09.1994 (FRI)
Weather: Rain

“I would like to know how things turned out like this. What happened in this town. The decline and fall of Road’s End, if you will.… if it’s not too much asking. Please.”

A slight grin played on Jake's lips as he nodded.

"Curious, huh? Well, I can't blame you. You guys are supposed to spend here a year, so it makes sense lot of you are wondering about this town," he said, leaning back on the bench. "But the decline and fall of Road's End, huh? Well... let's see here. I don't know all of it since I wasn't around for the most of it. I mean, I'm not that old, dude. But I've lived my whole life here, so I've heard it all through various sources."

Taking a stance like a storyteller, leaning his elbows against his legs and steepling his fingers, those eyes of his staring out into the tranquil waters of the pool, Jake Briggs took a deep breath and began talking. It was pretty clear that this wasn't the first time he had done this. After all, his mannerisms as a storyteller were to the point and he had a voice meant just for times like these.

"If I'd have to pin-point an exact point when it all started, it'd be back when Howard McLampet, the old McLampet patriarch died some thirty years ago in the 60's. See, the McLampets were the sole owners of the logging rights of Ghostwood and it was thanks to them that the whole town was flourishing. Lumber brought in money that fishing never did. Anyways, it was actually during a fishing trip with his buddy, James Halloway -oh, that's the owner of the Owl's Nest Hotel- that Howard died. Fell of the boat, like Mr. Halloway said... but not many believed him, especially the McLampet family," Jake started his explanation. "It was after that that odd things started happening around the saw mill. The machinery didn't work properly, some of the workers disappeared... it apparently got a lot of old rumors floating around again. Took about ten years for most of the families that had moved here because of the saw mill to move out, making the place a veritable ghost town."

Jake nursed the can of cola he had in his hand, taking a long swig from it and filling the air with nothing but silence for a moment.

"During this whole time the McLampet siblings were quarreling over the inheritance... but it was at the start of the 70's that things got troublesome. See, the eldest of the siblings skipped town, claiming someone was after his life. Disappeared altogether. Not many years after, the middle siblings died in pretty weird circumstances: one in a surgery and one in a car crash. Anyways, this left the youngest sibling to inherit it all, but wouldn't you know... come 1981 and the guy disappears just like the loggers, leaving behind a grieving widow and a child that's too young to inherit the business," Jake continued, making a vague gesture with his hand. "The widow is in no shape to keep the business going, the child is but a babe, and the workers are almost all gone. The mill rots, the woods grow back and the train yard becomes overgrown. Fast-forward a little over ten years to this day, and, well... you see how it looks out there. The place is dying, slowly but surely. I give it another ten years before the whole town is nothing but ghosts."

Jake sighed, taking one more sip of his cola. He hid a burp with his hand, before shaking his head, looking a little sad.

"Shame, I guess, but... that's how life sometimes goes."

[Bloble]

Prushka
Location: Pinefall High Dormitory - Pyry's Room
Phase: Morning Phase
Date: 08.09.1994 (FRI)
Weather: Rain

As I explain, once more Pyry's huge hand descends upon my head.

But I'm ready this time! My reflexes are perfect! I'll parry it just like I was taught-!

"Wah!"

Too fast! His technique is perfect, as expected. I can't dodge a pat so easily, not from Pyry of all people!

"Why...Would I take advantage of anyone? I'm just trying my best to help people, and while I have my weird and silly antics...I really mean no harm."

"Eh, you don't gotta worry about me, Squirt. Hisa might be be a bit weird, a bit nosy and a bit of a troublemaker, but she ain't that bad. Not someone to actually take advantage of others. In other words, she's cool in my books. Plus, if she starts being hard to deal, I can just always call for you, right?"

"Gyaaaaa..."

Finally, I manage to throw off the yoke of a certain idiot's attempt at patting my head, which come off more as aggravated assault than reassurance.

"That's the problem!" I protest. He just doesn't get it. "If you were a bad person it would be easy! I could just expose your crimes. But since Hisa's just a curious meddler, it's even more of a pain to deal with!"

Seriously, I can't handle with this at all. Hisa's already got Pyry wrapped around her finger. Now there's no way to keep the conversation going without her overhearing everything. As expected from the most fearsome person I've seen in Pinefall: her ability to intrude is second to none.

Gah, forget it. The question. The question!

"Oi! What do you mean 'second strongest'!?"

"Hehe. 'Cus I know someone that could beat you without breaking a sweat. Even if it's impossible, he'd do it somehow."

Well, probably. Maybe it might actually be impossible... for Pyry to land even a single blow.

"Still, uh... one thing that comes to mind is 'that'. Y'know, the so-called 'first rule of Closed-Room Murders'. Applies to lots of other situations like it. But in short, it means that the only way to create a perfect closed-room murder mystery is by suicide. There's no other way. Every other option relies on somehow making the case 'appear' like a closed-room, when in actuality it's nothing like that. So, if I had to throw some guess or another, I'd say that instead of jumping out the window, I'd look for a way to make it look like I jumped out the window, you get me?"

"Hm... it's definitely not a murder mystery, though."

But that's an interesting thought.

"By the way, Squirt... This hypothetical situation of yours... when did it happen? During the day? Or at the night?"

"Hm?"

Is he different somehow? What would happen if I said night? Would he get angry at me, or look off into the distance and say something ominous? I want to know, but... yeah, lying is still bad, even if it's because you're curious.

First, something needs to be cleared up.

"It's not hypothetical at all. It happened yesterday."

Might as well explain.

"So I met this nice old lady at the cliff side, and she recited an old poem..."

The set up might contain a hint, so that's important. I'll skip all the stuff about being brave though, it's not really important to anyone but me.

"...and she let me borrow the key to the lighthouse..."

The locked room aspect, as he mentioned. Does Pyry read a lot of detective mysteries? I'll have to ask him for some recommendations.

"...and then that moron just chucked the tarp at me and jumped out the window! And I know for a fact that he did go out that window. But I don't think someone would risk their lives over being seen playing harmonica, so he had to have had some way of running off. I don't think he was hiding outside; I looked up and down and saw absolutely nothing. Maybe there could've been some shenanigans with grappling hooks or the like, but it had to have happened within a few seconds. So the way I see it, either this guy has a really good back up plan, or he's totally a ghost."

Yep. That's it.

...oh, right. Pyry's scary face.

"And, um, it wasn't during the night. It was around sunset... so you can un-furrow those eyebrows."

[Cheetose]

Hisa Momoi
Location: Pinefall High Dormitory - Pyry's Room
Phase: Morning Phase
Date: 08.09.1994 (FRI)
Weather: Rain

"Ehm... it's this... thing... with my throat...I just got a rather bad case of... snoring! Yeah, snoring! Sounds really weird because of this one surgery. That's it, nothing weirder than that, aha, ahaha..."

"Mhm...I see." I nodded with a slight grin;

That is the most blatant, transparent lie if I've ever heard one for sure, but as expected, this was not the time to hear the true reason...I could certainly dig deeper, but...I should give him and his secrets this much respect...Maybe we'll eventually reach the point where he trusts me enough to talk about it, but then...

"Excuse me, who the hell you're calling nice and silly? It's like you're trying to pick a fight, sheez..."

"Well...Are you not nice? But no, I wouldn't want to pick a fight...What chances would I have against someone as strong as you?"

Not much, for sure, but then a real fight isn't just about strength...I have my ways around that.

A-ny-ways, that's from UFC-1, from the finals. My finishing blow, so to speak. Never thought they'd manage to capture it so perfectly, but there it is. My proudest moment - the one that made me famous outside my hometown."

So he is supposed to be famous...I guess this is another one of those things that I've ended up never hearing about...I'm just glad that he actually told me, rather than expecting me to know about it...

"Yeah, certainly looks like the best moment for a photo...Nice to have such a life defining moment captured like that. And...That is certainly an achievement to be proud of."

I wish I could have a photo like that of her...I wonder, will she eventually fade from my memory? Will I slowly forget what she looked like, her voice, her gentle touch, and all the time we've spent together?

"Applies to lots of other situations like it. But in short, it means that the only way to create a perfect closed-room murder mystery is by suicide. There's no other way."

I muffled another giggle; The thought of that just sounded too amusing for some reason."Someone commiting suicide because they were seen by an innocent looking short girl...Now that is quite a story."

Every other option relies on somehow making the case 'appear' like a closed-room, when in actuality it's nothing like that. So, if I had to throw some guess or another, I'd say that instead of jumping out the window, I'd look for a way to make it look like I jumped out the window, you get me?"

Clearly, there are a lot more options to it, but...Even though all the three of us are aware of it, it would still be kind of...strange, bringing those things into the equation...

"There are...Probably only so many spots you can hide at the top of a library, and I would assume that she took a good look around the place, so...The mystery guy either just disappeared..." Which would clearly mean that whatever it was is not just an ordinary human... "Or he really jumped off, most likely with the help of someone else. Maybe that old lady you mentioned?"

The amount of mysteries around town are just steadily increasing, but we...are not really getting closer to the solution of anything, and the clues and leads just seem to be lacking for now...

"For sure, he did not just jump to his death, that wouldn't make much sense."

So the way I see it, either this guy has a really good back up plan, or he's totally a ghost."

If this was just a discussion between the two of us, it would certainly be easier to elaborate on things like this...But what would Pyry have to say about it?

"A ghost?" I frowned, "I guess...Pyry, do you believe in ghosts and stuff like that? Kind of sketchy but...Doing a trick like that would make more sense if he was a ghost or whatever, right?"

[Daneel Rush]

Pinefall High Pool
Morning Phase
08.09.1994
Rain



Half of the story is a case of all the eggs in the same basket, who happens to be in the hands of a single person. The town’s fortunes placed on a single business, directed by a single man. Without Howell McLampet, the business, and by extension the town, fell apart. The utter lack of a successor capable of taking the reins of the logging company is almost disgraceful. The idea of selling the business to one more capable of managing it probably never crossed the McLampets’ minds, and by the time they were not around to impede such a transfer—assuming the McLampet widow would agree to it—, it was already too late.

The workers’ disappearances…were Miss Popplewell’s relatives among them, or is the disappearance of the shopkeeper’s relatives a separate tragedy? In either case, it does create a foreboding impression of the aptly named Ghostwood.

And then, there’s the fall of the McLampet line. Two missing and likely dead, two confirmed dead. Like a curse upon the family, inevitably spreading to Road’s End as a whole. The Ghostwood’s vengeance against the rapacious loggers.

“Yes, it is saddening, but this town does seem to be set on a road of no return,” he then says without any hint of such sadness. “However, Mr. Briggs, despite being aware of this, you stayed. And now Mister Oceandrop’s poured his money into this school and brought new life to the town…in a way.”

John smiles at the older man. It is not a particularly planned smile, so it might not have come out right.

“Well, thank you for indulging my curiosity, sir. It was…”

The sentence stays unfinished, and John merely shakes his head to himself.

It was relieving. That is the most suitable adjective.

It is relieving that the unexpected deaths and mysterious disappearances for once precede his arrival, rather than follow it. Almost refreshing in a way.

Oh, but there is still the matter of Elizaveta Vyraj. How vexing.

In any case, questions remain, but Jake Briggs is not the one he must push for the answers—well, there are still some pieces of info he might be able to get from the janitor.

John stands back on his feet, resuming his stretching exercises, this time with a clearer intent to dive into the pool. However, he does shoot one more question before throwing himself into the water.

“By any chance, do you stay in Pinefall at nighttime, Mr. Briggs? Where is the teachers’ housing, anyway? I ask because it seems to me that just about anybody could waltz in and out and around in the middle of the night.”

The left corner of his lips stretches somewhat exaggeratedly, transforming the tiny smile into something closer to a scowl.

“I appreciate the degree of freedom Mister Oceandrop has allowed us, but I am not sure I can sleep tranquil at night while wondering what some of my classmates might be capable of.”

John does not wait for the answer and leaps in. It is not a pro-swimmer’s expert dive, but a passable imitation, if he may think so himself.

It is not the all-accepting embrace of the dark sea, but the pool will have to do for this morning. Emerging just as quickly as he dove in, John floats idly for a few moments, waiting to see if the other man has any answers to give him.

[Spinach]

Colt Davin
Location: Pinefall High Main Building - Nurse's Office
Phase: Morning
Phase Date: 08.09.1994 (FRI)
Weather: Rain

"Well I ain't quite the happiest camper, but I wouldn't go calling myself grumpy. More like, a little bothered. Hell I think the rain is helping. See I can focus on the feeling of being wet and cold, instead of thinking about my knee."

Colt took a seat at the desk, eyeing the box. The box he knew the contents of. The box he was, not at all ashamedly, salivating at the thought of.

A cup of coffee slid across the table beside the box.

The salivating stopped.

"Thank you." He said, slowly bringing the cup to his mouth and taking a sip. Piping hot and bitter, in contrast to the cool, mellow rain that had pelted him moments ago. Colt held off on a wince, instead channeling his energy into grabbing the darkest looking chocolate in the box and plopping it on his mouth. "Mmm!"

His eyes popped and he looked down at the box with even greater amazement than he thought chocolate could give him.

And in fact, it was more than just chocolate. In that single instance Colton Davin discovered the magic synergy of chocolate and coffee.

"Oh man... That's good. That's, it's, wow."

He took another, slightly larger sip. This time blowing on the surface of the coffee before bringing it to his lips. Then he grabbed another chocolate and bit into it.

Pure ecstasy flashed upon the boy's face.

"After you've calmed down I'll need you to take off your pants."

The rosy pink blush brought on by ambrosia drained from Colt's face as he dragged his attention back to the nurse.

"Take off... My pants?" He glance down at his pants. "I, uh, well..."

The words 'of course you have to take off your drawers, you dang idiot' flashed through Colt's head, and for some reason the face of the cigar smoking imp passed through his head.

"R-right. Just... One more and I'll be ready."

With far less gusto he reached out and took for himself another mouthful of coffee, then another bite of chocolate. As the momentary rush of bliss passed and the nerves bit back into his brain, Colt stood up and began to unzip.

[Frantic Author]

Alexstrasza Lockhart
Location: Pinefall High Main Building
Phase: Morning Phase
Date: 08.09.1994 (FRI)
Weather: Rain

I blink twice, tilting my head to the side at Mercedes glance. What on Earth could that mean? After all, I have never spoken to this girl, nor have I ever given her any indication that I dislike her. Could this be...

--A mistake!? Of course it is! There's no way anyone can dislike a person before a single word has been exchanged after all. I smile brightly, nodding my head as I give myself a thumbs up inside. Good job, Alexstrasza. Now you can make a friend!

Walking forward, I bite my lip for a moment as I think, eyeing the reference books the girl is looking at. It reminds me a lot of... What I once did, a while ago.

I end up in front of her, and then my mouth opens, and says without any input from me:

"I could help you! If you need any help that is. To find what you're looking for."

I smile and close my eyes as I do so, ready to aid my newest friend in her goals!

[Verg Avesta]

John Dove
Location: Pinefall High Pool
Phase: Morning Phase
Date: 08.09.1994 (FRI)
Weather: Rain

Jake grinned at John when he returned up to the surface, before gulping down the rest of his cola and setting the can aside. Then the older boy rose up from the bench and walked up to the edge of the pool. It was not as if the janitor wanted to go for a swim of his own, but it would have been little awkward continuing the conversation from such a distance... just as it had been a little awkward diving into the pool without even waiting for an answer.

But Jake Briggs didn't seem to mind.

His laid back attitude apparently took everything in a stride.

"Yeah, I got the old janitor's pad down at the main building, so if anything ever happens during nights feel free to knock on my door," Jake answered. "As for the actual teachers, well... I know Mr. Lewis, Mr. Hatou and Ms. Leuzinger all live near the campus grounds, in the new buildings that were built last year, while the rest have their houses in the town proper. That way there's always a teacher nearby if you guys happen to need one."

A somewhat troubled expression passed by the janitor's face, however.

"... Don't got a clue where Mr. O sleeps though," he admitted with a shrug. "That whole guy's a mystery when it comes to mundane stuff like that."

---

Colt Davin
Location: Pinefall High Main Building - Nurse's Office
Phase: Morning
Phase Date: 08.09.1994 (FRI)
Weather: Rain

Ronja Leuzinger rolled her eyes with a dry smile on her face.

"No need to get shy or put on a show. I'm a doctor, so trust me: I've seen my fair share of pantless people," the nurse said. "I only want to see if you have broken anything. Even a hairline fracture in the kneecap can be extremely painful down the line, so we better take a look at it. That and I bed you didn't disinfect whatever scrape you got last night, right? I'm going to do that as well."

The swab and the disinfectant spray she was holding in her hands lend credence to her words. However, there was still the matter of the pincers and the scalpel that were on the table. They were not forgotten... they were merely set aside. What Miss Leuzinger meant to do with them was unknown, but whatever it was, it would have been painful.

"Incidentally, did the bike get roughed up when you fell?" Miss Leuzinger asked, perhaps just to keep Colt talking and not focusing on the fact that he was pantless in front of a rather attractive woman. "If it was one of those we loan to the students, I suggest you take it to Mr. Horse down at his garage. He might be able to save it."

A very professional attitude.

---

Alexstrasza Lockhart
Location: Pinefall High Main Building - Reference Library
Phase: Morning Phase
Date: 08.09.1994 (FRI)
Weather: Rain

"I could help you! If you need any help that is. To find what you're looking for."

The sound of Mercedes West clicking her tongue in pure annoyance echoed in the otherwise empty library.

Unable to just ignore you for second time, the actress leaned back in her chair and looked at you with pure contempt. Up this close, it was pretty easy to see what book she was reading... but instead of any known language, what seemed to be written on the pages of that small book were nothing but gibberish. Markings or letters that Alexstrasza was certainly not familiar with, and not exactly something you would have expected a person like Mercedes West to be reading.

The actress, on the other hand, glared daggers at the blonde before a mocking expression appeared on her face.

"Hmm, 'kay, if you wanna, like, help me out here..." Mercedes answered. "... Why don't you drag your bimbo ass out of this room, mmkay? I got nuff on my plate without being pestered by you. Plus, like, that fake smile you always keep on is creepy as shit, so no thanks! Not gonna need anything from you, for realsies."

She gestured with her head towards the door, almost like telling a dog to get out of the room. Then the startled returned back to her strange book.

"And shut the door once you leave."

---

Prushka & Hisa Momoi
Location: Pinefall High Dormitory - Pyry's Room
Phase: Morning Phase
Date: 08.09.1994 (FRI)
Weather: Rain

"And, um, it wasn't during the night. It was around sunset... so you can un-furrow those eyebrows."

Almost immediately, the strange aura that had been hanging about Pyry let go, and his expression eased up. Out of all things, he seemed a little... relieved by this revelation? Was it really that big of a deal that Prushka might have been out during the nighttime? This was odd behavior, even for the tall boy, and as long as he didn't reveal why he had acted the way he had acted, one could only guess his motives. But for now, he seemed more willing to focus on this mystery at hand.

"Ghosts? Pshaw, ain't no such things. I mean, it's all just stuff our brains misunderstand in the dark, right?" Pyry answered, the smirk on his face looking quite smug. "I can't believe you're still the type to believe in ghosts, Hisa. Looks like you're still a kid in some ways, huuuh?"

Apparently the lanky boy thought that he had finally one weakness he could use to get back at the constant needling and teasing from the scarred girl, and he was refusing to give it up. Nevertheless, he didn't lose his focus, instead going back to Prushka's dilemma after acquiring this new weapon of his.

"Anyways, Squirt, if I'd have to guess I'd say there are two possibilities here," Pyry said, looking at Prushka. "And both got to do with that tarp he threw over you. I mean, it blocked your vision for a good few seconds, right? Lots of things you can do it that time. One way would be to get to the actual rooftop of the lighthouse... I dunno, have a rope-ladder or something ready. That way they'd be able to use the window and 'jump' out of sight, when in truth they were like... a meter from you the most."

Pyry scratched his chin, brains focused on this strange that had been brought forth by the smaller girl.

"The other one would be to just retreat in the staircase, maybe distract you by throwing something out the window," he concluded, before shooting a level stare at Prushka. "... You did check the staircase immediately too, right? Because that's kind of an obvious choice for an escape route."

Letting out a hefty yawn, Pyry then, out of nowhere, adopted a more serious expression once more. However, this time it wasn't directed at just Prushka. No, he looked at both of the girls with that stare, almost like he wanted to drive some point home.

"In any case, speaking of the lighthouse, you two... I want you two to promise me something," he said, voice even and stern. "Never go to that lighthouse at night, okay? I know this sounds weird, especially since I'm not giving you a good a reason, but, just... for your own safety, don't. Things get dangerous over there when the sun goes down."

A wave of anxiety passed by the boy's eyes.

"So, uh... please?"

[Cheetose]

Hisa Momoi
Location: Pinefall High Dormitory - Pyry's Room
Phase: Morning Phase
Date: 08.09.1994 (FRI)
Weather: Rain

"I can't believe you're still the type to believe in ghosts, Hisa. Looks like you're still a kid in some ways, huuuh?"

"H-hey! How is that childish, ghosts are not like Santa or something!"

I have kind of played into it, but at least he isn't laughing straight into my face...Though...

He is obviously not right. But whether he is aware of that or not, I can't blame him for trying to deny it. I guess this is...Something hard to admit for most people, since just like how that whole side of the world is shrouded in uncertainty, sharing your knowledge about it seems to come with...rather unpredictable, but mostly negative social consequences.

But does he feel just as bad about not being able to share it with anyone? Pretending to be oblivious to these things, shrugging them off with a laugh? Does he feel lonely, does he not yearn for someone who understand him, accepts him for who he truly is?

"In any case, speaking of the lighthouse, you two... I want you two to promise me something. Never go to that lighthouse at night, okay? I know this sounds weird, especially since I'm not giving you a good a reason, but, just... for your own safety, don't. Things get dangerous over there when the sun goes down."

"..."

For once, he seemed to be extremely serious, sort of worried about or safety, even...But what is it about the lighthouse...Argh, if I could just...But no, as curious I am, I must respect his decisions...I've already did something that I'm not even sure he would forgive me for.

"So, uh... please?"

"I...Might not look too strong, but...I have my ways to take care of myself, and been through quite a few dangerous situations..."

Observing his expression for a bit longer, I finally scratched the back of my head;

"But since you are insisting on it...Though, in exchange, you have to promise that you'll eventually tell what all this is about. I'm kind of curious now, to be fair."

The direction this discussion was heading made me remember that strange thing last night.

"Oh right, since we ended up talking about ghosts and whatnot...Did you guys notice something strange around the dorm last night? There was like...Some weird noise, as if someone was scratching the walls, but...By the time I got up it was already gone..."

To avoid making the same mistake I did before, I tried giving some more clarification;

"Not that it was a ghost or anything. But there was something that was not supposed to be there!"

[Kuroyuki]

Vier Wolff
Location: Pinefall High Cafeteria
Phase: Morning Phase
Date: 08.09.1994 (FRI)
Weather: Rain

"... I was... awake... late last night... Came back from a walk… I was heading to my own room when... when I heard this... scratching sound..."

Scratching sound? I tried to recall a scratching sound at all last night. While I wasn’t awake around that time frame, I was a light sleeper thanks to various habits and events in my life. It could just be the case that the rooms were more soundproofed than I expected or…

"... It... It came from the staircase... and I followed... thinking it might have been... one of the boys... doing something mom wouldn't like... I got to the second floor... and saw this lithe black shadow... almost like... sliding across the carpet floor... it didn't move like a normal... normal human would..."

From the staircase? That would explain why I couldn’t potentially hear that noise. With the room’s soundproofing and that distance, I wouldn’t be able to hear it unless the noise was that loud. But at that point, so would all of the people by the stairs.

"Um, I can back Mister Bahkauv's tale here. Late last night Tonkori here was acting rather oddly and his growling woke me up. After I managed to calm him down, I myself heard this scratching sound as well. It, well, it seemed to be dragging across the walls in a slow line, going down the hallway. But... um, I am sorry to say that I was not brave enough to face whatever it was, so I hid under my blanket... with Tonkori... I apologize."

I’ll take note to be careful while walking past Iburi’s door if I ever want to sneak out of my room. Alternatively, this could also work in my favor as Tonkori could be a nice alarm. I’ll have to think about this carefully.

"... I thought it had seen me, so I pressed myself up against the wall of the staircase to hide... but I lost sight of it at the same time... The sound continued for a while... and then... it stopped... And when I looked at what had happened... the shadow was… Gone..."

That’s when I heard a sudden clapping noise next to me. I saw Subaru and Gabi jump a bit at the sound while I calmly turned to look at a positively radiating Aleen. Of course, you would be interested in this… If this was actually an incident, I’m sure you would be more than happy to try and get to the bottom of this. That is until it’s too late to turn back… I’m going to have to dissuade you just a little bit.

"Hear that, hear that? It sounds... like a mystery!"

“Before you go ghost hunting Aleen, let me make a few points. There are several reasons why there would be noises nearby the staircase. First, by the staircase is the kitchen and the dining room. So it is likely for someone to wake up in the middle of the night to visit one of those areas for entirely normal reasons like a midnight snack or a drink. So if they’re someone from our floor, it would explain why the noise and figure disappeared suddenly after Gabi quit watching it.”

I believe that should cover why the noise was around there. With this, I should be able to convince Gabi and Iburi, because humans have the tendency to look for and retain information that they find more pleasing. On Aleen’s end, she might be peer pressured a little bit by the two and by the sound logic I’m presenting.

“As for the gait… If you’ve gotten up in the middle of the night, you’re normally not in a fully aware state of mind. So everything, you do is slightly off.”

I got up briefly and started to demonstrate how some groggy people walk before sitting back down.

“So imagine someone groggily walking to the kitchen or dining room at night where you can’t clearly see them. It’ll probably seem very disorienting especially when...”

Now how do I explain the noise?

“Someone is dragging something across the ground while groggy. I heard that some people drag a teddy bear or something that comforts them across the ground while still groggy. So while I’m not sure what they dragged… Clearly, it was enough to cause scratches.”

I gave a shrug to that.

“So all in all, it’s probably just a person from the second floor getting something from the kitchen or dining room while dragging something across the floor. Also, last I remember checking the news and scientist reports, ghosts are entirely unscientific.”

Of course, the truth is stranger than fiction. But that’s for me to know and for them to never find out.

[Bloble]

Prushka
Location: Pinefall High Dormitory - Pyry's Room
Phase: Morning Phase
Date: 08.09.1994 (FRI)
Weather: Rain

"..."

Well, this is something.

It's true that the boy could have been there all along. In hindsight it's the only explanation that makes sense. Jumping to conclusions might have been a bit hasty. Im fact, if there is any conclusion to be had, it's that...

I'll have to be more careful next time.

"In any case, speaking of the lighthouse, you two... I want you two to promise me something. Never go to that lighthouse at night, okay? I know this sounds weird, especially since I'm not giving you a good a reason, but, just... for your own safety, don't. Things get dangerous over there when the sun goes down."

"..."

This is...

This is why humans are awful.

"No way."

Really, does Pyry truly not consider his own words? Telling me there is something dangerous he can't talk about, then asking that we not look into it without even offering an explanation... it's so like humans that I can only be disappointed. No, even more than that, it's exactly like him.

"There isn't one now, but in the future, I might have a good reason to go to the lighthouse at night, even if its dangerous in some vague way you can't explain. So promising something like that is impossible."

It's just common sense. How is someone supposed to say something today about what might happen tomorrow? Even if its a miniscule possibility, I won't lie about it.

"But how about this? I promise I won't go... Unless you're right there next to me. And you have promise the same thing: no visiting the lighthouse at night or going to dangerous places unless I'm there."

Yeah. That's why you're awful, Pyry: who says something so abashedly noble in this day and age?

"The only way to know that a certain place is dangerous at a certain time is to be there yourself. So!"

I point, matching Pyry's intense gaze with one of my own.

"No sneaking out at night to do dangerous stuff alone! For either of us!"

[Daneel Rush]

Pinefall High Pool
Morning Phase
08.09.1994
Rain



“There is a Director’s Office, though. Is he actually in the school building during business hours, or is that room there just for appearances’ sake?”

The boy considers that he must put an end to this conversation at some point if he actually wants to get some exercise done this morning.

“Anyway, the big wilderness out there is plenty dangerous enough, but, as a local, is there anything else you think I should keep an eye out for?”

He has to turn his head a little to face the older man properly.

“I just want to make sure I do not stumble into unnecessary and perfectly avoidable trouble. I’d say my classmates will be challenge enough.”

John lets himself float idly for a while. The sounds of torrential rain are muted indoors, but the impact of countless droplets on the ceiling create a dull echo. It is almost a symbolic reminder that, outside this isolated building, there is a whole, hopelessly inane world he is obligated to face every single day. It makes him wish he could stay in this closed, isolated world, floating forever.

However, the one he seeks is out there. That makes it worth bearing with all the inanity and lies.

To wash away the bitterness of that moment of weakness, John abruptly brings out a completely different and inane point. His strange smile naturally relaxing into something warmer and therefore not a product of hiss conscious desire.

“By the way, Mr. Briggs, do you not think it is a little too early for cola?”