Astronomika - Shooting Down Falling Stars (IC)

[Mormarth]

Elaine Winters
Location: Big Boy's Gas Station - Bar
Phase: Evening Phase
Date: 09.09.1994 (FRI)
Weather: Rain

The blonde girl looked at the taller boy for a moment, silently surveying the clearly contrite boy with frosty green eyes.

Then she pinched the bridge of her nose and looked away, "Maah, 'nstead of getting all up in my grill and making me wanna go all half-cocked, could've lead with that, bozo."

She was capable of putting two and two together, of course, noting the quick little glance he gave Anna, which, coupled with her little acrobatics display, and his very high-strung reaction, lead her to a conclusion that hardened her resolve further.

It's not just stories and folk lore, there's stuff out here that hurts people, bad things.

Her kind of things, essentially.

Still, to deal with that sort of rain, she'd need a game plan more cohesive than 'go outside and beat it up'. Regardless of how hot-headed she got.

Possibly with some back-up, but, for now, no one seemed too interested.

Still, something he said still chaffed at her, and her gaze lingered on the door.

'Only one person in danger'.

Even so, she knew as well as anyone even with that 'plan', she'd still go out and try and deal with it anyway.

She forced out a chuckle, a hand massaging her eyes, "I don't blame you for getting all riled up like that, I'm a little like that too."

A faintly shining emerald peered out from between her fingers, "I can't stand seeing people get hurt, if anyone should be getting hurt, it should be me."

Then she swept her hand back through her hair, smiling again, "But hey, y'know, we came out to have a good time and all that, so let's have a good time or something, whatever people these days do to have fun, even a talent-less meathead like me can be good for something besides a free ride and a cheap laugh."

Like nothing was wrong.

[Spinach]

Colt Davin
Location: Avery’s Diner
Phase: Evening Phase
Date: 09.09.1994 (FRI)
Weather: Rain

The crack of five fingers saying SLAP to the face came at the same timing that Colt went for a drink. The unexpected loud noise caused him to shudder and wince, nearly spilling his drink. For a second he looked around, confused, not sure what had just happened. With Tommy between himself and Travis, and no real desire to look at his classmate, he hadn’t seen the first slap. His first instinct was to check over the counter, expecting some mishap had gone on in the kitchen.

"W-w-what the hell, bitch!? Did you just sl--"

A second crack, and this time Colt turned to see exactly what was happening.

There wasn’t much to say in the moment. Nor was there much of a moment to say anything, not before a third slap put the moment to an end. Then a fourth. A fifth.

By the sixth slap, there was a very satisfied grin on Colt’s face. Watching Travis frantically scoot back, nearly fall, and try as he might to put up a guard to protect his plum red cheeks, the boy could only barely contain himself from throwing in a ‘serves ya right.’ But when Cathie tossed him a wink, what couldn’t be contained was a short chuckle.

"Ugh. So lame..."

And just like that it was over. Switching back to the aloof, who cares, definitely not me mode that she let off in her first impression on the boy, Cathie went back to the kitchen. Leaving the diners in silence, which didn’t last for long.

"What the actual blazing hell!?"

Finally, Colt took that belated sip from his coke.

“I’d say you earned that.” Not at all hiding his satisfaction with the situation, he looked over at the beaten and flabbergasted boy. “And I’d say she’s earning one hell of a tip.”

He put his cup back down.

“Wouldn’ja say so, Tommy?”

[Thalraxal]

Elise Pelltier
Location: Junk Garage
Phase: Evening Phase
Date: 09.09.1994 (FRI)
Weather: Rain

Avery took her order and left for the kitchen, leaving Elise waiting excitedly for her food.

"Oh, duh, he's your janitor, right? Of course you guys would've run into Jake eventually. But yeah, he's an old friend of mine. We used to go to Pinefall before it was closed down. We're in the same class as well. Me, Jake, Rachel and... Erm, us. All in the same class, that is. That's it."

A fourth classmate you don't want to talk about, eh? thought Elise, making note of it, I'll let you have this one, Tommy.

"Yeah! I bumped into our janitor on the first day here while he was on break, and got a bit of history of the school and town from him," said Elise, "A class of just three then? Must've felt pretty empty in a school as big as Pinefall."

Elise shot a quick glance over to Cathie, busy filling glasses with pop, and wondered, Where do the kids in Road's End go to school these days anyway?

"But I suppose I know a thing or two about local native tribes. Mom was Klallam, so I guess that makes me a half or something. In any case, she told me lot of local legends and lore, so if you're ever interested in, feel free to drop by. Would be nice to see more new faces around Junkyard. Colt is the type of guy that forgets all about little old me when he gets going on about some machine or another."

"I'll have to take you up on that. I'm always curious about local folklore, and Road's End seems to have a lot of it."

Travis then interjected, using Elise's earlier question as a launching point for further insults to Tommy.

Elise sighed, You scored a critical hit already, Travis, you don't need to keep on beating a dead horse.

Travis was, in turn, interrupted by his glass of pop being slammed onto the counter in front of him by Cathie.

Oh, great, now you're going to insult the diner's staff too, Travis? That's a great-

SLAP!

Elise train of thought was interrupted and she blinked several times in surprise as she struggled to register what just happened.

Wow, thought Elise as she reached for her glass of pop, taking a long slip as she watched the proceedings.

This repeated five more times, eventually forcing Travis into a defensive stance to save himself. Elise gave Cathie an approving nod before she returned to the kitchen.

Oh, god. Part of me has wanted to do that to him all night. Thank you so much, Cathie. You just made this whole evening even better.

Silence hung over the diner until Travis finally reacted to the unexpected slap to his face.

"What the actual blazing hell!?"

“I’d say you earned that, and I’d say she’s earning one hell of a tip.”

Elise nodded in agreement, "Yeah, Colt's right on this one, Travis, you kinda earned that."

Oh, and she is definitely get extra on the tip for that.

She paused to take another sip from her pop and then continued, "So, uh, how's your face holding up?"

[Mooncake]

Adelaide Cheshire
Location: Pinefall High Dormitory - Kitchen
Phase: Evening Phase
Date: 09.09.1994 (FRI)
Weather: Rain


"Out-of-sight, out-of-mind, huh...? Makes sense. With, like, the student body we have, hearing about a murder might set some of the more unstable people off. Better keep it down low if it doesn't have, like, anything to do with us. It's just like anywhere else. I mean, duh, we're school kids, yeah? Like, let the police handle murders or whatevs. If none of us got murdered, it ain't got anything to do with us."

Sakura's comforting hand on her shoulder was a nice touch, but Adelaide didn't mind how Mercedes spoke. She knew how she'd sounded.

She always knew how she sounded.

"So the question remains... if it wasn't this rumoured Elizaveta Vyraj... who the hell was it?"

All four of them looked pensive, in their own way. There... just wasn't a lot to go on. Thankfully there wasn't any talk of kicking her out of the school, or anything like that.

The silence was broken by Sakura, who turned strange, almost alien eyes at Lucille.

"Milady... if you wish, I could always sneak into the Sheriff's Department and see the body myself. That should give us visual confirmation... What do you think, Milady?"

Milady?

Adelaide arched an eyebrow in confusion, but she kept quiet. She had the feeling that she was on thin ice, and she didn't want to crack through. Just...

Things here seemed to be stranger than she had ever imagined.

[Katie]

Lucille Faraday
Location: Pinefall High Dormitory - Kitchen
Phase: Evening Phase
Date: 09.09.1994 (FRI)
Weather: Rain

In a way, Mercedes was right. If it was an unrelated murder, it wasn’t their problem. But at the same time… this was a small, remote town. No doubt everyone knew each other. News would travel fast and it wasn’t as if most of the students stayed here on campus like she’d been doing for the past few days. It’d become important one way or another.

No… that wasn’t it. She was trying to come up with an excuse to justify the nagging sense of responsibility she felt. Some things were not her fault. Wasn’t she here, at this school, to realize that? But though those words had been told to her many times before…

They certainly weren’t words she’d believe in.

“If there’s a murder, Mercedes… I don’t think we can brush it off. We’re here in this town for an entire year, so anything that affects the town will affect us, one way or the other.” Lucille spoke in a measured tone, trying to sound composed. “Though… I suppose that you’re right that students probably should leave such things to the police.”

Adelaide’s silence made her somewhat concerned, but maybe the threats had made the other girl a bit too scared. Perhaps easing off and letting her wallow in thought was the best play.

Instead, she turned to Sakura, who… Well, this wasn’t quite the response Lucille was expecting, but she should have figured it was in the cards.

“If I knew you’d get so formal I wouldn’t have bothered.” The pout on Lucille’s face was short lived, puffed cheeks fading into a sterner expression. “As for your suggestion, Sakura… I was going to ask you about something else, but I suppose that can wait. And this, for that matter… I’d feel awful for making you break into a government building in the rain. You could catch a cold, you know?”

Though her tone was light… one couldn’t deny the seriousness of those words.

“I’d hate for you to get ill over one of my whims.”

[Mellon]

Anna Vandemeel
Location: Big Boy’s Gas Station
Phase: Road’s End
Date: 09.09.1994
Weather: Rain

"And sorry... well, about what happened. About all that happened."

An inscrutable emotion flickered momentarily in Anna’s eyes.

“Don’t worry about it. ”

Perhaps it had been his previous encounters with that knight, but to Anna, Caleb’s mindset felt a bit too restrictive and set in its ways. Perhaps it was just her own past talking, but it wouldn't be the first time such preconceived notions ended up biting someone in the ass. Limitations and restrictions were hardly rock-solid. She had yet to see a rule without loopholes that someone hadn’t taken advantage of.

All in all, his outlook was far too naive.

Perhaps above all because...

A “friend”, huh?

“Well, since you the two of you have calmed down, for now, I’ll head back to my table.” The Estonian girl let out a deep breath. “Let's just burn our hour nice and calm and then head back to the dorms, okay?“

With those words, Anna left Caleb and Elaine behind, heading back towards the table she had just risen from moments ago. Sitting back down on her seat, Anna’s eyes flickered over towards the dusky-skinned girl, who was seemingly still leaning lazily on the wall right next to Anna’s chair. A ghost of a grin flickered on Anna’s face for a moment.

“Sorry, my bad. Had to fill my yearly “voice of reason” quota there.” A ghost of a grin flickered on Anna’s face for a moment. “Where were we again?””

[Verg Avesta]

Colt Davin & Elise Pelltier
Location: Avery's Diner
Phase: Evening Phase
Date: 09.09.1994 (FRI)
Weather: Rain

“I’d say you earned that. And I’d say she’s earning one hell of a tip. Wouldn’ja say so, Tommy?”

Tommy was doing his very best to hide a shit-eating grin that was forming on his face, but the older guy was doing hell of a poor job. Eventually he just hid it with an amused shrug, shaking his head as if the whole situation had just been one big farce. And in a way it had been. After all, it was pretty clear that Travis' antics were not welcome in this diner.

"Well, I do typically tip her if she shows any sort of enthusiasm while working here..." Tommy started. "... And this definitely counts as that. Hell, I don't think I've seen that much emotion out of her in a while!"

"Yeah, Colt's right on this one, Travis, you kinda earned that."

It might have been just everybody's imagination, but they could practically hear a low, mocking chuckle of Cathie coming from the other side of the kitchen door.

"So, uh, how's your face holding up?"

Travis snorted angrily, scooting his seat back closer to the counter.

"Fucking fantastically, what'd you think, Chipmunk?" He shot back, more hostility and venom in his voice than he had spoken with to Elise in a while today. "Get off my case. And get off my face. This day's been nothing but failures all around. Fat lotta good it even did, having you around as a second pair of eyes. The only thing you did was fishing out old propaganda fliers from the dumpsters like a pro."

For just a moment, a few seconds, Tommy suddenly tensed up and gripped his class of cola a bit tighter. His eyes were glued directly ahead of him, like he didn't dare to make his presence known right now. Something in what Travis had said had put the older guy on the edge... and this was just the sorta weakness that the delinquent and thug known as Travis Gagnon thrived on. He practically preyed on stuff like this.

And now he saw a way of getting back at Tommy, and perhaps through him, at Cathie.

"... Interesting fliers, anyway. And lots of them. Must've been all over the town at one point," Travis continued, his predatory smile growing wider. "Spoke a lot of things about Pinefall and Oceandrop Program. I'd even fancy meeting whoever wrote those papers. Talk with him about what he wrote."

Cold sweat was dripping down Tommy's forehead now in sparse droplets, the man looking like he wanted to either to bring up a whole another topic or just straight up flee the diner. And this, if anything, made Travis even more eager to press on.

"Happen to know anything about them fliers, Tommy-boy?" Travis cackled.

The mechanic could only shake his head, even though his hands were shaking already, if only a little bit.

"N-no idea," Tommy answered.

---

Lucille Faraday & Adelaide Cheshire
Location: Pinefall High Dormitory - Kitchen
Phase: Evening Phase
Date: 09.09.1994 (FRI)
Weather: Rain

“I’d hate for you to get ill over one of my whims.”

Sakura sighed in a rather exasperated way, putting her hand on her forehead like this wasn't the first time she had heard something like this. Indeed, at this very moment, the bubbly brunette managed to look much older than the rest of the people in the room. Still, after chewing her lip and clearly thinking about how to tackle the way Lucille had denied her strange request, Sakura turned towards the blonde and nodded towards the rain with her head.

"To be honest, Milady, unless you expressly forbid it I will do it anyway," Sakura sternly said. "A little rain never hurt anyone, and I'd much rather do it now when there's still a chance that the body is at the morgue. Though that might mean they've transported it to End's Mercy... I suppose I'll have to check both places out. In any case, it's my whim as well. This whole situation is worrisome enough that I'd rather know what's going on. Should allow me to sleep more soundly as well."

There was a strange sort of professionalism to the girl's tone of voice now, like she had adopted a whole different style of behaving. And while Adelaide had a moment of confusion, apparently, pass by her eyes, Mercedes West grinned in a crooked way for a moment, her eyes practically saying she had guessed this to some extent. Sakura answered that gaze with her own, stern one, and for a moment the two girls locked their glares, both wanting to know what the other was going to do now that this side of Sakura was revealed.

... In the end, it was Sakura, surprisingly, who averted her eyes first.

"Well, do what you want. No skin off, like, my back," Mercedes spoke, also glancing outside at the rainy campus grounds. "I doubt the sheriff here's too trigger happy... Unless he sees you, like, poking the corpse or something. Ugh, gawd, I'd probably get trigger happy at that point too. Just like, check what you want and then get outta there. Or something, I dunno."

It was highly unlikely that Mercedes West "didn't know". Throughout this conversation the starlet had showcased frightening intelligence that was hidden beneath her mannerisms and way of speaking.

"I hardly need advice how to do my job, thank you very much," Sakura answered curtly, frowning a little at Mercedes before turning back to Lucille. "But still... you don't have to worry, Milady. I'll wear a second layer to my bodysuit. That should keep me warm even if it rains out there."

A sudden, amused snort from Mercedes caught everyone's attention again. The actress had an incredulous-yet-amused look on her face and she had arched her eyebrow.

"Omigawd, wait, bodysuit? Sakura, are you one of those thieves that wear, like, leotards and shit?" Mercedes asked and cackled at the mental image.

Both Adelaide and Lucille could practically hear the brunette grinding her teeth together.

"... Got a problem with that...?" Sakura growled, glaring at Mercedes.

[Verg Avesta]

Vier Wolff & Elaine Winters & Anna Vandemeel
Location: Big Boy's Gas Station - Bar
Phase: Evening Phase
Date: 09.09.1994 (FRI)
Weather: Rain

Caleb watched Anna walk away with an odd look on his face, as if he was still dissatisfied with something about the situation. Still, the boy heaved a long and drawn-out sigh and shook his head, dispersing whatever it was he was feeling. Then, flashing a tired smile at Elaine, Caleb nodded towards the bar counter where Billie was preparing the umpteenth black drink for Carrie, who was beginning to sway in a manner befitting of her status as a drunkard... though it might have also been because she was enjoying Vier singing on the other side of the bar - a surprising showcase of karaoke-talent, of all things.

"... Wanna get another beer? My treat," the boy asked Elaine. "I feel like a having one or dozen myself. Stepping on toes while trying to do the right thing... Blegh. Just goes to shows how I ended up here in first place."

At least Caleb himself walked over to the counter and flagged Billie down for one more Coors (did this bar even have any other beer?). He nursed the bottle, staring into its depths, clearly trying to get out of the funk that the situation had created. All in all, they had all came here looking for fun times and mysteries, and somehow it had all went downhill despite their best efforts. Even the attempts at salvaging it all, well... rifts had appeared, despite it all.

"Being meathead isn't a bad thing, you know," Caleb mumbled to Elaine. "Sometimes being smart means you do stupid stuff. Like now. Overthinking is just as bad as underthinking. And you can't cut loose when you need to. If there's one thing I admire about that Ubon girl, it's her attitude. She seems the type to bounce back from anything. I want to be like that."

Caleb peered into his bottle and a ghost of a grin formed on his face.

"... I also wanna get absolutely plastered. Feels like I need it now," he admitted.

Billie, who had been listening to this behind the counter, chuckled to herself and slammed another beer in front of the boy. The huge owner-slash-bartender had her hands on her hips, looking over at the collection of students in a manner like a guardian looking over her children. The atmosphere in the bar might have been slightly awkward, but she was ready to help the teens relax the best she could... especially if they had to wait for an hour or so inside here.

"As long as one of you stays sober enough to drive back to that dormitory of yours," Billie commented, chuckling again. "I don't want any drunk teenagers snoozing in my building by the time I close up. Plus I don't think your teachers would appreciate me enabling your drunken escapades."

Carrie, who had been sitting in the corner, laughed quietly at the mental image and swirled the drink in her glass.

"We all do the best we can with the cards we've been dealt, Billie," Carrie quietly spoke. "Don't be too harsh on the kids. They can take care of themselves, after all. At that age they just do what comes naturally, succeed or fail, and learn from that. Ain't no better teacher than the mistakes you make when under the influence of alcohol."

The woman chuckled dryly at that and took a sip of her own booze, as if drinking to her own words. Still, the way she phrased what she had said... had Carrie heard what Caleb and Elaine talked about? It could have certainly been just the ramblings of a barfly, but then again, it was rather specific in a way...

Then again, when she spoke of getting drunk, that might have also meant Anna and Ramia. The dusky-skinned girl had used the Estonian's absence for a moment to line up the table with Coors, was already on her second bottle. She gestured for Anna to join her, and even opened up a bottle for her. Despite what the raven-haired girl had said before, it seemed like Ramia had gone ahead anyway.

“Where were we again?””

"In the part where you stop giving dramatic excuses and help me out by downing at least one of these," Ramia spoke with a lopsided grin. "You're as tense as a tripwire, and look just as ready to explode. I don't mind hanging out with you, Anna, but I don't want to become collateral damage to whatever problems you have with Picasso over there. So, relax. From what I heard, we're hanging out here for a while longer."

Ramia downed her beer in one go and let out a magnificent burp, one that caused every pair of eyes in the bar to fall to her for a moment. She wiped her mouth to her sleeve and chuckled at herself, twisting open another bottle like she had been drinking water.

"Besides, I'm gonna need someone as drunk as I am if Vier over there is gonna sing any more sappy love ballads," Ramia commented, nodding towards the last batch of students near the jukebox. "As it happens, I'm a horribly emotional drunk. Expect me to start crying about not having a boyfriend any minute now."

That might have been the case, too, as at that moment, Vier finally finished up her own rendition of Air Supply's most famous song, earning herself a roaring applause from Inacio, Aleen and Billie... and a more reserved one from Caleb and Carrie. Aleen even went as far as to let out a sharp whistle, giggling afterwards as she clutched her bottle of beer that she...

... Where had she gotten it?

She was definitely underage, and yet now she started to have some redness on her cheeks.

"Man, Vier, cheesy love songs fit you perfectly!" Aleen exclaimed, still laughing. "It's like you have this hidden aura of gloom totes hanging about you! We need to get a karaoke machine or something to the dorms so we can totally force you sing more of this stuff!"

Inacio chuckled too, though some of it was amusement at the blueheaded girl's current state. Still, the boy gave an approving nod to Vier - it was clear that he had been impressed by her singing ability as well. Not that he didn't know that she couldn't handle herself around music, but seeing -or hearing in this case- was believing.

"Mm, I agree. I wouldn't mind hearing you sing more in the future," Inacio said as he walked over to the jukebox to choose the next song. "I bet we'll find a song yet that'll make you embarrass---"

A sudden clunk and a thunk from the machine made Inacio stop mid-sentence, and he looked at the jukebox with a slight confusion in his eyes. While he had inserted some coins, he had yet to choose the next song... yet still the machine acted. Records changed and for a moment, there was a terrible silence during which only the pounding rain outside could be heard... along with something that sounded like a distant sound of a footfall rounding the building. But then it was buried when a metallic clinking of the machine repeated, and repeated rapidly, as one of the records got stuck. The distorted sound continued even when the vinyl finally slipped on place, and what followed...

... Was something one could hardly call music.

It was Number 9.

And they could all hear it, loud and clear.

Cacophony filled the bar room and even Carrie Lakes put her hands over her ears, hissing at the sound. The only one to actually move in the blasted noise was the owner of the ball, Billie, who marched from her place behind the counter over to the jukebox with fury clear in her functioning eye. Not at Inacio, no... at the machine. Like she had been angry at someone doing something completely inappropriate - as if this wasn't the first time. She muttered something quietly, but the noise was too loud for anyone to hear.

Instead, they could only guess what she said, who she said it to, and why did it look like she was telling the jukebox to shut up and keep its secrets to itself, lest the children hear something they don't want to.

It might have been cacophony of sounds.

The one that continued.

And continued.

Number 9.

It continued. The confusion. It continued. The mess. It continued.

Number 9.

It wouldn't stop playing. Number 9.

The circling sound that had no start or finish or purpose.

Number---

"GODDAMMIT, STOP IT YOU PIECE OF JUNK!"

... And finally, blessed silence.

It was like the world had become meaningful, or at least understandable, again. Picture, sound, smell, touch, taste... they were all returned to their rightful places. Billie Boulders stood before the jukebox, breathing heavily and having just given it a punch that would have sent a lesser man flying across the room. But the only thing it had done to the jukebox was kill the hell of a noise it was making. Muttering some more curses, the owner of the bar walked back, shaking her head in an exasperated manner.

"Sorry about that, you lot. The machine's old, it tends to get... cranky at times," the bartender explained, shooting an annoyed glare at the jukebox in question. "Try it again, it should work properly now. If not... just give it a good whack, alright?"

Inacio, looking visible paler and shaken, nodded at the woman and turned back to the machine... and picked out a song.

Five seconds later, soothing music, dulcetto tones of a guitar, were filling the air and the atmosphere was once again returning to normal. Like what had just happened had been just a mass hallucination suffered by everyone.

Yes, slowly but surely, things were getting back to normal to everyone.

Well, almost everyone.

After all, in the cacophony of the song, Vier Wolff had seen something.

She had caught a glimpse of something at the table where Anna was sitting.

She had seen the white-haired girl there, staring at her and the rest of the group.

And the look on Ramia Ramalsaqr's face...

Spoiler:

... Sent chills down her spine.

[SCENE END /// Move to NEXT Phase!]

Vier Wolff: Friendship Rank Raised!

Anna Vandemeel: Friendship Rank Raised!

Elaine Winters: Friendship Rank Raised!

[Frantic Author]

Alexstrasza Lockhart
Ghostwood National Forest
Evening Phase
09.09.1994
Rain

"Investigate? Why ever would we do such a thing?" I ask, tilting my head. "After all, the ethereal is the ethereal is the ethereal. Investigating it simply makes it less... miraculous, does it not? It's not as if magic and monsters and demons exist in a tangible state that the likes of you and I could touch."

I smile.

It's full of teeth.

While threats that are indirect are more my forte, this is dancing dangerously close towards the one thing I am absolutely not allowed to do. I have already failed once in my mission, so...

I sigh. There's no real reason for me to be so aggressive, to try so hard to hide. Too many people already know and its clear that the two people in front of me have... some association towards the things that I am trying to hide. There is no real point in pretense, for Subaru Iburi is clearly miraculous, John Dove has far too much information on the arcane, and Souma Nubutama is a monster.

"Haaa, I apologize. That was far too much, and I really should calm down, especially in situations such as these. It's simply part of my character, you know? I don't have many friends. I don't have a family. I've never had anything in my life but books and teachers. It's just that in this sort of thing, where we're all dancing around the subject..."

I stomp my foot angrily, crossing my arms. It's really like I haven't left school at all. The faces are entirely different but the conversations and the arguments remain exactly the same.

"Hmph," I mutter to myself. "I was never any good at charades."

Looking up once more, I flick a stray strand of hair out of my eyes in annoyance. "While I may have never seen this being for myself, the clearing where Souma saw him sends shivers down my spine, and goosebumps up my arms. It's a dangerous place, and investigating it any further seems... to be a poor choice."

My mouth opens and I breathe deeply, tasting the air on my tongue, listening to the whispers in the rain and the treesong.

"Alas Mister Dove, I have no earthly idea who 'Elizaveta Vyraj' is. If she has vanished from existence, however, then I almost certainly know what did it, though. Of course..."

I smile, brightly. It may be raining, but it matters not to me; my teachers always said that when I actually bothered to do it properly, I could shine like the sun itself, even in the darkest of nights. It's not the smile I usually show, the one with ten thousand cracks and a hundred and one flaws. It's not the one that I place on my face when I really want to cry, or even the one I put on when I'm alone and just want to practice in the darkness of my own room, looking vacantly at a wall with nothing on it at all.

"If you would like to know the same as myself, now would be a wonderful time to introduce yourself properly!"

[Verg Avesta]

John Dove & Alexstrasza Lockhart
Location: Ghostwood National Forest
Phase: Evening Phase
Date: 09.09.1994 (FRI)
Weather: Rain

“No, I’ll go on a tangent here and ask you a somewhat odd question: does the name ‘Elizaveta Vyraj’ mean anything to any of you?”

Both Souma and Subaru exchanged glances, the girl's more confused than the boy's, and then looked back at John while both were shaking their heads. It was clear on their faces that lacked any sort of recognition when hearing that name that they didn't know who she was. At least... so it seemed at first. Then Subaru frowned, looking like something came to her mind.

"Now hold on a minute... I think I did hear that name being mentioned. Prushka asked about her as well," the small girl explained. "All I knew was that she used to be a female cosmonaut back in the day, and that is about it... Why? Are you interested in space exploration too, John Dove?"

Subaru's quizzical eyes peered at John with curiosity. Space exploration was, from the looks of it, something of a mild fascination to Subaru Iburi. Or at the very least she found the idea interesting.

The girl might have been about to say something more, but it was at that point that Alexstrasza decided to talk again.

"Investigate? Why ever would we do such a thing? After all, the ethereal is the ethereal is the ethereal. Investigating it simply makes it less... miraculous, does it not? It's not as if magic and monsters and demons exist in a tangible state that the likes of you and I could touch."

The blonde student then went to talk even more, discussing herself and her past a little, then complaining about charades and speaking of how she felt when she saw the clearing where Souma had taken her. Finally she addressed the question that John had, the part about a girl named Elizaveta Vyraj. All in all, it was yet another cascade of words from the blonde girl, one that left everyone else once again silent, waiting to get a word in edgewise.

And while she had been talking, Souma Nubatama's enigmatic smile had slowly started to disappear from his face, replaced with an emotion that was somewhat hard to pinpoint. But the further it went, the clearer it became. It was an expression that was rare on the one-eyed boy's face yet at the same time, the reason for it was becoming more and more apparent.

--- Souma Nubatama was growing bored with Alexstrasza Lockhart.

"If you would like to know the same as myself, now would be a wonderful time to introduce yourself properly!"

"No. Now would be a wonderful time for you to be silent for once in your life."

Subaru Iburi's cold words cut the rain like a knife, and her glare at Alexstrasza was like a sword aimed at her throat. The reason for this was unclear, at least on the surface, but it was obvious that something in what the blonde student had said had finally earned the ire of the smaller girl. Whereas Alexstrasza's obvious mockery of her faith and attempts and picking a verbal fight with Subaru had done absolutely nothing, this time the words had such an effect.

Subaru Iburi was uncharacteristically serious. To the point of being furious.

"Look at where we are. Are you simply malicious or just too ignorant? Perhaps touched in the head? Are you purposefully trying to invite some sort of misfortune to befall us?" Subaru continued, her words cold. "Disrespecting spirits, being so flippant of the situation we are in... I do not know what sort of game are you playing, or what sort of delusions you have, but thinking that you know of the spiritual when you clearly have no such aptitude... it is simply inviting the ire of the kamuy."

From the sidelines, Souma Nubatama watched this all unfold, letting out a quiet -and slightly annoyed- sigh and shaking his head. He was clearly privy to something neither Subaru or John were, as even he looked to be frustrated by Alexstrasza's behavior - though for different reasons. For Souma, it looked like he was, for some reason, annoyed that Alexstrasza had tried to get John to introduce himself again for some reason.

"... You know, I did think I had found something interesting. For a moment," Souma talked calmly to John as they watched the two girls. "But now it's starting to look like she's just bomb waiting to self-destruct. Someone who actively looks for trouble, almost begs for someone to punch her, is hardly the ideal partner in delicate stuff such as this."

The golden eye turned towards John, and Souma smiled again - like venomous silk.

"I'd like to hear what Her Holiness saw as well, but as for me... I guess you could call it an investigation," Souma continued. "The whole encountered bothered me just a bit. I did some digging, found crazy old broad in a wheelchair who named the being for me, and now I've been trying to gather some more information."

He chuckled quietly and rubbed his chin.

"I guess tonight I tried to use blondie over there as a bait."

[Frantic Author]

Alexstrasza Lockhart
Location: Ghostwood National Forest
Phase: Evening Phase
Date: 09.09.1994 (FRI)
Weather: Rain

Ah.

Of course, I'm perfectly happy closing my mouth, and I smile brightly at everyone in the clearing, with dancing eyes and locked lips. There is, after all, no need to speak to people who do not wish to hear what I have to say. Bait is a role I have played before. As is hunter.

It hurts.

I'm sorry.

Please forgive me.

There's no need to say anything, because my words are ephemeral and worthless to everyone in this clearing. The kindred spirit I had thought to find in Souma Nubutama is clearly a falsehood; he is no more like me then he is like Mercedes West. A monster who is happy being a monster is, after all, not the kind of being that I could ever be comfortable indulging myself with.

I miss Cesarina.

It hurts.

I'm sorry.

Please forgive me.

None of these words will ever actually reach the people here; they are all far too much like me - wrapped up in their own beliefs and ideas is something I am used to. Do I want to be hurt?

Of course. I do, after all, deserve it for what I've done. I am not a person who investigates quietly, and uncovers what needs to be found. I would much rather simply carve out what I need, take it, and walk away. It's obvious that I'm not the person Souma would actually want to speak to.

It hurts.

I'm sorry.

Please forgive me.

Words are weapons just as well as magic and swords. Spirituality is nothing of the sort that I have ever known. God, after all, abandoned me at birth. As did everyone else I met. It is no surprise that more people would abandon me, as I am apparently very abandonable. Three hundred and eleven is how far I've fallen from the ordinary, and I have never really found any desire to climb back up.

I smile. I'm sorry. It hurts. Please forgive me. I say none of these things, for they are simply words and gain me nothing, while giving away everything. I hate it here. I hate the rain. I hate the sun. I hate the people. I hate with that deep, hidden part of me that I don't show to others, for it's a dangerous thing and I've hidden it for too long. Perhaps Mercedes West is right, and hiding myself from myself is a fatal flaw.

I do deserve it, don't I? I've done so many terrible things, cruel things, things that can't even be mentioned.

It hurts.

I'm sorry.

Please forgive me.

Speaking is a fool's game, because nothing I say will ever penetrate the two people before me. In a way, Subaru is correct - of spirits, I know little, of demons I know much. I may be able to raise the damned but I have never heard them speak to me. My eyes feel wet, so I blink, and the tears vanish like rain hitting the ground. I mustn't cry. I mustn't cry. Crying is a sign of weakness, and I must be strong.

"..."

I think momentarily about speaking, and then choose not to. Of course, there is always the possibility that these woods are not haunted by these spirits that Subaru is so terribly fond of, and is instead host to a demon, or perhaps even a mage. But of course, I have been told not to speak, and am nothing if not obedient.

It hurts.

I'm sorry.

Please forgive me.

A bright smile covers my face as I stare upwards into the trees, so very far away and yet so very close to me at the same time. This is who I am, in the end. Unwanted by any, every, and all. It was merely luck and fate that I had found people at the very beginning who did, in fact, enjoy who I was. Everyone else at this school is trash. From Souma Nubutama to Subaru Iburi, I have no interest in saving them. They deserve it, don't they? It's okay, right?

...

No. It isn't. Even if they don't wish to be saved from a demon they do not yet know exists, I still must do so. I was placed on this world against even the world's own desires, so I have to follow the commands of the Earth itself.

Hey.

God.

Are you there? We haven't spoken in some time. I think the last time we did, I was eleven, and cursed your name and threw the cross around my neck on the ground before burning it to ash and evaporating the remains. I do apologize for that.

What have I done to be so forsaken?

I know it is partly my fault, truly I do, but I just want to experience what everyone else does. To laugh. To cry. To meet wondrous people and see wondrous things. Is that really so wrong for someone like me?

Maybe Mercedes is right.

Maybe I should just kill everyone.

No, they don't deserve it, right? It's really my fault that this situation has occurred, so I smile, and stay silent in a forest filled with terrible things.

[Daneel Rush]

Ghostwood National Forest
Evening Phase
09.09.1994
Rain



John Dove takes everything with his flat expression: Miss Iburi’s answer to his impromptu inquiry, Miss Lockheart’s eloquent response, and Souma Nubatama’s “admission”. At the end of it all, he closes his eyes for a moment necessary to process it and draw conclusions.

…people are difficult.

Nothing new there. He already knows that all too well. However, something has clicked in his mind. His mistake was musing on Alexstrasza Lockheart alone. By taking her words and behavior together with the other two’s reactions, John Dove is able to decide on his own impression of the beautiful blonde. He does not understand her any better than he did a minute ago, but now he knows what to make of her.

What he also knows is that he cannot allow this evening to end in this tone. It is too counterproductive, not only to his own plans, but to the wellbeing of Pinefall’s First Class as a whole.

He places his left hand before himself, letting the heavy rain strike the palm unbidden. Perhaps Miss Iburi’s words have seeped a little too deeply inside him, for it feels that the longer they intrude in the silence of this forest with their voices, the more they call its retribution upon them. Nevertheless, he must address this situation person by person, starting with the last to speak.

“…heh.”

“I am surprised,” John thusly begins. “We might have more in common than I thought at first glance, Souma Nubatama.”

It is not a lie, but it is most certainly not truth. If the world itself is false, then even words spoken in honesty are inevitably untrue.

“It appears you have already made some insights into this…situation. That is most commendable, and I would like to discuss this matter in proper detail. I cannot make any claims of brilliance, but if there is anything I can do, please let me be of assistance.”

John turns his head upwards, letting the rain soak his face freely.

“However, let us save that for a more suitable occasion...and location, if you would. Preferably a drier place.”

Having said everything he wants to say to Souma Nubatama, John then turns to his teacher for the evening.

“Miss Iburi, you have given me much to think about this evening. I am most grateful, and I hope we can continue our exchange some other time.”

He pauses for a moment, wondering whether he should comment on the animosity towards Alexstrasza Lockheart. Unfortunately, nothing comes to mind. There will always be differences between people, for nobody wears a flawless mask. He cannot resolve and has no interest in resolving the fundamental differences in the personalities they project to the world.

“As for the matter of Elizaveta Vyraj, I thank you for your answer, but please do not concern yourself with it any longer. Rather, I was not aware there was a cosmonaut with that name; most curious,” he says in his voice that expresses not the slightest curiosity. “I am always looking for interesting things, but I do not know yet whether space and its exploration could be one of them. There may be worth in looking for books on the matter in the school library, if Miss Iburi is interested.”

He presents the Japanese girl with the faintest of smiles.

“Again, I thank you.”

So, The One Known Only as Prushka has also been asking about Elizaveta Vyraj…ah, there was that sentence yesterday morning, was there not?

John mentally scolds himself for not catching the discrepancy the moment he heard it.

“From what I understand two of the students, Prushka and Xylia Pheme, got into argument on the evening when we arrived.”

The only person (to his knowledge) to have interacted with Xylia Pheme on the day they arrived is also aware of Elizaveta Vyraj. She is a complete outlier, separate from those like himself and Elise Marie, who merely became aware of the substitution on the second day.

John then remembers the sight of The One Known Only as Prushka standing in front of Pyry Leijonamieli’s dorm room this very morning. She was accompanied by…Momoi. Hisa Momoi. There might be worth in looking further into that.

Why cannot he let go of the issue of Elizaveta Vyraj? He has no reason to worry about it, if anything he should be well accustomed to such events. However, it still bothers him: like every other such tragedy, it is in no way related to him, but this one nevertheless does not seem merely a lamentable coincidence. Is it that he has now learned of this “Disembodied Man”? Is it that, formless as this entity is supposed to be, it is a threat with a name and thus bears concreteness in his mind?

He wants to talk to a representative of the school. He wants to talk to The One Known Only as Prushka. Perhaps he should exchange impressions with Elise Marie one more time. And there is also the matter of Sakura…

So many things. So many issues he should not care about, but insidiously linger in his mind. Perhaps, just perhaps, that so-called “curse” that supposedly follows him around bothers him more than he is willing to admit.

“Miss Lockheart,” he begins as he nears her. “You have no reason to trust me. That is sensible. But I plea that you believe me when I say this.”

Alexstrasza Lockheart is strange. She is also dazzlingly interesting. She is a liar like everybody else, but what a proud liar she is. Her untruth is bold, forward, and pristine. Without stacking masks, without mixing colors—her wordy pretensions are not such, for they flawlessly express the single color she wants to show the world.

“I share your wish and concern for Miss Feroce’s wellbeing.”

Why? Because for whatever unfathomable reason, John Dove cannot stomach the idea of Cesarina Feroce—or any other student, for that matter—sharing a similar fate to Elizaveta Vyraj’s. He cannot accept that.

Not this time.

“Miss Iburi’s earlier words imply that they are at least acquainted. There is clearly something she is not willing to share with you, but that likely belongs to Miss Feroce’s privacy, and it is thus her prerogative to share it with whoever she wishes.”

However, Miss Lockheart is merely smiling in response to Miss Iburi’s scathing remarks and Souma Nubatama’s dismissiveness. She smiles, and it is wrong. This smile is a stain on the illusory brilliance that is Alexstrasza Lochkeart.

“You are a powerful person, Miss Lockheart. Powerless that I am, I can tell: you are a person who is accustomed to having your way. Perhaps, to one such as you, it is difficult to show patience in circumstances like this, and I understand. One such as you should shine at all times. But I plea to you, Miss Lockheart: pay heed to Miss Iburi’s words this time, restrain yourself, and wait warmly for Miss Feroce.”

Alexstrasza Lockheart fills him with wariness. She is as fearsome to him as Mercedes West is, albeit for wholly different reasons. The starlet makes him want to stay as far away from her as possible—which is regrettable, because she is quite something to look at.

Alexstrasza Lockheart makes John Dove want to push her forward, wondering just how far she can go.

“I assure you that, should Miss Feroce not show for classes on Monday, my intent to find her will be second only to yours.”

It is because John Dove now carries a tiny suspicion concerning Miss Lockheart. As long as he believes it to be true, John Dove can be an ally to this strange girl.

“Regarding the matter of Elizaveta Vyraj, I will not try to pry what you may or may not know out of you.” He is confident by now that he cannot make this girl do anything. “I can only thank you for bothering with an answer, and earnestly ask you to prevent it from happening again, if you can.”

“Now, you asked for an introduction, but I have done so twice already, one just minutes ago, so I do not know what I can say to please you.”

How can he create any authentic relationships in a hollow world? How can he bond with the actors, when he can only see them as the characters they play on the stage they call ‘Reality’?

Taking a few steps to complete a mostly regular square, John presents his thoroughly soaked self to the other three (+ one dog).

“My name is John Dove, and I would like to be your friend.”

This offer of friendship as false as every other friendship out there. And just like every other friendship, it carries a purpose; in this case, the desire to see the colors of these interesting people.

It bothers him.

It should not be like this. He does not want it to be like this.

It is not real.

However, until he can see beyond the hollow, and unveil the true colors of the world, it can only be like this. No matter how much he would like it to be authentic; he cannot do any better but carry the burden of all this falsity.

“With that said, may I suggest we make our way back to the dorm? I suspect nothing else of worth will be accomplished by staying here any further, other than yours truly looking more and more like a wet dog.”

On cue, the boy gestures in the direction of the one in Subaru Iburi’s arms.

“And, as you all can surely tell, I cannot pull off the look nearly as well as he does.”

[Verg Avesta]

John Dove & Alexstrasza Lockhart
Location: Ghostwood National Forest
Phase: Evening Phase
Date: 09.09.1994 (FRI)
Weather: Rain

“And, as you all can surely tell, I cannot pull off the look nearly as well as he does.”

A very agreeing bark answered John as Tonkori returned the boy's gaze with something that was almost a grin. The dog went as far as wag his tail at him, perhaps the first time that the animal had showcased something not-mischievous towards him. Tonkori's owner, on the other hand, giggled slightly and nodded at the suggestion. True enough, even though she was wearing a raincoat, Subaru too had gotten her fair share of mud and rain on her clothes. Heading back to the warmth and dryness of the dormitory, not to mention a possibility of a hot shower, didn't sound bad at all.

"Yes. I think we have stood around here quite long enough," Subaru agreed. "Even though we both made a joke out of it, one of us will catch a cold erelong if we stay here any further."

A gentle twinkle appeared in the girl's eyes as she looked at John.

"And I admit I would hate for a friend to get sick because of myself."

Souma Nubatama chuckled and, out of nowhere, patted John on the shoulder. He stretched himself under the umbrella before stepping out into the rain, looking like a serpent waking up in the first rays of a morning sun. Then the boy shot that enigmatic smile of his towards the rest of the group, and nodded behind him, towards the edge of the forest and the campus that wasn't too far either.

"Friendship, huh? I admit, it's a rarity for me, but... Oh well. It might be worth a try," Souma said. "One friend of each gender sounds balanced enough, and to top it all off with the friendship of Her Holiness... I am truly honored."

Subaru rolled her eyes at this, letting out a cute little pout as Souma's nickname for her once again popped up. Either the term 'Her Holiness' was some sort of lame joke, or then it actually did have something to do with what Subaru had been before she came to Road's End, and, well... that itself was a curious prospect. Nevertheless, Souma clearly used it to poke fun at the smaller girl.

"Oh put a sock in it," Subaru retorted, an equally pouty bark coming from Tonkori for a good measure. "If anyone else does start calling me that, I will be blaming you, Nubatama."

Souma chuckled again and shrugged, turning around on his heels and starting on his way towards the campus. The rest of the group followed in suite as out of all of them, the one-eyed boy clearly had the best sense of direction. Even in the night-time darkness of the forest, even with the rain falling from above like there was no end to it, his steps were sure and measured. Like he was completely used to the woods already.

Perhaps he was a hunter of some sort?

Though, as the group started walking, Subaru turned to look behind her once more, facing away from John and Souma. She stared at Alexstrasza, her eyes clear in the darkness, and for a good few seconds stayed completely silent.

But then, she spoke out.

In a voice that was rather different from before.

"Cesarina Feroce is fine. Right now there is nothing you can do to help her," Subaru spoke quietly that only the blonde girl could hear. "That is all you can do for now. Understand?"

And with that, the small girl followed the boys.

Thus, their journey back to the campus area started. In the end, it lasted a whole 30 minutes of rain, mud and pine needles that got stuck in everybody's clothes. It wasn't fun, but the the promise of a warm bed and clean clothes that awaited in the end was something that kept the pep in everybody's step. So, before long, the lights of Pinefall came to view and people's spirits were lifted, even if only a little.

The journey in the woods had felt long and had been full of tension, emotions and possible confrontations. Mysteries had deepened, some answers had been had, but at the end of the day, Road's End had a firm grip of its secrets and it wasn't going to give them out that easily. Still, everything had had an ending that was more or less peaceful, and nobody had been hurt too badly.

One could call it a sort of a peaceful end for the day.

If not for a one fact.

If not for the the look on Subaru Iburi's face as she had talked to Alexstrasza Lockhart.

If not for her eyes that had stared down at the blonde.

If not for the fact that the expression on Subaru Iburi's face...

Spoiler:

... Had sent chills down Alexstrasza's spine.

[SCENE END /// Move to NEXT Phase!]

John Dove: Relationship Rank Raised!

Alexstrasza Lockhart: Relationship Rank Raised!

[Spinach]

Colt Davin
Location: Avery’s Diner
Phase: Evening Phase
Date: 09.09.1994 (FRI)
Weather: Rain

Glug, glug, glug.

At a steady rate, the cup of cola was emptied into Colt’s mouth. Suddenly discarding the relaxed pace that he had taken with his drinking before, the young man began practically pouring the drink down his throat.

Taking the glass from his lip, he peered into the clear cup, at the cola stained ice cubes. He gave them a swirl, the rolling tumble of ice cubes rotating around each other making a sloshing noise. Satisfied that it was now empty enough to not make a mess and splash all over the place…

BAM!

He planted the cup down with such force that the meeting of glass and countertop echoed across the rest of the diner. The thought that this might make Avery turn the mean eye his way occurred to Colt, but he’d take a sour look or two if it meant shutting Travis up.

After the ‘everybody run’ incident it was obvious that the guy might have had a few stories he didn’t want to tell, or be involved in, from his younger years. Even more obvious was how easy it was to pull those things out of him.

In Colt’s eyes, Tommy was the first friend he made after getting off that bus to Road’s End. He wasn’t going to sit around while a little scavenger coyote tried to go at him like a sickly deer.

“Aaaaahhhhh.”

Colt let out an exaggeratedly satisfied sigh. The boy then leaned forward, glancing at Tommy’s shaking hands, and the drink they were clutching.

“Tommy, my man, are you on a diet or something? You’ve barely touched your drink.” Colt jokingly nudged the older man’s wrist. “Hey, can’t have you passing out of dehydration when we start moving my order over to the dorm, man. Drink, drink, and get ready to eat.”

Forcefully, Colt nudged his wrist again, trying to ease the man into relaxing.

“Don’t think all this talk of pie has made me forget about what I came over for today.” Colt smirked, and leaned back a bit. Acting as if Travis wasn’t even there, glancing at Tommy and ignoring the boy right past him, he carried on. “I’m no macho man, I can’t move those things myself. Hey, by the way, where would I go looking around the parts if I wanted to pick up some cassettes? Since the things came with cassette players, may as well get some use outta ‘em, right?”

[Katie]

Lucille Faraday
Location: Pinefall High Dormitory - Kitchen
Phase: Evening Phase
Date: 09.09.1994 (FRI)
Weather: Rain

She really should have expected something like this from Mercedes, Lucille thought. As the calmest person here, it was her duty to maintain peace and balance between everyone involved. While it was probably difficult to tone down Mercedes’ barbs entirely… It was better to make an attempt than to do nothing at all. While Lucille had never been a victim of Sakura’s temper, merely her exasperation, she had seen the unfortunate victims. It was how she knew a woman’s pettiness knew no bounds.

“I’d rather you two not snipe at each other… If we’re going to work together, we should be on amicable terms.” If she had directly defended Sakura, Lucille had the feeling that Mercedes would have merely used that to press the attack. On the other hand, stating things in a more neutral manner meant her words were less about one side and the other, and more about cooperation. At least… she hoped that was how it came across. “It doesn’t need to be sunshine and roses, but seeing the two of you bicker is unpleasant for the whole mood of the room.”

Of course, there was also Adelaide… who had been rather quiet the entire time. Lost was probably a more apt description of her state of mind—it was clearly written all over her face. Certainly, it was a lot to take in, and perhaps the discussion here should have been done in a more gentle fashion.

“Anyway… are you doing alright, Adelaide? If you need some rest, I can make sure you can get to your room without someone putting you under any more pressure.” She gave a glare at Mercedes, but whether or not the starlet heeded the warning was up to her. In a way, Lucille supposed, their different methodologies made it rather easy to do a “good cop, bad cop” routine. Though, since she’d never seen it done in real life, she had no idea about how effective it could be.

“If you’re curious about the relationship between Sakura and I… Well, I can answer that if you wish. I don’t mind if you let sleeping dogs lie, though.” Mercedes was sharp enough, it seemed, but as for Adelaide, who seemed incredibly beyond her depth at the moment, calm patience would suffice. Besides… if she had to be honest, Lucille didn’t really think this secret would last very long. She’d have slipped up one way or another.

[Thalraxal]

Elise Pelltier
Location: Avery's Diner
Phase: Evening Phase
Date: 09.09.1994 (FRI)
Weather: Rain

"Fucking fantastically, what'd you think, Chipmunk? Get off my case. And get off my face. This day's been nothing but failures all around. Fat lotta good it even did, having you around as a second pair of eyes. The only thing you did was fishing out old propaganda fliers from the dumpsters like a pro."

"Why thank you, Travis."

Elise suspected that Cathie had knocked Travis off his game, but it didn't take long for Travis to get back in full form. Smelling blood in the water, he honed in on Tommy once again. Evidently Tommy knew something about the flyers that had been all over town, and he really didn't want to talk about it.

While Travis' willingness to kick hornet's nests and see what they turn up has proven to be fascinating, this really isn't the time or place to be asking about those flyers, not that I don't want know the full story behind the flyers, thought Elise, Besides, Travis has already kicked Tommy around enough tonight.

She shot a quick glance at the nervous Tommy, already sweating bullets. Colt moved to help distract his friend from the topic of the flyers with a bit of cheer and by trying to ignore Travis as much as humanly possible. Elise turned back to the rude companion sitting beside her.

"Sure, tonight might have been a wash, both literally and figuratively, what with the rain and all, but you're not going to find your Moose if you stayed in the dorms all evening, so it's not like it was a complete waste of time."

[Verg Avesta]

Colt Davin & Elise Pelltier
Location: Avery's Diner
Phase: Evening Phase
Date: 09.09.1994 (FRI)
Weather: Rain

“Don’t think all this talk of pie has made me forget about what I came over for today. I’m no macho man, I can’t move those things myself. Hey, by the way, where would I go looking around the parts if I wanted to pick up some cassettes? Since the things came with cassette players, may as well get some use outta ‘em, right?”

For a moment, Tommy simply stared at Colt with an odd expression on his face. It was like the older guy was looking at him, but at the same time... he wasn't. He was seeing through Colt's brown-haired head and staring into the face of someone else, someone who now echoed in Colt's demeanor and the way he had tried to completely stonewall Travis' attempts at digging into the history of these supposed flyers through Tommy. A few seconds of silence more, followed by Tommy suddenly chuckling and shaking his head, and then...

"Man, you really do act like her," Tommy mumbled to himself before raising his voice a bit so that Colt could hear properly. "But tapes, huh? Well, hm... I think you might wanna ask Rachel or Jake. I remember those two being into music a lot back in the day. I suppose Cathie has some stuff too, but you know how it is with teenage girls these days. I just can't understand their taste in music. Of course there's the general store, Sue might have something in stock, but other than that..."

Suddenly Tommy's eyes brightened a bit and he snapped his fingers, as if remembering something.

"Ooh, right right! The way I hear it, someone moved into that old Record Store down at the lowtown. I don't think they opened the place, but all the old stuff should still be there," Tommy explained and grabbed a napkin, starting to draw a simplistic map for Colt with a marker. "It's right at the corner of Longstone and Pipe, can't miss it. The old sign should be up, but if it ain't, the entrance is..."

And with that, the older guy added more details to the map so that Colt couldn't miss it, having completely forgotten the fact that Travis had been at his throat just moments before. Of course it was easy to forget considering that Travis hadn't pressed on, and had instead fallen quite silent. Surprisingly enough, that might have had something to do with what Elise said to him.

"Sure, tonight might have been a wash, both literally and figuratively, what with the rain and all, but you're not going to find your Moose if you stayed in the dorms all evening, so it's not like it was a complete waste of time."

Travis stared at the brunette girl with a completely blank expression, for some reason having a hard time to come up with any sort of quip or insult as an answer... and eventually opted to focus on his drink, taking a swig of it and staring deep into the bubbly, black surface.

"... Well look at you, Chipmunk," the boy muttered, uncharacteristically quietly. "Trying to cheer up the infamous Ace Degenerate. I'd tell you you're wasting your time and energy, but I think you know that as well. Guys back home would laugh their asses off if they saw someone being this idiotic."

Leaning against the table with one elbow, Travis rubbed his cheek where it had been hit, the spot still glowing bright red from the slaps. Finding some sort of ironic humor in the situation, the boy chuckled dryly to himself. It was clear that he had learned nothing and that he'd be continuing to act the way he did, slaps or no slaps, yet at the same time... well, perhaps Elise's unbelievable patience had achieved something.

For the first time during the whole outing, Travis's shoulders relaxed.

Like he was no longer about to punch someone in their teeth.

"Still, if it's the promise you're worried about, don't," the blue-haired boy continued. "I told you I'd bust that window open for you if you came with me... and you did. Even if we didn't find her."

Travis took another swig and exhaled out some of his annoyance, also cracking his neck in the process.

"I'll just have to continue looking. She's out here somewhere."

Colt Davin: New Location Discovered!

[Kuroyuki]

Vier Wolff
Location: Big Boy's Gas Station - Bar
Phase: Evening Phase
Date: 09.09.1994 (FRI)
Weather: Rain

As soon as I finished singing All Out of Love, I was greeted with a roar of applause. While I was expecting something from Inacio and Aleen, I was a bit more surprised that the Billie Boulders, Caleb Montjay, and Carrie Winters gave me an applause as well. While I was slightly focused on singing and keeping watch for danger, I was surprised by one thing… When did Aleen... get alcohol? Aleen worries me enough without alcohol. With alcohol, I’m not sure if I can defuse Aleen from blowing up.

"Man, Vier, cheesy love songs fit you perfectly! It's like you have this hidden aura of gloom totes hanging about you! We need to get a karaoke machine or something to the dorms so we can totally force you sing more of this stuff!"

Hidden aura of gloom? I understand that I’ve seen things that normal people haven’t seen, but I don’t have that many regrets. Well I do have one but… I try not to think about it. Much…

“Only if I can hear someone else sing cheesy songs as well. I don't think I can sing all night long.”

On the other hand, singing was… easier. I didn’t need to pay attention to the weight of an instrument or the upcoming chords. Well I still needed to keep the beat and tone, however… removing just a few requirements lowered the complexity exponentially.

"Mm, I agree. I wouldn't mind hearing you sing more in the future. I bet we'll find a song yet that'll make you embarrass---"

I went to respond to Inacio before the machine started to play… Without his input. The song that ended up playing was something… I never wanted to hear again. It felt like something absolutely bizarre and disorienting. That’s why when it started playing, my smile dropped and I started looking at any potential entryways intently. If there was ever a time to attack… It would be now. While this cacophony of noise disorients us.

9. Nein.
9.. Nein..
9… Nein…
9…. Nein….
9….. Nein…..

With each repetition, I refuted it. I refused to let this cacophony distract me. While I was on the defensive, I saw Billie Boulders go up to the jukebox. Fury in her eyes directed at the jukebox? I couldn’t hear her but I could vaguely read her lips about something about “shutting up.” Eventually, it ended before something broke.

"GODDAMMIT, STOP IT YOU PIECE OF JUNK!"

And thankfully, it was silent again. Nothing happened. Nothing happened at all… No attacks… No mental breakdowns. Nothing.

"Sorry about that, you lot. The machine's old, it tends to get... cranky at times. Try it again, it should work properly now. If not... just give it a good whack, alright?"

I felt a threat staring in my general direction. While I was expecting a threat, it came from an… unexpected direction. It didn’t come from outside the bar or from the jukebox… No, it came from someone I didn’t expect.

Ramia Ramalsaqr was staring at my group. If it was a normal stare, I would’ve been fine. However, this stare… This stare promised nothing but malice. But for who? Me? Aleen? Inacio? All of us? While I haven’t promised to protect Inacio as I did with Aleen. I would not be happy if he was harmed.

I gazed back at Ramia Ramalsaqr. While I wanted to dissuade Ramia Ramalsaqr from targeting either of them with a reaction, I didn’t make a single movement. Why? I didn’t know who was the target. If I was the target, I could condemn either them to be a hostage so that Ramia Ramalsaqr can take advantage of me. All she needs is a moment of hesitation and someone will end up dead.

After that moment, I was still smiling despite someone being targeted. Why? It’s simple, I know what I would do in even the worst case scenario. I might regret it, but I will never hesitate to make it.

"Hey Inacio! Place up a song for Aleen! I never heard what kind of music she likes before All Out of Love started and now is the perfect time to find out!"

[Mooncake]

Adelaide Cheshire
Location: Pinefall High Dormitory - Kitchen
Phase: Evening Phase
Date: 09.09.1994 (FRI)
Weather: Rain


"Omigawd, wait, bodysuit? Sakura, are you one of those thieves that wear, like, leotards and shit?"

Adelaide's eyebrows threatened to climb their way to the very top of her forehead. As Sakura and Mercedes glared at each other until sparks flew, she slowly came back to Earth.

“Anyway… are you doing alright, Adelaide? If you need some rest, I can make sure you can get to your room without someone putting you under any more pressure.”

"I'm better, thank you. I'm sorry for getting shaken like that."

She looked around the room, meeting the eyes of the other three within it.

"I don't know the depths of what's going on in this place, but I'll help with whatever you need," The pale blonde gave a self-deprecating smile, but there was no mistaking her seriousness. "And I'll keep my mouth shut about it. I promise."

“If you’re curious about the relationship between Sakura and I… Well, I can answer that if you wish. I don’t mind if you let sleeping dogs lie, though.”

"Ah, uh, well, you know, if that's how you two do things, I, um, won't judge you."

Was that a slight hint of red appearing on Adelaide's face?

"'Master and Servant', huh? That's, um, interesting..."

...She was definitely avoiding meeting Lucille's eyes now.

[Verg Avesta]

Lucille Faraday & Adelaide Cheshire
Location: Pinefall High Dormitory - Kitchen
Phase: Evening Phase
Date: 09.09.1994 (FRI)
Weather: Rain

“I’d rather you two not snipe at each other… If we’re going to work together, we should be on amicable terms. It doesn’t need to be sunshine and roses, but seeing the two of you bicker is unpleasant for the whole mood of the room.”

Both Sakura and Mercedes looked away form each other in somewhat awkward way, both somewhat ashamed after Lucille, of all people, ended up admonishing them for the way they behaved. For the actress it was clearly because of her attempts meeting the blonde somewhere halfway when it came to how she acted, and as for the bubbly brunette student... well, who knew what her relationship with Lucille actually was? Whatever the case, it was Sakura who opened her mouth first.

"... Apologies, Milady," she muttered. "You're right, of course. I got a bit hot-headed there..."

Mercedes, on the other hand, scoffed slightly under her breath, folded her arms across her chest and... pouted, of all things? Not much, barely noticeably, but it was definitely a pout.

"Ugh, whatevah. It was just sorta funny..." the starlet grumbled. "You don't have to get, like, all up our grill about it..."

Well, it looked like this situation was more or less handled.

And it was at that point that the topic turned to the revelation that had come to light just a moment ago...

“If you’re curious about the relationship between Sakura and I… Well, I can answer that if you wish. I don’t mind if you let sleeping dogs lie, though.”

"Ah, uh, well, you know, if that's how you two do things, I, um, won't judge you. 'Master and Servant', huh? That's, um, interesting..."

This piece of conversation caused two very different reactions. First was Mercedes West, who looked at Adelaide like she had been staring at an utter imbecile, and was frankly too shocked to even mount a proper response to let the other girl know just what an idiot she was being. But when it came to Sakura, she blinked once, twice, thrice at Adelaide... before an absolutely mischievous grin spread to her face. With a slithering move, she appeared next to Lucille and snaked her arm around the blonde, pulling the girl closer.

"Why yes, Addie~! That's how we do things~!" Sakura cooed, rubbing her cheek against Lucille's. "I'm glad you're not judging, since that's just how things are~! Milady here is the master and I'm but a lowly servant, ahahaa~!"

Sakura giggled like an absolute maniac, causing Mercedes to groan and hit her forehead with her palm.