Astronomika - Shooting Down Falling Stars (IC)

[Ayakashi]

--- Vivienne Bianchi Date: 10.09.1994 (SAT) Location: Owl's Nest, 3rd Floor Hallway Phase: Morning Phase Weather: Overcast ---

"... snooping around? I see, so you knew what Alex was doing. It is Alex Terrot that you are talking about, right? A girl with blonde hair, blue eyes... her room is in this hotel. She is a student like us... at Pinefall... worked as a journalist.

I am her friend."

Vivienne nodded to herself, thinking about all of the implications that came from Mister King's statements. There was no way to verify the veracity of what he was saying, nor truly to identify wherever he was here to 'clear' the evidence left behind by Alex Terrot, or perhaps that he had come to check up on her. However... if he had seen what had happened during the meeting back then, if he was the alleged man that Alex had met, the one that had promised to give her a clue on the Girl in Blue... why would he be looking for Alex here in the first place? He should know that she is no longer around... unless the lookalike that Alex has been employing to stand in for her at Pinefall High has duped the Good Mister King here...

All of these details brewing in her mind, Vivienne continues in her characteristic, bland and empty voice:

"... I see... she met someone in the woods behind here... we didn't know that. I just wanted to check up on her... she was the first person I met on my way to come to Road's End... but then we found out in her room that there... was a lot of stuff going on.

Were you that person that met her? How do you know about what happened? Maybe that you are that person, but then if that was the case then the question you asked us is either a joke, or just to see if we are lying or not...


... or maybe, you just happened to be a third party, a silent observer. That is only something you will know, Mister King.

Now... what will you do?"

Punctuating her question, Vivienne flipped her mask back down, no different from a knight sliding the visor of their helmet back into a battle-ready stance. A bold declaration that just like Lobo who was holding a weapon in hand, clearly ready to employ lethal force should the situation arise... Vivienne Bianchi too was ready for combat if that is what the King of Currumpaw sought.

The other 'Vivienne' too, was quite enthusiastic on this matter, now that it could speak once more.

"Indeed, what will be the decree of his Majesty? Should you decide that our lives are forfeit, then it is a fight that you shall have!"

[Bloble]

Location: Owl's Nest Hotel - Third Floor
Phase: Morning Phase
Date: 11.09.1994 (SUN)
Weather: Overcast

"Vivi. Vivi."

Prushka, still uncharacteristically muted, tugs on Vivienne's sleeve, even as the taller girl slips the mask on again.

"I know you - or that thing you're wearing - wants to fight, but you can't. There are sleeping humans all around us that could get caught up in it. You shouldn't make a mess of Rachel's home, either. Besides..."

With no further explanation, her gaze drifts over to Lobo. Prushka is still swaying, somewhat unsteadily, her trembling slowed down now to an occasional shudder. It gives her an oddly sleepy air, as if she might nod off at any moment. She stares at the old beast, wearing the shape of a man, with something resembling recognition, or perhaps just slow-burning realization.

"Mr - Lobo... probably saved my life."

Moving on from a ridiculous question to a ridiculous conclusion, Prushka nods to herself, as if to affirm it. She raises her fingers, trailing them along the fresh bandage covering the upper left part of her face. If Lobo's hound has a half-functioning nose, it'll have no trouble smelling the not-so-fresh blood of ten minutes earlier.

"I was wondering why it was only an eye... that thing didn't seem like the type to let its prey get away, even for sport. Something must have pulled me out of that place while she was still playing with her food. Something that disrupts consciousness, dreaming or waking, like that 'sidearm'."

The entire time, Prushka's remaining eye has been fixed on Lobo, unblinking even as she calmly lists reasons her gruesome death may have become merely a gruesome maiming. But now she looks to the left and down, and her wavering voice lowers to nearly a mumble.

"So... um. Even if it was an accident... thank you."

She can't quite bring herself to bow, even if it's to a king, so her intended gesture comes out more as a jerking nod.

"B-but don't get the wrong idea. I'm not letting you kill me, even as thanks. I have too many things to do here and not enough time in the day. So please don't beat around the bush. Why are you pointing that spear at us? What made you walk into this place? And..."

Prushka looks up once more, pushing down fear and forcing steadiness into her weak voice.

"...did you point that same spear at that 'snooping girl', too?"

[Cheetose]

Hisa Momoi
Location: Pinefall High Pool
Phase: Morning Phase
Date: 11.09.1994 (SUN)
Weather: Overcast

“If you don’t mind getting wet, then taking a dip and dragging him out is the fastest option,” I answered Lucille’s question while staring at the lifeless body of Colt, “otherwise we can look for something around the place that we could use to drag him closer.”

Once again, the body seemed to suffer a lot more injuries that was necessary just to kill someone, but at the same time, it was different from Cesarina. The body wasn’t tortured and brutalized like hers, and while there were some stab wounds, most of the damage was done with a gun.

Makes me wonder if someone just had a really busy night, or if there were different perpetrators.

“Though, we should check the rest of the building anyways. Inacio and the janitor were supposed to be here as well, they can’t have just disappeared, there must be some signs of them as well.”

My gaze wandered towards Mercedes, who seemed to be visibly upset - and clearly not just because of a dead body, considering her reaction now and from earlier, the reason must have been wholly different.

So even her can actually care for people…

“Were you...close to him?”

I wasn’t quite sure what the right question was to ask here.

Or if it was even okay to ask anything.

But at the same time, I couldn’t be mad at her even if I didn’t like her, not when she was like this.

“Let’s get him out of there, then we can think about the rest.” I said as I sat down on the edge of the pool next to Mercedes and Lucille, and started to get rid of my shoes and socks and other excess clothing, so that at the very least I wouldn’t get completely soaked.

[Verg Avesta]

Elaine Winters, Elise Pelltier, John Dove, Anna Vandemeel & Vier Wolff
Location: Pinefall High - Campus Grounds
Phase: Morning Phase
Date: 11.09.1994 (SUN)
Weather: Overcast

“Is she, really? I am hard pressed to find a motive, but I guess we are about to find out. Has Tonkori found something, Miss Iburi?”

“Least she’s alright. Out late looking for ghosts, maybe?”

“Yeah, I'm just glad Anna's alright. Too many of our classmates are still missing, or... or worse.”

Subaru was wordless for a good half a minute, finishing up her small ceremony. At the same time Tonkori had, apparently, gotten what he needed as the dog dutiful took his place by the side of his master, staring straight ahead while his body showed clear, unreleased tension - almost as if the puppy was a coiled spring ready to launch itself upwards at a moment's notice. The girl, on the other hand, took a few steps back, and gave all those gathered around the corpse an empty stare... with furious embers burning deep and bright within them.

"--- Everyone is a suspect so far. Not one has brought forth an alibi. Unless another person can confirm where they spent their night, they will be treated as possible culprits to this heinous act," Subaru spoke with a quiet voice of steel. "That includes each and every person present. And especially those who have spent their night outside the dormitory..."

Subaru's glare turned towards Anna, who had finally made her way to where the group was. It was like being stared at by some sort of vengeful wraith or a spirit with a grudge.

"... And that includes you, Miss Vandemeel."

Then the small girl put away the branch she had been wielding and lifted her hand, snapping her fingers in some sort of order. Tonkori's ears perked up, and the small dog got back on all fours, his head swiveling around slowly as it looked at the people present, one by one. Then, slowly and ready to do... something... it made its way to John and began to sniff at his clothes.

The tension in the air could have been cut with a knife.

“Subaru mind if I join you? If I end up slowing you down, you can leave me.”

Subaru, who had been standing like a stone statue for a good few minutes, turned to look at Vier. There was still no discernible expression on he face, but slowly she nodded... and turned her head away.

"Do as you wish. But remember that this does not exempt you from your status as a suspect," Subaru replied harshly. "If you try to impede the hunt in any way, I will not leave you behind. After all, I am ready to koyki at that point."

Whatever the unknown, foreign word was, it did no sound good. Indeed, it carried an unusual sense of dread within it that carried over the whole group.

At the same time as the girl talked, Tonkori had finished sniffing John's clothes. With a cold glare in his eyes, the animal then walked over to Elaine next... and for some reason, a small growl escaped from his lips as he approached. The neck hair of the dog stood up, and as he began sniffing the blonde... it did so with a snarl on his face. Subaru's empty eyes turned to look at the older girl as well, that unblinking stare boring right into it. However, after a minute or so... she muttered something odd.

"... hure hemoy...?" Subaru quietly spoke.

Travis snorted at this all, and turned towards Anna in the meanwhile.

"Well, while shortie has her little mental breakdown... yeah, guess you should know what the fuck's going on," the boy said, pointing his thumb at the covered corpse that Elaine was currently investigating. "See, it all started this morning when shortstuff over here was screaming bloody murder, waking us all up... and as it turns out, she was goddamn right. Some fucker had..."

And thus the thug-like boy, showing surprisingly good memory of the events that had happened, began to recount this morning so far to the raven-haired girl. He went over who had arrived at which time to the lobby as far as he knew, who had said approximately what, how everyone had reacted and what actions had been taken. He told of the rest who were taking refuge in the kitchen, and those who had headed to the main building and those who had headed to the pool. He told of the dead phones and apparent lack of faculty around, as well as Colt's death and how there was an unknown body in the main school building. All in all, it was a very extensive recap of the events so far, one that helped Anna get up to speed of the tragedy of this morning.

--- Meanwhile, Elaine had finished up her investigation of Cesarina's corpse.

Her lack of medical knowledge didn't help with things. She could only guess at the causes of the various wounds, bruises and broken bones all over the body, as well as which had been fatal and which hadn't. What was clear that the damage had been done at wildly different times. Some wounds were fresh, some were not, and it was obvious that something like the flayling of the legs couldn't have been done if the girl had still been alive, kicking and writhing in pain. But, judging from what looked like obvious old bite marks of human teeth and the condition of Cesarina's lithe frame, there was also a possibility that whoever was responsible had taken their time, enjoying their torture of Cesarina. The girl... she had been through hell - in many ways worse than just being killed. Just imagining some of the stuff that might have caused those wounds would have made anyone sick to their stomach.

But, upon the investigation, one thing became clear.

Whoever had done it had been powerful. Powerful enough to strangle Cesarina so hard her neck had eventually broken. That was also the most likely cause of death.

--- There was also something... strange about the girl's exposed chest.

Right there, at the center of it, Elaine found flesh cut in small but deliberate pattern. Or rather, a shape.

A stick figure of a man, no bigger than Elaine's own thumb, right at the center of her chest...

".......... I see. Good work, Tonkori."

Sudden sound from Subaru caught everyone's attention. Travis had just finished his explanation, while Elaine had put the sheets back on to cover Elaine. At some point the small dog had returned to his owner, and Subaru had fallen silent, gazing deeply into the dog's eyes. However, not long after, Subaru had congratulated the animal... and now both were staring at Elaine.

The embers in Subaru's eyes flared ever so slightly.

"--- Tell me, Miss Winters."

The air around Subaru grew freezing.

"Why does Tonkori smell fresh death upon you?"

[Verg Avesta]

Hisa Momoi & Lucille Faraday
Location: Pinefall High Pool
Phase: Morning Phase
Date: 11.09.1994 (SUN)
Weather: Overcast

“We’re getting his body out, right?”

"........ Of course we are."

Mercedes West's quiet words were as surprising as her sudden change in demeanor. But what was even more surprising... what was even more unexpected, no, simply unimaginable, was the fact that the actress, after replying to Lucille, extended her arm... and wrapped it around her friend's shoulders, pulling her into something akin to an awkward, comforting half-hug. Her eyes were as emotionless as before, trained at Colt's lifeless body, yet at the same time the starlet was showing more warmth than ever before.

Times like these really brought new sides out of people, ones that could never be expected...

“Though, we should check the rest of the building anyways. Inacio and the janitor were supposed to be here as well, they can’t have just disappeared, there must be some signs of them as well.”

Pyry, who had been the last one to arrive where others were, nodded solemly and with a grim look on his face.

"Right. We'll get to that right after this," he replied quietly. "Even if the basement door is locked it... it should prove no problem. I don't think so, at least. And there's lot of places to look through here. Travis and Hwan might not have gotten them all."

The blonde boy's eyes glanced at the two girls sitting at the edge of the pool.

"... Unless you two want to go over the place while we... we got Colt out?" Pyry asked quietly of Mercedes and Lucille.

“Were you...close to him?”

Hisa's question was asked with no malicious intent, no mean streak at all, simply putting into words a small attempt to bury the hatchet now that the starlet had shown a momentary vulnerability. However, it was returned with a glare so hateful from Mercedes, a look of pure fury that felt like a slap against the face. Indeed, had she not been comforting Lucille right now, Mercedes would have most likely jumped up and hit the taste out of Hisa's mouth.

"How in the HELL is that any of your business!? Like, what the FUCK do you think you---" Mercedes hissed with pure venom and anger... only for it all to deflate in a mere instant, like helium escaping from a balloon about to pop.

And... right before their eyes... the actress suddenly looked more tired, more exhausted, more downcast than ever before.

".......... No. It's... like, a fair question..." Mercedes spoke, so quietly that they could barely hear it. "... We weren't, like, close at all. He was just a dummy. But... not a moron like everyone else here. He stood up to that little shit, stood by my main girl and... nah..."

Mercedes shook her head, averting her gaze from Hisa.

"--- You wouldn't get it."

A secret perhaps, a future perhaps, that would now never come to fruition. Something that could have been, something that might've been, that had been eternally denied. There was no point in wondering what ifs, because the cruel reality had shattered it all and all that remained were the survivors who were left picking up the pieces. Thinking about what ifs was just a way to torment yourself, and the actress they saw before them was too proud for that.

Even if she, somewhere deep down, was hurting.

Even if she would never admit it.

"... Come on, Hisa. Let's get Colt out. You help from the side, I'll take a swim," Pyry said, directing the conversation gently away from sensitive paths. "No need for both of us to go there and... I've already gotten my hands dirty today. Might as well see it all through."

The boy had stripped down to his T-shirt and boxers, and was slowly lowering himself to water from the side of the pool. From there he would be able to swim where Colt's body was floating and drag it back. With the help of someone on the edge, it would be possible to lift corpse to the dry ground... but considering how long he might have been in the water, it could quite possibly get messy. Perhaps for that reason, or perhaps for some other, Mercedes stood up and helped Lucille do the say, looking quietly at her friend.

"You... wanna go, like, look around while they work?" the starlet asked from the blonde. "Map out if anyone else is, like, here and---"

Mercedes, while talking, had glanced towards the entrance to the pool proper, and her words died to her lips. After all there stood someone the whole group had forgotten in their grief and numbness. A certain mysterious girl of unknown origins, unable to talk in anything other than odd noises and strange gestures, with more mysteries to her existence than answers. Someone who had trailed after Hisa like it was a natural thing to do, not knowing where they were heading.

--- Gradient.

And now the strange girl stood at the doorway, looking around the pool, confusion clear in her eyes. She was sniffing the air, glancing at the lights and the water, the white walls and the splattered blood... and all the while, an odd, sad whine came from her throat - almost like an animal that had been beaten up.

The starlet sighed quietly and looked at Pyry and Hisa.

"... Who, like, is she anyway?"

[Verg Avesta]

Prushka & Vivienne Bianchi
Location: Owl's Nest Hotel - Third Floor
Phase: Morning Phase
Date: 11.09.1994 (SUN)
Weather: Overcast

Lobo - The King of Currumpaw, heaved an annoyed sigh and hung his head.

"Who I am, what I saw, what I did, why am I here... honestly, that's all pretty much meaningless. It's not knowledge that'll do you any good, and I hate doing something meaningless. But... I see..." He spoke, those bestial eyes of him focusing on Prushka. "Saved your life, eh...? I can't say it doesn't leave a bad taste in my mouth. Not saving you though. Protecting girls is what I excel at. But for it to happen now, under these circumstances..."

Suddenly.

The spear he was carrying was swung to the side.

Reality itself screamed and recoiled at the movement of the blade.

Air warped and roiled, warping around the tip and became tinted in red miasma.

--- It was a chilling sight, even to people like Vivienne and Prushka.

For a human being to encounter something that held within it numen was rare and not impossible, and during those times they often instinctively understood to be careful, to keep their distance. Numen was a history and legend made real and tangible, power born from pure imagination of humanity and what it believed to be true... perhaps even what the hypothetical collective unconscious was made of... but for a human, it was dangerous. It was like fire that blazed bright and strong, casting shapes and shadows to the wall of a cave. It made the impossible real and thus it was always a danger to the sense of reality everyone had.

... This was different.

This wasn't just a numen gathered into an old object.

That spear was numen, pure and simple - a legend and a myth that had taken a physical form.

And that was why the world was afraid, that was why the world screamed in agony. Because it could not erase this affront to reality even with all its power.

"Killing someone who I just saved just feels like a shitty thing to do... but, ah well. What can you do?" Lobo spoke, his voice carrying an undercurrent of a bestial growl. "In the end, my reasons are irrelevant to you. All you need to know to act is the fact that I will kill you. That's all. That's all beasts like us need isn't it... Young Lady?"

During the his last words, Lobo's eyes turned towards Vivienne, and a grin crept to his face.

"... But I'm not unreasonable. So, here is my offer..." the man continued, his body tensing up like he was about to burst into a sprint or a charge. "--- Young Lady Prushka will run. She will run as far as she can. She will escape, since she seems unwilling to fight, and I'd feel worse than a mangy dog for killing someone I just saved. Meanwhile you and me, Young Lady Ayane... we will have ourselves a fight and put our lives to the line, as our instincts now tell us."

A barking laugh, like an animal ready for a hunt or a battle for its life, echoed from the throat of the spearman in green.

"You win, and you walk away with not only your own life, but your friend's as well," Lobo spoke his ultimatum. "I win, and you have distracted me long enough to have her escape."

The man before them was like a bow-string, stretched to its utmost.

Like a finger right on the trigger.

Like a lightning about crash down.

"... This is my first, last, and only offer."

[Mormarth]

Elaine Winters
Location: Pinefall High - Campus Grounds
Phase: Morning Phase
Date: 11.09.1994 (SUN)
Weather: Overcast

The blonde girl approached moved gently past the girl and her dog, brushing past the hunting hound's pointed, dangerous look, and Subaru's murmurings.

Hure hemoy?

Ah.

A quiet, bitter expression came over the girl's face, a small, sad, angry smile.

All the same, in the end.

So she hadn't much time, then.

Fine, she'd do the best she could then.

She bent down over Cesarina's corpse, quietly filing away her disgust and anger to submerge into the calm, quiet depths of experience.

Whatever had killed her certainly took their time, possibly even beginning from the moment she'd not been seen, whenever that had happened to be. Some days ago, perhaps.

Others were more recent, Elaine lacked any solid experience in medicine to properly date them based on Forensics, but they'd drawn the death out, clearly. She'd suffered, defensive wounds indicated a struggle, impressions of human teeth as well.

"Can't give proper dating on the wounds, but they're over time, some are clearly older, whereas some others can't have been long before death, she died recently, last night, maybe."

Evidently, this had been done by a monster.

One physically strong enough to snap her neck while she'd been strangled.

"Likely cause of death is the broken neck, likely from strangulation given the ligature marks, flaying on the legs is post-mortem."

The blonde girl shut her eyes for a moment, swallowing on a dry throat.

A person did not deserve to suffer that much.

But there, in the center of her chest, open and un-obscured was something notable, interesting even.

A stick figure, the rough shape of a man, deliberately cut into the center of her torso.

She frowned, "There's a shape on her chest, a stick figure, precise, done on purpose."

Then she heard, from behind her: ".......... I see. Good work, Tonkori."

Elaine Winters, Investigator, a person who pretended and hoped, in the darkest, quietest moments of the night, that she could be a hero, straightened, covering the body of Cesarina Feroce once more.

"--- Tell me, Miss Winters."

It was always going to end like this, she reflected.

"Why does Tonkori smell fresh death upon you?"

She sighed, and then slowly, deliberately, the blonde girl turned to face the group, facing her accuser with resignation.

Elaine Winters, a failure, smiled, quietly, sadly.

"Because I killed someone last night."

She stood there, in the silence, collecting her thoughts.

"When I said earlier that all I got out of last night was wet clothes and a wish that I could be doing anything else, that was the truth."

Her words were calm, quiet, and laced with bitterness.

"I went out last night, yes, I was going to the woods, trying to clear my head, looking for trouble, essentially, and I found it," Her mouth twisted, "But I'd been too late to stop the worst of it."

She wiped her hands on her leggings, grimacing.

"It was Alexstrasza Lockhart," Elaine said, "She'd been attacked by someone, I didn't know who it was, they were in a mask, and she was hurt, hurt bad."

She remembered.

"P-please don't kill me."

She recognized that faint, weak voice.

"I-I'm really trying to be good."

Barely breaking past the storm, she pleaded trying their best to convince the figure standing tall, with their hand raised, while they themselves laid collapsed on the road with an oriental dagger, a kunai sticking out of their left shoulder.

"I just want to be happy."

She shook her head, "I don't know how I heard her, but I ran out there as fast as I could, trying to get this guy to back off, or, or something, I was scared."

"... You are beyond salvation, monster," the [ ] in the mask answered, her voice modulated and unrecognizable, "Save your prayers to The Lord."

"She was some kind of nutty ninja freak, I don't know, rambling about some nonsense, chosen of God bullshit. I didn't care enough to listen to her manifesto, maybe Alexstrasza knew who she was, she talked like she did anyway, and I, well, I got involved in something I could've ignored."

She spat on the ground, anger and shame open on her face.

"Fat lot of good it did me, I came in there wrong-headed, tried to take it easy, knock them out or something. But she wasn't having any of it," She tugged down her shirt, showing the harsh cut on her shoulder, others peeking out from underneath, "Could've been worse, almost hit something bad, but it was a wake-up call. So I got dirty."

Elaine touched the cut gingerly, eyes dark.

"But she was smart, pulled some sneaky shit out, managed to get around me, and..."

"... By the time you notice you're trapped in a spider's web... it's already too late."

Blood... blood was everywhere.

Elaine bowed her head, arms limp at her side.

"I couldn't save her."

Her voice was bleak.

"Left that other bitch feeling it-"

First attack impaled the assassin between her shoulder and neck, just barely missing her throat, while the second one hit her right into the side of her stomach. Just those two hits caused fountains of blood to spurt out of the brunette - dying the road, the grass and Elaine herself with a deep crimson hue.

At the same time, the masked woman collapsed to the ground, clawing her eyes and her throat in order to make the pain she was feeling end.

"But she got away from me, was busy trying to take Alexstrasza to the hospital, but they were all locked up, no one was home, and she was- Well, she was already dead."

Elaine jerked her head out towards the main road, "I buried her on the side of the road."

Then she slowly turned her head, a harsh glint in her eyes, past the curtain of hair and the low glimmer of tears, "There, are you happy, are you satisfied with yourself? Throwing around accusations when I'm just all fucked up that someone fucking died and I couldn't do anything about it. Now all I'm trying to do is keep things from getting any worse."

"I've got nothing to do with her, or Colt, so how's about you stop fucking looking at me with your dead eyes."

[Bloble]

Prushka
Location: Owl's Nest Hotel - Third Floor
Phase: Morning Phase
Date: 11.09.1994 (SUN)
Weather: Overcast

"No."

The trembling girl, who was just spared death, denies the King's mercy.

Prushka takes a step forward, putting herself between Vivienne and Lobo.

Has she found something? A well of courage? An answer to the deadly situation, that will defuse the death hanging over them? Is she about to unveil a miracle from the Turnside?

"...take that back."

No. There is no such thing.

"Saying I should run away, that I won't fight... Take that back."

She has not suddenly gotten braver. While she may be able to fabricate momentary strength, Prushka is still well within the grip of terror. She is a reed swaying with the wind, lacking any strength in her words and expression.

"If you say you'll feel bad killing me, then go ahead and feel bad. But don't pretend it changes anything, that I'm scared or small or that I thanked you. Your 'feelings' don't matter compared to the 'Rule' you're following. That's how humans work, right?"

It is, for a third time, a completely ridiculous outburst in the midst of certain death. First against Fyrtio, then against the nightmare, and now against the King of Currumpaw. Once again, logic and common sense are overridden by the most important thing in the world: feelings. Even if the world forces her to be dishonest with her words, she will never hide what she feels or who she is. That's why she had thanked a monster. That's why she had acted to protect an empty shell of a species she had no love for. That's why a weak girl stands before a legend right now.

Each time she was saved. This time, however, Prushka can feel that no help is coming. It does not deter her.

"I understand. Something is making you do this. A law from up above that can't be argued with. Maybe because Vivi's friend uncovered something she shouldn't have, and when we encountered her trail, that death sentence landed on Vivi and I. Even a King needs to follow orders."

She folds her arms and digs her nails into her jacket to stop the shaking.

She wants to live, but this is certain death. Even more powerful than the drive for life is -.

Snow and blood.
All-paralyzing terror.
A hand on her head.
The heavy metal helmet settles and obscures her vision.
"Hold onto this for me."
The ordinary, awful human steps in front of her to confront the invincible, terrible monster -.

"Vivi. Go. Alex is your friend, so... find her. And find Pyry, and Hisa, and get to the bottom of this before the town swallows everyone up. You've forgotten how to be scared, so..."

Something surges around Prushka. She exhales, and the moisture becomes a purple fog that floats around her, pulsing and angry and cold.

"Here's a reminder."

Standing between Vivienne and death is a creature that acts only on what it feels, without regard for rules or reason. Until its last moments, it will pity humans and beasts alike.

[Daneel Rush]

Location: Pinefall High – Campus Grounds
Phase: Morning Phase
Date: 11.09.1994 (SUN)
Weather: Overcast



John Dove is a silent witness to the events that unfold: Vandemeel’s stoic arrival, Tonkori’s careful examination (is a hound's superior olfactory sense acceptable in court?), Miss Iburi’s dire accusation and Elaine’s bizarre confession. Every sentence makes him more distant, more detached, until the sensation that he is not part of this world wreathed in death becomes whole and all-encompassing.

He must. Like that night never before.

Alexstrasza is dead too.

John Dove does not question nor doubt Elaine Winters. He can only struggle against his mind so active.

He must. The ocean that is his consciousness is but a tiny crystal glass; there is only so much sediment it can contain.

You got too close, and now she is dead.

No, you cannot put this on John Dove.

You are truly cursed.

Were that the case, the list of corpses would be Sakura, Elise Marie and Ubon, in that order.

You know the pattern is not that clear-cut. Besides, Sakura and Ubon are missing too.

John Dove is not cursed. The sole idea is ridiculous.

You told her she would not die.

That…is true.

Your last words to Alexstrasza were an assurance nobody else would die. What were you thinking, spouting hollow, vapid promises like that? Are you stupid?

John does not have an answer to that.

What can you possibly do? What difference can you possibly make? She said as much, did she not? That either Alexstrasza or you would die.

John cannot ascertain that the woman hiding in the shadow of the Moon was indeed that person. Other than that, he does not know—

Why do you even care so much in the first place?

“Hmm.”

John falls on his butt sits down on the grass, feeling the moist ground beneath his fingers as he looks up to the turbulent, colorless sky. What is left to do or say, when Pinefall so wickedly reminds him that the more things change in this hollow world, the more they stay the same?

“To think it can get even greyer…”

He shakes his head, looking all the more a man who has confirmed a sad truth, or perhaps a man who has given up on something. Whatever it is, John follows by pulling his head down to gaze at each and every single one of the present.

“So? Does anybody else have any other names we can check off the missing persons list through some...bizarre story?”

No, that’s not really it. John Dove is many things, both wholehearted and heartless in equal measure, but never a half-hearted man. What are the things such a powerless man can do, though?

“By the way, Miss Iburi, may this be a suitable time to reveal what you would not to Alexstrasza the evening before last? Regarding your confidence towards Miss Feroce’s absence for the weekend?”

He might be hated by the Miss Iburi he respects for this. His thoughts on this matter, however, he already dumped in the empty cardboard box labelled “FUCK BOX” resting in the corner of his bedroom.

It’s a self-therapy thing: the place where he stores the fucks he gives.

[Mellon]

Anna Vandemeel
Location: Pinefall High - Campus Grounds
Phase: Morning Phase
Date: 11.09.1994 (SUN)
Weather: Overcast

"... And that includes you, Miss Vandemeel."

Anna’s eyes flashed dangerously for a moment.

Subaru Iburi had clearly been driven to the brink and had chosen to drown herself in bloodlust and revenge to cope with the situation at hand. Whether that was due to the grief, or simply the situation revealing something that had been there the entire time, Anna couldn’t say…. but in the end, it didn’t matter. She would lynch the first person she could pin the blame on, no matter how flimsy the excuse actually ended up being.

A rabid dog, frothing from the mouth, nothing more.

"Well, while shortie has her little mental breakdown... yeah, guess you should know what the fuck's going on,"

Travis’s explanation was surprisingly… concise. Anna wouldn’t have expected it from his typical demeanor and thug-like appearance, but perhaps she had misjudged him a bit. At the very least the blue-haired boy possessed an exceptional memory for details, considering how meticulous he was in covering even the most minor of details, such as the exact position of all the pictures they had taken.

Three bodies. Feroce, Davin, and one unknown figure in the schoolhouse. Phone lines outside cut. School staff completely vanishing into thin air. Terrot, Cheshire, Tsukioka, Lockhart, Prushka, Bianchi, Pheme, Ilusão and even that bonkers Sĕeklêun brat - all missing, with nary a trace left behind.

And Ramia as well…

Meanwhile, another confrontation began to brew. This time between Iburi and Winters…

"I've got nothing to do with her, or Colt, so how's about you stop fucking looking at me with your dead eyes."

Lockhart and a masked oriental figure. The former dead and the latter heavily injured. Or perhaps dead. Winter’s tale left that little piece still open for interpretation. Either way, the masked figure escaped and the blonde was left trying to carry Lockhart to the hospital, which ended up being closed. Alexstrasza died during the attempt and was buried nearby, next to the main road. While the mouth-frothing religiosity of the masked assailant was something to note, it wasn’t something wholly unexpected. She’d plenty of run-ins with more than her share of zealous lunatics in the past, after all. No. What really worried her was...

A small mutter echoed out from Anna, her eyes seemingly lost in thought.

“Too many…”

Too many coins had ended heads up on this single night. If it was only one, even one body, then she could maybe discount it as being a singular random happenstance, but this… No phone connection? All the staff suddenly vanishing? The hospital being empty, with no-one inside? No. It felt like things had been made… forced to end up like this by someone or something behind the scenes.

Is this the work of…. But why? It would make more sense to try and subtly shift perception over a longer period. This is too overt, it risks…

“By the way, Miss Iburi, may this be a suitable time to reveal what you would not to Alexstrasza the evening before last? Regarding your confidence towards Miss Feroce’s absence for the weekend?”

Anna’s own interest in John’s question was merely passing, if she was completely honest. While this type of killing might have something to do with Feroce’s past, it seemed far more likely to her that the ravaged girl had simply been a convenient target… Or had been selected for this particular purpose for another reason.

Anna’s voice dropped in tone, as she quietly addressed the blue-haired boy next to him.

“Gagnon. What would you say are the chances of four completely randomly deaths happening on this one particular night? Four which we know of, at least. Even in this madhouse?”

Her eyes fell to the schoolhouse in the distance.

“We need the police here. Or someone with at least some modicum of half-assed authority. The only reason the staff wouldn’t be here is because someone doesn’t want them to get involved with this. Same with the phone lines.”

“Either this isn’t over or they want to see us eat ourselves like some shit from Lord of the Flies. I find neither option particularly attractive.”

[Katie]

Lucille Faraday
Location: Pinefall High Pool
Phase: Morning Phase
Date: 11.09.1994 (SUN)
Weather: Overcast

Lucille flinches when Mercedes, holding her close, suddenly launches into an outburst, an innocuous statement sparking a turbulent reaction. She’s not used to that sort of yelling, especially so close—after all, there was no need to yell at her for whatever reason. Still, despite the experience, which puts Lucille on edge more than she’d like to admit, she can’t find it in her heart to reprimand Mercedes. It is obvious that the situation was stressing her too, and admittance that Colt had good virtues was far beyond any compliment Lucille thought that Mercedes would say.

"You... wanna go, like, look around while they work?" the starlet asked from the blonde. "Map out if anyone else is, like, here and---"

Hisa and Pyry clearly have the retrieval covered, so it’s not a bad idea. Still, before she can respond, Lucille too is interrupted by the sudden appearance of Gradient, and she too wonders why that girl is here, and more importantly, how to stop her from seeing her from seeing too much, if she hadn’t already. Still, her body is sluggish and slow to respond when she tries, so she relents and tries to clear her mind instead. Something still nags at her and she should get rid of it first and foremost.

“Give me a moment,” she says to Mercedes, turning back to Colt’s mangled body. Colt, as far as Lucille was concerned, as a good person who got himself into a lot of bad situations.

She puts her hands together.

“Let us pray. All-powerful and merciful God, we commend to you Colt Davin, your servant. In your mercy and love, blot out the sins he has committed through human weakness. In this world he has died: let him live with you forever. Through Christ our Lord,” she prays, her voice quiet.

It’s been a long while since she’s had to do an intercession, but Colt deserves it. She hopes he can rest in heaven after an ordeal like this.

“Amen.”

There’s slightly more energy in Lucille’s movements now, as if a small burden has been lifted. She drags herself over to her coat and puts it on again, trying to position herself to cut off Gradient from moving in any further. Lucille isn’t really sure what to think of the girl… but it was probably better that she didn’t see any of what had conspired in the room.

[Kuroyuki]

Vier Wolff
Location: Pinefall High - Campus Grounds
Phase: Morning Phase
Date: 11.09.1994 (SUN)
Weather: Overcast

Subaru Iburi turned her head towards me at my offer before nodding and turning her head away again.

"Do as you wish. But remember that this does not exempt you from your status as a suspect. If you try to impede the hunt in any way, I will not leave you behind. After all, I am ready to koyki at that point."

“Sounds reasonable. I guess I have to make sure I don’t impede you too much then.”

Of course, I left out the bit where I wasn’t going to accept whatever this “koyki” of hers was or just accepting her killing everyone in our way. There’s a time and place for that. And we’re still not at that point just yet.

I watched Tonkori sniff John Dove and Elaine Winters. I kept a casual eye on his progress. John Dove cleared from initial suspicion by Tonkori. Elaine Winters… was being growled at by Tonkori. My attention jumped to Elaine Winters entirely to see how she would react to this sudden accusation.

"... hure hemoy...?

Hure hemoy? I wasn’t entirely familiar with that phrase. Granted, my knowledge of Japanese was far from perfect due to my own personal distaste of their writing system. Elaine didn’t respond for a little bit where she analyzed the corpse. Eventually she gave her analysis of the dead.

"Can't give proper dating on the wounds, but they're over time, some are clearly older, whereas some others can't have been long before death, she died recently, last night, maybe. Likely cause of death is the broken neck, likely from strangulation given the ligature marks, flaying on the legs is post-mortem. There's a shape on her chest, a stick figure, precise, done on purpose.”

For now, I’ll have to take her word for what’s happened to the body. Potential suspect or not.

”.......... I see. Good work, Tonkori. Tell me, Miss Winters. Why does Tonkori smell fresh death upon you?"

"Because I killed someone last night.
When I said earlier that all I got out of last night was wet clothes and a wish that I could be doing anything else, that was the truth.

I went out last night, yes, I was going to the woods, trying to clear my head, looking for trouble, essentially, and I found it. But I'd been too late to stop the worst of it.

It was Alexstrasza Lockhart. She'd been attacked by someone, I didn't know who it was, they were in a mask, and she was hurt, hurt bad. I don't know how I heard her, but I ran out there as fast as I could, trying to get this guy to back off, or, or something, I was scared.

She was some kind of nutty ninja freak, I don't know, rambling about some nonsense, chosen of God bullshit. I didn't care enough to listen to her manifesto, maybe Alexstrasza knew who she was, she talked like she did anyway, and I, well, I got involved in something I could've ignored.

Fat lot of good it did me, I came in there wrong-headed, tried to take it easy, knock them out or something. But she wasn't having any of it," She tugged down her shirt, showing the harsh cut on her shoulder, others peeking out from underneath, "Could've been worse, almost hit something bad, but it was a wake-up call. So I got dirty.

But she was smart, pulled some sneaky shit out, managed to get around me, and…

I couldn't save her.

Left that other bitch feeling it-

But she got away from me, was busy trying to take Alexstrasza to the hospital, but they were all locked up, no one was home, and she was- Well, she was already dead.

I buried her on the side of the road.

There, are you happy, are you satisfied with yourself? Throwing around accusations when I'm just all fucked up that someone fucking died and I couldn't do anything about it. Now all I'm trying to do is keep things from getting any worse.

I've got nothing to do with her, or Colt, so how's about you stop fucking looking at me with your dead eyes."

After she was done speaking, I thought about the influx of information I just received. What Elaine was saying now was the truth… However, I can’t say I fully trust Elaine. She withheld information earlier. What stops her from withholding it now?

“Subaru. She didn’t kill any of our classmates that are here. She killed someone else.”

That doesn’t mean I should let Subaru kill her for the murder of Cesarina Feroce, Colt Davin, or the mysterious girl.

“So you didn’t see anyone else while you were out on your walk last night Elaine? We’re missing a lot of people at the moment. Ramia, Inacio, Sakura, Xylia, Prushka, and Vivienne just to name a few.”

[Thalraxal]

Elise Pelltier
Location: Pinefall High - Campus Grounds
Phase: Morning Phase
Date: 11.09.1994 (SUN)
Weather: Overcast

"--- Everyone is a suspect so far. Not one has brought forth an alibi. Unless another person can confirm where they spent their night, they will be treated as possible culprits to this heinous act. That includes each and every person present. And especially those who have spent their night outside the dormitory..."

I had hoped we could skip the witch hunt entirely, but I guess there's nothing to do about it. Subaru probably needs something to do anyway after... this morning. I can't say I can blame her.

Elise glanced over to Vier.

Well, at least Vier will be with her. She might be numb to all emotion, but she does seem pretty reasonable. Plus she makes good soup. Maybe she can curb some of Subaru's enthusiasm?

As Subaru made her rounds, and Tonkori sniffed the second suspect, Elise's attention was suddenly snapped back to Subaru as she announced Tonkori's findings.

"--- Tell me, Miss Winters."

"Why does Tonkori smell fresh death upon you?"

Elise's eyes darted from Elaine, to Tonkori, and then back to Elaine.

Can dogs really smell that? I suppose I shouldn't be surprised that they can, thought Elise as she considered the puppy again, I wonder what he'll make of Travis and I, considering we must smell an awful lot like Cesarina right now.

"But she got away from me, was busy trying to take Alexstrasza to the hospital, but they were all locked up, no one was home, and she was- Well, she was already dead."

"I buried her on the side of the road."

Elise followed Elaine's motion towards the main road.

"Alexstrasza too...?" muttered Elise sadly, staring off towards presumed direction of Alexstrasza's roadside grave as she considered Elaine's recounting of the previous night's events.

"I'm so sorry, Elaine, it's never- it's never easy not being able to save someone. You can do everything you can do, and sometimes, it's just not enough."

Why would the hospital even be closed? Especially on a night like this... especially when they've got at least one full time patient there...

Elise sighed to herself, as she pushed the melancholy thoughts to the side and focused on the immediate problems in front of her.

"Do you want me to take a closer look at that cut, Elaine?" offered Elise, "I'm pretty good at first aid, and I can at least make sure you're patched up properly."

[Cheetose]

Hisa Momoi
Location: Pinefall High Pool
Phase: Morning Phase
Date: 11.09.1994 (SUN)
Weather: Overcast

Ah…

Tearing my eyes away from Gradient, I look back at the pool, Colt’s body, and Pyry.

Suddenly, getting the body out of the water didn’t feel like the most important thing.

“H-hey Pyry, I’ll be back in a moment, okay?” I said to the boy while gesturing slightly towards the door where Gradient was standing.

Without even waiting for an answer, I was already standing, and walking towards the girl. It was strange how important her presence felt, how much I couldn’t stand seeing her like that, even if we’ve only known her for such a short time.

Perhaps because how innocent she was, untainted by the rotten morals of humanity, and how she saw things for what they were…

Must have also been the reason why I felt responsible for her and her safety.

Something that I was willing to risk many things for.

Walking past Lucille, I couldn’t help but look at her for a moment - my heart filled with a complicated mixture of emotions regarding the girl, even if my face wasn’t showing it.

There was one detail, after all, that just took root at the back of my mind, even if I didn’t want to give much importance to it.

Her prayer. A follower of a religion can’t mean any good for anything supernatural related. Still, at the same time, I had no right to judge her, not before she did anything wrong.

Reaching Gradient, I pull her into a hug, while also turning her around, so that she wouldn’t be facing the scene that was inside the pool area. But, just like with Ubon a while ago, I wasn’t sure what to do from here. It was, in a sense, even harder this time, since I wasn’t even sure if she understood me.

“Sorry you had to see this,” was all I could whisper to her, “I---”

Am going to protect you? Everything will be okay? You don’t have to worry?

Right, as if I could make bold claims like that. As if she would even understand.

Without being able to say anything more, I just moved my hand to the back of her head, gently caressing it.

“She is...Well, we found her with Colt, Inacio and Pyry yesterday,” I addressed Mercedes’ question finally, “She ran away from somewhere, so I decided to take care of her for now. She isn’t harmful, and she was with me the whole night.”

“Well, as if that really matters to you though, when you are suspecting us as well.” I added, with probably a bit more edge to my voice than I intended, while looking at Mercedes from over Gradient’s shoulder.

But whether it was her who raised those feelings, or if I was just mad at myself for causing Pyry and Gradient to be suspects, I couldn’t quite figure.

[Verg Avesta]

Elaine Winters, Elise Pelltier, John Dove, Anna Vandemeel & Vier Wolff
Location: Pinefall High - Campus Grounds
Phase: Morning Phase
Date: 11.09.1994 (SUN)
Weather: Overcast

"I've got nothing to do with her, or Colt, so how's about you stop fucking looking at me with your dead eyes."

“Subaru. She didn’t kill any of our classmates that are here. She killed someone else.”

The burning eyes did not waver. They bore a hole through Elaine's eyesockets and out of the back of her head, refusing to back down even in the face of anger and frustration. The girl that was Subaru Iburi was long gone, and had been replaced by something that looked and sounded like her... only just barely.

"............ I see."

That was the only response Elaine and Vier got. No further accusations, no absolvement.

Just an acknowledgement.

“So? Does anybody else have any other names we can check off the missing persons list through some...bizarre story?”

It was a question that brought with it a certain cloud of bitterness that permeated over the campus grounds. Travis Gagnon, who had finished giving an explanation to Anna, let his eyes glance over everyone present at the scene... and it didn't seem like he had high opinion of anyone right now. If anything else, it was like he was expecting someone to confess thanks to John's question. Whatever measly joviality and friendship that had been gained through this week felt like it was disappearing... and fast.

And the less spoken about Subaru's cold, emotionless stare, the better.

“By the way, Miss Iburi, may this be a suitable time to reveal what you would not to Alexstrasza the evening before last? Regarding your confidence towards Miss Feroce’s absence for the weekend?”

Subaru's eyes snapped towards John, and even though they had been more than amicable not long ago, none of that recognition was in the girl's eyes. Instead, she tilted her head at the boy, as if his question had been completely illogical.

It did produce an answer, however.

"Conversion disorder combined with deep-seated bouts of psychosis. She has to receive weekly treatments, often lasting for day, to function properly," Subaru answered, sounding almost clinical in her tone. "Does knowing this somehow make the situation any better? She hardly needs to worry of this condition any more."

... Well, not completely emotional, at the least.

That last bit was a very clear, bitter snap at John.

“Gagnon. What would you say are the chances of four completely randomly deaths happening on this one particular night? Four which we know of, at least. Even in this madhouse? We need the police here. Or someone with at least some modicum of half-assed authority. The only reason the staff wouldn’t be here is because someone doesn’t want them to get involved with this. Same with the phone lines. Either this isn’t over or they want to see us eat ourselves like some shit from Lord of the Flies. I find neither option particularly attractive.”

Travis, hearing what the raven-haired girl had to say, snorted and shrugged his shoulders. His rude grin was everpresent, but this time, it lacked some of the crude humor it always held.

"You know... you'd be surprised how coincidences can pile up - give an illusion of some grander scheme. A death here, a death there, wrong turn, wrong step, wrong words... and suddenly all hell breaks loose. Shit... this is why I've been saying this place is a madhouse. I'm surprised we didn't start tearing into each other sooner than this," the boy answered as quietly as Anna herself had spoken. "But... whoever is behind this, they certainly went outta their way to make sure we'd got no authority to rally to. So either the teachers are dead too, or they're being kept separate from us... somehow."

His eyes narrowed as the boy looked at Subaru.

"... This school is gonna eat itself alive."

His hand clenched into a fist.

"And like hell am I gonna be 'round when that happens."

What the boy didn't notice, however, that at some point, Tonkori had made his way to Travis and started sniffing at his leg.

----- And now, a threatening growl was beginning to emanate from the animal's throat as it stared up at him.

[Verg Avesta]

Hisa Momoi & Lucille Faraday
Location: Pinefall High Pool
Phase: Morning Phase
Date: 11.09.1994 (SUN)
Weather: Overcast

“Well, as if that really matters to you though, when you are suspecting us as well.”

Mercedes, who had been watching over Lucille's prayer with an odd look on her face, who had been clearly unsure what to do regarding Gradient and her odd behavior, who had been acting tired and exhausted for a good while, sighed... and an expression of clear distaste and fury rose back to her face thanks to Hisa's words.

"... Yeah. You're, like, on the mark. I'm suspecting everyone," she admitted. "Because somebody went and iced Colt. And I won't fucking forgive them. Not until he gets, like, justice for what happened. And so far..."

Mercedes glanced back the the body in the pool. At the same time there was a loud splash as Pyry dropped into the water and began swimming towards the corpse, intending to drag it back to the edge of the pool. The boy was shivering, though not from cold, as he entered the bloodied water, and the girls could hear him mutter something about "Kuin uida Tuonelan joessa...". Whatever that mean, it wasn't a happy thought that he had let slip in his native tongue.

"... Judging from, like, the angles of those knife wounds, whoever killed him was shorter than him," Mercedes continued, her glare turning back to Hisa and Gadient. "So yeah. I'm keeping an eye out. For all of you."

And with that, Mercedes pushed past Hisa, striding down the corridor with a cold fury growng in her eyes and determination in her each and every step. There was little doubt that the actress was planning on getting to the bottom of this, no matter what, and it all started for her with searching every bit of this building for clues. Clues about Colt's death, clues about missing Inacio, clues about the absent janitor and whatever else she and Lucille could find.

"Nnnnnn~"

Meanwhile Gradient, who had been sticking to Hisa after being pulled into a hug, buried herself even deeper into the girl's chest... and for some reason, she was giving a suspicious stare towards Lucille. Almost like the girl, who had been almost childishly naive in the way she acted and who didn't seem to have the faintest idea why everyone was sad, was - for some reason - wary of the blonde. Whatever it meant for the current situation couldn't have been anything good, but before anyone could question it further---

"H-hey, Hisa, gimme a hand!" Pyry's voice rang out from the pool. "I'll try to roll him ashore!"

The lanky athlete had, finally, gotten his friend's body almost out of the water. His expression was one to match.

Gradient, on the other hand, let out a confused hum as she tried to peek over Hisa's shoulder at what was happening.

[Daneel Rush]

Location: Pinefall High – Campus Grounds
Phase: Morning Phase
Date: 11.09.1994 (SUN)
Weather: Overcast



“I care not for Miss Feroce’s condition, Miss Iburi, nor did I ask for it. What matters is ascertaining when this,” John clarifies, gesturing towards the covered cadaver. “started. Did Miss Feroce leave this place of her own volition to submit herself for her treatment? Was she taken from her bedroom? Was she intercepted on her way to the site of treatment? At the site? Was she a target of opportunity, or was her torture and death specifically intended? Miss Iburi, know well that I desire nothing else than the truth, for the sake of the late Miss Feroce and that of those who may still be at risk.”

The time for social agreeability is past. Whether he is accepted or loathed, there are more important matters at hand. Nevertheless, he would prefer it if they could all work together to face this, so they can get it over with and he can refocus on the actual truth that matters.

The problem here is Miss Iburi’s current attitude. It is probably prudent of him to join Elaine for the trip to the local sheriff, but he is wary of what Miss Iburi—or anybody else, for that matter—could do in the meantime. Gagnon is already talking about getting away. Elise Marie is offering first aid—John hopes her “knowledge of first aid” does not come exclusively from “Doctor Sexy MD”.



“Gagnon, I cannot stop you from doing anything, but may I nonetheless ask you to reconsider? Such haste to get away would make you either a primary suspect or a target. Or both. I believe it to be prudent to maintain a unified front, at least until we can get the authorities to take over.”

As for the matter of the hardened Eastern girl next to him…

“Miss Iburi,” John begins as he makes the daring move to plant himself in front of her. “I have no doubt that you and Tonkori can take care of yourselves. But nobody, and I mean nobody, should ever face whoever did that,” Again, he gestures at the bloodied blankets. “To Miss Feroce, on their own.”

He stops himself before he acts too rudely and grabs her narrow shoulders.

“I plea of you, Miss Iburi. Please, please do not act in recklessness. Please do not overestimate yourself and your partner. And please, do not let your actions for the sake of the dead make you forget those still left alive and in need of your help.”

He has said enough. The rest depends on Miss Iburi…or the will of her gods.



John can only acknowledge Vier Wolff with a curt nod before addressing the other girls.

“Elaine, I do not wish to perturb the corpse any further. Could you perhaps draw the figure you saw on her skin? It might have some sort of meaning I or somebody else could figure out. I’ll go get my sketchbook. Aside from that, let us decide who is staying to ‘watch the fort’ and wait for any updates from the others, and who are joining Elaine to pay the sheriff a visit.”

Before taking the short walk back to the dormitory, John casts a long glance at the road leading out of the campus and towards the town. A troubling thought, a certain possibility, has taken shape in his head upon catching sight of the arriving Anna Vandemeel. It might be worth bringing up before Elaine departs, but for now…



“Anna Vandemeel,” he calls out. “Did you by any chance spot anything unusual or suspicious on your way here from…wherever? Anything that could hinder the trip to the sheriff’s?”

[Cheetose]

Hisa Momoi
Location: Pinefall High Pool
Phase: Morning Phase
Date: 11.09.1994 (SUN)
Weather: Overcast

“Looks like master detective is on the case.” I murmured to myself in response to Mercedes’ brilliant deduction - still, much as I wanted to argue with the girl about her logic, I had to come to the conclusion than on one hand she wouldn’t care, and she would most likely just become even more annoying than she already was.

Not to mention that there was something that caught my interest more than pointlessly arguing with Mercedes - that being Gradient’s reaction to Lucille. Until now, anyone she’s met she’s been pretty content with...And yet, now she was looking at Lucille with that expression, even though she has barely done anything over this short period of time that would give reason for suspicion.

Was it just a coincidence? Was it the prayer? Or did she have a wholly different reason for it?

Made me wish that she could talk - but without that, it instead gave me the final push to resort to something else.

While still hugging and trying to keep Gradient’s attention away from the pool - an effort that was bound to fail before long, just for the fact that it wasn’t physically possible to keep her close and away from Colt’s corpse while also helping Pyry - I turned my attention to the other girl.

“Since you seem to be more cooperative than...her,” I said to Lucille while gesturing towards Mercedes with my head, “Have you seen something last night? Something that could lead to...Well, any of this?”

Whether or not what she was going to say was true or relevant, wasn’t really important.

The situation was way past of what could be considered a normal school life, and thus, I wasn’t so much against breaking my own rules anymore. A necessary measure, something I can work a lot better with than just relying on blind trust and guesswork.

Letting go of Gradient, I motioned her to stay where she was as I started fidgeting in my pocket, looking for another piece of chocolate that I’ve been giving the girl since yesterday, but with my supplies running dangerously low dangerously fast, I had to realize that I would soon need to find actual food, and perhaps more sweets, for her.

But for now, I pulled out another piece, and handed it to the girl, turning my attention back to Lucille afterwards - even if my mind has been focused on her all along.

“Also, shouldn’t you take your bag too, if you are going to investigate?” I said with a wry smile, “maybe someone dangerous is still around, better have your bandages...or whatever else is in there on hand, you know.”

[Katie]

Lucille Faraday
Location: Pinefall High Pool
Phase: Morning Phase
Date: 11.09.1994 (SUN)
Weather: Overcast

Brought to justice…

Even if Mercedes had a somewhat noble intention like that, it didn’t really excuse her behavior. Still, what could be done about that? She’d do as she pleased. Not to mention her words, about a lack of trust, reminded her of Aleen’s worries just before. And now that slight of seed of doubt had been planted, Lucille couldn’t help but worry.

Well, worry more than she already had been doing. Gradient’s sudden change in behavior didn’t help. Had she suddenly done something wrong? There were a few inklings of thoughts, but none that really struck her as concrete reasons without further evidence, but perhaps pursuing that would merely bring up bad memories for the girl. But there wasn’t really much she could do about suspicion.

“Since you seem to be more cooperative than...her,” I said to Lucille while gesturing towards Mercedes with my head, “Have you seen something last night? Something that could lead to...Well, any of this?”

“I was asleep…” she says, but it’s all too evident she’s confused. “Did people think it was a good idea to wander about during that storm? And aren’t we supposed to be in our dorms anyway, not walking around at night like delinquents?”

Her voice at the end turns from bewildered to incredulous. The reason for Lucille’s confusion was all too clear. Someone as straightlaced as her… couldn’t fathom the idea of leaving her room at night at all.

“Also, shouldn’t you take your bag too, if you are going to investigate?” I said with a wry smile, “maybe someone dangerous is still around, better have your bandages...or whatever else is in there on hand, you know.”

“I told you, it’s just band-aids inside… If there’s a reason to carry something, I’ll backtrack and get it. It’s kind of cumbersome to walk with.” With that lackluster explanation, Lucille sprints off after Mercedes, hoping to catch up to the other girl quickly enough.

She still had a question to ask the starlet after all, away from prying ears.

[Mormarth]

Elaine Winters
Location: Pinefall High Dormitory - Lobby
Phase: Morning Phase
Date: 11.09.1994 (SUN)
Weather: Overcast

Elaine let out a long, slow breath, swiping a hand back through uncovered, messy blonde locks, Subaru had not ceased staring her down like a firing squad, but at least the rest of the group seemed at least willing to hear her out.

She blinked at Elise’s offer to check out the cuts, a bit nonplussed, but, with a small hesitation, she shucked off her bulky-looking coat, revealing a long series of cuts along her arms.

It was like she’d dived into a pool filled with knives.

Still, many of them looked faded, and while she moved gingerly, they didn’t seem to be bothering her too much. Her expression had solidified from her brief break in emotion, and now a stony wall faced the blank, hostile expression of Subaru Inuit.

Then she snorted, smiling bitterly, “Guess she was going to the hospital anyway,”

Still, she relaxed her defensive posture and nodded at Elise.

“No trouble at all, John, I should have some paper and pen in the glove compartment anyway.”

She shuffled her feet, mulling something over.

“I went to go help her, because no one should be alone. People can’t live like that, shouldn’t. Not ever.”

She cast a worried eye back towards the dormitories, thinking of 17.

“And I don’t know what everyone else is going to do, and I honestly don’t know if anyone will care. But I won’t turn away from anyone. Everyone deserves to have someone having their back.”