Astronomika - Shooting Down Falling Stars (IC)

[Spinach]

Colt Davin
Location: Pinefall High Dormitory - Hisa's Room
Phase: Evening Phase
Date: 10.09.1994 (SAT)
Weather: Storm

“I don’t think I need that good word, Pyry.”

Those petty worries evaporated when the mysterious girl peeked through the open door and flashed a smile at Colt. It was a strange new feeling, for someone to seem so… happy, just at the sight of him. It was close to how it felt to sit down in a fence full of month old puppies, pouncing at him with nothing but joy.

With the strange noises she made instead of speaking any language he knew, it almost was like being greeted by a puppy.

“I’m sure she’s feeling better, too.”

Colt waved and returned her smile. Now that she was dressed and he wasn’t stressing about the storm, her health, and whatever was out there near the woods, it felt much easier to just talk to her.

Just as Colt opened his mouth to say something else, a foreign song being sung somewhere else in the dorm reached his ears. The boy glanced about, looking to see any source of the singing. For a minute nobody really said anything, and after a while Colt tilted his head.

“Maybe they really like thunderstorms?” He asked both himself and the rest of the group, then shrugged. “I’ll come in then, I don’t think it’s a good idea for us to keep crowding your door. I…”

He glanced back down the halls.

“Don’t quite think we need to get too many people involved here. Chefs in the kitchen, ‘n all that.”

[Mormarth]

Elaine Winters
Location - Big Boy’s Gas Station
Phase - Evening Phase
Date - 10.9.94 (SAT)
Weather - Storm

Elaine’s face scrunched up into a thoughtful frown, mulling over any possible plans for the evening.

“Well, not really, actually. You're lucky, my extremely busy and action-packed social life has come up empty. Very rare occurrence, I can assure you.”

She took the card and placed it gingerly in her pocket.

“So come on, Otter’s buying,” She lifted her glass.

“Let’s eat, drink and be merry.”

[Mellon]

Anna Vandemeel
Location: Mitchell Residence - Kitchen
Phase: Evening Phase
Date: 10.09.1994 (SAT)
Weather: Storm

"I... I suppose it's... important to me in some ways. And I want to, nah, need to get it working again. But, like I said, it got busted a long time ago and it's been a slow process... Eh, it's kind of a stupid thing."

“Hardly. As hobbies go, you could do far worse. At least when you finish, you will at least have something functional at the end of it and a skill to boot.”

Perhaps her take was a tad more pragmatic than was the norm around these parts but… It was just common sense to her that you would try to pick up skills that would help you in your daily life. Things like sewing, fixing things, basic farming and woodworking - Anna was hard-pressed to even call these “hobbies”. These were skills one had to learn in order to live. One couldn’t just go to the store and always buy a new shirt, after all. For most of her life, it had hardly been an option at all. She had been clothed in hand-me-downs and all of those needed some fixing. Axe handles needed to be crafted, tables made, and doors fixed.

Sure, things had been changing in the last couple of years, even back home, but…

“Besides, making or working something with your own two hands is really a feeling you can’t get anywhere else.”

“That’s why I do woodworking from time to time. I feel, tinkering with something allows me to better clear my mind, as well.”

Indeed. Anna had no reason to put down Zane’s interest in mechanics. She found it quite admirable, in fact.

However…

"--- It's a Chevy Corvette. The convertible model from 1967."

The Estonian girl gave a small nod, but that semi-blank look in those ruby eyes said it all.

Those last words might as well have been gobbledygook, as far as she was concerned.

[Cheetose]

Hisa Momoi
Location: Pinefall High Dormitory - Hisa’s Room
Phase: Evening Phase
Date: 10.09.1994 (SAT)
Weather: Storm

...Huh.

She couldn’t even stand up a while ago, and now she could already just…

And why does she seem to be so excited about Colt?

Well, whatever...

As I was about to take a step back and push the mysterious girl back into the room, something else happened - somewhere in the dorm, someone started singing - it was hard to make out who it could have been because of the storm and the distance, and it almost sounded like it wasn’t even just one person, but...What is more interesting is that it was japanese…

But not that I exactly want to - or have the time - to investigate for now. Might just ask Subaru about it later, considering how she is the most likely suspect for something like this.

“Maybe they really like thunderstorms? I’ll come in then, I don’t think it’s a good idea for us to keep crowding your door. I…Don’t quite think we need to get too many people involved here. Chefs in the kitchen, ‘n all that.”

“Just singing in the rain? What a glorious feeling that might be…”

As the song keeps playing in the distance, I open the door, letting the boys inside - quickly realizing that my room probably wasn’t made to accommodate so many people.

Maybe I should get some of those pillows or bean-bags or whatever things Ubon had in her room…

A second realization hit - that this time, it was a bunch of boys in my room, including Pyry, and while at least my room was neat and tidy, it...It wasn’t exactly impressive or interesting, was it?

“Make yourselves comfortable, I suppose.” I said with a bit of embarrassment as I guided the other girl back to my bed.

“So...Where do we even begin?”

Once again, there were so many things to discuss, but I wasn’t exactly sure how much I could share with Inacio and Colt.

[Verg Avesta]

Lucille Faraday
Location: Pinefall High Dormitory - Dining Hall
Phase: Evening Phase
Date: 10.09.1994 (SAT)
Weather: Storm

“You don’t have to say anything if you don’t want to say it. What people reveal to others is something they should dictate at their pace.”

Subaru blinked at Lucille in surprise, having clearly not expected a this sort of response. Mercedes, on the other hand, looked annoyed enough that she was soon to be sure to press for more detail... and perhaps it was that combination that made Subaru open her mouth again so quickly, and of her own volition. Putting her hands on the table and intertwining her fingers like she was being interviewed, Subaru Iburi glanced around the room, almost like making sure nobody was around... and started talking.

"W-well, it is not as if it is something to be secretive about, or to be ashamed about... if anything, it is something my family tells me to take great pride in. After all, there are... none around these days who could handle the same duty as I do. If you wanted me to be more precise..." Subaru bit her lip for a moment, before shaking her head slightly and continuing. "... Well, I suppose the reason why I am hesitant to explain the meaning of a saishu is because it is a rather confusing concept for outsiders."

On Lucille's lap, Tonkori was enjoying the petting from the blonde girl... or perhaps, he was tolerating it. After all, very suddenly, the dog raised his left front paw and placed it on Lucille's hand, almost swatting it aside. In his eyes there was a look of an unsatisfied customer, like a man who had ordered a pizza and had gotten a hamburger instead. Then, very clearly, the dog presented the back of his ears - aiming the optimal scratching spot towards Lucille.

This was... rather clear indicator for a dog.

"Hey, stop stalling already," Mercedes groaned, narrowing her eyes at Subaru. "Like, why'd we 'outsiders' think the term was confusing?"

There was some clear derision in the way the actress repeated the term "outsider", and it didn't pass by Subaru without the girl noticing. She blushed rather heavily and aimed her eyes at the floor - or rather, her bare feet that she was lazily swinging back and forth from the edge of the chair.

"Ah, well... that is... I suppose..." Subaru spoke, taking a moment to find the right words. "... If you want to be technical about it, I suppose the proper term for us, and myself especially as a saishu, would be... heretic."

A heavy silence fell into the room, as heavy as the storm outside.

---

Anna Vandemeel
Location: Mitchell Residence - Kitchen
Phase: Evening Phase
Date: 10.09.1994 (SAT)
Weather: Storm

... The awkward silence after Anna's nod continued for an uncomfortable moment.

It was clear that Zane had been expecting something like an awe from the girl, or even surprise... or even something akin to recognition. But instead, he found none of that, not even a smidgeon. And thus did the redhead young man start to slowly deflate under that flat, blank look in her eyes, unable to respond to how he had his "pride" dashed like this. Meanwhile the younger of the Mitchell brothers, Shane, had a hard time hiding his chuckling at the situation, masking it (rather poorly) with a hacking cough and searching for relief in his glass of juice.

Finally, after almost a minute, Zane finally made a recovery.

"...... Seconds?" the boy asked, rather sheepishly pushing forward the pizza pie with a few slices still in there. "Though, if you're full... I can just pack some of it with you. You know. So you can take some back to the school."

Another bout of awkward silence, during which Shane was about to fall from the chair, looking at his older brother flounder to find something more to talk about now that his "revelation" had failed so magnificently.

"--- Oh, hey, I know!" the younger Mitchell brother suddenly piped up, jumping up from his chair. "If you're done eating, Anna, I can show you around the house! I've got this awesome comics collection in my room, and we got a VHS player in the living room if you wanna watch a movie, and, and..."

Well, there was another possibility: explore the house and see how the brothers spent their free evenings.

After all, it wasn't like the storm was letting up any time soon...

---

Elaine Winters
Location: Big Boy’s Gas Station - Bar
Phase: Evening Phase
Date: 10.09.1994 (SAT)
Weather: Storm

About thirty minutes after Elaine had said a certain Johanna "Otter" Cliff would be buying the next drinks (and after the deputy in question had replied with: "You got it!"), the group of three plus one kid had gotten into quite the good groove at Big Boy's Bar. The jukebox was currently playing the best of mullet rock, plenty of tokens having been inserted into it to ensure that there would be no interruptions in the background music. Johanna's delighted (and slightly drunk) giggle echoed loudly as Kean continued telling a certain story from some time ago where both Elaine and the silver-haired boy had ended up falling into Boston Harbor (though the claim that they emerged smelling like tea was dubious at best).

Still, the mood was quite merry and quite inebriated, though not to the point that it was beginning to be dangerous. Even the nameless child was having a kid time, laughing along with Johanna while sitting on the woman's lap (they had gotten very friendly very quickly during the evening). Kean, on the other hand, had clearly taken it as his duty of the evening to impress Johanna... though the success of his attempts was still to be seen. If nothing else, at least the deputy was wearing a slight blush, though alcohol might have also been to blame.

"Gaah, this weather is the worst!"

It was at that point that the bar's door opened up for the second time in the evening, and for a few scant moments the storm howled in. Then the door was slammed shut once more as two men entered the room. One of them was shorter, wearing a soaked leather jacket and with his raven-black hair in a surprisingly elaborate ponytail. He raised his hand in a greeting to Billie, bringing with him the smell of motor oil and natural tobacco.

The second man couldn't have been more different, and it wasn't just the sell of antiseptic hanging around him. The man was quite tall, only a bit shorter than Billie, and probably at least 5 years older. His brown mop of hair and and tired face spoke of many sleepless nights, and the labcoat he still wore (almost like he had forgotten it) hinted at the reason. The disheveled looking man couldn't have looked more like doctor if he had tried.

"Well well well! If it isn't Tommy Horse and Albert Roslin - reunited at last!" Billie laughed in that boisterous way of hers and slammed two pints of beer onto the counter. "Been a while since I've seen you two knuckleheads at my place. Been busy lately?"

The doctor-like man (apparently Albert Roslin) yawned and mimed being hung with his hands.

"I think I'm developing an ulcer. With all those kids suddenly shoved at Pinefall, we've had our hands full updating our facilities and equipment. The sponsorship we got from Mister Oceandrop was nice and all... but honestly, I'm starting to miss being a small-time doc in a sleepy rural town in the middle of nowhere," the older man replied. "I think I slept an amazing 6 hours in total this week..."

The younger man, one Billied had referred to as Tommy Horse, chuckled and took a swig of the beer presented to him.

"Oh stop bitching, Doc!" he said with a grin. "You're doing important work here, unlike some of us. I mean, I've been digging through junk just so I can impress one youngster moronic enough to be as interest in old, broken down machines as I am!"

The two guys, and Billie, laughed at that and descended into a friendly conversation.

New Person Met!

---

Hisa Momoi & Colt Davin
Location: Pinefall High Dormitory - Hisa's Room
Phase: Evening Phase
Date: 10.09.1994 (SAT)
Weather: Storm

“So...Where do we even begin?”

Now wasn't that the million dollar question?

With five people now packed into one room, it was beginning to feel a bit crowded. Luckily at least their new mystery acquaintance was more than happy to ease the lack of space by moving onto Hisa's bed. She let herself be guided there and, before anyone could really stop her, she faceplanted onto it, burying her nose into the sheets. Loud sniff and two echoed from where her head met the blankets, and after a moment, the girl lifted her gaze back up, looked straight at Hisa, and let out an exuberant:

"Muu!"

Perhaps she had figured out whose bed it was?

Well, whatever it was about, the girl crawled onto the bed and settled as close to Colt as possible, hugging her knees and staring at everything with her dead eyes also full of childlike curiosity, like she had never seen a room like this, or people like these, before. Watching this all unfold, everybody had their own reactions. While Pyry watched over the mystery girl's antics with a slightly confused yet warm grin, Inacio stared at her with a more dubious eye, clearly unsure how to take the frankly bizarre way the girl was acting.

"--- Maybe we should check if there's one more 'unfit for society' kid that didn't arrive," Inacio finally mumbled quietly. "I don't know about you people, but the way this girl is behaving... this isn't normal in any shape or form. She's like a child - no - like an intelligent animal. It might be insensitive to say but... Hisa, when you showered her, did you see any bruises on her head? I'm almost starting to suspect brain damage."

Well, as harsh as it was, Inacio did have a point. The girl with the gradient hair did, however, seem to understand his tone of voice, since she narrowed her eyes at her, peeking from behind Colt and letting out a defiant:

"Nnnaa!"

This reaction made Pyry scratch the back of his head, looking a bit lost.

"Err... I doubt she had any items with her, right? IDs or whatever... nah, of course not, she was only wearing a shirt..." the athlete wondered. "Maybe... maybe she's some local runaway? Wasn't there some talk about a local lumber heiress who was shut in their mansion or something...?"

That... sounded rather far-fetched. But, unable to think anything better, Pyry glanced at Hisa with a look that was almost begging for better ideas.

[Thalraxal]

Elise Pelltier
Location: Pinefall High Dormitory - Kitchen
Phase: Evening Phase
Date: 10.09.1994 (SAT)
Weather: Storm

Elise followed Vier towards the kitchen in silence, as she mulled over the... incident that had just occurred. She considered the words that came out of her mouth, and the sick satisfaction that had coursed through her body as they were uttered.

Is that how Travis feels all the time? Eugh. I'm not sure if I'd want to live like that.

She glanced at Vier for a moment, before turning her eyes back to the floor.

Does she know? Does she think I've seen through her act? I certainly can't figure out what's supposed to be so fake about her.

Elise sighed, No, no. She didn't pry about... the incident, I shouldn't pry about her thing.

Besides. Does it matter? In the end, aren't we all just fakes trying our best to act like we belong anyway?

They reached the kitchen, where Aleen, wrapped in a dozen blankets, was cowering not far from the door. At the opposite end of the room, Gabi squatting on the kitchen counter. The two of them locked in fear, while Ramia laughed at the scene before her, and Ubon standing there looking utterly baffled by what was transpiring.

"Err, Virrie? Essie? What'cha doing? We gots a... Okay, I dunno at all what we gots here, but everybody's being super loud! Also I thinks Allie's got some kinda new game going on, but I cant's figure out howzit suppose to work! Other than bundling up with blankets and worming 'round!"

"Did'cha come play too, or just guffaw like Rammie over here--- Oh?"

“Ubon they’re not playing a game… They’re both surprised by things. Well I guess it should be fine to leave them as is. I’ll see if I can make some kartoffelsuppe.”

"I guess I came to see if I could help... figure this out..." replied Elise as she glanced back and forth between Aleen and Gabi, and struggled to figure out a way to untangle that situation.

She turned to Vier, who had already started rummaging through the cupboards, and asked, "Uhm, is there anything I could do to help you with the soup?"

Elise paused as her ears caught the melody as it started to overpower the noise of the storm. She felt herself relax as the memory of the recent incident momentarily receded from the top of her mind. Glancing about the room, the song seemed to have a similar effect on Gabi and Aleen, as both of them seemed to visibly calm down a little.

"... Wowza... That's super pretty..."

Elise nodded as she followed Ubon's gaze out the kitchen door, and towards the nearby source of the song.

I don't understand a word of this song, but it sure is nice.

[Cheetose]

Hisa Momoi
Location: Pinefall High Dormitory - Hisa’s Room
Phase: Evening Phase
Date: 10.09.1994 (SAT)
Weather: Storm

Sitting at my desk, I eyed the mysterious girl curiously while fidgeting with a pen.

“No, she has no injuries, except for a few scratches that she probably got while running away,” I explained to Inacio after a bit of consideration, “she is perfectly healthy, as long as mental conditions are not considered.”

Not that I don’t know just what her problem could be, but how do I even tell about that to these two…

“I don’t think she was meant to be a classmate of ours. She isn’t exactly in a state to take part in school life in any form…”

Wonder how fast she learns though, or if she was even meant to be able to improve her mental capabilities...Perhaps she is just part of some sort of outlandish experiment for creating hybrids...Or just outright some supernatural lifeform.

“Her being the local heiress might be possible, but it’s kind of a wild guess. Could also be another person from the hospital like the girl Elaine found yesterday, but...It’s not like we’re going to find out from her, are we?”

Well, maybe with a little more digging around in her brain...She should still have memories of a place, a person, or something…


“The more important question would be...What was she running away from? Where did that other thing go, and how did it not notice her?”

Doodling on an empty page of my notebook, I tried to get something on the paper that resembled the thing I saw in Colt’s head - but then, with how little that was, it wouldn’t lead to much.

“And how much do you guys believe in the existence of something like that?”

[Spinach]

Colt Davin
Location: Pinefall High Dormitory - Hisa's Room
Phase: Evening Phase
Date: 10.09.1994 (SAT)
Weather: Storm

“If I wasn’t a believer in things-under-the-bed and whatnot I’d be looking twice the fool for running down the hall shouting that something’s out there.” Answering with a painfully self-aware statement, Colt leaned into the bedframe, where the mysterious girl from the storm had taken up her perch. “Which is to say, yes, I believe in…”

He paused for a second, contemplating the right word to describe what it was that he believed in. It wasn’t as simple as ‘believing in ghosts,’ or ‘gods and demons and magic.’ It was more nuanced than that, but maybe that nuance only existed in his head. The vague idea of believing in something different, not concrete, not quite real, but there…

“Strange things.” Settling on an answer, he glanced over at the gradient-haired girl. She, too, felt like a strange thing to him. “Things that don’t fit quite right with common sense, things people call you crazy for seeing, hearing, or talking to.”

Colt’s voice got quieter near the end, drifting off into a whisper.

All too aware of the way he was going, he let out an irritated sigh and scratched the top of his head.

“And whatever is out in that storm is one hell of a strange thing. I don’t know why it didn’t get her, but…” He looked back at the girl. “…”

And stared at her for a minute. Then he looked over at the others, then back to her.

“I reckon this won’t work, but you wouldn’t happen to have a name, would you?”

[Verg Avesta]

Vier Wolff & Elise Pelltier
Location: Pinefall High Dormitory - Kitchen
Phase: Evening Phase
Date: 10.09.1994 (SAT)
Weather: Storm

“Ubon they’re not playing a game… They’re both surprised by things. Well I guess it should be fine to leave them as is. I’ll see if I can make some kartoffelsuppe.”

"I guess I came to see if I could help... figure this out... Uhm, is there anything I could do to help you with the soup?"

Ubon let out a cute little snort and pointed at Aleen, who was slowly rising up in her cocoon of blankets, like a worm about to scale the walls in their effort to eventually become a beautiful butterfly.

"Virrie, if that ain't playing some game, I dunnos what is!" the cyanhead claimed, sounding rather sure of her assessment of the situation. "I means, blanket barriers are all well and good, but scooting 'round the dorms in one is pretty gamey from what I can see! For realsies!"

The term that Ubon had used definitely caught Aleen's interest, as the bluehead's face popped out from within her cocoon, those red eyes of hers trained at the hyperactive girl.

"You... you know of blanket barriers?" Aleen asked, cautious.

Ubon, on the other hand, gave her a firm nod and a thumbs up.

"Of course I knows of blanket barriers!" she exclaimed. "It's the best defense against sad times along with a bucket full 'a ice cream!"

Meanwhile, Ramia Ramalsaqr, who had finally gathered her bearings and managed to calm down after this whole fiasco, smiled quietly as the distant song ended and rummanged her backpack from under the table. From there she drew a handheld gaming console, NEC TurboExpress that she then proceeded to turn on. She popped in a game... though the HuCard was far from genuine, as it had the word "Chikuden-ya Toubei" written on it with a marker. After booting up the game, Ramia gave few of the buttons a push... though her eyes soon enough glanced towards Elise.

"Guess you guys got stuck here too, thanks to the storm?" The dusky-skinned girl asked. "Still. Gotta say you're an odd combo. I don't think I've seen our two brunettes together before. Just met on a coincidence, or are you planning something sinister?"

She chuckled at her own words, though the way lightning crashed across the sky in the distance seen through the window, it made the girl's words sound far more ominous than she clearly intended.

Meanwhile, still squatting on the countertop, Gabi had started to calm down, and now instead peered at what Vier was about to start. There was a certain sense of scrutiny in the way the effeminate boy watched over her workings, especially as she started properly preparing for the potato soup. And indeed, the first thing that came out of Gabi's mouth was a quiet, though determined, question aimed at Vier.

"... Hast du überhaupt Kartoffeln?"

Well, it was a good question.

---

Hisa Momoi & Colt Davin
Location: Pinefall High Dormitory - Hisa's Room
Phase: Evening Phase
Date: 10.09.1994 (SAT)
Weather: Storm

“I reckon this won’t work, but you wouldn’t happen to have a name, would you?”

The only response that Colt got was a tilt of the head from the mysterious girl, though even that was a bit odd, with the girl actually twisting her whole body to make the gesture seem even more pronounced. And it clearly wasn't deliberate. This whole time, now that the girl with the gradient hair had gotten some of her strength back, it was starting to be clear that all her gestures were rather pronounced - big, wide, clearly visible. Not like normal people whose gestures were sometimes very subtle.

"Foooo?" the girl let out a strange sound, with a slightly question-like intonation.

Still... judging from the various sounds she was making, it wasn't as if they were simply random.

Perhaps there was a way to "understand" her by categorizing her responses in some way...

---- Still, while that was going on, there was still the question that Hisa had asked.

Question that had made Inacio seem rather uncomfortable.

"W-well... I'd be lying if I said I didn't consider the possibility of those... "strange things", like Colt put it, from time to time," the musician replied. "However, I've always been in the mind that there's a logical explanation for all of them - even if we don't have it yet. Things straight up paranormal or supernatura, well... considering them real opens a whole can of worms I'd rather not think about. Still, like I said... I believe Colt here saw something out there, and it did lead us to this girl, so..."

He searched for the right words, but in the end, all that Inacio could do was heave a heavy sigh and shrug, with the lightning outside almost punctuating his wordless statement.

"... Honestly, I have no idea what to believe."

Pyry, who had been listening to the other two boys, nodded at them while wearing a smile that was somewhere between slightly amused and slightly bitter. At the same time, he was peeling off the hoodie he had thrown on, since wearing it now was doing more harm than good. For some reason, though, the T-shirt he had beneath it was starting to look almost dry now. Had he gotten it dried at some point...?

"Well... you know my opinion on this stuff, Hisa," the blonde boy said vaguely. "I mean, if she was something like that, we'd have to be extremely careful, because strange things tend to attract strange things... and thus create misfortune for those involved. Sticking one's nose into something like that is not something that should be done lightly, especially if you're not part of that sorta stuff yourself... That's just asking for a miserable end."

Pyry made a meaningful glance towards Colt and Inacio, before looking back at Hisa.

"Also... another girl? Found by Elaine Winters?" Pyry continued, his expression growing even more serious. "That... that can't be a coincidence, can it?"

[Cheetose]

Hisa Momoi
Location: Pinefall High Dormitory - Hisa’s Room
Phase: Evening Phase
Date: 10.09.1994 (SAT)
Weather: Storm

“It could be just a coincidence,” I answered Pyry after considering just how much to say, “That other girl had a hospital gown, supposedly some scars too...And was able to talk as well, I think?”

The two cases feel to be quite different as well. For the other girl...They were most likely just experimenting on her, but she still seemed to be human...On the other hand, this girl is more like an experiment herself. To have her brain, and the fluids inside her body altered that much, something like that shouldn’t be possible.

But...Just what kind of hospital could this be, if they can perform such experiments? What kind of equipment would they need, and just what is their purpose…

Or maybe she was just born that way, a supernatural being of sorts?

“But whether or not she attracts more trouble, we can’t just get rid of her. She is here for some reason, and I would rather try to find out what that is. Besides…” I said as my lips curled into a bitter smile, “It’s not like we don’t have strange things happening constantly anyways.”

Thinking about it...Every day’s been just like that. Strange, seemingly meaningless things happening one after another, piling up like pieces of a puzzle...And with all the people here going to different places, meeting different people, they gather different pieces, but never sharing, the puzzle only builds up slowly.

“For the logical meaning behind things...Well, is that even important? When you are facing something like what Colt saw, their existence becomes a hard fact, and at that point, is there a reason to refuse their existence, or to fit them within the boundaries of humanity’s limited knowledge and perspective of the world?”

I wonder if Inacio will think it’s crazy as well. And with how many times I’ve already tried to explain it...Maybe it’s about time I worked on a proper explanation.

“And I can tell you, in a town like this, you’re going to face something like that sooner or later.”

“In fact, you already have one here,” I explained somewhat anxiously as I gestured towards the mysterious girl with my head, knowing just where this might lead, “the girl whose brain is probably not even that of a human, not in structure, and not in the way it works. Probably explains why she behaves the way she does, but I don’t know that much yet.”

With the same bitter smile from before, I turned towards Inacio, observing the boy’s reactions, while wondering just what exactly could be going through his head;

“Better accept the facts here while it’s still calm and peaceful, rather than breaking down in panic in a situation where you might actually be in danger.”

[Spinach]

Colt Davin
Location: Pinefall High Dormitory - Hisa's Room
Phase: Evening Phase
Date: 10.09.1994 (SAT)
Weather: Storm

"Foooo?"

“I’ll take that for a no.” Colt gave the girl a smile. “Don’t worry, we’ll figure something out.”

After that, Colt fell silent. His eyes shifting in thought every few seconds. Anyone paying attention could practically see the gears and cogs in his brain turning as they mulled over the issue. To him, it felt like treating her as an object instead of a person to not have some sort of identity to attach to her. Not really knowing who you were, where you came from, or anything at all. Not having an identity.

Having been there, he only wanted to help there at least a little bit. For now he couldn’t do much, but at the least, Colt could provide some identity.

While his brain ran through it all, he still paid attention to the others.

Eventually, the conversation took a turn he couldn’t help but lock in on.

“In fact, you already have one here, the girl whose brain is probably not even that of a human, not in structure, and not in the way it works. Probably explains why she behaves the way she does, but I don’t know that much yet.”

Colt tilted his head.

“Did you go poking under her skull or something during that shower?”

And asked the first thing that came to mind. Without a doubt the gradient-haired girl’s behavior fell far outside of normal. The first thought Colt had to explain it was that she might be some sort of feral child. Completely unsocialized, isolated from people for her entire life. It was the easiest, fastest conclusion he could reach to justify how she acted.

Colt’s eyes narrowed a bit, and he glanced over at Pyry as well.

Come to think of it, these two ain’t exactly normal either, are they…

“Wait,” noticing something strange, Colt shot a finger at Pyry, “… when’d you get a dry shirt?”

[Verg Avesta]

Hisa Momoi & Colt Davin
Location: Pinefall High Dormitory - Hisa's Room
Phase: Evening Phase
Date: 10.09.1994 (SAT)
Weather: Storm

“Better accept the facts here while it’s still calm and peaceful, rather than breaking down in panic in a situation where you might actually be in danger.”

Inacio's smile was tinted bitter as he accepted Hisa's words for now... though in his eyes, a seed of some sort of doubt still lingered. It wasn't that the boy wanted to doubt any of his classmates, but at the same time, he couldn't readily accept something being "supernatural" or "paranormal" just like that. Behind his somewhat flamboyant and flighty personality, the Lusitanian seemed to be more or less a man of logic - the type who would make his own deductions based on what he saw.

"Alright. I'll promise not to be consumed by panic if we're accosted by a huge, shadowy something as Colt describes," Inacio replied, his smile turning a bit warmer. "While I still think that it's possible for there to be a mundane explanation for all this... I can't deny that the girl herself is a true oddity. Just where are you from, and who are you...?"

The last few words were said as Inacio slowly walked over to the mysterious girl and squatted down to an eye-level. He peered a little closer, and the girl's dead eyes peered back - holding nothing but curiosity in them. The tense silence stretched for a moment, until suddenly, the girl blew a raspberry at Inacio... who just chuckled in return.

"Well, whoever you are, Colt is right. We need to figure something out regarding the name. Saying 'You' or 'The girl' just feels rude," the musician concluded.

Meanwhile, Colt had found some oddities regarding what both Pyry and Hisa had said, and was now questioning the two about them.

And as for what came to the latter question...

“Wait… when’d you get a dry shirt?”

Pyry blinked, like a kid whose hand was caught in a cookie jar.

"I... I, err... I just raised my..." Pyry stammered for a moment, before groaning loudly - his shoulders slumping like he had given up. "Eh, here, man. It's easier to just show you."

Then, without warning, the tall blonde walked over to Colt and caught a hold of his wrist. Without waiting or letting Colt prepare, Pyry lited the hem of his shirt, revealing his toned stomach and marble-like abs. Then, in the same move, he planted Colt's palm against said abs, letting the shorter boy feel just how marble-like they were, even in the toughness and hardness.

... And to also let Colt feel how touching Pyry was like touching a heated up radiator.

"See? I started it when we got inside," Pyry explained. "... Comes in pretty handy during times like this. Or back in Lapland during winter."

Inacio, curious that he was, walked over to the two boys and pressed his own hand against Pyry's stomach. Immediately his eyebrows shot towards his hairline, and the musician gave a shocked - and impressed - look towards the Finn.

"This... this one of those 'strange things' Colt mentioned?" Inacio asked.

"I suppose so," Pyry grunted in response.

-------- Well now.

Just what was this gathering of three teenage boys turning into?

"V-Vaaaf...."

At least the girl with the gradient hair seemed to flush a little, looking at it.

[Spinach]

Colt Davin
Location: Pinefall High Dormitory - Hisa's Room
Phase: Evening Phase
Date: 10.09.1994 (SAT)
Weather: Storm

"Eh, here, man. It's easier to just show you."

“Uh, show me wh- wait,” the question was cut short by an unfairly strong grip coming down on Colt’s wrist, dragging his hand toward an even more unfairly chiseled chest, “hold up, bro I’m-“

The protest, ‘I’m not into this kinda stuff,’ died in Colt’s throat as he felt the heat on his palm.

“Bro,” in just a second the hurried attempt at getting out of the situation turned into a sort of fascination, as the strangely warm chest pushed away the momentary concern and left only amazement in Colt’s head, “bro.”

He repeated the word.

“Bro,” again, he repeated it, then looked up, away from the abs, to look Pyry in the eyes. “That’s not normal dude.”

Colt turned to Inacio, who for some reason was joining him in planting a hand on Pyry’s shirtless body.

“Bro, what is going on at this school?”

[Cheetose]

Hisa Momoi
Location: Pinefall High Dormitory - Hisa’s Room
Phase: Evening Phase
Date: 10.09.1994 (SAT)
Weather: Storm

“H-hey, stop touching each other,” I exclaimed as something outrageous was in the brewing in the middle of my room, “You don’t do something like this in a girl’s room, in front of girls!”

Was Colt just outright losing his mind? Did touching a guy’s abs turn him on or something? Or is this normal between boys?

“But, to answer your question,” I started with my gaze turned away from the boys, “It’s not literally poking under someone’s skull but...Just a feeling, I suppose?”

“Like how I could see exactly what you saw when I asked you to focus on it.”

I lifted up the finished drawing to emphasize, but while in a sense it was complete, it still felt unfinished, with how little information was available of the dark figure on the picture.

“For what’s going on in the school, and...Well, in this whole town, is clearly some huge mystery. A lot of people seem to be involved with the supernatural, and I’m starting to think that the purpose of this school isn’t exactly to correct social rejects.”

Remembering something, I turned to Pyry, and tried to focus on his face, rather than what was going on below;

“Pyry, have you been to your room since you got back?”

[Verg Avesta]

Hisa Momoi & Colt Davin
Location: Pinefall High Dormitory - Hisa's Room
Phase: Evening Phase
Date: 10.09.1994 (SAT)
Weather: Storm

“Pyry, have you been to your room since you got back?”

Looking slightly smug when he put his shirt back on properly (and leaving both Colt and Inacio looking more or less mystified), Pyry turned towards Hisa and shook his head. At the mention of "since you got back" he also flashed a momentary awkward look - the look of someone who knew there was serious stuff to talk about, explanations to be made and behavior to apologize for. Even the two other boys could sense this, even if the blonde athlete quickly swept such emotions from his face and under the rug.

"Nah, I haven't. Crashed right on the couch after I got out from the rain. I was... out running here and there, trying to get my thoughts in order, and, well... Geh. Listen, Hisa, I know we gotta talk about this more later, but for now, I want you to know I'm so--- H-hey, what's she doing?"

Pyry's confusion was quite understandable.

After all, the mystery girl with the gradient hair had been staring quite intently at the sight of the three boys testing out Pyry's (apparently heater-like) abs and now... her eyes slowly turned towards Hisa. The girl quickly crawled across the bed to where Hisa was sitting, and without a warning, she reached forward. Before the scarred girl could even protest, their newest companion had lifted Hisa's shirt slightly and slapped her palm against the belly revealed.

--------- The most awkward silence that could have stretched for eternity.

"... Nnn?" The mystery girl wondered with that noise-like language of hers.

There was a slight choking sound, and soon enough both Inacio and Colt found themselves staring at the opposite wall. Pyry, having realized what just had happened - and having recovered the quickest - had caught both of them by the shoulders and turned them around... along with himself. Now the blonde athlete was sweating quiet bullets, trying his best not to stare back onto the bizarre recreation of the scene he himself had caused just moments prior.

"... Bro," Inacio quietly muttered, looking Pyry and Colt with a clear question in his eyes.

"Bro..." Pyry answered with a shake of his head.

They better not get involved. They were, after all,

boys

strangers

in a

girl's room

strange land

right now. Anything could spell their doom if they did the wrong move.

Meanwhile, the girl with the gradient hair gave Hisa's tummy a slight squeeze, looking somewhat annoyed that it didn't produce heat.

"... Nnnn..."

Was she pouting...?

[Spinach]

Colt Davin
Location: Pinefall High Dormitory - Hisa's Room
Phase: Evening Phase
Date: 10.09.1994 (SAT)
Weather: Storm

Having been freed from the warmth of Pyry’s chest, Colt found himself sentenced to staring-at-the-wall jail. Even when he realized just what had happened, how he had come to be facing the wall, he didn’t try to escape. Without words, all three boys came to an understanding in that moment.

Yes, they didn’t need words. They only needed one, singular word.

“… Bro.”

Colt gave a lopsided grin.

There was nothing more to say.

Now all they could do was listen and wait for permission to turn back around.

[Cheetose]

Hisa Momoi
Location: Pinefall High Dormitory - Hisa’s Room
Phase: Evening Phase
Date: 10.09.1994 (SAT)
Weather: Storm

“We can talk later, I just asked because your door was open so I---”

What happened next was so sudden and unexpected, my words just turned into a high pitched shriek, a sound that I would never make voluntarily;

“Kya~”

Then, without even getting a chance to react or regain my composure, the mysterious girl planted her palm on my stomach with a smack, the sudden sensation making me let out a soft moan - something that instantly made me feel extremely embarrassed afterwards, especially after realizing the presence of the boys as well.

“W-what are you doing?! Why are you all turning away?!”

Without thinking, I pushed the girl back on the bed and got on top of her, preparing to give her a payback for what she had done. Supporting my weight with one hand, my body and face was just a few inches away from hers, and after establishing eye contact, I moved my other hand under her shirt, lightly stroking her skin along the way as I moved my hand upwards.

For the moment, I forgot that the boys were even in the room, and only cared about teaching the other girl a lesson.

[Verg Avesta]

Hisa Momoi & Colt Davin
Location: Pinefall High Dormitory - Hisa's Room
Phase: Evening Phase
Date: 10.09.1994 (SAT)
Weather: Storm

“W-what are you doing?! Why are you all turning away?!”

If possible, the amount of bullets of sweat running down Pyry's face doubled... even if he returned that lopsided grin of Colt's.

"W-well, it'd be kinda rude for us guys to stare with something like that going on!" The blonde youth replied. "So feel free to get things under control, we won't stare while--- Wait, the hell...?"

Involuntary, Pyry looked over his shoulder... and while he might have said quite the many things about Hisa currently looking like she was about to molest their mystery guest, that was not the thing he concentrated on. No, right now there was something else that took precedence over everything else. Something unexpected that was going on below Hisa that made even the events of today pale in comparison to just how plain damn weird it was. There were many things one could accept when interacting with other human beings, but this... this just ran roughshoud over all sense of normalcy.

"Bwrrr-^PAH!"

An absolutely surreal sound.

One that started as a low, deep rumbling that echoed from somewhere inside the girl under Hisa, sounding like it came from her internal organs... some other chambers above her lungs that definitely weren't suppose to be there. Indeed, the scarred girl could feel her whole hand vibrate thanks to how the sound started.

And the way the sound concluded, becoming a loud snapping sound that was almost like someone took the sound of a whiskey bottle opening and played around with the pitch - a sound that came out of the girl's mouth when she opened it... it was just icing on the cake. It crowned this abnormality happening right before their ears.

"Bwrrr-^PAH! Bwrrr-^PAH! Bwrrr-^PAH!"

If one searched from around the world, perhaps the closest one could have gotten was the territorial rumbling of the cassowary... but even that was just a semi-distant relative to this sound.

But even so... even if they had no idea how the girl was producing that sound, they all knew why she was doing it.

-------- The girl with the gradient girl was giggling. Laughing at getting to play with her new friends.

"... Man, just how innocent can a girl be?" Pyry mumbled, his expression easing into a smile as he let go of Pyry and Inacio. Then he shot a sort of amused, a sort of warning glare towards Hisa. "I hope you're not about to do something bad to our new friend, alright?"

Even Inacio, after gathering his courage and looking back, chuckled.

"Well... I suppose that's a new way to make friends?" he asked, only for Pyry to roll his eyes.

"Don't encourage Hisa..." he grumbled, yet sounded amused.

And all the while, in the background, the weirdest laugh they had heard continued.

"Bwrrr-^PAH! Bwrrr-^PAH! Bwrrr-^PAH! Bwrrr-^PAH!"

[Ayakashi]

--- Vivienne Bianchi Date: 10.09.1994 (SAT) Location: Owl's Nest, Reception Phase: Evening Phase Weather: Storm ---

"I'm not in a rush or anything. Books don't run away. If you're busy, I can wait. Oh, but I wanna talk to you too if you have time! That's why you came here too, right, Vivi? Besides, it's not like we can run away, either..."

"Yes... we can have... talk... with biscuits... and tea."

She nods at Prushka's wise suggestion. Indeed, there was time, quite a lot of time, but then there was a certain part in Prushka's statement that wasn't entirely true.

Vivienne Bianchi had not envisioned meeting Rachel Holloway here, and while it was convenient, and perhaps charming to meet the person who spoke with her at the lighthouse, there was another purpose why she had come here too.

With no drawing, simply using words, Vivienne inquires:

"Alex Terrot... here?"

The person whom she had expressed interest in searching for mysteries with... the person that sat on the bus next to her as they drove to this town far in the country side... someone who was quite busy! Very busy by the looks of it, always disappearing after class was over.

[Verg Avesta]

Vivienne Bianchi & Prushka
Location: Owl's Nest Hotel
Phase: Evening Phase
Date: 10.09.1994 (SAT)
Weather: Storm

"Is it a bad time? I'm not in a rush or anything. Books don't run away. If you're busy, I can wait. Oh, but I wanna talk to you too if you have time! That's why you came here too, right, Vivi? Besides, it's not like we can run away, either..."

"Yes... we can have... talk... with biscuits... and tea."

Rachel grimaced as she looked into the storm outside the windows, the fury of nature howling and screaming with both wind and rain coming in at full force. The cracks of lightning, followed by roaring thunder in the distance, signaled that there really was no leaving the hotel right now. Perhaps that was the reason (not just her clear dislike of Prushka) why the redhead had been so against the idea of showing the two around the library. After all, when they had arrived, she had been really eager to leave for whatever reason...

"They are correct," James Halloway rumbled, looking at his niece. "To brave that storm is a fool's errand. You will stay here. And in the meantime, you will help our guests. That's that - our argument about this is finished."

Rachel shot a look of annoyance and anger towards her uncle... however, it fizzled out quickly when met with the stone cold stare of the older man. It really was clear who would come out on top in this argument. In other words, the young woman had no chance. Therefore, after heaving one gigantic sigh, she leaned against the nearby wall, folded her arms across her chest, and glared at Vivienne and Prushka.

"... Fine. But if the storm lets up at all, I'm out," she announced, still defiant. "And then you can show them those dusty tomes you love so much."

Perhaps to people's slight surprise, James Halloway replied with a nod.

"Very well. If it's that important to you."

The look of anger on Rachel's face became more complicated. She clearly wanted to be still miffed... but couldn't when met with such a honest, frank response that didn't just brush her wants aside. As tumultous as she seemed to be, it wasn't as if the young redhead actually hated her uncle or anything. If anything, arguments like these often developed from proper familial bonds.

That was probably the case here, too.

"Alex Terrot... here?"

"Huh?" Rachel replied with a sound of confusion, cocking an eyebrow at Vivienne.

While James Halloway went to talk with some of his employees (after excusing himself and telling Prushka: 'At ease, Miss'), the redhead closer to their age mulled over this question. Her face scrunched up a bit as she descended deep into though, rubbing her chin and staring into the distance while probably going over the names she had come across this week.

Finally Rachel snapped her fingers in a moment of clarity.

"Oh, right... the young reporter, right? Yeah, she might be here still," Rachel answered, turning to look at Vivienne. "I mean, she rented a room for a whole month. I doubt she's spending this stormy night anywhere else."

Then, her eyes narrowed - clearly suspicious.

"... Why?"