Astronomika - Shooting Down Falling Stars (IC)

[Mormarth]

Elaine Winters
Location: Pinefall High Dormitory - Kitchen
Phase: Morning Phase
Date: 07.09.1994
Weather: Partly Cloudy

I paused in my assault on the bastion of meat, the fortress upon which my endless fury bore down upon and looked up, swallowing and pawing for a napkin, dabbing delicately at my face.

Hm, what to do about this now.

Hmm.

Well, Sakura's asking me to be a pillar of reason, so no need for me to bow out.

Sakura Tsukioka sobbed for release, clawing at her throat as her life faded away.

She was a girl I’d never really known.

I moved without thinking, ripping the already tattered raincoat off of me.

I tore at the sleeves, remembering the words of my father.

We save people, we hunt things.

I blinked away memories not even more than 24 hours past.

Right then, let's start this off smoothly.

I smiled, "No, Sakura, I don't think people would intentionally go out of their way to hurt someone, at least I hope not. But..."

My smile reversed, frowning thoughtfully, "A lot of people here are hurt, on the inside I mean, even me, despite my charming personality. Anything could just set someone off and then its something everyone regrets, making a whole bunch of bone-headed moves because emotions get hot."

My lips twitched, "It's the kind of situation that has your guts churned up and getting screamed at for something you have no idea about. Just because someone got upset about something you did out of some harmless fun, or caused something through your actions that you would've had no idea about."

I sighed, "People are complicated, but I like to think the best of them. At the very least, I'm going to try my best to make sure nothing too bad goes down, even if I've been a little hands-off, recently."

I took another bite into the seemingly endless wall, chewing slowly, consideringly, then swallowed.

"I like helping people, and I like being nice to people, I'm good at it. So I think if people put their heads together, we can really find a way forward, even if we're all scared and freaked out about things that may not even happen. Might be better to think about it like that, huh?"

I adjusted my hat, brushing irritably at the cowlick that refused to be hidden away in the dark like a shameful cousin, "You just have to look at the facts, and then instead of having a big fuss about it, look at it, act methodically, and solve it as best you can. No one can blame ya for that."

I shot a side-eye at Lucille, winking, "Thanks for not bringing me in for dream-crime, officer, I'll make it up to you later. Treat you to a meal or something in town, maybe?"

I frowned to myself a bit more, eyes fluttering shut, "Y'know, sometimes dreams carry thoughts or feelings of stuff that might happen, so if you put it together, it's pretty convenient, means now you know what not to do, right? It's like a do-over."

I chomped away at the sub some more, brow furrowing in challenge, "I'm pretty into that kind of stuff, like the Mandela Effect."

[Bloble]

Prushka
Location: Pinefall High - Cafeteria
Phase: Morning Phase
Date: 07.09.1994
Weather: Partly Cloudy

"..ah."

That was a whole lot of stuff I don't understand. Perhaps because I was never too interested in religion. Not much reason to be; it's something that exists for the sake of humans. Someone like me won't get anything out of it.

"Well, I say all that, but that is only part of what we are today. Mostly we are simply the religious center for the Annupuri Ranges and Mount Yōtei, and the small villages around there. We also train hunting dogs and... oh! We do also train ban'ei horses! That is perhaps what we are most famous of in recent years, yes!"

But I do understand training animals. Sort of. Never really did so myself, but I got to help out a bit.

"Is that anything like training huskies? I've ridden sleds but never a pony..."

Not for lack of wanting to. But that would be entirely impossible.

Yes. Just like me being here right now, talking and alive. That sort of impossible.

How? I'll be wondering for a while, so might as well start now. How? How am I here?

Option one, someone rewound time and somehow preserved my memory. That's... ridiculous. I can't picture even the Arche of a time-travelling ESPer doing that. Not a whole week. Not the whole world. And certainly not for someone else besides themselves. Maybe some sort of grand ritual from one of the magical academies or a classified OOPart... I don't really know much about how they operate, so that train of thought is a dead end to nowhere.

Option two, that dream really was a dream. A vision from a clairvoyant. It's not unheard of to be able to see into the future, or potential futures. Angelica is proof enough of just how possible it is, leaving aside the ones I know all too well... so if it was a vision, or only my thoughts were sent back. That's more feasible. Still doesn't answer the question of why though.

But there is a why. Angelica warned us. Did she know? Did she forsee the last week? All of last week? Did she see me, right here, right now? Or is this moment in time a scintillating kaleidoscope for her, months ago, staring into the future? Just what does it mean to see everything? To know that it's always raining some other day?

That's impossible for me to understand. After all, I can only exist in this moment. The thoughts of someone like that are as far from mine as mine are from those of humans.

Is that why Lockhart is like that?

With a blink, I return to the conversation. Can't zone out now.

"A most interesting religion, and a most interesting pastime. At my previous academy, we did not have horses, but I always enjoyed a good tale about knights and dragons. It is a shame I was never able to learn to ride, though... I don't have any outlandishly interesting hobbies like that, though. I suppose in some ways I'm rather plain."

"Alright!"

With a triumphant stab, my fork slams into the plate before me.

"This'll be the last try, Ms.Alexstrasza 'Plain Girl' Lockhart!"

It's now or never. I absolutely can't stand this girl. She's too damned pleasant. If I'm in a dream, I'll at least dream as myself. Last time I ran away, but not this time!

"You're in luck. I just happen to have a mighty steed parked in my room right this moment. A rare one-of-a-kind collector's item that has never been ridden by anyone besides me in the history of the universe! And I happen to have a destination in mind; that lighthouse that had sad harmonica music coming out of it yesterday evening. I'll give you a ride. I'll even let you try it out yourself. But!"

The

fork

sword

is drawn from the

eggs

stone

. It swirls through the air, settles in my hands... and is pointed at the placid girl before me, whose face might as well be made of frozen clay.

"One! Just one expression! That's the price of an admission ticket. You can make some silly face or do something scary, as long as it's more real than whatever you've got on you right now. I also accept corny jokes and silly stories. You're good with words, so it should be no problem, right? Maybe this'll get me slapped again, but I don't care. I'm not letting our impression of you end at 'someone who sits there and talks about everything as if it were nothing'. You're definitely more interesting than that."

I sit back and fold my arms.

What was I thinking about again? Time travel? Death and despair? Ah, forget it.

"We're all giving that 'make friends' thing a shot, right? You must be, too, if you're sitting here talking to us. That starts with taking off the mask, even if it's just a little, even if you have to kinda force it. It's just like Subaru said. We're all forcing it a little and that's fine. Sometimes what turns a rough night into a good morning is a good old step outside the comfort zone. Or maybe a ride outside the comfort zone, atop a bright pink dragon."

There we go. If this doesn't work, I give up.

Ah, dammit, one of my cheeks is purple and covered in goop... and the other is burning from embarassment at saying something so ridiculous. But it's fine! Lockhart is a ridiculous person and Pinefall is a ridiculous place for ridiculous people, so being a little ridiculous is just fine!

"And Subaru... I figured out how to thank you. A present. Shrines have those... those ofuda things, right? You write down something you want and make a wish, right? I'll make one of those for you. Can't really give you luck or improve marriage prospects, but I can at least put some feelings in it. So what do you wish you had more of? Self-confidence? Studying smarts? Grit and determination? Name a name and I'll write it."

I affix the girl with a dead serious stare. No, I'm always serious, so she just has to feel that seriousness through the air!

[Mellon]

Anna Vandemeel
Location: Pinefall High - Cafeteria
Phase: Morning Phase
Date: 07.09.1994
Weather: Partly Cloudy

"Oh? Skipping the first lesson of the first day? That's pretty bold, Anna. Bold enough that even I ain't that stupid. You just know your sleep would be interrupted in about 15 minutes by them dragging you to the Principal's office,"

"Though if it's that Hatou guy, I don't think I'd mind. He's got biceps like howitzers after all..."

Anna’s eyes nearly rolled out of her skull, as she watched Ramia give her best impression of a wistful maiden. She wouldn’t have really expected the dusky-skinned mercenary to be the type for something like that. Someone like King, perhaps, but... Well, probably best to not put too much stock into something like that. The girl in front of her had far deeper depths than she initially portrayed, and Anna still wasn’t completely sure if she had glimpsed the true person underneath the straightforward image she projected.

…though perhaps she shouldn’t be the one to talk.

"... I better not go..."

And there it was again. Like clockwork, Gabi’s reaction was identical to last time. The chances of the blonde boy retaining his memories were close to zero. There was no way he could interact with her like this if he remembered. Anna could see maybe Ramia do something like this, but Gabi…. Gabi was brittle like glass, to begin with. Foreknowledge like that might be sufficient alone to shatter him, either out of guilt or out of despair.

Behavioral patterns for most people were almost identical, it seemed, so why were there so many divergences in appearances and timings…

…Could it be that there were more people with “memories” such as hers? Not everyone, but only a few? That would explain the variance, but why? Why not everyone? Was it associated with Muse? That figure cloaked in white she saw in the forest of her soul?

And perhaps, more importantly, who were the nexus points for this distortion? The more the situation diverges, the less useful her foreknowledge would be but considering what a mess things had been last time almost anything might be an improvement.

“It will be fine, Gabi.” Anna gave the German boy a reassuring smile. “Everyone in this place is an outcast in kinda similar circumstances, so you shouldn’t worry too much about it.”

“Don’t think you need to worry about any alcohol or anything the like either. I doubt the curmudgeons that teach in this place will even allow anything like that, so the entire thing will probably be quite mellow, y’know?”

“In any case, if you want, me and Ramia can hang around with you during the party to make you feel a bit more at ease.”

“And if you really don’t want to come, that’s fine as well. No-one can force you.”

[Frantic Author]

--- Alexstrasza Lockhart Date: 07.09.1994. Location: Road's End Phase: Morning Phase Weather: Partly Cloudy ---

"An expression? I'm sorry, you appear to have misunderstood me," I said to the small girl, my eyes wide. "What you see before you has the unfortunate distinction of being my face. It merely moves as it wants to, because I have little - if any - control over it."

Who is this?

Who is this?

Why is she here? I don't understand her. A real expression, a real feeling, a real belief. What does she mean? An emotion that I 'feel'?

I feel them all the time.

I just don't understand them.

"I suppose I could try, yes? Perform for your amusement? A fun pastime, I must say. I will strive to rise to the occasion."

Closing my eyes I took a deep breath, holding it in tight enough to puff out my cheeks. I then opened one eye, placing an upside gun atop my forehead, before sticking my tongue out, letting the air go.

A performance.

A joke.

A lie.

They're all really the same thing in the end, a way to relate to others when you yourself are unrelatable. In the cast of life, I am too absurd to exist for these people. In the light of the moon, I was told I was a child, and I have been proven correct.

I died because of naivety. Of innocence. Of a belief in other people and a desire to aid them. To tell others of myself, in this setting, is impossible. "Who are you?" A mage. "What do you do?" Magic. "What do you do for fun?" Study magic. "Why do you do it?" to exist.

I cannot be honest with anyone outside of the turnside. Every second I spend telling myself otherwise is a delusion. It is a pretty package on a terrible present. What I am is fire. Who I am is disaster.

The pretense is merely born of arrogance.

"Tee-hee!" I say it with a twist of my lip upwards and my tongue hanging out like a dog. "How'd I do?"

[Bloble]

Prushka
Location: Pinefall High - Cafeteria
Phase: Morning Phase
Date: 07.09.1994
Weather: Partly Cloudy

"..."

'How did I do' she asks.

Isn't the answer obvious?

"You pass!"

I sit back and cross my arms.

"Even if it's a performance, it's a performance with feeling in it!"

That went about as well as could be expected!

"What did you think, Subaru? It was good, right? I think my heart skipped a beat!"

I wonder what kind of person she is, under there. Clearly, whoever she is... she's trying. Even if she's bound by herself, unable to be honest, that desire is the real thing. That much, I can understand.

"And, as promised, it's a date. I'll see you after school, Zaza. And no need to pack a helmet; I'll let you borrow mine. But some knee and elbow pads wouldn't hurt."

Even if I couldn't see it here... the next battleground will surely bring out her genuine expression!

[Verg Avesta]

Lucille Faraday, Elaine Winters & Colt Davin
Location: Pinefall High Dormitory - Kitchen
Phase: Morning Phase
Date: 07.09.1994
Weather: Partly Cloudy

"I'm pretty into that kind of stuff, like the Mandela Effect."

Sakura Tsukioka was a logical young woman.

Sakura Tsukioka was a rational young woman.

Sakura Tsukioka was a analytical young woman.

Indeed, Sakura Tsukioka was someone who had seen all sorts of things in her years of living, and she wasn't taken by surprise very easily. Even when the trio of people, all of her classmates and one a bit more, had appeared in the kitchen - all talking about nightmares - she hadn't even flinched. Instead she had activated her caretaker instincts, sat them down, and started cooking for them. Even when one of them had insisted he'd cook his own food, Sakura had played along, since he clearly needed something to take his mind off of things. Even when two of them had started up a conversation about a supposedly shared nightmare where all of their class had died in gruesome manners, themselves included, she didn't budge since she took it as the nerves getting the better of these two. Even when the third person started bringing up possibilities that the nightmares had been visions of future, she held strong, knowing that it was quite unlikely.

Still... there was something Sakura Tsukioka couldn't exactly abide. Something she couldn't bear as the Head Maid of the Faraday Household for over half a decade now.

Which was...

"Ahem."

Suddenly.

The hugging Colt and Lucille found a hand that had appeared between them. And then another. And now those hands were forcing them apart quite steadily and without giving an inch. And when the gap between the boy and the girl had grown large enough, Sakura Tsukioka slipped herself in there and quite forcibly pushed the two apart, separating them. Colt towards the kitchen counter, Lucille towards the kitchen table. The ponytailed brunette then shot a look to Colt that might have frozen ice, though she tried to temper it with a smile of sorts. Sakura Tsukioka was an understanding person after all. Something was going on here, and these two youngsters were honestly distraught.

Which meant that first, she would have to find out what exactly was going on here.

"Mistress Lucille, please sit down," Sakura said as she pulled a chair for the blonde and forced her to sit down, both with her tone and her arms. "Good. Now then, Mistress Lucille..."

Lucille had been made sit there, on the chair, with her hands on her lap.

Sakura lowered her stance so that she was staring at the girl straight on the eye-level.

Firmly, she put her hand on Lucille's shoulder.

And..

"--- Have you been taking drugs?"

Asked the first, important question.

[Verg Avesta]

John Dove
Location: Pinefall High Field
Phase: Morning Phase
Date: 07.09.1994
Weather: Partly Cloudy

“I now realize I have been looking down on you, and that sickens me. Please accept my apologies, Ubon. I am very sorry.”

"H-hweh?"

Ubon let out quite the strange sound when she heard where this new topic led, her steps also coming to a slightly fumbling stop as she found herself the target of John's serious gaze. While she had clearly expected the matter-of-fact banter to answer her own teasing, she certainly had not expected this form of sincere apology for something she didn't even know needed apologizing for. Surprise and embarrassment shone clear on her face, and just for a second, even Ubon betrayed a hint of blush on her face.

But just as quick she pushed it back down, waving her hands to dispel any seriousness and to try and make John stop his stare.

"C-come on Johnnie, no need to get so grim! I-I mean, I didn't even know you'd been doing that, for realsies!" Ubon answered, jogging back to John as if showing him her pearly whites in form of an embarrassed grin could somehow convey what she meant. "P-plus it's totes awkward and embarrassing if you go 'bout it so honestly! Makes me look like all sorts of dork for not noticing what'cha were thinking!"

Laughing awkwardly, Ubon patted John on the shoulder. Even with her lithe arms, the slams were surprisingly powerful, showing that even if she tried to downplay it now, Ubon was someone who trained a lot and who honed her skills to the point they even showed in her normal daily interactions.

Maybe she even herself realized this, as she quickly let go of John's shoulders.

"B-besides, it's just me, right? Totes normal Ubon! Nothing wrong with think I'm a bit of a dumdums, everybody else thinks so too! I mean, you know what they say! Morons make for good athletes, and all that!" Ubon said and giggled, rapping the side of her head with her knuckle. "So don't beat yourself up over it. It's not like I'm hurts, because even I know I'm sort of a dummy and that I'm naturally good at this sorta stuff. And it's no skin off my back if someone believes that it's all natural talent. I mean, as long as I'm good at it, and perform well... who cares whether it's practice or talent? Results kinda speak for themselves."

Having said that, Ubon put her hands on her hips and beamed a wide, sunshine-level grin to John while looking rather proud of herself.

"I managed to impress you, right? As long as I can do that to my friends and brighten up their days, who the heck cares whether it's talent or practice!"

Well... looks like that again, Ubon's simplistic nature was shining through. Even if John had just admitted that he had thought of Ubon as a genetically gifted simpleton who hadn't had to work hard to get where she was, she didn't seem insulted at all. If anything, it just made her laugh. All sorts of dark thoughts were parted like water when they came to touch with this, never able to touch her.

Simplicity, naivete or just plain childishness...

One could have called it with many names.

"Still..."

Chuckling a bit, Ubon put her hands behind her head and gazed at John, taking in his visage in the strands of sunlight from above with her eyes.

"Gotta say, you're sorta surprising, Johnnie. Or rather, fulla surprises. You work out despite being a nerd, you tolerate me despite all this teasing, you apologize just because you had made a mistake in the way you thought about me..." Ubon listed off one thing after another. "... And then you even drew all those pictures of that girl! I mean, what's up with that, actually? I was surprised when I saw it, for realsies. Is she--- Oh, wait a minute. Now I get it!"

Ubon hit her palm with her fist, and snickered.

"You're a local aren't you Johnnie! That's why you're drawing all those pics of that girl from town!" Ubon declared, sounding triumphant. "What, is she like your sister or something?"

[Verg Avesta]

Anna Vandemeel
Location: Pinefall High - Cafeteria
Phase: Morning Phase
Date: 07.09.1994
Weather: Partly Cloudy

“It will be fine, Gabi. Everyone in this place is an outcast in kinda similar circumstances, so you shouldn’t worry too much about it. Don’t think you need to worry about any alcohol or anything the like either. I doubt the curmudgeons that teach in this place will even allow anything like that, so the entire thing will probably be quite mellow, y’know? In any case, if you want, me and Ramia can hang around with you during the party to make you feel a bit more at ease. And if you really don’t want to come, that’s fine as well. No-one can force you.”

Out of the two others at the table, it was ddly enough Ramia who stared at Anna with more surprise in her eyes. Clearly the dusky-skinned girl hadn't expected this sort of level-headed encouragement from the usually thorny and fiery raven-haired girl, which was why she took a moment to answer. But when she did, a grin that reflected the reassuring nature of Anna's smile spread to her face, and Ramia nodded to Gabi.

"Yeah, Anna's got it right. It's bound to be just a calm little get-together, all by the school rules," Ramia chimed in. "So we can just take it easy, watch the bonfire, listen to the ocean and eat some good grub - maybe make even a new friend or two, who know? And like she said, you got us to keep you company, so no need to worry!"

The words of encouragement from both sides seemed to work, since instead of the pale look on his face, or the slight panic in his eyes, Gabi's mood had clearly calmed down and now, instead of seeming as apprenhensive as possible at the prospect of the Beach Party... looked like normal? No, not just normal, he carefully eyed both Anna and Ramia, before nodding to himself... and flashing just a split-second ghost of a smile in their direction.

"... mm... I gues... I'll go..." Gabi mumbled, nodding again. "... that sounds... pretty nice..."

Ramia, after hearing these words, shot a look at Anna that spoke volumes of what the dusky-skinned girl was thinking. The appraising smile, the cocked eyebrow, the look of somewhat newfound respect... top these all with Ramia mouthing "Good going" to Anna silently, and it became very apparent that Ramia was impressed. Clearly she hadn't expected Anna to take on such a role support for Gabi (perhaps based on Anna's usual attitude) which wa why she had been taken by a surprise.

But now that the situation was what it was...

"Still, man... You're quite the guy, Gabi!" Ramia suddenly chuckled, mischievously grinning at the boy. "The first party of the year and already you got one girl on each arm? Talk about a ladies' man~!"

The last of the words turned into a strange combination of a teasing purr and a hiss... and meanwhile Gabi himself tilted his head in confusion, with quizzical questions in his eyes as he looked between Anna and Ramia, until...

".... huh... oh... uh... umm.... um...!"

The boy was suddenly beet red and unable to look at either girl in the face.

---

Alexstrasza Lockhart & Prushka
Location: Pinefall High - Cafeteria
Phase: Morning Phase
Date: 07.09.1994
Weather: Partly Cloudy

"What did you think, Subaru? It was good, right? I think my heart skipped a beat!"

The girl from whom this question had been asked off was not currently paying attention at either of them. No, instead she was looking at her dog... her dog who was sitting on the table in front of her mistress, with all the contents of Alexstrasza's plate piled before the animal like the great loot raided from an ancient tomb of a demonic fiend. But right now, the animal and the fuzzy-haired girl were staring at each other. The dog took one look back at the blonde student, looked at her owner, tilted her head with a whine... and Subaru answered it by shaking her head.

"You know, I have no idea what they are doing either..." Subaru admitted. "... Sometimes I know as little about humans as you do, Tonkori."

Still, she didn't stop smiling as she turned her attention back to the two girls who she was sharing the table with. One who had just tricked the other one to display the most ridiculous expression with the promise of a ride on a vehicle of a girl about half her size. Anyone could have said it was a ridiculous scene, and most of would have found it hilarious. Some might have recoiled at the fake expression on Alexstrasza's face, and some might have cringed at Prushka's forced attempts of drawing something out of the girl...

... But Subaru Iburi simply smiled.

Warmly.

Like she was having the time of her life watching the two.

"But, yes, I have to agree with Miss Prushka here," Subaru answered, nodding towards Alexstrasza. "That was quite the face you made! Even more so because you made it because of 'amusement', as you put it... in other words, simply for fun. That is quite the simple yet nuanced reason to do anything. Indeed, doing something for just the fun of it is... honestly a rather precious ability to have. You should keep it guarded, Miss Lockhart."

Then, her attention swiveled back to Prushka.

"A-also, I believe you might be mistaking ofudas and omamoris here, Miss Prushka but, well... if you insists, I..." Subaru started, tapping her chin with her finger for a second or two. "Well... if you can make me one for 'height', I would be most impressed!"

With that, Subaru turned to watch as Tonkori started devouring the breakfast she had stolen from the blonde girl, apparently not exactly realizing where all the food had come from. As she did, Subaru's eyes glanced towards both of the girls with her, and she pursed her lip just for a moment.

"Hmm... I suppose it is the difference between the real and the ideal when it comes to expressions?" the girl asked from nobody in particular, quietly.

[Katie]

Lucille Faraday
Location: Pinefall High Dormitory - Kitchen
Phase: Morning Phase
Date: 07.09.1994
Weather: Partly Cloudy

"--- Have you been taking drugs?"

Lucille sits in the chair.

Her brain tries to answer. She’s only ever drank a little. How could she get into contact with drugs? She doesn’t even know what any of them are called! Her mind stifles the snarky reply. Sakura was probably not in the mood for any sass, not when Lucille sounded like a lunatic. In fact, she feels a little guilty for the instinct even bubbling to the surface.

“I’m not fine, but I’m not intoxicated,” Lucille finally says, offering the truth. She really isn’t fine. A fine person does not ramble about the death of the man next to her. Or accuse perfectly innocent (at this point) classmates of their capacity to murder. She’s definitely not fine. “I haven’t fallen in with the wrong crowd or anything.”

As soon as Lucille says that, however, she realizes the non-Sakura people she is obviously closest to at this point in time are Colt (who is harmless, but not exactly a man who looks responsible) and Mercedes (who probably looked like a bad influence). Maybe her word needed a little more validity.

Lucille lets out a short breath, before leaning close to Sakura. She whispers something that either makes her sound crazier or convinces Sakura her words have merit. She doesn’t really know.

“…We can drop the topic if it’s that bad.”

[Kuroyuki]

Vier Wolff
Location: Pinefall High - Music Room
Phase: Morning Phase
Date: 07.09.1994
Weather: Partly Cloudy

"Well, there's nothing better to pick up spirits than music, especially if you create it yourself. After all, music doesn't ask permissions to be good and bad - just that it's something that pleases you yourself as a listener and a creator. And, at least what I know, everybody messes up every now and then. The important thing to do when you mess up while playing is to carry on and to use those missed notes or wrong chords to your advantage. Improvise a little, right? That's what they always joke about live concerts. That what the audience thinks as the guitarist improvising is just him losing his focus and concentration."

The important thing to do is to use your mistakes to your advantage… I wasn’t keen on that philosophy due to my experiences. A single mistake could and would eventually lead to death. However… It’s not like he’s wrong. What was that phrase those American marines use… Semper Gumby or in English ‘always flexible.’

The look he had after he made his advice made it seem like he learned his own advice from his own experiences. I knew there was something that happened in his past that he didn’t like talking about it. Combined with the detail that he was really good with music and was a former star, something happened when he was still active. At the very least, it wouldn’t be something I would know from being in remote locations for the last four years.

"Duo practice, huh…? Alright then. This should be a song both simple-yet-difficult enough that it'll get your mind off of things. So, I'll start, and after that, well… Follow me as you can."

I simply nodded before entering the zone. At first, I was able to keep up and play without significant errors. Maybe a mistake here or there, but nothing noteworthy. However, once we got to the third part of the song… I started making mistakes. I thought about trying to move myself faster and predict the upcoming notes. However, I realized something else off about the song. I wasn’t the only one making mistakes. Inacio was making mistakes on a song that shouldn’t be even tiring for him. That’s when I noticed something after every mistake he changes the song just a little bit to make the mistake sound as if it was meant to be there.

So that’s your test huh Inacio? Fine fine. If I make a royal mess of the song, you can only blame yourself. So I decided to try and compensate for my mistakes instead of merely just noting it and trying to do the next note properly.

[Mormarth]

Elaine Winters
Location: Pinefall High Dormitory - Kitchen
Phase: Morning Phase
Date: 07.09.1994
Weather: Partly Cloudy

"Snrk."

After Sakura's little remark, I couldn't stop myself from snorting, a bold laugh echoing through the oppressive silence in the kitchen.

"I uh, I don't think people've been goin around toking up before class, Sakura, it'd be pretty easy to notice, I think."

I stood up, smiling placatingly, "Didn't mean to go stirring up trouble with my conspiracy talk, I just like talking about it, is all. Lizard-people, Illuminati, stuff like that. In, uh, a half-sarcastic sort of way, it's an interest."

Seems she's a bit protective, so let's try and steer the conversation into safer waters, maybe?

"Look, whatever you think you guys saw, it's alright now, isn't it? We've got a whole day ahead of us, first one on the job, yeah? Probably going to have us talking about Prison Experiments or some shit, who knows what we've got going on today. So, like, instead of thinking about what might've happened and hanging around in your fears, maybe try and focus on the now?"

She took a bite from the sandwich, if only to keep up her offensive.

Chew, swallow.

"It's clear y'all are a little shaken up, and I get you, if I didn't have my business going on for a while now, I'd be the same way, still are, some days. But we just gotta calm down, take a deep breath, have some nice hot food and cool it for a while. Who knows how many other people might feel the same way as the two of you."

A smug little smirk.

"I for one had a very nice dream about a steamy bunch of abs in my face! Followed by my regular night terrors, but hey, good with the bad, right?"

The blonde girl frowned, rubbing at her chin, peering at Colt over her sandwich as she gnawed at it steadily.

Hmm.

Maybe.

She tilted her head, narrowing her eyes in evaluation.

He's not bad-looking, and a little on the pretty side, but that's not a bad thing.

Maybe a project in the making...

Hrm.

"Hey, Colt, saw you out on that junker of yours coming back from the mountain last night, I got the Red Beast out there, mind seeing if you can take a look at him sometime? I can handle him pretty good, but I'm no motorhead."

[Spinach]

Colt Davin
Location: Pinefall High Dormitory - Kitchen
Phase: Morning Phase
Date: 07.09.1994
Weather: Partly Cloudy

"Y'know, sometimes dreams carry thoughts or feelings of stuff that might happen, so if you put it together, it's pretty convenient, means now you know what not to do, right? It's like a do-over."

What not to do. There would be so much not to do. Yet the first thing to not do, the single act of greedy, ruinous curiosity…

Couldn’t be undone.

Not only that, but there was something she said before she pulled that trigger. A name spoken from those raving mad lips. Once all the pain subsided, he wouldn’t be able to keep himself away. That was the scariest part of all.

Colt Davin is, above all, an idiot.

An idiot willing to stir the hornet’s nest.

“Ahem.”

Colt didn’t put up any resistance when Sakura came to forcibly separate Lucille from him. Just like he had simply stood there and allowed himself to be hugged, he allowed himself to be pushed away from that hug. There was a look that Sakura gave him, a cold smile that gave him the willies.

Even an idiot knew what that look meant.

The usual him woke up a bit at that sight. A woman’s cold smile… it was just enough. He started to open his mouth to protest, he already had the excuse in mind. ‘It was her, I kept my hands to myself!’

But those words didn’t make it out.

Because before they could, Sakura asked a question to Lucille.

"--- Have you been taking drugs?"

All that escaped was a wheeze before Colt slapped his mouth shut. Right at the same time as Elaine cut in with a snrk.

Not missing a beat, Elaine went on a spiel about what felt like six different things, but one remark in particular stuck out.

“We've got a whole day ahead of us, first one on the job, yeah? Probably going to have us talking about Prison Experiments or some shit, who knows what we've got going on today.”

Was it intentional, or just a genuine coincidence? Lately, Colt’s feelings had begun to lean toward believing that there is no such thing as coincidence. Idiot that he was, stupid he was not. Nor was Colt especially forgetful. Suzana Costana had asked about the Stanford Prison Experiment, and the students that had answered her question were Colt, and…

He stared blanky at Elaine, clearly confused.

Elaine Winters.

Was this some sort of game?

"Hey, Colt,”

It was then that he realized Elaine was staring right back, looking him over.

“Uh, yes?”

“Saw you out on that junker of yours coming back from the mountain last night, I got the Red Beast out there, mind seeing if you can take a look at him sometime? I can handle him pretty good, but I'm no motorhead."

“Need someone to go under the hood? It’s not my forte, but I did piece together that junkbeast. If there’s something wrong I can’t guarantee I’ll be able to fix it, but,” somehow, the absolute normalcy of the question drew Colt out of where his thoughts were headed, and he allowed it to do so. Better to think normal, do normal, live normal. As much as possible, until he couldn’t afford normal anymore. “If she’s having problems I could probably help find out what’s wrong. Lord help you if it’s the transmission though.”

[Verg Avesta]

Vier Wolff
Location: Pinefall High - Music Room
Phase: Morning Phase
Date: 07.09.1994
Weather: Partly Cloudy

Eventually, the long and difficult song came to an end.

In a ways... it felt like after a far too long time, almost like the song itself had no proper end, or that it was looping back around on itself. And while it clearly had been meant for all sorts of instruments and vocals, making it blend into just two, a guitar and a bass, made the whole song oddly monotone - almost hypnotozingly so. So when it finally ended with the double melodies of Vier and Inacio fading away into the morning that was rising above the Pinefall campus, it felt like hours had passed.

In actuality, barely ten minutes had passed since they started.

Inacio, on the other hand, set his guitar aside after the song had ended and lifted his backpack onto his lap instead. After fishing around inside it for a while, he emerged with a bottle of Jolt Cola... but frowned as he looked at it, instead setting it aside. His hand went back inside the bag and after a moment, he emerged with a new can. This one read "Pepsi Strawberry Burst" and the label on the can matched the name. With a light grin, Inacio thew one of these for Vier to catch, while he kept the other to himself.

Soon enough, the familiar sound of a soda can being opened filled the music room's silence.

"I figure what you need know isn't energy, but something flavorful to give some fresh perspective. I've seen that face of yours a few times... some in the artist circles call it a rut or a slump," Inacio started speaking, after taking a swig of his pepsi. "Of course, I might be completely wrong here, and I'm not exactly trying to pry but... well, you're a fast learner. You caught onto what I was doing back towards the last third of the song. Good going, I say."

With a smirk, Inacio raised his can a little to Vier's direction.

"... Well, whatever is bothering you, whether it's a slump or a rut or something else, clever and quick thinking never did harm to anyone - much less the ability to improvise," Inacio continued. "So I'm sure that despite my awkward attempts at helping out someone whom I've barely met, you might have gleamed something off of my ramblings that was useful."

Chuckling in momentary self-derision, Inacio relaxed on his chair.

"I suppose I never properly introduced myself either, did I? I'm Inacio Ilusão... though feel free to just call me Inacio," the boy finally spoke up. "And if I remember correctly, you are... Vier Wolff, right?"

His eyes were now peacefully watching the changing expressions on Vier's face.

[Daneel Rush]

John Dove
Location: Pinefall High Field
Phase: Morning Phase
Date: 07.09.1994
Weather: Partly Cloudy

“I managed to impress you, right? As long as I can do that to my friends and brighten up their days, who the heck cares whether it's talent or practice!”

What the hell is this creature. And what does it say about John, that such unbridled positivity only makes him wonder what dark colors lurk hidden behind the rainbow’s brilliance.

One thing remains unchanged, however: he has to find out the chain of events that resulted in Ubon’s death. That means he needs to keep a closer eye on her. The matter of Ubon; the matter of Elaine, Sakura and Alexstrasza; the matter of Ramia Ramalsaqr; the cruel fate of Cesarina Feroce; the mystery of that child in the school building; and of course, the Disembodied Man’s parting words.

Suddenly, there are many things John Dove wants to resolve. However, are these really John Dove’s wants? Is he truly acting out his wishes, is he driven by a sense of duty triggered by Elaine Winters’ death, or is somebody else pulling the strings of his actions, just like it does his knowledge?

Well, he is trapped in this week of tragedies, so it seems he will have plenty of time to figure that out.

“Well, consider me impressed and my day brightened,” he concedes with the same smile with which he greeted her. “Thank you, Ubon. And do excuse me again; I am aware I am…too serious most of the time.”

Of course, this is when Ubon Sĕeklêun chooses to be her surprising self yet again. She is bombarding him with words that sound kind of like compliments—he really needs to get used to being called Johnnie—, when all of a sudden she drops pure napalm.

“You're a local aren't you Johnnie! That's why you're drawing all those pics of that girl from town! What, is she like your sister or something?”

…alright, that makes three things John Dove is good at, the third being “control of his body language.” The idle part of his mind congratulates him for the perfect stillness of his face, save for a slight twitch on a corner of his lips.

“…yes, she is…family.”

He cannot get rid of the feeling that he just delivered a terrible insult to The One Who Owns Him.

“I am not a local, but one of the reasons I agreed to come here was because I heard rumors that she was in the area,” he lies to Ubon’s face. “If you have seen her, and you can tell me where I can find her, I would be forever grateful to you. But we should not let our bodies cool down, let’s get moving,” he offers, gesturing to invite her to resume jogging with him.

“As for your ‘teasing’, well, I can tell the difference between teasing and bullying. If you were a bully, I would not give you the time of day,” John admits. “As long as it remains playful teasing, I will play along as much as you like. If you want me to stammer and act shy, I can do that too.”

He accompanies the words with this new expression (it is a smile, right?) that gets easier to reproduce every time he uses it.

“By the way, if you saw the girl in my sketchbook, it means you checked the town yesterday, right? Anything else caught your interest?”

[Verg Avesta]

Lucille Faraday, Elaine Winters & Colt Davin
Location: Pinefall High Dormitory - Kitchen
Phase: Morning Phase
Date: 07.09.1994
Weather: Partly Cloudy

While Elaine offered her apologies about weird comments, while Colt tried his best not to wheeze out of surprise thanks to what Sakura had just said, the brunette girl kept her eyes closely monitoring the pupils, the irises and the general expressions and skin-condition of the blonde girl she had forced to sit. In other words, she wasn't just trusting Lucille's word, but was doing an actual check on her... which, perhaps, was worrisome enough. But while Elaine and Colt changed the topic to other waters, towards things more related to machines and Elaine's car, along with Colt's skills as a mechanic... something else happened. Lucille said something.

Something that made Sakura jerk her head back a little bit, and look at the blonde girl with a surprised frown.

“…We can drop the topic if it’s that bad.”

Sakura, who had taken a step back, stared at Lucille long and hard, remaining silent.

Then, after a cold moment of weighing just what she had heard and what the absurdity just before had been, Sakura sighed...

... And pinched the bridge of her nose, in a classic sign of someone who just knew lots of headaches was coming.

"We... Honestly, I will need you to explain this to me, from the top. But not here. Not with... well, you know", Sakura quietly spoke to Lucille and made a vague, small gesture towards the room and the people in it. "I would rather not put innocents at risk just to exchange a few words. Besides, Milady... you are, frankly, an absolute mess. As I've said, crying does not suit you since you just bawl your eyes out without holding back in the least."

A short smirk played on Sakura's lips as she put her hands on her hips.

"Meaning I need to make you presentable before your big debut at Pinefall, no? If we're to talk, we should save it for later. Now we have your face to worry about," she said, before glancing at Elaine. "Could I ask for your help with that, Winters? Four hands are faster than two, and you seem to know your way around make-up."

Then, as if finally remembering it, Sakura turned back to Colt with a slightly smug glint in her eyes.

"Oh, and Davin? Your Croquette Madame is still unfinished~"

He had promised some for others after all...

[Mormarth]

Elaine Winters
Location: Pinefall High Dormitory - Kitchen
Phase: Morning Phase
Date: 07.09.1994
Weather: Partly Cloudy

I bobbed my head agreeably, hat bobbing in my vision, "Oh he's a sour old cuss, but we've been through a lot, so I like to look after him in his old age. Tough as nails, but he'll pop and be a right pain in the behind if he goes down. Best to be preventative in these cases. Hand-me-downs are a bit of a pain, but they've got a lot of memories."

I smiled to myself, "Probably spent a good chunk of my life in the back of that beast."

"But I appreciate it! I'm good with my hands, but more on the blowin' stuff up side, if ya catch my meaning. Maybe get some fireworks going later this week, could probably scope out the local junk spot, sure he's got something..."

I rambled on contentedly, noting the furrow in Colt's brow as I mentioned the Stanford lecture.

It's good to know that I can get things across subtly.

Then I turned to face Sakura and shot her a thumbs-up, "I'm usually an au-naturale type of gal, but I know a thing or two about prettying some people up to look their best."

Some foundation and a bit of something-something and bruises may as well not even be there.

Hm, actually... Speaking of getting fancy, there was a shin-dig going on tonight, wasn't there?

"Hey, didn't I hear something about a party yesterday? I wasn't around for too long, but thought I heard some chatter about the beach."

I glanced over at Sakura, tilting my head at the shorter girl, "Is that right, Sakura? You were in the thick of it when I grabbed Souma and Hisa and hit the town, yeah?"

Nom, nom, nom. Chew, chew.

[Thalraxal]

Elise Pelltier
Location: Pinefall High - Cafeteria
Phase: Morning Phase
Date: 07.09.1994
Weather: Partly Cloudy

They arrived at the cafeteria. Elise had been silent for most of the walk, listening intently to Skye's friendly chattering, and replying when necessary. She spared the occasional nervous glance at some familiar yet unfamiliar landmarks. The yew tree in front of of the dormitory. The unbroken glass of the main building's front doors. The lack of a small, shrouded body in the halls. That intersection where she awoke, confused and panicked. The halls of the main building seemed much friendlier than they did last time she walked them, and Skye's presence certainly helped, but that did little to help the sense of unease she felt.

The presence of a ghost emerging from the faculty office didn't help at all either.

Hmm... what on earth could it be? Should I show it to her... hmm, maybe not... And why does it rattle like that? Plastic...?"

Elise froze. It felt almost like she was like looking at a walking corpse. She'd never had the opportunity to meet the living Cesarina Feroce outside of class. She'd only ever met the dead Cesarina Feroce. The tortured and mutilated corpse that had been nailed to a tree. That sole eye of hers that had been staring at her accusingly was now vibrant, full of life, and was focused with its once lost companion on what was presumably a package that had just arrived for her in the mail.

She trembled, hoping to God that she was right that she wasn't responsible for her death. Still, there was that moment when she stood alone by the tree, her hands drenched in blood, with Cesarina's shrouded body at her feet, when she felt certain that she, or at least her body, may have orchestrated that terrible crime.

Just have to make sure that history doesn't repeat itself. That Cesarina doesn't die like that again. That she doesn't get hurt-

Her thought was interrupted as Cesarina, utterly focused on the package she was carrying, was hit by the cafeteria door as it burst open when Pyry, carrying a large plate full of meat, exited the cafeteria. Elise winced as Cesarina was knocked to the ground, and her package tumbled away from her. Skye rushed to her side, seemingly familiar with her. Elise cursed herself for tempting fate.

"C-cesarina? Are you alright?" asked Elise taking a step forward towards Cesarina and then pausing.

She turned, her attention pulled away from Cesarina's distress as she recognized just who had exited the cafeteria. Pyry and Hisa, seemingly familiar with each other already. Elise felt a sigh of relief seeing both of them alive together, and not... gone. Lost in a flash of light. Or the cut of a knife.

“Ehm...Well, looks like everyone is okay, so… Let’s be on our way, shall we?”

Hisa spared and awkward smile to Cesarina and Skye, and tried to make her way through the small crowd, towing Pyry along with her, and avoiding making eye contact with her or Vivi. She struggled to find words to say. Or what to do without risking causing a scene in front of most of the class. She sympathized with Hisa's evasion, but it still hurt.

"Hey-hey Hisa! Pyry," said Elise, as she looked back and forth between Hisa, Pyry, and the plate full of breakfast that Pyry was carrying, "Every-everything okay?"

[Spinach]

Colt Davin
Location: Pinefall High Dormitory - Kitchen
Phase: Morning Phase
Date: 07.09.1994
Weather: Partly Cloudy

“Right, right, I was making… aw CRUD did I burn th-“ remembering what he had never noticed in the first place, Colt scurried back to the stovetop, where his pot had been removed from the heat and was now home to a sauce of perfect consistency. “Oh.”

Colt glanced about the countertop. Gruyère grated and portioned out, bread sliced with holes punched in, and eggs cracked into separate bowls, ready to be added right at the end. Not only that, but a perfectly seasoned cast iron pan had appeared from somewhere and was now sitting on a previously unused burner, waiting to be brought up to temperature.

“Thanks for saving my sorry hide with this here, Sakura.” Colt looked back toward the girls, who were now in the midst of going down a route he’d rather distance himself from. Leave the dolling up to the ladies, let the man handle the kitchen. A perfect arrangement. “Talk about working fast, I swear I took my eyes off you for just a second, and you basically did all the work…”

Colt scratched the back of his head, then with a shrug turned back to his domestic task.

It was then that he noticed the slices of prosciutto laid out on the counter.

“… Uhoh… I might be smitten.”

Whispering that to himself, Colt got his hands busy. In all honesty, there was little work to be done. All he had to do was assemble the cheese and prosciutto like he would a grilled cheese. Sear both sides. Spoon on a generous topping of béchamel. Drop the egg into the hole prepared for it in the bread. Toss it under the broiler.

So he did. When the first croque madame was done, he plated it up and set it aside to work on the next, which he would repeat until there was enough to go around for everyone.

[Cheetose]

Hisa Momoi
Location: Pinefall High - Cafeteria
Phase: Morning Phase
Date: 07.09.1994
Weather: Partly Cloudy

The plan to get away from the scene before getting tangled up in something else didn’t quite go as flawlessly as I wanted - but it did bring some slightly hopeful revelations.

Finally deciding to turn my gaze towards Vivi and Elise, I noticed the former’s drawing first - something that immediately told me that Vivi knows as well. That evening in the forest was supposed to happen in the future...So unless someone else who was at the scene too filled her in, she must have memories of the past...or future as well.

Then came Elise’s question - and while the question itself didn’t give away much, the way she behaved, how nervous she seemed to be made me assume that she remembered too.

Is she feeling as bad about all this as me?

Is she thinking about how Cesarina was brutally murdered when she looks at her right now?

Or when she looks at me or Pyry...is she reminded of our last moments?

Still, I wasn’t sure how to respond. Not right here in the middle of the cafeteria door, while other people who were seemingly unaware of those memories of the future were around. Not when I had to make Pyry remember.

“Yeah,” I said as I nodded towards the two girls slowly, way too slowly, “Yeah, I think everything is okay.”

Well...no, not that everything was okay, but what exactly was I supposed to say?

“Err...Elise, you know, I don’t think we had enough time to talk things through...yesterday, so...if you want to talk, you can find me in my room after classes.”

“You too, Vivi. It would seem that the three of us have something in common,” I said as I turned my gaze towards Vivi for a moment, “but for now, I wanted to have breakfast with Pyry. Get some much needed fresh air while at it.”

I turned back to Pyry, hoping that he wouldn’t get too occupied with the events - I certainly didn’t want to get stuck right here at the door right now. To make make sure that the boy was aware of this too, I elbowed him in his side - perhaps a bit too hard - and gestured towards our destination.

“So, if you guys don’t mind...we’ll be on our way, and...see you later?”

[Verg Avesta]

Hisa Momoi, Liana Skye, Elise Pelltier & Vivienne Bianchi
Location: Pinefall High - Cafeteria
Phase: Morning Phase
Date: 07.09.1994
Weather: Partly Cloudy

"Are you okay? Hurt anywhere? Anywhere at all?"

Cesarina Feroce, who had just barely managed to recover from her meeting with the ground and subsequent rise to her feet once more (and realization she had hit a Double Meat Wall in a sense) almost automatically acknowledged that worry of someone being directed at her. She let out an agreeing hum while dusting off her clothes and making sure the square package was still unharmed.

"Yes, more or less. I should have looked better where I was going, of course - I was too absorbed in the mystery of this brown package!" Cesarina announced, waving the package in her hands a little bit. "Still! How was I to know that this - what is this, Arco di Addominali? Yes, this rude thing was to come barreling through the cafeteria door with nary a care for poor passersby! It is both rude and slightly disturbing, hm!"

Pyry, who had been listening to this, snorted and was about to quip something humorous in reply when he noticed someone was pulling him (or rather, trying and failing to pull him thanks to the sheer size difference) through the gathered group. That someone being Hisa, who was making a beeline out of the scene while refusing to meet just about anyone' eyes.

“Ehm...Well, looks like everyone is okay, so… Let’s be on our way, shall we?”

"H-hey, Little Sister, what the heck?" Pyry asked, cocking an eyebrow. "Are we in that much of a hurry?"

"... Pyry? Hisa? .. Mill? Movie Night? ... Peanut Gallery?"

And he wasn't the only one who was suddenly speaking out. Vivienne, who had been trailing after the rest of the group, had suddenly opened her mouth and - agaisnt her usual ways - was being surprisingly talkative. Along with that, she was showing a new picture that was aimed at them... though it was a scene of a week that no longer seemed to exist, along with people they had yet to meet.

The sight only served to make the look on Pyry's face more confused.

"Hey-hey Hisa! Pyry. Every-everything okay?"

The confusion, at this point, had grown to a full-blown bafflement.

For the boy, this day had started with a girl he hadn't even talked to before suddenly accosting him even before the breakfast. Then, after finally getting that aforementioned breakfast, he was thrust into a situation where two more girls suddenly called out to him - people he had not yet even known for that long. In other words, mysterious girls approaching him for mysterious reasons, reasons he didn't really understand at this point but went along the flow of them anyway.

... No, it couldn't be said that Pyry was looking baffled at this point.

His sudden goofy smile at all this attention was like that of a cat who had gotten into the larder.

"W-well...! Hello! Bianchi and... Pelltier, no?" Pyry started, eyes darting between the two. "Getting breakfast, then? Let me tell you, the mountains of bacon they've got prepared are supe---"

"Oh... this is... Miss Skye... Liana Skye. She doesn't remember... Adelaide... do you?"

This made the blonde boy finally note the last of the girls who was with them.

The girl whose whole attention had been focused on Cesarina.

"Miss Caesarina... hello... Friends... with Miss Skye?"

Cesarina Feroce who, quite frankly, looked as puzzled as Pyry currently was. Only her face didn't betray certain ulterior motives that probably all teenage boys harbored. Instead, hers was a comical mask of confusion as she rubbed her chin, narrowed her eyes the sight of Liana, tilted her head while groaning like an old man trying to make a decision... and even still coming up hort.

"Errm... now just a minute here..." Cesarina mumbled, peering at Liana from multiple angles. "Since you phrased it like that, could it be that my magnificent memory is failing me and we are..."

Cesarina's twin-tails bounced questioningly.

"... Friends of some sort?"

Her tone betrayed that even she herself didn't know the answer.

“Yeah. Yeah, I think everything is okay. Err...Elise, you know, I don’t think we had enough time to talk things through...yesterday, so...if you want to talk, you can find me in my room after classes. You too, Vivi. It would seem that the three of us have something in common. But for now, I wanted to have breakfast with Pyry. Get some much needed fresh air. So, if you guys don’t mind...we’ll be on our way, and...see you later?”

Pyry, who had been watching this whole awkward exchange happen, had now moved to scratching his head. He eyes howevered on the form of Hisa, quite unable to decide what he should make off the way the scarred girl was acting. But he had followed her so far, and the food was actually getting colder, so by that logic...

"You know, I'm so lost as to what's going on..." Pyry said, shaking his head.

Cesarina, hearing this, perked her head up.

"Oh, you too? What a happy coincidence!"

Then, they both sighed in unison.