Astronomika - Shooting Down Falling Stars (IC)

[Ayakashi]

"..."

Vivienne Bianchi quietly and methodically ate her breakfast while the world around her was being turned upside down. Prushka had finally let go of her hand, the little one deciding to do her best in severing the rather... 'cold' air that had settled down between Caesarina and Subaru. Judging from their heated conversation, it had to do with previous familial and entrepreneurial ventures.

"..."

Taking a sip from the apple juice she had gotten alongside her morning meal, Vivienne continued to act as a silent observer of the scene. Liana, Caesarina's 'Knight', seemed much happier now that she wasn't some forgotten blip, but rather a very 'normal' existence. Eventually though, Subaru turned to address Vivienne, Elise and Skye -- the young maiden returned their greetings in the same language the two of them had used. Japanese coming from Liana was strange, but it seems like she had some eastern ancestry just like Vivienne.

"Ah, 誠に申し訳ございません。はじめまして。わたくしはすばると申します。どうぞ　よろしく　おね がいします"

Vivienne returned the bow as nicely as she could while seated. While the the bow was something that one could call near-perfect, a good textbook example... it was clear as night and day that there was as problem elsewhere that hindered its otherwise, flawless execution -- the signature lack of any emotion in it. If one cannot show humility, respect, kindness and convey a sense of hospitality, then the bow is never complete. But then if the opposite is neither shown either... is that really a mistake?

Food for thought for Subaru as she beholds the Vivienne Bianchi's bare nature, perhaps food for thought for Caesarina and Alexstraza as well, these two not having previously interacted with the quiet girl before.

"日本語はあまり話せません" Vivienne told Subaru, excusing herself. She paused for a moment as she observed the others around her. Judging it rude to hold a conversation that half of the table wouldn' understand, she added: "Cannot speak Japanese very well... know a little from my Mother... half-japanese..."

"So, what does everyone think?" I say, tilting my head. "Do you wish to fall down beside me?"

Alexstraza's suggestion was childish indeed, but while it may be some sort of interesting Ice-breaker, Vivienne had a few qualms about it, namely:

"Not too good... to spin just after eating... bad for stomach..."

After her comment, Vivienne took another bite from her breakfast and another sip from her juice before asking Caesarina:

"You... like acting... Miss Lockheart??"

Curiosity that stemmed from the expressive nature of Alexstrasza's sentences. It wasn't really 'acting' in the sense of a Hollywood actor, but rather, someone that was on stage, acting out some Shakespearean tragedy. That was the feel that Alexstraza Lockheart gave when she spoke.

As she made her inquiry, Vivienne also took the opportunity to ask Caesarina:

"...Six Million Dollar Man? ... You watched?"

Was Vivienne talking about the quote Caesarina had just mentioned perhaps? Something about having the means to rebuild someone... Hmmm... Wolf, Amadeus... but where was Mozart?

"... heh..."

That clearly wasn't a chuckle. Just some artificial sounds, meant to sound like a chuckle. It was impossible for Vivienne Bianchi to laugh, impossible for her to find things amusing after all. This was simply the notion that if she was 'herself', Vivienne would have found that funny.

---

Vivienne Bianchi
Location: Pinefall High - Cafeteria
Phase: Morning Phase
Date: 07.09.1994 (WED)
Weather: Partly Cloudy

[Spinach]

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

So that’s what sisters are like.

There was no snickering from Colt. The boy stood right where he was and watched with a small smile. Maid this, mistress that… it was the first he had ever heard of it. But it didn’t seem to matter too much with these two. At the end of the day, underneath all of that, what kept these two together was that magic word, ‘family.’

Inside, he felt a little isolated.

From what was obvious, it wasn’t like they were sisters by blood. In that sense, Lucille wasn’t too far from Colt himself. Though the boy never quite felt like he had this kind of bond with any of his ‘family.’

When the older of the girls glanced at him Colt followed her nod, toward the fridge.

"There's ice cream on the bottom shelf. Mind getting that out?"

“Not at all.” Like the wind Colt turned his back to the girls and popped open the freezer. Sure enough, there it was.

Honestly, burying their tears under ice cream. At the end of the day, no matter how petty their back and forths are or how wholesome they can make up with each other, girls will be girls. Though, as far as his opinion went, a girl with an appetite, and especially a sweet tooth, is the picture of ideal.

Finding a bowl, fishing out an ice cream scoop from one of the drawers along with a spoon, Colt set all of them down at the table for Lucille. The poor girl had opened herself right back up for a different kind of teasing. Recollections of the girl’s childish antics…

Lord, bless her heart. She needs it.

“What do you think, Sakura,” popping the ice cream open, he turned to the professional for advice. “Two or three scoops?”

[Verg Avesta]

Liana Skye, Elise Pelltier, Vivienne Bianchi, Prushka & Alexstrasza Lockhart
Location: Pinefall High - Cafeteria
Phase: Morning Phase
Date: 07.09.1994 (WED)
Weather: Partly Cloudy

"If you two are actually best buddies that didn't get to say goodbye properly last time, you should've just said so! Today's tearful reunion day, anyway! Really, though, what's all this counting up of friendships? That's not how it works at all. Look, if you just trace out the lines... Subaru's friends with me and Cesarina, I'm friends with Vivi and Strasza, Zaza's friends with Cesarina, Cesarina's friends with Liana and Subaru... see, everyone's connected. Except Elise, but she can go right in the middle since she's our next-door neighbour."

"Thanks, Prushka! She's right. Friendship isn't a race or competition. It's like a vast interconnected web that we're all part of together, even if we aren't aware of it!"

Cesarina's nostrils flared up again, making her resemble a bull in a middle of a matador match... though normally bulls weren't nearly this cute and tiny. Still, the ire the Prushka and Elise (partially) had managed to make rise within the small heiress was quite something to behold. There was nothing malicious about it, of course, since Cesarina didn't seem capable of malice, but, well...

... It was still quite the thing to behold?

"A-a-as I said, you parmigiano-block, we are not friends! We will never be, because she is a completely impossible afro-maiden who does not know when to say sorry or thank you!" Cesarina protested, waving her arms like a windmill at Prushka. "Do not presume you know about what friends are and what they are not when you are wearing such outdated shlemofon yourself! That soft padding won't protect you inside an OF-40! Even an L3/35 would be too much for you, even if you would fit perfectly inside!"

What was she even going on about?

"For once I agree with Miss Feroce on this matter, Miss Prushka," Subaru coolly said, playing with paws of Tonkori to off-set her irritation. "It is simply unbecoming to keep insisting about friendships where there are none. Though I do not agree with her assessment of your clothing. It has a... certain daruma type feel, which I suppose some would fancy."

Were the two of them making fun of Prushka now...?

"That is no reason to toss around insults however. It sounds like a simple act of miscommunication from what I'm understanding... Both of you have some heavy family responsibility, no? That means you have at least one thing in common in spite of your differences, and that can be an easy path towards friendship if you want it to be, right? Right now we're away from the outside world and all it's pressures-!"

Cesarina, after hearing this, folded her arms across her chest and pouted greatly, refusing to look anyone in the eye.

"B-but she started it..."

Subaru, on the other hand, let out a tiny "hmph!" and turned her gaze away from them both.

"I certainly did not."

"Then, once you are friends and better know each other, understandings will come on their own! Subaru seems like a good girl, and you're you milady, friendship should be a simple task for you both! I'll cheer for you both louder than anyone else if you succeed, okay?"

"T-that is... n-now listen here, Knightess! No means no! What sort of horrible retainer are you, forcing me to be friends with someone I do not wish to be!" Cesarian retorted, growing a bit desperate with everyone's insistence. "I do not mind becoming friends with a tons of people, but there are some people I do not wish to do so with!"

Subaru, from the sidelines, snorted.

"The feeling is very mutual!"

"So, what does everyone think? Do you wish to fall down beside me?"

"And I'll have to pass on the whole 'falling down' thing, Strasza. After all, that game you're talking about... it's a game of trust and friendship, isn't it? A game where everyone falls down eventually and gets caught by the others. But the person who falls first won't have anyone to catch them, right? It's fine for the rest, since they can trust their friends to save them, but unless that person's wearing a helmet, they might get bonked, y'know? And I've only got the one. Not enough to go around."

"If that's the case, then it's fine if I simply catch everyone right? I'm worried about people's heads hitting the floor anyway, so if you guys want to spin until you fall, I'll definitely catch all of you~"

"It might actually be kind of fun, but I'm not sure the cafeteria's the best place for a game like that. There isn't a whole lot of space to spin around in here, not to mention, the floor's kind of of hard, and Prushka's right, we don't have enough helmets. We could take it outside, the grass would be much softer, but I'm not sure if it's the best game to play right before breakfast. Or-or right after. Spinning on a full stomach could end very badly for some. Or all. Maybe we could, heh, give the game a spin during a break between classes?"

"Not too good... to spin just after eating... bad for stomach..."

Subaru nodded sagely at all this, sipping on her tea with both hands. Meanwhile Tonkori had escaped her mistess's clutches, and was now walking around the table on an adventure of sorts, begging for scratches and attention from anyone she passed by. She systematically went through all the girls that had gathered there, starting with Alexstrasza, and moving from there to Vivienne, Elise, passing Cesarina, and finally to Liana. And if she didn't immediately get what she wanted, she took a moment to sit in front of the person in question, tilt her head, and let her tongue loll out in a very cutesy fashion.

"Indeed. If we are to play games of socializing, they would better serve to be done either at a recess, or perhaps... hmm..." Subaru thought for a moment. "Perhaps that beach party that Miss Tsukioka was talking about yesterday? That might seem like a safe environment. The sand on the beach should be very soft, no?"

A moment's pause, then:

"Or the water... though I hardly packed a swimsuit... or own one, for that matter..."

That seemed to cause a slightly darkened expression on the small girl's face.

"W-well, games aside, there was actually something I wanted to ask you about, Zaza..." Cesarina suddenly said, as if remembering something. "Though I suppose the rest of you could help me solve this mystery. Because as it happens, even my brains are unable to comprehend what the heck this riddle is supposed to mean!"

The heiress let out a loud "Wahahaa~!" laugh.

"I had some mail sent for me today, and I do not for the life of me know from how it is," Cesarian said, and as she did, she fished out the brown package from before. "It has way too many stamps to really give a clue from where it has been sent, and there is no address... or rather, it is not even addressed to me! Just look!"

The brown package, shaped like a flat, elongated square, sat on the table. Old, rather moldy-looking twine had been used hold the package itself together, along with some tape to make the wrapping paper stick. Other than that, there were no real identification marks. As Cesarina said, the package was absolutely littered with tamps, with an exception of a small space in the corner. There, something had been written on a black marker.

Message on the package

For the Dr.'s little Z.

"I honestly have no earthly idea what it could be, and since it does not seem to be for me, it would be rather rude to open it by myself, no?" Cesarina asked, putting her hands on her hips. "Does any of you have any idea who that could mean?"

She left the question hanging in the air.

[Frantic Author]

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

Ah. Oh dear. Oh no. This is certainly not a good thing. This is the exact opposite of something that can happen to me at this moment in time. I know who sent that package. More over, I know who that package is for. Even worse, I know what it might even be.

"A-ah... Haha I-I haven't the slightest idea," I said with a strained smile. "I-In fact, I don't think anyone here knows any doctors. Certainly no Doctor Agon's. And h-he certainly wouldn't be sending them c-care packages. That would be absurd, yes? I-Imagine needing a care package on your second week of school."

Damn me, damn them, damn it all.

"B-but perhaps y-you could give it to me? For safekeeping! For strictly safekeeping purposes. Who knows? M-maybe someone forgot her favorite book in her room and her favorite teacher found it and remembered to send it to her! That's just conjecture though! I w-would never be that forgetful!"

Professor, I know that you find amusement in your little games you play with my life, but would it not be easier for everyone involved if you simply sent your packages directly to me? What's the purpose of sending them to my friends? Does it not make it more difficult for me to acquire the package safely?

"A-and 'Little Z'!? The nerve of him! What a childish nickname that I would never answer to in a hundred years! A thousand years! No, the Earth itself would stop moving and I would still refuse to answer by such a demeaning nickname that was given to me when I was much smaller!"

My tirade comes to an end with flushed cheeks and a contrite expression. It is entirely possible I have revealed too much about myself.

"I suppose it might be for me..." I murmured sullenly at an empty plate.

[Mormarth]

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

Well, it seems the situation has sort of worked itself out. No need for my little bit of input, although I do feel a little bit like a third wheel right now.

Ah well, so it goes.

Still though, as I sat next to the girl being comforted and looked on, I couldn't help but feel a sense of something else.

Bitterness, maybe.

To have someone you could rely on like that, who the moment you wailed and screamed at being abandoned would stop teasing you and begin nursing you back to wellness.

I wonder what that was like?

Should I have screamed and cried even louder?

I blinked and shook my head, "No, no, I'm good without ice cream, not good to go eating it for breakfast, I already got this beast," I took up her slowly diminishing foe, "Along with our talented sous-chef's lovely meal for fine ladies. For all that I can pack away a lot, it's for the best to not push it too far."

She grinned, "Plus, there's the beach tonight, right? Gotta save up for that, get myself some nice barbecue or something."

[Verg Avesta]

Vier Wolff
Location: Pinefall High - Cafeteria
Phase: Morning Phase
Date: 07.09.1994 (WED)
Weather: Partly Cloudy

“She might have been a bit distracted with how you’ve been moving your coffee. It’s been moving a little dangerously in my opinion for a little bit.”

"Oh. Oh!"

Caleb looked at the cup of coffee in his hand and frowned at it. At the same time, his free hand almost instinctively went to his beanie and pulled it deeper into his head, as if to hide any signs of embarrassment from his face. It was quite the reflex, but something the artist didn't even seem to realize. Aleen, on the other hand, giggled at the sight, and gently elbowed Vier to get her attention. There was that dreamy look on her eyes once more and she kept stealing glances at Caleb.

"I love it when it he does that hat thing~" Aleen quietly cooed.

Still, after getting over his bout of momentary embarrassment, Caleb cleared his throat, straightened his posture, and turned his attention back to Vier.

"Not much. As I said, I just read the local brochure. Seems like the local sawmill was the center of the town. Then, after years of bad luck, it fell into disrepair. Now, the family that owned it, McLampets, are practically nowhere to be seen. Their oldest living member, Josie McLampet lives here with her daughter... but they are a rarely seen, apparently," the rose-haired boy explained. "And yeah. I've heard those boogeyman stories too. Lot of them around this area. Though that's the case of any small town, right?"

He sipped on his coffee rather sagely, before shrugging his shoulders.

"Well. I'm sure more could be learned if we visited the local library," he added.

Aleen, on the other hand, let out a slightly nervous laugh and waved her hand.

"A-ahaha, no, from what I hear the local library's closed. Too bad, huh?" She said, her smile as awkward as her laugh. "Guess it'll remain a mystery~"

... This was suspicious, even for her.

---

Anna Vandemeel
Location: Pinefall High - Cafeteria
Phase: Morning Phase
Date: 07.09.1994 (WED)
Weather: Partly Cloudy
[BGM]

"Though, perhaps that's just how they make thugs in Canada? I hear you guys up north are supposed to be all kinds of conciencous. Wood is great though. I’m something of a carpenter myself, so trust me when I say that I totally understand the appeal. Even the simplest of carvings can last quite a while. And who knows? Maybe someone after you will also be able to revise off your notes?”

There was... an odd sense of quiet that descended into around the corner of the cafeteria where Travis and Anna were. And it wasn't a nice of silence, one born from a suddenly found mutual understanding where the loud, thuggish boy in question was surprised by the fire within Anna and decided to respect her instead of the usual mudslinging and insulting.

No... this was a dangerous sort of silence that was born when Travis quietly narrowed his eyes at Anna, his whole stance suddenly changing.

He wasn't just lounging at his chair anymore, tilting it back slightly.

Right now, he was more like a coiled spring, ready to flip backwards and dash into action if need be.

Almost like he was prepared for this to become ugly really fast.

"... That's quite the interesting thing to notice, Scarecrow. Though I dunno what the hell you're talking 'bout. This is just gang signs and scribbles. Only someone who was a complete mental case would see anything else in it," Travis said, his voice still carrying that same rude tone but now... with an undertone of something else. "Though you do certainly sound like a mouth-frothing nutjob. Hacking? The hell's that? Like I could do something like that. I'm just a delinquent from the streets, see."

At this point, one other thing caught Anna's attention. The boy in front of her wasn't spinning his knife around lazily anymore. No, instead, he was gripping its handle with care... and hard. To the point that his knuckles were white. Almost like he was ready to stab the hell out of Anna if she gave him any reason... or because he was trying to hold back his panic. One or the other.

Whatever the reason, it wasn't good.

Because now there was a clear threat in the air.

"And what was that? Masquerade? What the hell's that supposed to mean? Almost sounds like you're accusing me of something, you shithead," Travis continued, his teeth lightly grinding together. "... Should be careful about doing stuff like that. Accusations in a place like this might get you in trouble."

He snorted.

"--- Real fast."

[Airen]

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

"T-that is... n-now listen here, Knightess! No means no! What sort of horrible retainer are you, forcing me to be friends with someone I do not wish to be!" Cesarian retorted, growing a bit desperate with everyone's insistence. "I do not mind becoming friends with a tons of people, but there are some people I do not wish to do so with!"

"Hmm... Okay, my apologies milady, I'll let it go for now."

A strange resistance.

In spite of the group coming out as a whole to encourage it, they're both strongly resistant to the idea for one reason or another... There's certainly some form of story there that hasn't been found yet, but pushing things too fast might become problematic in it's own way, so she decides to simply let it go, at least for now... It would be rather unfortunate to make Cesy mad at her on the day of their reunion, so she's willing to not look too far into it...

Anyways, there is another problem here, yes...

"..."

---Small dog.

"..."

---Small, tiny dog that stops when she at first resists the urge to pet it, simply because Cesarina had foolishly done something similar, but...

Ah.

It's useless, it's really useless-!

"Oh my gosh, who's a good girl, who's a good girl~!"

Her will cracks, shattered by the hammer that is the cute factor of a tiny animal, and her hands are already scratching at ears, petting at shining fur, and making cute, generally babyish noises as she completely spoils the dog with attention in a manner that her cat typically would not allow without glaring disdainfully in her general direction-!

Yes.

It's not exactly subtle, a brief flicker of weakness, an attack aimed directly at one of her vital mental points, but-!

Soon enough, she regains control of herself.

Fast enough, to catch the nature of Cesarina's question, and Alexstrasza's (now Little Z inside of her head) answer, and-

"I suppose it might be for me..."

-obvious pain, of a certain sort.

Embarrassment.

"It's okay Little Z, I think that name is pretty cute."

Yes...

Just like that...

She sympathetically pats the head of the blonde girl...

Is it too soon to do so?

Probably.

Will it stop her?

Probably not.

[Katie]

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

Sakura’s words ring in her mind. Naturally, they soothe the deep-set fear in her heart, of losing things she should be able to protect. It helps give clarity to her mind, but at the same time, she understands, no, she already knows that promises like these are quite fragile. Where was Sakura back then? Why didn’t she tell her she was doing something dangerous?

But it makes her feel better. Lucille Faraday is a greedy person. She wants to protect all the things she loves without hurting anyone. She does not want to be alone because all that’s left for her in loneliness is the guilt of losing those who kept her afloat. In this world, very little is can be gained for no cost. Losses are inevitable.

Still, Lucille clings to the idea that victory is possible without sacrifice. Wants reassurance people will be there for her in spite of probability.

In the midst of these chaotic thoughts she hasn’t realized Sakura’s asked for ice cream and Colt’s question about scoops brings her out of her thoughts.

And into new ones. When was the last time she ate ice cream? When Elise told her Sakura died. And now here she was, going to eat ice cream, with Sakura there.

The thought unsettles her stomach, but Lucille forced herself to eat then and she’ll force herself to eat now. Better to do this than cause everyone to worry. Her behavior has been tragically erratic as is. She supposes that’s what a brush of death does for you—change you in unexpected ways. But she isn’t sure how to really cope with this level of impossibility.

Rather, she hasn’t really coped with Michael’s death at all, so how can she cope with her own? Or Sakura’s?

She wipes her face with the handkerchief and blows her nose.

“Two,” Lucille interjects, trying to avoid being overfed. “I’m not a big eater, and Elaine is right…”

"Still... calling me an Onee-san, huh?" Sakura asked, slightly mischievous twinkle in her eye. "It'd certainly be nice to hear after all this time. Oh I remember how you used to run around the mansion looking for me after you had finished your latest drawing or book, yelling 'Onee-san, onee-san!'..."

Ah. Now she’s back to wanting to die for a much different reason.

“I don’t think anyone needs to hear this,” she groans in childish lament. “Nobody is interested in what I was like when I was five…”

Lucille is fairly certain of this fact. She was a very dull child, all things considered.

[Bloble]

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

Oh no.

I got it wrong.

I got it totally wrong!

"Do not presume you know about what friends are and what they are not when you are wearing such outdated shlemofon yourself! That soft padding won't protect you inside an OF-40! Even an L3/35 would be too much for you, even if you would fit perfectly inside!"

"H-hey, this isn't made for your tiny Italian tanks!" I protest, coming to the defense of my precious helmet. "OF-40? All I need is a T-60! No, even a T-40 is more than enough! And in a T-34/85 I could-!"

"It is simply unbecoming to keep insisting about friendships where there are none. Though I do not agree with her assessment of your clothing. It has a... certain daruma type feel, which I suppose some would fancy."

"D-Daruma!?"

I can't believe this. How could such a kind girl stab me in the back like this? What happened to the salve? This is way worse than anything Elizaveta did!

"Subaru, you..."

However, I can't retaliate. If I go for one, the other will tear into me. It's a complete losing position.

Thus, slowly, beneath the glares of two thirds of the new Axis Powers, I'm forced back, sinking lower and lower in my seat until I vanish below the table with only my quivering helmet is visible.

A moment later...

I have no choice but to raise a white flag of surrender, formed out of a napkin and a spoon. Using it as a shield, I creep back up, feeling as if I just got burnt, shot, stabbed, poisoned, and then sent floating down the river.

"Ugh..... fine! You win! You two definitely aren't friends... I'll pay reparations to Japan and Italy... you can borrow some of my swimsuits, so please no more..."

If only it was winter. Then I'd be able to rise again and fight them off at the last moment. But it isn't, and alas, in this history defeat is the only option. Though, if you think about it...

"But you only beat me because you worked together..."

I'll take solace in that, at the very least.

However, my defeat is followed shortly by something amazing.

What is this...? Is Alexstrazsa Lockhart... embarassed? Flustered!? Showing real emotion!???

I don't care if it was because of this random package! It's a victory! I got to see something special so that's a win no matter how you cut it!

Poke, poke. What's in there? Beneath all those stamps? I wanna see, but it's not mine, so I can't pry... but I still wanna see.

"Ohohoho... so that's what they call you, is it? In that case-!"

"It's okay Little Z, I think that name is pretty cute."

However, what comes next re-contextualizes everything. What was I just thinking? I would have been no better than that tyrant of terrible nicknames if I'd gone even a step further. That was close. For a moment there I nearly forgot what I was fighting for.

"...Lockhart."

Towards the fellow recipient of an insult disguised as a proper noun, I can only offer the sympathy of a comrade.

"Alliance?"

If there's anything I've learned today, it's that I we need to defeat the monster known as Liana Skye. Otherwise this terrible ordeal will never come to an end.

[Daneel Rush]

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



Ubon Sĕeklêun…is unexpectedly well informed about her classmates’ backgrounds. Did she already have a chance to speak to all of them, or does she have a surprisingly vast grasp of general knowledge, her atrocious pronunciation of Louvre notwithstanding?

Then, she brings up Xylia Pheme. The foremost suspect of Colton Davin’s murder, if he remembers his last exchange with him and Inacio properly, and he definitely does. Of course, that girl has her own issues; otherwise, she would not be here. However, the matter of Xylia Pheme is probably something he, John Dove, cannot handle, at least not without the right help. Furthermore, did either Colton or Xylia travel back in time? So many questions, so many things in need of clarification before he can even get started with the matter of preventing Sunday’s tragedies.

However, this is not an exclusive game between John Dove and the Disembodied Man, is it?

“Yes, it would be hard to achieve anything when flying rocks get involved. We can only hope she finds her own way to connect with somebody here. But I guess not being able to reach out to someone…is also frustrating, huh.”

Ubon then says a few words about her background, but it is clear she does not want to give many details, and John would not even know how to start forcing them out of her. He cannot think in the same way as somebody like Ramia Ramalsaqr.

“Sure thing. Whenever you want to talk, I’ll be ready to listen.”

That is not a lie, nor a platitude designed to get in Ubon’s good side. John Dove does consider himself a good listener. On the other hand, his responses are either lacking or artificial.

“Come on; let’s go a bit faster for the last laps so you don’t get bored,” he challenges (not that it’s much of a challenge, really). “By the way, you said something rather impressive a bit earlier. Imperial House, was it?”

His voice ends with a bit of a yell as he leaves Ubon behind. John has heightened the pace for the last two laps. He is having a surprisingly placid time, but there is the need for a quick shower and an even quicker breakfast before the school bell rings.

[Verg Avesta]

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

"No, no, I'm good without ice cream, not good to go eating it for breakfast, I already got this beast. Along with our talented sous-chef's lovely meal for fine ladies. For all that I can pack away a lot, it's for the best to not push it too far. Plus, there's the beach tonight, right? Gotta save up for that, get myself some nice barbecue or something."

Sakura nodded to the ponytailed blonde with some understanding in her gaze.

"Ah, yes, the barbecue should be quite nice, actually. From what I understand, Souma is quite the cook," Sakura said with a good cheer in her voice, clearly feeling much better now that the air had been cleared. "And from what I understand, he was planning on wearing an apron too... So I guess it'll be food for both stomach and eyes, no?"

A little bit of mischievousness tinted her smile as she cocked her eyebrow at Elaine. Perhaps, in a way, the older girl had an understanding on how the blonde's mind worked... at least when it came to some of the stuff she had said. Or rather, the way she had regarded Colt earlier. Perhaps part of it was how sensitive Sakura seemed to be to mood changes of others, and now that Lucille had been dealt with, she had sensed something else abrewing with Elaine, and wanted to try and help out there too.

Well, whatever the case, she was certainly jokingly implying something.

“What do you think, Sakura. Two or three scoops?”

“Two. I’m not a big eater, and Elaine is right…”

"Mm, in that case, I'll have two as well," Sakura said as she sat Lucille down in her chair, and pulled one for herself. "I think I'll need a little pick-me-up right now, but as Elaine said, should save some room for the beach party today. I promised to make sure that nobody will go hungry after all - and that includes myself!"

She laughed a bit as she accepted the bowl from Colt.

“I don’t think anyone needs to hear this. Nobody is interested in what I was like when I was five…”

That made Sakura's eyebrows rise again, the impish glint of her eyes making a comeback as well.

"Oh? But personally I think you were just adorable back then! Practically glued to the hem of my skirt whenever you weren't studying, and so excited about every single achievement you had~! It was like you were an excited puppy, fishing for compliments every chance you got~!" Sakura cooed lovingly. "Ah, to hear those cheerful yells of 'Onee-san, onee-san' again... It really was a shame when you grew embarrassed of saying that, even though I taught you it because you asked~"

With a playful smirk on her lips, Sakura gestured towards Colt and Elaine.

"Ah, in case it's not obvious by now, I am... well, let's just say 'Head Maid' in Mistress Lucille's mansion, and I've been her caretaker ever since she was born," she finally explained, though, as Elaine might have noted, left something quite big out of it. "And as it is my duty to watch over Milady wherever she goes, well... here I am. Out here reliving my high school years, ahaha~!"

There was a bit of a self-depricating sigh at the end there, but Sakura chose not to make more of a number out of it. Instead, her eyes lit up again and she excitedly turned towards the table and Lucille once more.

"Still! Now that that's out of the way... would either of you like to hear about the time Mistress Lucille got scared of the ducks that had landed in the mansion's pool?" she asked, grinning from ear to ear. "It really is quite interesting, I tell you..."

[Verg Avesta]

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

“Come on; let’s go a bit faster for the last laps so you don’t get bored. By the way, you said something rather impressive a bit earlier. Imperial House, was it?”

"Oh!"

Ubon, who had been a bit lost in her own thoughts towards the end there, let out a slightly surprised sound and nodded. At the same time, she turned her back towards the direction they were going once more - almost as if talking this way to John while they were jogging was somehow easier. And perhaps for her it was? At the very least, judging by how freely she moved around, her center of gravity and sense of balance must have been extraordinary.

"Mhm, at least I think so? Like, I'm not totes sure, but at least that's what I figured. See, remember that tiny girl from Japan? Subaru? Yeah, so, her! For realsies," Ubon explained with a grin. "Or, that's what I think at least. See, my homeland's sorta close to Japan, yeah? Well, I thought she looked a bit familiar when I saw her for the first time, and when we were loading into the bus from the same airport, I'm pretty sure I heard one of the servants that were sending her off use the term saishu."

Now that she mentioned, it was true that Ubon and Subaru had been among one of the last people who were picked up by the bus that headed to Road's End. After all, they had all come from the direction of the west coast, meaning they must have spent at least some time on the same airport.

"And with her looks, her age, and how saishu is this term for... err, what's it again...? Err, oh!" Ubon snapped her finges. "Supreme Priestess! Yeah, that's it. I think it's related to one big shrine over there I don't really remember... A-anyways, from what I get or rather, remember, saishus are like these super shrine maidens that are unmarried princesses of the Imperial Family... or something like that."

She made a bit of an awkward shrug at the end.

"Honestly, it's mostly just my own silly deductions, but it kinda fits? Since Subaru likes to wear the imperial colors, and whenever she speaks Japanese she's, like, super formal."

That... was strangely mismatched with what John himself had learned from Subaru. After all, didn't the girl talk about Ainu gods herself, along with using their words, along with making references to Hokkaido?

Yet another mystery.

[Mormarth]

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

I rubbed at my nose at Sakura's knowing look, feeling a bit self-conscious, "Aha, well, y'know, I'm a girl with tastes an' I'm up-front about them. I like my meat pipping hot and fresh from the grill, out in the open air, see?"

I buried my face back into the wall for a moment, taking the opportunity to swallow the growing saliva at the thought of the

Abs

meat

to be consumed.

I chewed away at the particularly large sets of bites I took, the formerly insurmountable sandwich before me had been reduced to a fraction of its might.

But still.

But still-!

It was still not out of the fight, it was worthy prey, fighting back with all sorts of bizarre tastes and smells and textures, but I was not one to be deterred so easily, no.

I saw this opposition as a challenge, like all things that had been brought down upon me, curses and pain beyond death, I would take this beast of meat into myself and I would devour it whole. I would take the energy, the numen allowed in its construction and I would become greater.

My keen senses skillfully noted each individual slice of cheese, every bit of meat, mustard, mayo, and a thousand other sorts, even the base, the bread itself seemed a frankensteinian horror amalgamation.

Truly, it was dangerous, taking this too quickly would result in hours of pain, too slowly and the wall would crush me beneath.

So, in the interests of caution and the patient predator, I rose out of my savaged meal allowing my mind to resume normal interactions for the moment.

"A head maid, huh? So she really is rich, maids and a mansion and a swimming pool and all, must be nice."

I took a moment to clean my face, memories coming forth.

"Y'know, actually, I did some housework like that myself, wasn't for very long, of course, but yeah, I got to live in a big fancy house and do work, was maybe two years ago?"

I tapped on the table a bit, nails rapping against linoleum, "Suppose you could have called us hobos, in the classical sense, workers travelling here and there for work, Pop had some business with the man of the house, and we got a nice roof an' good food out of it."

I allowed a smile, white gleaming teeth glinting, "But there's nothin' wrong with being spooked by some crazy birds loitering, there was a time when I couldn't get out of my beast cause of all these starlings over the lawn."

Boy, how many of them were there.

I shook my head, "Black feathered vagabonds all over the place, crapped everywhere, was like Hitchcock or something. Gave me a good scare when they swarmed the car."

Then a shrug, "At least got some free food out of it in the end after Pop came out with the shotgun, but hey, by all means, I love silly stories like that."

[Cheetose]

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

“Mm,” I replied with a smile as I bumped my own fist against his, “Friends and allies.”

This, too, was sort of funny - but this time, I spared him the explanation of how, once again, it was exactly him who taught me what a fistbump was. How, if it wasn’t for him, I’d be just staring at his fist confusedly now…

But is it for the better to learn and adapt like this?

Or would it have been better if I pretended to be the goof I originally was regarding this?

Well...matters not.

“Of course...this friendship comes with obligations, you know, “I continued while gesturing towards Pyry with a slice of bacon that was impaled on my fork, “It means that there is no pretending to be a hero and trying to solve things on your own. You’re not alone now, and you can rely on me no matter what. So please…”

I couldn’t tell if I was asking for too much - but I remembered how he was the last time. How he tried to act alone all the time, always getting himself hurt for the sake of others. It wasn’t fair…especially not after we were already supposed to rely on each other.

“In other news…” I said as my gaze turned towards the tracks, and the blue haired girl -most likely Ubon- while munching on the piece of bacon, “I heard from reliable sources that there was going to be a beach party tonight, and that you were preparing some sort of a music act with Inacio.”

Hmm…

Should actually meet up with Inacio as well eventually…

Give him a hint about Carrie. He wanted to hear her play so much, it would be nice to grant him that wish.

“Also that you were in need of a drummer and a keyboard player. Since I already took the time to practice, and even perform the song with you guys during said beach party...” I elaborated now with a grin on my face, “I wouldn’t mind helping out this time either. Maybe it would go even better now that I’m a bit more used to it.”

Trying to follow Ubon with my eyes as she was dashing around the track turned out to be more difficult and tiresome than I expected, so instead I just turned back to look at Pyry again.

“How does that sound, Mr Perfect Vocals?”

[Spinach]

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

Delivering two scoops to each girl, Colt returned the rest of the ice cream to the freezer. With things back to normal, with nothing left to distract him, he could finally return to his original goal. The entire reason he was even here. The young man had waited long enough. His patience could be tested no longer.

He took his croque madame and seated himself across from the duo. Pouring himself a tall glass of milk, Colt grabbed a peppermill and cracked many a peppercorn over his sandwich.

At last. Finally. There would be no more delays. No distractions.

He set his heart at ease and took a bite.

Being conscious of his company, Colt restrained his chomp to something more modest than normal. He didn’t reach the egg, not yet. But he would. With time. Patience, young grasshopper. Patience.

"Ah, in case it's not obvious by now, I am... well, let's just say 'Head Maid' in Mistress Lucille's mansion, and I've been her caretaker ever since she was born, and as it is my duty to watch over Milady wherever she goes, well... here I am. Out here reliving my high school years, ahaha~!"

"Still! Now that that's out of the way... would either of you like to hear about the time Mistress Lucille got scared of the ducks that had landed in the mansion's pool? It really is quite interesting, I tell you..."

“Y’know, I was a bit confused by that comment about younger guys.” Washing down the first bite a gulp of milk, Colt tilted his head at the other girl. “Honestly… I’m still of the mind that you’re yankin’ my chain here. Aside from the shrimp, you don’t seem any older than the rest of us.”

He rubbed his chin, looking the girl over.

‘If she’s been taking care of Lucille since she was born, just how old is she? Wait wait I could swear I heard her mention something about legal issues when she made that comment about younger guys. This really is a joke, right? I mean… I’ve got no problem with it, but now I kinda really wanna know…’

"Y'know, actually, I did some housework like that myself, wasn't for very long, of course, but yeah, I got to live in a big fancy house and do work, was maybe two years ago? Suppose you could have called us hobos, in the classical sense, workers travelling here and there for work, Pop had some business with the man of the house, and we got a nice roof an' good food out of it. But there's nothin' wrong with being spooked by some crazy birds loitering, there was a time when I couldn't get out of my beast cause of all these starlings over the lawn."

“No way, I think being spooked by ducks is a bit out there. Maybe if she mistook them for geese or something, that’s normal. But ducks? Cute little mallards? Well, not to be rude, but…” It was never his intention to play along with Sakura’s unending teasing of her poor mistress, but at this point the unending opportunities to play along were getting too tempting. “… that does sound interesting.”

He took another bite.

“Though I have to say, everyone in this school is so interesting. A mistress and her maid here, an mystery woman who lived her life on the road there. I feel a bit plain and out of place.”

[Verg Avesta]

Hisa Momoi
Location: Pinefall High - Campus
Phase: Morning Phase
Date: 07.09.1994 (WED)
Weather: Partly Cloudy

“Of course...this friendship comes with obligations, you know. It means that there is no pretending to be a hero and trying to solve things on your own. You’re not alone now, and you can rely on me no matter what. So please…”

Pyry chuckled and lifted his hands up slightly, in a gesture of surrender.

"Alright, you got it. No heroics on my own. Besides, it's not like I could do much on my own since, y'know, you seem to be on top of this 'time travel' thing much more than I am. Though, you should also know I'm sturdier than most if you know about my Sampo, so... you know, if someone comes swinging a sword or something at us, let me take the front," he said, brandishing his own fork back at Hisa. "And that's not me just bringing up the hero card. That's me being realistic. You're all thin and tiny so I'd rather you back me up from the rear while I take care of the melee... if we get in trouble and have to fight, that is."

Having said that, the blonde boy focused on his breakfast once more. Just like Hisa, he let his eyes turn towards the two figures at the track. Now that they had gotten a bit closer, it was easy enough to recognize both Ubon and John - and even over here, the cyanhead's excited voice could be heard faintly. From the sounds of it she was regaling John with some tale or another, and looking very animated as she did. Pyry even snorted at her hyperactive antics and mumbled something about a "parrot on speed", but didn't say more than that.

“In other news… I heard from reliable sources that there was going to be a beach party tonight, and that you were preparing some sort of a music act with Inacio.”

"Hggkk--h!"

Pyry practically choken on his bread out of surprise.

"G-gah... goddammit, pikkusisko, warn me when you do that!" The boy grumbled, wiping his mouth. "Having you take me off-guard with future info is really cramping my style. I mean, I'm trying to be as cool as a cat over here, despite all the bizarre stuff from this morning..."

He didn't seem actually annoyed though, judging by his grin that he tried to hide.

“Also that you were in need of a drummer and a keyboard player. Since I already took the time to practice, and even perform the song with you guys during said beach party... I wouldn’t mind helping out this time either. Maybe it would go even better now that I’m a bit more used to it. How does that sound, Mr Perfect Vocals?”

Pyry cocked an eyebrow with a smirk.

"Well, someone's sounding confident," he replied back. "I mean, I'm fine with you helping out, and I don't think Inacio has anything against it either, but... well, since you sound of yourself - here's a question."

He folded his arms across his chest a bit smugly.

"What song are we gonna play?"

[Mellon]

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

"... Should be careful about doing stuff like that. Accusations in a place like this might get you in trouble."

"--- Real fast."

“I think we’re having a misunderstanding here.” Anna let out a small sigh. “I’m not really accusing you of anything. In fact, what would I be accusing you of? Being more competent than you outwardly appear?”

Apparently, she had struck just a bit too close to the truth for Travis’s liking. There was no mistaking that tensioning in his muscles, the way that the grip around his knife suddenly tightened and shifted into a more offensive grip. Danger rolled off the blue-haired boy in waves, but not the confident, languid presence of a hunting predator like Nubata or a practiced soldier like Ramia. No, this was… the aura of a cornered beast a hair’s breadth away from lashing out in fear and desperation. She had seen the like before more times than she could count.

Most of the people she had fought had tried something like this at least once – usually right before the end.

“In any case, it is as I told you in the beginning. I don’t particularly care. I came because of my half-baked curiosity relating to a guy who’s stabbing a table in the middle of a cafeteria, that’s all. What I am telling you is simply what I have noticed right now, right here. And I don’t particularly have any interest in digging around someone's dirty laundry either.

“However, I am not the only person here. And you would do well not to underestimate the folks here. You’re correct that there is a bunch of nutcases here, but… well, in any case, I’m hardly the most observant person here.”

“Just the one most conveniently placed in this particular instance.”

Anna stretched her arms a bit, still completely unheeding of the aura of danger surrounding the Canadian boy.

“Oh, and a small piece of advice, if I may.” Anna leaned even closer to Travis. “You should take a deep breath and relax. At the moment, your entire body language is screaming that your… on edge, so to speak. It is extremely conspicuous to those who have the experience to read the signs."

"If you keep this up, certain folks in this very cafeteria are definitely going to take notice.”

“---Real soon.”

[Thalraxal]

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

As Tonkori wandered across the table, Elise seized the opportunity to give her a friendly pat and a scritch behind the ears. She felt immensely finally having the opportunity to pet the adorable little dog.

You were so serious last time I saw you, but you're really just a happy little fellow, aren't you?

"Indeed. If we are to play games of socializing, they would better serve to be done either at a recess, or perhaps... hmm... Perhaps that beach party that Miss Tsukioka was talking about yesterday? That might seem like a safe environment. The sand on the beach should be very soft, no?"

The beach party!?

Right. That is tonight isn't it? Hisa and I were going to meet in her room after class... Will I still be able to make to the beach in time...?

Elise's thoughts of the future were immediately derailed when Cesarina pulled out the mysterious package she'd received this morning and dropped it on the table. She'd seen it earlier when Cesarina was inspecting on her walk to the cafeteria, but hadn't given it much thought then. Given how it had hit the floor when Cesarina dropped it after getting hit by the door, Elise hoped there wasn't anything fragile inside. Elise inspected the stamps on the side of the package. They looked to all be American stamps, and there wasn't much variation among them, most of them were the same, just with three colour variants: red, white, and blue.

"I suppose it might be for me..."

"It's okay Little Z, I think that name is pretty cute."

"Ohmygoodness, Lil Z," exclaimed Elise, momentarily distracted from the package, "That is such an adorable name, Alexstrasza."

I was wrong. This is the right table. Forget the moon!

Skye reached over and patted Alexstrasza and called her by her endearing old moniker. No on deserved such cruelty, and Elise made note that Skye was an incredibly dangerous individual. Still, the scene of Skye patting Alexstrasza on the head did conjure up an image of a younger, smaller version of Lil Z in a similar position. It was an adorable image, but one Elise couldn't waste time with. There was a mysterious package on the table! While they may have determined the intended recipient of the package, they weren't any closer to discerning its contents.

"That's a lot of stamps for such a small package... Looks like they're all American stamps, so it's probably safe to assume that it came from the States. If I had to guess, it looks like the sender just bought a whole sheet of stamps and just adhered it to the side of the package... although if he was at the store, I wonder why he didn't bother to get fresh twine, that stuff looks kinda gross... It doesn't look it's very heavy, and it's not particularly large... so I'm going to guess that the sender had no idea how much postage was actually needed for the package (and really, who does?), and wanted to make sure that it absolutely got here..." said Elise as she continued to inspect the package from a distance, "You said it rattled, right Cesarina? That you thought it sounded like plastic? Did it sound like something solid or hollow?"

Elise considered just picking up the package to gauge the weight and give it a shake herself, but decided that would be rude given that they'd already determined that it's owner was the embarrassed, flustered, and head patted Alexstrasza.

"If it rattled, that probably rules out a book..."

[Katie]

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

Lucille takes small bites out of her ice cream, a mixed of ingrained habit and because she is never very hungry lately. Or because she’s fuming in embarrassment. In her repeated attempts to escape fate, she is subject to more and more punishment.

Elaine’s story helps set the mood better, but unfortunately Colt Davin’s dangerous curiosity leads him to pursue dangerous avenues. This is what Lucille Faraday surmises to be betrayal, alongside Sakura’s current actions. What is equally unfortunate is that she has no good way to stop them.

“They wouldn’t stop following me!” Lucille’s defense of her five-year-old self unfortunately does not illuminate any aspect of the story. “Can we not discuss this?!”

Regardless, Lucille returns to eating. If she spends all her time fighting against the injustice of friends and family, she will have no time to actually put food into her stomach. With a heavy heart, she tries to prepare her mind to block out every word Sakura is saying, for her own sanity.

[Daneel Rush]

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



“That’s…huh.”

Curious. Very curious. And unexpected. Worrisome? He is not even sure of that yet. Several possibilities arise:

1. Ubon is outright wrong about everything. However, that is solely avoiding the problem, and thus an option not considering.

2. This is not merely “time travel”. It also involves discrete changes to the elements on the stage. In other words, while the Miss Iburi of the previous iteration was a religious figure associated with the Ainu of Japan’s northern island, the current Miss Iburi has a different background—but, does not that run into a certain problem?

Indeed, John does remember the term saishu. An ordinary person would forget a foreign, indecipherable word quickly, but John's mind does not work in normal ways. He remembers precisely because it was foreign and unknown. Where did he hear that word?

…Souma.

Souma and his means of addressing Miss Iburi during that meeting in the forest. His…subtly mocking deference, of a sort. In that case…

3. Both Ubon’s statements and Miss Iburi’s own self-assertions are correct despite their apparent conflict.

Of course, there is still room for the possibility that Ubon is only partially correct; that her understanding of Miss Iburi’s status is deficient or at least incomplete. John certainly does not know a thing about the religious structures of the Land of the Rising Sun, only an average grasp of their mysticism. However, if he only takes from Ubon the word “saishu”, and even if the meaning she gave him is only partially correct, it is already a significant conflict. What is a member of the Japanese Imperial Family doing performing priestly duties of the Ainu tradition and training hunting dogs in Hokkaido? More importantly, does he really want to dwell on this mystery? This seems more a matter of Japanese politics, not directly related to the crisis at Road’s End.

Unless it is connected to the psychological imbalance that placed Subaru Iburi in Pinefall High School. Where does the “Child of Gods” persona enter this mess…wait.

Is this about syncretism? Or the scandalous secret of an Imperial siring a child in distant Hokkaido?

No, wait, this is most decidedly not the time or the place to ponder such things. Besides, he just about touched the limit of his knowledge of such matters. His specialty is occultism, not theology or Japanese politics.

“That…is actually very interesting; I had no idea,” he admits amidst the heavy breathing that accompanies a greater exertion. “To think Miss Iburi is that kind of big shot, huh. Good to know; wouldn’t want to start an international incident by saying the wrong thing to a princess.”

John allows himself a new smile, adjusting his facial muscles and voice to his rendition of “teasing”.

“That is very useful information, Ubon, thank you. To think this comes from the girl who called herself a ‘dumdum’.”

If Ubon has a response to that, John does not let her voice immediately.

“Now, as fun as this is, we cannot keep jogging forever. I hafta finish my routine with time to grab something to eat. Also, if I never stop running I will drop dead.”