Astronomika - Shooting Down Falling Stars (IC)

[Airen]

Liana Skye
Location: Owl's Nest Hotel
Phase: Morning Phase
Date: 08.09.1994 (THU)
Weather: Overcast

"Hmm, that's a bit of a shame, I would've liked to try singing it."

---It's a statement of many truths.

The previous night had reawoken her taste for the musical, and while old-town folklore songs aren't exactly the same thing as your average j-pop or rock beat, there was still a part of her that wanted to add it to her collection simply for the sake of it, the art of the song as it were...

Of course, this was also seemingly a song about a Turnside Entity of some sort, knowing it would almost certainly serve some sort of practical purpose at some point, even if only a tiny one, and thus...

For the sake of putting an end to things here in town, she needs to deal with both the Disembodied Man and this Ms. Dot...

---Although that might also just be the tip of the iceberg, after all she hadn't been here very long, and judging by her previous interactions with Vier, there were quite a few monsters hiding out around here...

Well, hopefully the students had just been desperate last Sunday; she'd rather think there wasn't some form of serial killer hiding out amongst the student body...

Of course her smile shows none of the gears turning in her head as she listens to Nora talk, no, she simply regards the taller girl quietly as she shares even more of her information with them after revealing a certain dislike of hers, and-

"I see," she nods briefly, "Well if you ever want help interviewing people just let me know, I'm a bit of an everyday talkative heroine, so I don't mind helping out with most problems, really. It's something like a hobby of mine."

She closes one eye.

It's the truth.

Mostly.

...Helps that she's cute.

As an aspiring knight, she's more or less honor bound to help these types.

"Heck, I work here now, so I don't mind dropping by if I learn something new, and I plan to do a lot of exploring, so I'll probably run across someone," withdrawing the pencil case she had found the previous night, she withdraws a pencil and paper, jotting down the names that had just been listed, "Was there anything in particular you'd want to know from any of them if I get the chance to ask? I'd assume the song is one of them, right?"

---This way, she can both help the girl out with her studies, claim a more believable reason for her own curiosity, and control any... Questionable... Information that might make itself apparent if she pokes around too much...

Skeletons in the closet don't like being exposed to the light after all...

[Bloble]

Prushka
Location: Abandoned Cabin
Phase: Morning Phase
Date: 08.09.1994 (THU)
Weather: Overcast

"...you're healing just fine. Almost too fine. Something to do with that body of yours, I'm guessing."

With a sigh, I step away. That's one less thing to be worried about.

Those manners, though...

"Did you at least wash your hands? Do you know how many germs you just swallowed? Do you want to feel like your stomach is tearing itself apart in a few hours? And you can at least wipe your fingers - those napkins are right there, use them!"

I don't want to be fussy, really. But come on! That's not hygienic at all! Ms. Nightingale would have a field day with you!

"--- Do you have someone spying on me out there?"

I point straight up.

"Vivi's on the roof. She's my friend. And she's not spying. I might be an idiot, but I'm not brave enough to come here alone. She's super acrobatic and super fast and if you try anything she's gonna be out of here lickety split and you're gonna be in a whole lot of trouble."

I bite into one of the few pieces of toast remaining - didn't have time to eat breakfast myself.

"...I guess it's fine if you're not gonna kill me though. Wanna talk to her too? It feels creepy to know someone's nearby but not able to see them, right?"

I skip backwards and yell out the window.

"Come on down, Vivi! It's fine; he's nice!"

[Katie]

Location: Road’s End – Streets
Phase: Morning Phase
Date: 08.09.1994
Weather: Overcast

Lucille takes the news in with stride. Miss Popplewell was the last person to see Devon Rustfield… so in this case, this trip was undoubtedly quite useful. That, and John’s collection of the occult would definitely be useful. Especially in Elise related matters. At least, she hoped.

“Any names you care to add?”

“Prushka told me Vivienne remembers, and Vier told me herself,” she adds. The rest, except for Anna, were people she already suspected or knew about. “Perhaps there’s someone else, but it’s hard to tell when so many of us are trying to do things differently…”

Not that she can blame them. When faced with inevitable death, how many people wouldn’t try to change fate? But she supposes opportunities like these can only be allowed by a higher power. Maybe this is not the destiny the Lord intended for her. But she cannot fathom what He knows, so she decides to stop trying.

“This isn’t just about the Disembodied Man and Dot F. Loonwaters. If most of the student body belongs to the Turnside, then they brought the Turnside along with them, with all its risks and all its hostility. We are also facing our combined supernatural history.”

“That’s definitely the case… No reason for a school to possess some sort of power dampening field in the cafeteria otherwise. But even if most of the student body is connected to the Turnside, we can’t be open with our intentions… There are ordinary people among us—relatively speaking—like Aleen and Mercedes…”

As much as she would like to dispose of pretense, she cannot. There are things to hide from others who need no part in these grisly affairs. And to that end, she will try to keep them out of the loop as much as possible.

The rest of John’s words, of a crime she does not know about committing, make her head spin. Something they all did… She understands that Elizaveta’s disappearance is the most likely source of such an issue, but what did they do? And how did they forget?

No matter. No point in thinking about problems with so little information. You can only protect the things in front of you first.

“It’s just Aleen, isn’t it? Mercedes called her an heiress, but I’m afraid I’m not sure of the context, specifically…”

[Mellon]

Anna Vandemeel
Location: Pinefall High Dormitory - Outside
Phase: Morning Phase
Date: 08.09.1994 (THU)
Weather: Overcast

"... I have no idea what the hell he meant, either,"

“Your dad a fortune-teller? Reading omens out of tea leaves and goat guts?” Anna’s wry grin deepened further. “Or perhaps just wary of bad dressing sense, I suppose. Can’t say these digs are the most fashionable if I’m totally honest.”

“Quite comfortable though, that’s for sure.”

The raven-haired girl gave an easygoing shrug. “Oh and I’ll make sure to keep any teasing on names to a minimum… Not that I have any cause to mock anyone’s name in these parts.”

“Mine doesn’t particularly scream “ordinary local”, y’know?”

Like last time, she was planning on going for a run. Into a bit of a different direction this time, however. While the scenery around the lighthouse was nice, it wouldn’t be all that productive to keep trodding down old paths, really. That and she was sick of the beach and the lighthouse, really. She’d pranced around that place far too many times already.

What she had in mind might be a bit far off, but…. Well, if necessary, she could go hiking in the woods again. Or poke around some more at End’s Mercy.

Or she could skip class. Would be as productive as going, really.

“So, Zane. You up for joining me for a run? Or a hike perhaps, really.” A brief moment of thought crossed Anna’s face as she shuffled through her memories. “There’s a country club a bit out of town, no? Spade Queen or some such, right?”

“I’m interested in how the rich toffs around these parts live.” Her eyes flickered in the direction of the main schoolhouse for a moment. “Discounting the one already here, I mean.”

“I imagine it’s a bit far off, but…” A wry glint entered Anna’s eyes as she looked at Zane. “I have some extra time to burn, I imagine.”

[Ayakashi]

"..."

Well, it would appear that her cover was blown, but then being totally honest with this Ahti person may have been for the best. He did seem like the kind that would take offense the longer something had been kept a secret from him, and who knew how he would have reacted if his discovery of Vivienne's presence was more... 'sudden'.

At Prushka's call, a figure slides down from the roof into the second floor of the cabin, passing through the window effortlessly.

"... hello."

Of course, she greets Ahti with the signature Vivienne Bianchi blandness... but it would appear that she has prepared something to make her speech more lively.

Vivi Drawing

An image of sorts... though... wasn't she a bit large? Why was she larger than what presumably was Ati... was she trying to subconsciously assert her dominance in relative size and power? Well... it also could be that she may just have misjudged how much space she had on the page and drew her head too big and had to adjust afterwards... the little Prushka on the bottom left that looked more like a mushroom than anything could perhaps hint at that. Or it could be that was just a stylistic choice of sorts.

Anyways, the rather cheerful, childish drawing did contrast quite starkly with Vivienne's face however, there was no denying of that... granted most of it was obscured by Vivienne's drawing by now.

"Mean... no harm... Prushie was just... a bit scared of you..."

[Thalraxal]

Elise Pelltier
Location: Road’s End – Streets
Phase: Morning Phase
Date: 08.09.1994
Weather: Overcast

“Let us correct that today, yes. Now, I would like to confirm who among the student body remember that week. To my knowledge, aside from the three of us, Prushka, Alex—um, Miss Lockhart, Momoi, Davin and Vandemeel remember, and I strongly suspect Elaine does as well. I also know Pyry did not remember, but Momoi clued him in on the situation. I am almost certain Ubon, Ramalsaqr, and Miss Iburi do not remember. Nubatama probably does not remember, either, but I could be wrong. Miss Faraday just established that Sakura does not remember. Any names you care to add?”

“Prushka told me Vivienne remembers, and Vier told me herself. Perhaps there’s someone else, but it’s hard to tell when so many of us are trying to do things differently…”

Most of those I knew, or suspected, but it's good to have confirmation... wasn't sure about Anna or Vier though...

“I can confirm that Vivienne remembers. We chatted about that, well, not long after we woke up. Inacio doesn't remember, or else I think he would've been very hesitant to return to the Pool Building late at night after what happened the last time he was there. I'm with you on Elaine probably remembering. She volunteered for the band this time, instead of doing fireworks for the concert,” listed Elise, pausing to glance nervously at Lucille at the mention of Elaine, “As for Alexstrasza... there's another disturbing matter there actually. She got a package in the mail on Wednesday morning. It contained a video tape labelled as an 'In-depth look at what I did to your little friend last Sunday'. Which sounds like she got mail from a future that hasn't happened yet. Needless to say, I've also got questions for Ms. Popplewell about how local mail is handled.”

“This isn’t just about the Disembodied Man and Dot F. Loonwaters. If most of the student body belongs to the Turnside, then they brought the Turnside along with them, with all its risks and all its hostility. We are also facing our combined supernatural history.”

Elise groaned at the prospect.

“That's-that's a lot of heavy supernatural history. Not to mention... if the original name for the Oceandrop Program was Miskatonic, that kind of implies that the original intent of the Program was to help treat those harmed by the supernatural, so even those of us who aren't part of the Turnside might have supernatural baggage they're not even aware of...”

Not to mention some of us have some very heavy and dangerous supernatural history, thought Elise, thinking about herself.

“That’s definitely the case… No reason for a school to possess some sort of power dampening field in the cafeteria otherwise. But even if most of the student body is connected to the Turnside, we can’t be open with our intentions… There are ordinary people among us—relatively speaking—like Aleen and Mercedes…”

“I'd forgotten about that power dampening field in the cafeteria. I haven't had a chance to investigate it at all yet. I've been kind of curious how-”

-it interacts with my demonic physiology.

“-it, uh, works,” finished Elise.

Another matter regarding the student body returned to the surface of her mind as they traversed the lonely streets of Road's End.

“What about the Coastrises, for that matter? Should we try and track them down and bring them to the school before Saturday?" said Elise, "Although, I imagine if any of them remember last week, they might just decide not to get involved with us this time around.”

“Make of it as you wish. My guess is that something happened on Tuesday the 6^th. Something for which the Disembodied Man has declared us guilty. I suspect it may be connected to the disappearance and replacement of Elizaveta Vyraj, but I have no real evidence to support that. It is nothing but a hunch.”

Elise took a moment to mull over the words the Disembodied Man as relayed by John Dove.

“Recollect your crime....” muttered Elise, “I had a similar thought before Sunday happened. I was pretty convinced that the whole Elizaveta/Xylia thing was a case of someone or something having altered our memories to hide something that must have happened on Tuesday when we arrived here. I'd sort of discarded the idea after the whole time getting reset thing happened, but... Well, if that's the case, then it'd have to have been something we, everyone who remembers Elizaveta, were witness to. I was planning on retracing my steps on Sunday to see if that jogged my memory, but never got the chance.”

“That said though, I was able to, uh, jury-rig a diagnostics tool to recover my body and mind's memories from this Tuesday.”

Heh. Demonostics tool.

“Your conscious mind, body, and soul all have their own set of memories, although your conscious mind is the one that usually takes precedence over the other two, so typically it's not easy to access them specifically without specialized tools or techniques. For whatever, because of Muse, it seems like the memories stored in our soul are taking priority over the memories in our mind in regards to last week. Or maybe Muse holds them and we're able to access them because of our connection to her. I'm still trying to figure that part out,” explained Elise, “I was able to, uh, recall the memories my body and mind had regarding this Tuesday, likely the very same one Skye experienced. Anyway, it was about the same as the Tuesday I remembered, but more in line with this week. There was Xylia instead of Elizaveta and Skye instead of Adelaide. Although Skye mostly kept to herself. I'm also pretty sure that we had this week's Subaru with the crazy hairs, rather than the Subaru we were with last week, but I'm not actually sure. I-I didn't really see much of Subaru until Sunday.”

“That said though, that was this Tuesday, not the Tuesday we arrived here on. Maybe something different did happen on our Tuesday? Or, maybe something happened in the week following that Tuesday that we all don't remember? Or maybe it was something that we could have stopped, but missed entirely? If that's the case then, it seems entirely unfair that we began again after the crime had already happened.”

Elise shrugged helplessly.

Recollect your crime...

“That-that all said... there might be a way to access lost memories from other weeks, if it is something we've all forgotten. Muse offered to divine something for me, and I asked about some other misplaced memories of mine from last week. I'd-I'd kind of assumed they were lost forever, but well, well, I got this riddle in reply: "A child, wandering between waking world and slumber - a Little Nemo with no reality to call home. Chained by the monster in their mind's eye, they gaze at the disappearing stars with growing dread. But, as they walk freely in the Forest of Unconscious, it is only them who could hunt down your lost memories. Yet the Monster from the Id may prove to be your doom...",” quoted Elise, “I like to think I'm pretty good at riddles, but I'm drawing a blank on this one. I can really appreciate the references to Nemo in Slumberland and Forbidden Planet, but unless there's an alien device buried under Road's End, I'm really not how to find Nemo. That said, the fact I got an answer at all means that there must be someone here who can recover lost memories like that.”

“In the same since we arrived here, how many people with light blue hair have you met?”

“Hm... Aleen, and Ubon come to mind, although Ubon leans more towards cyan than light blue. Ms. Costa has blue hairs too, but I think her hair is a little too dark to be described as light blue. Travis too, for that matter.”

[Mormarth]

Elaine Winters
Location: Pinefall High Main Building - Cafeteria
Phase: Morning Phase
Date: 08.09.1994 (THU)
Weather: Overcast

"Hmm, Leuzinger, Oceandrop, or the Hospital, eh? Well, I don't think the spooks at the hospital'd be too willing to give up some info like that," I said, giving Ramia a significant look, "Let's just say I'm already workin' that front."

I crossed my legs gently, holding my chin in my hand thoughtfully, eyeing the small dog still begging for food across the table as I did so.

"Course, there's half-decent odds any of the teachers here'd have details on it," I went on, "Hmph, got on Lewis's good side yesterday, could ask him if he's got any dark secrets on whatever the hell's going on in this place."

Still, though, how to try and get some time with the Nurse...

Could try to excuse myself on some malady of some sort, never actually had some 1-on-1, so depending on how much they know, I'm half-interested to see if they've got anything about my... condition.

Wouldn't that be something.

Leaving aside bitter cynicism attempting to drown my baseless optimism, I pressed on.

"In fact," I noted, "I don't think most of anyone's got some deets on the teachers. Janitor, maybe, couple of people in town, even. But I don't think I've heard of even one person getting some personal time with one of em."

Sounds kinda skeevy when I say it that way, phrasing, me!

"I mean, I'm pretty sure I could fake something pretty good," I murmured, frowning, "Wouldn't be surprised if I didn't have to, considering ol' Steph's hanging around, and word'll get back to someone eventually."

I tapped my fingers on the table, frowning.

'Caught a glimpse of her last night', Hwan? So what was our little bloodsucker out doing near the hospital.

Late night anemia appointment?

[Frantic Author]

[QUOTE=Verg Avesta;3078661]Elaine Winters & Alexstrasza Lockhart
Location: Pinefall High Main Building - Cafeteria
Phase: Morning Phase
Date: 08.09.1994 (THU)
Weather: Overcast


The talented. In spite of myself, I did understand Hwan Ban in a way that I would have preferred not to. To be naturally talented is as much a gift as it is a curse, that plague known as 'talent' surely exists in every person at Pinefall High. In order to be exceptionally unordinary, you must first be exceptional.

"Last night? I did not see you around," I said, tilting my head to the side. "Are you perhaps also a master of disguise?"

I patted him on the arm.

"Being so talented must be rough. I am only talented at a few things, and quite miserable at most. But nevertheless, I can feel it! My goals are being achieved! And, I'm making f-friends!"

Beaming proudly at him, I gave him a thumbs up.

"While it is indeed different, I think in spite of the knives in my back, it has overall been a decent experience!"

[Daneel Rush]

Location: Road’s End – Streets
Phase: Morning Phase
Date: 08.09.1994
Weather: Overcast



“Bianchi, right…and Vier Wolff. Got it.”

Two more names for the list. Better than nothing; always useful to know—

“As for Alexstrasza... there's another disturbing matter there actually. She got a package in the mail on Wednesday morning. It contained a video tape labelled as an 'In-depth look at what I did to your little friend last Sunday'. Which sounds like she got mail from a future that hasn't happened yet.”

There is no way the two girls present can tell what goes through John Dove’s mind. They can only see his whole body turning in the direction of Pinefall High, eyes wide and muscles taut.

Eyes wide as if they could find Alexstrasza Lockhart from where he stands.

Muscles taut as if he is about to dash back to the school.

Think, John Dove.

Indeed, it is his rational mind, the one he has followed unfailingly throughout these years, which stops him. In his tense stillness, he reasons that Alexstrasza would have already made a very visible move if there had been a name on the package. He considers that, if she already watched the video tape, then it is already too late to do anything, and if she has not, then there is obviously no immediate reason for him to go to her.

Nevertheless, the pull persists. The unreasonable “hunch” that he has to do “something” for Alexstrasza Lockhart. Elise Marie says something about mail handling that flies right past his ears.

So many things to do. So many people to contact. There is not enough time.

“I…see,” he finally says, his muscles relaxing and his body settling into its usual moroseness. “That is indeed troubling.”

“…if the original name for the Oceandrop Program was Miskatonic, that kind of implies that the original intent of the Program was to help treat those harmed by the supernatural, so even those of us who aren't part of the Turnside might have supernatural baggage they're not even aware of…”

“Wouldn’t be surprising. Miss West is certainly not just another young starlet,” he ponders, thinking back on a certain heavily codified notebook. Yet another matter to check.

“No reason for a school to possess some sort of power dampening field in the cafeteria otherwise.”

“I was not aware of that. It is certainly good to know, thank you.”

Thinking on it, in all the days already spent at Pinefall, John Dove has never partaken of a breakfast in the cafeteria.

“Regarding the Coastrises, I confirmed with Mr. Lewis that they are indeed part of the student roster, they were expected to travel in the bus with the rest of us, and that the faculty is trying to find them. If they are in the hotel as they claimed, then I can only guess our teachers are not trying very hard.”

“Maybe something different did happen on our Tuesday? Or, maybe something happened in the week following that Tuesday that we all don't remember? Or maybe it was something that we could have stopped, but missed entirely? If that's the case then, it seems entirely unfair that we began again after the crime had already happened.”

“Well, the Disembodied Man said nothing about preventing or correcting anything. It just said ‘recollect’. Perhaps it just wants an admission of guilt before killing us for good.”

Perhaps trying to figure out the thought processes of the Disembodied Man is an exercise in futility.

Elise Marie’s long spiel on memories and their divergences across different iterations of the same week is indeed interesting, if rather inconclusive. He almost opens his mind when she says something that catches his attention, but then she brings up a riddle from Muse. It is the kind of thing that gets his mind running off on its own.

“…between waking world and slumber…no reality to call home…partial consciousness? Rather than natural sleep, a comatose, vegetative, or some other state of limited consciousness and awareness?” he murmurs. “No, that is standard thinking, too narrow-minded; the Turnside expands the possibilities. Delusions born of stress and/or anxiety, multiple personalities, psychic constructions taking over their creator, demonic possession, dislocation and transference of souls…”

Stop it, John Dove. You could go on forever like this. Also, are you pondering about the subject of the riddle, or about Elise Marie Pelltier?

“…the monster in their mind’s eye…disappearing stars…the whole riddle is built on metaphors, so it likely does not refer to celestial bodies. Stars…usually connected to fate, or used as a metaphor for guidance, or for notable people…”

After a bit more of such mumbling, John finally sighs and shakes his head.

“…my apologies. It is too vague. I cannot even tell if you are supposed to look for this person in the real world or in the dreamscape where Muse exists.”

Again, he proves to be completely useless. In this dangerous situation, what is the worth of a man who can neither fight nor think?

“It’s just Aleen, isn’t it? Mercedes called her an heiress, but I’m afraid I’m not sure of the context, specifically…”

“Hm...Aleen, and Ubon come to mind, although Ubon leans more towards cyan than light blue. Ms. Costa has blue hairs too, but I think her hair is a little too dark to be described as light blue. Travis too, for that matter.”

“Aleen….and Ubon, you say? So Ubon’s hair is blue…”

He did notice her gray tone was somewhat different from people he knows for a fact are blonde, but blue of all things…well, in a way, that is very Ubon. However, Ubon is a foreigner, very unlikely to have a previous connection to Road’s End, in which case…

“Aleen King…Mercedes West called her a ‘heiress’…”

In Western Europe, accusations of witchcraft were more often than not a consequence of mass hysteria and moral panic. A product of superstition and excessive suspicion in a dangerous world. Such accusations were indiscriminate in their targets, the majority of which were common people because of simple statistics. In Eastern Europe, on the other hand, accusations of witchcraft, demonic possession and vampirism were used more often as a political weapon, to diminish the power and influence of wealthy families. This “custom”, if it may be called such, contributed to the creation of the “noble vampire in his castle”: a cultured, charming, aristocratic monster who predates on the common person.

Perhaps a similar phenomenon took place in as remote a place as Road’s End. A single family notably elevated above the rest of the community; a succession of dark events connected to that family, and its subsequent isolation. Perhaps the McLampets are not seen only as the victims of a supernatural force, but as supernatural beings themselves. “American vampires” of a sort.

Then again, with the Turnside all around us, perhaps the McLampets are in fact supernatural beings. Just like perhaps there is an alien device buried under Road’s End. By this point he cannot dismiss anything.

By the way, the one from last night…it was hard to tell in the dark, but, its hair had a similar tone, did it not?

The last of the dynasty, the child of Elias McLampet…what was her name again?

“Thank you, Miss Faraday, Elise Marie. I don’t think I have yet reached anywhere with these conjectures of mine, but it is nonetheless valuable information you have given me.”

Really, so many things to do; so many things to think about…

Every single moment of every single day becomes a tug-of-war between different parts of him. There is the part of him that urges him to find Alexstrasza and talk about that video tape; the part of him that urges him to find Colton Davin and apologize; the part of him that urges him to find Mercedes West and decipher that notebook once and for all; the part of him that urges him to find Liana Skye to chase after last night’s clue; the part of him that urges him to seek out Ramia Ramalsaqr and resolve the matter of the artifact; the part of him that proposes talking to Mister Oceandrop or Miss Sae Min; the part of him that believes he should have that talk with Anna Vandemeel right now, or the part of him pushing him towards looking for Elaine Winters and…actually, he has no idea what he’ll do when the time comes to meet Elaine Winters properly again.

And of course, stronger than all the others together: the whole of him urging him to find Her. His ruinous goddess of the night. His baleful guiding moonlight.

However, John Dove can only live for the moment. He is too powerless to reliably plan far ahead. Right now, he belongs to Elise Marie Pelltier and Lucille Faraday, and he can only believe he is precisely where he should be. And maybe, just maybe, the fact that he can willfully push himself forward, walking along these two girls instead of chasing after any other of those urges, is the main proof that, after all, a person called ‘John Dove’ exists in this world.

An authentic person, making his own path in a grey world.

And that alone gives this moment worth.

“Thank you,” he repeats, perhaps not even aware that he is doing so.

[Verg Avesta]

Prushka & Vivienne Bianchi
Location: Abandoned Cabin
Phase: Morning Phase
Date: 08.09.1994 (THU)
Weather: Overcast

Ahti snarled at Prushka after her admonishment, rebelliously ripping a piece of bacon from the plate and stuffing it down his gullet.

"Who the hell cares? I'm hungry. Besides, it's not like I've got the same piss poor digestive juices as you lot do," the young man growled, tearing through the meat. "If I could be brought down by a few germs from this, when not even raw meat does it, I should have just died yesterday."

It was a strange enough thing to say, but looking at it, the way he ate was... definitely inhuman in some respects. At first it seemed to be just a part of the fact that he ate with his fingers, but now that Prushka took a better look, she could see that he was way too comfortable with just stuffing his face with large chunks and chewing them with couple of horribly powerful bites. And if he hadn't had his fingers to help him, he most surely would have just dug into the breakfast with his mouth, just like an animal.

From the looks of it, his strange quirks didn't end with just the fluffy ears and tail.

The young man even smelled like a wild animal - something Vivienne easily noticed as she entered the room.

"... hello. Mean... no harm... Prushie was just... a bit scared of you..."

Ahti snorted.

"Then the Imp's smarter than she looks. Made it pretty damn clear I wasn't still sure whether to let her live or not. Especially after she did something to the doorway. Been stuck in here since i woke up," the young man growled coldly. "... So? What are you supposed to be? Some sorta hired footstool so she can reach the top shelf?"

Now that he had calmed down a bit from his earlier tirade after being "locked up", Ahti's tone of speech had settled into a sort of coldly burning flame. He was standoffish, as if he was ready to fight at any given moment and didn't trust the two one bit, yet at the same time, there was definite chill in his anger. In a sense, he was much like a raging wildfire blowing through a snow-covered forest.

And he didn't seem particularly impressed with the picture Vivienne had drawn.

"... What? Is this supposed to be a joke?" Ahti asked, turning to Prushka with a raised eyebrow. "Is the whole girl supposed to be a joke? Cause I sure as hell don't know if I should laugh."

With another derisive snort, he shot a mocking look at Vivienne and her picture.

"You got a name, Scribbles? Or just more of that crap?"

---

Anna Vandemeel
Location: Pinefall High Dormitory - Outside
Phase: Morning Phase
Date: 08.09.1994 (THU)
Weather: Overcast

“I imagine it’s a bit far off, but… I have some extra time to burn, I imagine.”

Zane blinked in surprise to being asked this out of the blue. However, as Anna started to head towards the campus entrance, the boy needed only a few seconds to mull it over before he did a slight jog to catch up to her. While he was not dressed for any sort of run, at least he seemed to implicate he'd keep her company.

"... Might as well," Zane answered, scratching his cheek. "If you wanna head in that direction, we'll need to jog all the way to the main road that runs parallel to the railroad tracks. Then just head south until we come up to the only well-kept side road in this whole blasted place. It's gonna be a bit of run, though..."

It seemed that he knew his stuff. Maybe Zane had jogged here before? But then again... he didn't exactly look like he was a former student of Pinefall either. If anything, he was the same age as Anna, meaning that he should have been in school too, but here he was, hanging around with her instead.

... Did he even go to school?

"That being said, are you sure you've got the time? Or are you planning on skipping school?" Zane asked as the two of them headed out of the gates, settling to a brisk yet comfortable pace. "Not that it's any of my business, but the fancypants down at the country club aren't exactly worth getting into trouble with your school. I mean, I dunno how it's done over at Pinefall, but I'd imagine there's a more keen eye on you people. Throwing a wrench into your education to gawk at the third-richest people in town isn't that interesting."

If this had been the first week, Anna might have had no idea where Zane's sudden grumbling came from. But as it wasn't, it was easy enough to guess the boy's train of thought. He was pretty keen on seeing his brother finish his education, so hearing someone be flippant with theirs must have made that same brotherly instinct rear its head in disapproval.

It was like he couldn't help but to fuss about other people.

"Anyways yeah... the place is named Spade Queen Country Club. Bit of an odd choice, but the man in charge enjoys his card themes," Zane explained as the two of them jogged down the road. "Still... it's not exactly a place for teenagers to hang out."

---

Elaine Winters & Alexstrasza Lockhart
Location: Pinefall High Main Building - Cafeteria
Phase: Morning Phase
Date: 08.09.1994 (THU)
Weather: Overcast

"Course, there's half-decent odds any of the teachers here'd have details on it. Hmph, got on Lewis's good side yesterday, could ask him if he's got any dark secrets on whatever the hell's going on in this place."

Ramia snorted into her coffee, and adopted a sour expression - a bit of a rarity on the girl's face.

"Yeah, that bag of dicks has plenty of dark secrets. Not exactly the brave, adventurous reporter magazines make him out to be," she commented dryly. "Though I doubt he knows anything helpful. That's kinda his MO, actually. Know stuff, but nothing that's useful.

"In fact. I don't think most of anyone's got some deets on the teachers. Janitor, maybe, couple of people in town, even. But I don't think I've heard of even one person getting some personal time with one of em. I mean, I'm pretty sure I could fake something pretty good. Wouldn't be surprised if I didn't have to, considering ol' Steph's hanging around, and word'll get back to someone eventually."

Hearing that, the dusky-skinned mercenary shrugged.

"Well, I guess? I mean, our class's made up of bunch of teenagers. Who'd be interesting in chatting up a couple of teachers instead the people of our age?" She asked, raising an eyebrow at the blonde across the table. "Though I guess it makes sense if you're after those mysterious codewords of yours... our teachers are pretty famous for being smarty-smarties, so eh... who knows?"

Then, after a bit of a pause, Ramia threw a slightly suspicious glance towards Elaine.

"... What's up with those terms anyway? Where did you hear them?"

Meanwhile, right next to them, the unfortunate conversion just kept growing.

"Last night? I did not see you around. Are you perhaps also a master of disguise? Being so talented must be rough. I am only talented at a few things, and quite miserable at most. But nevertheless, I can feel it! My goals are being achieved! And, I'm making f-friends! While it is indeed different, I think in spite of the knives in my back, it has overall been a decent experience!"

"Ooh, good for you! I can imagine people'd be interested in getting to know such an interesting gal," Hwan replied, grinning from ear to ear to the point even 17 hit her forehead softly with her palm. "Yours truly included, of course~! So, if you're looking to make more friends, I can certainly help you out there, Alexstrasza. Heck, aren't we sorta pals already, chatting this nicely on a fine morning like this?"

Perhaps Hwan took Alexstrasza's obliviousness to his attempts to mean that he was being given the green light, as he was getting more and more groan-worthy every passing sentence.

"Still, I'm sure you're being just hard on yourself~ I'm betting you're actually pretty decent at most things," Hwan then continued. "Though I would love to see those things you're talented at. Call me a curious cat and all that."

He wiggled his eyebrows suggestively after his little rhyme.

"I mean, you impressed me even back last night! Though I guess I didn't stand out as much, since you don't remember me from the party," the white-haired boy then added with a theatrical sigh and a shrug. "Can't be helped I guess. I certainly wasn't as impressive sight as you, Alexstrasza."

The grin was now resembling that of a Cheshire cat.

"Those bikinis really suit you."

---

Elise Pelltier, Lucille Faraday & John Dove
Location: End's Store & Post - Outside
Phase: Morning Phase
Date: 08.09.1994 (WED)
Weather: Overcast

Time had passed quickly while the trio had been walking and talking, and before they knew it, they had finally reached their destination. Past the unkempt roads, past the main road, past the railroad tracks and the old residential buildings both in use and long since abandoned. Somewhere to the north, the sound of the ocean could be heard as a distant wave after another, as even this early, when most people would have been heading to work, Road's End was quite silent.

And before them was a familiar looking building to them all - an old brick building in a street corner, shining like a Beacon of Britishness amidst all the Americana.

Well, they were here.

Now was the time to do those things they had come here for.

Though, as the trio arrived, Elise Pelltier couldn't help but to feel something... off.

She could practically hear a distant, giddy, cruel laughter... and feel the fact that her right hand was spasming ever so slightly, as if something else was trying to move it.

[Kuroyuki]

Vier Wolff
Location: Owl's Nest Hotel
Phase: Morning Phase
Date: 08.09.1994 (THU)
Weather: Overcast

"No. It's not written down there in the journal, and so far I haven't found any mention of it in the books aboot local folklore I've found. If I had to guess, I would have to go interview some of the locals, but ah... as said, I'm not much of a people person. My friends across the border say I'm too curt, as if that's somehow a personality flaw. Nevertheless, conducting field interviews is not in my repertoire... though this time, I might have to make an exception."

"Hmm, that's a bit of a shame, I would've liked to try singing it."

“Huh that’s kind of weird. Then again, I guess it wouldn’t be too surprising if it’s hard to find localized songs. It’s not like they’re international songs over the radio like with the Beatles.”

"Here we go. I've written down few names in case I'd need to do interviews such as this. Even among the locals, there are those who apparently know more than others, which is just natural. First, there's Mr. Halloway, but... I think you've seen how he is. It'd be easier to make a rock talk. Then there's Old Beatrice, a sort of a local 'crazy old broad' as people so nicely tend to put. She lives in the McLampet manor, but takes a stroll down the seaside every once in a while. There's Tommy Horse, who apparently is of the Klallam blood - I've heard they had this wonderful old map of the area, from the time when no settlers had come yet. Of course there's also the local hermit who lives out at the White Pine Mountain, but ah... I haven't seen a hair of him since my arrival. And on top of that, there can easily be more people of interest, but I just haven't heard aboot them yet."

While I absorbed those names in case I ever happened to come across them. There was something off. If it wasn’t for the fact that I was effectively recreating the scenes to the best of my ability for at least a day, I wouldn’t have noticed this small little detail. That ominous note didn’t fall down from the book. It would’ve been something if Nora Norumbega wasn’t opening it like last time. I could’ve chalked it up as just being wedged into the book.

However… the lack of its appearance here when it should be here and the fact that it appeared in my meeting with Muse last night… I was right about that piece of paper however now it became extremely disconcerting. I didn’t comment on it because Muse said she could divine once more and that time was short. The fact that it appeared there should’ve been more of a warning bell. When exactly did it get attached to me? How was it attached? Did it do anything else other than appear there?

"Heck, I work here now, so I don't mind dropping by if I learn something new, and I plan to do a lot of exploring, so I'll probably run across someone. Was there anything in particular you'd want to know from any of them if I get the chance to ask? I'd assume the song is one of them, right?"

“...Yeah I’ll do the same. I might see if I can talk to the Hermit in the mountains or Old Beatrice. They sound like interesting people to talk to. However, I don’t know if I’ll be able to bring back anything new for a bit considering we still have school, work, etc...”

I pause before continuing. I’m not sure if I want to continue touching that book now, but I need to know before its too late.

“Also is it okay if I look through that book a bit more? I’m not sure if I want to try checking it out yet.”

All I really want to do is make sure the note is actually gone before I assume the page is actually attached to my soul or something.

[Mellon]

Anna Vandemeel
Location: Pinefall High Dormitory - Outside
Phase: Morning Phase
Date: 08.09.1994 (THU)
Weather: Overcast

"Not that it's any of my business, but the fancypants down at the country club aren't exactly worth getting into trouble with your school. I mean, I dunno how it's done over at Pinefall, but I'd imagine there's a more keen eye on you people. Throwing a wrench into your education to gawk at the third-richest people in town isn't that interesting."

A brief chuckle echoed out of Anna when Zane’s words reached her. Despite everything, despite the image that he was trying to portray, the red-haired boy couldn’t help but fuss over others like this. No doubt half of it was out genuine concern for her education… and half of it was so that Shane wouldn’t pick up any bad habits from her.

“Well, you know, skipping class from time to time is in my contract as a dangerous-looking Adidas-wearing delinquent superhero.” The raven-haired girl flashed Zane a small over-the-shoulder smile, accompanied by a small casual shrug. “In all honesty, you don’t really need to worry about it. I have no intention to get into any serious trouble by skipping class all the time.”

“I won’t do it around Shane either. Though, if I had to hazard a guess… he probably doesn’t need any instruction on this front anyway, no?”

"Anyways yeah... the place is named Spade Queen Country Club. Bit of an odd choice, but the man in charge enjoys his card themes,"

“This moneybags is something of a gambling man then, eh? Do they have a casino over there next to the golf course or something?” A brief snort made it clear what Anna thought of that idea. “Third richest though? I mean, obviously, our Mr. Monopoly principal is the richest, but who's the second?”

“That missing heiress from those lumber barons who used to run this place?”

"Still... it's not exactly a place for teenagers to hang out."

“Jeez, I do have to say you Americans are a bit strange on this front.” Anna gave a brief shake of her hand, as they jogged around one of the winding corners of the forest road. “Eighteen is kinda considered way past the “teenager” age range back home.”

Having said that, Anna’s head swirled towards Zane, her eyebrow raised inquisitively.

“Actually, how old are you, Zane?” A teasing glint flickered in her eyes. “I need to know how credible your criticism on this front actually is, y’know?”

[Bloble]

Prushka
Location: Abandoned Cabin
Phase: Morning Phase
Date: 08.09.1994 (THU)
Weather: Overcast

"Vivi's not bad! She's just... starting out! I'd like to see you do better, Picasso-!"

Okay, stop, Prushka.

Really, stop.

Ahti's scared and hurt and locked up in here, and he was starving before I arrived. He has no reason to be nice to us. For all he knows, we're just keeping him alive to question him. It's easy to say this is a safe space that isn't cruel.. but it's harder to prove it. That requires trust, like Ubon said. It requires faith.

How much faith do I have in the person in front of me?

"..."

I pick up my backpack, step forward, and drop it at Ahti's feet.

"Your knife and sword are in there. I held onto them. There's also some medicine a friend of mine prepared. I don't know how effective it'll be. It's up to you if you want to try it."

That's step one.

"The door... that was as much to protect you as it was to keep you here. If we left it open, anyone could wander in and find you. Either another student during the test of courage, or who or whatever did that to you in the first place. Most people would freak out if they saw a nearly dead guy with cat ears and a tail. Those that wouldn't freak out, probably wouldn't have good intentions. This was the best we could do on short notice."

That's step two.

"I'm... still kinda scared, Ahti. I mean, who wouldn't be? Not only is there a guy wandering around with weapons at night... but there's also something out there that nearly killed him. For all I know, it might still be out there, waiting for someone to take a walk in the woods at night. I have no idea. All I have is you."

And... that's step three.

I step back and sit on one of the tall chairs, kicking my legs back and forth.

It's difficult. I'm not sure what to do.

Maybe waiting is all you can do in situations like this.

Wait, and hope your faith wasn't for nothing.

[Verg Avesta]

Vier Wolff & Liana Skye
Location: Owl's Nest Hotel
Phase: Morning Phase
Date: 08.09.1994 (THU)
Weather: Overcast

“Also is it okay if I look through that book a bit more? I’m not sure if I want to try checking it out yet.”

Nora blinked in momentary surprise, but after a second of thinking, she handed Vier the journal from the table.

"Sure, go ahead. I don't know aboot it being worth checking out or not, but at least it's a different sort of book," she commented. "Though even that's a bit suspect when compared to the rest of the collection here. I wonder where Mr. Halloway even got half of these books... since in many cases, I can barely recognize the language, much less understand their contents."

Having said that, Nora snapped her own notebook shut and put it back into her backbag. Once that was done, she turned towards the two girls, now addressing both of them. Another curt smile played on her lips. Clearly the offer to help had lifted her mood a little bit, breaking through that semi-stoic outer shell that the university student had. However, at the same time, she did seem to be a little cautious as well.

"Still, if you guys want to help, I'd appreciate that. Only, you don't have to go out of your way to interview these people - just if you happen to stumble upon them on some other errand of your own," Nora said. "As for questions... well, yes. Mostly I'd like to know about their versions of the local legends, in the way that they themselves remember - not the way that has been written down in any books. The song is just one possibility. Other than that, there's the matter of Disembodied Man himself and..."

Nora paused for a minute.

"Well... I suppose there's also the matter of the Grinning Girl."

---

Anna Vandemeel
Location: Pinefall High Dormitory - Outside
Phase: Morning Phase
Date: 08.09.1994 (THU)
Weather: Overcast

“I won’t do it around Shane either. Though, if I had to hazard a guess… he probably doesn’t need any instruction on this front anyway, no?”

Zane snorted, nodding his head as the two of them rounded the corner of the street, entering the road that headed east, towards the town itself. Above them hung the grey cloak of clouds so heavy and oppressive they were like gunships that in a roiling ocean. Wind picked up from somewhere, and nearby, both pines and sycamore trees rustled loudly, scaring away a flock of ravens that had been huddling up on their branches.

"I hope not. I try to keep bro straight and narrow, make sure he takes his school seriously... and so far, it seems to have worked," the redhead replied. "The boy's got a much better head on his shoulders than me, so no reason for him to end up in this same sorta jam. I'd much rather he make something of himself."

Perhaps it was the fact that Zane, underneath all his grump, was a rather friendly guy, or perhaps it was the fact that Anna's experiences made her naturally enter the same wavelength as the boy, but he seemed to open up rather easily about the brothers' situation. Not that he had been hiding it last time either, but at the very least it felt a bit easier this time. Which might have been both a good and a bad thing.

How much could one take advantage of a situation where they knew the other much better than they thought?

And where would abusing such knowledge lead?

“This moneybags is something of a gambling man then, eh? Do they have a casino over there next to the golf course or something? Third richest though? I mean, obviously, our Mr. Monopoly principal is the richest, but who's the second? That missing heiress from those lumber barons who used to run this place?”

Zane nodded.

"Ayup. Little Miss Heiress should still be in the top three, unless she's squandered all the wealth the family was sitting on. Though it's hard to actually say, since nobody's seen her in ages. Still... you're pretty well-informed about the local goings on, Anna," the boy responded, cocking an eyebrow at the girl. "As for Mr. Pinkerton, eh... Honestly, I couldn't tell. If they are running a casino, they gotta do it down low - illegal in Washington State and all that. Unless they take a boat over to Canada's side, of course. I wouldn't put it past him though. The man's... shady, if you know what I mean."

Just the expression on the boy's face told enough.

He didn't think much of this 'Mr. Pinkerton'.

“Jeez, I do have to say you Americans are a bit strange on this front. Eighteen is kinda considered way past the “teenager” age range back home. Actually, how old are you, Zane? I need to know how credible your criticism on this front actually is, y’know?”

An awkward pause followed.

One that lasted until...

"... Twenty-one years old," Zane finally muttered as an answer, grumpily. "Though I've been told I've got an old man's heart and mind."

[Airen]

Liana Skye
Location: Owl's Nest Hotel
Phase: Morning Phase
Date: 08.09.1994 (THU)
Weather: Overcast

"Though even that's a bit suspect when compared to the rest of the collection here. I wonder where Mr. Halloway even got half of these books... since in many cases, I can barely recognize the language, much less understand their contents."

"Oh?"

Where Vier ultimately seems interested in that particular journal, Liana's own interests seem to pick up right here, where she recognizes a situation in which she has more than a few potential cards to play...

"Do you have any of those books you don't understand on hand right now? I might just be a high-school student, but I have something of an affinity for languages. This guy I know back home taught me quite a few of them over the years, he was a bit of a linguist, and it sorta rubbed off on me over time."

She smiles.

It's a bold claim for a teenager to make, and the reality would probably be somewhat crushing to most people her age, after all...

One could say she knows them all, at least, all of the languages that don't delve too deeply into the eldritch mind-shattering memetic territory...

But those are also the sort of books that one does not want to read anyway, if one comes across a truly eldritch script, the best thing to do was confiscate, remove it from the normal human society and then completely destroy it. Leaving them hanging around in places like this was asking for some unfortunate soul to run across a copy of the "The King in Yellow," or some other text no one has any business looking into...

Really, she almost drew the line at things that were written in enochian, but at least enochian was mildly useful to know at times...

"If you'd like, I could take a look at them and try my hand at some translations. Preferably passages to novels, but I could comb through a book or two as well if you think they could be relevant, it'll just take me a bit longer. Translating is a hobby of mine though, so I don't mind, really."

Although, as she cheerfully indulges her own bad habit of going way out of her way to help others, Nora brings up something else...

"Well... I suppose there's also the matter of the Grinning Girl."

Something more... New...

"...Grinning Girl?"

Something that raises her curiosity, along with a single eyebrow...

"What's that? Another local ghost?"

Not entirely surprising if that was the case...

[Frantic Author]

Elaine Winters & Alexstrasza Lockhart
Location: Pinefall High Main Building - Cafeteria
Phase: Morning Phase
Date: 08.09.1994 (THU)
Weather: Overcast

I blinked validly at Hwan's words, once more tilting my head to the side as I tapped my cheek with a finger.

"Hmm... I'm afraid the things I'm talented at are most definitely not allowed here. They certainly weren't allowed at my previous academy, so I doubt the rules have laxed that much."

I sulked a bit, glaring petulantly at my plate of food. Twirling it around, I looked at Tonkori with questioning eyes, wondering why the noble dog was bothering with another of a different - yet still, I suppose, noble in a truer sense then Tonkori - hound. It was just a drifting thought, alas, and flew from my mind like the wings of a bird taking off for the winter.

"Is that truly what you found impressive about my performance last night?" I asked with wide eyes before my brow slowly furrowed, and I shot Hwan a look of suspicion. "It was not my ghostly nature? Nor the innate terror that I and my compatriots exuded?"

I let out a long sigh.

"A pity. It seems I have a lot to learn about the art of fright."

[Thalraxal]

Elise Pelltier
Location: End's Store & Post - Outside
Phase: Morning Phase
Date: 08.09.1994 (WED)
Weather: Overcast

“…my apologies. It is too vague. I cannot even tell if you are supposed to look for this person in the real world or in the dreamscape where Muse exists.”

"No problem. I got stuck on that one too," sighed Elise, "I guess I'll just have to keep on mulling over it, and hope something will click. I hadn't considered that I might have to look in that forest beyond the clearing for Nemo. I think I'm going to stick to searching the real world first. Considering what happened to Prushka and myself outside of Muse's clearing, I don't care to go back out there again. Not to mention that it seems to be 'you die in the dream and you die in real life' thing going on in there."

What if I do have to find Nemo in Slumberland? Can't say I like those prospects...

“Regarding the Coastrises, I confirmed with Mr. Lewis that they are indeed part of the student roster, they were expected to travel in the bus with the rest of us, and that the faculty is trying to find them. If they are in the hotel as they claimed, then I can only guess our teachers are not trying very hard.”

"Hm, I think there would've been enough free seats on the bus to fit all the Coastrises. At the very least, I remember that Sakura had a free seat beside her. I think Elizaveta did too?" considered Elise, "It's good to know that they really were supposed to be here all along like they said."

"Not trying hard on the teacher's side sounds right though. The hotel would be one of the first places to look for them, I'd imagine. Wouldn't be hard to check either. Just give Mr. Halloway a call, I'm sure he knows who's staying at his hotel. Although... Vier did say that she was working part-time at the hotel last week, and she didn't seem to have ever seen hide nor hair of them there either. I guess the Coastrises did seem to keep to themselves a little, but well, I guess I can understand why. You'd think that someone would have said something to Vier about them though..."

Could they have lied about being at the hotel? Not sure why they would've. Where else would they be anyway?

“Aleen King…Mercedes West called her a ‘heiress’…”

Elise thought back to Jake's summary of the McLampet family's history, and Mercedes' speculation about Aleen as the heiress.

"From the dates Jake gave me, the McLampet heiress should be about sixteen years old. She was about a year old when anyone last saw her, and that was apparently fifteen years ago. She would be the right age to be at Pinefall, and would probably fit right in with the lot of us too..."

“Thank you, Miss Faraday, Elise Marie. I don’t think I have yet reached anywhere with these conjectures of mine, but it is nonetheless valuable information you have given me. Thank you.”

"You're welcome! Glad we could help out a bit there. I'll keep my eyes open and keep you posted if I see anyone else with light blue hair around town."

At last, they'd reached their destination, the End's Store and Post. She expected to be excited to see the familiar store again. She wanted her copy of That Book back so she could finish it, but more importantly, there was Remmie's book. Some small piece of that mysterious lost student of the last class she'd been chasing. Instead, however, she felt a profound sense of unease. There was a cruel laughter in the air. The last time she heard it like that, she was fairly certain she'd just imagined it, but this time... There was an unruly spasm in her right hand. Like it it wanted to move on its own. She quickly grabbed hold of her right hand by the wrist and spun around, gripping it tightly as she faced away from the store, Lucille, and John and towards the sound of the distant ocean.

"You-you guys go on in without me. I'll catch up with you in a minute!" said Elise, looking over her shoulder back at the others before turning away again.

She grit her teeth as she glowered at the unruly hand and tried to bring it back under her control.

"What's the matter, LBJ? This is not a good time for this," thought Elise, directing her thoughts inward towards the demon, hoping it would reply in kind.

It's never a good time for this.

[Spinach]

Colt Davin
Location: Pinefall High Dormitory
Phase: Morning Phase
Date: 08.09.1994 (THU)
Weather: Overcast

“There’ll be no borrowing necessary, Tris m’dear.” Colt beckoned the girl follow him, adopting an unusually smug, cocky tone as the two came into the hallway toward his room. “Y’see, the most illustrious, powerful and majestic of those steeds is my own.”

That line was where he would have twirled the keyring around his finger, but he’d left them in his room. Along with his wallet. And aviators, which were essential for riding. This time it’d be Tris borrowing a pair, but last time he’d lent a pair to Adelaide.

The stray thought caused him to pause. What happened to Adelaide? On one hand, Colt had yet to really mingle with the rest of the class like last time. It was entirely possible he just missed the chance to see her again when he skipped class.

So what about the beach party? She wasn’t there either. At least not as far as he could tell. He wouldn’t miss that dressed up doll with the divine, smooth, slender legs. Not if she were there in a swimsuit like the rest of them.

The boy rubbed his chin. There likely wouldn’t be an answer to such a question if he skipped again, yet…

Colt glanced at the locket, then at Tris again. There likely wouldn’t be a chance like this another time soon.

Best to save it for later. Ask Hisa or Lucille or Prushka.

“That’s sounds like some pretty convenient magic. You can, just, like,” Colt turned to Tris as he got near his room, snapping his fingers in demonstration. “Snap, bam! Geared up for a fight? Wish I could do stuff like that.”

Colt opened the door to his room and stepped inside. The young man tried to keep his focus on Tris and the locket, not concerning himself with the mess. First he grabbed his keys and wallet from his night stand. Then he began to dig through the drawers for the other thing he needed.

“Can normal people like me even learn that kinda stuff?” Colt asked the question to the girl behind him, all attention focused on finding… “Or do ya gotta be born with the ~gift~ or something like that?”

With an ‘aha’ Colt closed the nightstand drawer, a pair of Ray-Ban aviators in hand.

“Here, you’ll be needing these.” Colt suddenly tossed the shades toward his knight not-yet-in-shining-armor. As soon as they were loosed from his hand the boy reached into his jacket pocket, producing yet another pair of aviators. With a flick of his wrist he donned the sunglasses. Then, at long last, he gave his keys a loving twirl. “Ready to head out?”

[Mellon]

Anna Vandemeel
Location: Pinefall High Dormitory - Outside
Phase: Morning Phase
Date: 08.09.1994 (THU)
Weather: Overcast

"Ayup. Little Miss Heiress should still be in the top three, unless she's squandered all the wealth the family was sitting on. Though it's hard to actually say, since nobody's seen her in ages. Still... you're pretty well-informed about the local goings on, Anna,

"As for Mr. Pinkerton, eh... Honestly, I couldn't tell. If they are running a casino, they gotta do it down low - illegal in Washington State and all that. Unless they take a boat over to Canada's side, of course. I wouldn't put it past him though. The man's... shady, if you know what I mean."

“Can’t help a girl for being interested in a town she’s gonna be stuck in for a year, no?” Anna gave the hoodied boy a small grin as she jogged along the tarmac, coupled with a small wave. “Thought I might as well acquaint myself with the gossip around these parts and all. Gives me something to chat about with the locals, you see.”

“Though this Pinkerton fellow…. Shady in what way? Does he have particular trouble with the local cops? Or are there some weird folks hanging about the Spade Queen or something?”

She had only met the man once before, at End’s Post. And from first glance, she’d given him the impression of being… well utterly unreliable and flaky. Almost akin to a lazy, easy-going, old man who really didn’t take anything in life seriously. Though first impressions were often misleading. Anna knew that much from experience. Well, at least he seemed to get along with Sue somewhat, so he didn’t seem particularly malicious, but…

Either way, Zane didn’t seem to think much of him. Though perhaps that was simply due to their clashing personalities.

"... Twenty-one years old,"

"Though I've been told I've got an old man's heart and mind."

“Well, I’ve heard that one before as well. As far as I’m concerned, anyone who says something like that can shove straight off.” A brief look of nostalgia passed over her face as her eyes moved past the treeline in the distance. “In the end, childhood innocence is something all of us must leave behind at some point. Some simply have to do it earlier than others.”

“Rarely is it worthy of mockery. Not all of us have the convenience of growing up at our own pace.”

“Though that’s beside the point, I suppose.” Anna burst into a small chuckle. “You’re only three years older than I am, you punk. You don’t have a leg to stand on in this regard, you know?”

[Katie]

Lucille Faraday
Location: End's Store & Post - Outside
Phase: Morning Phase
Date: 08.09.1994 (WED)
Weather: Overcast

“Thank you, Miss Faraday, Elise Marie. I don’t think I have yet reached anywhere with these conjectures of mine, but it is nonetheless valuable information you have given me. Thank you.”

“It’s certainly not a problem. I was unaware of most of the things you brought up.” Lucille Faraday, despite her inability to process all of the information being thrust upon her—the nature of the clearing around Muse, Aleen’s possibility as the McLampet heiress, the Coastrice siblings being purposefully not found—those are ideas that never popped into her head until now. She can only blame her lack of wit, but nevertheless, she is glad she knows more. Sakura, who she is certain has a much sharper mind for these matters, could maybe help come up with a breakthrough. “And we should help each other, naturally. I don’t see why there’d be a reason we shouldn’t.”

Their destination comes up before them suddenly, abruptly halting the conversation. End’s Store and Post is exactly as British as she remembers. Perhaps Jack Pinkerton will not be here, and perhaps he will. Even if there is no meaning to working at the country club… perhaps it’s an avenue she could explore nonetheless. Actually, on that note, didn’t Miss Popplewell mention something about Zane working there as well? It’d be an opportunity to meet him, if possible.

"You-you guys go on in without me. I'll catch up with you in a minute!" said Elise, looking over her shoulder back at the others before turning away again.

Elise turns around, clutching her right hand. It does not take a genius for Lucille Faraday to understand what is happening. So, the question now is simple. Does she trust Elise to manage the problem herself, or does she venture in with John Dove? Lucille takes a deep breath, and against her better, more Inquisitor-aligned judgment, she gives Elise one of many chances.

This is where

Michael

someone

would tell her she is being too nice.

“John and I can handle it. Just don’t disappear on us, alright?”