Astronomika - Shooting Down Falling Stars (IC)

[Ayakashi]

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

Vivienne had been juggling between putting out the inferno inside her mouth, wiping her face clean, regaining her composure, and serving as a comfortable enough support for Prushka who was clearly also in a deep need of caffeine. Vivienne herself never really was a big coffee drinker, but the habbit had started a few years ago when she had to stay up late -- seeing her own Father drink it all the time to ward off the embrace of Hypnos and Morpheus most likely left an impression on the girl.

Having wiped her face and cooled off enough to be once more a functional human being, though it was clear the there were still severe after effects in her mouth and nose judging from how she took big gasps of air from her mouth and avoided all form of nasal breathing... Vivienne joined back into the conversation which she had still managed to follow all along.

"I too... would like to meet... maybe I will understand... what Muse meant..."

With these cryptic words, Vivienne brought her hand to her heart, a mannerism that Rachel may remember Vivienne had done when they first met at the Lighthouse, and were discussing why Vivienne felt such unease whenever she looked at it.

"Your friend... do not want to harm... or annoy... just meet."

Vivienne paused for a bit, clearly thinking about something.

"What gift... he likes? You know him well... no?"

She nods to herself, as if positively psyching herself up with the idea she found, though in a typically Vivienne Bianchi fashion, there is no smile nor enthusiasm to be found on her face.

"Together for a long time... very nice you two... cherish him a lot? We can cheer him up maybe with present."


What kind of present does one give a ghost however? Maybe Vivienne was thinking of something beyond the material? Perhaps a gesture? ... something? Did she really think this through, one may wonder.

[Verg Avesta]

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

"...is he stuck there? Because of that Monster from the song?"

Rachel didn't answer immediately. Instead, the redhead stared out of the window, into the storm that had covered the evening in darkness that made it look more like night that twilight. She mulled over how she should answer in her head, contemplative and somewhat troubled look on her face. It wasn't an easy question to answer, of course, but the way older girl had taken it... judging from the confusion in her eyes, it might have been that even she didn't know the truth.

A fact that was compounded by what she eventually said.

"... I... I dunno, honestly. He can leave the building, but he rarely wants to. Calls it his home and his 'safe harbour'. Something clearly makes him want to stay inside, but I'm not sure what it is... could be that even he doesn't know what it is," Rachel finally admitted quietly. "I mean, he... he doesn't seem to remember much. Just what has happened in last ten or twenty years. Who even knows if he's the guy from that old story. Maybe he's lying, maybe he's not. But at the end of the day, he doesn't talk about his past. Only that he'd rather stay at the lighthouse than anywhere else."

Judging from how unsure Rachel was, and how difficult it was for her to come up with a proper answer, she was no doubt glad when Vivienne took over the conversation from there, switching the direction of the topic a little.

"I too... would like to meet... maybe I will understand... what Muse meant... Your friend... do not want to harm... or annoy... just meet. What gift... he likes? You know him well... no? Together for a long time... very nice you two... cherish him a lot? We can cheer him up maybe with present."

A sigh escaped the redhead's mouth, one that sounded like she was giving up.

"Fine... Fine! I'll introduce you guys once the storm is over. Next week, okay?" Rachel answered, an odd smile flashing on her face. "As for gifts... if you want to get on his good side, bring TV dinners. Lots of them. The guy practically lives on that stuff. And what comes for how long we've been friends, n-no comment! Again, that's none of your beeswax!"

Rising up from her seat, Rachel poured herself another cup of chili-coffee that she gulped down again in one swig, stone-faced as ever. Letting out a satisfied burp, she put the cup on the nearby table, stretched a little like she was about to start getting stuff done again, and put her hands on her hips afterwards. As she did, her eyes wandered over to the flashlight that Prushka had presented.

"... While I'd like to check out that flashlight and just what it does, that can be saved for later as well. Now then!" Rachel spoke out and clapped her hands together once. "Where next? The library? Or do you guys wanna check on that classmate of yours?"

Time to move out, it seemed.

[Bloble]

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

I might've built up my expectations too high. Somehow, I'd gotten it in my head that Rachel Halloway would hold all the answers to this mystery, but, thinking on it...

She's just a regular person, too, with her own uncertainties and doubts. There's no way she'd know everything. In fact, she's probably more confused and frustrated than either Vivi or me. But she's definitely the kind of human that cares, which means she's not that awful.

"Alright... if he's that troubled, then there's probably a good reason for it. In light of that, I'll forgive that guy, just this once."

"I too... would like to meet... maybe I will understand... what Muse meant... Your friend... do not want to harm... or annoy... just meet. What gift... he likes? You know him well... no? Together for a long time... very nice you two... cherish him a lot? We can cheer him up maybe with present."

"..."

Did... did I hear that correctly? Was it just a coincidence? Vivi's weird speech pattern making mysteries out of nothing? No, that can't be. I heard it. I definitely heard that word, and in this context, too. Here, now, even though there's no way... or is there? Could it be? But then, who have I been...?

I look at Vivi, trying to connect her face to myriad others. No, it's no good. Even if she is, which is unlikely... I might not recognize her. And I can't exactly ask, either.

Gah, it's frustrating...

I sip on the coffee, still hot in my hands. It's bringing back some of my energy already, though whether from caffeine or pain, I'm not sure.

What I am sure of, is that a certain someone might have some interesting answers to this new question.

"Fine... Fine! I'll introduce you guys once the storm is over. Next week, okay? As for gifts... if you want to get on his good side, bring TV dinners. Lots of them. The guy practically lives on that stuff. And what comes for how long we've been friends, n-no comment! Again, that's none of your beeswax!"

"TV Dinners?" Come to think of it, there were a bunch of empty boxes lying around. "I can't really critique his taste after two of Avery's pies, but that's not healthy at all! Oh, but if he's a ghost, then... well no, even a ghost should be able to appreciate home cooking, right?"

Even a human can taste when love is poured into food, so a ghost should be doubly sensitive to it!

"Still, he looked pretty wispy... If it's this, even if you fill it with love... it'll either wake him from the dead or send him right to the afterlife."

I take another sip as the thought wanders off into its own strange direction. Y'know, it's actually quite nice when you get used to it. The heat and the heat synergize together to make each gulp hotter than the last. I bet this coffee will never ever get cold. It'll be perfect for a nice long dig through a few stacks of books.

"Where next? The library? Or do you guys wanna check on that classmate of yours?"

"Oh, I'm not really in a hurry. We can drop Vivi off first. Books won't get impatient, but her friend might. Besides, if this Alex Terrot is important enough that you wanna see her, Vivi, she's gotta have a face worth remembering."

[Ayakashi]

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

Vivienne nodded at the suggestion of seeing Alex first. It had been a while since they had met, and perhaps that the longer they tarried, the higher the chances that Alex may slip out and go on some new clue-finding adventure.... reporters after all could end up doing all kinds of things, some rasher than the norm.

She also seemed to take note of the suggestions concerning what kind of gifts Rachel's friend might appreciate... however a small moment of pondering may have betrayed the fact that she too may find them a bit strange -- but then all kinds of cultures often tried to 'feed' the dead by offering them material food, so well... perhaps that there was a method behind this apparent nonsense.

[Verg Avesta]

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

With the first stop now decided, the trio headed out into the hotel proper, aiming to get to room #305 first.

Rachel guided Vivienne and Prushka into the lobby, and though the elevator had its doors open invitingly, the redhead simply shook her head and said something about the thing being able to only go into basement these days, and directed them to the stairs. Thus began the climb through one floor after another, past corridors with dusty carpeted floors and slightly peeling wallpaper that must've been all the way from the 70's. On the way, both students could see that both in the first and second floor landings, there were those murals of large owls again - painted and carved into the wooden walls. Their empty eye-sockets stared at the three as they ascended, making it feel almost as if their movements were being monitored by the imaginary creatures.

But, finally the trio made it to the third floor landing. From there, Rachel took a sharp turn left and headed towards the end of the corridor. From the looks of it, each floor had about twenty rooms, ten doors on the each side of the corridor. And the doors themselves formed a sort of zigzagging pattern across the hallway, making the whole place seems lightly confusing. Almost as if sensing this, Rachel explained in the passing that the whole place had been built way back when the town was becoming a bustling place full of life, and back then, this sort of architecture had been all the rage.

Still, eventuall, they reached it.

Fifth door counting from the end of the hallway, on the wall across the corridor from the door.

Room #305 - The room that Alex Terrot had, apparently, rented for quite a while after arriving here.

"Miss? This is hotel staff," Rachel spoke out loud as she knocked onto the door. "Your friends and classmates are here to see you."

The knock had been loud enough (showing that Rachel had quite the brawn) to wake up even a sleeping person, and the older girl's voice was one trained by the service industry - meaning it was unlikely that Alex wouldn't have heard it. However, as the seconds ticked by, nothing but silence answered the redhead and a growing frown appeared on her face. She glanced back at Prushka and Vivienne, her expression and raised eyebrow telling of bewilderment and want to know if the reporter was always like this.

But, since there was no answer, Rachel knocked and called out again.

And again.

And again.

--- At this point, ten minutes had passed already with the storm howling outside, and nobody had come to answer the door.

"HEY! MISS TERROT! YOUR FRIENDS ARE HERE TO SEE YOU!" Rachel practically yelled after pounding the door three times with her fist, hollering so loud people downstairs must have heard. "COULD YOU COME TO THE DOOR?"

Honestly, at this point even the dead would have awakened for the racket that the redhead was causing. Even the other people staying in the same corridor had gotten a bit curious, some poking their heads out from their rooms to see what the fuss was about. But when they saw Rachel, they decided that it was best not to get involved with the hotel management business, and left well-enough alone. That didn't help the trio, however, as they were left with a door to whom nobody answered - a door whom nobody opened.

"Okay, what the heck...?" Rachel muttered under her breath and put her ear against the door.

She fell silent for a moment, listening in through the door, before squatting next to the door-handle and taking a peek through the keyhole. A slightly confused expression appeared on her face and, after a moment's contemplation and rubbing her temples like she was nursing a growing migraine, Rachel finally started rummaging through her pockets. What she emerged out with was a keyring so stuffed that it must have been able to open just about any door in this hotel... as long as one was able to find the right key. This seemed to pose no problem for the older girl, though, as after looking at some of them, she picked out a worn-out looking silver key, and glanced again at the duo behind her.

"--- You two saw nothing," Rachel grunted, nodding towards the door.

In other words, she had gotten so annoyed she was about to do something slightly bad.

Something she wanted Prushka and Vivienne to stay silent about.

Something like pushing that key into the lock of room #305, and unlocking it.

"I'm coming in!" Rachel hollered as she turned the handle, and pushed the door open. "Excuse us!"

Swinging the door open quite briskly, Rachel entered... and stopped almost immediately. Judging from how she had been acting after looking through the keyhole, the redhead had clearly expected an empty room - or at the very least, someone sleeping soundly with earplugs on so that not even a bomb outside their room could hear them. Or, whatever it was that Rachel Halloway had been expecting... it was certainly not this. This was something that hardly any one of the three could have expected to see when they decided to go out to check Alex's hotel room.

After all, instead of just an ordinary hotel room where the reporter came to sleep and write away from the school...

-------- The three of them had stumbled into something that looked like the cave of a crazed conspiracy theorist.

"W-what... what the hell is this...?" Rachel muttered, eyes wide as plates and darting everywhere. "... Just... what...?"

The floor of the room: covered in sheets of paper containing both meticulously written notes made with a typewriter and furiously penned notes with short-hand. While the ones made with typewriter were, more or less, had their every inch filled with letters, the ones written with pen were absolutely nonsensical, looking more like drawings in most places.

The windows of the room: completely covered with curtains, and those curtains were covered with sheets made from ripped up plastic bags that had been duct-taped to stay in place. No natural sunlight would have been able to pass into the room even on a sunny day, much less one like this. Fresh air hadn't entered here in a long time. Hell, even the single light-bulb on the ceiling had been covered with what looked like red, plastic wrapping to color the light.

The bed and table of the room: discarded soda cans were everywhere, along with paper bags that once must have contained fast food ordered from somewhere close by. There was even a half-eaten burger on the table, but judging from the stench rising from it, Alex must have left it there days ago. Then there were the three thermos bottles that stank of coffee, along with dozens of cups that had been used to drink the dark brown liquid. It was a mess more resembling a landfill than anything else.

And finally, the walls of the room: the wallpapers were completely hidden, as every inch had been covered by newspaper clippings, post-it notes, maps and whole pages from something called "Road's End Gazette". Along with those old-looking newspaper articles were pages made with the same typewriter that had been used on the papers on the floor. Each sheet had been stapled to the walls and sometimes over each other, giving the room a disheveled look (even more so than normal). Somebody had then used a marker to write odd words and questions over the articles and papers, some of the spreading out with letters as large as Prushka's head. Red string, attached with pins, criss-crossed these papers like some sort of haphazard, mad spider's web. It had seemingly no rhyme or reason at all, making the whole thing even more confusing.

This room... this didn't look like a room where a sane person lived.

This looked like a crime scene caused by someone insane.

You could almost smell the madness oozing from every inch of this room.

Especially from the wall to the left, where somebody had used red paint to write something truly strange with big block letters. The word ran from one end of the wall to the other, making it truly eyecatching.

And it read...

WHO KILLED THE GIRL IN BLUE?

Rachel drew a shivering breath.

"J-Jesus Christ..." the redhead muttered.

[Bloble]

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

Room #305, Alex Terrot's sanctuary, is a horrifying mess.

Any sense of what should've have been the hotel's welcoming decor is gone. The walls have been transformed into a mess of paper, string, and staples. The windows are taped over, as if saying the sun isn't welcome here. Caffeine and sugar-filled food and drink scattered about, stale air and dust mingling together, and an overpowering scent of madness dripping from every corner of this rotten room...

"Urp..."

My stomach turns and my throat burns. Scalding coffee and sugary pie threaten a barely-suppressed revolt.

It's wrong. This place has been made wrong.

I want to step back, to run away. Instead my body takes me forward. A sheet of paper crunches under my boot, loud in the overpowering silence.

The bold red letters, stretching across the wall to the left of the door, are too provocative, too unsettling to ignore. To not face them would be to look away from this place's awfulness. I can't do that. I can't ignore something like this when it's right in front of me.

I reach out with my finger, brush against the dried paint-.

"...!"

It might as well be on fire. I can't. Maybe Vivi could, but I can't. No, not even that; I can't breathe in here. It's too thick with paranoia, terror, and...

"...obsession. Mad obsession."

That's what it is. It's written here, plain as day, along the walls. This place is... not somewhere that someone of healthy mind could live, for any length of time.

I retreat, stepping back, turning away from the mess and to Rachel and Vivi.

"...Rachel, everyone in Pinefall is here for a reason. Because something about us doesn't fit. Me, Vivi, all the other students. I've never met this Alex, but... this must be hers."

That entire room is like looking at an open head wound, bleeding someone's innermost thoughts everywhere. All the answers are right before us, but it's draining just to acknowledge it. My heart is pounding and it isn't from the coffee. Rachel must be feeling even worse; this is her home that's been twisted. Her friend is in trouble, some bratty kid showed up to pry where she isn't needed, and now this.

"Caffeine... she isn't sleeping properly. Blocking out the sun means lengthening the circadian rhythm, giving you more waking time. Red lights provoke caution, keep the mind on high alert and thinking quickly. And those words... she probably hasn't been able to get them out of her head. It's all she can think about. Thinking leads to imagining, to ideas and possibilities... and they are all terrifying, each worse than the last. They'll keep coming, until she can know for sure, until she can be certain. She has to know. She has to know the past, the future, what those shadows in every corner are, who wants to hurt her. The truth, and only the truth, can set her free. It's more important than anything else. More important than eating and sleeping and living like a human. That's what she believes."

That deduction may be a stretch. But I'm not wrong.

"Vivi... she's your friend, right? This place has been empty since yesterday."

I tug on the bottom of the tall girl's shirt, just as the trembling begins.

"What... what now?"

[Ayakashi]

--- Vivienne Bianchi Date: 10.09.1994 (SAT) Location: Owl's Nest, Alex Terrot's Room (?) Phase: Evening Phase Weather: Storm ---

"Alex... did this...?" the quiet girl muttered as she stepped into the disturbing scene and took all of the picture in.

The eyes that scanned every single corner of the room showed that while there was no sign of it on the outside, Vivienne clearly had a certain form of reaction to this display of madness. Worry? Fear? Or perhaps just genuine curiosity, no different from a child witnessing something new?

Who would have thought that Alex Terrot could go through such lengths... but then as Prushka had pointed out, there was a reason why every single one of the students at Pinefall High were there. When the curtains were pulled, was this truly how far Alex's madness went? None could have guessed from the first interaction both Alex and Vivienne had had on the bus... but then the world was indeed something of many layers, a place of deceit and appearances, where the true self was not something to show, but rather to hide.

"Do you think... something happened? She was in class though... I think..." she continues, but this isn't addressed to anyone, really, more like she is processing her thoughts, perhaps a way to make the others know that she just isn't blankly staring at the walls.

Vivienne was certain that she had seen Alex in class. Yes, so clearly she must have had just left the room in its current state... unless... it wasn't Alex? One could put up all kinds of crazy theories on what was going on, especially when they have had the benefit of knowing some of the crazy Myths of the world, as well as all of the silly stories that people came up with in films...

...but here, at this time, in this place, it was most likely wise to start everything on a rational base.

"What... what now...?"

The small girl tugs on Vivienne's shirt, clearly in distress. This sight may be too much to take in, or if this was just more of Prushka's strange properties playing in, the madness that oozed from every corner of this place was something she couldn't stand.

Vivienne put her hand on Prushka's head, or well, on Prushka's helmet. Prushka may not feel it as much as if Vivienne's hand had plunged into her blonde hair and given a few calming strokes, but well, that is better than nothing. A slight pressure to make it known that there was a reassuring presence there to give the small girl comfort.

Vivienne's eyes turned to Rachel, and she asked the Red-headed girl:

"Rachel... do you mind... if we have a proper look? Privacy of client should be... respected... but this is a bit..."

She did not finish her sentence, but Rachel and Prushka most likely had their own words that they could immediately fill in to complete what Vivienne had left unfinished.

[Verg Avesta]

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

"Rachel... do you mind... if we have a proper look? Privacy of client should be... respected... but this is a bit..."

Rachel, who had been staring at the room with a frozen expression on her face, shook her head to drive out the stupor and confusion that the state of the interior had driven her into. She took a few steps in, letting her eyes wander some more while the papers underneath her shoes crinkled with a loud noise - loud enough to be heard over the storm that was going on outside... even if, in this room, even that sound was muffled and distant. Once again Rachel's gaze stopped in the words painted on the wall with red paint, those screaming big letters, and she mouthed the sentence silently, wordlessly.

Finally, the redhead shifted her attention back to the duo.

"... I... I think I should call the sheriff about this, y'know," Rachel murmured, gesturing at the clear insanity that had been going on in the room not long ago. "This seems like a case of something actually dangerous going on. But..."

She looked straight at Vivienne, straight at her impassive eyes and emotionless face... and sighed.

Rachel Halloway scratched the back of her head, fussing over what to do for a minute, before relenting.

"... Fine. But make it quick. See if you can find anything that'll help you figure out what your friend's been doing or where she might be. I mean..." she pointed at the stale food on the table. "... Judging from that, she hasn't been here for a while. It's... strange, though. She paid up-front and for quite the while, after all, so why would she just, from looks of it, abandon the room...?"

Almost instinctively, Rachel's eyes flickered over to the words on the wall.

"--- And who the hell is the Girl in Blue, and why does it sound vaguely familliar...?"

[Ayakashi]

--- Vivienne Bianchi Date: 10.09.1994 (SAT) Location: Owl's Nest, Alex Terrot's Room (?) Phase: Evening Phase Weather: Storm ---

Vivienne acquiesced at Rachel's words. Without any further ado, she began to sift through the contents of the room... which was quite a behemoth of a task, indeed. To go through every written note, to try to decipher every single bit of short hand, to make sense out of what didn't make sense, on top of processing all of the information present in this room... it was going to take a while.

As she started looking for clues as to where Alex was, perhaps in the more recent notes, or anything that could talk about potential destinations, Vivienne glanced at Prushka, who hadn't been doing much for now, perhaps still too stressed when faced with an atmosphere as mad as the one that permeated this room.

After thinking to herself for a moment, most likely choosing her words wisely, Vivienne asked Prushka:

"Prushie... can you help? Alex... must find... maybe in danger. Like us she... wanted to investigate the mill."


There was no sigh of Alex Terrot.

Yet apparently she had come to class.

Was that really Alex Terrot?

Ramia had told her that Alex was always at Owl's Nest...

... but judging from the info here, Alex hadn't come to this room for a while.

What was going on?

[Bloble]

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

I guess there's one advantage to being mostly emotionless: even at times like this, you can think straight and prioritize.

Vivi's hand on my head is empty. I know that. But even so, it's soothing.

"... I... I think I should call the sheriff about this, y'know. This seems like a case of something actually dangerous going on. But..."

"... Fine. But make it quick. See if you can find anything that'll help you figure out what your friend's been doing or where she might be. I mean... Judging from that, she hasn't been here for a while. It's... strange, though. She paid up-front and for quite the while, after all, so why would she just, from looks of it, abandon the room...?"

"--- And who the hell is the Girl in Blue, and why does it sound vaguely familliar...?"

'The Girl in Blue'. That phrase is completely unfamiliar to me. My first thought is Elizaveta; she wore enough blue on her uniform to fit that moniker. But that's not the way one would naturally describe her, after a meeting. She had plenty of other, more notable characteristics, like those medals on her chest or the baton she carried around. So it's probably not her. That's what I want to believe, at least.

Which means...

"I've never heard of a 'Girl in Blue'," I say, breaking my nervous silence to chime in. "But if you have, then... maybe this murder being talked about happened in Road's End."

I fix my eyes on Rachel as Vivienne starts investigating, and fold my arms. "Was there anything like that in the past? An old death or disappearance that made headlines? Or maybe a scary story, something passed around at school or in bed?"

The crunching of papers intensifies. Vivi is moving around, looking at newspaper clippings, her eyes focused despite everything that's happening. But it's useless. Surely she knows that. On top of breaching her friend's privacy, there's no way she can decode everything here. Someone as paranoid as Alex Terrot wouldn't leave behind clear, easy evidence like that. She'll obscure it in the most irritating ways possible.

"Prushie... can you help? Alex... must find... maybe in danger. Like us she... wanted to investigate the mill."

"P-Prushie..."

What the heck!? That nickname, it's too sickly sweet! But even worse is that request. Even if they're empty, those doe-like eyes looking at me like that are too much. Humans are so awful, always needing help like this.

"Geeze, alright! Fine!"

I throw my hands up. It's useless to try and get out of it now.

"So much for a calm night reading... okay, I'll help. Going through someone's stuff is totally awful, but if it's to help her out, I'm sure she'll forgive you. But! We're doing this investigation my way."

I close my eyes, rifling through knowledge I haven't used in ages. Have I still got it? I'll just have to find out. This coffee is keeping me alert, so my skills won't be diminished. In the end, if the answer is here, I'll definitely find it.

"Okay. Listen closely. Don't move anything. The items here are organized already, so disrupting that will just make it harder to connect the dots. Just skim at first, anything that's readable. Look for key words and phrases; they'll be underlined or highlighted. Find a blank sheet of paper - Rachel, do you have something lying around - and write down anything that seem important. Make a tally whenever a word is mentioned in more than one place. When investigating, keep an eye out for places where important items or documents might be hidden: pillowcases, in the mattress, under the floorboards, places like that. We're snooping already, so we might as well go all the way with it."

I rattle off some more basic instructions from memory, and then take a moment to breathe.

"Hah... and tell me about Alex Terrot, Vivi. Rachel, you too. What kind of person is she? What is she interested in? How does she behave? Is she cheerful? Calm? Cunning? Does she like her coffee hot or cold? If you know anything about her before she came to Pinefall, that's important too. I need to build a picture of her in my head..."

Forget about mysteries. Right now, if what Vivi said is true, someone's life is at stake. Next to that, my own obsessions are a distant second.

"And..."

My nose wrinkles, and I sneeze.

"Can we get some incense in here, or something? It smells..."

[Verg Avesta]

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

In the end, the investigation of the trio lasted for almost three hours. By the time they were finished, night had already fallen over the Owl's Nest Hotel and the town of Road's End at large.

By the request of Prushka, Rachel had gotten them both some notepads and pens, along with some rather old-looking incense (she said something about buying them from a shady doctor at the foot of the hill where the hotel was) that, while smelling rather dusty, did what they were supposed to. The slightly rotten smell from the room was gone, for now, which had made the investigation that much easier. And with the tiny student leading the operation, they had certainly gotten together some rather interesting clues. With Vivienne's natural talent for it, and this clearly not being Prushka's first rodeo, the list they had amassed was... well, more or less extensive.

But what that meant was anyone's guess.

First of all, there were the newspaper articles that had been spread out along the room. They all, more or less, concerned the McLampet family - the old owners of the town's saw mill and ones who had employed most of its populace during the heydays. There were articles considering the disappearance of Aaron McLampet, the eldest of the McLampet heirs. He had skipped town (or rather, just vanished without a trace) in 1971, after ranting something about mysterious people being after his life at the Big Boy's Bar. There were also few articles considering the car crash that killed Elena McLampet in 1974, and her subsequent funeral that had been held in private and with a closed casket (the last term, for some reason, circled with red).

There was an article about the unfortunate case of Ainsley McLampet, who had died from complications in a surgery at End's Mercy hospital, with the article claiming that he had been hospitalized thanks to a stroke... though the latter part had been underlined in red and with a "Unlikely? Quarterback + Hunter" written next to it. A red string had been set up to connect that article with a one talking about someone breaking into the End's Mercy hospital some months later, and apparently not stealing anything. Again, the last part was underlined with the words "As if" written next to it.

Lastly, there were loads of articles concerning how the youngest of the four McLampet siblings, Elias McLampet, had disappeared in 1981, in a similar fashion as many of the loggers had. Indeed, there were plenty of articles about former saw mill workes going missing, all connected to the original article with red strings. There were also few that related to the widow (Josie McLampet) and the daughter (Leena McLampet) that he left behind, and how the daughter would inherit the rights to the saw mill... but that was the only thing mentioned of them. Indeed, even Alex Terrot had written "Why no news of the daughter not showing up?" on one of her own papers set nearby.

--------- And then there were Alex's own notes.

She had written a lot. A lot. Unfortunately, her own short-had was almost unintelligible. You would have needed another person well-versed in shorthand, or Alex Terrot herself, to crack that code. However, the pages she had written with her typewriter shed some more light into what she had been doing. It was more or less a journal that Alex herself kept, about places she went to and what she was trying to find. In short, she had been combing through the town for any books about its history, along with back issues of Road's End Gazette that, much to her frustration, were rare. Almost nobody had kept them, and she had been sneaking (and even breaking) into people's attics and storage rooms in order to find them. One of the books she did mention finding was a some sort of journal printed in the town itself about its history (said she got it from some British woman) written by someone named Remington Hartley. However, despite the group searching for it, they never found the book in the room itself.

One of the things that Alex Terrot also noted in her journals was he growing confusion about how there were almost no back issues of the Gazette dated back further than the 70's. She had found no issues from the 60's, even though she knew that the newspaper had existed back then. From her notes, the newspaper was established somewhere around 47, and received some extra funding and a "sponsor" (that had been circled with red) around the 70's... but that was the end of that. From what they could gather, Alex had found absolutely no back issues from before the 70's, which struck her as suspicious. Especially in one of the papers, she had simply written a line: "Does this have to do with Howard McLampet's death?", explaining where her thought process was headed.

But the more the trio read these papers, written on the typewriter, the more erratic Alex's thought processes and writing style came. She was starting to suspect the hotel staff and the townspeople for spying on her, claiming that she had started feeling their eyes on her back. This got even stronger when, in one note, she remarked that: "Asked around the keyword from the book: Girl in Blue. Was shut down completely. Told to get out and never come back. I think I'm being followed." From there, her paranoia grew and grew in stature, until she had outright stated that she had holed up in her hotel room, leaving only at night and when nobody was looking. She also mentioned something weird about "Letting her take of the business in school", whatever that meant.

... And, towards the more recent notes, it was impossible to make any sense of what Alex was writing. She spoke of eyes watching her from the woods and laughter she heard outside her door, along with a man standing at the edge of the forest waiting for her.

It was easy to see she was slowly going crazy.

Especially with what she had said at the very end.

In the note that Prushka could confirm was the most recent one... the last one she had left before disappearing from the room.

It read:

He has a picture of the Girl in Blue for me. I'm meeting him tonight. In Ghostwoods.

--------- And that was the end of Alex's investigation.

"... You know," Rachel suddenly spoke out when they had finally ended their investigation. "I had no idea something like this was going on under my nose. She was a customer who kept to herself, never caused any trouble... yet she was doing something like this in her room? Geez louise... never could have guessed. Guess it goes to show we can never really know what's going on in people's heads."

Leaning on the door that they trio had closed behind them to get some peace and quiet for the search, Rachel munched on a sandwich she had made at some point (two of them were waiting on a nearby table, one for Prushka and one for Vivienne). She gave the room a one last look, before narrowing her eyes at the big, red letters on the wall while a small shiver went through her.

"Though considering what she wrote out... I'm not sure if I wanna know about this 'Girl in Blue' either..."

[Ayakashi]

--- Vivienne Bianchi Date: 10.09.1994 (SAT) Location: Owl's Nest, Alex Terrot's Room (?) Phase: Evening Phase Weather: Storm ---

It was a long investigation, but eventually the pieces of the puzzle started coming together, thanks to Prushka's help. The picture was not whole, but now they could paint an approximation of what had been going on, and perhaps follow the trail of Alex Terrot.

For now however, Vivienne felt like explaining her interactions she had had with Alex, as per Prushka's request earlier:

"Alex was... quiet, polite... we talked a bit... about partnering up for finding mystery... but I was a bit busy so we never ended up meeting after I visited her room on the first day. Her room at school... also had all kinds of articles, type writer, coffee... very similar to here. We had discussed... case of Mc. Lampets... it intrigued her. She wanted to know..."

Mysterious deaths, surrounded by mysterious circumstances. For someone who craved to know the 'truth', it only made sense that Alex would have become obsessed with finding out the answers -- when they had talked back in Alex's room at school, Vivienne could feel it, Alex's very thirst for crystal clear knowledge, an unerring desire to elucidate the fog obscuring what had happened with the Mc Lampets. All so palpable. But it wasn't only the mystery of the Mc Lampets that tugged at Alex's sanity, most likely, it was the fact that Road's End as a whole was nothing more than a town with mysteries layered on top of each other.

"Girl in Blue... we can wait for now about that... I think that the Alex we see at school is... not Alex. She... disappeared at Ghostwood, I think. But... where in Ghostwood?"

Less of a question for the others, the final part of Vivienne's sentence was more like a statement, a highlight of the infinite possibilities as to where clues on Alex Terrot's current whereabouts could be, but also a highlight of how low the chances were of actually finding something. In a town that had so many places that weren't frequented at night, in a town where ghosts and the living interacted as if it was nothing... one could easily make someone who poked their nose deep into business that wasn't theirs... disappear.

Vivienne Bianchi was quite acquainted with these kinds of dealings, though the other two with her in this room most likely didn't have a sliver of a doubt about these kind of... matters.


"If we tell the Sheriff, it may endanger Alex more... but... what else to do?"

Go to ghost wood and hope that they'd find something?

Ready for nothing, ignorant of what it is they were getting themselves into?

Why would these people here even want to involve themselves?

"if not Sheriff... who do you trust, Rachel? And Prushie... do you know... someone who can decipher shorthand?"

[Bloble]

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

"Aaaaaah..."

It's over. It's finally over. We went through all the papers we could. We made all the connections, and dug through every corner of this room.

I'm tired. This investigation raised more questions than answers. The coffee is wearing off, too. I'm already having trouble holding into all of the info we dug up, let alone making a decision based on it.

Well, it's mostly Vivienne's decision.

"Girl in Blue... we can wait for now about that... I think that the Alex we see at school is... not Alex. She... disappeared at Ghostwood, I think. But... where in Ghostwood?"

"That's something for tomorrow, if you wanna go look. But that trail's probably cold by now."

Still, it feels kinda bad to know we were out there at the same time as her and didn't run into each other. It is a big forest...

"Fanks, Rachel..." As I bite into the sandwich Rachel brought, my sluggish musings are cut short.

"if not Sheriff... who do you trust, Rachel? And Prushie... do you know... someone who can decipher shorthand?"

"Of course not. Why would you even think that?" Putting down the half-eaten sandwich, I fix my tired eyes on Vivi. She looks a bit weary, too, so I'll go easy on her. "Those scribbles might as well be a different language. Unless one of the local reporters is interested in stenography, I don't see anyone in town being able to figure these out on their own... hm. Maybe that's it. This method of linking facts together, the investigation... Terrot's either a detective or a journalist looking for a scoop. Or she's a big fan of the professions."

I suppose that fits, though she's a bit young for either of them. An aspiring trainee, maybe? Perhaps she had a close brush with the other side of the world in the past and was interested ever since. Maybe she's just the type to look for mysteries and latch on. I can't really say I don't understand that curiosity. After all, I'm not the type to leave things alone either.

"...well, there might be a book on shorthand in the library. You could try to decipher it yourself, but it'd take a while..."

But.

I glance at Rachel Halloway.

"Rachel, I... don't really get what this mystery is. Something about the McLampets? Every town has its share of skeletons in its closet, but this one has so much weird stuff going on that it's hard to keep track of it all. But I'm sure that, whatever she's doing, the person who wrote this isn't as awful as this room makes her look."

Even if I couldn't do anything useful tonight, I can at least say this much.

"Well, okay, humans are pretty awful. We," I nearly stumble over the lie. "-freak out easily. And talk faster than we think, and do rash things, and get sucked into our own little worlds that nobody else understands. And when you're in your own world, and there's no one for you to turn to, to trust... it gets really lonely. And scary."

Why am I even saying this? Who am I revisiting those painful memories for? I've never met Alex Terrot. I don't care one bit about her. At best, she's a distraction from my own problems.

But I do know what she felt, as she was stuck in here with only herself and no one else. I know it too well. Not everything, but the part that counts, definitely. Her feelings are arranged across the walls for all to see. And those, I can't ignore.

"I don't think she's a danger to anyone. Well, maybe if they get in her way directly, but even then, the worst thing she's done so far is break into some attics to steal old magazines. That's probably enough to call the sheriff over, I guess... but it won't help, besides maybe finding her if she's lost in the woods. What Alex Terrot needs isn't a pair of handcuffs; it's someone to talk to, that can pull her out of this rotten room."

That's all. End rant.

"Either way... we can't do anything tonight. I think we should sleep on this, then look at it again tomorrow morning. Maybe Alex will be back by then, and you'll be able to talk to her."

I yawn, a long punctuation to this exhausting evening.

I think it's obvious to everyone in the room. I can barely keep my eyes open. Vivi's not showing it as much, but she's probably the same. We're in no condition to be doing anything besides sleeping. In addition to that, the storm has yet to let up. Nobody is leaving the hotel tonight without a great deal of risk.

"And, um... how much for a room for the night?"

[Verg Avesta]

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

"If not Sheriff... who do you trust, Rachel? And Prushie... do you know... someone who can decipher shorthand?"

"Of course not. Why would you even think that? Those scribbles might as well be a different language. Unless one of the local reporters is interested in stenography, I don't see anyone in town being able to figure these out on their own... hm. Maybe that's it. This method of linking facts together, the investigation... Terrot's either a detective or a journalist looking for a scoop. Or she's a big fan of the professions. ...well, there might be a book on shorthand in the library. You could try to decipher it yourself, but it'd take a while..."

Rachel pursed her lips, deep in thought.

"Someone other than the Sheriff...? I... I honestly dunno," she finally answered, after having wracked her brains for an answer. "... I mean, I eventually need to tell my Uncle what's happened to this room. And he'll definitely want to call the Sheriff. And while I doubt people like Tommy or Jake wouldn't wanna help, I'm... I'm not sure if it's wise to involve them. Tommy's a big coward at heart, and Jake... I don't know. He's been odd for a while now. His usual self, but almost too much... eh, it's not important right now."

Sighing a heavy sigh, Rachel sat down on one of the few empty chairs in the room and buried her face in her hands, running her fingers upwards in a slowly motion to release some of the tension that had been gathering up during the investigation. At the same time she muttered a quiet, but sensible wish about being able to involve some outside law-enforcement into this. It wasn't a bad idea, but at the same time, Road's End was far away. Would other places, like Seattle, even care?

"Rachel, I... don't really get what this mystery is. Something about the McLampets? Every town has its share of skeletons in its closet, but this one has so much weird stuff going on that it's hard to keep track of it all. But I'm sure that, whatever she's doing, the person who wrote this isn't as awful as this room makes her look."

The redhead, still sitting in her chair, turned to look at Prushka. At the same time, an odd expression began to rise on her face, one that grew stronger and stronger the more the small girl talked. At first it seemed to be subdued disbelief that Prushka would defend someone who had clearly had some sort of mental breakdown in this hotel room... and in a sense, Rachel had a point there. After all, the Pinefall students had arrived to the town for a reason - it was because they were, for one reason or another, unfit for society. And this was prime example of such behavior.

But the more Rachel listened, the more that expression shifted into a different one. An expression that started with a hint of a smile, a smile that grew warmer and warmer, until that disbelief she had shown earlier was now coated with something almost like gentle amusement. Like she had been pleasantly surprised that someone found it in themselves to defend a person they had never met like this... that they could so well pinpoint just how a person who had created this room might have felt.

Empathy attracted empathy, and Prushka's showcase of it had definitely warmed Rachel Halloway to her, despite the initial hostility.

"Either way... we can't do anything tonight. I think we should sleep on this, then look at it again tomorrow morning. Maybe Alex will be back by then, and you'll be able to talk to her."

Rachel chuckled and rose up from her chair, stretching a bit before - without any warning - patting Prushka with enough force that she could feel it through her helmet.

"You got that right. Little kids need to be asleep this time of night!" Rachel answered with a slight grin. "We've done what we can for tonight... and if your friend really shows up, I figure we can slip this by my uncle. If not, well... that's something to worry about tomorrow, right? I dunno... we might be able to even squeeze some hints out of that old blockhead. He was buddy-buddy with Howard McLampet back in the day, after all."

"And, um... how much for a room for the night?"

Rachel blinked in surprise at Prushka's question... but then took just one look outside, where the storm wasn't quieting down at all (if anything, it was picking up!) and realized the reason for the small girl's question almost immediately. She thought for a moment, rubbing her chin with her free hand (the second one was still mashing around Prushka's head like the redhead had found an absolutely irresistible toy), before snapping her fingers and nodding at the duo.

"Y'know what, usually it'd be $30 or so per night... but I think I can drop that to $15 for you two. Circumstances are what they are, after all," Rachel said, pointing her thumb at the window. "I mean, as long as you two are willing to share a room. We don't run a charity here, after all!"

Then, with a slightly playful glint in her eyes, Rachel nodded towards the corridor.

"... And as long as you help me cook some breakfast in the morning. Kitchen duty is no joke."

In one way or another, it seemed that their place of stay had been secured!

And so the night at Owl's Nest Hotel rolled on...

[SCENE END /// Move to NEXT Phase!]

Vivienne Bianchi: Friendship Rank Raised!

Prushka: Friendship Rank Raised!

[Verg Avesta]

---

---

Location: Pinefall High Dormitory - Your Room (+ Other Locations)
Phase: Morning Phase
Date: 11.09.1994 (SUN)
Weather: Overcast
[BGM]

The storm was over.

The fury of weather from yesterday was gone, having left nothing else behind but puddles on the ground and the asphalt, and straggling, emptied grey clouds hanging low on the sky.

The air outside was heavy with something morose, almost sorrowful, as it often was after such an event as a storm. But today... it felt even more so. It was almost like something truly melancholic had taken a chokehold of the town of Road's End, and refused to let go. Whether it was at the dormitory of Pinefall High, where the corridors were empty and devoid of life, whether it was at the Mitchell Household where even the aroma of coffee coming from the kitchen felt colorless, whether it was at the Owl's Nest Hotel where the busy hustle and bustle of yesterday had been replaced by distant echoes coming from the lower floors... everybody could feel it. The atmosphere was like a baited breath, just waiting to be unleashed... yet unable to do so, thanks to a growing fear that someone might have heard it.

And especially at the Pinefall High's dormitories, this could be felt strongly.

The song that echoed from the speakers here and there in the building was anything but bright and cheerful, sounding instead forlorn and wistful, to the point that it made waking up seem even harder than usual.

But that's what you had to do.

Wake up.

A new day was dawning, and more than that...

------------ All those at the dormitory, including you, could hear a bloodcurdling scream of pure horror emanate from the lobby.

Like someone had witnessed something so traumatic they wanted to scratch their eyes away to erase it.

Known Person Locations!

Pinefall High Dormitory

• Hwan Bin
• Gabi Bahkauv
• Yeong-Hui Coastrise
• Minato Coastrise
• Zhou Coastrise
• Travis Gagnon
• Subaru Iburi
• Aleen King
• Kean Loinnir
• Caleb Montjoy
• Souma Nubatama
• Mercedes West

???

• Cesarina Feroce
• Colt Davin
• Inacio Ilusão
• Pyry Leijonamieli
• Alexstrasza Lockhart
• Xylia Pheme
• Ramia Ramalsaqr
• Ubon Sĕeklêun
• Alex Terrot
• Sakura Tsukioka

[Bloble]

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

The morning is foggy and still, like a living painting.

The pounding rains of the night before have calmed. All that remains of the downpour are scattered puddles and dew coating every leaf and branch of the forest.

Many things happened last night, but those journeys have finally come to an end. At the Owl's Nest Hotel, there is no noise from the lobby to wake the inhabitants.

Rather...
"Ah. Aaah... IYAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA-!"

Instead, that ear-piercing scream can be heard from a single guest room, as a girl called Prushka wakes up and clutches her bloodied face.

She rolls out of bed, thudding to the floor, interrupting the sleep of not only her roommate but perhaps anyone in the vicinity. Prushka writhes, strangled noises somewhere between screams and wails emerging from her open mouth as her movements track red onto the floor and sheets.

"Aaaaaaaaa... Ahaha........"

Half cursing, half weeping, Prushka drags herself to the hotel room's bathroom, leaving behind her a trail of blood.

She does not have the strength to stand and open the door. However, as it had been left ajar the previous night, she can just barely kick it shut. A click indicates that it has been locked as well.

The room's other occupant, if she were awake, would hear clearly the sound of things moving about in the bathroom. Thuds and clatters and at one point, the sound of running water. And, of course, the nonstop pathetic whimpering that occasionally rises to be a sob or a yowl of pain. Words as well, too fragmented to make out, either curses or please for help to names that none could possibly recognize. And then, finally, the sound of something tearing.

For a long minute, silence.

The door opens. This time, Prushka is standing on her own.

"....................................."

The girl does not say anything. She stares silently at the room, wobbling and barely able to stay on her feet.

Something is missing. Somehow, overnight, without ever having risen from bed... that girl had lost more than just an eye.

[Mormarth]

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

The transition between sleep and waking was almost seamless, dreams fading to the quiet, shifting sounds of the building around her, along with quiet, steady breathing.

Elaine heaved a sigh, staring up at the dark ceiling, a frown on her face.

The air was heavy today, a certain melancholy festering and filling the air like a rotten fruit.

Yet despite this, despite it all, she felt no different than usual, no more heavy or fettered than any other day.

And despite that, it did nothing to alleviate the feeling of an invisible anchor, or ball and chain around her limbs.

She could just roll over, go back to sleep, let the world pass by, but it would solve nothing.

For all the world was heavy and melancholy and frustrating, it was the world.

It would always be better than her dreams.

So, she rolled herself up, gently untangling herself from the rat's nest of sheets and blankets and went about making herself presentable, gently coaxing her new hanger-on out of bed while she did so.

She had just started brushing her teeth when it came.

The scream, heavy with horror, was not something you would expect from a human throat, it writhes and stammers, like an animal.

She was half-way through the door the instant she heard it, hair askew, a pair of shorts and an over-long nightshirt she'd 'borrowed' over the years and a pair of socks her only adornments.

Elaine was a person who would always react the same.

She lopes down the hall, skidding on the floor as she turns, catching herself on the wall as she almost slipped, flinging herself down the stairs towards the lobby.

"What's wrong!?"

[Daneel Rush]

Location: Pinefall High Dormitory – Common Area
Phase: Morning Phase
Date: 11.09.1994 (SUN)
Weather: Overcast

John Dove is a statue, perfectly still on the lobby’s couch. Like a faithful dog, awaiting a master who will never come. What comes instead is sunrise in all its gloom. Of course, the weather makes no difference; John’s sunrises are always grey.

Colton Davin and Inacio Ilusão have not returned. Therefore, John Dove has things to do. Unfortunately, the rules of the hollow world are ever bothersome, punishing his rebellion with stiff muscles after hours of still vigil, and pangs of hunger from an empty stomach. It is because he is working those stiff muscles that he does not notice his friend (?) Subaru Iburi step into the lobby, her small, dainty steps almost soundless. Thus, he only notices when she fills the room with her powerful, terrible scream, saturated with the color of sheer horror.

“Miss Iburi?” He calls out immediately, head perked like an alert suricata. “Miss Iburi!”

And there he goes, John Dove, utterly uncaring of the girl sharing the couch with him, and perhaps the least qualified person in this building to deal with a teenager having a nervous breakdown.

He hears strong steps approaching, so that’s helpful. What could be the cause of this? Miss Iburi was on her way outside, and then…

John takes a moment to look in the same direction as the girl. Past the open door, he sees…

[Katie]

Lucille Faraday
Location: Pinefall High Dormitory - Lucille's Room
Phase: Morning Phase
Date: 11.09.1994 (SUN)
Weather: Overcast

A scream.

Lucille jolts up from her groggy reverie in abrupt sharpness, torn from sleep by the piercing sound. For a brief moment she wonders if it was a dream, a nightmare—but with the clarity that only comes from being awake, she knows that scream is nothing like the ones that occasionally plague her nights. And so, by instinct, she bolts out of her room, door slamming shut behind her, because if someone is in need of help, she must go.

She has to.

And so Lucille, clad in sleepwear, hastily makes her way to the foyer, her assistance there for anyone regardless of need.

[Thalraxal]

Elise Pelltier
Location: Pinefall High Dormitory - Common Area
Phase: Morning Phase
Date: 11.09.1994 (SUN)
Weather: Overcast

Elise groaned as a forlorn and wistful song began to play on the dormitory's speakers. She opened her eyes, finding her room to be oddly brighter than normal in the morning. Had she forgotten to close the curtains last night? Maybe she'd wanted to watch the storm? Also, her ceiling looked different for some reason.

Before she could fully process all that, a bloodcurdling scream tore through the morning's deary haze. Elise darted up, looking around frantically suddenly feeling very, very awake.

She was in the common area. On the couch. Did she pass out there? No wait, it didn't matter how she ended up there. There was a scream. John was there, rushing towards the source, and Elise was quick to stumble off the couch and follow him to the lobby.

"Subara?" asked Elise, identifying the source of the terror stricken scream as she arrived in the lobby.

John was there, following Subaru's gaze out the door towards the apparent source of the horror. Steeling herself, Elise looked beyond the door too.