Astronomika - Shooting Down Falling Stars (IC)

[Mormarth]

Elaine Winters
Location: Pinefall High Dormitory - 2F Hallway
Phase: Morning Phase
Date: 07.09.1994
Weather: Partly Cloudy

I watched Lucille troop off in a manner that did not at all resemble broken soldiery fleeing a doomed battle with a complex expression on my face, folding my arms as I did so.

"Could stand to be a little less obvious 'bout it, we're going to see her in a hot minute anyway..."

I plucked the hat from my head, spinning it around one finger. I could almost feel the sproing of that irritating little cowlick as it refused to be cowed or pushed down by any sort of material.

"Almost feel like I should invest in some better hardware," I grumbled to myself, vague memories flitting through my mind.

Oh, that was right.

"Say, Colt, you tinker and mess around a fair bit too, right? Hung around that junker's hangout yet? He cool? Been thinking about poking around there to see what I can dig up, plus it's always good to talk shop."

I tossed my hat into the air, catching it with my other hand.

"Craftsmen aren't always the most common, y'see."

[Bloble]

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

"Who...?"

This strange girl is staring at me, saying she needs to tell me something. But I have no idea who she is.

"Um... just... gimme a second... don't worry, Elise, Vivi, I'm gonna be... mostly fine..."

I close my eye, take one deep breath. Then another. Then two in quick succession.

The tornado in my stomach calms down. Not entirely, but enough to keep me on the safe end of 'queasy'.

"Mm, I totes wanna chat with this cutie too... but, argh, no time! Here, Lucie! Take good care of her! Also, you might wanna start running to toilets now. With her, that is. She might have a reaction in... erm... soon. Like, real soon."

"I'm not gonna ba-a-arf! At least, ugh, not right away..."

What the heck? You can't just show up and leave! That's called a hit and run! You could go to jail!

"So just hold on a... urp... second... You! Lucy, was it? Turn me around. I need to look this troublemaker in the eye!"

There we go. Now that I've got the height...

"Ubon. That's your name. Listen close."

I clear my throat (and swallow a bit of breakfast that nearly did a U-turn in my gullet) and hold up three fingers.

"One! It's Prushka! Nice to meet you! It's not cute thing, not teddy bear, and definitely not Pru! You can call me Prushie if you ask nicely!"

"Two! You're forgiven for that flip 'cus it was kinda cool! Just this once!"

"Three! Um... take it slowly in the halls, okay?" I give the cyan-head's fluffy hair a few pats to get it back into place. "If a teacher spots you, they might give you detention. Don't get into trouble, okay? Anyway, you're in a hurry, so I'm gonna leave it at that."

That should stick. Maybe.

Honestly, it's impossible to be angry at someone so glad to see you. She's like a big dog that'll knock over a whole kitchen just to run at you and say hello by licking your face.

"Four! Four... um... maybe I'm not okay after all..."

Uh oh.

[Airen]

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

The bizarre scene continues to be a bizarre scene.

With a number of people only now coming to the realization that such a violent spinning leap might in fact have negative consequences on one's ability to keep their breakfast inside of their stomachs, Liana can't help but chuckle lightly to herself, in spite of her sympathies going out to poor, roughly handled Pru... In other circumstances she would have intervened herself perhaps, made a diving grasp for the small girl that ended with a pure desperate race towards the bathroom and it's toilets, but...

"O-ow-ow-ow... needs more sugar... lot more sugar..."

Right now, she has her own task to take care of, or rather, a task that she might as well finish properly, to the absolute best of her ability, thus-!

"More sugar? Very well."

Normally, it is not in her policy to fix the coffee made by others, things like cream and sugar are additives that one uses when trying to cover up the taste of a bad brew in most cases... Yes, she is the sort that proudly makes her own coffee instead -although she was missing some of the key ingredients for her usual fare at the moment- nevertheless...

"I'm not sure how much I'll be able to repair the taste if the brew itself is poor, but I'll take care of it~"

She says this was a nod, before placing Cesarina's food tray back on the table, as far from the time bomb that Pru had become as she could physically manage, although the girl's grimace made it clear that the proximity of said time bomb was still too much for her liking...

"Go ahead and get started with the food, if Pru's face changes color and she starts turning towards this table, I want you to take your tray and retreat to the table behind this one immediately, okay? It might come across as rude in the moment, but it'll be a favor done for the both of you."

One will avoid being thrown up on, the other will avoid throwing up on a classmate.

Both experiences traumatic in their own similar -but probably very unique- ways!

"Do you have a preference for how much sugar you would like, or would you rather I simply decide the amount myself? While I am it, any milk or cream? I would recommend cream myself if you must, it's smoother that way, although the calorie impact is also rather high I suppose..."

---It was just coffee, but...

The sudden light in Skye's eyes...

Made it clear she took that subject at least a bit more seriously than most...

[Katie]

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

Lucille goes along with Prushka’s demands, but Ubon’s warning instils a deep sense of worry in her heart. Is it right for her to still be holding Prushka like this? Wouldn’t carrying her around this way make her stomach more unsettled? No, what she’s currently doing has to be wrong.

"Four! Four... um... maybe I'm not okay after all..."

Case in point!

“Hold on a little longer…” Lucille prays for the much shorter girl. She deserves it.

Naturally, Lucille puts Prushka down so feet firmly touch solid earth. Then, without hesitation, she grabs Prushka’s hand and starts making a course towards the restroom, trying to make sure her brisk stride isn’t too much for the other girl. As logic would dictate, taller people had longer steps, so naturally, she had to slow down a bit, even if they were in a hurry. Rushing it would mean Prushka’s breakfast would end up on the floor, and that…

Wasn’t it cruel for the janitor to have to deal with that on the first day of class?

[Daneel Rush]

John Dove
Location: Pinefall High Campus – The Big League
Phase: Morning Phase
Date: 07.09.1994
Weather: Partly Cloudy



So, apparently, Miss Doubleday decides the value of the “legends” she offers through some nebulous assessment of their importance to…us? Who is ‘us’? The student at Pinefall? The time travelers? The world at large?

This is likely one of those things that require plenty of time and discussion to understand. It makes John miss the straightforwardness of the Pnakotica. The Pnakotica’s trick is very simple: don’t think about the Pnakotica.

“That…sounds interesting,” he murmurs lamely at the end of Bambi’s “explanation” of her pricing scheme, while his mind is busy banishing vestiges of thoughts that must not ever take shape.

After that, Miss Doubleday explains that she literally cannot leave without a, well, a sort of business agreement with a client. Does that make her an existence similar to Her, in that she is bound to action under certain conditions? Well, in the case of His Owner, it is more like she willingly bound herself to those conditions.

Hisa Momoi has the kindness to answer Miss Doubleday’s own trail of questions, following that with a not-entirely-healthy dose of venting. Is this really the right time to do so, or even the right target? This is a person you met a handful of minutes ago, Miss Momoi.

It would be too late to do something about that even if he cared enough to do so, anyway.

“Your…stock is indeed interesting, Miss Doubleday, but as I said, I carry no cash at the moment.” Furthermore, a supernatural shop was never within his planned expenses in the first place. “I believe there are others among the student body with more…generous wallets; I hope you may make good business with them in the coming days.”

Besides, he only learned the word “Turnside” very recently, and he was advice to keep a prudent distance from it. He is not confident of how well he can do such a thing in these blatantly supernatural circumstances currently imprisoning him, but it is as good an excuse as any to walk out of this awkward situation.

“Did anything catch you eye, Pyry?” he finally asks, throwing a falsely encouraging glance at the MMA prodigy.

[Ayakashi]

That was the big problem mostly solved. Well, one could only hope that Lucille would adequately handle Prushka's necessities, both physical and emotional... but seeing how soft-spoken she was, as if her very existence was sufficient to portray the concept of 'kindness', Vivienne had no doubt that the girl had what was needed to fulfill this task. Them eloping to the toilets conveniently also gave them two some privacy for whatever words Lucille had for Prushka, though for it to happen at the same time as Ubon's cataclysmic arrival... could all of this have been a well constructed ploy to get Prushka isolated, then... ?

This could be paranoia settling in as well, but why reproach someone when they've just been murdered 'yesterday'. Vivienne shook her head and was content to see if Prushka would be present during class... but as her investigation in Alex Terrot's room showed back at Owl's Nest, not everything is as it seems.

---

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

[Thalraxal]

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

"Oh! G'morning, Essie! A-and thanks, that was kinda improvised, so I'm just glad it worked out well! A-as for this tiny cute little thing, err... w-well, as long as the rotation in her stomach continues, it might be good, but when it starts to slow down to a stop..."

Prushka, the true heroine of the day, had survived the missile strike, but it had left her in a precarious state as she was soon looking almost as green as her clothing.

"Prushka! Hold on! You can make it!" cried Elise.

Elise felt a brief stab of frustration. She was certain her healing thaumaturgy could cure Prushka's nausea in an instant, but there was no way she could use it here. She recalled some comments from Hisa and Lucille about the cafeteria interfering with their own abilities, but more to the point: it was a cafeteria full of her classmates.

Ahg! What's the point of miraculous healing powers if you can't use them to help the person who sacrificed herself to save your life?

She briefly considered snatching Prushka from Ubon under the pretense of rushing her to the washroom when she noticed that someone else had entered the cafeteria.

“Ah, Ubon, can you let go of Prushka? I have something really important to tell her."

She hadn't noticed Lucille when she entered, having been completely focused on the oncoming blur of cyan colour death. Still, there was was. Lucille Faraday, Saint Lucille. The living manifestation of what had been all of her worst fears and nightmares now turned into dreadful reality. Still, she was glad to see her and hoped she still remembered her. As she'd admitted to the table, she'd learned that she almost certainly needed help dealing with her large problems, and she was hopeful that Lucille would be able to provide some much needed assistance.

Ubon handed Prushka, clearly still suffering from motion sickness induced nausea, over to Lucille with a warning. For a moment, it looked like Pruska might pull through, but then it took a turn... and with that, Lucille made a hasty rush out of the cafeteria, carrying a dangerous looking Prushka.

"Prushka! Thank you! I'll always remember your sacrifice this day!" she called out after them, "Lucille! Carry her with care and honour! She's a valiant heroine who just saved my life!"

She took a step to follow them, but then she was stopped as Ubon revealed her true mission.

"Anyways, Essie! I'm gonna need your keys! Hand 'em over!"

"W-what is this? A stick up!?" exclaimed Elise, holding her hands up as Ubon aimed a finger gun at her, "What do you need them for!?"

She spared a last glance toward the forms of Lucille and Prushka as they fled the scene. She hoped for the best, and prayed for their safe journey to the washrooms.

Was this it then? Her bodyguard and defender had been utterly incapacitated by the enemy's opening salvo, leaving her defenceless as Ubon reached for her true objective. Had that opening salvo been naught but a feint? Had Prushka's sacrifice been for naught?

No! I cannot allow Prushka to have died in vain!

She considered her keys. All she had were her room keys. What did Ubon want her room keys for? What did she need access to her room for? Did Ubon want something from her room? What was the most valuable items there?

"Are-are you after one of my books? Because I'd be more than happy to just lend one to you if you want."

[Verg Avesta]

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

"Do you have a preference for how much sugar you would like, or would you rather I simply decide the amount myself? While I am it, any milk or cream? I would recommend cream myself if you must, it's smoother that way, although the calorie impact is also rather high I suppose..."

Cesarina smiled proudly and showed thumbs at Liana from her seat.

"I honestly do not know a lick about tastes of coffee, so simply do what you think is best!" The girl announced, completely unashamed. "All I requier is lots of sugar and lots of caffeine! I need some fuel for the brain here, and some energy to keep myself going! Preferrably the 'third all-nighter in a row' variety, wahaha~!"

... All in all, that kind of coffee sounded truly dangerous.

Meanwhile, as Lucille and Prushka were making their escape to the toilets, the cyan blur had turned her attention to her true target... the supposedly nondescript Schoolgirl C who had been accosted with a pair of finger guns and a demand for keys... though what keys and for what purpose remained still a mystery. Indeed, just about everything in this whole fiasco felt like a mystery.

"W-what is this? A stick up!? What do you need them for!? Are-are you after one of my books? Because I'd be more than happy to just lend one to you if you want."

This made Ubon tilt her head quizzically.

"O-oh? Books? Judging by your expression..." Ubon suddenly looked like the greatest conspiracy theorist, and leaned in closer. "A-are they pervy books? 'Cause if they are, I could, y'know... maybe take a look at them later? Just a tiny peek? I-I sorta forgot all of mine back home, so, what can you do..."

Her theater whisper and apparent completele misunderstanding just made the situation worse.

"A-ah, no, no, I'm not after your books! I'm after you keys, Essie!" Ubon then recovered, pointing the finger guns at the brunette once more. "And by that I mean the keys you have for the storage shed at the sports field! 'Cause Hisa said you have them! For realsies! And we wanna get in! For realsies! ... Actually just for an adventure. An adventure for realsies!"

Then, suddenly, the cyanhead narrowed her eyes and put a finger to her lips.

"Waaaait... was that what Hissie told me...?" She askd quietly from herself, suddenly looking unsure.

Meanwhile, back at the original table, both Tonkori and Subaru were watching this all unfold with a pair of very deadpan expressions. The small girl took a sip of her tea, already long gone, and set the empy cup against the table. Tonkori mimicked those moves, but without anything to actually hold between her paws.

"--- I wonder if this class will be alright...?" Subaru wondered quietly to Vivienne and Alexstrasza.

[Bloble]

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

"Blargh..."

It doesn't come out. Nothing comes out at all.

That's a good thing. The first few times, something did come out, but now it's nothing. That means running on empty.

How did it come to this? I want to blame someone, but if I do a search, the only person who fits is myself, for not knowing better. And I'm already suffering the punishment for my stupidity.

"Ugh..."

Yep. Nothing left. I'm gonna be really hungry during class for sure. But that's manageable. I've gone longer with less. More importantly, this 'Lucy' girl wanted me for something.

No clue why. I haven't interacted with her a single time. It's to early to have done anything, really. Ah well, she'll probably say.

The stall door slams open, and I stand once more, restored.

I take several strong, purposeful steps towards Lucille Faraday... and walk right past her. The sink turns on, and I bend over to wash the acidic taste out of my mouth.

Gargle. Spit. Gargle. Spit. Swish. Gargle. Spit.

"Okay. All better. For real this time." The tap closes and I finally look her in the eyes.

Hm. She's kinda delicate looking.

"You had something to say, right?"

[Verg Avesta]

Hisa Momoi & John Dove
Location: Pinefall High Campus - The Big League
Phase: Morning Phase
Date: 07.09.1994 (WED)
Weather: Partly Cloudy

“Did anything catch you eye, Pyry?”

The tall boy stayed quiet for a moment, staring at the huge bright red baseball bat with "MUDVILLE" written all over it... but eventually simply sighed and shook his head. At the same time he pulled out the pockets of his hoodie, revealing that he wasn't carrying any money either. So in other words, while there were interesting things, there was no money to buy them.

"Nah. I mean, there's a heck of a lot here that might be useful, and I'm somewhat suspicious if this is her full stock, but... well, not much I can do right now, penniless like I am," the boy answered, shrugging his shoulders. "Mostly I'm interested in what the heck this girl is and why does it feel so strange to be staring at--- Oh, what the heck is Hisa doing now?"

Pyry frowned a bit at the situation that was brewing not far away fom the two boys.

That is, Hisa Momoi suddenly venting out on the shorter girl who was still sitting on the makeshift chair of plastic boxes and baseball paraphernalia.

“I would have liked to help, but without knowing what this ‘drafting’ is, and with how it’s all about the money and secrecy, my hands are kind of tied.”

And as an answer...

"Hmm~"

Bambi Doubleday simply hummed with a slight hint of interest. She was sitting cross-legged on her little "throne", leaning her elbow to her knee and her chin to her hand. The other hand was currently absent-mindedly rolling around a baseball against the box's surface, not truly paying much attention what it was doing. But still, the shorter girl's complete attention was at the scarred person in front of her... and while the smile remained, it had acquired a degree of curtness just now.

"Y'know, if you're looking for a fight or trying to blackmail me, I wouldn't bother! Honestly, it gets you nowhere and ends up with just a bad mood for all involved! I'd much rather all the gals and pals visiting my jolly little store left with a smile on their face instead of whatever heck you're trying to do now, Miss Momoi!" Bambi simply said, chuckling a bit as she did. "I mean, I'm as much a prisoner of circumstances as anyone else. It's you humans who set the world and how it is by your cognition, by how you observe things - and then you lot got a nerve to blame us! No wonder the only one who really tolerates you anymore is the Ol' Grumpy on a Cloud! Of course something's gonna be harder to get the more you desired it - because you know how important it is and know how much you'd have to work for it normally."

Having said that, Bambi's other hand suddenly stopped from rolling around the ball... and moments later, the baseball slowly rose upwards in the air itself. It rose higher and higher, until it reached above the short girl's head, and started orbiting it like some sort of moon or a planetoid. Indeed, while Doubleday hadn't given them any real showcase of supernatural powers up until now... here was some undeniable proof.

And it kept spinning...

"I dunno what's got your mind all murky, but honestly, don't take it out on me. I'm here just as a function, capable of giving out my services if required offerings are made. Even I can't just pull things out of thin air without any power or prayer, see?" Bambi continued jovially. "So you'll achieve a literal zero and squat by trying to threaten me, Sister. And you achieve even less by throwing a tantrum. See, I love humans. I really do. You guys are the best and have so much more interesting lives than I do! I'm honestly kinda jealous and wish only the best for you guys! But..."

... Until it fell to the floor with a deafening, gong-like sound.

"--- Rude customers I can't stand."

[Katie]

Lucille Faraday
Location: Pinefall High - Girls' Bathroom
Phase: Morning Phase
Date: 07.09.1994 (WED)
Weather: Partly Cloudy

Lucille wonders why fate has made her end up here to deliver the news, but she figures the Lord’s plans are complex beyond comprehension and a little hands off at times. Still, now she has the opportune time to ask, well, whatever she’d like. As weird as it was, the bathroom was a remarkably private place to have a discussion.

But first she must confess the collective sins of everyone in the kitchen. She can fish for interesting information a bit later.

“So the four of us—Sakura, Colt, Elaine, and I—were in the kitchen when we heard a noise, like something breaking. And, when we looked out, one of the planks barricading that spot at the end of the hall, next to your room, that had been broken off. The door to your room was wide open, too.” Lucille explains as calmly as she can, but the slight bit of nervousness in her voices implies just enough, she thinks. That the four of them had done something wrong.

“We went to investigate, and I’m really sorry to say, but we looked into your room and saw the window was wide open… And there were tracks outside that made it look like whomever broke the plank jumped out. But um, we closed the window and the door. We’re really sorry and I just thought that you should know someone broke into your room as soon as possible…” Lucille fiddles with her thumbs as she talks. It’s about maintaining the image of being nervously apologetic, not actually being so. Well, she is, but sometimes exaggeration made it more believable.

“Anyway I’m super sorry we ended up doing that but it was really freaky and Colt said he’d tell the teachers so, um, you don’t need to go out of your way to do anything.”

Lucille doesn’t really know how to act in this situation—how do you tell someone not only did a complete stranger broke into their room, you also went in for a little bit?—and it’s all she can really do. Whether or not the girl in front of her was very receptive, that was a different story.

She glances at her reflection in the bathroom mirror. Something about her feels more fragile, today.

[Bloble]

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

"...seriously?"

That feels like it came out of nowhere. What an absolutely ridiculous series of events.

"..."

I stare at the girl. To make sure she's not joking around or pulling a prank of some kind.

"..."

"..."

"..."

She's not joking, is she?

"...I don't know what sort of nonsense this is, but I definitely locked the door before leaving."

I push away from the mirror after a glance to make sure I no longer look like the dead. Yeah, I'm fine. But this girl, Lucille Faraday, seems like she's about to cry.

"Hah... It's fine. Seriously. I'm not mad. Just come with me. Gotta see if anything was stolen..."

What a strange morning this turned out to be... I expected heaven, hell, or the infinite abyss of nothingness.

Instead, this.

"...who're Elaine and Sakura, again?"

Maybe I can make it back in time to look around before class starts...

[Verg Avesta]

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

“Then I think I’ll tell someone, maybe… nah. I don’t think the janitor, Jake, is too reliable. I’ll go tell one of the teachers instead.”

Sakura pondered for a bit and put her hand to her chin, rubbing it in thought.

"Hmm... what about Miss Min? She seems pretty reliable," the brunette suggested. "Her or the Principal himself. Though... I have no idea where the latter is."

That seemed to be some sort of theme. Although he had an office here on the campus, just about no one had seen Mr. Oceandrop after the first day. Whether that meant he slept somewhere else in town, or even outside of it was a mystery. Just like the whole Principal himself, come to think of it. A mystery that felt like just one of the many in this large tapestry that they were now trying to unravel...

“It’s gonna be a busy day. I suppose I’ll see y’all in the afternoon. Where would you like to be picked up from?”

"O-oh!"

Looking a bit surprised that the boy brought it up now, after this whole thing, Sakura blinked... and then adopted a smile to her face again.

"Hmm... I think from the parking lot is fine. I see no reason to really keep it down low, so who cares if somebody sees, right?" She asked, again showing that slightly more impish side of herself. "We're all heading down to the beach, anyways."

"An' goose-chase or no, the sneak's something to keep in mind regardless, let alone how some one broke that board with such force, got into a room, opened the door and jumped down a couple stories to run off into the woods, all in the time it took for us to hear and come outside. Just sayin', we got a mystery on our hands, gang."

Hearing that, Sakura, who had been back on her jovial mood, grew a bit more serious... and stared at the now closed-and-locked door of Prushka. Her eyes were full of thoughts, clearly, thoughts that kept running through her mind about the events just now. Somehow trying to connect the dots and make sense of what was going on.

"Hmm... well, whatever it is..." Sakura finally said, looking away from the door. "I doubt this'll be the last time we run into it."

She clicked her tongue.

"Just a gut feeling I have."

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

Elaine Winters & Colt Davin: Friendship Rank Raised!

[Airen]

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

"I honestly do not know a lick about tastes of coffee, so simply do what you think is best!" The girl announced, completely unashamed. "All I require is lots of sugar and lots of caffeine! I need some fuel for the brain here, and some energy to keep myself going! Preferably the 'third all-nighter in a row' variety, wahaha~!"

"...We might need to have a little talk about your sleep schedule! But okay! I'll do my best~"

So saying, the Knightess walks away with a tray of unfortunate coffee in hand...

Yes.

The coffee itself is likely unfortunate, because it might not be a bad brew after all; the answer she had gotten from Cesarina was one that had revealed the truth behind the so called 'bitterness' of the coffee, namely...

Cesarina was likely addicted to sugar-!

There are those who like coffee, and there are those who like a side of coffee with their sugar, and she was clearly of the latter half-!

She chuckles to herself.

It's not really a bad thing of course, she wasn't entirely unused to having to water down coffee for those who weren't a fan of bitterness, but it was still the sort of thing that got a good laugh out of her in the morning, even as she locates the cream and sugar and prepares to fill a somewhat more heretical role... It is not the coffee's fault after all, so she can only silently apologize to it as she prepares to corrupt it's purity in the most efficient way possible, yes...

Efficient.

If one is going to use additives, then those additives must be used correctly, or you are simply substituting one problem for another-!

Not only that, as a self-proclaimed "older sister," she cannot actually allow Cesarina to overdose on sugar, caffeine she can let pass for now, but if you drown the coffee in sugar too all you're really doing is asking to crash later on in the day...

She can add some certainly, but simply canceling out overwhelming bitterness with overwhelming sweetness?

Naive.

Naive!

If what one seeks is the removal of bitterness, than a sprinkle of salt in the coffee would do just as well; just like in alcohol, the introduction of salt reduces the perceived bitterness of the drink, a simple trick that far too many people forget-! Of course if you add too much salt that becomes a different problem entirely, but a pinch is a pinch, works wonders, you'll never taste it if you do it right, and the other flavors will be enhanced-! Doing a pinch for this many cups is a bit tiring in it's own way, but the practiced skill of someone who seems rather used to taking care of others shows no weakness-!

Of course, after that it is a simple matter of a few teaspoons of sugar (normally she'd do three, but five might be better here) and a bit of milk and cream... If it was later in the evening, she would actually disregard the sugar entirely in favor of ice-cream and go all out with an affogato but there is no ice cream on hand, or rather, there is certainly ice cream in the kitchen back at the dorm, but...

It is not hers, thus she cannot use it, therefore...

It is not as over the top as she would like, but considering the bell was going to ring soon, and she herself hadn't eaten...

She had to move quickly!

Thus, with her task complete, and with all the grace afforded to a martial artist, she returns to the table, and:

"Should be fine now. Added cream, milk, sugar, and a hint of salt. You shouldn't be able to taste the salt though, so just trust me on this one~"

So saying, she sets down the tray...

And gets started on her eggs and bacon...

Almost... Out of time-!

[Thalraxal]

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

"O-oh? Books? Judging by your expression... A-are they pervy books? 'Cause if they are, I could, y'know... maybe take a look at them later? Just a tiny peek? I-I sorta forgot all of mine back home, so, what can you do..."

Much to Elise's dismay, she'd just missed her opportunity to be struck down by a meteor.

"W-w-what? No! No!" stammered and protested Elise while blushing furiously, "They're-they're mostly sci-fi, fantasy, mystery, and- and-"

This statement is only technically true because time stole my copy of Dr. Sexy MD. Not to mention, Ubon, there's also a waiting list to borrow it! And you're the last one on it!

"A-ah, no, no, I'm not after your books! I'm after you keys, Essie! And by that I mean the keys you have for the storage shed at the sports field! 'Cause Hisa said you have them! For realsies! And we wanna get in! For realsies! ... Actually just for an adventure. An adventure for realsies!"

Elise blinked, and breathed a sigh of relief. Her books were safe, for now, but this mysterious encounter just took an even stranger turn. She was quick to put her hands back up as Ubon aimed her finger guns back at her. She was back in the line of fire, but it was much better than actually being on fire.

"Storage shed keys?" asked Elise.

Hey! I only thought about borrowing Jake's keys without his permission, I didn't actually do that, thought Elise, But then how would Hisa know...?

"I don't have them, but I'm pretty sure we can get Jake to lend them to us," suggested Elise.

Elise glanced around the cafeteria, scanning for the janitor but finding no sign of him there.

"He's probably somewhere in the pool building right now. I need to talk to him anyway. We could try and track down Jake together if you want," offered Elise.

Her stomach protested this proposed course of action. Adventure might be almost as good as breakfast, but it was not an actual substitute for breakfast.

"Actually, let me grab some food to go, and then we can try and track down Jake."

[Katie]

Lucille Faraday
Location: Pinefall High - Girls' Bathroom
Phase: Morning Phase
Date: 07.09.1994 (WED)
Weather: Partly Cloudy

Lucille lets out the breath she was unconsciously holding in. It’s good that Prushka isn’t mad—she wouldn’t really know what to do otherwise.

“They’re your classmates,” Lucile replies, but she figures Prushka didn’t really commit them to memory because it was only a week. That wasn’t something to reprimand anyone about. “Blonde, sporty, cowlick, and the Japanese girl that really likes cooking.”

A thought that had been steadily formulating in Lucille’s mind finally rises to the surface, and she figures that this is the best time, because there really is no other time like it. Of her being alone with someone else. Using her sole sample of Colt Davin, Lucille thinks she can make a reasonable sounding conclusion. The supernatural hardly has coincidences. So, if she and Colt, who remembered Elizaveta Vyraj, could remember the week that never really happened, then Prushka, who Lucille was absolutely certain knew Elizaveta, could have remembered too.

Of course, there was the chance Prushka forgot about both things, or one of the things, but that would mean the question to be posed would just sound a little weird. Lucille could live with people thinking she was weird. She’d been blindsided by Sunday’s events for taking her school life for granted, though, so if anything, now was the time to be curious.

“Um, before we leave,” Lucille says with a slightly awkward pause, “Did you have a poor Sunday?”

She looks away.

[Bloble]

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

"...huh?"

Is this girl crazy?

I give Lucille the strangest look I can muster, as if I'm absolutely incredulous that she'd even ask such a thing to a complete stranger.

"Is that like, code for something? Why Sunday specifically? It was fine, I guess. Can't exactly say good, when you know you're to be flying away from home for a year."

Well, I can't be too hard on Lucille. She's clearly not comfortable with this.

So I let her off with a light poke to the arm.

"Whatever, there's not much time before class. Just come on. You wanna ask more weird questions, you can do it while I'm making sure everything's in order."

[Cheetose]

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

“That’s good, because I can’t stand you at all either, and wasn’t planning on staying any longer anyways.”

As my good mood now completely evaporated, my expression turned cold as I kept staring at the girl.

What was she even thinking?

Talk about overreacting when her first reaction to something she does not like is flaunting her ‘oh so amazing’ powers.

Still…

Reaching into my pocket, I pulled out my wallet, and out of it a 10$ bill.

“I’ll take the baseball cap,” I said as I placed the money on one of the boxes, “No need for a bag or anything, I’ll just grab it on the way out.”

Turning away, I made my way towards the door, picking up the cap on the way - and without saying anything else, stepped back out onto the field, leaving the shady shop of this obnoxious spirit behind.

[Katie]

Lucille Faraday
Location: Pinefall High - Girls' Bathroom
Phase: Morning Phase
Date: 07.09.1994 (WED)
Weather: Partly Cloudy

“It’s not really… Never mind,” Lucille says, letting that be that. She’s already gotten the answer she’s been looking for, so she doesn’t really see the need for words. Better to just follow Prushka and see if anything in her room was missing… not that she’d know if there was. She can only pray that Prushka doesn’t notice Elaine’s tinkering with the placement of the scooter.

With that, the two of them walk together to Prushka’s room.

Lucille Faraday
Location: Pinefall High - Prushka's Room
Phase: Morning Phase
Date: 07.09.1994 (WED)
Weather: Partly Cloudy

It felt weird, to be there once again, except this time she was at least invited. This time, Lucille does not make a concerted effort to stop her eyes from wandering, but the scooter is really too eye-catching for its own good. She still hopes Elaine put it back where it was supposed to be.

Though, since she’s here to help Prushka check if anything is missing… well, she doesn’t know what could be missing in the first place. Wordlessly, Lucille cocks her head to look at the shorter girl, as if to say, “Now what?”

[Daneel Rush]

John Dove
Location: Pinefall High Campus – The Big League
Phase: Morning Phase
Date: 07.09.1994
Weather: Partly Cloudy



John Dove cannot—or rather, will not—intervene in this problem. It barely deserves to be called a “problem” at all. It is only natural that Miss Doubleday does not like being “subtly” threatened to be denied a customer base. On the other hand, Hisa Momoi has plenty of reasons to wish for things to go her way. John guesses that everybody trapped in this time loop would like events to turn more in their favor. Nevertheless, this is not a matter in which John finds the need to intervene. He remains alert, though. It is only natural to be on guard when supernatural abilities are displayed so overtly, especially if it is an ability he cannot grasp at a glance.

They do not have the time of the cash to do business in the first place, why are they even trying to get anything out of this woman-spirit-whatever? Classes will start soon, you know.

John does not mind going without breakfast, but it would be discourteous to his classmates to attend class without taking a shower. On another note, John does not think they need that mental link thing anymore, Miss Momoi.

Hoping that Momoi finishes her business with the inhuman shopkeeper quickly enough, John pulls himself closer to Pyry—might as well take this chance to exchange a few words with the guy. They hung out together during the beach party last time, but there is no certainty that will be the case in this iteration.

“Pyry,” he calls out, only loud enough for the taller guy to hear. “Momoi told me she told you everything.”

How much is “everything” is anyone’s guess, but no amount of that “anything” could have been easy to take. John still remembers the head-splitting dissonance he felt in that office in the far future, where the three other people present were looking at a “John Dove” that was not him.

“It must be…uncomfortable. That all of a sudden we are more familiar with you than you are with us. That we have memories of a time that has not passed, with a Pyry that is not ‘you’.”

What is he trying to say? John certainly cannot fix that. No, these words are most definitely not aimed at easing Pyry’s mind.

“I…don’t think I can say or do anything to make it better. Really, Momoi and I are just being selfish here. But your strength will be necessary, of that I have no doubt.”

John can only shrug apologetically at this point. It is something he has done many times: getting someone to think a specific something, in the hopes that they will behave in a certain way. In this regard he is no different from the colorless people around him.

“I guess what I’m trying to say is, well, that we’ll be counting on you, champion.”

“I’ll take the baseball cap. No need for a bag or anything, I’ll just grab it on the way out.”

Oh, just in time. However, is this the you that you wish to show to Pyry Leijonamieli, Miss Momoi?

Well, none of his business.

Nevertheless, John Dove does send up what passes for a compassionate look towards the other boy, his eyes hopefully succeeding at whispering something resembling “That is what you are getting into, champ.”

With a friendly pat on a frightfully powerful arm, John turns away from Pyry.

“As I said before, you might have more luck with others more…affluent so as to do business with you. Have a nice day, Miss Doubleday; it was…”

A pleasure? That might not be the best word to use in these circumstances.

“…an experience, meeting you.”