Astronomika - Shooting Down Falling Stars (IC)

[Cheetose]

Hisa Momoi
Location: Canseliet Clinic
Phase: Morning Phase
Date: 10.09.1994 (SAT)
Weather: Overcast

"Comunity, as a premise and a concept, is a great thing. A group would always logically achieve more than a single person, not to mention that they can complement each other, fill the holes where one's expertise might be lacking. Aside that, of course, the emotional support that you mentioned, from family, friends, and other acquaintances. Except that...it's inherently flawed, when practiced by humans, at the very least."

A tiny sigh escaped my lips as I closed my eyes for a moment, before turning my attention back to the fae.

"Two people understanding each other is not quite as easy as you make it out to be. It requires a lot of effort from both sides - the want to understand, and the want to be understood. And then, between them stands a bridge, one that they use to connect with each other, and convey their thoughts through it. Except that, some details might just fall off the bridge, because one is too afraid to say certain things out loud. We're afraid of how others might react to things we say, so we often remain silent about them instead, or bend the trurth, if just slightly. Some things might also turn out to be quite different by the time they reach the other end of the bridge - because we are prone to misunderstand and interpret things wrong. Even what remains to cross unchanged only helps to build up your own image of someone. Something that will never quite be understanding, only just closely approaching it at best."

An awkward cough, as I notice myself getting carried away, as usual.

"That's how I imagine it, at least. And I'm not exactly good at it either. I just have the ability to eliminate the hindrances that the bridge poses...or at least, make an attempt to do so."

"Though more than that, a community can be exploited in too many ways. Some people use the rest of the group - who are willing to cooperate because of their community spirit - as a leverage for their own selfish goals, to propel themselves to heights that no one could ever reach on their own. It was not the pharaohs who built the pyramids after all, yet it is only them we remember them for...Though, that's just one of the many examples. On the other end, a community also makes it easier to single out individuals. One might not be able to confront anyone on their own, but with greater numbers..."

My expression darkened for a moment, as I recalled a past that I was not too fond of looking back at.

"You can be as unfair, immoral or wrong as you want to be. Because those who can seize the power will write the rules, and you can either accept willingly or be crushed under it."

After a few moments of silence, I let out another sigh, and reached for my cup to take a sip of my still lukewarm tea.

"Well, not that it always has to be bad like that. There are plenty who pursue belonging somewhere for the good of it, but...It feels like more oftan than not, people put "me" way before "us", and it does not take more than a few individuals with a mindset like that to completely overshadow all the good."

Slowly, I moved my other hand up along Leena's back, and reaching the back of her head, started running my hand up and down on it gently.

It was likely going to take a bit for her to regain her composure still, but hopefully, she'd be able to move on and start recovering before we left here.

"Anyways, what was it that you were saying? How did you recognize...that?"

[Verg Avesta]

Elise Pelltier & Lucille Faraday
Location: Avery's Diner
Phase: Morning Phase
Date: 10.09.1994 (SAT)
Weather: Overcast

"Muse, you say...?"

Samuel repeated the name quietly, nursing his drink. Then, after thinking for a bit, he shook his head.

"I'm not sure. Maybe. It could be. I've... never seen that entity before or since. But I felt that it wanted to protect us - all of us, from what happened afterwards. Almost like our cries of help had awakened it," he explained with a soft voice. "And what comes to that... thing... I'm afraid I'm not sure there either. My recollection after I was shot is rather hazy. But. I did see a human hand reach out from within the remains of the giant. But that thing... definitely wasn't human. And Old Hangman itself... it was almost as if it had been mired in curses. Perhaps. Perhaps some sort desire for revenge still lingered within it. Strong enough that, yes, I could see it even being this calamity. Maybe it had taken control of Nevada, drove him mad. Maybe it just wanted everyone to suffer like it did. I... have no idea."

He hung his head, momentarily.

"... I've never been able to go back there to this day."

While he did seem ashamed, it was more than understandable. Even now, the bullet scar on his head could be seen as faint, thin line of colourless skin, mostly hidden by his fluffy mop of hair. But the mark still remained, the mark of that day that had torn apart their childhood and adolescence. Approaching that place must have been as difficult for Samuel as approaching her home was for Tris.

"As for Jake, in all honesty, I'm not surprised. From what I could see, he became... distant after Nevada's suicide," Samuel continued, pushing himself out of his momentary silence. "Withdrawn. He acted like he usually did, yes, but he started shutting everyone else out. Never kept in contact with anyone. Initially, he also got more surly, more stand-offish. Lashed out a couple of times here and there. And then... I think he just got exhausted. The few times I went to see him at his home, he just sat there, on his couch, staring at the TV while it wasn't even on. Like a puppet with its strings cut. I think he lost all hope at that point. And the fact that he had pushed all those who survived away didn't help."

A somewhat bitter chuckle escaped the young man's lips.

"... Maxine tried the longest, I think. Until Jake managed to even push her away. I remember her saying, to his face, that he'd become almost unrecognizable. And Jake just... laughed. Sadly. Lonely. Almost like he knew that was true but he couldn't help it. Guess... we tended to push the responsibility onto his shoulders too often. After something like that, it was natural he'd crack," Samuel said. "That's what drove everyone apart the most, I think. Albert took to his obsession, Tommy to the bottle, Rachel to her work... Eliya disappeared, Tris couldn't bear it, Max shut herself off in the forest - she's practically hermit these days. And as for Angie - Angelica... she left the town. Saying that she had something else she had to do. I'm not sure if she was just running away from bad memories or what, but it was if these events had... galvanized her for something else."

Outside, the grey clouds continued their endless march across the sky. Slowly but surely, the breakfast before the trio had more or less disappeared - however, it was hard to say what it tasted like in this current atmosphere. After the long story, everything seemed muted, dulled... almost to the point that things had lost their colour somewhat. Especially Samuel himself.

"Still... Devon has changed that much... I see," Samuel mused, mulling over the news he had gotten. "In truth, I had not seen him much since then. And I also knew very little of him. I always suspected that he lived alone, but... well, it's hard to say. I got the feeling he had come here for a reason. Maybe to search for something. He was always rather withdrawn. Mysterious. But ultimately a good friend. For him to become Accentus, maybe... maybe the events of that day affected him more than we realized. He never was good at showing emotions."

Having said that, the fluffy-haired boy took a moment to finish up his drink. While he did, he thought over Lucille's words regarding Muse and the strange riddle she had been left with. His eyes moved over to the window, where the light of the neon sign could be seen shining against the pavement - red and bright, as if to cast a contrast to the weather itself that ruled over Road's End.

"I see... ‘someone who lives under the neon, who dreams of the ocean vast," Samuel said, repeating the words. "Well, it definitely sounds like this place. I don't think there's any other prominent neon sign in this town. And while I do not know about dreaming, I do know who lives here."

He nodded towards the counter.

"Avery Walker. And her daughter. Just the two of them. Their apartment is on the second floor"

---

Alexstrasza Lockhart
Location: Pinefall High Dormitory
Phase: Morning Phase
Date: 10.09.1994 (SAT)
Weather: Overcast

"Science room..."

Souma thought the suggestion over, and a quiet smirk appeared on his face.

"... A good suggestion. Mine would have been the storage room of the main building, but the science classroom could work very well," he admitted. "It might be worth inspecting both places after we're done here."

Having said that, the boy let Alexstrasza inspect the room in peace - it was, after all what he had proposed in the first place. As the girl peered into the closet and rummaged through it quietly, he leaned against the wall and patiently waited, arms folded and his singular eye following her every move. It was like being watched by a lazy king cobra that was basking in the sun... even though it was overcast and grey day. Still, unfortunately, it didn't seem like there was anything more of note in the closet itself - aside from a bunch of rather unfashionable underwear. Indeed, when compared to the usual wardrobe of Gabi Bahkauv, these briefs seemed almost... manly, in a way?

What an odd choice.

From there, Alexstrasza's attention moved to the shredded up bed. A quick inspection of the bed-linen brought out one rather curious fact. If she wasn't completely mistaken, these tear marks weren't done with claws or any properly sharp object, no... it was more as if completely human fingers had dug into this bed, night after night, and tore at it until it achieved this state. Did that then mean that Gabi Bahkauv was to blame? Did the quiet student suffer from nightmares? Or was there something else here?

".......?"

Well, speaking of which...

The blonde girl's hands, which had raised the mattress for a moment, picked up something that had been hidden between the wooden frame and the bed itself. Pulling it out, she saw that it was... a page ripped out of a notebook? It looked to be a similar notebook that they were using at the school, and this careful, delicate handwriting would definitely fit Gabi Bahkauv. So, why was it hidden like this? Looking at its contents, it seemed to be nothing but complex mathematical equations. Alexstrasza could make out something regarding angles and speeds, but more than that... Oh. There was something written there, in the corner.

Peering at it closer, the mystery of the two proper sentences on the paper was soon revealed.

First one was...

The rotation of the celestial sphere is off - too slow.

What could that mean?

And the second one...

+3F anomaly, try to replicate.

It was certainly a confusing combination of thoughts written out, accompanied by way too many complex equations. And there was still more of the room to investigate. Namely, as Alexstrasza had said herself...

--- The ceiling.

As the girl stood on the tip of her toes, tracing one star to another, she took in the collection of pictures as a whole. Indeed, while the photography wasn't the best, it was still a rather admirable attempt at reproducing what night sky looked like. And judging from the few constellations that Alexstrasza could recognize, it was possible that Gabi Bahkauv had taken these pictures here, at Road's End. Still, as she traced her finger across their surface, something stranged jumped out at her from the pictures themselves...

They had been marked. Lines with a letter. Rows with a number. Almost like a chessboard.

Hmm...?

Something immediately popped to Alexstrasza's mind, something she had seen just moments before. 3H... in other words, third from above, sixth from the left...

There.

She found the picture.

And indeed, looking at it... there was something a little off in that picture, wasn't there? It might have been just trouble with the camera, or something - like a night-time insect - getting in the way of the picture itself, but looking at it... it was almost like there was a dark, very thin shadow that zoomed across that picture in particular. It didn't appear in any of the adjacent ones, meaning... what, exactly? Something had, for a split second, appeared on that region specifically? Gone across the sky so fast that only one of Gabi's pictures had caught it? A thin, rope-like shadow with a slight curve, almost like a trail of a very distant comet...

Well. It was hard to say. And so, with these thoughts in her head, Alexstrasza moved away from the pictures and approached the desk... and it was at that point that Souma piped up again, having listened to what the girl had just said.

".............. Heh."

His smirk was back again - as if he found Alexstrasza amusing somehow.

"No...... but then again, this Stargazer is hardly a girl," he said, clearly. "Not to mention, those clothes... they seem hardly like something he'd pick up for himself, even if he was. No. They were picked by someone for him."

Wait, what?

---

Elaine Winters, Anna Vandemeel & Dohn Jove
Location: Pinefall High Dormitory
Phase: Morning Phase
Date: 10.09.1994 (SAT)
Weather: Overcast

"Hmm~? My siblings~? Oh, they're alright~" Zhou cooed in answer, having finally started to regain her usual composure. "Yeong-Hua is sleeping off her headache from earlier and Minato, well~"

She flashed a momentary sly smile before adjusting her glasses and shrugging.

"I suppose he's taken a bump on the head or two, but that's what you get, not being careful~" She continued, giggling a little in somewhat unnerving way. "It should serve as a good lesson for him~! Not to trust a pretty face, that is~! But yes, he will survive~"

The girl made a vague gesture back towards the corridor.

"I ordered him to stay in bed for today, after all~"

Perhaps the girl was about to say more, perhaps not. However, at that very moment, while the rest of the group had been making their leave from the common room to get some breakfast, a loud bang shook the room behind them. Immediately all eyes turned towards that direction, and Tonkori's yelp made them realize they hadn't just imagined it. What they saw was somewhat unexpected... but perhaps, at least to few them, also not.

--- Namely, the sight of Anna standing there, with the smoldering remains of a vaporized TV remote in her hand.

An awkward silence fell to the room, afterwards. Awkward and slightly melancholic. Just moments ago, the mood had been almost chipper, a rare case for a Saturday morning, at least when it came to some of the people present. At the very least, nobody had been thinking of the usual dark thoughts that were so prevalent at Road's End - thoughts that always seemed to come back, like the whole town was a nightmare that just refused to end. And indeed, even this time, they were back again. The atmosphere had grown dark and nobody seemed to know who should speak first.

... This was how it always seemed to be. Whenever there was some levity, Road's End seemed to be ready to tear them back down.

Was that... was that really coincidence?

Then why did it suddenly feel like, almost like a realization, that the town itself - and what happened in it - were... hostile?

"... Come on, Red."

Ramia, in the end, was the first one to speak. She walked over to Anna and put a hand on her shoulder, gently nudging her towards the door.

"We can talk shop while we eat," she pressed on, serious look on her face. "Going at it with an empty stomach is just stupid."

She paused for a moment, studying her friend's face.

"--- Or at the very least, a cup of coffee."

Perhaps Ramia had come to the conclusion that sympathy would only cause Anna's emotions to flare up again, so she struck with the second best alternative.

Logic.

---

Colt Davin
Location: Spade Queen Country Club - Kitchen
Phase: Morning Phase
Date: 10.09.1994
Weather: Overcast

Entering the kitchen of the country club, it seemed that the two girls were still not done with their bickering - though they, surprisingly enough, were able to get done what they originally had come here for. While Kajal got some big metal trays, Cathie started to load up all the breakfast they had done so far on top of it. This meant that soon enough the sight of French Toast, blueberry waffles and much more was growing before the very eyes of the two boys.

It would have almost looked like a pleasant enough morning if not for the commentary that accompanied it.

"This toast is slimy. Unacceptable."

"It's not slimy, that's just how French toast is! Have you never hard it! B-besides, that's what L made, not me!"

"Ah. I was mistaken. It's these waffles that are flat."

"Hey! What the H-E-Double-Hockeysticks do you even mean, 'flat'! They're plenty fluffy, like all good waffles should be!"

"No. I detect a distinct flatness. Almost like it was part of the creator too."

"You're the one to talk, four-eyes! You ain't got anything to brag about!"

"There's a distinct difference. Mine is a status symbol. Proud like the cliffs of Bhedaghat. Yours is just pitiable."

"I swear to God I'll use this spatula and---"

"Oh my. Violence. I'm so terrified~"

Perhaps even Jayesh was having hard time to defend his sister anymore at this situation, considering she was clearly asking for it - or rather, fanning the flames of war within Cathie. The auburn-haired girl was, of course, a bit temperamental at times, but even she didn't usually get this bad. Not unless there was, of course, a certain stone-faced girl to egg her on, drawing her ire with every turn of the word.

With an awkward cough he turned towards Colt, almost like he was trying to ignore the whole situation before them.

"I think that's a good idea. The longer we burn daylight, the less we can get done," the boy replied, agreeing to what Colt had said earlier. "A quick breakfast sounds like the right choice here, yes..."

... Wait. Was he thinking about trying to get through the breakfast quickly so that things wouldn't manage to escalate into actual blows between the two girls?

Though, before Colt could ask this...

"Umm..."

He suddenly felt someone tug the hem of his shirt and, when he looked at the source of the sensation, he saw Sierra standing there. The young girl was looking rather awkward, but even Colt could see the downcast shadows on her face.

"Does that mean... y-you won't be staying to help with the, um..." She hesitated for a moment, as if not wanting to sound childish. "... T-the searching...?"

She let go of the boy's shirt, hands flat against her body like she suddenly didn't know what to do.

---

Prushka?
Location: Pinefall High Main Building - Second Floor
Phase: Morning Phase
Date: 10.09.1994 (SAT)
Weather: Overcast

"... This thing is what you wanted me to meet?"

About fifteen minutes later.

"... Is that even a person?"

The duo of Ahti and Prushka had finally arrived to the abandoned second floor of the main building.

After watching Jake Briggs drive away from the campus, the two of them had headed towards the main building, even though Ahti seemed a little apprehensive and cautious about this "friend he should meet". Perhaps the boy had gotten wise to Prushka's idea that he should be making more friends, perhaps he hadn't, but at the very least, he was suspicious at this point. The meeting with Jake and Inacio had gone fine (at least during the time Ahti had been there), but knowing his nature, he would be like an ornery feral alley cat whenever someone new came along. The trick was just to ease him into it, let him not get too agitated. And in all honesty, the person living on the second floor was perhaps the most non-threatening individual in the whole school, so she should have been perfect.

That was, more or less, the thought that had come to Prushka.

But, in reality...

"Awawawawawawawa~!"

While Ahti was definitely not threatened by the quivering sleeping bag, Alpa Bāgha most certainly was. While she had been cautious as usual when Prushka had knocked on the door, upon hearing the voice of the other girl, Alpa had seemed almost excited. Hurriedly, she had opened the door... only to get a face full of Ahti's more-frowny-than-usual presence. The boy had probably been expecting another weirdo, to the point his hair had been standing up... and that only made him appear even more humongous.

In approximately half a second, Alpa had turned white as a sheet, let out a screech in frequencies only dogs could hear and zoomed across the room - only to dive for her sleeping bag, which she promptly zipped up.

And now, she was like a shivering caterpillar, bundled up into a tight roll that didn't even dare to show her face.

"... Umm..."

Ahti placed his hand on his forehead and massaged his temples.

"--- I give up, Imp. What's the plan here?" He asked, directing his frown at Prushka. "Should I just shake the bag until she falls out?"

"Hiiiiiiiiii!"

The plan didn't seem to go over well in the walled-off nation of Sleepingbagtopia.

---

Hisa Momoi
Location: Canseliet Clinic
Phase: Morning Phase
Date: 10.09.1994 (SAT)
Weather: Overcast

Dorothy Canseliet, who had been listening to Hisa's take on what had been just said with a raised eyebrow and an enigmatic smile, chuckled slightly and took a sip of her tea. Just how much time had passed anyway? It looked like most of the jam-filled cookies were gone by now, but at the same time, everyone's tea stayed at a proper temperature. Or was that yet another sign of fairy blessings? Some sort of charm around the tea set? It had been a while since Hisa had seen supernatural abilities used in such a... mundane way.

Just like life of normal humans, it was a sign of someone who had settled - not someone in trouble or on a mission, much less combat.

"You've been blessed, Child of Man, and rather strongly I admit. That becomes apparent to creatures such as I, who are... sensitive to such things. Especially when it comes to blessings of beings somewhat similar to myself. Well, 'similar' may be a wrong word here, but like the fae, your Patron is someone who lives in worlds apart from this. There was also the brief time one of your... 'New Age' religions associated her with Lady Skaði of my own homeland, so there was a feeble connection for a time. Total nonsense, of course," the fae explained. "Lastly, but certainly not the least, that thing you carry with you... the barb your Lady gave you... it emits a strong aura. Again, something only a being like me would notice, but noticeable still. Not to you humans, mind you - worry not about that."

She chuckled again, gazing through Hisa as if trying to read her. Those inhuman eyes and the way she sometimes acted... it was easy to forget that, at the end of the day, what they were dealing with here was not a person. Or rather, was not human. Her ways and the way she viewed the world was completely different, and though they could understand each other to a degree, there would always be some differences.

But, despite how secretive and mysterious she tended to appear, Hisa's own experiences with the fae told her that the doctor wasn't a malicious one. If anything, she seemed to like humans far more than the fae, especially elves, often did.

"But, what I was about to say was regarding that possible... burial site," Dorothy continued, her face growing serious for just a moment. "Gleaming information from such a place should be easy for one such as you. Having been blessed by your Lady, well... her realm is, in many ways, that of the underworld. Some even see her as a death deity, guide to those slain in battle and who offers safe passage to the land eternal. Such aspects have become a part of her as well, and through her, understanding of death should flow to you as well... as long as you're willing to make an attempt to understand those buried there - if there are any."

And now the smile was back once more.

Like a smug cat lounging in the sun.

"--- See, while I do concede your point regarding the difficulties of understanding and community, therein lies also the difference between you, humans, and us. Despite knowing all these risks, and despite knowing how it can be misused, you still try. You put effort into it. You continue and adapt," the good doctor said and put a hand against her chest. "We - the fae - do not. From the moment we are born to the moment we have achieved our true potential, we are always 'perfect' - or rather 'complete'. Perfection implies lack of flaws. And that's certainly untrue when it comes to us. No, we are complete, for we do not have any potential for inner growth. We do not strive for new things. We already know what we want to strive for. A fae always knows their purpose, and does not want to deviate from that - because what would be the point? What could reaching beyond your meaning have possibly to offer?"

She spread her hands, as if to shrug - as if to say that she had given up regarding that when it came to her kind.

"And that is where you humans are different. You never think of yourselves as 'complete'. You always want to reach higher, reach further," she added, before smirking. "And that is your greatest strength, I feel."

However, before Hisa could answer, someone piped up with a voice that was still somewhat wavering, but also showed a hint of strength already.

"Mm... humans may like to put 'me' before 'us'... but at the same time, there's always someone willing to put 'us' before 'me' for you. Always. No human is born evil or greedy, after all. And every human has something important to them."

A voice that sounded muffled, as the speaker was speaking into Hisa's chest.

"Gosh. Some even go as far as to drop practically everything to help out a person who's practically a stranger, just because they know what it's like to suffer..."

A voice that belonged to Leena McLampet, who finally lifted her face and looked up at Hisa, with a faint but clear smile on her face, despite the tears not having stopped completely yet.

"... I-isn't that right? So, I think it's unfair to think of humans so black-and-white, when there are people like that around."

For some reason, Hisa could practically feel Pyry grin on the other side of the table, slightly amused by the surprising rebuttal to her earlier words.

---

Liana Skye & Vier Wolff
Location: Spade Queen Country Club
Phase: Morning Phase
Date: 10.09.1994
Weather: Overcast

"And that's a lie right there."

Surprisingly enough, it was neither Fyrtio nor Liana who answered Vier the first.

No, it was Aleen King, who had taken a step forward and now stood near the door, hands folded across her chest, legs separated, crimson eyes locked straight onto Vier's - almost like challenging her to a contest of wills. To see whether or not Vier could even return the gaze, or if she would avert her eyes. While Aleen must have still been feeling pretty woozy, none of the could practically be seen anymore. She had pushed it all down with sheer determination to take part in this brewing trouble... and what looked to be anger.

Yes.

For once, Aleen King seemed legitimately angry.

"We haven't known each other for that long... even if it sometimes totes feels like we have. But I think I'm good enough at reading people I know to understand when they're telling an obvious lie. And right now you are, Vier. Or rather, you're probably technically telling the truth, but leaving something out, just so you can say to yourself you're not lying," the bluehead continued, her frown deepening. "Because that's the kind of person you are, aren't you, Vier? As long as you can justify it to yourself and convince yourself, you can do anything. As long as you can argue the logic is sound, you can smother any voice inside you that says it's wrong. And that's how you keep gathering up all the problems onto your own shoulders."

Her eyes narrowed, as if they were striking with blame.

"Because you've totes convinced yourself that you know the best, and only you - everyone else is just a bother. Even earlier this week, even last night in the car, even now, you act like you're some sort of big and important military girl who has to constantly sacrifice herself to protect all the poor and dumbass civilians in distress, since they don't know how to do it themselves... well, guess what?" Aleen said and clicked her tongue. "You're not. You're not some super secret service hotshot you think you are, capable of handling everything on your own. No, you're just as much a dumbass as everyone else. In fact, right now you might be the biggest dumbass in this place."

She raised an eyebrow questioningly.

"So you experienced some horrible stuff? And you want to be alone because of that? Well, take it from someone who's actually been through that before, and before any emotional maturity - that won't help. Not one bit. It gets you nothing. Because that's how life is. You want to mope alone, all depressed? Tough!" Aleen snapped, her voice rising in volume slightly. "That just means it'll actually fall to the rest of us to deal with this stuff, because alone, you won't get anything done. And why do I know that?"

A pregnant pause.

"--- Because unlike what you seem to think, Vier, you don't got monopoly on misery around here. Some of us actually had to learn the lesson I'm telling you the hard way, without anyone to tell us what dumbasses we were being."

The silence fell again after Aleen had finished... and it fell heavy. The blue-haired girl was breathing slightly heavily, as if the rising emotions within her had caused fatigue for her - or more like, had caused her nausea to return a little. Still, she refused to let her eyes get distracted, instead boring straight through Vier with her glare. It was almost as if, for once, Aleen had had enough. Maybe it was the combination of all that had happened so far, or maybe some sort of echo from the week that never existed had gotten to her... but yes, for once, Aleen King stood her ground and said no.

What's more, she did so because it was very clear her friend's actions pissed her off.

".............. U-uh."

Though, while the situaition was very tense, it was rather hard to ignore one thing.

The fact that Fyrtio, for some reason, had raised her hand like she was a student in class. And had been keeping that hand raised ever since Vier finished speaking and through whole of Aleen's speech.

"... E-eh, yes. Um. Fio? What is it?" Aleen finally asked, the mask of determination on her face faltering a bit." Do you want to, uh, share something?"

Fyrtio, on the other hand, did not seem all that bothered that she had butted into this conversation. Instead, she nodded very matter-of-factly, and finally lowered her hand.

"Yes. I think that before we go any further, one thing should be made clear."

The one-eyed young woman then looked at Aleen, looked at Liana, looked at Vier... and finally looked back at Liana again. A somewhat troubled expression appeared on her face and she scratched her cheek, unsure of how to start... yet eventually just decided to blurt it out anyways, apparently. Subtlety had never been the strong point of this awkward woman, and it clearly wasn't going to be now.

In other words...

"--- Just so everybody knows, I've never met her before."

She pointed her thumb at Vier.

"In other words, I'm literally not the person she seems to think I am. I mean, I think I might have an idea who she's referring to, but I'm not that woman. I don't have any past baggage with Vier Wolff, I've never been in any branch with her, and I've certainly never deserted any place with her," Fyrtio spoke bluntly and awkwardly. "The only reason I've been so cautious of her so far is that she's been acting very suspicious, and... I mean, her equipment is hardly civilian in nature. I was starting to think she was some government operative, so I've kept an eye on her. That's all."

Even Aleen had to blink owlishly at that point.

"So, uh, no. Sorry. But I'm not someone you share any history with," the one-eyed woman said to Vier with an apologetic nod. "I mean, while I do know some German, and used it since I thought your native tongue might make you listen, I... uh... In the first place, I'm..."

For some reason, a slight blush appeared on Fyrtio's cheeks and she sheepishly stared at the floor.

"J-Je suis parisien..."

It was like someone had gut-punched the moment.

[Mormarth]

Elaine Winters
Location: Pinefall High Dormitory
Phase: Morning Phase
Date: 10.09.1994 (SAT)
Weather: Overcast

A twitch followed the sudden burst of energy into the room, a low, rumbling growl following it, though it was quickly aborted by a cough.

I cleared my throat for a moment, having just 'explained' why Gabi was dead, but I took a small breath, centering my thoughts.

Then I held up both my hands, one vertical, one horizontal, crossing the top of the former.

"Stop. There's a time and place for us all to come together and vomit our collective learnings all over each other, and that's the cafeteria, over breakfast. That way everything can be explained and we can all offer constructive criticism and try and sort out what's going on."

I follow Ramia's logic with my own.

With a certain personal touch, of course.

"Plus, I need food before I start eating the couch."

I snaked a hand up and fiddled with my scarf, tossing a tail over my shoulder, then turned.

"Y'comin' or what?"

[Transition to Pinefall High Main Building - Cafeteria]

[Spinach]

Colt Davin
Location: Spade Queen Country Club - Kitchen
Phase: Morning Phase
Date: 10.09.1994
Weather: Overcast

The bickering before him was too treacherous to dare enter as a third participant. What had started as nitpicking the breakfast quickly turned into a comparison of certain assets, ones with high value to Colt, but which both girls had little of. What could, what should, what would he say, were he to intervene?

‘Ladies, there’s no need to fight.’ A raspy, evil voice whispered into his ear. The devil on Colt’s shoulder spoke the words, words which it urged the boy to repeat after it with an encouraging wave of his hand. ‘After all, my sweet friend Tristelia has you both beat by a mile.’

He might play at being unafraid of death, wearing a brave front when dealing with those who wanted him dead, but even Colt couldn’t wear that mask forever. He’d sooner actually get shot than put his hand into this fire.

Besides, small isn’t all bad anyway. Why, there was a certain charm to it, one which he had recently come to appreciate.

Not that it had anything to do with recent events, such as carrying a less-endowed bespectacled girl around like a princess, or waking up beside a drooling, equally less-endowed girl with a fiery temperament. No, that was all coincidental. Colt Davin was not, is not, and shall not be so easily swayed in his opinions by fleeting, ephemeral contact with the fairer sex.

‘Those thoughts might be getting a bit out of hand, Colton.’ Whispered the angel on his shoulder, as though it feared the girls overhearing. ‘Perhaps you should turn your attention elsewhere, such as…’

The boy felt a tug at his shirt.

Colt turned his eyes downward, toward the small girl trying to get his attention. All those trivial thoughts he had before vanished at the sight of her. Despite her best efforts at sounding mature, Sierra felt more childlike than ever with her soft voice, the hesitation in her words, and her downcast eyes.

A pang of guilt hit him in the heart, like a needle penetrating his chest. Because he had to tell her the truth, and he had no intention of doing otherwise.

Tuning out the two bickering young ladies who were loading up breakfast, Colt leaned down. He wasn’t particularly tall, but he was still quite large compared to Sierra, and he wanted to look her in the eye and tell her the truth.

“Sorry, Sierra. There’s someone waiting for me, and I have a responsibility to get back to her.” He spoke plainly, looking the girl in her good eye. Colt tried not to show it, but his eyes clearly clouded over as he fought back the urge to grimace. “But just because I have to leave doesn’t mean I’m just going to leave without helping at all.”

He pulled out his keys, brandishing them like a secret weapon.

“The phone lines are still down, right? Who knows if we can get them back up anytime soon. So I’m going to head to the police and tell them in person that they need to send people over here.” He twirled the keyring around his finger, then grabbed it tightly. “I’m sure Hawthorn will be delighted. He obviously doesn’t want me here anyway.”

[Bloble]

Prushka?
Location: Pinefall High Main Building - Second Floor
Phase: Morning Phase
Date: 10.09.1994 (SAT)
Weather: Overcast

"Oh no..."

On one hand, I should be happy. Alpa's still here, perfectly undisturbed. Considering her position, she'd be one of the easiest targets for any assassin or troublemaker, so to see her like this is a blessing of undeniable good news.

That said, it's hard to call the quivering lump in front of me 'in good health'. At this rate her heart might stop on its own.

"Scrooge, you gotta be less scary! No shaking anything! From now on you are a giant cute and cuddly teddy bear, got it!? And no touching! That goes double for me!"

It doesn't need to be said, but a lion can't befriend a sheep. Or a rabbit. Not without getting creative.

I get down on my knees and crawl closer to the twitching cocoon.

"H-hey, Alpa. Sorry for the spook. I just wanted to check up on you real quick. The guy with me is Ahti; he might look scary and act scary and say ominous stuff sometimes but he's really a total softie! You don't gotta worry, he won't eat you or anything, honest."

No, that's not enough. Maybe philosophy will do it? Conquer your emotioms with logic?

"I-if you think about it, being scared is good, isn't it? I m-mean, all living things get frightened sometimes, 'cus it's our body's way of staying outta danger. So fear actually totally helps you! It's like your body telling you 'I am alive'! And if you're alive, it means youre not... not-alive. And being not-alive is bad, so being not-not-alive is good, which is what you are, cus only not-alive people don't get scared!"

...now I've just confused myself.

"Alright, you leave me no choice... this is for the sake of friendship!"

I wave Ahti over. Sorry, Scrooge. This is the only way.

"Hey... how about this, Alpa. Does the no-touch rule extend to, um, cats or cat-boys? We've brought in a super fluffy present, just for you! Here, you don't even need to come out, just take a look! You can even pet him if you want!"

[Ayakashi]

Vivienne Bianchi
Location: Owl's Nest - Dining Area
Phase: Morning Phase
Date: 10.09.1994 (SAT)
Weather: Overcast

"Scary..."

Wherever she said that in regards to the coffee being emptied, Rachel's impression of a villain from a Slasher movie, or the story surrounding Michael Lowgate's disappearance, that was up to Rachel to decide... yet as expected, Vivienne's face did not move an inch, and thus, it was quite hard to convince Rachel that she was actually being spooked by anything.

It did occur to Vivienne perhaps, that she could have played the joke back at Rachel and pulled out 'that' mask, but that might actually have worked a bit too well... and there was no real reason to take a practical joke that far. Rachel was having a bad enough day as it was.

On more serious matters, Rachel's description was pretty spot on when it came to remembering 'last week', but what could be causing such a thing? Would Alex herself wake up and start remembering things that had ocured 'last time'? This could be caused by whatever was occuring in Road's End, or perhaps someone Rachel had interacted with?

There was no way for Vivienne to know, so pondering on such details for too long would bring her no good, besides...

"Coffee..." Vivienne told Rachel, pointing at the man who was also the source of the strong smell. It was not identical, but similar in a certain fashion to Ahti's. "I will go get some... Alex needs... maybe you too?"

She could inquire more about Samuel Lowgate, but Vivienne had a gut feeling that the people responsible for that disappearance may be in the circle of trust she had built up at Road's End. The coffee was an important matter too at any rate -- if Alex didn't have it, who knew how much less efficient she'd be fighting off her bad night's sleep?

And so, off she went to go get some coffee.

[Airen]

Liana Skye/Sora Hikari
Location: Spade Queen Country Club
Phase: Morning Phase
Date: 10.09.1994
Weather: Overcast

The first sound Liana Skye makes after all the outbursts, all the sudden revelations, the complete and utter decimation of a moment that had been building up to be rather tense...

「 マジで?」

Was a question, poised automatically in Japanese instead of English, as if her brain had simply reverted to default settings upon being slapped with so much information all at once. In comparison to her usual deeper tones, the foreign language comes out at somewhat of a higher pitch, almost cute, a completely natural response from a girl that had been decisively slapped as a result of a single assumption in the conversation, and...

「 なんでいつもこんな感じ? なんでいつもこんな感じ? なんでいつもこんな感じ?!」

...She continues to rant in the language of her home, perhaps for the sake of making sure no one could understand her, or perhaps because she has simply forgotten where she is? Indeed, the half-japanese girl is obviously so now, the mother-esque demeanor giving way to the flushed face and somewhat mortified voice of a teenager that has just done something they would consider absolutely embarrassing... Indeed, the normal Liana would have been doing her best to -for instance- find some way to shield Aleen from the consequences of this bit of information, but the Liana right here and now is just muttering things under her breath as she digs through her pockets for the McLampet pencil case she had found in the school building and the few note cards she had slipped inside of it.

「 とても恥ずかしいです!」

Indeed.

She seems to have completely forgotten where she is, raising one of the cards and pressing it against the door, the girl continues to mutter in that -strangely cute- voice even as she writes some things on the card; thankfully, when it comes to using the written word, it seems her systems remain set in the realm of English, but-

"Here."

-the person she hands it to -Fio- is probably somewhat surprising, as is...

The Card

I owe you one Breakfast OR Lunch OR Dinner (for making an ass out of myself)

-Liana Skye

V doesn't get one because I stand by most of what I said about her.

No reason to be embarrassed by your accent either, I think it's cute, seriously.

...The somewhat more worldly nature of what she had written down, lacking the usual elegance, an "I O U" that's meant to serve as some form of reparation for the unsightly show she had put on-!

Not that she hadn't planned on feeding Fio anyway, but it was the spirit of the matter-!

It's not until then, that she's finally able to put herself together again, yes...

"Well look at this! The power of just talking about things with friends instead of being weird and evasive about them! Got rid of some clearly serious misunderstandings between everyone, funny how that works, right?"

Mostly together.

She coughs into a fist.

"That being said... Aleen's passion and this... Revelation have destroyed most of my fighting spirit I'm afraid... It's as they say about assumptions yes? Make an ass of you and me? The "importance of community" and "getting over yourself" parts of my planned lecture feel like they'd be sort of redundant now too... Kind of a shame, I was ready to let loose for once..."

She sighs.

"Still, V, I agree with pretty much all of what Aleen said," returning to her leaning pose against the door, the woman sighs after finally regaining her proper mind, "I'll just add on that you can't blame yourself for what happened yesterday, that was the culprit's fault, we got tricked, none of us are omniscient, so it's bound to happen sometimes. She had a machine that made perfect disguises, it'd be like blaming yourself for being enchanted or attacked, you can do it if you want to, but it's nonsensical. None of it was your fault."

Now if things were fine here...

She could continue on her way.

---Get out of this awkward situation, and check on the boys.

Two birds, one stone.

[Daneel Rush]

Location: Pinefall High Dormitory – Common Area
Phase: Morning Phase
Date: 10.09.1994 (SAT)
Weather: Overcast



John gazes at Anna Vandemeel and the wrecked object in her hand with the same old boring, apathetic face, while wondering how Dr. Sae Min and her fellows would explain it. Perhaps, to their eyes, the remote is still perfectly fine?

Regardless, John sees what he sees. He lives what he lives, and his behavior is based on the world to which he belongs. Right now, it is a world in which Anna Vandemeel involuntarily blew up a TV remote. Thus, he calmly walks across the length of the room, picking up scattered pieces. Because he does not condone leaving trash on the floor. Right now, he cares not for Anna’s emotions, nor for Elaine’s instincts. He already knows what kinds of people they are. No need for him to do anything.

“We will report the damage on Monday, see whether the remote can be replaced,” he finally says while dropping the remains in the trash. “Please don’t forget to turn off the TV on the way out.”

*** ***

Location: Pinefall High Main Building – Cafeteria

The cafeteria…is as empty as ever. It is not as if everybody shares a schedule, and with most of them pursuing their own trails, expecting a cafeteria full of people getting ready for the new day is sheer folly. The only ones to be found there this morning appear to be…

“I presume you are to check on the girl, Elaine. By the way, has Travis already debriefed you on her situation? I would do it myself, but he kept most of the medical information to himself. Afterwards, if you have time, please share what you can tell us about Bakhauv.”

Suddenly, it becomes harder to share anything. John Dove, unlike Prushka, most certainly does not feel like displaying his cards in front of Hwan Bin. However, he was the one who took the initiative to start this discussion, so he cannot just stand back and expect others to feed him intel.

“Vandemeel, I think I met your Moonchild,” he reveals privately to his Baltic classmate and to Ramalsaqr as he settles on the table with his tray carrying an unusually large selection for the lean boy. “Charming gal, that one. As troublesome as she is interesting, though.”

Credit where it is due, John Dove: you can actually look back on that terrifying encounter with an easygoing attitude. Or maybe you are just an idiot.

Let’s go with idiot until he proves otherwise.

“That girl is at her limit, really,” he continues. “I will not be so arrogant as to claim I pulled her even an inch away from the brink, but I hope to at least have a chance to do something about her before she becomes a mere monster to be put down.”

That would be bad, yes. Are we sure his apparent concern for Ultravania does not come merely from the fact she is the second thing with color he has seen in ten years?

“She all but confirmed that we have been at this,” he then adds, tracing a loop in the air with the tip of his finger. “For a very long time. We just happen to only remember the last one. She also claims to be in a separate one from us, though.”

After sharing that tidbit, he waits for everybody else to settle down. No point in unnecessarily repeating things.

“Anyway, before saying anything else…is it safe to go into full details?” he says, glancing at Kean Loinnir and Miss Iburi. “Just how up-to-date is everybody on…well, everything?”

[Frantic Author]

Alexstrasza Lockhart
Location: Pinefall High Dormitory
Phase: Morning Phase
Date: 10.09.1994 (SAT)
Weather: Overcast

Deviation, deviation, deviation. The complex math was well beyond me, and I clicked my tongue with a frown as I thought it over, before Souma's own words finally impacted themselves upon my head.

"E-eh? A boy?" I said, staring at Souma with confusion. "B-but... girl's clothes... and h-his features..."

H-How deviant! To wear clothes of another gender, simply because someone told you to... W-what other devilish games was the stargazer up to!?

"I-I see," I said, shaking my head and looking at Souma with a serene smile. "We should not judge others for being unordinary in some way, yes? While the clothes may appear picked out..."

Undeniably feminine, yet strangely masculine interests. What exactly was it that the stargazer was searching for? I flicked my fingernail off the underside of my front teeth, frowning as I tapped my foot and thought with a furrowed brow.

"Intelligent, dangerously so. Chasing a shadow that shouldn't exist. 'Rotation of the celestial sphere'...?"

Seven choirs.

The stargazer had it. Something incredibly, terribly dangerous, if I understood their work correctly, as mad as it may seem.

"It is likely that this room will be... unimportant, to the overall investigation," I muttered, my eyes flicking around. "I do not believe the man without face is the type to leave any clues behind, nor does it appear Gabi was even taken here. The markings on the bed are manmade. The scratches as well. It is of course, most intriguing, however."

If I was correct, the stargazer had uncovered proof of sorcery.

The celestial sphere slows. A black shadow where there should be none, covering the night's sky. If the celestial 'sphere' would refer to either the earth, the sun, or the stars that surround us - then the slowing would be an effect inflicted by the sorcery that traps us drifting through time. How curious, that it is observable even from eyes yet to be tainted by magic.

"You are correct. The stargazer - even were they a girl - would never wear such frilly clothes. Their room is too smart. Efficient, built for one purpose. But that matters not, yes?"

I looked at Souma with curious eyes.

"After all, it is unlikely that the stargazer was killed here. This appears to be a mess of their own making, not of a murder scene, or even a break-in. Perhaps they took the telescope with them somewhere? To get a better look at their mystery in the sky?"

Dangerous, stargazer, dangerous. Quite brave, as well. If you weren't already dead, I'd have praised the initiative. Sadly, I can merely search for your corpse from the aftermath.

"Unless you have come to a different conclusion, that is?"

[Cheetose]

Hisa Momoi
Location: Canseliet Clinic
Phase: Morning Phase
Date: 10.09.1994 (SAT)
Weather: Overcast

"I'm not saying that people are so black-and-white, that there are only good or bad people, there is obviously a lot inbetween, and it's just a matter of perspective and subjective opinion..."

Something that we had quite a few of in here, and some strikingly different ones at that. A naive girl, who wants to believe that people are good. Pyry, who tries to be on a similar opinion, but knows how heartless humans can be. A fae, a complete outsider to humanity as a whole. Mercedes, who half assumes that the world revolves around money and destined roles in society. Gradient, who...What could Gradient even be thinking? Teaching her English should be something I could try, and maybe soon.

And me, of course.

What even really was my opinion on all this?

"Anyways, we could spend all day chatting about society and human nature, and while I enjoy the delicious tea and cookies more than anything, I feel like our time is a bit more pressing than that."

It was hard to be that leisurely, with today already being Saturday.

"Once again, our visit was mostly due to my curiosity, and to see what could be done about Leena's situation. Both which, more or less, felt to have been satisfied...Even if I still do wonder what exactly it is about this place that's keeping you here, and why, in a sense, you're so unlike your kind, despite you claiming that you never change."

I shrugged slightly, before raising my cup to my mouth to drink the rest of the tea with a few gulps.

"Meaning that, unless someone else wants to try investigating their issue with a fae who is quite unlike ordinary human doctors," I said as I took a quick glance at Mercedes, "Then we should likely move on soon. There is much to do still, and I would rather not exploit your hospitality either."

My eyes wandered onto Tris, who was, for some reason, recovering from what seemed to be a tough struggle to hold her tears back.

"I have no idea where Colt is - haven't seen him at the dorms since yesterday. Though, if he promised that he would come to pick you up, then you should definitely just wait here. It would only make things more complicated if you started looking for him as well, though...Do know that there will be a huge storm tonight. So if he does not show up by the evening, your best bet might be to head back to the dorms."

Now that my attention was on Tris, however, I was also reminded of something else...

Something that we should obviously tell her about, but a matter that was ridiculously hard to dress up.

"We found your partner as well, for that matter...U-Salem, was it?" I started slowly as I measured my words, "It was Samuel, as it turned out. A member of the school's old class from about seven years ago. He doesn't wear a costume anymore though, so it might take for him to recognize you first."

It was likely better to leave the details about him being in coma, and his soul wandering somewhere between the dimensions out of the picture for now. Rather, it only made me wonder about how Tris fit into this picture instead, but...considering the circumstances, it can't have been an exactly cheerful reason. Perhaps a matter best left to be settled between her and Samuel instead.

[Verg Avesta]

Prushka?
Location: Pinefall High Main Building - Second Floor
Phase: Morning Phase
Date: 10.09.1994 (SAT)
Weather: Overcast

"........."

If looks were anything to go by, Ahti was seriously pondering punting Prushka out of the second floor window at this point. However, grumbling under his breath words that didn't sound like they were meant to be compliments, he did as he was told and slowly made his way over to the shivering sleeping bag cocoon. Then he got down on his knees and brought his down as well, showcasing the white mane and cat ears that had been fluffed up earlier that day thanks to Prushka.

... In all honesty, it was a rather hilarious look for the young man. But there were some things better left unsaid.

That tail was swishing around rather dangerously.

"H-hue... a-a-a tomcat...?"

A slightly confused question could be heard from within the cocoon, and soon enough the mouth of the sleeping bag opened enough to reveal a single eye that peeked from within. It took in the sight of the twitching animal ears and the white hair that was presented as a type of peace-offering almost... and after few moments of contemplative silence, a wondrous gasp could be heard from within.

"O-oh... it really is a kitty... y-you brought a kitty too..." Alpa murmured from within her barrier, still sounding a little out of it thanks to her surprise. "And it's okay if I... pet it...? Pet the kitty...?"

Wait. Why did it suddenly feel like Alpa hadn't completely grasped what Prushka had said? Or rather, had made some sort of simple yet crucial misunderstanding along the way, and now things were headed somewhere awkward.

Well, even if it did, it was too late to stop anything. The eye retreated from the tiny hole in the sleeping bag, and instead, a pale, lithe hand reached out and...

"O-oh... ooh... that is so very soft..."

It landed on top of Ahti's head and started slowly stroking the mane.

"Mm, who's a good kitty... who's a good kitty? Yes you are~"

And it didn't stop with just slowly stroking the hair. No, Alpa was - apparently - master at the art of petting. She went far and beyond the usual, and after few moments of her fingers searching around, she managed to find the twitching cat ears even though she was basically blind. Her fingers stroked those ears, found their base and gently scratched them. Then her fingers stretched out to slowly massage the scalp along with the ear, essentially doing what would have been a full-face treatment for a normal house cat. Except this wasn't a house cat. This was Ahti. And in his case, it looked more like Alpa's tiny hand was almost disappearing into the white mane.

And as for the boy in question?

Rrrr~, rrrrr~!

The massive purring sound was an answer in itself. So was the fact the one-eyed youth was holding a hand over his mouth, as if to physically stop the dumb, goofy grin that was spreading to his face despite how much he was fighting back. It would have almost made him look constipated, if he hadn't looked secretly so happy.

"What's the n-name of this kitty?" Alpa quietly asked, continuing her treatment.

Ahti didn't even look to be in any shape to answer.

... Actually, wasn't this a bit too much? He had never acted even remotely this way when Prushka had head-patted him.

---

Vivienne Bianchi
Location: Owl's Nest - Dining Area
Phase: Morning Phase
Date: 10.09.1994 (SAT)
Weather: Overcast

"Aah, yeah. I think I'll have a cup, if you don't mind."

With Rachel's voice coming from behind her, Vivienne approached the coffee maker set to the side of the cafeteria, on its own table. It was certainly a large enough thing, fitting for the room, but at the same time it couldn't be the only source of coffee around, could it? No, most likely not. Judging by the simple sign next to it on the table which had a red chili painted on it, this was the one and only source of the strange hybrid coffee that Rachel made herself. In other words, the most effective, eye-opening coffee in this whole place... and the ashen-haired guy was chugging it like there was no tomorrow.

It was a small wonder his heart hadn't leaped out of his chest yet.

Now closer, Vivienne realized something strange about the young man before her. That smell... it was strong, yes, but now that she paid attention, it wasn't as overbearing as before. Was it growing lesser? Dimmer? Or at the very least, fading away? Almost like whatever wild animal had caused it was getting further and further away. Then again, that was just a silly mental image, considering it was the man himself who was the source, but... at the same time, facts couldn't be denied.

That being said, what now? She had arrived at her destination, but the man had yet to let go of the coffee pan. And it didn't seem like he realized there was a line forming behind him...

--- A small voice inside Vivienne insisted she should just take the remaining coffee and run. It was a voice that sounded awfully familiar, and there was almost a face she could put to it.

But before she could react to that feeling properly...

"..........?"

The young man seemed to finally notice her.

"......."

He stared at Vivienne for a moment, almost like he didn't get why she was there.

Then, those crimson eyes turned to look at the machine over his shoulder, then back to her, and finally... it seemed to click. He looked at the yet another cup he was about to pour, and how there was only maybe three cups worth of coffee inside the pan.

The man frowned.

".......... Sorry."

He grumbled something that sounded like an apology and decided against pouring himself another cup. Instead, he set it back on the table and nodded to Vivienne.

As if telling her to get to it.

Meanwhile, he himself marched off towards the breakfast counter, hands in his pockets and bags under his eyes, almost as if lured by the smells...

---

Alexstrasza Lockhart
Location: Pinefall High Dormitory - Gabi's Room
Phase: Morning Phase
Date: 10.09.1994 (SAT)
Weather: Overcast

"... No. I think I agree."

Souma smiled mysteriously.

"Both the carry bag and the telescope are gone. Which means he was carrying them somewhere. And if they're not up at the lookout..." He left a pause in his words, full of implications. "... Then it's most likely as I theorized, and he had them with him when he was taken. He was, after all, most likely headed to the overlook in the first place. That's why I wondered about their current location."

He put his gloved hand against the surface of Gabi's desk and let his fingers touch it, slowly dragging them across the painted wood. Then, once he reached the end, he lifted his fingertips up for himself to see, as if he had been searching for dust that had been gathered. But whether or not there was some, he didn't tell. Instead he rubbed his fingers together in a dismissive way, closing his eyes and letting out a quiet sigh.

A slightly bored one.

"--- If he was taken here, at the campus, the murderer had to hide the items. And telescope is not something you can hide or destroy easily - not if you're on schedule. Not if you have also a body to hide or dispose of," Souma explained. "So if he or she took the easy way out, the two places brought up so far... the science classroom and the storage room... may be the place our culprit choice. And if we find the item in question, it may...... illuminate us in some new way."

His smile deepened.

"Even if we cannot lift fingerprints or analyze any blood on the items, Gabi was smart. He may have left something behind on purpose," the boy suggested. "Or... the murderer may have gotten careless."

The last option seemed to amuse him.

---

Hisa Momoi
Location: Canseliet Clinic
Phase: Morning Phase
Date: 10.09.1994 (SAT)
Weather: Overcast

"H-huh? Samuel?"

Tris looked surprised at this sudden revelation that came from Hisa, blinking at it. Then her face turned into a rather adorable frown and she rubbed her chin, the gears in her head slowly grinding to understand the implications of what this meant. Of course, it didn't seem like she had caught up completely, but then again...

"Samuel... Samuel... Samuel...?" Tris muttered to herself. "Why doth that soundedeth so familiar...?"

From the corner of her eye, Hisa could see Dr. Canseliet put her finger to her lips momentarily. Yes, perhaps the doctor had a point. Shoving too much information all at once on the blonde girl might just make things worse instead of helping. Not only that, but with Samuel out there, he would most likely contact Tristellia when he was ready. And the young man would definitely be more adept at explaining all the weirdness that was going on with him so far.

Of course, it might have been interesting to be a fly on the wall to listen to just how that went down, but for now, it was best to leave well enough alone.

There were other things to take care of too, after all.

"Hmm... Like, I think I'll pass, Nancy Drew," Mercedes answered with a rather dry smirk. "Human-based mysteries and whatevah are fine and all, but this?"

She made a vague gesture towards the doctor with the Cheshire Cat-like grin.

"Yeah, like, I don't think I'll that with a ten foot pole. God knows that's just asking for trouble, sticking my nose in there," the starlet continued. "Even I have, like, some sorta self-preservation instinct."

Dorothy Canseliet cackled at that.

"And a good one too! Nothing good tends to come from getting carelessly wrapped up in fae trouble," she replied, before turning her grin towards Hisa herself. "As for what comes to your questions, Child of Man, well... as I said. I was drawn here by the scent of the All-Father. And it's for that reason I remain here. There's still something for me to do here - and few memories of the past I need to see through. Very dramatic ones, in fact~"

Ah. Cryptic hints.

The fae, infuriatingly, loved these.

--- Thankfully, however, it did sound like the doctor was just teasing her, and it wasn't actually about anything serious.

"As for what has changed me, well... it would be you and your kind. You humans define me with each time you regard me, each time you observe me. I lose my concept as a being of the Turnside, tied to my nature and what I am. Instead, I'm humanized and brought closer to what you can relate to... or so would the philosophical answer go, I presume," she cackled and threw the last cookie in her mouth. "--- Simple truth may just be that having been with you humans so long, I've began to feel kinship with you. Strange, that. Never figured myself for the sappy type, but here I am - worrying and caring over humans."

Judging by the tone of her voice, the doctor didn't really mind that. If anything, she seemed to like it.

... What a strange elf.

"A-anyways, fae and other stuff aside... what should we do next then?" Pyry asked, finishing his cup of tea now that it seemed the meeting was coming to an end. "Did you have anything else in the plans? The day's not endless, but I feel like we have plenty enough time to do what with we want..."

His feline eyes focused on Hisa's.

"--- So, what's our next step?"

[Bloble]

Prushka?
Location: Pinefall High Main Building - Second Floor
Phase: Morning Phase
Date: 10.09.1994 (SAT)
Weather: Overcast

"Whoa..."

This is beyond the scope of anything I had expected. Alpa, are you actually a cat person? Did you have a pet manul or something back home? This has gone right past 'good result' and into 'dangerously good'.

That is to say, a new type of danger might have just appeared!

"T-this is Ahti, you saw him earlier, he's got a mean face but he's a softie, but... hey, Ahti, are you..."

He's not paying attention at all. What the heck. It's like he's been completely knocked out by a few scratches behind the ears! The purring is loud enough to shake the room!

"He never did that with me..."

What is this feeling in my heart? It's like, not quite jealousy, but... watching Alpa's skillful fingers, realizing how far my own still have to go, it's like... like...!

No, I know what must be done. If I don't act now, it'll be too late.

Crises

Opportunities

like this only come once in a lifetime.

"Alpa... show me how you're doing that!"

I lean in and deploy my own hand, adding it to the fluff pile atop Ahti's head, deftly avoiding the other small hand that's dug into his mane. Alpa might be more skilled, but I'm more familiar with the battlefield. Most importantly though, this doesn't have to be a battle at all! It's not often you get to learn from a true

cat person

master

!

"Is there a trick to it or something? Did you use some kinda magic spell to find his weak point? You gotta teach me!"

[Cheetose]

Hisa Momoi
Location: Canseliet Clinic
Phase: Morning Phase
Date: 10.09.1994 (SAT)
Weather: Overcast

"Maybe because U-Salem is just an anagram of Samuel, or the other way around."

What sense she wanted to make out of that was for her to decide - but, even more so because of the doctors request, I decided to not say more.

Instead, I turned to address Mercedes' - somewhat understandable - reluctance to get involved with a fae with a faint smile, before turning to Pyry to give him an answer regarding our plans. Something that, much as I did not want to admit, I was not too sure about either.

"Well..." I started as I scratched my cheek awkwardly, "There is a train yard, for obvious reasons. Could be worth checking out before the storm, because it's pretty much the last opportunity. With all the eyes we have, it would also be much faster to scour the place."

Of course, that wouldn't just be a peaceful roadtrip at that point.

"There are also a couple of people who would be worth visiting. Tommy, for To-Totesh's sake. The Mitchell brothers, because they seem to be up to no good. Billie and Carrie at the bar - although, I feel like former might be reluctant to talk about what I'm interested in, and latter would not know a lot more than what she already told me. Rosencrantz at the hotel, because I feel like he might be similar to that person from yesterday...Someone who should not be here, and yet is. We could also try to find the person on that image, or..."

There was Angelica's house.

But...

I didn't want to hear more about her from other people or sources. Secrets that she never bothered to tell me about. I wanted to hear them from her, or for her to tell me that it was none of my business. So that I could find closure in my heart.

"That's most I can think of, I think. There are hardly any concrete evidence to follow regarding the other cases, and I'd rather not wander around the town aimlessly when I dragged so many people along."

[Ayakashi]

Vivienne Bianchi
Location: Owl's Nest - Dining Area
Phase: Morning Phase
Date: 10.09.1994 (SAT)
Weather: Overcast


"... thank you."

That was the most she could do to repay him in kind for his kindness. Vivienne did not know him, and a lot of the factors surrounding the first impressions she had gotten of him were... 'quite' negative to say the least, but there was a saying, that no good deed should go unrewarded, was it? Or was it some variation of that? Whatever, she preferred that iteration the most.

Ho? And we are feeling brave enough to have tastes now? Or is it the same bullcrap as always, 'she' -- the 'other you' -- that which is no longer here, is being honored by your misbegotten sense of duty?

Vivienne had a good look at the coffee and the cups that she was about to pour them in. While of course, it as nice for that mysterious man to leave some for her, she shouldn't take things for granted and... have a good look at any potential suspicious things that may appear to be out of place -- the man clearly appeared to be falling asleep in place but as yesterday had taught her, the threat could come from the most minuscule of details.

And with that thought, Vivienne was reminded of her good benefactor from yesterday night, and perhaps may have strayed a moment in focus, wondering what me might be up to right now. She remembered he had told her and Alex that it was best that... they didn't tell anything to his sister about his presence. Well, if that was his wish... it was the least Vivienne could do to repay him for all the favors he had done her and Alex yesterday. Certainly he had to have his reasons.

As everyone does, in this god-forsaken place.

With a thorough inspection of the cups and transposing her memory of 'last week's coffee with the one in front of her, Vivienne confirmed that there was nothing suspicious, and the man that had been drinking here before hadn't done anything out of order. And thus, she poured two cups and returned to the table with Rachel, giving the red head a bit of coffee while covering the other cup with a napkin, as to preserve its heat.

"Here... this man... drinks a lot... he was talking with Mr. Halloway earlier... do you know him?"

[Verg Avesta]

Colt Davin
Location: Spade Queen Country Club - Kitchen
Phase: Morning Phase
Date: 10.09.1994
Weather: Overcast

"O-oh, I see..."

Sierra's eyes were downcast as she heard Colt's answer, but at the same time, the precocious and smart part of the girl was clearly trying to reassure her that what the older boy had said made sense. These two conflicting parts of her were clear on her face, and her tiny hands were squeezing themselves into fists... but at the same time, she didn't want to appear as being childish or needy. Thus, with slightly quivering lips, the girl finally continued.

"That... that does make sense. We should definitely inform the police..." She said with a quiet voice. "And if the phone lines are down, then the only chance is to go to the sheriff's in person..."

She wanted to convice herself, but her emotional side did not relent so easily. And who could blame her? It was her father in question, after all.

--- Also, now that Colt thought wasn't it surprisingly quiet?

"--- Don't worry. We'll find him. Your papa. Everyone's here to help. As much as they can."

Kajal's voice suddenly came from near, and as Colt's eyes snapped to the direction of the sound, she saw the bespectacled girl kneel down beside Sierra and put a hand on her shoulder. The younger girl was slightly surprised, but then gave a quiet nod of affirmation, a slight hint of smile on her face. And at the same time, along with the delicious smell of hot chocolate, Cathie arrived nearby and handed the one-eyed girl a mug of steaming chocolate goodness, filled to the bring with marshmallow.

"Here you go. Drink this and you'll feel a little better. Besides, it's never a good idea to worry with an empty stomach," the auburn-haired girl added with a gentle smile. "That'll just make all the problems seem that much bigger. So what say we get some food in our tummies and think about this then, yeah?"

Another nod, and the smile had grown a little bit.

------ Huh. And just like that, the argument was like it had never existed.

Maybe the duo were a bit more similar than they initially admitted... at least similar enough that when it came to a choice between their own little spat and cheering up Sierra, both chose the latter option without blinking an eye. No wonder that Jayesh had a slightly smug grin on his face when he saw his sister.

Also, now that Colt looked closer, didn't Kajal flash a subtle thumbs up to Cathie behind Sierra's back?

And didn't Cathie smile momentarily in response, flashing her pearly whites slightly mischievously?

... Wait, were these girls getting along or not!?

---

Prushka?
Location: Pinefall High Main Building - Second Floor
Phase: Morning Phase
Date: 10.09.1994 (SAT)
Weather: Overcast

"Mmm, not a magic spell... it's just about knowing what to do..."

Alpa's voice, now much more calm and relaxed - almost as if touching the white mane had relaxed her beating heart - murmured from within the sleeping bag cocoon. At the same time, it stopped shivering and scooted a little bit closer, basically sandwiching Ahti between herself and Prushka. The boy, on the other hand, almost jolted his head out of either's range when he felt Prushka's hand, but Alpa's masterful touch gently yet firmly kept him from going hogwild - instead bringing him closer to the ground. The expression on the youth's face was somewhere between panic and pleasure, and judging by the way his tail was jutting out, he had no idea how he was supposed to feel.

And the purring continued even louder.

"We had some wild cats... manui... near where I lived... they were really good boys and girls... I managed to get close to them too, with patience and determination... Same as I did with Arya..." Alpa continued to speak softly, almost like a whisper. "That's how it is with wild animals... you have to show you're not a threat first, allow them to approach first - and when they do, show them that being with you is more pleasant than terrifying..."

Her hand, almost like a tender spider, moved in large circle-like motions centered around Ahti's left ear, leaving the right one for Prushka.

"... First, you need to apply just the correct amount of pressure..."

Scratch, scratch.

"... Not too much, keep it in your fingertips..."

Scratch, scratch.

"... If your nails are long, go softer..."

Scratch, scratch.

"... Large, pleasant motions..."

Scratch, scratch.

"... Base of the ear is always itchy and hard to get to on your own..."

Scratch, scratch.

"... With coarse fur, dig your fingers gently through it..."

Scratch, scratch.

"... Every good boy and girl has that one weak spot where nerves gather..."

Scratch, scratch.

"... But don't be too persistent, or it'll become too much, softly now..."

Scratch, scratch.

"... Comb the fur too, pace the actions right..."

Scratch, scratch.

"... Ahaha, what a clingly little kid..."

-------- Somehow, the results of this little outing ended up disasterous.

When Prushka came to, having followed Alpa's flowing lesson in the art of petting a cat, she realized that what laid between the two girls was no longer Ahti Jalopeura. Instead, the boy had turned into basically what amounted to a puddle of cat on the floor, too relaxed and pleasured to even lift a finger at this point. His ice-blue eye was nearly rolled to the back of his head, his breathing was heavy, and his body seemed to have lost all strength. Instead of half-kneeling, he was actually sprawled on the floor, unable to move a muscle... and his occasional purring was now a constant background-noise on par with a diesel engine.

Also, his face was so red that it was like his blush had eaten all of his skin.

--- That and his tail was wrapped around the sleeping bag cocoon, while his right hand kept hold of Prushka's shirt.

Somehow... this felt...

A bit wrong.

"..... jumalauta... ei enää... musta ei voi ikinä tulla enää puolisoo..." Ahti groaned with a whimpering, wheezing voice. "Auttakee... auttakee..."

Things may have gotten a bit out of hand here.

---

Hisa Momoi
Location: Canseliet Clinic
Phase: Morning Phase
Date: 10.09.1994 (SAT)
Weather: Overcast

"Hmm..."

Looking rather serious, Pyry rubbed his chin.

"... I feel that if we're going to approach someone at this point, we should either have concrete proof of their involvement to get them to talk, or have some sort of olive branch or a way to get our foot through the door," he finally replied, along with a nod. "You're right about those two at the bar. I get a feeling that the locals might be the most tight-lipped without any bullets in our guns, those who haven't been around not so much... though in the case of Tommy Horse, we always have an ace up our sleeve. That is, this girl right here."

Pyry grinned slightly and plopped his hand on top of Gradient's head and tousled her hair, causing the girl to let out a delighted "Muuu~!" and giggle in that weird way of her. Still, it seemed she had understood the implications, as after that small moment, she looked Hisa straight in the eyes and puffed her chest, hitting it gently with her hand.

"Unaaa!"

Guess that meant she was ready to do her part if they decided to head to Tommy's place. As for the other person involved in that particular option...

"W-well... I don't mind. There's lot I want to ask from him. Lot of things. But, at same time, it's... slightly scary," To-Totesh admitted, looking a bit downcast. "Even if we're connected, I don't know him. And he doesn't know me. So it's unsure if we'll connect or not. And even then, I don't know how much he cares about the old ways. The ways I've been guarding."

The native girl pondered this option for a moment, before shaking her head.

"--- Besides! If we have time limit, we should priotize what we can't do later," she added. "Tommy we can see at any time. Right?"

Mercedes, upon hearing this, nodded in agreement.

"She has, like, a point there. If a storm's coming tonight, that's gonna mess up a lot of places - places that might contain crucial clues and information or whatevah," the starlet offered her own opinion. "Especially that train yard... if, like, what you said is right, then any earth mounds that are relatively fresh are gonna become mudpits after tonight. But... if we find any bones, or anything else, do you - like - feel like we can get something out of them?"

To everyone's surprise, Dorothy Canseliet chuckled mysteriously at that.

"Oh, I'm sure she will. Being blessed by the Lady of Shadows will ensure that~" The fae doctor said with an enigmatic smile. "In places like that, close to the darkness, her blessing should be the strongest - weave of fate itself pull hardest. The question remains though..."

Her eyes narrowed slightly.

"--- Is our Dame ready for that pull of the weave?"

Upon hearing that, Pyry snorted - confidently. He smacked his chest in a manner not unlike Gradient had before, and pointed his thumb at himself.

"Of course she is. And even if there's trouble, there's no way in hell I'm gonna let anything happen to her," he said, not even sounding like he was boasting - more like he was just stating the absolute truth. "That's something I've sworn, and I'm not in the habit of breaking my promises - especially to her. I've got her back like she's got mine, after all."

The boy might have meant it just in a sense of showing how united their front was... but unfortunately, his wording had a bit of a side-effect. Namely that Gradient, To-Totesh, Mercedes and Dorothy Canseliet all grinned mischievously and gave Hisa a smug look, like they were about to tease the hell out of her. Tris and Leena, on the other hand, blushed brightly and put their hands on their faces, as if Pyry had just said something rather scandalous.

--- And of course, the boy was completely oblivious to all of this. Instead, he turned back to Hisa with a raised eyebrow and a serious face.

"So, what do you think? What should we do?" He asked, before a warm smile spread on his face. "... Miss Leader?"

---

Vivienne Bianchi
Location: Owl's Nest - Dining Area
Phase: Morning Phase
Date: 10.09.1994 (SAT)
Weather: Overcast

"Ah, thank you..."

Looking genuinely grateful, Rachel took the cup of coffee and raised it to her lips, taking a deep, long sip. Then she set the cup on the table and let out a sigh of satisfaction, the caffeine re-energizing her body slowly but surely, along with burn of the chili bringing some heat back to her face and getting her blood pumping once more. She enjoyed the moment once more and then opened her eyes, looking back at Vivienne - though only for a moment. The quiet girl's further question caused her gaze to shift over to the cafeteria counter, where the ashen-haired young man had just emerged with...

A plate filled with nothing but three steaks. Rare. Almost bloody.

--- That was quite the breakfast.

"Talking with my uncle...?" Rachel wondered for a moment, narrowing her eyes at him. "No, I don't think I've seen him before, but his hair and the way holds himself... hmm..."

She wondered for a moment, stroking her chin, before nodding.

"... He might be one of the Kincaids. They all have that same look, more or less. Plus my blockhead of an uncle's had dealings with them since forever," she finally replied. "I think it had something to do with the fact that Kincaids used to own a lot of land here in the past. Even this area. My uncle bought it from them and built the hotel here, and ever since then, the former patriarch and him have been drinking buddies or something..."

She paused for a moment, clearly lost in her memories.

"Maybe it's the current family head or the new heir or something, trying to keep up the tradition," the redhead added. "I hear that the old patriarch died some time ago, and soon his #1 pick followed him. Nasty business. Even if they're still landowners around here, they must keep good ties with uncle, Pinkerton and McLampets. In other words, small-town politics."

Rachel grinned rather dryly, almost bitterly, to Vivienne.

"--- So a bunch of bullcrap, in other words."

[Cheetose]

Hisa Momoi
Location: Canseliet Clinic
Phase: Morning Phase
Date: 10.09.1994 (SAT)
Weather: Overcast

"Right," I nodded at Pyry's words, "You promised that, and I wasn't going to doubt that in the first place."

Like a painful, unpleasant stab in my side, the memories of last Sunday flooded my mind, reminding me of the price Pyry had to pay for trying to protect me so recklessly and without a question. I should have been happy here. I should have smiled, and been thankful, but instead, it was hard enough to keep my expression straight and not show any signs of pain. It felt like that day was going to haunt me forever. A reminder that I was weak and careless. And now, there were even more people putting so much trust in me - what if the same tragedy was to happen again?

No...

It was best not to think about that.

Clearning my mind of such dreadful thoughts, I mustered a faint smile on my face as I looked back at the rest of the group, then at Pyry.

It took me until then to realize the looks the others were giving as well, something that helped even more to ease my mind, only to let confusion take over it. Since I didn't really say anything...It must have been something that Pyry did. But what exactly...it was beyond me.

"W-what the heck is up with you all? Did I miss a joke or something?"

Furrowing my brows slightly, I shifted my gaze from one to another, as if expecting that they would break, and finally blurt out what they found so amusing. To no avail, however, and while waiting for an explanation, I turned back to Pyry instead to address the question of our destination.

"If you're all on board, then let's check the train yard. Hopefully it won't be entirely boring - I'd feel bad if I dragged all of you out there for nothing."

If something, we'd definitely find a mound with bones at least, if we can trust Barney's words.

[Spinach]

Colt Davin
Location: Spade Queen Country Club - Kitchen
Phase: Morning Phase
Date: 10.09.1994
Weather: Overcast

Seeing the two girls who were bickering just seconds ago completely 180 and reach out to comfort Sierra together brought a small smile to Colt's lips. He hated having to tell Sierra that he was intent on leaving, seeing her fight logic and emotion right in front of him was a struggle not only for her.

It made him grateful for Cathie and Kajal. Perhaps there could be good to be found when the two were under the same roof…

Colt spotted a subtle thumbs up and a reciprocating smile.

The relief quickly became curiosity.

Then concern.

If those two teamed up…

"That's right, that's right. Food is fuel, you need that to keep going. And this breakfast here," he glanced over at the assortment on the trays. "That's comfort food. Eating that's like wrapping up in a warm blanket on a rainy day."

Best not to linger on thoughts of a tag team duo of Kajal and Cathie. He only had so many years to live, best to not contemplate how they'll all come to an end.

Colt got back up to his full height, shooting a brief-as-lightning glance of desire at the hot chocolate Cathie had given to Sierra.

"So," he forcefully peeled his eyes off the decadent drink. "Let's get all this back to the others, yeah?"

He pocketed his keys and headed over to the trays.

"Gosh, this is a lot…"

It truly was a lot. How had they managed this so quickly?

And even more impressive.

"Man, it all looks so good."

[Mormarth]

Elaine Winters
Location: Pinefall High Main Building – Cafeteria
Phase: Morning Phase
Date: 10.09.1994 (SAT)
Weather: Overcast

I took a brief moment to stare blankly at the somehow more lifeless than usual form of John Dove.

My eye twitched a single time.

You know, world, I'm extremely annoyed at you.

I'm filing a complaint.

I'm supposed to be this investigator-type person, you know. I'm the sort of person who finds things out, it's what I've had most of my life, it is, in fact, kind of my job.

It makes it really annoying when the world seems to be conspiring to make you feel absolutely incompetent and ignorant at every waking moment of your existence, and then has aggravating people like John Dove (at this moment, at least) bring it up in ways that, objectively, are entirely reasonable and understandable.

But subjectively they just make me want to put my fist through a wall.

I took a long, slow breath, reaching a hand up and massaging the bridge of my nose.

I'd really appreciate it, world, if I could have a moment when I wasn't trying to put a fire and could maybe figure out something pertaining to the situation I'm in.

But no.

"Going to need to make my coffee Irish to put up with any of this," I muttered under my breath, "No, John, I haven't heard anything from Travis about the hospital."

Okay.

Slow down, focus, you've had your moment to whine, move forward already.

I say, fruitlessly, to a self that will never stop being angry.

To a wolf, ever divided.

A pain without cessation.

A hunger without end.

I will never be satisfied.

A broken thing in a broken world, a Neanderthal seeking to perform brain surgery on someone who refuses to be treated.

These statements are, at least, somewhat true, if depressing and as self-flagellatory as ever.

Could I at least be content with the fact that I ended a threat and saved lives?

No, of course not. That's the most hilarious thing I've thought all day.

So I will kick, and I will scream, and I will gnash my teeth at the implicit unfairness and cruelty of a world that has not, and will never be good.

So I strive, ever onward, to a horizon I will never reach. A girl chasing a mirage she's been told a thousand times isn't real.

Because that's the sort of person I am, and will always be.

I sighed.

Alright, took a moment to slap some more band-aids on my mental damage.

Now for this bullshit.

I folded my arms, considered the situation, and decided:

Fuck it.

I didn't have a single ounce of context for half of whatever nonsense he's rambling about.

"Do whatever you want, I don't care, once I'm done I'll come talk about Gabi's horrible ghost that I beat back into the afterlife and Oceandrop fading out of existence with a glyph on his head."

I moved towards the ash-haired form of Hwan Bin.

I'm going to deal with something I actually want to deal with.

"Yo, Trash Bin, how's the squirt? You two get on alright?"

[Bloble]

Prushka?
Location: Pinefall High Main Building - Second Floor
Phase: Morning Phase
Date: 10.09.1994 (SAT)
Weather: Overcast

"Whoa..."

This is REALLY beyond the scope of anything I'd expected. I'm actually a little scared now.

"You're really good at this..."

To think one could weave such powerful magicks with just their fingers, merely by moving the right way.

"Um, okay, let's give him a bit of room, Alpa. You were awesome but, uh, we might've tired Ahti out..."

Or more like nearly killed him. You could've just said no if you were feeling stressed out, y'know!

"You alright, Scrooge? Need some air? I can crack open a window or somethin'."

Is it just me or is it really hot in here? I got real sweaty there, even though we were just petting Ahti's head. I mean, I do that all the time, so there's nothing weird about it. But something was a bit different here. Something wrong. But like, a good kinda wrong. Or a bad kind of right?

"And come on out, he's not gonna bite anymore!"

I kneel down next to Ahti.

"C-c'mon Scrooge...? It wasn't that bad, was it...?"

Maybe it was that bad.

"Uh... s-s-sorry?"

[Verg Avesta]

Hisa Momoi
Location: Old Train Yard
Phase: Morning Phase
Date: 10.09.1994 (SAT)
Weather: Overcast

As Pyry's car finally came to a halt, the sight of the old train yard of the McLampet saw mill could be seen clear through the windows. It stood beneath the grey skies like some sort of graveyard to the past long gone, now nothing more than a bunch of shades still clinging to life.

What a difference from the atmosphere that the group had left about half an hour ago.

Once the group had agreed to a heading (and once everyone had assured that no, no, they weren't certainly teasing Hisa in any way) and once goodbyes had been said to Tris and Dorothy (the good doctor telling Hisa to drop by again sometime - for a tea), they had immediately piled into the vehicle they had arrived in. From there it was just a matter of searching for any roads that could take them to the train yard... and surprisingly enough, it took a while. No asphalt road, at least none that was in a drivable shape, took to the east far enough to reach it - and the main road that must have been in use at some point was just riddled with potholes the size of an adult man. Luckily enough, they eventually spotted a small dirt-road that ran parallel to the old train tracks themselves, and used that to get to the area - driving through the untamed forest and past the Star Lakes until... until...

--- Until they arrived here. The place which they had been aiming for.

Pyry frowned at the sight as he turned off the engine and stepped out of the car.

"... Smells weird. Not like death, but... like something purposefully forgotten," he commented. "Abandoned."

He had a point. What stood before them was the old station of the rail yard, looking more like a mummified corpse than a real building that had once been in daily use. To the south of it, the rail yard itself spread out like a spider's web, rusted and overgrown to the point of almost disappearing into the forest floor. Abandoned train cars of all types and sizes stood here and there, silently towering over their environment as time slowly but surely grinded them down. The most magnificent of these old beasts was what looked to be an old locomotive still connected to a bunch of box cars at the very edge of the rail yard. Few external buildings and storage units dotted the landscape around the train yard itself, and then, further to the north...

"That's gotta be the warehouses," Pyry added, nodding to the direction. "Big ones - though makes sense for this place."

The boy was right. The sight of the three large warehouse huddling together to the north of the station was hard to miss. They looked as dilapidated as everything else around here, but each building still stood and at least from where the group was, no large holes could be seen. In other words, their massive metal doors could have, possibly, hidden all sorts of things within.

This, of course, left one more point of interest that the group had talked about before-hand. Namely...

"--- There. Like, isn't that the mound?" Mercedes asked. "Or rather, mounds?"

Hisa saw it too. To the east, along the railroad tracks, one could see not just one but a couple of large earthen mounds that rose at the edge of the trainyard. The dirt was caked with some grass and other undergrowth, meaning that they must not have been disturbed in a while - or at the very least, it wasn't done much or often. Still, just one look at them did make them stand out as suspicious. Suspicious... just like just about everything in this area.

"The train yard was one of the first places our family abandoned, back in the 60's - after Grandfather died, and the downward spiral began. The upkeep was just becoming too much, so we instead started relying on truck companies, or so I hear. The area was sold back to the Kincaids who were the original owners, but from what I understand, around ten years or so ago, they sold it along to... err, who was it again?" Leena suddenly spoke up, stopping to frown for a moment. "Gosh... Some sort of medical company I think? I think the idea was to restore the railway and use it as a storage area, but they never got around to it..."

During the car trip, it was clear that Leena had started to feel much better - or at the very least, her tears had dried up for now. She was still somewhat shaken by the events but put on a brave front, especially now that they had other things to worry about too. And judging by the faint smile on her face, she was more or less glad that she could be of help. This was a matter that dealt with the past of the town, and as a member of the McLampet family, she was bound to have some knowledge of the history of this train yard...

Mercedes, upon hearing this explanation, folded her arms and raised an eyebrow at the bluehead.

"Kincaids? I take it that's, like, one of the big players of the town then?"

Leena nodded.

"In Road's End, there are basically three families that everyone knows. Us, the McLampets. The Halloways. And the Kincaids."

Sounding a bit like a school teacher, the bluehead turned to look at everyone present as she continued her explanation.

"It's not as pronounced or overt these days as it was in the past, but back then - and in ways even today - one could say that nothing here happened without their say so. And each family had been brought to power by a separate unique quality. First of, well, us - McLampets. We were responsible for the wealth of the town. All the money flowed through us, and we made it prosper back in the day," Aleen spoke, gesturing towards herself. "Then there were the Kincaids. They were Scandinavian settlers originally, I believe - among the first people to settle into this area. Which is why they own, or used to own, most of the land. You wanted to build anything here, you had to deal with them. Then, lastly, there were the Halloways. If we McLampets were in charge of wealth and Kincaids of land, then Halloways were in charge of people. They acted as the representative fo the townsfolk and the community, and their voice was the voice of the people. Thus, their decisions carried just as much weight, if not even more at times, than the other two."

A slightly bitter smile rose to her face after she had said all this, and the girl shrugged.

"Of course, it doesn't mean as much in modern times as it did back then, but old habits die hard - along with respect," she finished her explanation. "Gosh, I think that even to this day, the members of these three families enjoy some major priviledges, even if our numbers have waned and Kincaids have all but become hermits in the south-eastern forest."

Pyry, having heard this, nodded thoughtfully.

"So far we've really only heard stuff about McLampets, but if that's the case, I guess it makes sense as to why..." He responded, before turning towards Hisa. "Still, what do you think? Should we spread out a little bit, cover more ground? Or move as one large group? And if so, what area should we hit first?"

---

Prushka?
Location: Pinefall High Main Building - Second Floor
Phase: Morning Phase
Date: 10.09.1994 (SAT)
Weather: Overcast

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

Instead of being able to verbally answer, Ahti let out an incoherent moan in response to Prushka's questioning. Yes, looking at closely, it didn't seem like he hadn't enjoyed what had happened... if anything, the opposite had been the problem. The young man had been reduced to this sorry state by the mere fact that it had felt way too good for him. Perhaps all sorts of stress had also been made to vanish, easing the tenseness in his body...

... But even so, this had definitely been an overkill.

"T-thas... not she problem... Imp..." Ahti groaned, unable to lift himself from the floor. "Ah... ah won't... forgive... one day... one day... revenge... eye fer... an eye..."

Somehow, that sounded even more ominous than usual, despite him slurring his voice like he had been drunk.

While this had happened, Alpa had finally gathered enough courage to peek out of her sleeping bag once more. Upon seeing the defeated form of the young man on the floor, the girl had apparently gotten curious. She shed her armored barrier of protection and let it drop to the floor, once again standing there in her usual fluffy get-up. However, for some reason, she looked around in confusion, before turning to look at Ahti once more. A quizzical look dawned upon her face, and Alpa put a finger to her chin, deep in thought.

Apparently unable to solve this riddle on her own, she turned to look at Prushka.

"Umm... where... where did the kitty go?" She asked, completely oblivious. "A-and what happened to him? He looks like he's in pain..."

Ahti let out a somewhat ear-burning moan in response, causing Alpa to yelp.

"O-or, umm, not? W-what's going on here?"

... Did she really not realize?

---

Colt Davin
Location: Spade Queen Country Club - Kitchen
Phase: Morning Phase
Date: 10.09.1994
Weather: Overcast

"Fufufu, it does, doesn't it~?"

Looking rather smug, Cathie eyed Colt's reaction and how the boy took in the sight of everything that had been prepared for the breakfast. In fact, if she had been any more smug, the girl's nose would have probably started to grow. It made sense that she was proud of her work considering where she lived and worked, but apparently making the boy admit it out loud had been a highlight for her.

In addition, it looked like she had spotted his gaze, no matter how much he tried to hide it.

"Also, in case you're more of a hot chocolate dude than a coffee guy, there's still some left. Help yourself," Cathie said with the widest grin. "Marshmallows, too."

Kajal nodded stoically next to her.

"Yeah. Marshmallows too," the bespectacled girl repeated in a robotic tone. "Fits him, right?"

From the looks of it, the teasing might have continued far longer had there not come a sudden interruption to it. Jayesh had been strangely silent after the talk from before, having descended into a deep thought. The boy had rubbed his chin, confusion clear on his face... until, as if puzzle-pieces clicking together, something came to him and he lifted his gaze.

Not towards his sister. Not towards Cathie.

Not even towards Colt.

--- No, towards Sierra.

"Um. Young Miss? If I understood, you all were just referring to your father, right?" Jayesh asked, and when Sierra nodded, he grunted a bit. "In that case... he's not missing. He's in the panic bunker. We knew that today might be a bit problematic for him as usual, so I took him there after, eh... calming him down."

Jayesh grimaced a bit and instinctively glanced at the slashing wounds on his chest.

"But since it's morning, he should be alright. In other words, we can go get him."

Sierra nearly dropped her mug of hot cocoa in the stupefied silence that followed.