Elaine Winters
Location: Ghostwood Overlook
Phase: Evening Phase
Date: 09.09.1994 (FRI)
Weather: Rain
Compared to the last time she had been here, the overlook couldn't have felt more different.
Instead of a clear view over the whole town and crisp blue autumn skies, everything had been more or less covered in a great big sheet of grey - rain falling over the whole area like a blanket of misery that just wouldn't let go. In a way, it was almost like the weather itself had heralded the arrival of the weekend, and the tragedies it would bring. At the same time, it was also foreshadowing of the storm that was just around the corner - the storm that, in a way, felt like the turning point for how this week would end. Indeed, thinking about it, it was as if the storm was the final bell, and the Sunday that followed was just the aftermath.
But still, for some reason, as Elaine saw the lively form of the broad-shouldered principal let out a satisfied laugh and greet the scenery with open arms, it felt like through those clouds there was still a ray of hope.
No matter how dark things got, no matter how tragic the ends might have been, there was still a chance - a possibility - that somehow this could all be turned around.
Wasn't that what Muse had also said? That while the forest may be dark and the paths may be twisting and turning, there was a way out.
"Just in time, I think..."
So muttered Mr. Oceandrop as he checked his wristwatch. The expectant smile on his face had solidified and judging by his body language, the older man was getting ready for something... almost like a moviegoer as the lights dim down and the silver screen expands.
Something was about to happen.
And it started with... a sound.
--- For some reason, Elaine suddenly could heard the ticking of Mr. Oceandrop's wristwatch.
Very.
Very.
Clearly.
"And here... we... go," Mr. Oceandrop muttered, sounding satisfied. "The mystery of the Ghostwood Overlook... a certainly strange place, even at Road's End. Strange enough that the local Klallam gave it a name."
He turned around and smiled mysterious at the blonde girl.
"ʔáwə sɬə́məxʷ spə́ɬx̣ən - The Bluff No Rain Can Reach."
It was at that moment, when the man said it, that Elaine started noticing something strange. The rain... she could hear it. She could definitely see it in the distance. But out here, atop this overlook, she... could not feel it. It no longer hit her raincoat and her hair, and it no longer soaked the nature into dark and dreary colours. There was a smell of definite rain in the air, that refreshing taste of spring and autumn, but that's all there was.
And right above them, she could see how the clouds creeped open ever so slightly... and sunlight started to peek in, like a spotlight thrown straight at the overlook.
Lucille Faraday
Location: Pinefall High Dormitory - Mercedes's Room
Phase: Evening Phase
Date: 09.09.1994 (FRI)
Weather: Rain
"Mm. Good night, milady."
Giving that quiet goodbye, and with one last warm smile, Sakura bowed a little to Mercedes and exited the room. This left the two girls alone, with nothing but the sound of the distant rain to bother them. Mercedes, after glancing at her friend and seeing that she was still trying to get some sleep, snorted a little bit and quietly packed away the notes she had been making. Most likely she had more or less written everything Lucille said down, and the theories she had formed based upon it could be thought about another time.
For now, with a little giggle, Mercedes snaked her way into the bed and gently pushed Lucille towards the wall as she claimed a spot for herself.
"Alright, scoot over dear - like, I'm gonna need some space too," the starlet chuckled as she got comfortable as well. "A little nap never hurt the brain after all - and who knows, maybe your subconscious can work something out while you snooze or whatevah."
Pulling the blanket over both of them, Mercedes let out a little sigh. Despite the fact that she had joked about it, it seemed that the actress, far more than even Lucille, was in need of some rest. And who could blame her?
Just few hours ago, she had shot herself in an effort to save her friend.
She should have been exhausted.
... No wonder Lucille could feel her shivering, even if Mercedes tried to act like nothing was wrong.
"--- Sheeze, don't let me see nightmares..." the starlet muttered as she closed her eyes.
And thus, silence fell into the room once more.
Elise Pelltier
Location: Pinefall High - Campus Grounds
Phase: Evening Phase
Date: 09.09.1994 (FRI)
Weather: Rain
"Prophecies..."
Subaru fell silent as she mulled over the word. While Tonkori seemed to be in heaven, happily wagging her tail and letting her tongue loll out thanks to Elaine practically spoiling her rotten with affection, her owner's expression had grown far more serious. The tiny shrine maiden rubbed her chin, thinking over the question the brunette had posed to her... and after a moment of quiet more, she finally answered.
"I... cannot say that I am an expert. The only prophecy that I know of is one regarding my family. Or rather..." She hesitated for a moment, before shaking it away with a hint of a smile. "... Regarding me. It ties to what I spoke of regarding my own past. Of how I was chosen to lead our sect and become the 'Heretical Saishu' despite my noble blood. Indeed, I was chosen for my role because of a small prophecy, spoken by an old woman in Adachigahara. So, while you could say that my path in life was directed by one... I, unfortunately, cannot say that I am familiar with their workings."
Tonkori, perhaps sensing the mood change, gave Elise a little push with her head, as it to encourage her and tell her not to lose hope even if the situation wasn't the brightest. Subaru, upon seeing the affection of the animal, smiled just a little bit.
"Prophecies, in the end, are as much the work of man as they are the work of fate. Or that is how I feel, at least. Indeed, in most cases, a prophecy can only come true in hindsight. For that very reason there are many more prophecies that never came true than those that did... though, of course, if there are infinite alternate realities, then perhaps every prophecy is true in one of them. And our current reality is a product of simply few," Subaru mused. "Nevertheless, a prophecy can only be seen as valid if it has already happened and we know that it did. That, in the end, is the true nature of them. Before they have come true, they have no real power, and it is only in the aftermath that we can say that they did - and that this power guided the events. But... if there were a prophecy that held power to affect fate before anything had even happened at all, well..."
Subaru's expression grew a bit darker.
"That would be a curse, would it not?"
Vier Wolff
Location: McLampet Saw Mill
Phase: Evening Phase
Date: 09.09.1994 (FRI)
Weather: Rain
Finding a way to the second floor, as it turned out, wasn't too hard.
Aside from the obvious solution of going from the inside, after scouting out the building's exterior, Vier eventually spotted a rusty ladder that led to the roof of the train depot. While it was slippery from the rain and not in the best of conditions, by utilizing her gear and her natural talents, the girl was able to get up it silently even if she was carrying the doll with her. From there, it was just a matter of making as little noise as possible to move across the sheet-metal ceiling and watching out for any rusty spots where her weight would most likely send her plummeting back to the ground.
After making her way across the rooftop, Vier reached one of the many large - and broken - windows of the saw mill's second floor. One of them was more or less completely missing its glass, so slipping in through that was quite easy. After making sure that there was nobody around to see her enter, Vier was able to squeeze herself through said window, before pulling the doll named Sakura after her. The two of them landed onto a walkway that rounded the interior perimeter of the main hall of the building. Down below, they could see the massive equipment and saws standing still in the darkness and the shadows, unmoving and forgotten by the town that had loved them so much.
The metal walkway was creaky, but by adjusting her center of gravity lower, Vier was able to move absolutely silently towards the other end. There, after exiting the main hall, she found herself in the few corridors that criss-crossed around the various offices and break rooms of the building, along with few storage rooms. Some of them had their doors completely missing, from some it had fallen to the floor and in some, it had stayed decidedly locked. But as she moved around and checked every room that she could, Vier eventually came a to a singular conclusion.
There was no one on the second floor.
No, more importantly than that... she couldn't smell any telltale sign of gunpowder in the air.
Had Fyrtio even come here today...?
Or had she...
------- Just then. Suddenly. Vier heard a noise. One that broke through her thoughts.
And that noise didn't come from the second floor rooms or the corridors. No... it came from the main hall of the saw.
Sneaking back, the girl and the doll peeked through the doorway and the walkways beyond, and into the massive machinery hall itself. For a moment, it was hard to see what had caused the noise, but after waiting for a minute or so... they eventually spotted the source. Something, or someone, was moving down there, hopping over some of the machinery that acted as obstacles and gently pushing aside junk. Whoever this newcomer was, they most certainly hadn't spotted either the doll or Vier, and judging by the way they moved, they probably thought they were completely alone. A person waiting for an ambush wouldn't have looked around in such a manner. They were searching for something, yes, but not Vier.
But still, the question remained...
... Who the hell was this guy?
John Dove
Location: Avery’s Dinner
Phase: Evening Phase
Date: 09.09.1994 (FRI)
Weather: Rain
Getting closer to the strange man, whose appearance eluded John and his memory, was easy - at least on paper.
However, approaching him head-on while on the way to the toilets, somehow... somehow it filled John with a sense of unease. It was the similar sort of unease as one would get when walking through a yard where a ferocious, child-biting dog was known to sleep... or perhaps, walking past the cage of an wild animal at the zoo. It was a certain primitive part of every person's mind that warned of those sorts of things, those little lizard-brain moments where the old instincts engrained into one's DNA would flare up. And John Dove was going straight against those instincts by heading towards the source of that feeling.
It was at times like these that John Dove's emotionless mindset served him well. Even if he felt the warning signals in his head, he was capable of ignoring them if he so wished.
Still... who was this man?
Definitely Turnside. One's appearance didn't simply fade away from memory easily like that.
He got closer and closer, and as he did, John found that even his mind's eye began to sharpen again. Like a picture coming into focus now that he was pushing past whatever ability was keeping the man's appearance from being noticed. And as he got so close he was only few meters from the man, passing by him on his way to the toilets...
--- Something in John's brain clicked, and he was capable of seeing through this illusion of sorts.
There, at the table, sat a man who was devouring the remains of some steak and mashed potatoes - slowly, deliberately enjoying the remains of the meat. On the table in front of him was a copy of this day's "Road's End Gazette", and the strange man's focus was mostly on it. In all honesty, he simply looked like any old customer, and the reason as to why he had such a strange illusion placed around him seemed arbitrary to say the least...
Until John felt it.
This close, and without the illusion to shield him, that same feeling of danger flared up again.
... It smelled like wild dogs.
And as if to respond to his observation...
"............?"
The man glanced in his direction, as if sensing John's stare.
Hisa Momoi
Location: Pinefall High Dorms - Pyry's Room
Phase: Evening Phase
Date: 09.09.1994 (FRI)
Weather: Rain
"Mm, y-yeah, um... s-sure... I mean... yeah. I-I won't forget. N-n-not ever again."
In that moment, in that dimly lit room, Hisa Momoi came upon an interesting discovery.
That being the fact that Pyry Leijonamieli, despite his unwavering will and strong conviction, and an attitude to face everything head-on and never back down from a challenge... was utterly defenseless against any aggressive forms of affection. Or rather, his stoic and confident facade crumbled like a house of cards when pushed like the girl had just did, leaving him completely beet red on his face and stammering like a teenage boy during his first confession. The tall boy's eyes were jumping from one end of the room to another and he seemed to have a hard time looking Hisa straight on. Instead, he gulped loudly, tips of his ears burning red, and scratched his hair.
"S-s-so, don't... don't worry! B-besides, I mean, uh..." He tried recollecting himself, succeeding only in half of it. "Even if there were any c-competition, I think... I think the winner is quite clear at this point..."
It was quite the change in attitude.
But it did reveal one crucial fact.
Despite his experiences and despite his usual attitude, Pyry was... quite pure underneath it all!
Perhaps he was just not used to having someone aggressively approach him like this, or perhaps he had been taken by surprise, but nevertheless, it was almost funny in how quickly his reaction had changed, and how much the boy could blush. In that sense, maybe the truth of his past wasn't the only secret that had been revealed to Hisa today...
Seeing a big man act so shy all of a sudden was certainly an experience, alright!
"A-ahem!"
Suddenly, Pyry cleared his throat, clearly trying to switch the topic before Hisa got any ideas of latching onto his sudden showcase of weakness. It was, after all, some prime teasing material, and clearly something he didn't want the girl to realize any time soon.
"A-anyways, you said that you had something you wanted to do today?" Pyry asked, making a vague gesture. "And you talked with Sakura about it too, right? W-what was that about, then?"
... It was like he was making an escape before Hisa could make steam explode out of his ears.
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Originally Posted by Tris
