Location: Pinefall High Main Building
Phase: School Phase
Date: 08.09.1994
Weather: Overcast
Prushka
Right after first period, while everyone (who bothered to show up to class) is chatting as they pack up their books and spread out into the halls, Hisa Momoi feels a tap on her shoulder.
"Hey," says Prushka, in a tone several levels quieter than her usual. "Um, do you have a minute? That thing you lent me... um, it worked."
The time between classes is short, but long enough to allow for a quick conversation or a visit to the washroom.
Hisa Momoi
Spinning a pen on my fingers, my unfocused eyes stared into the distance. From the outside, it might have looked as if I was just daydreaming or something - but I guess that was in fact relatively close to the truth. At the very least, I was certainly lost in my thoughts, thinking about the discussion with Elise from earlier, while at the same time trying to organize all the new information that I just dumped into my memory.
That, until a tap on my shoulder momentarily interrupted my thoughts.
Of course. It was her.
"Sure, I have a minute," I replied somewhat absentmindedly, "Hope you didn't break it though? It's not really something that I can just buy from the corner store."
She was talking about the syringe, I guessed. And while I had a few more, I certainly would have been angry if I were to do with one less.
"Who was this person anyways? I was eager to help, but I hope I didn't end up healing someone who would later end up trying to...well, not be so nice to us."
Prushka
"It's not broken. At least, I don't think it is. And he's, uh... well, he's from out of town. Looks sorta like Pyry. He's a bit prickly, and definitely dangerous, but I think he's nice... probably. I'm gonna visit him again when I get the chance."
Prushka doesn't sound too sure about that last part. She glances around, to make sure there's no one near this particular stretch of hall. She shifts, and one of her shoes makes a wet squelching noise, squeaking against the polished floors.
Prushka withdraws the empty syringe from her bag and holds it out for Hisa to take.
"The corner store might have one, you never know."
Is that a joke? Her attempt at an ice breaker? With how subdued the small girl sounds compared to her normal self, she could be absolutely serious.
"I'll be riding down there to grab a few things during lunch, so if you want anything..."
Hisa Momoi
I did know. I could have told her what sort of a rare thing it was, but...she was probably just trying to joke. It would have been unfair of me to be annoyed with her already when she has not even tried to be annoying yet.
"I was planning to go there after school as well," I replied as I finally looked at the smaller girl, "But I since I don't know what they sell, I can't really tell what I could need. I just know that you can get a sort of a guidebook to the town there that could probably be interesting. Should have some of the town's less known locations in it. You should get it too."
Well, I didn't really know how useful it was going to be yet. I was yet to read it as well, but...it would certainly worth what little money it could cost.
As the girl pulls the syringe out of her bag and extends it towards me, I grab it and drop it into my own bag after giving it a brief look.
"Still...that doesn't sound too convincing. You should know by now how dangerous things can be around here, so...just be careful with him then. Don't go trusting a complete stranger who could intentionally put you in danger too."
I was one to give such advice, really.
Maybe I should be more careful too...
Not even sure when that changed.
"Especially when he is someone who gets injured like that and ends up hiding in some abandoned shack. Sounds...rather shady."
Having finished the thought, I gesture towards Prushka's shoes with my head;
"How did you even get wet? It will only be raining tomorrow."
Prushka
"A guidebook, to a small town like this...?"
Prushka blinks. Clearly she's never even considered such a thing. Perhaps she thought the small pamphlets handed out by the school were all the 'guidebook' they would ever need.
"I'll ask about one, then. Was just thinking of grabbing some food for later. Y'know, snacks, TV-dinners, the kinda stuff you'd find at any gas station or corner store."
"...""Still...that doesn't sound too convincing. You should know by now how dangerous things can be around here, so...just be careful with him then. Don't go trusting a complete stranger who could intentionally put you in danger too."
The small girl blankly stares at the taller one for a moment, and then...
"Thanks, Hisa."
Shows a small, brief smile.
"He's the type to keep to himself, so I don't think he's dangerous. At least not to strangers. He said he got into a fight with this... 'Knightmare' thing. Some sort of conceptual knight that can't lose to anything. So, um, you be careful too."
"Oh, this?""How did you even get wet? It will only be raining tomorrow."
Prushka taps her shoe on the ground. It squeaks. She's not wearing a sock on that foot.
"It'd be a shame if Briggs' prank went to waste, since he put all that work into it. Turns out reading lots of mysteries makes you pretty good at setting up scares."
Prushka refocuses after staring wistfully at the small puddle left behind beneath her shoe, realizing belatedly that Jake might have to clean up his own mess. Then she shrugs to herself and moves on.
"I don't know what I'll be doing after school. That person you mentioned, who was looking for his sister... I'm pretty sure she's the one Vivi and the others ran into at the Lighthouse last night, going by the feelings I felt on that clump of fur. So I might head there. But also... have you seen any people in town with only one eye? They might be..."
She pauses, looks around again.
"Marked. By a monster from our dreams."
Hisa Momoi
"Y-yeah, right, TV dinners," I nodded, pretending that I knew how obvious that was, "Well, it would be nice to see things with my own eyes anyways, since I don't really know if I have any preferances."
I didn't want to admit that I wasn't even sure what a TV dinner was. And while I knew about snacks...I was only aware of a very few brands and had no idea if any of those would be available here in the first place.
It wasn't my fault anyways that books and fae and any sort of supernatural business didn't teach me pointless everday things.
In the meantime, a small puddle forms under Prushka's shoe as she taps it against the floor, something that I could only watch with my eyebrows raised. Is she really planning on walking around like that for the whole day?
"He apologized, by the way," I spoke up as Prushka was blankly staring at her own feet, "Though I told him he should do that in person too. So expect that he'll be looking for you, I suppose."
Prushka's mention of one eyed people and a 'monster from our dreams' made me frown a bit. I couldn't tell if she was trying to sound dramatic or foreboding as if she was telling some sort of a horror story, but...Just like I told Jake before, I'm desensitized to that sort of stuff.
"You mean the monster in the forest of dreams where Muse is too?" I asked, automatically assuming that it must have been what she meant, "You know anything about it?"
I probably should inquire more about it from Muse too, now that I think about it.
"But well, people with one eye, well..." I scratched my cheek as I thought about the people I've met so far, "I can only think of Souma, that crazy woman we met in the forest, and...Billie, the owner of the bar."
"I met her last week, and was actually planning on talking to her again tonight," I added, "But how can you tell that she is marked, anyways?"
I wasn't sure wat this was about.
"As for Ru's sister...I'm not sure if there is a point looking for her. She could be anywhere, but at the same time, Ru said that she should eventually come back to the school. Hopefully soon. I think there are more important things to worry about, anyways."
Prushka
"Hehe. Hisa, that was a joke. TV dinners are sorta like MREs. Humans eat them while sitting on their armchairs, watching a show about unfunny New York comedians or something."
Then Prushka blushes.
"Or, um, if they don't cook."
Well, it's not like she can't cook. It's all science, easy enough to grasp. It's just, most humans are too picky. They won't eat snakes or frogs stick grilled on a stick over a campfire with no more seasoning than a sprinkle of sea salt.
"Briggs really said sorry, huh...? It's hard to trust grown-ups, especially the teachers, but... I'll try to talk to him. Thanks. I wonder why Angelica said we should've questioned him, though..."
Prushka doesn't seem like she knows how to take that information. Perhaps she hasn't had many people apologizing to her before. Or she doesn't expect such a thing from an adult, even one as childish as Jake Briggs.
"About the monster - she's real. She wears an eyepatch, and she's called Dot. On Sunday, she-." Prushka shudders. She places a hand over one of her eyes. "...I spoke to Muse last night. She thinks Dot has marked others in town the same way. So anyone in town who's missing an eye might bear that mark. The more people with it, the stronger she'll get, until... well, whatever it is, it can't be good. I don't know if I can detect the mark, but if it's anything like a curse, it'll be a nexus of negative emotions. Just asking about it should pull out those feelings. And then... well, I should be able to blow them away."
Her hand falls to her side.
"Fyrtio's one possibility. That Billie person is another. And then there's the one-eyed man Angelica told us about. I don't know if it's worth looking for, but... if you meet anyone missing an eye, ask them how they lost it. If it happened in a dream."
She trails off. Then refocuses her gaze.
"If Ru's fine, then... I dunno what to do. Maybe talk to the others who remember and wanna help. Lucille, John, Liana..."
Is... is she asking for advice?
Hisa Momoi
"I...like cooking," I replied to the small girl's explanation, "in fact, I prefer to cook my own food. And the dorms seems to have an endless supply of ingredients, so...not really an issue."
Prushka's mention of Angelica and her warning earned a small sigh from me as I scratched the back of my head.
"I think she referred to the old janitor, not him. While Jake knows some things...he was only a kid when the incident in the school happened," I explained, "Wouldn't really be surprised if there was a small twist like that, considering how cryptic the rest of her suggestions were too. But...already found out who that person is, so will try to talk to them as soon as possible."
The topic changes, and I found myself frowning yet again.
"What do you mean? Did it mark you as well?" I asked, not entirely sure what she meant with that gesture, "And...I figured it was real, but is it a person then? What is it trying to achieve? Plant spies within us?"
Hearing how she was at loss for what to do made me sigh again. This wasn't really the time to feel uncertain or to just goof around, and...was that implying that she had absolutely no plans at all?
Yet...I can't just tell her what to do, can I?
"Well, did you not find out anything 'last' week that you could follow?" I spoke up finally, "I was meant to ask about that anyways, since you went to the hotel, but...I guess things went south before that."
"Other than that, I guess I could fill you in on certain things to give you something to occupy yourself with, but would you really be satisfied with that?" I asked with a troubled look, "We don't exactly seem to get along, and I don't want everything to just break down into arguing and hindering each other. That's not really helping either of us."
Prushka
"I won't argue with you," is Prushka's immediate response. "Making sure everyone makes it to Monday is more important than anything else. That's what you're aiming for, so I won't get in your way. Just because we had trouble getting along, doesn't mean we can't get along now."
She scratches the back of her head, looking less comfortable by the moment.
"The mark - it's probably gone. My eye came back, after all. Apparently if Dot's presence in the real world grows too strong, she might be able to manifest, or something like that... I don't know her goals either, but they can't be any good."
"And of course there are things I can look into, but..." Prushka trails off, trying to figure out how to explain.
"There's a poem Muse gave me, with her 'divining', about talking to the one who sees the lighthouse' caretaker, but that's just about my brother, who I came here looking for. Going after that when we've got this mess on our plates would just be selfish. And what happened to Elizaveta... on Friday I was going to go read up in the Owl's Nest library about old cosmonauts, before something else popped up. I didn't end up finding out anything. Just that Alex needs a friend, and Road's End has more skeletons in its closet than a bad soap opera. Then there's Xylia, and everyone else, and the guy in the cabin, and Fyrtio, and Mr. Currumpaw, but... what's the point? That doesn't matter now that we've got a time limit. None of those leads help solve the immediate problem. They don't keep us alive."
For a moment, Prushka looks troubled as well. Tired, and spent. And more than a bit lost and confused.
"I have no idea what to do. And when you don't know what to do, the best thing is to talk it over with people to figure it out. I don't know, so... I might as well help someone who does."
Prushka looks up at Hisa, unsure.
"You know what we're supposed to do, right?"
Hisa Momoi
"I...wouldn't say that I know what to do to avert the tragedy. I wish I did, but the solution is so far out of my reach that I can't even see the beginning of it."
It was the sad truth, but there was no point lying about it.
"All I can do is to hold onto whatever seemingly meaningless leads or clues I can find, and hope that they will somehow shed some light to what is going on here."
I scratched my head, somewhat unsure where to even start.
"Which is to say...there are way too many of those leads, but they are barely anything concrete, and don't really seem related. On one hand, there is a whole lot of research that would need to be done, but on the other...I also directly want to look into quite a few things. It's not really easy to decide what to start with and what places would be worth going to, but...I'm trying."
Deep in thoughts, I just quietly stared at the girl for a few moments. Unable to really come to a conclusion though, I ended up speaking up again.
"I guess it depends on what exactly you'd be comfortable with. There's the safe way with just reading up on certain things, or...maybe talking to certain people. Or, what's apparently a lot more dangerous around here, is to try and seek things out t their root."
"Like going to the mill again," I added as clarification, "Or exploring the sewers below the school."
Prushka
"I see... so you're not sure either... you're just doing what you can..."
Prushka is quiet for several seconds, the nearby clock ticking onwards, counting each one. She stares at the floor, at the tiles, at the spreading puddle of water, at her hands.
She had hoped to find someone to make a decision for her, but it was an unreasonable hope from the start. Hisa Momoi is not some kind of superhuman that can magically know the right thing to do. She is just as lost as anyone else.
The next class is going to begin soon. Unless they get going, they'll be late.
Maybe it's that realization, the similarity between being late for class and being late for everyone's seemingly inevitable demise, that drives the smaller girl to grit her teeth, look up at Hisa, and...
"Then I'll do what I can, too."
Give the taller girl an all-too-cheesy thumbs up.
"If it's what we need to do, going to dangerous places or out at night is fine. So long as we're not putting anyone uninvolved in danger. I'm good at tracking people, if you need help like that. So if you want to go somewhere... I can come with you. We did promise, right?"
Prushka picks up her nearby bag and throws it over her shoulders, takes a few steps towards the door, and turns back to look at Hisa.
"There are at least half a dozen others here just as lost and confused as we are, reaching out towards their own leads. So if nothing else... I'll look at what they've come up with. Maybe everyone has their own piece of the puzzle, and it'll only come together if we do."
She pauses, and then...
"So you don't have to put it together on your own, either."
Hisa Momoi
"Maybe...but I'm quite sure that most people are busy with their own stuff," I said as I rubbed my chin, "besides, I don't trust everyone all that much, especially not enough to drag them into more personal cases like Angelica's."
If I were to be honest to myself, even the few people that do know about her only do so because of that 'incident'. Was it not for that...I'm not sure if I would have told most of them about it.
"Either way, as I said, there are quite a few things to do. I was planning on talking to Billie and Carrie at the bar, but if I want to do that in private...then I'd probably have to go in the morning when most people wouldn't even think about going drinking. Billie was the old janitor of the school, and she should be aware of quite a few things that happened here, even if she mostly wants to say quiet about those. Still, she is quite a pleasant person, so it would be nice to talk to her in general."
"Well, I guess there's also that thing you mentioned with the missing eyes," I added, "Though not really sure where to go with that. Then there is Carrie...she wrote the song called The Poet and His Muse...But I think it's a lot more relevant to what is going on here than one would guess. She also knows a lot about the rumours around town, like the McLampets, and she has a girl's diary who encountered the Disembodied Man at some point."
A shame that I never had the chance to meet her again after that one time.
I felt like we made a good first impression on each other, but now they likely won't remember, so...
Just how different will things be this time, now that the circumstances are wholly different too?
"That would be two birds with one stone. Though...of course, the bar might be worth visiting during peak times too. Can never know what kind of people go there and what kind of stories they have."
Of course, there's a lot less guarantee for that than just talking to Billie and Carrie.
"The next best thing is the hotel. It's the place where most strangers stay. Like Rosencrantz, some guy whose letter I received...and maybe even Angelica stayed there at some point. It also has the library, which could be a literal gold mine depending on how much stuff it has about the local history. Not to mention that it apparently had some weird books about the russian cosmonauts as well...hence why it was the other place I wanted to visit today."
Crossing my arms in front of my chest, I followed the other girl with my eyes as she grabbed her bag and took a few steps.
"Though...everyone going to the same place is probably not very effective, so...if you really want to help, talking to some of our other classmates would probably be nice. Then can always just decide where to go or who to talk to later...I mean, I've at least a dozen places and people I'd want to check, so we aren't exactly short on that."
Prushka
"The Disembodied Man..."
That name is familiar. It's the third time now.
"John said... he said he met it, before everything faded to black. It claimed to be behind everything. According to him, it said: ‘We failed to protect something’. It said this will never end unless we ‘recollect our crime’. By this, he probably means that timeloop Muse rescued our memories from...
The words are still chilling to her. But they're something.
"...one of the options is reading up on the Disembodied Man, or the McLampets. They might be linked. Elizaveta's disappearance could also be related to the cosmonaut book. But if you're planning on doing that yourself, I have something that'll help with researching. I might be able to put it in one of those syringes, since our abilities are similar."
Besides that, Prushka ponders on the first thing Hisa mentioned, about not being able to trust others so easily.
"You should talk to John or Liana. They're both nice people. I'm sure of it. John wants to see Monday, together with everyone. And anyone who has seen Muse is surely in the same boat as us. We won't get anywhere alone."
Prushka is firm on it. Clearly she thinks highly of the two others. Or she just trusts in Muse' judgment absolutely.
"The guy in the cabin mentioned someone at the gas station with one eye, but... I can't really get into a bar, looking like this. So please ask if you see her. I'm planning on talking to Lucille after this, since she also remembers. How about you talk to John and see what he's doing, then we can catch up after school and then decide what to do then?"
Hisa Momoi
"Yeah, John told me about that as well," I nodded, "Not that it exactly sheds light to anything. Nor does some evil freaky monster telling us to 'recollect our crimes'. Sounds a bit hypocritical to me."
To begin with, I wouldn't even be able to tell what exactly this 'crime' was. Even if my life depended on it, I couldn't even take a guess.
"And while those are the most obvious topics, they are hardly the only ones that would be worth looking into. Anything related to the town's history, and its myth would be helpful," I expanded upon Prushka's suggestion, "Also dreams. Finding someone or something that could help to learn more about dreams would be a big deal. Without that, we're pretty much just walking around blindly in Muse's forest."
I frowned slightly as Prushka mentioned two names, and how fast she was to draw conclusions and claim them to be nice people.
"Can't say that my first impression of Liana is exactly good...but I'm not surprised, she is sorta like you, so you'd naturally like her."
Guess that's also the reason why they both tick me off in a way...though Prushka was still likely the better out of the two.
"And John...I think he has his own things to take care of. Besides, I can tell that he isn't exactly fond of me, so I see no reason to bother him," I continued, "Besides...just because someone remembers the alternate histories just like us, it doesn't automatically make them good people. Remember that white haired woman who would have tried killing all of us. Or the person who actually killed me."
Thinking about that guy, and the experience in general was still enough to sour my mood.
"Either way, I'm hardly alone. I've already put my trust in more people than I would have imagined, but...by no means I'm going to attempt to solve everyone's issues and rely on all the people I barely even know."
Of course, I could hardly convince Prushka that blindly trusting anyone and anything was just naive - I already learned that she was too stubborn and that she would only learn the lesson the hard way.
"That must be Billie, the owner of the gas station," I clarified for the smaller girl, "At any rate, I suppose you already know what happened here on sunday then? Do you know about the girl hiding on the second floor of the main building too?"
Prushka
"Let's talk while we walk. Or we're gonna be late."
It takes Prushka a few moments to formulate a reply, but when she does, her responses are curt and to the point. She glances about the halls, making sure not to speak while within earshot of others.
"The town's history... I'm not too keen on digging into Road's End's past, but it's not like we can pretend the Disembodied Man isn't linked to it somehow," Prushka grumbles. "Apparently the McLampets or whatever have had some bad luck here. Last week we... read a journal about it. And we'll definitely need someone who knows their way around dreams if we want to take the fight to Dot. But for now I'll settle for kicking her out of the waking world."
Prushka snorts, amused."Can't say that my first impression of Liana is exactly good...but I'm not surprised, she is sorta like you, so you'd naturally like her."
"Like me?" she murmurs. "Please. How are we anything like each other? She's awful. The worst humanity has to offer. I couldn't stand her at first. That shoddy big sister routine of hers wouldn't even pass in a wrestling ring, and her constant fake cheer is infuriating. At least you're usually upfront about things, even when you're being aloof. But she's the kind of person who'll smile regardless of how happy or sad she actually is. Like she's just playing a role. Treating reality, treating people's feelings like some kind of play - it's gross."
Calmly, slowly, Prushka spews the harshest insults Hisa has ever heard from her, barring last night. From the sound of it, she most definitely does not naturally like Liana Skye. But then the small girl pauses half a step, and when she continues...
"But Lia's a good person. I'm sure of it. It may be an act, but it's a serious act she's putting all her feelings into. And those feelings of hers, when we sang together... those were real. Lia cares. I trust Muse, so... I'll trust those she trusts, too."
Prushka looks at Hisa and shrugs.
"Desperate times, right?"
Yes, it's not like Prushka is naively putting her trust into random people. Rather... it's a desperate trust. The trust born of a belief that the only choices are to either trust or die. The sort of belief that would lead to her decidedly un-subtle cry for aid at the beach concert.
Or maybe she really does trust them. Prushka does seem to jump to conclusions about people quickly, owing perhaps to her ironclad belief in 'feelings'. Once her mind is made up, it's difficult to change... which speaks volumes of Liana Skye's perseverance, to now be trusted by a girl who had hated her from the start.
"And John... I can't get a read on him. He's a jerk, but he's a good guy. Nobody who does good things while letting others think he's a villain can be a bad person. A dumb one maybe, but not a bad one."
Similarly, Prushka offers her usual mix of contradictory praise and criticism for John Dove.
"We have to save everyone," she mutters. "Or at least, we have to try. But... trying to save just the people you care about isn't wrong either. That's doing your best, too."
However, when Hisa begins to talk of the way she died, and of a girl on the second floor... Prushka becomes quiet, until the taller girl is done speaking.
"...I don't know what happened on Sunday. I only heard a little from Lucille. You're saying there's a girl on the second floor...? And you... how did you...?"
She trails off.
There might not really be any rules for it written into stone, but... asking someone how they were killed must surely be impolite.
Hisa Momoi
"They are related. Quite closely, actually," I answered Prushka, "I know of quite a few cases already. The McLampets, the boy at the lighthouse, Avery, the Mitchells...A man in a black suit came up in all these cases."
I took a few steps to catch up to Prushka, then carefully looked around to see if anyone else was listening.
"It's him, and another monster who seem to be the most prominent when it comes to the tragedies of the town. The other thing...I'm not sure what it is, but it's some giant colossus with insane physical strength and the ability to liquefy things. I think it was the thing that liquefied the hearts of two of the McLampets...And it's also responsible for both incidents that happened in this school in the past. Not to mention...that it's here, even now. Ru and his sister ran into it in the sewers yesterday - that's why they had to split up. I think it also might be what...killed Xylia last time."
Most certainly was probably the right term here, instead of might be.
"Well, you both have a weird sense of justice and morality," I said with carefully measured words in response, "and you both seem to be very stubborn and pushy about it. Like your sentiment about people and their emotions. Constantly bothering people with that is just...vexing, but I already explained that earlier. Or the constant lecturing of people. Similarly...Liana with her big sister play, the 'hero' routine, and how she seems to have the need to lecture everyone about what's right and what's wrong...I'd say you're similar in a sense, even if there are differences as well."
I might have been just a bit too harsh - but there wasn't really any point beating around the bush.
"Either way, good or not, I could hardly tolerate someone calling themselves a hero with a serious face. It reeks of hypocrisy."
After Liana, Prushka said a few words about John as well - words that might have been true, but didn't really change anything. I wasn't really doubting i the first place that they might have been good people - what I was doubting was my ability to cooperate with them.
But...next came some words that made me frown.
"Did you already forget what Angelica said? How it's insane and arrogant to claim that we can help others, when we can't even help ourselves?"
Maybe she did. Maybe she just wanted to forget about it.
"She was right. It's insane. While I would love to save everyone as well...I've neither the time nor the power for it. I'll try my best...but I won't delude myself with impossible things. I can't be the delusional hero figure like Liana."
The topic shifted to the events of sunday, and I couldn't belp but be surprised by the fact that Prushka still only knew little about it. I would have expected that by now she pulled everything out of someone, especially since she already talked to Lucille about it.
"She is...a weird one. Almost like a hidden classmate that we have. She has all our study books, and somehow she seemed to have followed our classes, as she had markings in them. She...died on sunday. That is how I discovered her camp in the library on the second floor."
Even now, she is probably there taking notes, or perhaps preparing for the next class.
"But even beside her, the second floor is probably worth taking a look into. It holds the remains of the first incident that happened in the school, and the library might have some useful books that you can't find elsewhere."
Of course, another topic came up as well. A topic that still made me feel uncomfortable, and I much rather would have avoided talking about it, but...there was a point to talking about it as well.
Though...perhaps not right now.
"About the other thing...I guess I can show you later. But...it's not really something that can be crammed into a short break between classes...not because of the amount of time, nor because of its contents."
Prushka
In the end, everything links back to the Disembodied Man. The threads seem to converge upon him. The McLampets, the lighthouse ghost, and... even the Mitchells? Some sort of being that precipitates tragedy and takes credit for it is the cause of it all.
"...the Grinning Monster, from the story of the Keeper and the Sailor, too... maybe that's a blessing. If all the leads converge on one culprit, we can pull on whichever one we want. Before the Disembodied Man turns the Oceandrop Program into the next Road's End tragedy. Maybe I should go to the lighthouse after all and try to talk to that ghost again-."
Prushka pauses at the mention of a monster that can liquefy things. She opens her mouth. Her brows furrow, and... she says nothing as Hisa continues to explain the monster's appearance and deeds.
"Sounds like what attacked that family way back," she offers up as she bites her thumb in frustration. "I talked to Xylia about it. She said that counselor - Sae Min - keeps newspaper clippings of incidents like that in her office. Of course the faculty would be in on it. They're the one part that doesn't fit here. We don't know anything about the Oceandrop program. It might be worth looking into them, but..." Her face falls. "...I was never good at that subterfuge stuff."
Prushka continues to be silent, as Hisa expounds on her similarity to Liana Skye. She is silent, but... a pout, followed by an embarassed blush, appear on her face. She purses her lips begins to shake like a boiling tea kettle as she is methodically criticized and compared to a fake hero, and when Hisa is done...
"Haaaaaah..."
All the pent-up tension is released as a sigh rather than a yell.
"...I'm not gonna stop telling people they're wrong if they're wrong," Prushka says. "Sometimes it's right to be bothersome, to be pushy, to listen to feelings instead of their words. But... I'm trying to be nicer about it."
Maybe that's regression. Maybe it's progress? Whatever the case, it's something.
"And I know what Angelica said. But I also know... those like her, who treat time differently, are a bit wonky in the head. You can listen to them, you can try to understand them, but you can't treat them like all-knowing gods. They're just people in the end. People who are trying not to break from awareness they never asked for. I mean, it's not like she gave us the answers outright, even though she could've. There must been a reason for that. So don't try to tailor all your behaviour around her."
Angelica was close to Hisa in the past, right? Perhaps she knows more about the strange woman than Prushka could ever hope to. But the smaller girl sticking to guns.
"It's alright, Hisa. You do your best and I'll do mine. I can be insane enough for the both of us. Saving everyone might be impossible with just one of us, but if we all work togther... it's not just a crazy dream. Now, that hidden classmate you're talking about..."
Prushka scratches her head.
"Why don't we just talk to her? If we know where her base is there's no reason to delay. She might just be the shy type that hides from people out of habit. For those sorts that'll one billion percent never open up on thier own, pushiness is the best option."
Hisa Momoi
"Didn't the straightforward approach just fail last time?" I asked as Prushka mentioned the ghost at the lighthouse, "I mean, things could maybe go different, but...learning more about them, or finding someone they know."
I rubbed my chin, as a vague idea about the nature if this ghost started forming in my mind.
"According to my...'informant', there was an incident in 1960 when a 14 years old boy jumped off the top of the lighthouse. He had a friend, a girl who wrote a diary about it. Supposedly, she saw a man in a black suit who mocked her, and told her that he would take her friend away. After that, she would see nightmares of a starless crimson sky, and a few days later the incident happened. I'd say that...it's a possibility that it's the ghost of that boy. Which would also mean...that the girl should be around 48 years old by now. Not sure how many people fit that criteria...but at the very least, there's always the diary that you can read."
In a sense, probably easier to find than some random old woman.
"There might be other people who know about him, too. I know for one that Rachel went to school with Jake. If someone would make such a discovery, it would likely be a young, adventurous kid," I mused on, "Well...I think they had another girl in the class as well, but she is not around anymore so that hardly helps."
Of course, adults could be accounted for as well, but...what adult goes exploring random locations, let alone try to get to know a ghost there?
"Either way, just remember not to go there at night."
Once again, the topic of the faculty comes up - something that's still mostly a mystery to me.
"It's quite likely that they know about a lot of things. But it's also likely that there is a good reason why they are not telling about it. Maybe it would be okay to ask them about it...but it could be dangerous as well. Who knows."
I could only respond to Prushka's explanation about her behaviour with a shrug. I wasn't here to lecture her about things that I may or may not be right about. I've already done enough of that for now - and in a sense, doing so was just as hypocritical of me as well. Still...much as I decided to stay calm, the next thing she said was still enough to overthrow that stand.
"Don't call Angelica wonky in the head," I said in a much colder tone as I rubbed my temple, "And don't assume that I'm treating her like some god. Yet, she is my dearest sister and she is the reason why I can be here, and be the person I am. Her opinion matters a lot to me."
A moment of silence, then a deep sigh - and my mood was back to normal.
"I'm not sure what her reason for giving such vague hints might be...but her advice about trying to take care of ourselves first was quite clear, and something I agree with now. Still, while I can't share the naive optimism...I too hope that in the end, everyone will get their happy end."
Much as that seems absolutely impossible right now.
"That ties back into what I just said as well," I scratched my head as the mysterious girl was mentioned, "I can only be at so many places, and it's not even the only thing that I have to neglect for now. Though...the second floor is one of the things I'm more interested in. So...maybe tomorrow."
Prushka
"Yeah, I talked to Rachel a bit."
They turn a corner. Their classroom is approaching, and with it the end to their conversation.
"She gave me a few tips. The ghost is shy, and he likes TV-dinners... and I think I can get through to him. No, I have to. If what you're saying is true, he's a victim too. The only lady that old I can think of is Avery. Maybe he'd like one of her pies. There was this song, and... no time to say it here. If it doesn't work, I'll go to Rachel next. But why not at night? Is there something there?"
"Ah... sorry. Maybe that wasn't the best word to use. I meant more that... those who touch time are to us what we are to normal people. Not in the sense of whether we're human or not, but more like... they see the world in a way we can't really understand. That's what it means to have a sixth sense.""Don't call Angelica wonky in the head."
Prushka stares off into the distance.
"I have a little brother. Well, I say little but we're the same age. He's sort of like a seer. When he sleeps, he dreams of what'll happen the next day. Sometimes he can change it, but sometimes he can't. What that means is, he'll wake up in the middle of night crying, because he didn't just have a vision of something horrible; to him, what he saw was as real as what we see. Whenever that happens, we can't do anything but cry with him. Other times he'll answer a question nobody asked, or get angry for reasons we don't understand. We do our best, but... it's not easy for anyone to bridge those differences. It's never easy. When Angelica said it's always raining some other day... to her, that might mean it's always raining, and nobody else can see it. That's the sort of world she must live in. I imagine it's a lonely one, where all any of us can do is hope."
Not long now.
Prushka looks up at Hisa. Her expression is a sad one.
"...I'll ask Ubon where she wants to go. Nowhere dangerous, promise. If not... tomorrow sounds good. But Monday sounds even better, right?"
Hisa Momoi
"You're jumping to conclusions," I said as I shook my head, "She could very well just be like us, except that she experienced the loop many times already. No need to assume that she got involved in some separate event that severed her from time and space or something."
Again, getting sentimental and talking about people being different...
It will never stop, will it?
"I'm not sure what's at the lighthouse," I answered, "Supposedly something that shoots to kill before asking questions. Probably just another asshole."
Even if it could be something interesting, I hardly had any reason to go to the lighthouse, as it seemed to be unrelated to the already dozens of other clues I found to different places and people.
As the topic changes, Prushka mentions taking Ubon with her.
Of course - it's already decided, just like that.
I guess after yesterday it was inevitable, but hopefully she'll spare her of the whole sentiment about being true to your emotions.
Guess that also means that I won't get to talk to Ubon until much later. Today is coming along just great.
"Sure." I nodded curtly, as my attention turned towards the classroom's door and the upcoming class.
Prushka
"Hah... yeah, you're right. Jumping to conclusions. I've gotta stop doing that..."
For once, there's no pushback. Hisa is the one who knows Angelica best.
"Something that shoots to kill though... thanks for the warning. I'll look for any traces."
As the topic changes, the classroom approaches, and the expression on Hisa's face changes, Prushka realizes she's once again said the wrong thing.
"I m-mean, I just wanna talk to her about yesterday and this morning, but, it's not like - I mean, she might have plans of her own-."
Whatever she wanted to say is cut off as they step into hearing range of the others, seconds away from the next class.
"...good luck."
All that's left to say now are parting words.
Hisa Momoi
Location: Pinefall High Dormitory
Phase: Evening Phase
Date: 08.09.1994
Weather: Overcast
With the classes finally over, it was time to be productive once more - just had to decide where to start. There were at least a few people I wanted to talk to, but it was for certain that they weren’t all going to be at the same place unfortunately, so…
Well, I guess I could just see if Ubon wants to tag along first, and then seek out Pyry as well.
Dropping off the unnecessary things from class, and packing up the more important things into my bag, I set off to the pool in hope of finding Ubon there. I could already tell that it was going to be a busy afternoon, and there was hardly time to waste.
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Originally Posted by Vier
