Astronomika - Shooting Down Falling Stars (IC)

[Mormarth]

Elaine Winters
Location: Pinefall High Dormitory - Kitchen
Phase: Morning Phase
Date: 07.09.1994
Weather: Partly Cloudy

Seems she’s the kind of person who can’t help but try to help out anything that might happen to cross her path.

Where’ve I heard that one before?

I puffed out a quiet breath from my nose, looking at her, complex emotions whirling in my chest, before allowing a small, wry smile to cross my face.

Alright then, I came here for some grub and it looks like I’ll be getting it.

My stomach growled, as ceaselessly voracious as always.

Beggars can’t be choosers, I suppose.

“Alright, alright, far be it from me to turn down a free meal, it’s against one of my rules. At least this one’s made by someone who’d put more effort than some dubious meat and some barbecue sauce between some slices of stale bread.”

Good times, and segue into some conversation...

“And when times got tough and we were down to dipping into gas money, had to start, ah, living off the land. Was not always the most squeaky clean way of going about it, but I got to try a lot of interesting things.”

Turns out if you put enough seasoning, anything tastes like anything.

“Cougar, for example.”

[Kuroyuki]

Vier Wolff
Location: Pinefall High - Music Room
Phase: Morning Phase
Date: 07.09.1994
Weather: Partly Cloudy

I tried playing exactly the same way as I did last time… Just throw myself into the music and forget about the upcoming events for a little bit. However, I couldn’t. I just kept thinking about what is going to happen and what I could change to prevent it. Yet I know that if I change too many things, I can’t create a similar enough situation to be able to counter it. I would have to dance a fine line because if I do too much one way… I could end up in the same horrible situation or changing the outcome for worse.

So despite my best efforts, there was an increase in errors while I was playing the song despite knowing exactly when and where I was going to make said errors. Also Inacio appeared at the sixty percent mark instead of the sixty-seven percent mark that he originally appeared at. I can attribute that to… Increased equipment inventorying and stopping by the cafeteria briefly. Should be an acceptable margin of error.

"Oh? Someone got here before me?"

Inacio entered the room just as magnificent as last time. The slight particles of dust accentuating his profile while the sudden influx of sunlight gave him a lighter and more open feel. Hair still wet and fresh from showering. Can be assumed to still be nervous. Now that I think about it. I never did find out what happened to him on Sunday. Probably another disappearance or even potentially a casualty of Subaru Iburi’s rampage.

"Good morning. I hope I'm not interrupting?”

“Good morning. Don’t worry I’m not doing anything major.”

I kept myself casual in his presence. Tuning my bass a bit further than last time due to my increased amount of errors. Tweak this here. That there. That should compensate a bit and reduce my increased error rate to about 5%.

Once I was done with that, I took some time to look appreciatively towards the C.F. Martin 000-28EC. While I managed to cross out playing in the same band as one, I still haven’t managed to play one. However, I can leave that for if I survive this Sunday.

"Figured I'd get some practice in as well, you know, before the lessons start. But it looks like I wasn't the only one who got the same idea."

“Yeah, some casual practice is always nice.”

I started up the next phase of getting into the band. I started playing the old classic again. Instead of the carefree smile I gave him originally, I gave him a more uncertain smile. First because I was worried about Sunday. Second, I felt like I was making a mockery of our first meeting.

[Begin OST]

[Mellon]

Anna Vandemeel
Location: Pinefall High - Cafeteria
Phase: Morning Phase
Date: 07.09.1994
Weather: Partly Cloudy

"I mean, I get where the stingy-thingy was coming from. The burger must've been pretty nice and fluffy place to sleep, and it's not like it could expect people to just start chomping on it while it was exploring the insides. Still... nasty creatures though. Though when it comes to venom, not as nearly as dangerous as snakes. Most in my unit hated the latter more than the former, since they tended to be lethal more often."

“Hah.” Anna gave a slight shrug, but lines of amusement were clearly etched in her face. “Never had to deal with poisonous critters that much myself. The most venomous critters we have back home are adders and you’d be hard-pressed to get killed by those buggers.”

Anna let out a small chuckle as she cut into the bacon and sausage on her plate. She herself could remember getting bitten by an adder in the undergrowth once. Nearly ended up with having her head taken off by one of those Naukograd tin-cans for that. The senses of animals tended to be far keener than those of men, closer to their instinctual origin. They usually fled as fast as possible from anything with even a hint of the turnside… but at times, escape was impossible. And with the flight removed the options, the only primal instinct left was to fight…

“The bites burn like nothing else though. The swelling makes it bloody hard to move about, as well.”

“Naah, the worst we ended up dealing with were larger animals. Ilvesed… err… lynxes have can have temperaments like giant pissed-off cats and if you end up cornering them they’re mean and quick little buggers. Bears are the worst, though. They normally keep out of the way of people but… can never know with the ones back home. Can be aggressive of a drop of a hat.“

“And before you know it, you’re are being charged at by four hundred kilograms of pissed of muscle. Unpredictable bastards.”

"Never had problems with snakes myself, though,"

"We get along pretty well actually."

I have no doubts about that, daughter of serpents.

While Ramia’s “unit” seemed to not match completely the research she had carried out on the origins of the Libyan soldier in front of her, that in itself didn’t say anything. Indeed, she might be the last remnant of the Coils and simply picked up by another contingent of mercenaries or soldiers of fortune. What she had found, could hardly be considered up to date, after all. Besides, that part of the world had been in flames for a long time. She wouldn’t be surprised if that ended up being the case. No, the real question here wasn’t her immediate past, but rather why Cleopatra’s disciples stayed together to begin with.

…The Philosophers Stone...The Coil of Mehen… It is as it is in the Amduat. Who is your “Ra”, Ramia?

Whose soul are you coiling around to shelter from the night, protect from the cycle of transmigration? Cleopatra herself?

"... help...?"

Anna gazed at the small deer-like boy who was now looking at her with pleading eyes from behind the mountain of food that was now stacked on his plate. Anna let out a small sigh as she rolled her eyes in exasperation, though her features were still set in a remarkably soft expression.

“…haa. She’s right, you know? You could use to build some muscle and stamina, Gabi. You look like even a moderate hike through the forest would send you huffing and puffing for at least thirty minutes. If not faint altogether.”

Despite her words, Anna was already piling off some food from Gabi’s plate, making it look much more manageable to the small boy. Anna’s eyes flickered over to Ramia, wry apprehension evident in her voice.

“But, since Indiana here is a military girl, she doesn’t know the meaning of restraint when it comes to food. Since she never knows when she has to go back to eating lean rations, bullet casings, and scorpion burgers.” For a moment, her eyes flickered back to Gabi, but her words still remained pointed at the dusky-skinned girl. “Since if you were to eat all this… you’d just end up throwing up most of it and getting less nutrition than you began with.”

Having finished the reorganization of Gabi’s plate, Anna sank back into her seat and her eyes ran across the people gathered the cafeteria. Most of them were familiar but….

Anna’s eyes sharpened for an almost imperceivable moment, as she gazed at the bushy-haired girl sitting next to the half-sized blonde squirt and that head-in-the-clouds airhead, Lockhart.

“Hmm… What was that girl’s name again? The one who is sitting with Lockhart and… what was it… Prushka?” A small self-teasing smile played on Anna’s lips as she addressed the other two at the table. “Probably some names slipped my mind with the two dozen new ones from yesterday.”

[Cheetose]

Hisa Momoi
Location: Pinefall High Main Building - Empty Classroom
Phase: Morning Phase
Date: 07.09.1994
Weather: Partly Cloudy

He doesn’t seem to remember anything at all…

Well, not past “yesterday”. But if “yesterday” was the day when we arrived, then...Last night had to be that dream in the forest with Muse. While she did not say a thing about anything like this happening, she did give me that...something. And explain vaguely what she was, even if it didn’t make too much sense. Something that makes a bit more sense now...or at least gives a clue to keep in mind. Pyry did say that he didn’t dream about anything like that after all, so…

Well, no point jumping to conclusions before I know more anyways.

Still...there must be others who remember, right?

There must be pretenders among these people who are experiencing this but are far less freaked out...or just as confused and afraid as I am right now.

Lost in my thoughts, I lead - or rather, dragged - Pyry out of the cafeteria, away from the buzzing crowd towards one of the empty rooms further into the building, without even saying a single word. Not that I didn’t want to talk to him, that’s all I wanted, but at least for now, I didn’t want to risk anyone overhearing things.

Having reached one of the empty classrooms, I urged him to sit down - a lot easier to have this conversation if I don’t have to constantly break my neck to properly see his face - and, after a moment’s hesitation, I tapped the doorframe. Then closed the door.

“I...I’m sorry, you really must have no idea why I dragged you out here,” I talked up finally as I took a seat in front of the boy, “must be damn weird for you, but...there’s a good reason.”

But what exactly do I tell him? That we already lived through a week together, and he just doesn’t remember? That he was gravely injured multiple times, and then he eventually died in front of my eyes by being reduced to nothingness? That the people we’ve just seen chatting in the cateria all probably died in horrible, miserable manners?

That I died, and now somehow I’m back here?

What exactly could I mention...that would maybe make sense without making me look like a mentally deranged person?

“You do remember Angelica, right? Your meeting with her earlier this summer? After she was gone for a while, but then came to talk to you, but she seemed to be...kind of crazy?”

I’ll probably look just as crazy, or suspicious if I tell him that I know all about it, I remember their conversation word for word...because he told me about it in the…”future”, but...Not much else I can think of that would lead anywhere in a less extreme manner.

“A meeting that went like…”

I took a moment to collect my mind, and recall everything perfectly that he told me about in Ubon’s room. The explanation had to be perfect - there was no room for mistakes if I wanted it to have the proper effect.

---

"It was the aftermath of a fight, and you were just reminiscing about Angelica and how nice it would have been to have her there to help you out. And then, as if your wish was granted, she just appeared."

“...Yo. It’s been a while, Angelica,” was how you greeted her, “Come to pull my ass out of the fire again?”

"It started out seemingly normal and...well, happy, you were both chuckling, but then she started talking and it got weird."

“Hi-hi, it’s been a while, hasn’t it? Running away again, are we? I suppose that’s typical of you. You keep your secrets close to your chest, but snoop around the secrets of everyone else. Well, we all have our bad habits, don’t we?”

"This still probably didn’t feel too off for you, considering just what exactly you’ve been up to then, but after she continued…"

“Like how that midget over there just played Operation with the emotional heart of your friend the cutie-mutie. But ah, even if the two hadn’t caused a scene, I bet they would’ve eavesdropped anyways.”

"You said that she was pointing at one of the bodies on the ground as she was explaining this, and that things were starting to not make any sense here and that you couldn’t make the connections to the people around you, since...well, it was just odd?"

“But enough of stuff you don’t understand. What I meant to say was: Hi~! Hi, pyry and the peanut gallery.”

The memory still gave me goosebumps. It still felt almost as shocking as the first time when I heard Pyry say these words, after having told me that my dear sister was still alive but seemingly gone crazy.

Shuddering, I took a moment to calm my mind before I continued the memory, all the while locking eyes with Pyry.

“...Peanut gallery? What? The hell are you talking about, Ange? It’s just me here, y’know.”

"That’s what you said in confusion. Must have been quite a shock, really...I mean...well, anyways."

“Really, you’re going to make me repeat what I already said, Pyry?” She continued after that, “Shame on you. You should have understood immediately. But...well, I guess that’s only natural for you. Linear view and all that.”

“Hey, I might not always catch on the quickest, but that doesn’t mean you get a free pass at throwing insults at me.”

How rude it was of her, really. Pyry might not be as knowledgeable about certain topics as her or me, but he probably has more wits and common sense than either of us. Calling him stupid just because he didn’t catch in on her obvious weirdness…

I wanted to reach out, caress his face just like before, and even more to embrace him. The scene of him disappearing into nothingness popped into my mind again, and it threatened to derail me from continuing the explanation, but…

"A-anyways..."

“Sorry, sorry. The truth is, I was just passing and thought I’d come to hang out. But I see that you have quite the social gathering going on here, so maybe I’m intruding a bit? You seem quite popular these days, after all. I think I’ll just say my piece this time and go on my way. After all, there’s a lot to do and so much time to do it in. Yet even when that’s the case I don’t have time to get into arguments with physical and mental halflings, so, hm, let’s just leave that train of thought there.”

“You know, you should really fix that nasty habit of yours. Even if you expect the other party to know what the hell you’re talking about, that usually isn’t the case.”

“Perhaps. But it comes handy every once in a while. But, to get to the point...Ah, it’s a shame. A party like this makes me feel like joining in, especially considering who were invited, but I can’t really put pleasure before obligations anymore. I guess that’s part of becoming an adult. So, hm, here goes then. The true reason I passed by this place today. You see..”

The part that hurt the most. Because, especially now, understanding this from different perspectives...It became even more obvious that this wasn’t meant just for Pyry. And considering how it can’t have been meant for anyone else in the room either, it was clear.

“...I came here to announce that we’re through. In other words, I’m cutting what bonds we have. Call it a break-up if you have to. Sorry. That’s just how things are now. There’s nothing I can do about it.”

But...why?

It was still something I couldn’t understand.

How could she expect Pyry...me, to be fine with this? To just accept this without a proper explanation, and give up on helping her?

A single tear rolled down my cheek.

"I...know that must have been sad for you. But there’s a lot more to it...and the truth there is to it is probably just even more sad, really. But, for now…"

“If that’s how you feel about it. Those sound like rather important reasons. Are they the same reasons why you look so...different today?”

“Well, yeah...I gave an arm and a leg to get out of this one situation, and well...You see how that turned out.”

“Like a bad joke.”

“Exactly like a bad joke.”

"You mentioned how strange this part felt. How it was summer but it was snowing around her somehow, and how it made things even more ominous because you didn't believe it to be just a coincidence."

“Like I said, Pyry, if I got to choose, I’d join you guys but ah well, no can do. That also means I won’t be able to help with any of the problems that have cropped up. Whether it’s a problem of missing teachers. Whether it’s a problem of missing brothers. Whether it’s a problem of missing targets. I have no time to help with any of them...even if I usually would.”

Something that, even in hindsight, didn’t feel to mean too much yet. The teachers certainly seemed to be...away on sunday, but...the rest?

“Hey Ange...You’re not making a lick of sense again. Just what the hell’s going on with you?”

“What? It’s not weird to know about stuff like that. Or stuff like this. Honestly, I’m not sure why ‘you’ are so shocked in the first place. Yes. Elementary. Knowing about this is elementary. Because…
...
..
.
..
...
...Because I know everything.”

I took a pause, all the while observing Pyry’s face and emotions - I already said a lot, a lot that could sound quite shocking, just like how shocking that meeting must have been. So much stuff that just sounded way too ominous in hindsight, and it was only going to get worse.

Still...Now, in a different light, it started making a bit more sense. Could it be that she was just like me?

"I’ll...just finish the rest, okay? I know you must be just as weirded out now as you were back then, if not more, but...let me just finish, alright?"

“My my, did cat get your tongue? I thought that would have been impossible, especially for you. But still...That’s quite selfish of you there. No, maybe I should call it arrogance? Thinking that everything revolves around you, thinking that things are your fault, thinking that you could have done anything to stop it or that you could somehow fix things...It really reeks of arrogance, doesn’t it?”

It was kind of amusing. Even back then I could tell that this too was probably meant for me as well, and yet...until the very end, I kept blaming myself for everything, I still do. Does it really make me that helplessly arrogant? Is it wrong that I want to help people? That I blame myself for things that I obviously could have changed?

“Hey...I’d appreciate if you didn’t read my mind so creepily. Besides, what’s wrong with wanting to help you? It’s...pretty clear, Ange, that something’s wrong with you. And I’m not talking about only how you look. I’m talking about how you’re acting. Claiming you know everything is just...that’s just insane!”

“Is it? Really? Hmm, I wouldn’t really say so but I suppose I have lost some common sense thanks to late events. Guess I left it with Hisa or Kiki. But honestly, I’d say it’s as insane as claiming you’ll help someone when you aren’t even capable of helping yourself. Taking care of your own ass is the first step of being a proper adult, not shoving that responsibility aside so you could stick your nose into other people’s problems.”

“Hisa? Kiki? Who are those? And what do you mean, unable to help myself?”

Back then, the mention of my own name felt a lot less out of place and a lot more appropriate, with the situation we were in. But now…

With a sad smile on my face, I just stared at Pyry for a few moments. I was wondering if he could put the pieces together, right here and now, based on what he knows. I was wondering if it was starting to make, at least, a little sense.

“Ehm…” Still, after clearing my throat, I continued.

“Nobody who matters to you. But they matter to me. And they are both in the same train with this whole ludicrous idea. In fact, I think all of you are. See, you can’t even help yourself even through tomorrow or the day after you’ll face a beast unlike any other. Nobody else can help you. Nobody else can save you. It’s a problem you’ll have to handle on your own, but each and every one of you is more concerned with the problems of others. ‘Oh, where is my precious teacher?’ and ‘Oh, where is my long-lost brother?’ and ‘Oh, where is the target of my hunt?’. You’re so up someone else’s ass that you can’t even notice the disaster brewing right under your noses. I guess it smells too much like roses.”

A beast unlike other...now I was sure that she was referring to the events of sunday.

“Oh no, now I reminded myself of that song about roses and their smell that’s coming out. Hrm, maybe ‘reminded’ is a wrong word use? Well, anyways! It certainly gave a whole new subtext about how you called me your rose. Not to mention what’s going on with you. It might seem all roses right now, but if you do lean a little bit closer you see it’s not your faeces that might be stinking...but it’s still faeces, nonetheless. In other words, being in the middle of a field of roses means being knee deep in excrement. And just wait until that excrement hits the fan, because that’s when you’ll be showered in red, not brown, like you would have expected. What I’m trying to say is…
...
...You already let one of your classmates die. Are you going to let it happen again, and this time to many others?”

“You...mentioned that it reminded you of something about your past, and you took that she was implying to that. But..” Tearing my eyes away from him for the first time, I looked around the room, further emphasizing the act by gesturing around with my hand too, “Don’t you think...that it makes sense, right now? That it would be just too big of a coincidence?”

I turned my gaze back to Pyry, hushing these thoughts away for now.

A-anyways…”

“Oh, sorry~! I think this was something you didn’t know yet. After all, while I know everything, you don’t know anything. My bad~. But it’s really nothing to lament about. No human knows anything. Not really. They don’t know that they should accost the man with one eye, or that they should question the janitor of your school, or that they should watch out for the wolf in girl’s clothing. That’s just how things are from your perspective. You rue your own ignorance despite not even knowing how truly ignorant you are. To not know the depths of how little one knows is the worst knowledge of all, and that’s why we naturally try to keep it unknown. I suppose that’s the eternal conundrum of a human being, being stuck in one place and one time, with only their own perspective to shed light on things.”

It really makes sense. What I’m experiencing...it certainly sheds a new light to certain things.

“...What do you think you know about me? We were close, sure, but don’t think for a moment you know who I truly am.”

“What do I know? Oh, Pyrite, I know everything. Didn’t I already say that? Like I know how you’ll be relaying this when the time comes, and how you’ll be hearing me say how I know you’ll be relaying this when the time comes, and how you’ll be hearing me say how you’ll be hearing me say I know you’ll be relaying when the time comes and...Oh dear. Try saying that three times fast. Makes you dizzy.”

A pause, once again. It’s amusing, in a sense, how she almost perfectly predicted it. Well, this time it wasn’t him relaying it, but...the point is the same, nonetheless.

“Hey, Pyry? Did you know? I like rain. Whenever it rains, I feel happy. Calm. Comfortable. And that’s why I always feel that way...Because it’s raining on some other day. That’s something you should never forget. That it’s raining on some other day.”

“...if nothing else, make sure the midget learns that.”

“Well, have fun with my sloppy seconds.”

Finishing the "memory", I became quiet. I just sat there, staring at Pyry - not really knowing what to expect. Would he be able to comprehend? Understand all of this? Would he just think I'm crazy as well?

I couldn't tell. But I wanted to know. I had to know.

[Verg Avesta]

Hisa Momoi
Location: Pinefall High - Empty Classroom
Phase: Morning Phase
Date: 07.09.1994
Weather: Partly Cloudy

To say that the silence after Hisa's story was heavy would have been an understatement.

It was as silent as a grave.

While the boy had been still as confused and hungover as before when he was dragged to an empty classroom (and at that point he had started to look nervous in other ways too), that soon evaporated for the most part. The minute Angelica's name was mentioned his eyes went as wide as plates, and any word he might have been trying to get in the edgewise was stuck in his throat. When this was followed by a mention of a meeting last summer, it was perhaps good that Hisa had made him sit - the look on his face said a lot.

And so the story started.

And continued.

It went on and on, a story about a meeting within snowfall, in the summer, in some far-away country.

Between a golden-haired boy and a silver-haired girl.

As relayed by Hisa Momoi.

And with every sentence she spoke, color drained more and more off of Pyry's face, to the point he was as white as his namesake by the time that Hisa's recount of the events started nearing its end. One arm instinctively rose up and leaned its elbow against the desk, with the hand holding his forehead like he was trying to calm down his racing mind. The other hand went inside his pocket, and with slightly shaking fingers he pulled out a cigarette and lit it. Soon enough, a trail of smoke slowly made its way towards the ceiling, with Pyry's frozen, stiff and deadly serious expression hinting at how much he needed something to calm his brain at the moment.

Then, just like that...

--- The story was over.

The only ones that were left in the room was the scarred girl who had recounted a memory from a night that no longer seemed to exist, and a boy who looked like he had seen a ghost... ghost that made him both concerned, worried, confused and pissed off. A ghost that made his emotions roil and boil within him in a way he didn't exactly like. Pyry's fingers rubbed his forehead as he tried to make sense of what he had heard, and colt sweat had began to drip down it. Again, he brought his cigarette to his lips, and took a drag off it.

The silence after the story seemed to continue for eternity.

It continued... until Pyry finally aimed his wandering gaze at Hisa once more. With narrowed eyes, look that wasn't sure if he could exactly trust what he had head, and whole lot of confusion brewing within those yellow pupils, he stared a hole through the scarred girl, trying to get a read on what exactly her game was. He was suspicious, yes, but at the same time...

... It seemed that mentioning the name of Angelica had caught his attention, even if it clearly also caused him pain.

"... Did she tell you what happened? Well, I guess she did... there was nobody else there, back then," Pyry finally asked roughly, breaking the silence. "That would make you... Huh. Duh. It'd make you, 'Hisa' as she put it. Unless this is some sort of double-bluff and you're actually 'Kiki'. Which means..."

his eyes narrowed a bit more, as if he was testing waters with the girl in front of him.

"... You're related to Ange how exactly?"

[Spinach]

Colt Davin
Location: Pinefall High Dormitory - Kitchen
Phase: Morning Phase
Date: 07.09.1994
Weather: Partly Cloudy

For the last week, or rather the lost week, Colt hadn’t spent as much time with his classmates as he truly wanted to. All sorts of things, most of all his own actions, kept him at bay. He had been the sole cause of his downfall. Everyone else was making tight friendships and learning about each other while he went off and ran from the prospect. In the end, there were only a few out of the Pinefall High School for Troubled Youth he would call friends.

"If you need a hand or something, I'm here, alright? No one's going to be dying around here if I've got anything to say about it. I'm a superhero, after all. It's kinda my job!"

The thing about superheroes is that they aren’t everywhere at once.

When things got bad, not once, but twice Lucille had shown up and lent him a hand. Colt never quite thought it was because she saw him differently than anyone else. She seemed like the type who just did what she thought was right, regardless of who it was for. Even though he felt all sorts of gratitude toward her, enough that he’d say he considers her a friend, he was never sure if that feeling was reciprocated.

Sakura Tsukioka, Elaine Winters. What was there to know about them? What was there to feel toward them?

"Alrighty, you lot! Looks like move to a new place and a new environment has got us all rattled with something... but lucky for you, you have a secret weapon! In other words... me! And while I may not know what it is that exactly got you all to a such a solemn mood, I do know one thing... Eating a good breakfast always helps, no matter what the problem. So you three just sit down for now, while I make you all sandwiches to fill up your tummies. And yes, you can ask me for seconds. Guaranteed!"

"So just relax, eat and don't worry 'bout none for a while, the nightmares of last night always seem closer than they actually are with an empty stomach. So let's fix that."

In this moment, a lot of things. Things that were hard to describe, things that were polar opposites.

For Elaine, what he felt most of all were disappointment and gratitude. For not understanding, but offering kind thoughts regardless.

For Sakura, what he felt most of all were envy and gratitude. For the care she received from Lucille, and for her kindheartedness.

But just as well, there was fear.

“Ah, I’ll help.” Fear that she might serve him something along the lines of what Lucille had been offered. “Do you know how to make croque madame? It’s a bit more work but I promise it’s worth it.”

Colt stepped up to the counter and began clearing space. There was a short list of things he needed, many of which were scattered everywhere thanks to Sakura. Absolutely no way could he let her have total control over breakfast. Not if the result of her methods would be this, and…

He glanced at Lucille’s “breakfast.”

And that.

“Eggs, flour, butter, bread, milk. Since it’s breakfast, bacon instead of ham.” He gathered up the ingredients in the order he could find them. It was a scavenger hunt he didn't want to embark on, but he came for food, and food he would have. “I’ll take care of the white sauce. Can you slice some bread and punch egg sized holes in half of the slices?”

Avoiding Sakura’s cuisine was only part of it. This is what he had come here for in the first place. One tiny piece of comfort food. Fat and carbs and fat. It might not be enough to put a smile on his face. He wasn’t sure if anything could, other than time, but food that he loved would be a good start. Colt was no self-care expert, but he knew what he liked.

Treating yourself to something you love when you feel like shit, that’s just common sense.

He took his share of the workload to the stovetop and began melting some butter in a pot.

Really, he didn’t care so much about the rest of the sandwich. He just wanted this. Béchamel. A staple of a country breakfast. It improves anything you put it on, he just didn’t have the heart or the energy to make anything more than a simple sandwich for the moment.

"Is there a cheese you prefer?"

He asked Sakura and Elaine both that question. Whether the kitchen had a wide enough assortment of cheese to match everyone's palate... well, he didn't care. Surely there was some parmesan hidden away somewhere.

[Verg Avesta]

Vier Wolff
Location: Pinefall High - Music Room
Phase: Morning Phase
Date: 07.09.1994
Weather: Partly Cloudy

“Yeah, some casual practice is always nice.”

As Vier's fingers started strumming notes from a well-known classic, a smile started spreading to Inacio's face... though it faltered just a bit in time with Vier's own fingers making mistakes. He had clearly recognized the song that the girl was playing, and even lifted his own guitar to his lap and moved it closer to his body. The boy set his hands as if he was preparing to start playing alongside Vier after letting her finish one loop of the intro sequence of the song. However, though he started controlling his breathing and caressed the strings on the guitar like was about to start playing...

... He never did.

Instead, he leaned a bit on his instrument and shot a questioning eye at Vier, cocking his eyebrow a little.

"Excuse me if I'm being nosy but... are you perhaps nervous about having an audience? Those mistakes you keep making, they're involuntary, no? As in, you know the right technique, but it sounds like your fingers are either shaking or not moving as you'd want them to... which is usually a sign of stage-fright," the Lusitanian commented, his eyes momentary glancing at Vier's hands before moving back to the girl's face. "I... guess I sort of intruded, didn't I? Worry not, if you want to practice in peace, I can certainly give you the space."

Chuckling to himself, Inacio tried to offer a warm smile towards the brunette girl, but instead it came across as a little awkward and clumsy. He was trying his best to appear amicable, but when somebody not used to it tries to purposefully be friendly, it can come across as rather weird and even goofy.

"I mean... I did waltz in here without asking, didn't I?" Inacio continued, and smirked a bit. "So if my presence disturbs you, senhorita, either because of the overblown shampoo I use or because I unashamedly stick my nose wherever there's music to be heard, I apologize."

He spread his hands and bowed his head a little.

"That wasn't my intention."

---

Anna Vandemeel
Location: Pinefall High - Cafeteria
Phase: Morning Phase
Date: 07.09.1994
Weather: Partly Cloudy

“…haa. She’s right, you know? You could use to build some muscle and stamina, Gabi. You look like even a moderate hike through the forest would send you huffing and puffing for at least thirty minutes. If not faint altogether.”

Something in those words made Gabi shiver like a rabbit that had just heard the breathing of a wolf behind it. Almost as if he had planned exactly something like a hike through the forest, and was not met with reality that he wouldn't survive it in any decent manner thanks to his lack of stamina and overall muscle.

Perhaps that was also why he muttered something inaudible as a response, blushed a little, and stared at his own lap.

“But, since Indiana here is a military girl, she doesn’t know the meaning of restraint when it comes to food. Since she never knows when she has to go back to eating lean rations, bullet casings, and scorpion burgers. Since if you were to eat all this… you’d just end up throwing up most of it and getting less nutrition than you began with.”

"... mm... yeah..." Gabi mumbled in response. "... I know she... isn't... being mean... Just... can't keep up with it..."

Well, he was being as reclusive and distant in his answers as ever. The difference was slight, but comparing to how Anna had heard him speak on last Sunday (Next Sunday, was it?), she could immediately recognize that the boy was far more withdrawn now than he had been back then. Maybe he really was just shy the point that needed some coaxing to get out of this awkward bundle of a shell.

Though, speaking of awkward.

"... and thanks... you really..."

There was this, wasn't there?

"... saved my..."

This thing.

"... my bacon..."

And as expected, the faintest sound of uncontrolled giggling filled the air afterrwards. Gabi had lost the battle with his sense of humour and was now smiling with his eyes tightly shut. Strangest of all, his feet were drumming the floor in a rapid rhythm, swinging back and forth at an incredible pace. It wasn't just that Gabi Bahkauv was laughing at his own joke, he was practically over the moon when it came to his giddiness.

Which was why it was perhaps best to change the topic and quick.

“Hmm… What was that girl’s name again? The one who is sitting with Lockhart and… what was it… Prushka? Probably some names slipped my mind with the two dozen new ones from yesterday.”

"... o-oh... umm..."

While still wiping some tears of laughter (or giggling that was so high-pitched only dogs could hear it) Gabi calmed himself down the best he could and took a glance around the room, finally ending up staring in the same direction as Anna. The boy tilted his head and one could practically see a big question mark pop up in existence above his round head. After a moment or two of awkward staring, he turned his dull eyes back to Anna... and tilted his head to the other side.

"... that's... Subaru Iburi... no?"

[Cheetose]

Hisa Momoi
Location: Pinefall High Main Building - Empty Classroom
Phase: Morning Phase
Date: 07.09.1994
Weather: Partly Cloudy

He didn’t trust me, he was obviously uncertain...But not that I could expect him to believe me, the “stranger” who just dragged him out here to drop all this information on him out of nowhere.

Still...I can’t just play pretend. What if it happens again? I can’t relive the same thing again and again, pretending that he is as much of a stranger to me as I am to him, and trying to become friends from scratch...I can’t carry this burden alone, not when there is so much to carry and causes so much grief and tragedy.

“No...I’m not Kiki,” I spoke up after the silence with carefully measured words, “I’m Hisa. I...know you don’t necessarily believe me, but I have no reason to lie about it.”

Of course...from his perspective, right now, I might as well do. And if I did have a reason and was really lying, I probably would say the exact same thing.

“For how I’m related to her...remember how she left Finland about 7 years ago? That’s when she came to the British Isles, and found me as I was about to die in a forest and took me in. We lived together in her companion...or well, master’s house, until the beginning of this year when she disappeared and...well, most likely became the weird person that you met during the summer. I think she was somehow involved with this town.”

The town...or the forest? Or is there something much larger on scale going on? It felt a bit hard to imagine how she got all the way here from Britain, but then...They did teleport somewhere on that day.

“For ‘how’ I’m related to her in another sense, well…” I continued without breaking eye contact, “We were like sisters. She was older than me, so...that made her the older sister, while I was the younger. You said she talked you a lot about her younger sister and that it often made you jealous, but...Yeah, that is supposed to be me.”

My heart was starting to beat faster again, because with all of this out of the way, anything that could come next would probably be even more shocking and upsetting. I could not think of a good way to present any of them without sounding absurd, and I couldn’t even imagine what he was going to think after this - but it had to be done sooner or later.

“And...no, she didn’t tell me about it. I can explain you the rest...I can give you better proof even, but things can become strange, frighteningly strange. I do want to share, I do want to listen...but only if you’re okay with that too.”

[Bloble]

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

"...whoa."

Was Subaru always this high energy? I guess so. Maybe I just never saw too much of this caring side of her. She's like a big sister on a warpath.

"Um... what she said," I add as I tentatively accept the offered box from Tonkori. She won't accept my gratitude, so I'll thank you with this piece of bacon instead. Puppies need to eat to grow, just like people do, so go ahead and have as much as you need. We can both get big and strong and...

What am I even saying? Big and strong? I'll be cut down in my-.

I crack it open the box. There was salve in here, right? "And 'scuse the pushiness, 'Strasza. Grump's how I deal with bad dreams, 'til some Good Samaritan comes by and chases it off. Powering through it with a smile might work better for you."

Is it just me or are things a bit different? Last time I had to defuse Pyry, I remember that much, but he isn't here right now. Maybe that's for the better. He won't see me, so he won't get involved, so we won't-.

We won't become friends. I won't meet Beatrice and hear her stories. Ubon won't play with my hair. I won't see Vivi's broken heart. Or Rachel's obsession. Or-.

"Ow."

Some of it got in my eye. Come on, Prushka, you can't waste it like that. The day, the week, or Subaru's precious gift.

Still those shaking fingers. Silence that bleeding heart of yours. This is neither the time nor the place for tears.

Even though I've always cried when I felt like crying. Always yelled when I felt like yelling. But I can't, and I mustn't. Those who have seen the future are the ones who bear its burden.

Just like Angelica bore it. Just like they bore it.

Besides... there's no one here to cry to about bad dreams. The best we can do is complain a little. Isn't that right, Lockhart?

[Verg Avesta]

Hisa Momoi
Location: Pinefall High - Empty Classroom
Phase: Morning Phase
Date: 07.09.1994
Weather: Partly Cloudy

Pyry pinched the bridge of his nose with his eyes closed, trying apparently his best to not let an incoming migraine get the better of him.

Well, his reaction was understandable. A whole lot of information had been piled on him, information that he was clearly hard-pressed to completely understand or accept... but at the same time, he had been given proof to go along with it. Proof that what Hisa was speaking about was the truth, or at the very least, she somehow knew about what had happened. And considering the scarred girl's name popped up in Pyry's own memories, there had to be some definite connection between him, Angelica and the girl before him...

--- But of course, things as surreal as these weren't always easy to accept.

Especially when they came out of nowhere like this.

From a person who was, for all intents and purposes, a stranger.

"Okay... okay. So, yeah, if you're Hisa... it would make sense for you to be the little sister Ange went on and on about," Pyry finally answered, taking a drag off his cigarette. "That much I get... and that much I can believe. I mean, you wouldn't know about this stuff if you weren't who you say you are... well, you would if you were some sort of spy, but... eh, you ain't exactly got the eyes of a secret agent. Anyways..."

Pyry finished up by rubbing his temple to ease his headache, and then dragging his hand down his face while letting out a deep sigh. When he finally looked at Hisa once more, his expression had started to soften up a little bit, but at the same time, his eyes were still narrowed - as if he was prepared for danger or a lie at some point.

"Still... I haven't heard from Ange since last summer. And now you're saying she's got something to do with this town? I mean, not that I can't see it, she was into all sorts of weird stuff and had her hands in lots of pots, but... urgh. Sorry. Brain-no-function-this-morning. Especially after this little bombshell," Pyry said with a grimace, and rapped the side of his head with his knuckle. "Can you just... hold your horses for one second? I'm having enough trouble processing all of this as is."

Letting out a sight which was accompanied by a loud rumble out of nowhere, Pyry cocked an eyebrow at his own stomach.

"... I mean, I'm hungry as all hell, last night went long and now I'm trying to wrap my head around this whole thing," Pyry continued, looking back at Hisa. "And judging by how you phrase it so spooky and ominous-like, I'm expecting this proof of yours to be more of this sort of weirdness, no? So just hold on and let my brains catch up. And answer this important question..."

Pyry's eyes were locked to Hisa's now.

"--- Is it something that can be talked about over breakfast? The smell of bacon from the cafeteria is killing me right now."

[Cheetose]

Hisa Momoi
Location: Pinefall High Main Building - Empty Classroom
Phase: Morning Phase
Date: 07.09.1994
Weather: Partly Cloudy

“Eyes of a...secret agent…” I couldn’t help but let out a small giggle at the irony, but that wasn’t necessarily something to be discussed right now.

“Still...yeah, if I was spying on you, would I have a reason to approach you like this? And I’m sure it wouldn’t make sense for me to share what I want to share in that case…”

Standing up from my seat, I took a step forward and was now standing in front of the boy - his gaze being just barely below mine even though he was sitting and I was standing.

“For whether or not this can be discussed over breakfast, in the cafeteria, among all those other people…”

I reached out with my left, and gently, so as to not startle him, touched the side of his face, focusing my mind on the fingertip of my ring finger...And with a barely noticeable, ticklish sensation, sent a soothing feeling through his body - something that would almost instantly cure his headache and probably calm his mind.

“Probably not.”

I lowered my hand as I took a step back.

“Maybe over food, but not in front of people. But it’s important. We don’t have forever, and the earlier you know, the earlier we can try to start solving the issues at hand.”

[Verg Avesta]

Hisa Momoi
Location: Pinefall High - Empty Classroom
Phase: Morning Phase
Date: 07.09.1994
Weather: Partly Cloudy

“Maybe over food, but not in front of people. But it’s important. We don’t have forever, and the earlier you know, the earlier we can try to start solving the issues at hand.”

Pyry cocked his eyebrow again, but this time at the sight of Hisa's retreating hand. His eyes glanced towards the spot she had touched, and myriad expressions played on his face as he tried to process was just happened. Confusion was one of them, of course, while slight hint of embarrassment had also sneaked in. In addition to all of this was a dash of amusement at the whole situation, and a whole ladle of hunger to accompany it. Then, a spoonful of sudden relief was added to the mix, as the frown on his face eased up a bit and his brow stopped furrowing.

"... Yeah, I guess you'd been around Ange. People aren't usually this touchy-feely. Other than her of course," Pyry said with a snort as he finished his cigarette and rose up from his chair. "Especially the face area. Touching someone's face without warning is a super Ange thing to do. Yep, can definitely see that you've been whittled out of the same weirdo tree as her."

Chuckling to himself the boy stretched his back until there was a satisfying pop and led into an even more satisfied sigh from him. Them, flicking his cigarette butt out of the open window, he turned back towards Hisa with a slight hint of grin on his face. While the confusion and the wary nature of his countenance wasn't completely gone yet, he had warmed up a bit to the girl.

The most likely reason being...

"Though I don't mind. Weirdo trees are alright in my books. Same as weirdo people with ominous lines," Pyry said with another chuckle, before pointing his thumb at the door. "Anyways, shall we go grab some grub then? Might as well fill the trays and go eat somewhere outside. I think it's starting to get a bit brighter out, so might be nice."

Well, there was a suggetion.

[Kuroyuki]

Vier Wolff
Location: Pinefall High - Music Room
Phase: Morning Phase
Date: 07.09.1994
Weather: Partly Cloudy

At first, I was thinking I could trigger the same interaction. Inacio recognized the song and started smiling. He moved the guitar to his lap and even started to prep himself to start playing. I could almost hear the Portugese coming… Yet it never occurred. I continued playing by myself as if I wasn’t waiting for Inacio. I only stopped when he finally said something about the increased amount of mistakes.

"Excuse me if I'm being nosy but... are you perhaps nervous about having an audience? Those mistakes you keep making, they're involuntary, no? As in, you know the right technique, but it sounds like your fingers are either shaking or not moving as you'd want them to... which is usually a sign of stage-frightI... guess I sort of intruded, didn't I? Worry not, if you want to practice in peace, I can certainly give you the space.

I mean... I did waltz in here without asking, didn't I? So if my presence disturbs you, senhorita, either because of the overblown shampoo I use or because I unashamedly stick my nose wherever there's music to be heard, I apologize. That wasn't my intention."

“That’s not it. I was just thinking a bit too hard about the future and how I can’t mess things up to the point that it started to affect my playing more than I thought. My best friend used to always call me a pessimistic worrywart… But I guess she was right about me needing to lighten up a bit.”

I wasn’t lying. Inacio being in the same room as me doesn’t worry me right now. Getting stage fright? As if. If that was the case, then I would’ve died every time I saw a group of enemy combatants. A group of people just looking at you neutrally or happily is easy. A group that wants to murder you is absolutely terrifying the first couple of times. However, he did make me realize that if I want to redo the loop as I know it. I can’t just go through thinking about it all the time. I need to live in the moment as well.

“How about this. You pick any song. I’ll do my best as a bassist to support you and take my mind off of things. Because it’s one thing if I’m just practicing by myself and messing up. But I won’t mess up someone else’s song by not giving them my best.”

My only hope is that he doesn’t choose THAT song again. Last time he did that song I was decently winded and mentally exhausted. Granted if he does that song, I'll do the same thing as last time...

[Frantic Author]

--- Alexstrasza Lockhart Date: 07.09.1994. Location: Road's End Phase: Morning Phase Weather: Partly Cloudy ---

"Hmm..." I listened to Subaru with a neutral expression, my hand picking up my fork to idly spin it on the edge of my finger. "But violence is the only solution I know, Miss Iburi. It is the answer that I was raised on as a child, it is the answer I was forced to turn to many times as I grew, and so it is only natural that I flee towards it now, is it not?"

I hate weakness.

I hate feeling weak. Feeling powerless. Feeling like I've done something wrong, even when I've done nothing wrong at all. I don't know what to do differently, or how to change, or how to make change occur. All I know is who I am, and how I act is how I've always acted.

How do I change?

How do I change so thoroughly that even Gaap cannot find me?

How do I become something entirely unlike myself? How do I rid myself of the stigma of what I once did, to look forward to a future that barely exists? What a joke. I don't know whether to laugh or cry.

"I am sure that things will be just fine, and nightmares shall be just nightmares that fade away, and if you are feeling nervous, just remember... everybody else is feeling nervous too."

"Thank you, Subaru," I replied with a soft smile, tapping my fork to my plate. "I'll be sure to remember that."

"And 'scuse the pushiness, 'Strasza. Grump's how I deal with bad dreams, 'til some Good Samaritan comes by and chases it off. Powering through it with a smile might work better for you."

Names, names, names. I have been given so many names since I first left my home I can scarcely keep track of them. Zaza. Strasza. Alex. Za. It's making me a bit nostalgic for the older, more common names - bitch, murderer, demon, monster. Or perhaps my former foster's personal favorite, abomination. Ahh... memories.

"Ow."

"Careful now, careful," I said with a false sense of cheer, raising my fork to the girl. "Fixing a black eye isn't the easiest thing in the world. You have to dab lightly at it, otherwise it will heal unevenly and then you'll be left with your shame showing on your cheek for a few more days."

It's sinking in, now.

I'm figuring it out, now.

What exactly is the common thread here, aiurea? What has changed between today and a week before today that makes it so much different?

Why is this blonde girl still sitting with me? She ran from me. It is not to be unexpected; I am, indeed, the kind of person that many would desire to run away from. To be honest, I'm a bit flattered she did it so openly, more then anything else - to openly display your neck to a monster is dangerous, ignorant, and naive. You have no way to prove it won't simply tear it out.

What's changed?

What's changed?

It's not me. I look around my table and see two lumps that could be called 'human', if you looked at it from the right angle. What makes them different from me? Why are they allowed to live, but I must die?

Is it a twist of fate? A luck of the draw? But why? I want to know. I need to know. If my executioner had been here with me, I would touch her tenderly before carving her up. I would steal her secrets with a whisper before tearing out her heart and eating it whole. It would be tasty, tasty, tasty.

Ah.

I blink, smiling brightly. I faded for a moment there! Into a dangerous place, for just a second - but here I return, and here I wait. Plotting. Thinking.

I look at my plate with a sigh. Where on Earth is Cesarina?

[Mellon]

Anna Vandemeel
Location: Pinefall High.
Phase: Morning Phase.
Date: 06.09.1994.
Weather: Sunny

"... my bacon..."

And there it was. Exactly like last time, Gabi descended into a fit of giggles, leaving room for neither of the two girls around the table to do little more than to give each other a wry grin and an amused shrug, as the two of them watched the blonde devolve into a fit of giggles.

"... that's... Subaru Iburi... no?”

“Aah, right. Must have slipped my mind. Iburi, right.”

That was not Subaru Iburi. At least it was not the form of Subaru Iburi that had been etched in her memory by the dreams of last night. That girl most assuredly did not have what could only be described as an afro. And, of course, she also lacked the overwhelming, almost desperate, bloodlust that the small Japanese girl in her memories had been excluding in waves. Well, it's not like that Subaru Iburi was like this at this point, so it was always a possibility, but…

… even from this distance, she could see that her behavior did not quite match from what she saw in her memories. In fact… wasn’t that squirt with Leijonamieli last time? And where was Feroce? Wasn't she together with Lockhart last time? Even more inconsistencies…

More food for later thought, I suppose.

Anna raised her coffee cup to her lips once more, shaking off the thoughts about her strange situation, at least for now.

“Oh, I never ended up asking you… How do you know West, Ramia? I’m gonna be honest, the two of you don’t quite seem to move about in the same circles, you know?”

“Aah, don’t feel like you have to share if you don’t feel like it though.” Anna gave a small wave with her fork aimed at the dusky-skinned girl. “No intention to pry here on my part. Just curious, that’s all.”

[Katie]

Lucille Faraday
Location: Pinefall High Dormitory - Kitchen
Phase: Morning Phase
Date: 07.09.1994
Weather: Partly Cloudy

The sudden appearance of Colt and Elaine doesn’t make her jump in fright, but as Sakura gently settles her into a chair the only expression on Lucille’s face is sheer bewilderment and a slightly cross look. It doesn’t feel right. In her unusual sense of deja vu, the feeling in the back of her mind can only tell her “they shouldn’t be here.” She tries to ignore it.

People are entitled to do whatever they want on a Sunday morning, after all.

That, and at least in the case of Colt, he looked awful. Elaine was impossible to read—not that Lucille was good at reading people in the first place—but the topic changed so fast. And she knew that Elaine heard all that inelegant blabbering.

Can you judge someone for something they have not done?

Lucille supposes she can’t, but would anyone think the same? If people who do good only react, then there will always be victims.

She sighs, staring at the sandwich. She is definitely not hungry. But she figures she should make some attempt at eating. Biting into Sakura’s monstrosity, the heiress can’t tell if she’s relieved or alarmed.

But she cannot take Sakura’s words to heart. Elizaveta Vyraj disappeared and Sakura was none the wiser. The memories in her mind are so vivid that even as she tells herself it’s merely a dream, she can’t believe it. No night terror is that detailed, she feels, because the array of emotions she felt on that lost Sunday were far more pervasive than fear and misery and guilt.

“Colt…” Lucille begins to say, but she doesn’t know how to really finish. The contents of the dream is not something to bring up at the dining table. But at the same time, she wants validation, that she isn’t crazy.

Instead of biting her sandwich she bites her lip instead.

“Last night… Saturday night…” Her voice dies in her throat. The urge to ask is a bit overwhelmed by the presence of Elaine, who she cannot place in the category of “remembers Elizaveta” or not. If Elaine does remember, what then?

“Nevermind. I shouldn’t bring this up. I’m sorry.”

She supposes it doesn’t matter.

[Ayakashi]

"... I see."

A word punctuated with a simplistic, nearly robotic nod.

So Elise did remember Adelaide... and she too, had a bad sleep. How many more people had an evening like that, Vivienne had to wonder? With this new information at hand, Vivienne continued to observe Skye intently, perhaps that she was trying to decipher something behind that radiant, energetic behavior Skye displayed. It was in a certain way similar to to what Prushka had showed in the 'future' but... it was a lot more mature, a lot less acidic. But how genuine was it? Liana did appear to be as equally confused as Vivienne and Elise here... and she was even making an attempt at resolving at issue with the two of them. While Vivienne was having trouble reading beyond this welcoming, shiny exterior, it could entirely be that the inside and outside were the same in Liana Skye's case.

Vivienne knew she had to be careful, but there were also things that shouldn't be done, and conclusions that were too rash to be jumped onto right now when information was so scarce... and thus, once more, an apology left her lips:

"Sorry... if weird... but... strange things... happening..."

Yes, strange things, and strange 'dreams'. Skye mentioned something about a Monster Dream... then could it be that she too was somehow present in Vivienne's 'reality', albeit without Vivienne knowing it?

But then this would somewhat line up with what Angelica had said once more, wouldn't it. Someone had already died back then... was the person that died now already different? It had been mentioned too on that evening, a student that no one seemingly remembered... was this a similar case?

"I think... we all had... monsters... murderers... mean people in our dreams..."

Vivienne told the two of them, wondering if that would trigger some sort of response from Elise especially...

"... did your dream go on... till Sunday?"

Her piercing stare momentarily went on to Elise, it was as if it hadn't just been a vocal question, but Vivienne's very soul, if such a thing truly existed, was asking the question. A very important question indeed, but then, it may be possible that due to what was brewing on in the background, she may have met her demise earlier. Hwan did talk about it didn't he? Realizing that people had gone missing, a list of names... Subaru, Aleen, Ubon.

"Oh, uh, don't worry about it, we've all got things we struggle with, right? It's-it's what the Oceandrop Program is for. We just have to be there to help each other where we can!"

"Help each other... yes... that is nice..."

That is what Vivienne Bianchi had tried to do during 'that' week after all. Even though it seemingly had lead to nothing... she would try it again. That is what she wanted to believe was the way forward, even if she couldn't, that is what the others had told her was the way forward.

"Maybe over breakfast or something if you guys want?"

"Mmmh... breakfast... good... stomach empty..."

There was much to be said after all, and perhaps that Vivienne would find more of the people she wanted to check up on there... and ask them for their say on this situation.

---

Vivienne Bianchi
Location: Pinefall High Dormitory - Floor 2 Hallway
Phase: Morning Phase
Date: 07.09.1994 (WED)
Weather: Partly Cloudy

[Cheetose]

Hisa Momoi
Location: Pinefall High Main Building - Empty Classroom
Phase: Morning Phase
Date: 07.09.1994
Weather: Partly Cloudy

“I...I have more than a good reason to be touchy-feely with you, okay!”

Well, of course, he wouldn’t know about that. Just like everything else he doesn’t remember that either. Makes the situation feel painful somehow...But I’ll just have to make him remember. Do things better this time and spend more time with him, and make sure that nothing can go wrong. I won’t let the past...that nightmare repeat itself.

“I don’t see what the problem is anyways. A touch lets you convey things you otherwise can’t. A lot more expressive and makes you feel a lot closer. Nothing weird about it!”

The sudden, even if just slight change in the mood and atmosphere helped me relax a bit as well. I too have been so tense ever since I woke up, to the point I didn’t even realize my heart has been still throbbing up in my head.

The moment reminded me of the last...the next few days, when everything was still pretty peaceful and we were oblivious to most things, and could just spend time together without having to really worry about anything…

Resisting to caress his face again, I turned towards the door.

“Still...sure, let’s grab some food. Makes it easier to think, and hunger is not exactly something I can fix without...well, food. But at the very least I can make sure that no one can overhear us, so it should be safe to talk somewhere outside after that.”

Hisa Momoi
Location: Pinefall High - Cafeteria
Phase: Morning Phase
Date: 07.09.1994
Weather: Partly Cloudy

Back at the cafeteria again, I tried not to pay too much attention to anything or anyone else. I had to take one step at a time. To make sure that Pyry understands the situation, and that once again I can feel safe by his side. Everything else came after that...even if there were lots of those “things”.

I filled my tray with a bit of everything - not that I was especially hungry or that I specifically wanted to eat something, but it wouldn’t be wise to tackle the day without eating anything.

And, at least, all the extra would let me give some to Pyry as well, in case he forgets something, or just fails to sate his endless hunger even with the mountain of meat he was packing on his tray even now.

“I know you’re a growing boy and that it is free food, but how exactly you’re going to fit all that into your stomach?” I asked as I observed Pyry while smirking, “No one could eat that much unless they have something akin to an infinite abyss in place of their stomach.”

Of course, I was sure that there certainly was an infinite abyss of sorts inside him. He already made a similar monstrosity in...the future, and I’ve seen him eat, so it wasn’t much of a surprise - but it just felt nice talking to him, and teasing him like this.

I observed patiently until he was done completely filling his tray, then gestured towards the door.

“Shall we go then?”

[Verg Avesta]

Lucille Faraday, Elaine Winters & Colt Davin
Location: Pinefall High Dormitory - Kitchen
Phase: Morning Phase
Date: 07.09.1994
Weather: Partly Cloudy

“Cougar, for example.”

Sakura giggled at what the blonde was saying, all the while trying to wrangle together the sandwich monstrosity that she had created before unloading it right in front of Elaine herself. The juggernaut of breakfast stood there, asserting dominance with its stalwart pose, gazing down its nose at girl as if she was a worm... or so it at least felt. The sandwich was ridiculously huge, more or less. And it was packed to the brim. Never mind breakfast, this would last a normal person the whole day.

... It certainly was the right thing to beat a morning like this.

“Ah, I’ll help. Do you know how to make croque madame? It’s a bit more work but I promise it’s worth it.”

Sakura snorted and grabbed a spatula from the rack, twirled it around between her fingers like it had been a toy, put other hand on her hip and stared at Colt like he had asked her if she breathes. At the same time, a warm and slightly mischievous smile played on her lips, which was why the boy didn't get bonked on the head with the spatula, but instead lightly tapped on the shoulder as Sakura threw open the doors of the shelves above the kitchen.

"I could make you a Monte Cristo and throw on top a short stack of griddle cakes, melted butter, maple syrup, lightly heated and a slice of ham with my eyes closed, and I promise you'd have never gotten a better northwest breakfast. Nothing beats the explosion of maple syrup meeting ham, see," Sakura said with a confident smirk and a laugh. "So yeah. You bet I can make a mean croque madam or monsieur if I want to."

“Eggs, flour, butter, bread, milk. Since it’s breakfast, bacon instead of ham. I’ll take care of the white sauce. Can you slice some bread and punch egg sized holes in half of the slices?”

Sakura hummed in agreement as she began to work, her hands working almost on an autopilot and twice as fast as Colt, all the while the attention of her eyes remained in the three teens and not in the work she was doing. It was either years of experience speaking there... or drilling cooking into one's muscle memory so hard that it became an instinct.

Both were scary prospects, to be sure.

"Is there a cheese you prefer?"

That caught Sakura's attention.

"Oh, I brought a few different types from home, but I'd suggest Gruyère - it's on the top shelf in the fridge," Sakura replied, nodding her head towards the white monolith. "It goes well in the Mornay sauce and from what I've tested around, it's the favorite of Mila--- ME! M-my favorite, that is! Aha, ahaha, hahaa..."

Letting out a tired sigh, like a slightly exhausted employee, Sakura mumbled something under her breath while continuing her work on the bread.

“Colt… Last night… Saturday night… Nevermind. I shouldn’t bring this up. I’m sorry.”

Sakura, hearing that, giggled and turned to look at the blonde over her shoulder with an amused smile.

"Oh? Was your sleep that restless in a new place, Lucille?" She asked, raising an eyebrow. "Yesterday was Tuesday, remember? In other words, today's Wednesday. Back last Saturday you were still arguing you shouldn't be sent her-e-e-hehehe... o-o-or so I'd imagine, ahaha, haha, haa!"

Sakura's slightly awkward laugh echoed in the kitchen as she busied her hands again.

[Verg Avesta]

Alexstrasza Lockhart & Prushka
Location: Pinefall High - Cafeteria
Phase: Morning Phase
Date: 07.09.1994
Weather: Partly Cloudy

"Ow."

"Careful now, carefull. Fixing a black eye isn't the easiest thing in the world. You have to dab lightly at it, otherwise it will heal unevenly and then you'll be left with your shame showing on your cheek for a few more days."

"Mm, she does have a point there," Subaru said, glancing at the blonde girl. "My salve, while homemade, is meant to both mask injuries and to heal them as fast as possible. In Hokkaido we are outside a lot and have to do lot of physical labour, which means healing injuries quickly is paramount. If even one link falls of the chain, it could mean catastrophe for the whole village and temple."

A slightly flushed expression appeared on her face as Subaru then scratched her cheek bashfully.

"W-well, and the masking part is my own concoction. After all, a priestess can hardly go out in front of people while looking like an unicorn because she managed to bonk her head on the edge of the dresser, can she? Hahahaha..." Subaru admitted, looking at Prushka with some... odd sympathy. "You can perhaps relate, no? After all, we both are..."

Subaru made some vague gesture around her forehead,a s if that would have explained everything.

At the same time, Prushka's gift of bacon and patting had been finally accepted by the tiny dog on the table, who had eventually decided to reward the girl on its own. That, of course, meant licking her fingers and eventually her face while wagging its tail furiously, clear smile plastered all over its face and surprisingly intelligent eyes.

"A-also, while I would never stop someone from giving treats to Tonkori, I do ask that you do watch a bit what you give," Subaru said with a giggle. "Akitas are hunting dogs, so their diet is rather rigorous to prevent bones from growing wrong or illnesses from developing. Though... I suppose a little bacon won't hurt."

As Tonkori gave an agreeing bark, Subaru could simply shake her head (and her massive hairdo) in amusement.

"Still, Tonkori... you are supposed to be a fine little lady, just like me!" Subaru playfully admonished her pet. "Ladies do not just go lick the faces of unknown people who give them some meat!"

The dog only wiggled its tail in response.