Anna Vandemeel
Location: Owl's Nest Hotel
Phase: Evening Phase
Date: 08.09.1994 (THU)
Weather: Overcast
Originally Posted by
Anna
“What do you think? Shall we stick around and see how things unfold? I’m up for it on my end, at least.”
Ramia had to only think it for one moment, before giving a nod to both the raven-haired girl and the surly boy in their company.
"Why not? It's not like this'd be my first time breaking the curfew," the mercenary answered with a lopsided grin. "Just gotta make sure we don't get in trouble with the faculty. As hilarious as it is, getting detention would really hamper our chances at being able to work around here undeterred."
In all honesty, it was so ridiculous that it was sort of funny. Here they were, the prodigy of the Glass House and a child-soldier with a soul of an ancient alchemist in her, and the thing they had to most worry about with this venture was if their teachers noticed them breaking a curfew, and would thus hand them detention. Out here, far away from the worlds they both came from, it was as if they had been transformed into normal teens with normal teen problems, high school and all it's nonsense included. It was ridiculous, but also sort of reassuring, perhaps.
If they had such mundane things to worry about, it put the other horrors of the week out of mind... at least for now.
"In the worst case, I can arrange a couple of illusions," Ramia added with a voice more quiet. "They're not exactly complex in their functions, so don't expect them to answer the door, but at least it'd look like we were sleeping. Anyways..."
Her eyes snapped towards Minato.
"If we're waiting for your sister to be done with her puppetcrafting, I don't suppose you'd know anything interesting to do in the meantime?" she asked, wiggling her eyebrows. "Y'know, you've got two ladies to show a good time here, after all..."
Minato grumbled annoyedly under his breath, and scratched the back of his head.
"... Whatever. The pudding here's good at least..."
This was going to be a bit of a wait, wasn't it? And from the looks of it, Alex and her mysterious guest had left too, meaning there was no more spying of them either...
[SCENE END /// Move to NEXT Phase!]
Elise Pelltier
Location: Pinefall High School
Phase: Evening Phase
Date: 08.09.1994 (THU)
Weather: Overcast
Originally Posted by
Elise
"You've been a great help so far, Souma. Thanks! Thank you very much. I don't think I could've gotten our friend out of there without your help. That said though, if you're feeling apprehensive about the next part, I'd understand, although your continued assistance would be greatly appreciated."
"............ Heh."
The only real answer, at first, was a singular sound of amusement that echoed from Souma's lips.
The boy took few steps ahead, starting upon the dirt path that would eventually lead to the gates, and from there, to the unkempt asphalt road stretching both to the direction of the town as well as the cemetery on the opposite direction. He stopped, silently, gazing out towards the distant grounds of the dead with that one amber eye of his, saying not a word - but looking both pleased and, as said, amused... like a snake that had woken up from the cold depths of winter to the warmth of the spring. The descending evening sun framed his silhouette as a black mirage within Elise's field of vision, and for a moment he looked nothing more than a shadow against a blazing backdrop.
Almost like he wasn't real.
Or that he could fade away at any moment.
Just an enigmatic thought passing through.
Or perhaps...
--- The only thing that was actually real in this place.
"... Apprehensive? No... It wouldn't be the first time," Souma said, his soft voice slithering out of his mouth. "You've let me experience something interesting... so I'll help you till the end. Besides... this is nothing new to me. If anything... this is far more mundane than the school. It feels good to be back on the... ah... right track, so to speak. A lesson to remind me, I suppose."
He chuckled to himself, that velvet-like voice echoing in the silence of the campus grounds, as he turned to look back at Elise.
"Though I admit..."
His smile widened.
"... I rarely buried the bodies."
And with that, he was off, towards the St. Diane Cemetery, clearly expecting Elise to follow.
[SCENE END /// Move to NEXT Phase!]
Prushka & John Dove
Location: Pinefall High Main Building - Second Floor
Phase: Evening Phase (THU)
Date: 08.09.1994
Weather: Overcast
Originally Posted by
Prushka
"Hey, John. Got enough time for a quick toast before you go? To like, friendship and all that sappy stuff you love. And making next week a good one."
Alpa was quick to nod at that suggestion, pushing the box of treats towards the three new friends she had made once more.
"Y-yes, we should at least finish this now that the box is opened!" the girl hurried to say, at the same time digging through her bags for something to drink. "Gosh, I swear I had a thermos of tea here somewhere... J-just a moment!"
Outside, one could see that the sun was already starting to set. The afternoon had given a way to the evening, and soon enough the night sky would take over, along with the low-hanging moon. However, for now, everything was painted over with the colours of blazing orange and golden, leaving the group in the old library with an odd sense of finality. Or perhaps finality was not the right word for it. Maybe it was just this strange feeling that this meeting had put an end to one chapter, and they had turned the page to reach the next, where things would no longer be quite the same.
Ubon was perhaps having similar thoughts, as while she was still holding onto Prushka's hands, the girl was having some sort of internal battle at the moment... two desires within her clashing, trying to come out on top, and finally settling into some sort of equilibrium.
"Johnnie... I can't just do that. I already promised you, didn't I?" She said, putting her foot down. "Besides, Prushie's strong! Heck, I think she's even stronger than me! If anything goes wrong, I'm sure she can protect Alpa, for realsies. Meanwhile, you ain't gots anybody to protect you unless I come with you... so I'm coming!"
She let out a harrumph and folded her arms.
"Simple as that."
Then, after few seconds of wearing the most serious expression... a grin cracked through the facade.
"Besides, it's not about how much you 'deserve' to be helped out by anyone! Things like that are just nonsense your all logic-y brain made up," the girl continued, poking at John's nogging with her finger teasingly. "I promised to help you out, so I will - end of story. After all..."
Ubon giggled, and gave a conspiratory grin towards Prushka.
"Someone's gotta look after him, right?"
[SCENE END /// Move to NEXT Phase!]
Vivienne Bianchi
Location: Spade Queen Country Club
Phase: Evening Phase
Date: 08.09.1994 (THU)
Weather: Overcast
[BGM]
Originally Posted by
Vivienne
"Who... are you...? Why do you know me... and Mother?"
The boy scoffed, looking rather disinterested in words of both the mask and the girl underneath.
"Stop it. Your feigned attempts at dissociative identity disorder hardly interest me. Try as you might to appear different, or take on a persona wholly different, it's nothing more than putting on a mask. You're still the same person - and the only one you're fooling is yourself. Of how you can behave, and that these attempts at self-hypnosis are nothing more than placebo," the boy spoke, his voice rumbling deeper and deeper, and those red eyes of his burning into Vivienne's skull. "Hmh. Scared, alone, so self-assured there's nothing there that you have to lie to yourself to feel again... pitiful."
His eyes held nothing but scorn, and though he was much shorter, he still looked down on Vivienne as he gazed at her from the short distance.
At the same time, the setting sun dyed the corridor madder red.
And the boy's shadow stretched longer and longer, until it felt like it was consuming the girl as a whole.
"If you were truly empty, you would have nothing, no matter what you did. Yet here you are. I wonder how long it will take you to accept that fact, and stop lying to yourself?" the boy continued, framed by the setting sun and shadows. "It's time you gazed into that void you hold within you, and realize it's nothing but a wellspring of everything. Stare deep into it, and understand how fundamentally wrong you are of the nature of the chaos within ourselves. Of within you."
What was he even talking about at this point?
It was hard to say.
But somehow...
... It felt familiar.
As did those burning eyes.
"You may call me a doctor. Or a professor. Or perhaps a scholar."
The red eyes were burning even harsher, the only thing visible in the face overtaken by the harsh darkness.
"But I only have one name."
And they were trained straight at Vivienne... Vivienne who, finally, felt the warning from her instincts. The warning to defend herself, to strike first before she was struck down, or to escape and take Alex with her. The danger was real. The danger had embodied itself in this boy before her, taking on a human form without explanation or reason. All that was left was this realization of threat and her trained instincts telling her to do something before the choice was taken out of her hands.
When had the situation become this bizarre?
When had the boy become enveloped in shadows?
And when had his voice become coiled claws wrapped around Vivienne's throat?
"--------- Satel."