Astronomika - Shooting Down Falling Stars (IC)

[Airen]

Agent Skye
Location: Sheriff's Department
Phase: Evening Phase
Date: 10.09.1994 (SAT)
Weather: Storm

"Breaking in with no warrant?"

The dark-haired agent chuckles, violet eyes lit up with newfound amusement.

"How scandalous~"

It's a teasing poke that nevertheless turns into a sigh, not a sigh of disappointment in law-enforcement officials deciding to simply toss aside protocol when necessary, but a sigh born from the confirmation that there is no escaping a return to Pinefall High. She had known it was inevitable from the start, that the likely cause of the trouble was always going to be at the school building itself, but now that the time had come the sense of distaste for the place was still there, as powerful as it had been since the Test of Courage had come to it's end, no...

It had been there before... Right?

An instinctual feeling.

A sort of innate dread... An acknowledgement from her soul perhaps, that it recognized it had met it's end there once already?

Or just the instinctive displeasure of a girl who had felt trampled upon by her classmates?

Who didn't feel welcome at the school?

Whatever the source, she...

"But yeah, guess we better hit the school fast," her gaze goes towards the window, towards the storm, as if trying to pierce it's depths to gaze upon the far off academy. "Supposed to be light's out at 10, but I'm pretty sure most of them will still be awake, no one really listens to the curfew. If we're lucky, they'll have stuck together for the most part."

...Shakes it off.

There were people in danger (including a potential foster brother) and a newly revealed enemy that needed to be taken down; enemy that had left scars on Ciel that would never heal, that had caused the deaths of so many people twenty-one years ago and that wanted to remake that tragedy now, to continue to inflict incomprehensible amounts of pain to others.

That sought to feed off of a group of damaged children.

Such a being cannot be allowed to continue to exist in this world, so her personal dislike for the school can be put to the side for now.

"It's a bit of a change in my personal plans, but I suppose that's why we set up those radio lines earlier," turning in place, the woman gestures towards the outside, towards Scottie's distant vehicle. "We can let the others know where we're going on the way. I don't think anything has happened back at the house, but if we go completely dark on them for too long they might get worried and come chasing after us later, best to keep everyone in the loop. Guildenstern is the most pressing issue, but they're not the only issue."

Not to mention I think Fio deserves to at least be told about who ruined her life...

She shakes her head a little.

"Sierra told me not to do anything dangerous, but considering the circumstances, I guess it can't really be helped..."

She'd just have to put a permanent end to Guildenstern and still return to her aunt's house alive, somewhat of a problem considering Guildenstern seemed to function as a sort of assassin and were thus primed for a one on one confrontation, with abilities that were largely unknown to her, but...

"I owe Guildenstern a beating for twenty-one years ago."

For everyone that died...

She'd figure it out.

Hopefully it wouldn't come down to a one on one, and even if it did, well...

Ciel always had her back.

"Still, I must say," she turns her gaze to the Sheriff, one eyebrow raising in disbelief, "I'm surprised at how accepting you're being of all of this Michael, I didn't think the people in this town were particularly... Open to more... Supernatural explanations for things."

A pause, then, almost as an afterthought...

"Also, when you say bare minimum, do you mean they didn't even give you a list of student names?"

[Mellon]

Anna Vandemeel
Location: Mitchell Residence - Inside
Phase: Evening Phase
Date: 10.09.1994 (SAT)
Weather: Storm

…Twintails?

Logically, there was only one kid that Anna had met who’d fill the bill for both filling “black twintails” and “didn’t talk too much” - the sassy lass she’d ran into in the hospital earlier in the week. Though… why would she and Shane know each other? Wasn’t he sulking at the beach for this very reason? Not having enough friends in this place? Did helping out their little runaway earlier in the week shift something more fundamental?

“Hoo?” Anna’s hand went to rustle the young boy’s hair in a playful manner, almost in perfect sync to disrupt his concentration from the game in front of him. “What’s this? You’ve managed to finagle out a new playmate for yourself? And here I thought the only reason you had your little tiff with Zane earlier this week was because you were the only brat around these parts.”

“You meet her while wandering about the train tracks?” A playful smile flickered on her face. “Or did you stumble onto her sleeping in the woods?”

Either way, speaking to more kids his age was good for the brat. This was, in part, why she’d brought Stephanie here, after all… well that and distract the brat so that she could look more around the building itself. The current… company put a halter on that though.

Though that girl…judging by CC’s little verbal trap, he’d been angling to get more information out of Shane on the specific nature of his new acquaintance. Considering that that particular girl was certainly involved with the goings on at the hospital and the redhead in the kitchen was a member of the turnside…

…dangerous waters, I suppose.

With that in mind, the raven-haired girl turned her attention back on the game of mages taking place on the screen in front of him.

“So… who’s winning again?”

[Katie]

Lucille Faraday
Location: Pinefall High Main Building
Phase: Evening Phase
Date: 10.09.1994 (SAT)
Weather: Storm

The image sears itself into her mind as the light dies away. In the darkness, Lucille can still see it—Souma’s body slumped against the wall, throat slit by a blade. A clean kill, if she has ever seen one. She can only hope that it was painless. After all, there is nothing she can do for him now.

Her mind briefly wonders if it’s possible for Souma to go to somewhere like heaven, but that’s for the Lord to judge. It’s entirely possible he was a terrible person who only decided to point them in the right direction on a whim. But she doesn’t know, so she hopes for the best. That everyone in Pinefall is a good person at heart.

“I found Souma’s body,” she loudly calls out. “I’m going to bring it inside. I’ll be careful.”

“Kean, Xeni, stay with the other two and keep looking for anything out of the ordinary.” It’s probably wrong of her to tell them to stay back. Definitely coddling Xeni too much, even pointlessly, but she feels Kean doesn’t need to see it either. Even now, she’s in denial.

She needs to hold that body for it to settle in. Feel that lack of a pulse. That Souma is dead, and there was nothing she could have done about it. Even now that voice in the back of her head rears its ugly head. She could have done something. It’s incredibly silly, she knows, because she knew nothing of this until they started looking for him. But she feels terrible anyway.

At the very least, it’s wrong to let his corpse rot in the rain. Maybe unsanitary to bring a body in, but she feels it’s wrong to let him be exposed to the elements like that.

[Mormarth]

Elaine Winters
Location: The Lighthouse
Phase: Evening Phase
Date: 10.09.1994 (SAT)
Weather: Storm

I folded my arms, thinking.

"Well, the statue on the overlook looks through the town and out to sea, as for the others, only got guesses, really. But that means they all meet up somewhere along his line."

I tilted my head back and forth, "If we make the assumption that the statue that used to be where the clock tower is face out toward the road, back towards town, that gives us some options, and as for the McLampet one, I haven't a clue, could be someone who worked there, or one of the McLampet's themselves might give us an answer if we ask'm nice."

My foot tapped on the ground, restless.

"But that's supposition at best, and if we're a little off we could be barking up trees for days."

I scratched my chin, "Cartographer in me says get a couple of compasses and make some lines on a map, but shit, some of those statues ain't even around no more. So we'll have to make guesses at some point, or hope for good memories."

[Thalraxal]

Elise Marie Pelltier
Location: Big Boy's Gas Station - Bar
Phase: Evening Phase
Date: 10.09.1994 (SAT)
Weather: Storm

"You're too nice of a person, Chipmunk. Especially for your own good..."

He's kind of in the same ballpark as Subaru's advice, although maybe less poetic, thought Elise with a glance down to her reflection in her drink, Although taking in the darker aspects of myself doesn't mean giving up the lighter ones.

She frowned as she considered the already over full plate of things she needed to do. It resembled Gabi's plate at breakfast after Ramia had loaded it with food, but then Sakura happened to walk by with an extra meal for him.

Travis is absolutely right about me having too much on my plate though.. and it's not all bacon.

"Maybe I am..." sighed Elise, as she paused to take a sip from her drink, "But I'm also curious and nosey. I can promise that I won't let your troubles distract me from my troubles, but if I happen to stumble on something of interest to you, I'm still going to slide it your way."

Elise took a moment to consider Vivienne, and the extended family she evidently didn't know she had.

"As for Vivienne... Well, I won't tell Vivienne, that's-that's not my place, but I think you should. Mess of a foster brother or not, you're part of her family too. Besides, I'm sure she'd want to look for her mother too. You'll both have a better chance of finding her if you're working together."

Not that there's a lot of time for that... I never saw Vivienne last Sunday, and I have no idea where she might be now... We really should have set up some sort of tracking sheet or something so we'd know where everyone might be. Who knows what tomorrow'll be like? Still she and Travis did end up crossing paths last time, maybe they will again?

"He's like an ornery hedgehog, isn't he? Oh, speaking of which - I guess you could say that I'm sort of friends with Zaza? One-sided friends, she doesn't really now that much about me. And what comes to Cesarina, I'm more of a... well, family is not the right word, but guess you could say I'm one side of the same die? So while I haven't had that much time with Zaza, it's Cesarina who thinks of her as her dear friend. But I do care for her, even if only by association. Not as much as Devon probably does. See, Nerina told me that Alexstrasza actually saved his life - cast a healing spell on him when he stumbled into the hospital half-dead. In return he let her drink his blood. Which sounds sort of intimate, when I say it out loud?"

"Wait, that blonde moron did what!? Urgh, I can't believe it... then again, something as ridiculous as that sounds exactly like her..."

Elise nodded slowly.

"Yeah, that does sound like her. I didn't know Alexstrasza knew any sort of healing magic, but I'm glad she does. I'll have to talk to her later about Devon. I definitely owe her one for helping him."

Of all of our classmates... Alexstrasza? She's pretty much the one person I wouldn't have expected to run into Devon by chance. I really want to hear the full story on that. Wonder how many words she's managed to get out of him?

"Speaking of Cesarina... how-how is she doing?" asked Elise.

"Anyways, most importantly... I don't think going up to those people is a good idea. They seem a bit too secretive for that. Instead, I was thinking... Why don't we follow them, or at least Elaine's brother, when they finally head out? See what the hell they're up to."

Elise grinned mischievously at Travis' suggestion.

"That's not a bad idea, Hedgehog. Might be a good way to get some intel," replied Elise in an equally hushed whisper, "I'm not that good at sneaking-"

I'm probably being unfair to myself comparing my loud footsteps to Souma's seemingly effortless silence, but it's hard not to feel a little self-conscious after snooping around with him.

"-but that might not matter too much with weather like this. That said, I do have a few tricks up my sleeves that I've been, heh, saving for a rainy day."

Rainy days really were Elise's favourite.

She looked over to Augusta.

"What about you, Augusta? I know you're here to help keep Travis out of trouble, and we're about to jump head first into some. You're more than welcome to join us on our spy mission, but please don't feel like you have to if you don't want to. The weather is pretty awful out there, and it could be dangerous."

[Cheetose]

Hisa Momoi
Location: Pinefall High Dormitory - Hisa's Room
Phase: Evening Phase
Date: 10.09.1994 (SAT)
Weather: Storm

It was hard not to smirk at the sight of the third girl, but at the same time, it was more appropriate not to laugh at her. In fact, considering that it was partly my fault that they got soaked in the first place, the least I could do was to be serious about it and take responsibility. As such...

"Just stand still for a second. After that, you can use the shower, sure."

As I stepped over to To-Totesh, I extended my hand and gently brushed the tip of my ring finger against her skin in a few places, all the while infusing the touch with a warm, relaxing sensation.

"Should dry you much faster. Can also prepare your body and immune system in case you really did catch a cold, so that it can deal with it before you really notice any symptoms."

Yes, that should be enough. As I pulled my arm back, my lips curled into a small smile as I nodded approvingly.

"What do you mean by cropduster though? And why was there a random hole underneath it?"

With the drying and necessary precautions done, my thoughts became occupied with such details. Normally, it really wouldn't matter much...But when one runs into so many underground facilities and secret pathways, even such small details start to stick out as suspicious.

"I feel like it would take more rain for such a puddle to form, and even that wouldn't be so deep right away, but...oh well, it's probably not that important anyways."

Instead, I turned to Mercedes and Allene, to address the matter of dry clothes and cocoa.

"Now, that's unexpectedly generous of you," I smirked, "sharing the extravagant and chic clothes of a model with us plebeians. To think that some can say that you are cold and heartless...!"

I shrugged slightly, as if wondering in confusion how someone can even think such a thing.

"But then, I guess Leena actually comes from a somewhat prestigious family. Anyways, that sounds like a plan. Just let's stick together, and let me accompany you then. Pyry can stay here with Gradient and To-Totesh, and then we can meet in the kitchen or back here afterwards."

My expression stiffened and got more serious as I thought back about the events of the previous Saturday night.

"Being alone now is more dangerous than anything, even if someone is not completely defenceless. So at the very least, we should stick together all the time."

[Verg Avesta]

Colt Davin
Location: Forest Ranger Cabin
Phase: Evening Phase
Date: 10.09.1994 (SAT)
Weather: Storm

"Of course you wouldn't."

Fu looked at Colt with a slightly miffed expression and a raised eyebrow, almost like the thought of the boy being able to handle scope without problems was both mystifying and pretty annoying at the same time. Or perhaps she had sensed that the boy was making an effort to not sound like he was bragging. One or the other.

"Some of those materials haven't been in human circulation for centuries, or even a millenia. It's the type of stuff that your kind simply forgot or dismissed as superstition, things that weren't 'scientific' enough for your drab little world," the tigress replied. "Moreover... geez... I can't believe it. Your brain must be wired wrong or something. Or maybe you deluded yourself?"

Fu took a hold of the scope and tapped it, lifting it so that Colt could see the item as well.

"The wiring and the internal mechanics were made to represent an actual human-like eye. In fact, we got the blueprint from a certain mage bloodline since that's what the original Bileygr was. Or rather, it was a copy but..." She gestured vaguely in the air. "A mechanical fake of a copy of something. There was lot that was lost in translation, but we did manage to make it work. Yet even so, it means that this never functioned like a scope, but like an eyeball..."

She cocked her eyebrow again.

"And your eyes and mind still understood it as a machine? What sort of monster are you?" She asked, sounding only half-joking. "Next you'll tell me you're able to visualize mana matrixes in items you get your hands on."

What was she even talking----

... For some reason, Colt felt a sudden headache. A headache that thrummed inside his brain, bringing forth a vague and muddled images of two certain handguns, handguns used by that guy, to the forefront. Their all-too-human make and reach for the realm of the supernatural through sheer hard work.

And those tiny veins of power, or perhaps that effort, that he could clearly remember running through their very physical existence...

---

Prushka
Location: Pinefall High Dormitory - Prushka's Room
Phase: Evening Phase
Date: 10.09.1994 (SAT)
Weather: Storm

"A cycle of death... is it...?"

Alpa's words were quiet over the sound of Ahti's snoring by the two girls were done - both talking and taking care of the boy's wounds. Perhaps Prushka's earlier promise had lulled the boy to sleep, or perhaps he was just that tolerant to pain, but at some point the boy had fallen asleep, which had made the operation both easier and harder. Still, somehow, they had managed to do it, and now, the two of them were enjoying some tea that Alpa had prepared.

However, the fluffy girl's expression was both complicated and concerned as she sipped on her tea, mulling over Prushka's tale.

Well, no wonder.

It was a rather fantastical, and in many ways insane, tale.

But it seemed that Alpa had enough trust in Prushka that she knew the girl wasn't fibbing her. Meaning...

"... It's a l-lot to take in," Alpa finally continued, shaking her head. "In truth, I'm still having some trouble wrapping my head around some of the concepts and ideas that you just presented. What the Oceandrop project is really doing, the hospital's involvement, all these different parties and factions that seem to be skulking in the shadows. But... f-funnily enough..."

Alpa narrowed her eyes and for a moment, she looked like she was gonna be sick.

"... I think I know why I was killed in this other week of yours."

Somewhere outside, lightning rumbled.

"I keep an eye out for all that is going on in the main building and the surrounding area after a-all, and that's um... that's why... I would have most likely witnessed whoever put poor Cesarina up in that yew tree," the girl explained. "A-and I believe I would have tried to warn you lot... warn anyone who would listen, about who had done such a terrible thing. But from what it sounds like..."

She sipped the tea again, and grimaced.

"I-it sounds like the culprit got to me first..."

---

John Dove
Location: Pinefall High Main Building - Principal's Office
Phase: Evening Phase
Date: 10.09.1994 (SAT)
Weather: Storm

"Heh. You don't get to say stuff that insane too often."

Hwan seemed to find some humour in the way John phrased it - especially since it happened to be true. While the idea of a murderer being loose among them was terrifying, and certainly a dangerous, it was only one drop of water in a bucket filled to the brim. There was still the time loop itself, the reason as to why everyone would die within a week, what the hell the various factions in town were planning, the truth about DDS, and so many others...

"... That being said, if I were the murderer, there'd been a lot more collateral damage," Hwan suddenly added. "I'm not exactly the sneaky type, even though you might think telekinesis would be. Mine's a bit on the... rougher side. Plenty of power, but shit at control."

He barked a laugh as he moved over to where John was.

"--- I think Kean's innocent too. The guy's too much of a goody-two-shoes, despite how jaded he tries to make himself appear. Lot of snark to cover up that he's got a soft core too," the Korean boy continued. "He's just good at hiding it behind a wall of...?"

Suddenly, the boy paused mid-sentence, and frowned in momentary confusion.

"Wait."

He lifted his hand, as if something had suddenly dawned on him.

"I just got this weird thought. The two wings of the dorms are mirrored, right? But isn't there a section that isn't?" He asked out of nowhere. "Like, I feel like there's a spot that doesn't match its mirror. And no, wait, more importantly..."

He turned to look at John.

"... If the other two Coastrise siblings are resting... then which rooms are they resting?" He asked. "Which room did Zhou and that brat get assigned to?"

While what he was asking about was certainly of importance, at that very same moment, something else had caught John's attention. Namely, as he had been going through the drawers of their missing principal, one of them had contained something else of note but what looked to be dry and boring financial reports. Namely, it was full of various notes, notepads, ripped pieces of paper and scattered pencils.

And one of the notes on the top grabbed John's gaze especially.

And it was simply the first one that he laid his eyes on.

No, I do not agree with using Mjolnir at this stage. We can keep those boxes behind a lock and key in the kitchen, but do not administer them to children unless they specifically ask for something of similar nature. Or if there's a situation where it could ease the burdens on their mind. As much as Gottlieb and Satel want to find THAT THING among them, flushing it out with the drug would just ruin the whole thing. We can't afford a do-over. If it escapes now, if it disappears again, there's nothing else left. We've failed.

They failed 21 years ago. We can't do allow that to happen to us. I owe these children a future, Sae.

Please tell Satel to kindly stick his head so far up his own arse that he can knock on his own tee

The rest of the message was scribbled out and the paper was scrunched, as if the writer decided to start over again.

---

Lucille Faraday
Location: Pinefall High Main Building
Phase: Evening Phase
Date: 10.09.1994 (SAT)
Weather: Storm

It was, in the end, an unceremoniously easy task.

She opened the window.

She climbed out.

She lifted the body up in her arms and it felt heavy only from the rain.

Then she climbed back in --- and closed the window.

In the fluorescent lights of the faculty room, Lucille Faraday was now cradling the lifeless body of Souma Nubatama in her arms, staring down at the boy's empty expression. His tracksuit was soaked and his hair was disheveled, but the look on his face was somewhere between a mild surprise and being surprisingly content. Almost like had been satisfied that he was right, and only slightly taken aback by the fact that he had lost whatever fight he had been involved in. Then again, perhaps that was Souma Nubatama in a nutshell. When faced even with such a disturbing fact as his own impending death, he couldn't muster any true emotions to face it.

... It was like, somewhere in the shadows, Lucille could the boy's soft, silk-like laugh admonishing her.

"Heh."

Yeah, he would have definitely said something slightly smug if he saw her right now.

Though, speaking of seeing...

... Ironically enough, this was the first time Lucille had seen the boy without his eyepatch. It no longer covered his left eye, having been used to point the group to the right track after his death. And since his both eyes were still open, Lucille could now see what he had been hiding underneath there this whole time.

It was...

------ Just another normal eye.

Sure, there was some old scar tissue around it, like he had gotten slashed there or some animal had bitten him hastily, but aside from that...

... It was normal to the point that it felt almost funny.

Had he kept with the eyepatch just to make himself feel a bit more mysterious?

---

Hisa Momoi
Location: Pinefall High Dormitory - Hisa's Room
Phase: Evening Phase
Date: 10.09.1994 (SAT)
Weather: Storm

"G-gosh, is it really that dangerous?"

Allene looked at Hisa with surprise clear on her face as the trio headed out of the girl's room. Mercedes, who had adopted a snarky smirk after Hisa's teasing, grew a bit more serious once more and nodded grimly.

"Mhm. Like, while I don't always agree with Nancy Drew here, she's definitely got a point there or whatevah," the starlet replied. "With all that's been, like, happening over here and all that we've found out, I feel like we ought to always have eyes in the backs of our heads. It's totes preferrable to, like, getting shanked by a random monster or a villain or whatevah."

Allene let out a loud gulping sound and seemed to sweat nervously, and through the remainder of the walk through the dark dormitory she stuck right next to Hisa, jumping at practically every shadow.

Mercedes, on the other hand, went back to the previous topic.

"Besides, puh-leeaaze. If I get to flaunt my wardrobe, of course I'm gonna, like, take that chance. Plus not only Allene, but that To-Totesh girl's got style too or whatevah. She can do my fashion sense some justice," the actress joked, before glancing out into the storm through the window they passed. "... Plus, like, while it was funny, we did think for a moment she was gonna drown in that mudhole. It was totes a nerve-wracking moment."

Allene shivered and nodded.

"Mhm, gosh. The hole underneath that cropduster must have been deep enough that I could have stood there and only the top of my head would have stuck out," she explained. "And it was completely filled with rainwater too! I mean, geez... To-Totesh could have gotten seriously hurt!"

The starlet's eyes narrowed as she put the key into the lock of her room.

"Honestly... like, maybe you're starting to rub off on me, but I did find it, like, totes weird. A hole like that? It was like somebody had dug something buried up, or whatevah," she said as she turned the handle. "That cropduster too... like, I'm not sure if it was just a normal one. The shape under the tarp was all wrong. If I had to, like, say, it looked more like... a P-47. Say, Nancy...?"

Mercedes raised her eyebrow at Hisa as she flicked lights on in her room.

"Like, why would a local junkyard owner have a WW2 fighter plane in his backyard?" She asked. "And totes more importantly - want me to play dress up with you as well? I'm already putting some fashion into two, might as well make it three."

[Bloble]

Prushka
Location: Pinefall High Dormitory - Prushka's Room
Phase: Evening Phase
Date: 10.09.1994 (SAT)
Weather: Storm

The tea is good. It's cold outside, which makes a warm drink even better right now. Then the room is silent from an awkward pause, you can take a sip to defuse the tension. Not that it's been quiet often over these past few minutes. What with Ahti's snoring.

I'm gonna need earplugs to sleep next to this guy... no, in the first place it's his fault, isn't it? Poor sleeping posture is what leads to this unbearable noise, so he's gotta do it properly. We'll put him on a better diet and antihistamines, and of course no more drinking or smoking either. You hear that, you mangy devil? Don't think you're gonna get away with this just because your hair is so soft and fluffy! Of course I'm not gonna join in, because there's absolutely no way I snore! Ahti was probably making that stuff up earlier to make me anxious. Well it won't work!

As I comb through Ahti's long hair with my fingers, an unpleasant sentence pulls me away.

"I-it sounds like the culprit got to me first..."

Lightning illuminates the room, lending the uncharacteristic expression on Alpa Bagha's face an eerie glow, as if she's telling scary stories around a campfire.

"Mm." What can one do but nod? "I didn't see it myself, but Hisa told me."

It's a lot to take in, isn't it? Being dragged out of the only semblance of safety you have in a strange country where you can't count on anyone, and told even that will soon be shattered. When I first met her I was sure this fluffy, timid girl wouldn't be able to handle, let alone believe such a story. Now, though, there's no option to hold back. Her life, not just her comfort, are in danger.

Besides... I was wrong earlier. She's not a helpless damsel to be sheltered from harm; that look in her eyes says 'I can handle it'.

"If you think about it, though... thanks to that Alpa leaving her room to warn people she hadn't even met, we were able to meet this week. It's how John and I knew to look for you. And..."

I raise a pair of fingers in an imitation of a peace sign. Or rather, a 'two'.

"It's why I'm sure there's more than one dangerous person on the loose in the school; the one who killed Cesarina must have been different from the one you can't perceive, otherwise you wouldn't have tried to warn us about them."

A flimsy theory, perhaps, but it's not like we have anything solid to go on. The real issue is there's nothing here to act on. Same for DDS. Same for the vampire at the Devil's Dishes. Same for Elizaveta's murder.

"They'd have to have either waited for you at the bottom of the stairs, if they didn't have a key up, or just gotten lucky... that seems like too much of a coincidence though. Maybe it was someone that knew about you... but pretty much no one in the class knows about you... hm..."

It's an awful thing to think about. Solving a girl's murder with her sitting right in front of me. It's so macabre that I won't bring it up anymore unless she wants to first.

"Wish I could tell you I know what's going on... but we're pretty much on the same page now. A page that's real close to the end of the book, with too many mysteries to wrap up before the finish."

Putting it like that, it's a rather depressing state, isn't it? Even Ahti's snoring can't kill a silence this awkward.

"B-but!"

It's fine! Probably!

"We're not gonna be caught with our pants down this time! That counts for something, right Alpa?"

Even just taking the current situation into account, aren't things way better than last time?

"Sure we don't know everything, but we don't have to know everything. This isn't some detective story and we don't lose just because we didn't figure out the puzzle. People say the truth will set you free, but that's just a saying, not a fact. We know there's bad stuff coming, so we can just stick together and ride out the wave. You've got us now, Alpa. Anyone who wants to get to you goes through me first. If a bad guy shows up, we can run away or fight together, and if it's Mr. Currumpaw I'll help him out 'cus he's nice deep down. Then we'll make it to Monday, or get out of Road's End and put this all behind us."

Yeah, last time happened because everyone was separated. So if we stick together, we should do way better.

"If I can find my brother, well, he's super strong, so I'm sure he'll be able to help us. A lot of other people also remember, so they're probably ready too. Like Hisa. If our groups join up, we'll be just fine, right?"

Right?

[Spinach]

Colt Davin
Location: Forest Ranger Cabin
Phase: Evening Phase
Date: 10.09.1994 (SAT)
Weather: Storm

“… mana matrixes in items you get your hands on.”

Something pricked Colt’s brain like a needle when he heard those words.

“Matrixes… you don’t mean, like,” he rubbed his forehead, like he was nursing a wound. Just recalling Hawthorn’s ability was painful. “Those circuits inside of things. Things like that vampire, Hawthorn, his guns. And his bullets.”

Colt let go of his forehead. There was no assuaging the headache. It would likely behave just as the others had and fade in time. In comparison to the one that had nearly sent him tumbling down from the roof of the Spade Queen, this one hadn’t earned as much attention as he was giving it.

“If that’s what you mean, I see them. They flash in my head, and it’s like my brain is exploding just looking at them. It’s enough to make my vision go white. Just trying to picture the image in my head off of memory alone is painful…”

He paused for a second.

What was Fu implying, stating that as though it were a natural escalation up toe stairs of being a ‘monster?’

The whole time he had been assuming that it was a symptom of being normal in the presence of the abnormal.

“Am I not supposed to be able to see those?”

[Daneel Rush]

Location: Pinefall High Main Building
Phase: Evening Phase
Date: 10.09.1994 (SAT)
Weather: Storm



“A section that isn’t?” John frowns at Hwan Bin’s question. He tries to remember the detailed layout of the dorms, but it is a useless effort—architecture is not something to which John Dove pays much attention, or any whatsoever.

“I’m sorry, but I wouldn’t know. The building looks entire symmetrical from outside…and I don’t know what the blocked-off section looks like.”

When the Korean mirrors his point about the Coastrises, John quickly goes back to the key collection, picking yet another one and adding it to his new collection.

“Like I said, it’s in the boarded-up section, in front of our mysterious classmate’s Room 121. Assuming those rooms follow the same layout as ours, of course. Which would also mean Room 121 is right next to Xylia’s. How’s all that for suspicious?”

It’s not the last suspicious thing.

“Actually, think about it: at first glance, it looked like the rooms prepared in the dorms were exactly those for the people who arrived in the bus, not for the entire class. Now we know the Coastrises,” he details, dangling the key to Room 120. “Alpa Bagha,” he continues, presenting the newfound key to Room 122. “And our mysterious Student #17 had their rooms blocked off along with the rest of the unused building for some inexplicable reason. Furthermore, these rooms,” he shakes the two neighboring keys. “Remain blocked off from the rest even now. You cannot tell me you’re not wondering why the school would plan things this way. It makes no sense.”

John takes a moment to ponder this apparently ‘nonsensical’ situation.

“It almost makes sense if you assume the faculty themselves assumed Student #17 and the Coastrises would not come to Pinefall. As in, they prepared their rooms but were later informed that those students would not come to the school after all. However, I know for a fact that the faculty—or at least Redd Lewis—considered the Coastrises ‘missing students.’ That still doesn’t explain their persistent isolation after arrival.”

The brain juices are already flowing, so there’s no stopping them now.

“The obvious answer would be that the blockade is where it is because that’s where the door is. This, however, raises a new question: why were those specific students—the Coastrises, Alpa, and Student #17—the ones allowed unrestricted access to the rest of the unused dorm building?”

He shrugs.

“The first answer I can think of is ‘because the person who assigned our rooms knew the Coastrises and Alpa would not be using them’.”

Further reflection or discussion on this matter is interrupted, for good or ill, by John’s next find.

“Hwan, please take a look at this,” he requests, leaving the light-haired boy enough time to go through the note.

“Let’s go over what this means,” John then continues. “Whoever wrote this note, likely a member of the faculty, along with Gottlieb Pharma, or perhaps Sydney Gottlieb himself, and somebody called ‘Satel’, are trying to find and likely seize someone, or rather something, among the student body.”

“This…character, apparently was around 21 years ago, and there was a failed attempt to find it back then. And considering the following sentences, something bad happened back then because this character could not be found. Would you happen to know about anything that happened at this school back then? Otherwise we’ll have to ask around.”

John does not take long to analyze the implications of this newfound information.

“Now, it would be easy to assume they are talking about the impostor after our lives, but that may not be necessarily true. I always plan around the worst-case scenario, and in this case, until we ascertain otherwise, I would suggest we work from the assumption that we are dealing with two separate characters: one who has been around for decades, hostile or not, and one who is actively acting against us right now. For all we know, one could be a copycat of the other, or something like master and student.”

He sighs.

“This doesn’t change anything. Our immediate priorities remain the same: we need to ascertain everybody who belongs to Pinefall’s student body, because at least one of them is our hidden enemy. That means verifying these rooms,” he concludes, dangling the collection of keys in front of his face one last time.

“There’s probably more valuable information in these papers, but I think checking these rooms is the primary objective now. I can go over these all night long afterwards, if I must.”

And indeed, John Dove reaches for his backpack and opens it, ready to stuff it with anything that looks remotely worth looking at. For all he knows, one of those scattered pieces of paper is actually one of Ultra’s journal pages, or something just as valuable.

“Unless you’ve also found something else interesting, we might as well catch up with the others now.”

[Cheetose]

Hisa Momoi
Location: Pinefall High Dormitory - Hisa's Room
Phase: Evening Phase
Date: 10.09.1994 (SAT)
Weather: Storm

"Not necessarily a habit you should grow into. Ironically, it was exactly the other way around with me before I came here. I did not trust people at all, but I had my eyes, brain and common sense to rely on. And now..."

Just to rid of an unpleasant sensation that was growing at the back of my mind, I reached out with my hand to tap the wall of the hallway a few times. One of my senses that I could hopefully rely on quite a bit still...Or at least, I could only hope that it was not deceiving me yet.

Regardless, it didn't seem like there was anything to worry about for now. Yeah, for now. It would have to change later. If things are to go even remotely like they did the last time, then it's unlikely that the dorms would remain this peaceful. Those things had to lurk somewhere, and while they completely eluded me last time...No, literally just murdered multiple people just in front of my eyes without me even realizing...It's not going to be like that this time.

Still, for now, I could only note the complete lack of unusual with a relieved sigh.

"See, it likely doesn't stick out too much, but that I have myself surrounded with people, that I talk to them, that I talk to people like you whom I would have found impossible to approach if you were to ask me just a few weeks ago, it's all so new to me, and I'm really just winging it all without having the slighest clue about anything. But more importantly, I only ever trusted myself, because I found it hard to take anything for granted that I did not see, feel, experience, and comprehend for myself."

Was I wrong to do so, in the end? As a child I naively relied on the people around me to take care of me, and look where I ended up. Growing up, I put my trust in Angelica and Angelica only, and look where I ended up. All a delusion, an elaborate lie, whether or not it was with malicious intents, and now I'm just reaping the consequences again. And yet, I'm down the same path again, without any regrets, and with more hopefulness than ever...

"But now, wrong or not, but I find it hard to doubt you. Or Pyry, and some other people. As someone who could easily peek behind the veil and see what's the truth and what's a lie, relying on that blind trust feels...bold. Yet at the same time it feels like my trust in myself and my own senses is slipping away, as it's slowly replaced by that habit of questioning everything. I mean, would you normally find some random hole weird? You'd probably just ignore it forget about it the moment you leave it behind. But in this place, you can't help but wonder about its purpose, because everything seems to have a purpose, all usually tied to the dark past of this town. Same with the plane - were we anywhere else I'd say that the guy is just an enthusiastic collector and got his hands on a model, but here...It's hard not to think about the involvement of the airforce regarding some shadier things in the past, and even now. If you go down that line of thought, can you really just assume that it's just some random plane that some random guy got their hands on out of a coincidence?"

Eyes closed, I rubbed my temple with a hand as I let out a longer, more exasperated sigh, then casted the thought away and instead focused on Mercedes' question, and a more relaxed topic altogether.

"As for clothes..."

I opened my eyes, as I shot a glance towards the girl's wardrobe.

"I'm pretty sure I look best in simple stuff. Or rather, would look ridiculous in not so simple stuff. Not to mention that I can dress up fancy too. In fact I did tonight, it's just that no one saw it. And then it all just disappeared by the time things ended..."

I scratched my cheek awkwardly as I thought back about the feathery dress. It was hard not to wish that I could have something like that permanently, but then, it was quite unusual for normal clothing...

[Verg Avesta]

Agent Skye
Location: Sheriff's Department
Phase: Evening Phase
Date: 10.09.1994 (SAT)
Weather: Storm

The sheriff chuckled a bit, and for some reason, Scottie smiled as well. The agent patted Liana on the shoulder and nodded towards the other man.

"What'd I tell you? Michael, he's alright," Ferguson repeated with an almost boyish glint in his eye. "Besides, the way I see it, out in places that are far-removed from civilization, you always end up more accepting of the weirdness of the world - ain't that right?"

Both the sheriff and the deputy looked at each other with sort of "they got us there" smiles. Michael then shrugged as he turned back to the other two.

"More or less. I've seen my fair share of weirdness back in the day, and my father did prepare me well for the darkness of this town. I've never shied away from it, or wanted to run from it," he replied. "Besides, I get the feeling that if I don't roll with the punches, I'll get left in the dust when it comes to this danger threatening the people of this town - and that's one risk I'm not willing to take. Normal or weird, a murder is still a murder... and I'm still an officer of the law."

With that, he turned to glance at Deputy Cliff.

"Johanna, fetch me the keys of the jeep, would you?" He asked. "I'm headed out with them."

The blonde woman nodded.

"R-right away!"

And with that, she hurried away from the room. While they waited, the sheriff turned to look back at Liana, returning also to the other topic she had asked about.

"Incidentally, that's exactly what I mean. This 'Mister Oceandrop' is a very secretive man, and he's been keeping his cards close to his chest ever since his arrival," Michael replied, his face darkening little at the thought. "A town in need of money like this was an easy mark for him and his project. Revitalization with not too many questions asked... James Halloway was far too quick to jump on that deal."

Though, suddenly, a sort of secretive grin split the sheriff's face.

"--- He didn't even seem to realize that this 'Oceandrop' was not a new face at all. But instead the former resident of that house just outside the very school he bought."

---

Alexstrasza Lockhart
Location: Mitchell Residence - Outside
Phase: Evening Phase
Date: 10.09.1994 (SAT)
Weather: Storm

"Yeah... and that's exactly what's got me suspicious."

Ramia said that with a growing frown clear on her face. She took a step closer to the car, inspected what she could see underneath the tarp, even went as far as to get down on her knees and peek under it... and when she was done, she stood back up and looked straight at Alexastrasza.

"This might be just me being overly paranoid but... help me out, will you?" She asked. "Round the car and unhook the tarp from that side too. I wanna see what the heck this guy's got hidden away in this garage. I know Red said he was a friendly dude but..."

--- Friendliness was not always something you could trust in this town.

Smiles hid daggers behind their backs.

Thus, the two girls got to work, and soon enough they had unhooked the tarp and made it possible to pull it aside. With some trepidation, Ramia looked at the blonde vampire, before nodding at her as if to tell her to get ready - and to take a few steps back, in case it was something dangerous. Then, with one swift move, the mercenary pulled aside the tarp, throwing it backwards so that it revealed the car itself. What greeted the eyes of the two girls was a cherry-red convertible, a 1966 Chevrolet Corvette as Ramia muttered under her breath - though that was not all. Immediately after removing the tarp, a strange sort of smell entered the noses of the two girls. It was almost like the air under the tarp had been ionized, and now it wafted into the garage momentarily.

But while the car itself was quite the looker... that wasn't what was strange about it.

No.

First of all, the edges of the car's metal paneling looked... either burnt or corroded. Repairwork had been obviously done on them, but at the same time, it couldn't hide all of the fact. Not only that, but the front must have taken a pretty bad hit at some point in the past. Most of it had been straightened out and replaced, but tell-tale signs still spoke of a head-on collision with something.

And finally... there was the machinery attached to the back of the car where the trunk was.

The machinery itself looked like it had seen some heavy damage - or perhaps it had gone through some sort of electrical malfunction or combustion. Some parts were blackened, some parts were melted, but just as many had been replaced or repaired. In fact, it looked like most of it had been made functional. While the appearance of the thing was certainly... crude... it gave off a feeling of a working machine that was just some repairs away from being fully functional. These mechanical parts, which brought to mind cooling/venting units, were then connected to something that sat on the passenger seat of the car.

A black box.

A black box with multiple screens, multiple switches, yellow-and-black warning tape, a cord-connected hand unit that seemed to act as the controller...

--- And with the words: "General Electric Army Model C204 Gravity Distortion Time Displacement Unit" printed on its side.

"Wait..."

Ramia spoke out in a hushed voice.

"What the hell...!?"

---------- Click!

In that moment, the dead silence was cut by a single sound. The sound of a gun being cocked, safety removed, and being trained at the two girls.

And as they both turned to look to the entrance of the garage...

There stood a man, drenched in rain, his crimson hair still painted against the backdrop stormy night.

In his hand he had a gun.

And on his face he had a cold, emotionless mask.

"--- You're not supposed to be here."

The young man spoke, aiming the gun at Ramia.

---

Anna Vandemeel
Location: Mitchell Residence - Inside
Phase: Evening Phase
Date: 10.09.1994 (SAT)
Weather: Storm

"W-wait, gah, aaaaaaaghhh!"

Shane, far too embarrassed and distracted by the older girl ruffling his hair, let out a yell of despair when he saw his character - the militaryman - get thrown about by the wrestler in red. And for good this time, it seemed. Indeed, judging by the way the boy let his controller drop to the floor with a clatter, and how he grasped his face with a horrified look on his face, he hadn't even realized he was so close to losing - and now that it had happened, the cruel reality was settling in.

"N-no fair!" Shane complained, glaring at Anna and CC. "You guys were teaming up against me, talking 'bout all that weird stuff and junk!"

What heinous accusations!

"Whoa dude, chill," Chester chuckled, grinning at the boy's reaction. "We were just flapping our gums, right? Besides, rather than that, I think that wasn't what really put you in la-la-land... right?"

The young man cocked an eyebrow at the boy, and Shane let out a small "Urk!" for some reason. Then the redhead glanced around, finally his eyes settling on Anna... and for some reason he blushed rather magnificently at the sight of her and her hand which still loomed dangerously.

"S-shut up! I-it's not like that!" Shane complained at CC, looking almost desperate. "I-I wasn't...! S-she isn't...! I-I'm not...! Nyeaaaargh!"

Oh dear...

The innocence of young boys.

Shane's thoughts and emotions were absolutely clear on his face, especially the way he stiffened up whenever Anna looked at him... and that fact made Chester burst out in roaring laugh, for once sounding like he wasn't hiding something behind that smile of his. No, the fact that the blonde guy was laughing to the point tears formed in the corners of his eyes made it feel like the situation had finally properly gotten to him too - and that he had no need to pretend anymore. Against all odds... it seemed that this "CC" was just having fun at this point.

Though, although the situation had certainly taken a step into a better direction...

--- It was one step forward and ten steps back.

[Aaaah, Boss! Boss! We got big trouple!]

Söörik's sudden mental voice rang out in Anna's head.

[W-we're being accosted! Robbed! Reaching for the skies!]

Wait, had something happened with Ramia and Alexstrasza?

[T-that redhead guy came home and he looks like he's about to kill us! We're in the garage!]

--- What.

---

Elaine Winters
Location: The Lighthouse
Phase: Evening Phase
Date: 10.09.1994 (SAT)
Weather: Storm

"Wait...!"

Suddenly, Sakura snapped her fingers.

"The McLampets have an old housekeeper that's still hanging about named Beatrice!" the older girl said, sounding somewhat excited. "I bet she would know! Or, actually, even better than that... not too long ago, Hisa Momoi managed to make some friends with a resident of the McLampet estate. Allene McLampet. She was a sweet girl, and I'm sure if you talk to them about it, Hisa and her might be able to help as well... maybe even get us into the estate grounds themselves?"

It was certainly something to remember. Memory of the locals was one thing, but if they could see the place where the statue had once been, it might provide some additional clues in the form of how the base of the statue looked, and how any possible buildings around it might have been set up.

"Umm..."

Ubon, somewhat surprisingly, suddenly lifted her hand like she wanted to ask a question in the class. When all eyes were on her, the girl blushed slightly at the attention, but finally continued.

"Now, uh, this is totes just a long shot and stuff but... if some big shot art collector money person bought the statue, isn't that sorta strange? Like, for realsies?" The girl asked. "I mean think about it. This place is totes the bodunks, so who'd even be looking for something like that? At least an outsider? The way I figure, it'd be totes more plausible if it was one of the big money people from Road's End who wanted to preserve some of the local stuff, or someone who knew the importance of the statues? Like... err, does that make sense?"

Sakura and Subaru glanced at each other, and the latter nodded.

"Hmm... it somewhat does? Though, then that begs the question..." The tiny shrine maiden turned to look at others. "Who in the town would buy something like that from the McLampets?"

Joshua's snort cut into the conversation rather harshly. There was a bitter grin ont he spirit's face.

"I'll bet my non-existent money that it'd be either the Kincaids or the Halloways. Maybe the latter," he said. "Halloways and McLampets never did like each other."

[Airen]

Agent Skye
Location: Sheriff's Department
Phase: Evening Phase
Date: 10.09.1994 (SAT)
Weather: Storm

"...Admirable."

In the face of Michael's explanation for his bravery, his open-mindedness, the dark-haired agent simply lets loose this single word, a single comment on his character, before her gaze returns to the great darkness that lies beyond the window. Her brain is spinning, whirring away with countless lines of thought, a veritable storm of information that all seems focused on the World outside, on the opponent lurking in the darkness of a blood-stained school building, of the years she had spent in agony, wracked with guilt-ridden memories.

Pain.

Screams.

An overwhelming sense of failure, a movie on repeat, something both cloudy and clear, wracked with emotions of all sorts. The doctor had told her she had woken up crying the first time, screaming really, an inconsolable mess, wracked with the many pains that had kept this soul alive without a body, tied to this reality, focused, insistent...

The enemy responsible awaits.

Of course her thoughts dwell on it, it'd be unnatural if they didn't, even so...

"..."

She turns to watch Johanna leave, eyes lingering for a moment on the star emblazoned on her chest, a certain riddle playing out in thoughts that are going over everything she has learned this week. Her gaze flickers back to Michael when he talks to her, noting the darkening of his otherwise handsome face, the admittance that Oceandrop had somehow been able to pull off the sketchiest sounding project in existence without anyone batting an eye, and even...

"...Well, perhaps he did realize and just didn't care."

...this new revelation that Mr. Oceandrop owned that strange house outside of the school building, that he had been a formal local... But such things aren't too surprising anymore, the further she looks into the town's history the more strings seem to tie everyone together, hell, considering recent revelations, there was a good chance that the Lighthouse would be able to claim her soul if she died here, that Sora had lived here long enough to count as a resident, to get caught up in that cursed beacon, and...

"James doesn't strike me as someone who'd overlook those sorts of things."

Well, not like that mattered too much, they were caught in an infinite spiral of time.

No matter what happened in the next twenty-four or so hours, whether they killed Guildenstern or not, found the cuckoo or not, they would all just be swept right back to the start.

"I used to give people the benefit of the doubt around here, but it seems like everyone knows a lot more than they're letting on, they're all playing their own little game... So rather than James Halloway not knowing Oceandrop was a formal local, it's probably better to assume he did know... And that it didn't matter to him, or that it helped him in some way."

She sighs, finally ripping her gaze from the window, although the fire burning in her heart continues on regardless of how cool her voice remains.

"This Oceandrop Project nonsense... It all seems to be a trap for this Cuckoo thing, and tons of people seem to be in on it. They failed to catch it twenty-one years ago, got a bunch of kids killed as a result, then decided they wanted to do it again for some reason... And the trap doesn't work if the students know about it." She smiles bitterly. "Using children and teenagers as bait without even telling them... Pretty hard to respect someone that does that, so I guess Oceandrop is on the enemies list after all, probably the teachers too... Sucks when you can't even trust the adults that are supposed to be taking care of you, right? And people think the students are weird for not trusting the world around them?"

They've probably convinced themselves it's safe of course, that they'll do it better this time, that it's worth the risk...

But that's what people always convince themselves.

In reality, they're not helping a damn thing.

Shaking her head, she puts herself back in her chair, one leg crossed over the other.

"Ah well, one thing at a time."

Can't do much about the teachers now.

"But what's his actual name, if you don't mind my asking? I figured it couldn't be Oceandrop, so I'll admit you got me curious now. Might need to look into his old house to see what the hell's going on in his head..."

She says, contemplative eyes sparkling ever so slightly as a more mischievous grin is shot the sheriff's way.

Although...

"Oh, and Rosenkrantz."

...It only lasts for a moment, or rather...

"I have a few more questions for you too. I'm doing a sort of... Survey with old classmates. You don't mind, right? We go way back after all, do we not?"

Her head turns, ever so slightly, to regard the white-haired man that had gone so quickly silent.

"As a former classmate... Would you mind telling me what you remember about Sora? What was she like? Who were her friends?"

...Yes.

This question again, but for two reasons this time...

One: a simple curiosity, wanting to remember what had been forgotten, what had been repressed and buried inside of the soul she had been entrusted with, and...

Two: a desire to really understand who she would be avenging here, the emotions she understood, the pain of failing to protect

everyone

someone

had been seared into her from the start, but the faces and names of those classmates that had been lost...

She couldn't remember it.

Who had she been close to?

Why was only Stella clear in her mind?

What room had Sora died in?

Maybe nothing would come of it, but...

No reason not to ask.

[Ayakashi]

Vivienne Bianchi
Location: Owl's Nest Hotel - Room 305
Phase: Evening Phase
Date: 10.09.1994 (SAT)
Weather: Storm

So Norse Mythology and the Kincaids are tied together? Something to keep in mind then. The most animalistic thing that stood out of Norse Mythology was Fenrir, the legendary wolf of destruction tied with Loki... and that did fit quite well with the Kincaids, from the information Alex had revealed about them at any rate. Back from the day of the Vikings though? That's a lot of history. Vivienne herself had been involved in some business with the Norse Turnside, that is where she got her throwing daggers from after all. The business dealt with vampires and sea monsters though, rather than werewolves.

"The others... may have found details about that. A lot of people... going on their own investigations. If Kincaids have a strong presence... inevitable that something about them cropped up in the search the others have been conducting."

Having listened to the rest of Alex's explanation and recounting of her experiences, Vivienne could only stay silent for a bit. Of course, she was unable to emote properly, and could not show any sign of compassion if she wanted to. The silence was probably all she could to 'express' her sympathies to Alex, for both the loss of her mother and what the Kincaids had done to her.

There was also the fact that she had to absorb all the information being revealed to her here. All of this would most likely be good details to share with the other 'loopers', especially those that were specifically after the Kincaids. Alas, while it was good to know, there was not much Vivienne could do with this information, as always.

However, there was a detail that Vivienne felt like she should point out before they left.

"I meant Xeni, not uh, that other person... who by the way, is in this hotel. I was at their room earlier as I mentioned... or at least I think that is them. 'Orion' was with him."

Perhaps Alex might want to drop there for a word? That could be risky though, the alternative was to just book it out of here. What was Alex's plan?

[Frantic Author]

Alexstrasza Lockhart
Location: Mitchell Residence - Outside
Phase: Evening Phase
Date: 10.09.1994 (SAT)
Weather: Storm

Scarce do I uncover a contraption that can - supposedly, travel through time, that a man points a gun at Ramia! Fair fortune, is it not, that she is with us, correct Potemkin? While another may have become distraught, or feigned a faint upon such on occurrence; that would never happen to us. We are not the type to scare easily, or run from danger. If anything, Potemkin, is it not true that the likes of us is an ever-present danger?

"Anna let us in!" I immediately blamed another person for our wrongdoings, pointing at the door - "and there's a murderer on the loose!"

I folded my arms, staring at the young man with a frown on my face, tapping my foot as I gave him the cold withering look of a person who was caught doing something she shouldn't have been, before letting out a sigh and shrugging my shoulders, as I glanced at Ramia.

"I can't say that Anna's plan is working very well," I said, smiling brightly the entire time, "is it time for a more... direct approach?"

[Kuroyuki]

Vier
Location: Ghostwood National Forest (?)
Phase: Evening Phase
Date: 10.09.1994 (SAT)
Weather: Storm

I listened to Zieg carefully. Very carefully. She struck at the root of my insecurities, my fears, and my doubts that I’ve always had. That was always buried deep, deep inside of me. Something I repressed out of the fear that I wouldn’t be able to do anything but wait for someone to save me. So when Zieg pulled out a familiar knife that I didn’t have this time around, I knew she wasn’t joking.

“No. I won’t fight you. We already know who would be the winner of a fight between the two of us. Even if you’re the small part of me that is optimistic and wanting me to fix myself, you’re Zieg. I don’t think I could kill you in a frontal attack, especially when you expect it.”

I walk closer to Zieg and know what has to be done. I grabbed the hand with the knife in it and guided it up to my neck.

“The person who needs to be killed in this mindscape isn’t you, but me. Unless you and I can fight the things that I’ve repressed, I don’t think there’s a faster way to fix my issue. It might cause some temporary issues, but it should work… In theory.”

I let it dig into my skin just a little bit so that way Zieg could stab my throat whenever she decides.

“I don’t agree with you right now. But… If I get some time to just think. Maybe I can. But with how this town is and what will happen on Sunday. I don’t have time to sort it. I have to keep moving. I have to keep functioning. I can’t afford mistakes… I can’t deal with my emotions or I’ll break under the pressure.”

I thought I was going to have time to develop my relationships. Time to investigate my target. Time to figure out who Zieg was in Road’s End. Instead, there’s a time crunch. A week. There’s an abundance of Turnside threats. Threats that are actively malevolent and have the means to kill. I should’ve pulled back earlier and focused on the threats. Instead… I’ve let my emotions take control during my time crunch. I got closer to people instead of actively investigating threats. While my initial action to act like I was unaware of the loop, I should’ve abandoned it once I received information that there were multiple loopers. I should’ve left the school and let “Vier Wolff” disappear. And now I’m paying for my mistakes now.

[Katie]

Lucille Faraday
Location: Pinefall High Main Building
Phase: Evening Phase
Date: 10.09.1994 (SAT)
Weather: Storm

“Huh.”

Maybe being a part of the Turnside did affect your judgment. Lucille was certain she was going to see something supernatural. Instead, the eye underneath the eyepatch was mundane, ordinary, inconsequential. The scar around it… was he really this ashamed of it? Of course, it wasn’t up to her to judge his circumstances over something she knew nothing about, but it was hardly a wound she’d describe as disfiguring. And if he wanted to look less conspicuous… wasn’t the eyepatch equal, if not greater at grabbing attention, provoking thoughts of a hidden mystery behind its origin?

“I guess that’s cute,” Lucille mutters as she closes Souma’s eyes, before putting the eyepatch back on, so that he could look as serene as when she’d found him. May he rest in peace. They could bury him when the rain subsided.

As she’s about to walk away, a nagging thought appears in her mind. Perhaps he could have something on him that could illuminate the situation? Could his assailant have taken it away?

…Would he mind if she checked his pockets?

Biting her lip, Lucille resigns herself to doing the crude and pragmatic thing, just in case there was something she missed. After that, she’d regroup with the others.

[Verg Avesta]

Prushka
Location: Pinefall High Dormitory - Prushka's Room
Phase: Evening Phase
Date: 10.09.1994 (SAT)
Weather: Storm

"Pretty much no one knows...?"

Something in those words made Alpa furrow her brow. She put a finger to her chin, deep in thought, mulling over it again and again - even going so far as to mouth those words silently as her stare pierced through the empty space of the room. At the same time the rain outside kept falling, hard as bullets, against the rooftop and the world at large.

"... D-do you... do you think that's really true, though?" Alpa finally said, looking straight at Prushka. "In the first place, while I'm good at hiding, I'm not perfect... and to be honest, my defenses are only against supernatural forms of detection. Someone can still see me. Someone can still hear me. Turnside people often forget the power of mere eyes and ears, even smell..."

She bit her lip, momentarily.

"If... if we think about it that way, it also goes the other way around. Someone who is good at hiding their supernatural nature. If I am only focusing on supernatural threats, they would slip past my spells... until they would act - and thus reveal themselves. I wouldn't miss something like the yew tree ritual that Cesarina was put through," the girl commented. "Maybe they even counted on me reacting, and so, laid in wait afterwards. Almost like they were luring me and..."

For just a moment, a perplexed look appeared on the girl's face.

"... No, that can't be it. It must've been just a w-way to get rid of a witness they couldn't fool," Alpa continued. "Though, that made me think..."

She looked straight at Prushka.

"The bullet we found? The one that we could use to track your brother? Well, we can do that to... other things too, right?" The girl suddenly suggested. "Y-you have your emotion-based powers? And my tracking spell too. If we took a look at the guns here in this school, ones that could fit the gun that killed me..."

And finally, she gulped - nervous.

"... Couldn't we find who owns it? And thus, the killer?"

---

Colt Davin
Location: Forest Ranger Cabin
Phase: Evening Phase
Date: 10.09.1994 (SAT)
Weather: Storm

"N-no...! No you're not!"

Somehow, Fu managed to sound both terrified and worried about Colt when she replied.

"Listen, thi... Colt. Those are mana matrixes. It's like looking at an engine and understanding the internal workings just by seeing the exterior. Or looking at a human and understanding the way nervous system, veins, bones, muscle tissue and... and everything is laid out beneath the skin!" The girl continued, trying to paint a rather horrifying picture. "Mana matrixes are like the building blocks of supernatural... well, magic side of it at least. It's a lattice of internal pathways for certain things, such as spells or tools, weapons and equipment. Think of it... think of it like memory. A singular mage has their spells, created from their thoughts, imagination and rituals - but that's unique to them. To pass that on, it has to be codified into a specific lattice through which mana can be pumped through to achieve the same results."

She gestured with her hands, drawing complex shapes into the air.

"In other words, it's like the memory and personality of a mage, their existence at the moment of casting that spell. That's why it can be used to mimic numen to a certain degree. Numen's uh..." A momentary awkward expression flashed through her face. "... Think of it as the 'historical and mythological weight' of supernatural objects. Like the holy grail or the philosophe--- No, that's actually a bad example. B-but like holy grail! Or the thorny crown of that Jesus bloke! Those things are powerful because they're old, because they're famous, and because they're irreversable part of the human subconsciousness. But if we take what we think the miracles and their casters were like at the height of their power, make as good a replica as we can, then..."

She spread her hands, showing both her palms as if presenting something to the boy.

"... See? It's guesswork, but we might be able to recreate them to a degree. That's where the proper power of mana matrixes lie. That they're codified supernatural, a representation of an internal world perhaps..." Fu concluded, before narrowing her eyes at Colt. "... And you can just understand them? See them like it's no problem? Information like that should leave you braindead, or at least severely damaged..."

--- So that's was it.

The pain in Colt's head whenever he gazed at Hawthorne's weapons. His brain, for better or for worse, was trying to decipher them and succeeding - to the point that he even understood the mana matrixes of these things. Something like Lucille's or Tris' swords did not cause such a reaction, meaning that their internal workings were probably beyond his reach... or perhaps he just didn't understand swords enough. But when it came to guns...

... Guns were easy, weren't they?

Unlike the world, the guns all followed a certain logic.

And that logic... it was present in that vampire's weapons as well.

That's why, even though it hurt and made his brain feel like it was about to burst...

--- Colt could understand them.

And if he could understand them thoroughly, didn't that - in a way - mean that he could also...?

"H-hey. Are you alright?"

Fu's voice, now properly worried, drew Colt back from his thoughts... and made him realized he was clutching his head and sweating profusely.

"Should I... should I call for Ms. Savage?" The bespectacled girl asked. "You look like you could topple over at any second. Maybe you need rest?"

... It was definitely almost midnight.

Rest might be good.

---

Hisa Momoi
Location: Pinefall High Dormitory - Hisa's Room
Phase: Evening Phase
Date: 10.09.1994 (SAT)
Weather: Storm

"Oh ho~? Was it, like, psionic clothing or something? That sounds pretty radical, actually."

Mercedes grinned wickedly. While Leena was looking for a change of clothes for herself and To-Totesh and going through the starlet's wardrobe with some help from her, the latter was browing through the coat hangers... before she suddenly grabbed two fluffy sweaters and tossed them on the bed.

"Still, while I don't have that or whatevah, I think those might go with your style. Plus, like, it's getting cold out there. You need to dress warmly. And without a hood you can't hide that face of yours for no reason whatsoevah," the actress said, winking at the other girl. "As for the bottoms, well, like, I have some ripped jeans that might go well with your style, but uh..."

For some reason, Mercedes looked at Hisa's legs. Then at her own. And then clicked her tongue angrily, like she was annoyed that she lost at something.

"Nevermind..."

Meanwhile, Leena lifted her head from her search and looked straight at Hisa as well.

"... I get what you mean though, Hisa. I mean, gosh. For the longest time I only thought believed in my own truths. Things that I had puzzled out myself, or figured out on my own. But... geez, you saw where that led me, right?" The bluehead said and chuckled awkwardly - and a bit sadly. "There's only so much we can do alone. And the things we decide alone might not always be right. Sometimes we might need others to help us see how things really are... and to believe them during those times, we need trust too. Just like how I needed to trust you Hisa."

She rubbed the back of her head, looking somewhat sheepish.

"It's weird since we haven't even known that long, but at the same time... I'm glad I put my trust in you. It led me to this. Even if it's a scary moment, even if things are very dangerous right now... I honestly prefer this than what I was before," Leena concluded, with a nod. "And while it might be selfish, I still wanna trust my own mind, and my own choices... but balance it out with people who I've come to trust. I-if that makes sense?"

Mercedes, now sitting on the edge of the bed, nodded as well.

"Like, I think it does? Ain't in a million years Nancy here and me would have gotten along if this were a normal high school," she commented and flashed a shark-like grin. "But like she said, weird things happen or whatevah. Word's, like, a big place. You take what you get and you trust who you wanna. Sure, it's not always gonna work out and, like, you might end up getting betrayed... but that's life. Nothing's certain and everything's up for grabs. Doubt, suspicion, trust, acceptance... you've gotta balance it all, yeah? Like, can't just lean too much in one direction."

Leaning back with her hands, the starlet kicked her feet a little, staring up at the ceiling.

"... And, like, you didn't hear this from me: but I think it's totes important you have friends for that exact reason. Because they'll help you balance yourself. And you'll, like, balance them in turn."

In the silence that followed, Leena stared at Mercedes... then grinned widely at Hisa.

"Aww, look, Hisa! Gosh, she really does like us!"

With a face like she'd been caught with her pants down, the starlet let out a loud harrumph.

"S-shut up! Like, seriously, shut up! You dweeb!"

---

Agent Skye
Location: Sheriff's Department
Phase: Evening Phase
Date: 10.09.1994 (SAT)
Weather: Storm

"A thoughts from so long ago... hah. Haha..."

Rosencrantz, with an odd smile on his face, put his hand on his temple and closed his eyes - as if thinking back to those days. At the same time, the room went silent, aside from the pounding rain and the howling winds that were still chaotically fighting outside, blowing past the trees and crashing into the town. A bolt of lightning streaked across the darkened skies, illuminating them for but a fraction of a moment - and soon enough, the loud boom that followed rattled the windows.

In that silence, Michael - seeing that the pale man was in no hurry to answer - turned towards Liana.

"You're right. His real name isn't Oceandrop - even if he's adapted to that persona quite perfectly," the sheriff answered, stopping only to take the keys that Johanna had brought. "Quite a while ago he used to go by another name... a name that the house where he used to live also carried."

He paused, just for a moment.

"Cooper."

That was the simple answer.

"Daniel Cooper..." Michael continued. "Or Dan for short."

This revelation made Scottie raise an eyebrow - almost as much as Liana's earlier, dark speech had made it.

"Dan Cooper you say...?" He asked, before a mysterious smile spread on his face. "A rather unfortunate name to have, here in the Washington state."

Michael nodded and was about to comment on something - but at that moment, Rosencrantz's eyes opened wide, wider than before, and he was staring straight at Liana. A strange, unnerving smile spread on his face as he leaned a bit forward in the chair, as if taking in the sight of the girl better now... and when he did, some sort of curiosity or question within those eyes seemed to be sated.

Then, finally, he spoke.

"... Ah yes. That girl. I remember her. We did not talk. Most of her time she spent with either that older girl, former alumni, or the boy who... walked in the shadow of is impending death," Rosecrantz spoke out loud, shivering a bit. "But yes... there are two things I remember of her. How she used to look with hatred, and receive hatred, from that pious girl with golden hair. And how..."

The old-yet-young man stopped, tilted his head, as if in confusion.

"... And how she once gave me a sports drink. Perhaps to cheer me up, after all, I had..." His mouth twist twisted into a thin line. "... Become a mere shadow in the eyes of my classmates."

Again, lightning cut across the skies, illuminating the man's pale face with blue-tinted light.

... Whatever memories he had, he was clearly not going to go into great detail about them.

And more importantly... time was running out. They would need to get to school soon.

Before this night was over.

---

Vivienne Bianchi
Location: Owl's Nest Hotel - Room 305
Phase: Evening Phase
Date: 10.09.1994 (SAT)
Weather: Storm

"Hmm..."

For a moment, Alex seemed to be considering the exact thing that Vivienne was thinking. However, eventually...

"Tch. No. Better not," the French girl said, shaking her head. "Any unnecessary risks at this point is just foolish. And if we need to, I can just contact him some other way. Though... I suppose this means that this 'Orion' really was speaking the truth. Or rather, that his information can be trusted."

Having finished packing and talking, Alex moved into the corridor with a surprising amount of stealth, making nary a noise. She quietly jogged over to the corner leading to the stairs and peered down... and frowned. There was some noise coming down from the first floor, and it didn't sound like the usual noise of guests. More like someone was yelling.

That couldn't be good.

"... Let's take the emergency stairs," Alex quietly muttered and nodded Vivienne to follow. "They should bring us out near the kitchens."

Hurrying to the other end of the corridor, the duo came across a locked door with a familiar sign of a green, running man shining above it. Alex tried the door, but like they had previously observed, it was indeed shut tight. With a frustrated sigh, the reporter knelt by the door and fished out a set of tools - lockpicks, from the looks of it - and started working on the lock. As she did, and perhaps to fill the silence in the corridor, Alex continued to talk with a quiet voice.

"And what comes to Xeni... she's inconsequential. Useful as a body-double. That's what I paid her for," Alex explained. "But her emotional state is just all over the place. Just leave her to her own devices. We don't need more baggage to lug around right now."

It was strange, but these two... Alex and Xeni... the way they spoke about each other, it felt almost a little too cold.

If they were really working together, how could that be?

Something in this puzzle just didn't fit right. The pieces did not click.

"Speaking of which, of the classsmates we have... who do you think are useful? And trustworthy?" Alex suddenly asked, still working on the lock. "If we're to compare notes with others, we should do so with those that actually have information we might need. And ones that won't stab us in the back the first moment they get."

[Spinach]

Colt Davin
Location: Forest Ranger Cabin
Phase: Evening Phase
Date: 10.09.1994 (SAT)
Weather: Storm

Colt’s head throbbed in rhythm with his heartbeat.

Historical, mythological weight. Was that what it was? Those twin guns, they were heavy. Their image in Colt’s mind was like an anchor, trapping his thoughts in place. The sight of them wasn’t merely captivating, it was forceful and violently intrusive. They demanded more than attention or acknowledgement; they had invaded his head.

Like a bullet to the brain. That was how it felt. It was how he felt right now.

Bullets. The ones the vampire shot last night, the three that were also one. They were from an old Norse myth, that was what Hawthorn said. But what Colt saw was not just a myth, but something in front of him, something he could understand. He understood those bullets, just as he understood the blood, sweat, tears, and most of all the earnest wish poured into the twin guns.

The artist had left their passion in those weapons, but where had those guns left the artist?

His head throbbed again.

"H-hey. Are you alright?"

“Huh?” Colt blinked.

How long had he been hunched over for, one hand clutching at his head, the other balled into a fist?

"Should I... should I call for Ms. Savage? You look like you could topple over at any second. Maybe you need rest?"

“No… no, it’s fine. I’m fine, I think. It’s just that, like I said, those matrixes, seeing them, just remembering them makes my head feel like it’s going to pop. Maybe they just give me headaches since I’m already braindead?” He forced a short chuckle. “Thanks though, that explains a lot.”

Yet left many more questions, as well as what may be an incomplete picture. But one thing did make sense to Colt: seeing these isn’t normal, and he’s lucky to get off with just a migraine.

“I’ll turn in for the night soon. It’s been a long couple of days, and I still gotta make a phone call too. But before that I’ve got a question.” Colt wiped the sweat from his brow. “Starting Wednesday, where have you been the last few days? That’s something I need to know. You can leave out whatever facts you like. But I need to know where and when to find you.”

[Ayakashi]

Vivienne Bianchi
Location: Owl's Nest Hotel - Room 305
Phase: Evening Phase
Date: 10.09.1994 (SAT)
Weather: Storm

Vivienne was on watch duty as Alex worked her way through the lock. Technically, she could have tried her hand at this, but Vivienne never feld the need to learn ho to lock pick a door since she could just fly or easily pass as someone else. Also, lockpicking took time, and usually wasn't a very good thing to get caught doing.
The commotion coming from downstairs indicated that things were starting to heat up, so indeed, not tarrying in the place was a good idea.

As she listened to Alex's quiet talking, Vivi couldn't help but wonder how exactly these two had come to work together, if their relationship was so flimsy? Xeni did her utmost to be as convincing and hide the 'real' Alex's identity, only giving up hen Vivienne stopped beating around the bush and... giving her 'that' room number. Was Xeni the one who got played here or... what was going on?

... that was of little import currently.

Or was it?

Just like how she discarded that faker girl, soon she will discard you when you are of no use anymore to her.

"Speaking of which, of the classsmates we have... who do you think are useful? And trustworthy? If we're to compare notes with others, we should do so with those that actually have information we might need. And ones that won't stab us in the back the first moment they get."

"... there is Prushka, the person that inspected your room with me 'last week'. She is a very trustworthy and reliable person... when she isn't letting herself be overrun by her emotions," was Vivienne's first response, acknowleding the history she had with her diminutive, but quite loud ally. She was the one Vivienne worked with the most after all since arriving here... how was she doing, Vivienne had to wonder? It'd probably be good to know what kind of rabbit hole she got dragged into, especially since she seemed quite invested in helping Ahti. "There were also... Hisa and Elise, that are both also 'revisiting' the present, and Vier and Liana. Those are the contacts I know... we should see if they are at school. I was told that Lucille is also a 'good person' who also remembers 'last' week... so it's a potential contact if we find someone."

Quite a broad selection of potential allies, but were any of them even at the school? Only time would tell, and they didn't have much of it at the moment.