Astronomika - Shooting Down Falling Stars (IC)

[Bloble]

Prushka
Location: McLampet Saw Mill
Phase: Evening Phase
Date: 10.09.1994 (SAT)
Weather: Storm

"Uh, well, um."

What is this!? This dual attack!? These unbearably corny words!?

"I mean, um, that's."

It's like the air is full of honey. Everything feels sweet. Too sweet. Like good things aren't supposed to happen but they just did.

"D-don't, uh, m-mention it, no wait, uh..."

Ah, I can't take this anymore! Why are you two so cute!? It's like a picture from my childhood! That's not fair, Ahti! You can't just smile so sincerely like that! Not while finally getting along like real brothers! You're gonna make me cry and I promised I wouldn't cry anymore! I'm so happy I'm literally shaking!

"G-geeze, what are you even making me say..."

It's just...

"..."

Reaching out, I wrap my fingers around Ahti's hand, and squeeze.

[Thalraxal]

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

"I'll go put her to bed, so we'll have to take a raincheck for a moment. Though, hm… I'm pretty sure there were two. Rosencrantz and Guildenstern, that is. Just that they were, yeah, pretty interchangeable. I think they were siblings or something, but if I'm honest, I never really interacted with them too much."

"Like said, it's that old theater joke of switching their actors mid-play without anybody noticing. That's how little impression they tended to leave on others."

Yikes, I've been accused of being a background character before, thought Schoolgirl C as she recalled a brief encounter with Xylia on a very similar evening so long ago, but it sounds like they take it to a whole new level.

"I'll have to take you up on that raincheck, Ms. Boulders. Thank you again! Goodnight, Ms. Carrie, rest well."

She waved as Billie hauled her friend away to sleep, rather impressed by Billie's display of strength.

Huh. Does Billie have a spare bunk here in case people have, uh, too much to drink? wondered Elise as Billie disappeared up the stairs with Carrie over her shoulder, Big Boy's is pretty out of the way relative to the rest of town. Or is Carrie just staying here? For that matter, does Billie live here too?

She took a sip from her drink and set it back down on the counter and stared down at her reflection within its depths.

[Hisa said that she encountered Rozencrantz, and that he's staying at the Owl's Nest… Maybe Rozencrantz is Guildenstern, but either way Rozencrantz was there too. Hisa and I also thought that Guildenstern might've messed with us last week too. Despite the warning Hisa got about looking for Guildenstern, I think we should visit this Rozencrantz and see what he knows about both Pinefall, and, well, his counterpart.]

Elise glanced out the window, catching a flash of lightning from the storm beyond the walls of the bar.

[Maybe not right now, but tomorrow will be too late… That might have to be a future us problem…]

Elise sighed and took another sip from her drink. Turning her attention back to what Carrie had said about the raven statue that had once been perched above the entrance to Pinefall's main building.

Part of a set of three... translated Elise as she deciphered Carrie's slurred speech, Huginn, Muninn, and Odin? The ravens are gone, but Odin is still around somewhere... I wonder where the second raven was, and where the old man is for that matter...?

Elise frowned to herself, and to the reflection in the depths of her drink, as she considered where the other statues might have been.

If one raven was at the school, I'd guess the other was at a similar public building built by the McLampets? Maybe the hospital. It'd likely have been removed in the various renovations there too. Maybe the McLampet manor itself? Maybe the cemetery? Odin had a claim to the souls of dead warriors, right? Isn't there a statue of an old pioneer or something up on the Ghostwood Overlook? Good view from there, for sure. Could that have been Odin? I don't think it was stone though... I might have to take a closer look at it some other time too.

From what Carrie said, it sounds like we're stuck in the middle of something that's at least partially a spiritual turf war between Team Raven and Team Owl. If we're going with a bird theme, I guess that makes us Team Dove?

She briefly considered asking John if he'd want to be a mascot, but decided against it.

Given that the local church is a forgotten ruin, and the Lowgate family isn't doing much better, I think it's safe to say that our team isn't much of a contender around here anymore.

Elise frown deepened as she considered the state of Team Dove compared to Team Owl and Team Raven.

This isn't like hockey where we can just cheer for another team when ours gets eliminated, but I don't think we're in much of a position to make a comeback at this point... Still, it's clear that Mr. Oceandrop is all in for Team Owl. Or, at least, strongly opposed to Team Raven if he's going around knocking down their monuments. I wonder whose jersey Mr. Halloway wears these days?

Elise slid off of her stool and collected her coat and backpack before picking up her cup.

[Well, it's time to get awkward, I suppose, and find out what Travis and his new friend have been up to.]

With one last sip from her drink, Elise turned and made her way towards Travis' table.

"Hey Travis! I didn't expect to run into you here. Or, well, anyone, really," said Elise as she approached the table.

She turned to the green haired girl with the eyepatch and gave her a friendly smile, "Hi! I'm Elise! Nice to meet you."

[Kuroyuki]

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

As I slowly stalked my way towards the campfire, I noticed something disconcerting. This wasn’t the same forest that I walked into hours ago. While the forest still felt gigantic even by my standards, the overall atmosphere was different. Even on established paths in the Ghostwood National Park, there was a sense of foreboding. The depths of the Ghostwood National Forest were even worse as you could see how poorly lit it was, how ancient the woods felt, and most importantly… How steeped in the Turnside it felt.

These woods on the other hand… There was light and plenty of lights. Through the tree canopy, while thick, there was starlight piercing through. An absurd amount of starlight, almost to flare-like levels, which made my sneaking significantly harder. And of course the campfire that I was walking towards. It was a good, vibrant campfire. Seemingly out of place with that simple smell was the distinctive smell of coffee and s’mores. While the smell of s’mores was… normal for normal people. The coffee was more familiar for me yet foreign. I was more used to it as a caffeine delivery system. An espresso shot. Murky, sludge that still had plenty of the grounds in it. The coffee brewing over the campfire was a good roast that was slightly wasted in an environment like this. And up ahead, I could hear the person in front of me whistling carefree. They were either confident in their ability to handle anything that occurred… Or the forest we were in was comfortable and forgiving enough to allow such behavior.

I hope it was the latter as I took a step closer to the campfire. Anyone capable of experiencing what I went through confidently would be someone to befriend or avoid. As I tried to rehearse my responses and analyze the person humming in front of me… I just appeared in front of them and the campfire despite the fact that I was a good few meters away on my last step. My stomach started growling at the smell of food in close proximity. The person I was trying to sneak up on? Full EVA suit. Not just any EVA suit. A Soviet EVA suit. A SOVIET EVA suit in NATO.

Before they turned around, I schooled my facial expressions and had to remind myself that the person in front of me wasn’t my enemy. Not instantly. Only if they engage first or obtained intelligence deemed otherwise. I’m not in a T0 unit anymore. I’m not in German SOF. Heck I’m not even in NATO. So I had to let my preconceptions and biases go.

"Um......... hello?"

“...Hello. Nice day for camping?”