Spirit Pulse : Mugen No Sekai [IC]

**Airen** · October 3rd, 2021, 07:02 PM

Ludwig Karlfeldt
Ludwig's Room ~ SLEIPNIR
11/16/2026
Monday ~ Noon

Originally Posted by Ludwig

"So, now that your curiosity is sated, perhaps you can sate mine. For what reason was I spared after 'cheating'? Actors becoming aware of their script seems like an open invitation for problems."

"Isn't it obvious?"

She tilts her head to the side, smile as wide as always...

No, wider.

"It's more interesting this way~"

---Again.

A bizarre answer, one that certainly serves as a response to your question, but also one that doesn't seem to answer the actual spirit of it.

"I have observed everything else already after all, so this is a welcome enough distraction, like... Finding a lost season of a show you like... That sort of thing~"

She laughs.

---Her form fizzles in and out.

Almost like her existence was uncertain, or perhaps, constantly shifting around...?

Impossible to tell with eyes alone.

Your senses simply say not to look away from her.

Not after you've caught her direct attention...

"Although... Hmm, would I kill you again? No, not at all. Not until you try to kill me first."

Her eyes grow bright.

"But whether or not you get yourself killed... Well, that's all on you. I've already done what I needed to do, now I'm just here to see the results."

She leans back, one hand returning to grasp her cup -it too fading in and out of reality- the woman takes a brief sip, her naturally graceful movements only half-visible through the clouds of static that surrounded her figure.

"Will those like that A.I of yours successfully deny my World, or will the World deny her and those like her? Perhaps like you? It's an interesting question, no?"

It clinks back on the table.

"The hole this World was in was deep... Not as deep as the others mind you, but deep nonetheless."

The grin widens.

"So many things to take care of, so many people to save, always busy, Xanadu."

**Zurvan** · October 4th, 2021, 01:58 AM

Ludwig Karlfeldt
Ludwig's Room ~ SLEIPNIR
11/16/2026
Monday ~ Noon

---Others?

As should be expected, no clear answer is given, but this much is fine for the Telepath.

After all, in the face of this girl...

"Yes, it's quite a storm we've ended up in."

Something changes in the boy's usual stone cold glare. A glint of something stronger than interest or joy manifests itself...

Ecstasy.

In response to the affirmation that the World itself will deny his and Lydia's existence the boy can't help it. Even if the expressionless face persists, a flame had started to be enkindled.

"Who knows how this storm will end, seems even you don't know."

A soul that relishes in adversity.

A purpose to dedicate the self to, aligning with the ideal.

Seeing a choice being made, Lydia sighs contently. Yes, her little brother might be broken in some --perhaps many-- ways, but seems he's chosen the same stance as her.

Albeit hers was formed of defiance towards the unveiling of a future without hope. A silently guiding star governing fate, removing free will. A world with only a singular, eternally recurring fate. One incapable of change, where suffering was denied, meaning lost.

Seems that in such a world, her little brother had chosen to inherit Change.

And with it... a future wrought with pain.

All the same, if it means a future where all can be happy...

"Observe to your heart's content then, Binit. Watch and find out if we break under your World, or if it is overcome. Denied. Will the sleepers awaken to a hopeful dawn, or will your dream truly take over reality?"

A troublesome fool, without doubt.

Yet, with a spirit that seems unrelenting. A mind focused.

"When you say, 'others are in a deeper hole', does that mean there's other worlds at stake? Do they have anything to do with this Savior, or 'cosmic chrome dome'?"

Lydia jumps in, the one of the pair that currently at least knows more of what could be ahead.

And asks a question whose answer is far more revealing than what even she had learned previously.

"We're going to be very busy Lydia. Befitting of our world it seems."

Xanadu, slumbering like other worlds.

Are the people in those worlds dreaming too...

Or perhaps, are they stuck in an endless nightmare?

Impossible for the inheritor to say.

And yet, seems he has accepted the state of things.

"A dream that can easily be forgotten isn't an important one. Do you believe your dream is worth becoming reality, over the wishes of so many others, Administrator of Possibility?"

Perhaps this is only natural, for those that venture too far into the realm of the supernatural.

Or perhaps, it's merely a show of insanity, in a world that has stopped making sense ages ago.

**Katie** · October 4th, 2021, 05:56 AM

Aster
Saint Vivienne ~ Dormitories
11/16/2026
Monday - Evening

For a brief moment, Aster wonders if she should tamper with the evidence—of course, Ayra was nowhere as slick as she thought she was—but it would only bring attention to the idea itself. The best she can really do is give Ayra an earful later that even a high schooler can pick up that she is not what she seems. At the very least, Tsukiko did not see this, and will not see this, because if she knew… Aster does not have the time to explain this, or think about the terrible consequences for everyone involved.

As Ayra would tell her, good deeds often required sacrifice, but sometimes Aster has to wonder if Ayra is offering too much so freely.

Her thoughts are interrupted by Tsukiko pointing out an ominous message on the wall, strangely hidden. The rest of the room looked suspicious as sin, so why would there be a need to hide a message like this in particular?

“We had a surprisingly late curfew for a private high school,” Aster says. It was probably too lenient, but she had the inkling that Saint Vivienne’s student body were not the types to abuse it. Those who aspired to be Knights generally tended to be the kind that supported the rules, not ran around breaking them.

“It’s probably related to that rumor about the clock tower, right? Ayra’s looking into it right now, I think.” Aster pauses, before deciding to change the topic. Not like Tsukiko needs to know every detail of Ayra’s life anymore. Things are different now. “It seems not remembering Aislynn is not just a me problem or an Ayra problem, judging by these notes. And there’s this… yomibito problem? Honestly, I can’t tell what’s worth looking into and what’s just complete garbage.”

Ayra Lilygrove
Saint Vivienne ~ Clock Tower
11/16/2026
Monday - Evening

Ayra, upon seeing Asuka has carved out an opportunity for her to escape this insanity, is grateful. Thank the heavens she has such an understanding, if unfortunately weird, squire. The terrible part of this is trying to look less than enthused about splitting up. It’s not that she dislikes Emma Blackquill, but something just feels off to her. Perhaps it’s the lingering nostalgia of her youth colouring her senses.

“You shouldn’t worry about leaving me by my lonesome,” Ayra says, trying to wave off Asuka and Emma in a carefree manner. “I can just wander around campus a bit and chat with some of the students. Gotta see what our upcoming squire prospects are like.”

Normally, Selena or Merlin are in charge of screening possible squires, to be further pared down by the preferences of the Knights, but it can’t hurt to take a peek in advance.

Originally Posted by Aster

Found this:

Obey the curfew.

Nightmares stalk the dark.

I guess we’ll put that theory to the test.

Aster: Please tell me you aren’t going to do something stupid.

Asuka and I are going to check out the rumor, but I’ll make sure to be prepared. Is everything going well on your end?

Aster: Sidetracked, but now I’m worried we’re not going to accomplish what we were meant to be here for.

...Don’t worry so much..

Aster: It’s my job, you know.

**Airen** · October 4th, 2021, 07:36 AM

Aster
Saint Vivienne ~ Dormitories
11/16/2026
Monday - Evening

Originally Posted by Aster

“It’s probably related to that rumor about the clock tower, right? Ayra’s looking into it right now, I think.” Aster pauses, before deciding to change the topic. Not like Tsukiko needs to know every detail of Ayra’s life anymore. Things are different now. “It seems not remembering Aislynn is not just a me problem or an Ayra problem, judging by these notes. And there’s this… yomibito problem? Honestly, I can’t tell what’s worth looking into and what’s just complete garbage.”

"...Honestly, I expected it to be a bit of a mess... The student that lives here isn't exactly the most... Stable of individuals, but..."

She frowns.

"This is a bit messier than I expected, Aislynn again, and a yomibito..."

She raises a single finger, like a teacher pointing at an invisible blackboard...

"In other words, a person of the underworld, a sort of... Super zombie, I suppose. A corpse that got back it's mind but not it's soul, if they're born naturally they're called Revenants... It's a botched attempt at resurrection of the dead, True Magic."

---Revival of the dead was, after all, effectively impossible through the use of modern magic.

It's not that repairing the body of a deceased individual was impossibly difficult, you might need a neurosurgeon or two to make sure that their physical brain could function properly after healing the tissues, but the body was easy enough to repair or even clone, but...

Once the soul is gone from the body, it becomes problematic.

Retrieving a particular soul from the afterlife would be quite a feat, and if that soul happened to have reincarnated or been destroyed through some means, then well...

It truly becomes impossible, after all, you would be violating the laws of physics by creating something that no longer exists, adding total energy to the universe that is supposed to be constant... A spell of true revival would be able to do such a thing, bring back a soul that has been lost or already exists elsewhere, but once you introduced the afterlife into spell formulas, well...

Things didn't make sense.

Life and death don't translate well into mathematical terms, concepts as a whole were already difficult for COMPs and those were some of the big ones...

Demon-kind was a bit better at it, but in general, if you wanted something like that done...

You needed one of the Gods to help you.

Any current attempt by humans just led to, well... Zombies.

Necromancy.

Corpses that happened to be able to move around a bit, if you had a neurosurgeon on hand maybe you could get their personality back in the body...

But without a soul, maintaining such a life would be difficult.

At least, without turning into some sort of reiki vampire that fed on others.

An inevitability for those sorts of beings.

"The new curfew could be related to the Clock Tower rumor I suppose... If you're not supposed to be out after dark, then doing a little ritual that forces you to stay in one place for awhile could be a bit of a trap... But it could also be unrelated, hard to say, worth looking into to be safe I suppose, but I feel like that sort of blatant danger to the students shouldn't be able to exist in a place like this... Just feels a bit too brazen, whoever was doing it would get caught right away."

She frowns.

"Although this stuff about the original headmaster and her partner's connections to LOVELESS is-"

---The sound of many footsteps moving up towards the second floor, three people, by the sound of it. Their presence causes Tsukiko to stop talking instantly, eyes taking on a subtle sort of glow as she moves -with a surprising lack of noise- to the corner of the room, peering through the wall as if she could see through it to the hallway outside, and...

"..."

...Stays like that for awhile, just staring, staring as if it was absolutely vital that neither she nor you were caught in this room...

"And here's your room Ms. Ellet, Headmaster Blackquill told me this morning, said she figured I might run into you before she did and I guess she was right. Perks of being the Class Monitor, I suppose..."

The calm voice of an unknown young woman lightly pierces the walls, followed by the deeper chuckle of a different, older woman, before a door opened...

Then closed...

"..."

...And Tsukiko made a motion for you to leave the room right now.

As if it was safe for you to do so?

Why was she so worried about it? Sure, getting caught breaking into a student's room was a bad look, but...

This was starting to look really complicated...

---

Ayra Lilygrove
Saint Vivienne ~ Clock Tower
11/16/2026
Monday - Evening

"...Well, if you're alright with that, I suppose it's fine."

Emma doesn't put up too much of a fuss.

While her crossed arms make it clear she's not too fond of the idea, it's the sort of lack of fondness that comes from feeling like she's being a poor host rather than her attempting to actively hide something from you... She was a bit of a strange person in that regard and the feeling that there was something off about her is certainly heavily present, but...

It's just...

Odd.

"Well, it should be fine. The students are friendly enough, and I'd already given your room key to the Class Monitor so you'd have to interact with them today... Fufufufu..."

A strange laugh, but one that was obviously meant to be strange.

"Excellent, excellent, showing initiative to talk to the students on your own... I like it!"

Yep.

A weird person, still...

"Guess that means you and I will be playing make-over, young Asuka."

"Seems so."

...Since it seemed like you were being allowed to go...

Should you meet back up with Aster? Or continue on your separate ways?

The sun shining through the windows was a burning orange, and...

Night would certainly fall soon, and if there was any truth to that bizarre message Aster had found, wandering around after dark...

Was inviting real danger to you.

**Verg Avesta** · October 4th, 2021, 06:11 PM

Blaise Pendragon
Obake-Baasan's Bathhouse (Outdoors)
11/16/2026
Night, Thunderstorm

"Just the two of us, sharing a bad dream, huh...?"

Blaise could only manage a wry smirk as he glanced towards Anima.

"How romantic."

While he quipped that with a dry humour, as the boy turned his attention back to the darkened, unfamiliar-looking city that spread out before him, he could feel a growing migraine knocking at the door of his mental fortitude. Sure enough, it looked like he was caught in something extremely troublesome. It was good that the city and its inhabitants weren't in danger... well, at least if he believed the one-eyed girl... but that didn't mean that everything was fne and dandy either. Few of the things that Anima had said had been especially good at nursing this headache that had appeared.

Assassination method?

Of the world?

Meant to get rid of those who... who what? Blaise couldn't exactly remember that he had done anything in particular that would have put himself at odds with the universe. Then again, supernatural beings of indescribable power were quick to hold mysterious and unexplained grudges, making mysterious appearances and throwing vague hints around about something you had done in the past, only to disappear again and wait for another chance to be cryptic...

Thinking of that, Blaise snorted, thinking back to a certain video game he had played as a kid with a similar situation.

"I swear if I hear someone ramble on about The Bear, The Bull, Courier Six and the Long 15, I'm gonna punch them..." Blaise grunted with another chuckle as he took a drag from his cigarette. "Still... the way the world assasinates those it doesn't like, huh? Sounds like it has it out for you too, then. Though I have to say, hearing about personalized stalker monsters and rain of blood..."

The boy blew out a cloud of smoke into the crimson rain.

"... Never expected the world to be so edgy."

He had to be honest, at least this once.

That being said... why now? He had never experienced something like this before. Last night had been just normal. Which meant that something had happened today that had changed the world's view of him, made him into something that it considered worth removing. An entity like the world wouldn't waste energy for nothing, after all. There had to be a reason. And there were only few reasons he could think of on a short notice. First, maybe he had become a threat... which was very unlikely, considering he certainly wasn't strong enough for that. Second, maybe Anima's presence had somehow infected him, made him into a human worth removing... but he much doubted that was the case either. Idiot that she was, Blaise found it unlikely that Anima would have lied about not knowing the reason. No, she would have relished at a reason to duke it out with him.

Which left only one major change today that could have changed the world's view of him.

"....... The girl. Fia."

Blaise's eyes narrowed.

"No wonder her story didn't match with ours. Or rather, our realities... didn't seem to align. Which means..." Blaise thought for a moment, rubbing his chin... and then sighed. "... Maybe I've been supplanted. Perhaps intentionally, perhaps not. Who knows. In other words, some metaphysical version of the conservation of mass. Nothing can be added, and nothing can be taken away. So when something is... you better clean up the loose ends or it'll be a hell to pay. Like creating two copies of something thanks to wormholes and time dilation, and cutting off the entrance from the exit midway. If nothing's done quickly, then..."

He snapped his fingers.

"Boom. You fracture space-time."

He stayed silent, staring out into the rain.

"...... Well, that's just a theory anyway. Though I guess I can test it out with you," Blaise continued after that quiet moment, looking at Anima. "Did something supplant you in this world? Or were there two of you somehow?"

His eyes bore into the girl.

But in the back of his mind, a terrifying thought was brewing.

If his nonsensical theory was right, and the world was trying to correct its course and sweep up any inconsistencies, then... what about his family? For them to work with the new system, their memories of him would have to...!

-------- No.

Don't think about it. Not yet. It's just a theory.

He didn't even notice it, but at some point... Blaise had clenched his hand into a tight fist.

**Airen** · October 4th, 2021, 07:04 PM

Blaise Pendragon
Obake-Baasan's Bathhouse (Outdoors)
11/16/2026
Night, Thunderstorm

Originally Posted by Blaise

"How romantic."

"For once, not really."

The woman rolls her eyes, her smile an amused twitch, before her eyes return in a habitual sort of way to the darkness that lay just outside the fluorescent lights beaming out from the interior of the bathhouse. Her pose isn't quite as carefree as always, while there's certainly a casual air to the way she leans back against the wall, arms crossed, and a pink sphere popping rhythmically in the dark, not once does she ever take her eyes off of the darkness for more than a few moments, and even then, it's normally to just look around at those things that are outside of her casual gaze.

Indeed, for someone like her, it was the exact opposite of a devil-may-care attitude, almost like she was putting it on for appearances, but in reality...

---Something about this situation bothered her, still...

Originally Posted by Blaise

"...... Well, that's just a theory anyway. Though I guess I can test it out with you," Blaise continued after that quiet moment, looking at Anima. "Did something supplant you in this world? Or were there two of you somehow?"

...When you pose this question to her, at the end of your theory-crafting, she...

"..."

...An eye moves slowly towards you.

Her gum pops, but no real attempt to retrieve it is made... It's almost like her brain had shut down for a second, or something you had said had struck some sort of nerve, as the eyes that flash towards you are a brilliant gold for a moment, filled with an impossible to quantify emotion, but one that certainly holds your gaze for some time...

Is it something positive?

Something negative?

---You can't tell, so...

"..."

When her eye finally closes, it's almost a relief... Idiot or not, there was a certain pressure this woman gave off at times that felt a tad too serious for someone of her apparent character type...

"Yeah. I was supplanted. Completely overwritten."

Bitterness has crept into her voice.

She's not looking at you, the sigh that had followed the closing of her eyes had led to her gaze returning to the outside world again with constant vigilance, but...

"You're smarter than I thought, figured your grades had to be slipping with all the class you cut."

...The sarcastic smile returns soon enough...

"Could be someone took your place on a metaphysical level, or maybe some asshole time traveler somewhere accidentally made it so your birth falls into question, or some other event happened to pull us in by proxy because someone decided to try to bend reality over the table again... Could be all sorts of things, impossible to tell from where we are, we're just the victims of it, even the demons don't really know what's going on in here, everyone you find in this place is just sorta being pulled along for a ride... Until they uh... Stop showing up one night."

She waves a hand at the darkness.

"This place could even be a purposeful attack, some super obnoxious curse or ritual... You said all of this was uh... edgy right? Yeah, I can see it. Has a lot of personality to it, a bit too much personality to it. Lot of theming, you know? Real Nightmare vibe. Kinda makes me think someone hijacked the World's immune response to help do their own thing, but hell, I've never had the luxury of figuring that part out. My whole goal is to not die, never die, that's it."

Her eyes close again, then...

After a bit...

"Although, if you think little Fia is the cause of this for you, if you think she's someone that could fit in the spot of 'Blaise Pendragon,' well..."

Her gaze returns to the darkness.

"She's probably going through something similar right now."

**Verg Avesta** · October 4th, 2021, 07:27 PM

Blaise Pendragon
Obake-Baasan's Bathhouse (Outdoors)
11/16/2026
Night, Thunderstorm

"............"

Blaise clicked his tongue at those words.

Figures.

His insane, off-the-cuff theory just had to get some wind under its wings, didn't it? He really had wanted Anima to dismiss it as pure nonsense, but looks like there was no easy way out this time. And she clearly wasn't pulling his leg either. That look on her face, the bitterness in her voice... Blaise, for one odd moment, genuinely felt sorry for the girl. That definitely sounded like a fate that he didn't want to befall anyone, not even someone he hated with all his heart. Being replaced, your rightful spot in the world taken by something, by someone... it would you make the most isolated thing in all of existence.

The loneliest thing out there.

But, still... he was careful not to let any pity show up in his eyes. He could guess that that was the last thing Anima wanted to see. So instead, he spoke up, taking the cigarette off his lips and throwing it into a growing puddle of blood which snuffed it out.

"I guess it's right what they say. One is the loneliest number you'll ever do. And that's what this edgy world, attack, whatever seems to make you... but then again," he spoke, sighing ever so slightly. "Two can be as bad as one. It's the loneliest number since the number one. So at the very least looks like we're in the same boat for now."

The blonde youth separated himself from the wall and rolled his shoulders, staring out into the dark world ahead of him. It didn't look inviting, it seemed dangerous and it would definitely be a risk, but at the same time...

... Like Anima had said, if he was right, Fia was all alone out there right now.

Just her. Just one person in that big house.

The loneliest number you'll ever do.

"Y'know, if this wasn't as widespread as you imply, I'd blame it on my shitty old man. His shenanigans could definitely cause something like this. But whatever it is, that's not something I can solve right now. Or who's behind it. That's a bit beyond my reach. But what is within my reach..." Blaise looked at his hand and unclenched his fist. "... I can go make sure that Fia is alright and not alone in this ridiculous night. Turn that one into two."

He took a step forward.

"See, if this night counts your own home as a safe place, then it made a bit of a mistake. After all, the whole of Aoyama... is my home. My turf. My yard," he continued, pulling up the collars of his jacket. "So I'll go do what I can right now. And once I've done that, I can focus on things I can't solve right now. Like who or what the hell is behind this utter nonsense. And while I'm at it, I guess I can see what I can do with returning your place in this world back to you, too. Should be in the same ballpark, after all."

And with that, and a wave of his hand behind him, Blaise set off into the dark, twisted city ahead of him.

"Meanwhile, you do what you do best. This isn't your first rodeo here after all, right?"

He paused for just a moment.

"----- Maybe think of an excuse as to how you know about my school attendance while you're at it. 'Cause I'll be asking about it once the morning comes."

And then he bolted forward.

"For now, I got a kid to save."

Straight into the danger.

**Rafflesiac** · October 4th, 2021, 11:34 PM

It hadn’t even been twelve hours. Logan sighed, twirling Amelia in his fingers as he walked down the cold steel hallway of the SLEIPNIR. You’d think that Xavier’d have something better to do than bother with me. The first time Logan had met Xavier was shortly after his debut as a Rothschild Tamer. The doctor had ordered him to cease his training for the day, to which he’d refused. Logan came to Rothschild because the only thing that held value there was power. There was no purpose in bothering with the weak, so why the concern? Wasn’t seeking strength the entire reason he was here? In response, Xavier dislocated his limbs and dragged him to the infirmary. That was Logan’s first exposure to one of Rothschild’s golden rules: Might Makes Right.

Someone aware of Logan’s circumstances would wonder why he didn’t try befriending the doctor. Wasn’t his sister’s death his greatest regret? However, there is a fundamental difference between the two. Xavier wishes to save a life lost. Logan desires to not cause any more loss of life. There’s no point in bringing back the dead if you’ll just get them killed again. So that’s why Logan’s interactions with Xavier never extend past their status as coworkers: take these pills, get this shot, your numbers have gone up a bit since last month. Get out of the simulator before I make you get out. Logan sighs. Next time, he’s fighting.

But for now he lugs his heavy body back to his room. After a quick shower, he’ll review the latest thaumaturgical literature and tune Eye of the Fates further; it’s troublingly unresponsive toward obstructed phenomena, so he’ll need to remedy that immediately.

: Or you could eat something! It’s been eleven hours, you know?

: I’m not hungry.

: Yes you are, you’re just ignoring it like you ignore your exhaustion when you don’t want to sleep. I’m not doing anything for you until you eat a meal.

: ...Alright.

: And after that we can check out the beach! Dust off your swimsuit, get some Vitamin D!

Logan looks out of the windows as he walks. The usual blue and white of the cloudy sky is gone, replaced instead by pale tan sand and a softly rippling teal lake.

: The SLEIPNIR’s lights provide the exact same nutrients as sunlight without the harmful radiation.

Amelia sighs disgustedly inside his head.

: Just where did I go wrong with you…

The SLEIPNIR being grounded was no excuse for slacking off. If physical training was temporarily unavailable, then magical training would have to suffice. If that ceased to bear fruit, redouble physical training. Seek strength wherever and however he can. Rest is a frivolity. Leisure? A farce.

Originally Posted by Mellifluous Melody

How much must I suffer? How much must I struggle? I can't see the answer yet

All he can do is take as many pathetically tiny steps forward as he can. Shadowed steps lead Logan to the resident quarter, where his room awaits. He opens the door-

There’s a girl floating there.

Raggedy clothes, flowing pale hair, gradient eyes, like someone tugged a wildflower from the earth and cast it into the wind. It’s odd. The mysterious girl is right before his eyes, and yet it feels like the moment he blinks she’ll disappear. It’s odd. There’s an unidentified person in his room observing his belongings, a little girl at that, and despite his duty as a Rothschild Tamer and his lessons in avoiding scandals he can’t put up his guard. It’s odd. She isn’t harmful in the slightest and yet just by looking at her something deep inside of him starts to hurt and his hand burns and enemiesattackingtheshipomegalarasarahbackfromthede adandsheranawayfrommeagainastraattheracecoursetowe rofbabelprinceofhelloathlessmistletoedarkmessiahso ulseaapologyforadefeatsaviorgoddesstoobrighttoowar munworthyhostageinsimulatorevechrisverityendofreve riecomplextraitorxcrossmemoryrewritenorthpolejoint missionpoprealizationpoisondreameatercrystalvoidre jectaletacureroomwormholeluckycatchrainbowskybutte rflyfailstateclashstilldamnnaivetrustprovidenceful ldrivefusionescapeescapescapegoddessretrievalshipc ollapsestaticapocalypse-

"I'll be waiting on the other side. Don't worry too much about me."

Logan Starbright
Logan's Room ~ SLEIPNIR
11/16/2026
Monday ~ Noon

His heart is racing, his veins are burning, and his mind is churning. I’m in my room? Why? I should be on the ship, shouldn’t I? The other ship, not the SLEIPNIR. Was it turbulence? Was that turbulence? Am I dreaming? Is this another aspect of the Reverie Complex? What about the others? Logan’s crested fist clenches. Is Yamuna alright?

He closes the door, and Verity starts at his presence. First things first, information. “Verity, where are we? Judging by the situation, this doesn’t seem to be our destination.”

“And didn’t you need to hide?” says Amelia, manifesting beside him with a look of worry.

**Katie** · October 5th, 2021, 05:08 AM

Aster
Saint Vivienne ~ Dormitories
11/16/2026
Monday - Evening

Aster: Fine, but we’re not done talking.

Primrose gets the message almost instantly, just after Tsukiko gives her the signal to bail.

If Tsukiko thought they needed to go, they needed to go. She could trust the other woman’s judgment when it came to things like this. Still, to end it abruptly like this, when they had the chance to talk… What awful timing. Not that she has a right to be annoyed—it’s just the result of illegal things being, well, illegal.

With that, Aster makes her exit, desperately trying not to be seen. God knows what would happen if she ran into someone who saw Ayra.

---

Ayra Lilygrove
Saint Vivienne ~ Clock Tower
11/16/2026
Monday - Evening

At the mention of her room key in someone else’s hands, Ayra can only let out an unknightly groan of annoyance. Fate finds annoying ways to repeat itself, and she is the big joke of it all.

“Well, it seems I have someone to find,” Ayra says, trying to sound as mild as possible. “Mind telling me who they are?”

She stays just long enough to hear about what the Class Monitor is like before deciding to aimlessly wander campus for just a bit longer. She’d find the person she was looking for eventually, and Aster seemed to be preoccupied. Mostly, though, she just wanted to take in the full extent of the changes that had happened to Saint Vivivenne’s.

Honestly, maybe she should have gone back here earlier. Maybe it’d feel less jarring.

**Satehi** · October 5th, 2021, 06:54 AM

Eva Ellet
Saint Vivienne ~ Dormitories
11/16/2026
Monday - Evening

…What to do…

Until now, Eva Ellet hadn’t had any free time to herself. Events had happened one after another when the world changed- she had mostly been tagging along and watching what was going on. She was very out of her element, after all- it was important to figure out what things were like.

And as for what she would do with this rare bit of free time…

… well, unfortunately, she didn’t have a clue.

Lying down on the bed and staring at an unfamiliar ceiling while thinking, the most natural option that came to mind was that she should do whatever the Eva Ellet that the others around her thought would be doing- she knew she had already worried Evita and her mother quite a bit with her strange behavior earlier, and she didn’t want to give them anymore cause for concern.

But she had no idea what that was. Decorating this room, perhaps? But she had no idea what that would look like- Eva liked things tidy and organized, which it already was. Nothing came to mind for any personal belongings of interest…

“...”

And besides, trying to emulate the Eva Ellet that they knew was simply avoiding thinking about the bigger issue at hand- she didn’t want to call it a problem, because she wasn’t sure it was.

But the fact that the world had undergone such rapid and inexplicable changes in such a short amount of time was definitely something that deserved more thought. What exactly that entailed, she didn’t quite know… she was hoping that Agatha would have shown up by now. She knew what was going on, unlike anyone else Eva could talk to.

Since she didn’t know where to find her, Eva’s only options were to either continue to think about it herself, or talk to someone who had no idea what she was talking about…

Deciding that she didn’t like option one very much, she decided to get up and out of her room.

Leah and Evita were clearly out. She didn’t want to worry them even more, and… she wasn’t entirely comfortable talking to them yet.

Catherine. She was good at giving advice. Although perhaps not so much when the person asking barely even knew what to ask… but by far, her best bet.

Making her way down the hallway to where Eva had last seen Catherine, she gave a couple light knocks before asking.

“…Catherine? Are you free?”

**Airen** · October 5th, 2021, 11:46 AM

Eva Ellet
Saint Vivienne ~ Dormitories
11/16/2026
Monday - Evening

---A quiet knock on the unnumbered door.

It was certainly Catherine's room -of that you were sure, she had pointed it out herself- the last room at the end of the hallway. Her door didn't have a number for some reason, and there was a pretty notable layer of dust on the faceplate, like someone hadn't actually touched it at all in quite some time, but...

The rest of it seems rather clean, so perhaps it was just a missed detail? It doesn't explain her lack of a room number of course, but Catherine also seemed to have some sort of higher position amongst the students here, so it's possible that had something to do with it as well, still...

"..."

Not particularly important, at least not right now.

Your knocks echo cleanly throughout the hall, a number of other students (none of which you recognize) have begun their slow return to the dorm building, the sounds of footsteps and laughter echoing out throughout the building (although strangely, one taller woman seems to be going down the stairs rather than up) but...

From inside the room itself, no response, no sounds, no movement.

Was she not in here?

---Patience was one of your virtues of course, so it doesn't trouble you too much to wait around to see if the girl was just moving particularly slowly today...

But...

"...Eva?"

...Ultimately, when you do hear the girl's voice, it comes from down the hall itself.

"Looking for me, huh?"

She smiles, voice warm and... Peppy?

---Her appearance is rather striking this time around, enough that you have to do a double take to make sure it's actually the right person; her hair's been brought up into a ponytail and held with pins, her usual conserved clothing replaced with a flashier checkerboard skirt, black shirt and dual belts, and the eyes...

Normally blue, they've taken on a bit of a golden hue, but...

"What's up? Needed my help with something?"

It does seem like it's her, just...

This change in aura from somewhat strict to somewhat more casual, is certainly...

Something...

Then again, perhaps she was just somewhat more chill when off the clock?

Or...

Much like yourself... This Catherine was a bit different from the one you knew...?

Considering your situation... Hard to say...

**Airen** · October 5th, 2021, 12:05 PM

Logan Starbright
Logan's Room ~ SLEIPNIR
11/16/2026
Monday ~ Noon

---The girl freezes up like a deer in headlights.

While her initial expression had been that of confusion and slight embarrassment (as if she had been caught doing something she shouldn't) the sudden surge in attention from both you and Amelia seems to strike the girl cold; she stops where she is, even the vague up-and-down motion of her ghost like movement stopping now that two sets of eyes have fallen upon her, and...

"...Uh...Um..."

...The voice is quiet, almost a whisper, like she's nervous, although...

"..."

Seeming to realize that, the girl slaps her own face twice with both hands, then-

"This is the SLEIPNIR, we're at the... Uh... Starnberg Lake in Germany..."

She blinks.

A side to side movement begins soon after, as if she couldn't quite believe you could see her, but when your eyes follow along after her, she soon gives up on that particular series of unconscious movements-

"Why can you... See me...?"

-and just asks the question out-loud-!

"No... More importantly, uhm... who is Verity? I'm Rice. You... Do remember that, right?"

---She sounds uncertain.

---This doesn't seem good, not at all...

**Satehi** · October 6th, 2021, 07:58 AM

Eva Ellet
Saint Vivienne ~ Dormitories
11/16/2026
Monday - Evening

"What's up? Needed my help with something?"

“...?”

It took a moment for Eva to be sure that she had the right person. Catherine seemed… different. Maybe this was just a side of her Eva never had the opportunity to see before, or maybe that was just how things were now… Eva couldn’t be certain that the former wasn’t the case.

At any rate, while unexpected… it didn’t really change what Eva had come for.

“Well, not quite…”

Unfortunately, she still didn’t quite know what that was.

… in a way, she supposed, that was the problem. Eva felt like she knew too little about what was going on. That lack of knowledge and understanding bothered her, and that was the reason she couldn’t simply be content with these changes- even if so far, they had been almost nothing but positive.

She just wanted to know more about what was going on.

It wasn’t something that she could ask Catherine directly- from her perspective, Eva was sure that she would sound crazy. She needed a more subtle approach…

“But… I guess I’ve just been feeling off recently. Like something’s out of place…?”

And thankfully, she remembered that Catherine had given her one, from her comments at the bar earlier. She felt a bit bad, even if it wasn’t entirely a lie, but this was the only way to bring up the subject.

“I was wondering if you feel similarly. You mentioned the SLEIPNIR before at the bar, right?”

She whispered the next part, hoping that no one was around to hear.

“Do you feel like you’ve been onboard before, too?”

**Airen** · October 6th, 2021, 11:39 AM

Eva Ellet
Saint Vivienne ~ Dormitories
11/16/2026
Monday - Evening

"...Hmm."

---Her first form of response is a simple thinking sound, the sort of unconscious noise people make when rolling a question around in the depths of their psyche; it almost feels a bit strange, the usually perfectionist girl having to think about something that had maybe happened an hour or so ago at worst, but...

"Oh yeah that, I do remember talking about something like that... SLEIPNIR, familiar-looking bartender, that thing right?"

...In the end, she does seem to remember, albeit not as strongly as you might have hoped...

"I did feel a little bit like I was on it once, but I gave it some thought afterwards and I'm pretty sure I know why," still smiling, the young woman begins approaching at a casual pace, one hand going into her golden cross-body bag and retrieving some sort of old, metallic key, which she then sticks into the lock, "I've been having some pretty vivid dreams lately... Well, I always have pretty vivid dreams I suppose, but these were different than the usual... Less horrible nightmares, more mundane day-to-day stuff, think you were in em a few times, so was the vice-commander, and a few other coworkers too."

She nods, pushing the door to the room open before she steps inside and faces you with a twirl and a cheerful giggle, her pinned up brown hair losing a bit of the fight against gravity as those golden eyes lock onto your own crimson ones.

-Past her, the room is a bit of a mess.

Cardboard boxes are stacked high and wide, looking for all the world like the room of someone that was moving out (or perhaps moving in), although the mirrored dresser pushed up against the wall -adorned with a handful of orange medicine bottles whose labels you can't read from here- as well as the sight of a -perfectly made- bed, do seem to imply that she sleeps here, but...

Messier than you had perhaps expected her to be...

"Would you like to come inside? Talking out in the halls just feels a bit too... Stiff for me, you know? Too formal, friends chat in each other's rooms, right?"

At this she turns, as if already expecting you to follow her, and:

"Would you like some tea? I only have matcha, but there's nothing like a good shot of caffeine right before the sun goes down, you know? Helps with the all-nighters."

**Airen** · October 6th, 2021, 01:43 PM

Aster
Saint Vivienne ~ Dormitories
11/16/2026
Monday - Evening

---You make it to the exit almost entirely without incident.

While there had been a brief moment where someone had stopped to pay attention to you (a golden-eyed girl had looked back at you as you passed her on the stairs, almost as if she could sense you were in a hurry for some reason, but had ultimately chosen to disregard it) the rest of the students that have begun trickling into the dormitories don't seem to be very concerned about your presence...

Of course, it's hard to tell if that's because of your -admittedly basic- skills at stealth, or simply the self-absorbed nature that comes naturally to these sorts after a long day at the academy, but for whatever reason, you are able to get outside of the building without having to explain why Ayra Lilygrove was wandering around in the dormitories while Ayra Lilygrove was probably also wandering around in the school... Heck, you can hear some of the girls giggling about it as you exit through the double doors in a very fan-girlish sort of way -apparently they had seen her wandering the halls- so...

Head down, speed fast but not too fast, get out.

"..."

The dull warmth of the Dorm's internal air gives way to the more frigid cold of late-fall; the slow trickle of students that had managed to make their way to the dorms already were nothing in comparison to the crowds that awaited outside, it was the main-rush as it were, the kids that waited for their friends to show up so they could walk back together rather than those students that sprinted straight back to the dormitories to get started on dinner or claim the lobby's television set for themselves... So naturally...

You need to get off the main paths if you don't want to be seen...

Of course such things should be simple enough, as a sort of alumni yourself, you knew that the alley at the side of the Dorm Building was easy enough to sneak into without drawing too much attention to yourself (although calling it an alley was probably being a bit too generous in terms of space, considering it was only around a foot and a half or so) but, the moment you swing to the right to pull off the escape that Ayra had pulled many a time-!

---Your senses prickle a bit.

Not with hostility, but just...

The sudden sensation that someone is looking at you and glancing back in the direction of that feeling to see who or what it was, well...

"..."

---Every student that had been walking towards the Dorms has stopped and is staring in your direction, their bodies unnaturally still and soundless.

No one moves.

The ambient noise of chattering students had stopped at the same time as their footsteps, it was like everyone had simultaneously become aware of your presence and moved as one to turn their gazes to you. Every one that you can see, from the two girls closest to you, to the teenagers off in the distance, each and every one of them...

"..."

A silent stare.

---Slowly, the sun disappears behind a gathering of clouds.

**Kuroyuki** · October 6th, 2021, 11:28 PM

Hiyori
Aoyama, Tokyo ~ ??? Residence
11/16/2026
Monday ~ Morning