June 14, 1999 -- After Club

[all_onis_are_true]

[Another day, another bout of messing around. Hiroshi can't shake the feeling that everybody seemed more on edge than usual today, though. Must be more spooked from that silly ceremony than they wanted to let on. How foolish. They were all still alive, right?

Well, okay, Maria could believe what she wants. She's young. She'll learn.

The mail is sitting at the foot of the door when he gets back to his house. His parents are out for now; Father, no doubt, is still working at the lab, and Mother must be out shopping. Well, never mind. He sorts through the mail, and stops.

There's an envelope in here, marked to him. No return address, though. He frowns. Well, he IS expecting a letter one way or another from that school in the city, but he can't imagine they'd send him something without any sort of letterhead. He puts the other mail on the table and opens up the envelope.

The only thing inside was the following letter:]

UNBELIEVER
THE NINTH IS DEAD
YOU WILL DIE SOON TOO
SHIGETSUNA-SAMA DEMANDS IT



[He furrows his brow. The Ninth? Who's the Ninth? There were only eight! Where'd this note come from? Who could have...

Shaken, he tears it up into several pieces, his breathing shallow and tight. Whoever from the club sent that, it's not funny. He needs a walk to clear his head.

Which is, of course, where you might run into him. He seems on edge, either way.]

Comments

[independent_dollmaker]

[Not long after that, who should he run into but Alice!

...Actually, what would she be doing in this neck of the woods, anyway? It's not like there's much out here...]

Ah, what a surprise, Yamane-kun. Are you on some errands?

[all_onis_are_true]

[He starts a bit.]

Eh? Ah... Alice. No, I just felt like going for a walk. The weather is pleasant enough anyway.

[He frowns.]

What about you? I do not see you out this way frequently.

[independent_dollmaker]

[Small shrug.]

As you say, the weather is pleasant. My father said it would be a shame to waste it, so here I am.

[all_onis_are_true]

Indeed. Perhaps we should walk together, then? It would make for better company.

[Well, it's ALICE. She wouldn't pull something like that letter, right? It's probably fine.]

1/2

[independent_dollmaker]

Certainly.

[Alice falls in a step or two behind Hiroshi, silent for a moment.]

Oh, by the way...

2/2

[independent_dollmaker]

[[BGM: Urugawa]]

Have you gotten any interesting mail lately?

[all_onis_are_true]

[Hiroshi slows down, feeling the hairs on the back of his neck stick up on end.]

A...ah? Why... do you ask this all of a sudden?

[happyhalloween]

Five demerits! Hiroshi gets five demerits! Hiroshi gets five demerits for not believing in Shigetsuna-sama!

[And there's Maria, Tomosuke in arm.]

[all_onis_are_true]

[Hiroshi freezes. The way she phrased that...]

Ah... Maria. Do I not at least get credit for helping you with your ceremony?

[happyhalloween]

[Maria thinks about this.]

But Hiroshi didn't really believe, right?

[all_onis_are_true]

Ah... w-well, does it really matter what I believed? I could have been wrong, after all.

[happyhalloween]

But if Hiroshi doesn't believe, then the ritual doesn't work right.

[itwasfeyt]

[Well, here's Maya. walking down the path and munching on a burger.

For a Japanese girl, she had weird tastes. She does wave at Hiroshi.]

Heeeeey, Hiroshi! What's wrong. You look like you've seen a ghost!

[all_onis_are_true]

Ah? No, I am quite fine. I felt a little ill, though, so I felt a walk would do me some good.

[And to get away from that letter.]

I see you are as healthy as ever, though.

[Hungry, too.]

[loveandwillpower]

[ Where Maya is found, Minako is seldom far away. ]

Are you sure you should be walking alone? I hear it's not safe for young gentlemen at night these days.

[ Minako waggles her eyebrows expressively. It's nowhere near nighttime. ]

[all_onis_are_true]

[Oh boy, two of them at once. Like he needs this right now.]

It is HARDLY "night," Minako. And I believe I can handle myself.

[loveandwillpower]

[ She whispers something into Maya's ear, the gist of which seems to be "...like a poor lost lamb amongst wild bears". The rest of it's just psst psst psst, she's just actively trying to be extra obnoxious. ]

[itwasfeyt]

Oh, that's good! I like to walk to clear my head too, or meditate under a waterfall.

[Maya.... there's no waterfalls here...]

Yup! [A happy nod and them CHOMP] A girl's gotta eat, right?

Hey! Did your wish come true yet?

[all_onis_are_true]

[Considering how much she talks about waterfalls, they should all be happy.]

Ah... no, not yet. Do you not think the turnaround is a bit fast even if such a thing were real?

[He didn't really wish for anything anyway. Didn't believe. Maya's probably making fun of him.]

[itwasfeyt]

It has to work, right? It just has to!

[She smiled.]

So... what's up? Anything fun happen today? Got any love letters?

[fortunatetoaster]

[ u ok Hiroshi

Because here's your student council prez who's dragging her feet a little as she walks and looking similar levels of Not Okay. ]

... Aah, Hiroshi-kun. You look kinda...

[ she makes a face ]

You okay?

[all_onis_are_true]

[Why is he running into all of them today?]

I'm fine. I just felt the need to go for a walk, is all. Get some air.

[fortunatetoaster]

... you sure that's it?

Yer actin' all weird, Hiroshi-kun. You sure there ain't somethin' goin' on?

[all_onis_are_true]

I. Am fine. There is no need for you to be concerned.

[Unlike him, who's concerned as hell. And may be heading towards Souji's place.]

[fortunatetoaster]

... yeah, sure.

[ and despite that, her eyes narrow a little and she falls into step with him, keeping a few paces behind. ]

You're actin' all kinda weird today. And now you're runnin' off ta Souji-kun's place. Somethin' happen?