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

[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]

[And Maya just giggles lightly with her, whispering something back about lambchops.

Although, that might just be her appetite speaking.]

[all_onis_are_true]

[Wasn't Maria talking about feeding him to bears? What's with these two?]

Care to speak up, ladies? I am right here, you know.

[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?

[all_onis_are_true]

[He freezes. Letters? Why is everybody asking him about letters?]

What brings this idea to mind, may I ask?

[itwasfeyt]

Dunno! It's a conversation starter, as well as a patented secret-finder tool.

[all_onis_are_true]

"Secret-finder," you say? You wouldn't honestly expect me to answer in that case, would you?

[itwasfeyt]

Maaaaaaybe.

[Probably not.]

[all_onis_are_true]

I am afraid I am simply going to have to disappoint. Unless you happen to be sending around letters yourself.

[Like, you know, death threats.]

[itwasfeyt]

I don't know. Maybe I am~

[She winks at him. Whether it was playfully or not was the question.]

[all_onis_are_true]

[DID SHE OR DIDN'T SHE. And she would know about the night in the woods, too. What was she up to?]

You seem awfully elusive about it.

[itwasfeyt]

[Wouldn't you like to know~]

Yup. I have to keep some secrets from the rest of you!

[all_onis_are_true]

[What sort of secrets? What are you hiding, Maya?]

You do not have to keep THAT many secrets.