So a couple of days ago I got the bright idea to go back through this fic and revise some of the chapters. I'm not changing this story's plot majorly, or making massive changes to the important scenes. However, I'm making slight tweaks to existing scenes to improve the flow, or to keep world-building consistent as far as I can (even if only in a way that I would notice), especially if it's something that I only initially came up with in the later stages of the first-time writing. I've also added a few extra scenes here and there, partially to help the plot flow/hang together better and also just for more character interactions. I'm not adding too much though since these chapters were already really long.
But anyway, I'll put author's notes at the top to indicate when a chapter was revised if and what I revised. I will also try to keep in the original authors' notes (easier to do on AO3 than here), unless they're no longer relevant.
So this chapter was revised 14/08/2022 and I mostly changed up a little dialogue for more consistent world-building and edited a few tiny word choices for better flow and whatnot.
"And lastly, something I think you will all be glad to hear: after many talks with all the professors, we have decided that since this year has already gotten off to an unstable start, we will be moving the End-of-Summer party up. Instead of it being at the end of the next half term, we will hold it two weeks after you all come back from your break. More of a Midsummer party, if you like…"
Mist didn't see what difference bringing the party up a few weeks was going to make, but all the same she listened carefully as Headmaster Cher went through the details. Next to her, her replacement roommate seemed to vibrate with excitement, so perhaps she believed that the party really would be the thing to lift morale. Or perhaps she was just the type of enjoy a party, who knew? Mist was sure that Starri was perfectly nice but she hadn't really bothered to get to know her. She wasn't Negi, after all. And yes, okay, there was no guarantee that she and Negi would have been roommates even if nobody had disappeared but what difference did that make? Negi had disappeared and was most likely dead, and that was that. Why should she make any effort where new roommates were concerned?
And what about old friends, a little voice asked her as finally, the assembly ended. Mist gritted her teeth as she got up to leave, relieved that Starri did not try to engage her in conversation and instead rushed off to her own friends. It was impossible to wonder what Julka was feeling. Would she look forward to the party, or would she consider it a hindrance to her investigation? Despite herself, Mist found herself looking around for Julka, both sad and relieved when she didn't spot her. She didn't want to get into another argument about the value of finding out what happened. She just wanted to grieve, that was all. Grieve, and move forward, because anything else made her feel like she was sinking in quicksand. What was so hard to understand about that?
..but, should I tell her about Milo?
It wasn't like she knew anything, really. It wasn't information. But she was sure she'd seen the cat wandering around somewhere a few days ago, and she'd thought she was dreaming because surely Milo had disappeared along with his owner? That's what she'd thought, anyway, but it was a black cat she'd seen and to her knowledge there were no other cats on the campus at the moment so…it had to be. And she knew that the freshman girl Julka had found to help her had divination powers, so if there was something the cat had seen then that could be a clue. But did she want them to know that?
Did she want to know?
Of course she didn't, not really. It made no difference in the end as far as she was concerned. Gone was gone. But Julka was still her friend, even if she could no longer talk to her. Maybe another time, Mist eventually decided, shaking her head. For now, though, she had a lesson to get to.
…
Asuka couldn't sleep, but that was nothing new.
The lights were too bright, but they were always too bright. But even when it was just her and Yuu, or just her and any of the others, they wouldn't dare to turn any of them down. Even one less candle flickering or one less lamp powered down felt like it was begging for pointing fingers and taunting voices to tell them look, look, see what you are. As a mirror sister, you'll never be worth anything. So they'd not been taunted for that here, but then again nobody knew and if Asuka had anything to do with it, they'd never find out. If they knew then everything that had ever gone wrong in the school would automatically be blamed on them. The clouds, the girls who'd gone missing last year, the…
The what?
Asuka frowned up at the ceiling. For weeks now, there'd been something tugging at the back of her mind, the memory of something horrible except that she didn't remember it at all. It was just a sense, something creeping and hidden under the surface. The rest of them felt it too, and though they were far too used to seeing the shadows in everything, too used to waiting for the next time the world decided to lash out at them for being born the way they had been, Asuka was sure that this time this was real.
But what could she do about a real threat that she couldn't even see?
Asuka sighed and rolled over to look at the other bed, where Yuu was lying flat on her back.
"Yuu?" she murmured.
"Can't sleep?"
"No."
"Yeah…"
Yuu sighed and sat up slowly, pushing her long hair back behind her shoulders.
"I don't want to go back." Yuu said, simply. "I don't understand why we're not allowed to stay for the short breaks, like last year."
"I don't, either. Maybe they've decided they're sick of us, too."
Maybe they've already decided that because we're all mirror sisters, that we're responsible...but they don't want to be seen to target us…Asuka shivered and she sat up too. The thought of going back to the orphanage, even for a week, felt like a punishment. Maybe, like the Forgotten Goddess they were apparently supposed to be embodiments of, this time they'd get locked away and forgotten, forever. It was not as if there was anyone else to miss them. Only Michii and Sainty, who'd been 'lucky' enough to be adopted, even though at that point they were no longer cute, oblivious babies. But of course, nobody'd listen to them either…
"Shall we go?" she asked.
Yuu nodded, her gaze shadowed, and they abandoned their beds gladly, gathering up nightgowns and a dagger each and locking their door tightly. The softer lighting of the corridor was so soothing that Asuka wanted to cry, but she bit her lip to prevent herself from doing so. She couldn't cry, not when someone else could walk along the corridor at any moment for any reason. Silently, the two of them padded down to the other end of the corridor. Asuka took the lead and knocked on the door.
Almost immediately, Sasi opened the door, mouth in a grim line that curved slightly upon seeing them. She was still dressed in her non-uniform day clothes, the sleeves of her black cropped t-shirt rolled up. Nodding at them, she stepped back and let them in before closing the door behind her.
Inside, Michii and Sainty were each lying on a bed, with Sainty pressed right up to the wall on the bed that was Sasi's. On the other bed, though Michii was lying normally and there was plenty of space next to her, little Niwa was curled up at the end in a tight ball with her short purple hair fanned out around her, looking like a cat as she clung tightly to the plushy that she had named King for some unfathomable reason. Asuka's heart couldn't help but clench a little at her tiny friend and the fierce frown she wore, even in sleep. Was she dreaming about that freshman boy she so adored? Asuka hoped so, for it'd be far better than any of the other dreams they usually had. And Niwa really did adore Koda, they all knew and recognised it. And while none of them were able to show affection normally to anyone who wasn't them, for Niwa it was worse. For while Asuka's own parents and everyone else's had chosen randomly when deciding which twin daughter to give up sixteen or seventeen years ago, Niwa's parents had sought a priest to decide. And while Niwa had been too young to form actual memories of the exorcisms that had followed before she'd then been given away, her body still held the pain.
If Niwa ever, by some miracle, formed the courage to actually tell Koda that she wanted his friendship, if she decided to tell him that she was a mirror sister and he threw it back in her face? Asuka would kill him herself, and take pleasure in it. And damn the consequences.
Letting out a breath, she looked up at everyone. Yuu had gone to perch at the edge of Sasi's bed, where Sainty had sat up. Sasi had sat down on a chair while Michii remained lying down but staring with her usual sharp gaze. They were all thinking the same thing, and none of them needed to be mind readers to know that.
"I doubt any of us will ever reach that point, though." Michii murmured, quietly.
"They all already think we're mad here," Sasi gritted out. "It was worse when I accidentally tripped over Lidia in weaponry yesterday. And that really was an accident. "
"I imagine that the week will be more than enough time for our dear caretakers to beat any hope out of us." Sainty murmured.
"No, we have to hold onto it. We're not what they all say we are. We're not. "
Yuu glared fiercely at all of them, tears in her eyes, making Asuka want to cry too. We're not bad, we're not evil, just because we were one half of a pair of twin sisters. It felt like a losing battle each and every day, and yet still they held onto it, clung onto the belief and then onto each other. It was all they had. And the six of them, the bond they shared? That was a thing more certain than hope. Wasn't it?
With a sigh, Yuu scooted into the middle of the bed to make space for Sasi, and then Asuka went to lie down next to Sasi. Their weapons were deposited on the bedside table alongside everyone else's. The lights continued to blare but as Asuka turned so she was facing Michii, she finally felt her body relax. This close, Niwa's sleep-breathing even sounded like purring. Maybe she really is dreaming of Koda…maybe there is hope. Oh, Goddess, even though I have no reason to believe in you, please, please let there be hope.
And despite the living nightmare that awaited them, when she finally fell asleep herself, Asuka dreamt that hope anyway.
…
As soon as he'd dumped his things back in his room, Hiraga walked across to the shed where Professor Yanovi had left some parcels for both his group and the Lolita Tea Party Club. It would be a lot easier than having to queue up in the admin office on the first day back, Professor Yanovi had said in the email, which was of course right.
It was early in the morning, and people were slowly arriving back. Unusually this year, nobody had been allowed to stay on-site for the duration of the break, even though it was a half-term break. Hiraga didn't mind either way but he knew some who would have. The entire holiday system that Kawaakari had was a little strange, what with it saving the longest break for the end of the school year instead of during the summer the way literally everywhere else did, but he'd signed up for strange when applying in the first place so he didn't mind too much.
I suppose holiday arrangements are the least of my problems, he mused. The posters of the four missing girls were still on a display board in reception and the mysterious clouds still persisted from time to time. Indeed, there was one particular one that'd haunted him particularly in the last few days before they'd broken up-he'd found himself looking around his classes, or in corridors, feeling like something was missing. His classes had been fully attended for the most part, yet he looked over and saw gaps, everywhere. It had been the same with any assemblies, but wherever it was it had all been underlined by the same pervasive dread as all the other clouds had been. He had to admit that this felt different, more specific, but he was sure that it was just another way that the clouds were trying to undermine them.
Ah well, at least I'm back now. Once he had picked up the parcel from Professor Yanovi, then he'd be able to go to Room 777 and drink something. With that thought in mind, he picked up his pace as he passed through the South Wing and went out into the garden, barely paying any attention to the plants and approaching the shed.
The door was open and he could see that there was a girl sorting through some tools. Hiraga studied her and then realised by the long hair and leg warmers that she was in his Mixed Melee Combat class.
"Morning, Yara!"
The girl startled, looking over. She tilted her head for a second and then gave an angelic smile.
"Hi, Hiraga-sempai. Did you have a nice midsummer break?"
"It was alright, yours?"
For a moment, Yara's eyes seemed to cloud, but the moment was so brief that when she gave a wider smile he started to wonder if he'd imagined it.
"Yeah. Are you here for something?"
"Professor Yanovi left a couple of parcels here for pick-up. They'll probably be labelled with my friend Will's name."
"Oh, yes! Ririsa-sempai from the Lolita Tea Party Club came by for some parcels too. What are they for?"
Yara put down her own tools and grabbed a stool, taking it over to a shelf slightly further down the shed. She climbed
"Just some slightly uncommon magical ingredients that you don't grow here? Or haven't grown here yet, something along those lines. We use them in our recipes."
"Oh…you guys have a…bar, or something, right?"
"Right."
Yara looked down at him from her stool, expression mildly curious before she hopped down nimbly, parcels in hand. She handed them over quietly and sure enough, though the actual address label had Professor Yanovi's name, the attached note bore Will's.
"Brill, well in that case kid, I'll leave you to it."
Yara gave another smile and then went straight back to what she was doing. Hiraga held on tightly to the parcels and headed back the way he came. With more people starting to arrive, he wondered if Quiet was amongst them. Hiraga found himself searching for the distinctive sea-blue ponytail and similarly coloured attire but though he saw many splashes of those different shades of blue none of them were his Quiet. Mine, hah. Hiraga snorted at the thought but he had to admit it was one that he couldn't dismiss. Right from that first lesson there was something that interested him about Quiet and not just that he clearly lived up to his name. If there was one thing that Hiraga intended to do this half-term before the (slightly longer) end-of-summer break then it was to get to know Quiet better…and maybe turn that knowledge into something more.
"Oh."
Entering a side door of the West Wing, Hiraga blinked as all of a sudden, Quiet was there as if he had summoned him (except, of course, he knew he hadn't). Right, pull it together, you.
"Yo!"
Quiet had clearly been lost in his own thoughts as he startled even more than Yara had, coming to an abrupt halt and staring, apparently taking a moment to compute what he was seeing. It barely took a moment though before a lovely, hesitant smile appeared across his face.
"Hiraga-sempai. Is your dorm in here?"
"Nah, I already arrived and unpacked. I'm going somewhere else."
He held up the parcels by way of explanation and Quiet nodded.
"For a friend, then."
"Yeah," Hiraga said. "Where's your dorm? I'll walk with you depending."
"North corridor, middle floor."
"Oh, nice, that's where I'm headed, though I've got to go to the top floor."
Quiet nodded at that, and the two set off. At first, they didn't say anything to each other, which Hiraga didn't mind too much as it gave him a chance to sneak a few more looks at Quiet, really study him. A few times, he thought he saw Quiet attempting to do the same, averting his eyes to avoid getting caught. But then as they arrived at the ground floor of the North Corridor when Hiraga gave a sideways look he met Quiet's pale eyes straight on and there was no avoiding the embarrassment. Hiraga went pink and pointedly looked away, staring at the walls and realising that they had changed from striped wallpaper to paisley print.
"Ahem, so, anyway…" he eventually tried to brazen it out. "The party. Are you excited about that?"
Hiraga cautiously turned to look at Quiet, pleased to see that he was a little pink too. Quiet studied him carefully and then gave a one-shouldered shrug.
"I suppose I am. I'm not really a party kind of person, but I think it'll be alright. I have people to hang out with."
"Yes, yes, it'd be worse if you were on your lonesome and you weren't into parties, right?"
"Right." Quiet smiled. "What about you?"
"Yeah, I like a good party. Good excuse to dress up a bit and not make this seem like it's so out of place. "Hiraga pointed to his crown. "Plus, my friends and I are helping with the drinks."
Quiet's mouth twitched momentarily before he asked:
"The drinks?"
"Yeah, we're all…how do I put this? Budding baristas and mixologists, I suppose. With some magic sprinkled in."
"Charmed drinks? Potent ones?"
"Oh definitely, and plenty of non-charmed ones too. But those ones will be non-alcoholic, for school purposes."
Quiet nodded earnestly at that, seeming to miss Hiraga's teasing completely. Hmmmmm.
"But anyway," Hiraga continued. "You'll have to try something of ours, when the party comes around."
"I'd like that."
"I'll even deliver it personally to whatever corner you and your friends decide to occupy."
"No, that's okay, I'll come over. Gives me a reason to venture out of the corner, doesn't it?"
Quiet laughed softly and Hiraga blushed again.
"Whatever you say, dear kouhai. What flavours do you like?"
"As long as it's not mint, I don't mind."
"Oh? Why not mint?"
"The smell's cold and hollow, like grief." Came the simple but wholly unexpected answer.
Hiraga stared. I have no idea what that's meant to mean, but damn you just have to keep on making yourself more interesting, don't you? Hiraga mentally shook himself to pull himself together and then said:
"So noted."
They chatted a little more until they got to Quiet's room, and though at that point Hiraga didn't really want to leave he bade the boy farewell and continued on his way. And as he did his steps felt a little lighter, and though he still worried about everything there was to worry about, it felt less heavy.
…
Howl tapped his pen and sighed. He'd intended on completing this homework the night before, but Kura had been his usual self, managing to achieve the maximum level of annoyance while practising what essentially amounted to kindergarten magic. And as if that distraction by itself wasn't bad enough, Howl had somehow managed to get himself roped into helping him. He still didn't know why he agreed.
Oh well, at least there's just one question left…He considered the question once more, then nodded to himself and clicked the top of his pen to begin writing. The question wasn't too difficult, so it didn't take too long to get close to the end but at that moment, he heard the door to his tutor room almost slam open.
"Oh hey, it's Kura's roomie! Hi, Howl!"
"Hwiiiii!" came a muffled echo.
With a heavy sigh, Howl looked up and saw Mikelz. Char and Ariadne all troop towards him. Char had a half-eaten bacon roll in her hand and was chewing vigorously, largely explaining the muffled greeting.
"Morning." He said, half-gruff.
"Hi."
This came from Ariadne, mercifully so much less intense than her two companions as she came in, as bundled up as ever. Her facial expression didn't give very much away but her huge eyes blinked at him and he smiled back.
"Morning, Ariadne."
"Heeey, how come she gets a full greeting and we don't." Mikelz mock-whined as he sat in his seat in the row next to Howl's. Char was behind him, and then Ariadne behind her and they took their seats too.
"She's more polite."
"Meanie." Mikelz said, without heat.
Howl simply nodded, and then looked down back at his sheet to quickly finish up the final question and proof-read the rest. He could hear people coming in, but those sounds were muffled compared to Kura's three friends. Well, two of the three, since it seemed like that it was Mikelz and Char doing most of the talking. As he put away his homework, Howl covertly studied them. He'd wondered if the two of them were siblings when he'd first seen them, since from a distance they seemed similar-light hair and eyes; glasses. But close up the differences were obvious, not least Char having a floppy fringe and a red hairbow while Mikelz seemed to have a fondness for hats. And though they both had light hair and eyes, the colours themselves were different. He leant back in his chair and sensed someone staring at him, and glanced over to see Ariadne watching him, her expression even less readable since she was almost buried in her scarf.
"Hey, why're you always wearing so many layers?" he asked.
"I'm cold." She said, simply.
"Oh, right."
Ariadne didn't seem bothered by this, as far as he could tell, but instead kept watching him. Then she blinked and asked:
"Do you remember the black and gold people?"
Now it was Howl's turn to blink.
"The what?" he asked.
"Oh, yeah! I was wondering about that!" Char (mercifully having eaten her roll now) whipped around. "How on earth do four people die and two disappear and stuff, and you're all just walking around as if nothing happened? I mean, there were deaths….people saw them."
"We don't know that the second year girls are dead, and that was last year wasn't it?" Howl asked.
Whatever he was expecting, it was not three sets of extremely confused frowns practically boring into his head.
"We're not talking about the girls, man," Mikelz said, leaning forward and lowering his voice. "We're talking about the Elite Chess Club guys."
"Does this school even have any chess club?"
"I…what? Ariadne, you know what we're on about, right?" Char asked her.
Ariadne nodded earnestly at this.
"Yeah, the black and gold people." She glanced at Howl. "They didn't wear the school uniform, but rather than just wearing their own clothes like you do, they sorta had their own uniform. It was black and gold, with tassels on the shoulders and things…it looked a little military and it suited them. "
"Right. So black and gold people. I'd think I'd remember that."
"But you don't." Ariadne said softly.
Howl tilted his head at her curiously as she burrowed a little deeper into her scarf and played with the ends of it. Her wide eyes seemed ever wider and he was just about to ask if she was alright at all when a strident voice suddenly interrupted:
"Excuse me, did you say something about people wearing black and gold?"
Ariadne startled visibly, lifting her head out from her scarf, while Chars and Mikelz yelped. They all turned, and Howl discovered the voice had come from a brown-haired girl sitting directly behind them. She was wearing a beret for some reason, and as she moved her hands so she could rest her chin on them, gold and black bangles jingled. Howl remembered that she preferred to go by a nickname rather than the name Professor Void had read out on the very first day but at the moment he couldn't recall what either of those actually were.
"Oh, hey, Cookie. Do you remember?" Mikelz asked.
"What do you remember?"
"If you heard us," Char said pointedly. "You'd know, more or less."
"Fair," Cookie smiled sharply. "What do you really remember about them, though?"
"I mean, they were second years so it's not like we properly knew them, and they weren't in our Mixed Melee Combat set so…yeah, it was mostly we saw them around. They were hot, though." Mikelz said.
"There was a freshman one though, wasn't there? You saw him, right, Ariadne?" Char asked.
"I don't know if they were he, she or they but…I don't think anyone else could see them. They…" Ariadne shivered. "They walked through people, but they had the same black and gold."
"Wait, so you're talking about ghosts?" Howl asked
"No," Char rolled her eyes. "We are not talking about blooming ghosts."
"Oh, maybe they're mirror sisters!" Mikelz exclaimed suddenly.
"I…what?" Char asked. "How'd you figure that out?"
"I mean, that'd explain why they were so…intimidate-"
"No."
Howl blinked at Cookie, not having expected such a fierce, stormy expression on her face. She fixed it on Mikelz, and he shivered visibly, pulling a face.
"Geez, what's that for?"
"Because you're stupid and it pisses me off," Cookie said. "You are aware three of them are boys?"
Howl wasn't sure that this explained Cookie's sudden mood-switch, but then again he was starting to get the sense that she was just as weird as Kura's friends. Even if in a completely different way. When neither Mikelz, Char nor Ariadne had anything to say to that, she just sighed heavily. The storminess didn't clear, but it seemed to simmer down slightly as she continued speaking in clipped tones:
"That's not why. That's nonsense. But, what do you remember anything about them? General details, impressions? Anything?"
"The fox one jumped off the roof. I saw that, with Kay and Rena." Ariadne murmured.
She saw someone kill themselves? Howl felt a burst of sympathy-even if it was a ghost, or a delusion, or whatever it was, he felt sorry for her. Seeing something like that must have been horrible. But surely if such a thing had happened in school he would have known? He would have heard? But he hadn't.
"And like, just before half-term there was this announcement that three others died under 'tragic circumstances' but we weren't allowed to talk about it but like all of a sudden everyone just seemed to forget?" Mikelz said.
"Do you remember who?" Cookie asked. "In the assembly, I mean?"
"Delilah De Callaway, Maria Reubenschilde, Judas Faroschild."
De Callaway? Aren't they a well-known family? Do they even have a teenage daughter? Howl kept quiet as Cookie blinked for a moment, taken aback before her smirk settled.
"And the roof-jumper?"
"Abel Nathanschild? I think Nathanschild was his eponymic anyway. Then the others were Eve Elinschilde and Cain Kar…Kar….Karinno?." Mikelz said. "Something like that. But yeah, it was weird….we were all really freaked out for a while, I remember we all went to Ririsa-sempai's café after school just to try and destress and now it's like…nothing. Nobody talks about it, there're no whispers, nobody even looks scared. It's even weirder than the fact we're here!"
"Karino. But yes, it's certainly weird that you, with no powers to speak of, are able to remember." Cookie declared haughtily.
"Is that meant to mean something?" Char asked with a scowl.
Cookie raised an eyebrow and smirked, but shook her head.
"Not at all. But, are you sure you've not been charmed, or hexed?"
Wordlessly, Ariadne reached under her scarf and bunny hoodie and pulled out a pouch on a chain. Cookie leaned across to stare at it, prodding it with a finger and leaning back.
"That's legit but still…you in particular had better be careful."
"Why?" Mikelz asked.
Cookie rolled her eyes.
"Do you really think that whatever goes on in this school is out of the control of those who own it?"
"You're saying that the teachers were responsible for….whatever they're saying happened?"
"Not necessarily, just…watch your back. I certainly wouldn't alert any of them about the fact you remember, either."
"Meaning what, exactly?" Char asked.
"You've been helpful," Cookie gave another knowing smirk. "Thanks for that."
"That didn't answer the question, Cookie." Char pointed out.
If it wasn't for the fact that Cookie raised an eyebrow as she took out her phone and started texting someone, Howl would have thought that she hadn't heard. He sighed and looked back over at the three, who were now looking very unhappy. Ah, think of something to say.
"Answers will come soon enough, probably."
"You think?" Mikelz asked.
"I mean, I don't know. None of this rings any bells with me at all but…for what it's worth, I believe you anyway."
"Thanks, I guess?" Mikelz shrugged.
"Can we talk about something else now?"
Howl, Char and Mikelz all looked over at Ariadne, who stared pleadingly at them. It was Char who reached out and patted her shoulder.
"Sure we can, Ariadne, sure we can."
And so, they did.
…
Yoyo finished writing the entry into the infirmary logbook and sighed as she looked over it. In amongst the usual sprains, colds and aches, when she flicked back over the past few pages she saw an increasing amount of what she'd heard described as being 'clouds'. Deep and sticky depressions; sudden crippling anxieties, other swirling and even potentially dark feelings that stole away breath and confidence. She remembered a bunch of them from the year before too, when she'd been the only medical work-placement student here, but she'd acquaintanced herself with logbooks from years past and while there had always been students who struggled with ailments of the mind and who received support from the school for them, it had never been this much.
Balancing this duty with others was hard, especially when she considered the biggest one that she had. Part of her wondered if there was even any point in doing this, knowing what she did. She tilted her head, listening to Robyn talking to another pupil who had just come in, also blind-sided by despair:
"You'll probably know, you're not the only one by far so don't worry about that side of things…no, not me, yet but even so…is it affecting your ability to sleep?"
And there's another one. Yoyo sighed to herself. How many more will there be before this all ends? She almost wanted everything to come together so it wouldn't matter. Compared to what was coming, all of this was nothing. But still, it mounted up. But still, she had no other choice but to help. Because no matter how contradictory, this too is my duty. She closed the logbook and stood up when the door opened slowly. Jun's face peered around the door, earnest and searching as always.
"Hi, Yoyo-sempai." He said softly. "is Robyn around?"
"Oh, it's almost lunchtime, isn't it?" Yoyo realised as she glanced at the clock. "She's helping someone at the moment down there, so come in and wait."
Jun nodded and came in quietly, leaning against the wall. Yoyo stayed seated and watched him, and he looked at her, slightly uncertain.
"I've been reading." He said eventually.
"You've…been reading." Yoyo echoed back, confused.
"Mhm." A vigorous nod. "About, y'know, your magic and Robyn's. I, um, asked Professor Shippa for things to look at."
"Okaaaaay."
Yoyo's instinct was to like Jun, it really was. He seemed open and straightforward, and he was clearly smitten with Robyn. But necromancy and anything to do with it was so sorely misunderstood it often ended up feared, and although she wasn't sure if she'd call Robyn a friend yet (or if she'd ever get to), she liked her well enough, and their uncommon magic was more than enough to establish affinity. The first time she'd asked Jun if he knew anything about necromancy he'd spluttered and startled the way most people did, though he hadn't been disgusted. Rather, he was just nervous and unsure. But then he'd declared I might not know anything about that kind of magic, but I do know Robyn and I know she's good. Which was, of course, adorable, but all the same Yoyo couldn't help but hold back from truly relaxing.
"Yeah, I was reading, and I'll admit that a lot of it went over my head but I think…well, it's got a lot to do with plants, really. Well, not with plants directly but I think there's a link."
"How so?"
Yoyo knew that Jun was a Plant and Earth Magician and that he'd be more prone to connecting everything to plants as a result, but she wondered what connection he was making here, exactly.
"Well, I mean, plants have a particular time they bloom, and then their flowers die and leaves fall off and they wither only for the next year to come around and for them to be reborn. And when we die, or animals die, or when a plant completely dies….anything that lives and then dies, it becomes part of the earth, right? And then that earth is used to sustain other lives, new lives. The things that die live in the things that grow as a result of it. "
Jun shrugged and pulled a face.
"I mean it's not literally the same, not really. But it's a life/death cycle, right? Death being a part of life and life being a part of death and how the balance between the two is the reason that anything is and necromancy is about that balance, right? That's why you're both on this programme, which'll help you both become professional healers. So, yeah. It's not entirely like plants but it is too, kind of."
Yoyo waited for a moment and Jun gave her a wary look before blushing and then adding:
"And like I said before anyway…I know Robyn. I can't be scared of anything that's to do with Robyn."
Oh, bless him. A part of Yoyo wanted so badly to be sceptical of his intentions but she ended up shaking her head and chuckling. He's cleverer than I thought. Still, I can't imagine him figuring it out, not with such optimism.
"Okay, okay, you've convinced me. The pair of you are adorable, I must say. I assume the two of you will be attending the party together?"
"Yeah, that's the plan. Are you?"
"Yeah, I'll be coming. No date for me though but I know some people."
Truthfully, Yoyo had been wondering more about her attire than anything. She had a favourite red skirt with golden patterning but she'd worn that for last year's end-of-year celebrations. Then again, if she paired it with a different blouse and maybe a different pair of shoes and tights she'd probably be alright. Besides, she had new things for the much more formal winter dance and then the end-of-year, so she thought she deserved a pass for this one.
They chatted a little more about the upcoming party until finally, Robyn was able to see off the student and she came over to write the incident up in the logbook. Seeing Jun immediately, Robyn stopped and gave the softest smile, making Yoyo swoon on the inside.
"Hi, sorry, that took a little while longer than I expected." Robyn said. "Didn't mean to make you wait, but I've still got to write the logbook."
"No, that's fine, I don't mind." Jun said. "You've also got to wait for Professor Rynacel to come and take over again, right?"
"You have been paying attention." Yoyo exclaimed, impressed. "Yes, that's right. It's Nurse's day off too, which is why we're on our own in the first place."
She got up so that Robyn could take her seat and then cast about for something to do.
"So, is the roof still okay?" Jun asked.
"Not the North Wing, right?" Robyn checked.
"No, of course not. South Wing is alright, or maybe rather than the roof we could sit by the angel tree…or maybe not, people might trip over us."
"No, I think the roof's fine."
"Why not the North Wing?" Yoyo asked curiously.
Jun and Robyn both blinked at her, and eventually the latter spoke.
"We don't really know, but we've been getting a bad feeling from it for some reason."
"A bad feeling?" Yoyo frowned.
"Yeah, both of us and then the rest of the Gardening Club and some others in our year we know. Right, Jun?"
Jun nodded at this.
"Huh, that's weird. I don't get a feeling like that, but then again I don't go on the roof so, eh."
At that moment a knock came on the door and Professor Rynacel opened the door.
"Ah, hope I haven't kept you two and your…guest waiting too long. "
"No, no, that's fine, Professor." Yoyo replied.
"Good, good. Of you go and enjoy your lunch, I'll hold down the fort. Anything I need to know?"
"Nothing that's not in the logbook, Ma'am." Robyn said, inclining her head slightly as she finished and got up.
Professor Rynacel nodded and sat in the chair Robyn had vacated and busied herself in checking the log. Yoyo, Robyn and Jun left, with the latter two almost immediately turning in the opposite direction to go to the South Wing together. Yoyo waved them off and found herself watching them for a little while until she no longer could see them. Then, she let out a sigh and rubbed her head.
Better go and get something to eat before the cafeteria closes, huh?
And so, she did just that.
…
"HAH! I DID IT!"
The game over screen flashed as Kura groaned and next to him, Jae punched the air. Angela smirked at the both of them-it'd been a pretty close call for a while, especially as it turned out that Jae was actually almost as good of a gamer as they all were. It was nice, she thought, to have other people join them from time to time. It made it feel more like they could belong here even if in a topsy-turvy way and even if it was only meant to be temporary.
"I demand a re-match!" Kura said.
"Nuh-uh, that was fair and squa-"
"HEY!" Kay interrupted. "No rematch! We've been waiting for ages! Hibi, want to join me?"
"Sure, sure!"
Hibi grinned and got up to join Kay in looming over the two boys and glaring at them until they gave in and slunk back to the low table in the center of the room, where Angela, the rest of their friends and the rest of their guests were. Jae grabbed one of the cupcakes Wendy had hunted down from somewhere and while Kura picked up the mug of hot chocolate he had abandoned before.
"Oh man! It's gone cold."
"Oh, lemme take it over to the microwave-"
Eagerly recognising an opportunity, Angela interrupted Wendy to wave frantically at Kura.
"No no no, give it here!"
Knowing what she was about, Kura gave a wry smile and pushed his mug over. Angela cupped it with both her hands and concentrated on the mug, frowning deeply and trying to remember how to do what she was about to do. She was aware of the room growing quiet (with the exception of Hibi and Kay's game) and everyone watching her, so she frowned harder and…
Result!
A small tendril of steam rose up from the cup as it began to heat in her hands. She gave it a moment longer, then released it, pushing it back over to a now satisfied Kura before she let out a long sigh. Ariadne and Rena clapped, making A, Theodore, Seraph and Yara do the same too. Angela grinned proudly at them.
"Oh, you guys can do magic now?" Theodore asked curiously.
"We sure can!" Angela declared, very pleased as Kura sipped his drink in satisfaction.
She went on to explain that when whatever error in navigating or whatever couldn't be fixed, the Headmaster and Headmistress had eventually decided to modify their timetables so they had extra lessons with teachers who could take them right back to the very basics that any person could do instead of some of the ones where they'd just be all at sea. These teachers were Professors Cinnabuns, Yanovi, Shippa and Reoni but they'd had combat sessions with Headmaster Cher too.
She decided not to mention that not only were they learning basic spells, but also different protections they could use to ward themselves against spells, given that they in particular were at risk of being taken advantage of. Angela had attached a little hama-ya to the decorative mask that she used as a head-dress, Kura used a omamori as a keyring, while she knew Ariadne and Wendy both wore little pouches of allspice and rowan on a string around their necks. The others had their own different charms that they preferred to use.
On top of that, they'd also given a series of oils to either inhale or mix into drinks for extra protections or advantages. One of them was citrus oil for mental clarity, which if she was being honest mostly just made her feel lemony and insane but it was entirely possible that was just the increased amounts of coffee (which was also protective, apparently) she'd been pouring the citrus oil into. Now that she was definitely not going to mention.
"Check out what we can do too!" Rena said delightedly.
Apart from Kay who was playing and Angela who'd already shown off, the rest of them demonstrated the few skills they had learnt. Ariadne made little sparks of light the same light blue as her hair, different shapes but wavery and fading away quickly while the others all attempted to lift objects: pens, snacks, a spoon. Most of them could only manage for a few seconds, their chosen item bobbing hesitantly, but Kura's jelly baby floated in a smooth line and stayed up for a little longer than the others.
"Woah, have you been practising?" Mikelz gawped.
"Sure have!" Kura gloated.
Of course, at that moment, he lost his concentration and the jelly bean dropped…right into his drink. Kura groaned and pouted into the cup as if he'd be able to see into it, and then he sighed heavily and shrugged, taking a sip of his drink.
"You're not going to try and fish it out?" Sera asked with a raised eyebrow.
"Naaaaah, can't be bothered."
"Anyway, when've you been practising?" Rena asked. "I've not seen you do anything."
"Ah, nah, that's because I do it on Howl's stuff."
Kura grinned, looking very pleased with himself as he thought for a moment before adding:
"Don't worry, not while he's actually using any of it. But I do enjoy making the contents of his pencil case float around his head while he's trying to work."
"Oh my god, Kura!" Rena spluttered.
Most of the others spluttered and laughed too. Ezrael in particular seemed tickled and Haze was mock-glaring at him even though she was sure they weren't room-mates.
"I'm so glad I'm not your room-mate." Angela muttered.
"Anyway, that's good! You're doing well!" Yara said.
"Aww, thank you!" Char said. "I'm flattered. It's kid stuff really though."
"Yeah," Sera agreed. "Compared to you guys it's not much but hey, it's something. I mean what else would we end up doing here?"
"I mean your set-up here's pretty sweet," Jae pointed out. "Remind me how you got it again?"
"I mean, most the game stuff's just ours, we pooled it, but Professor Cinnabuns is the one who helped us get the room together. Oh, and he found the big screen and table and other stuff from somewhere." Sera explained.
"Oh, did he? That's cool of him." Jae said.
"Yeah, he is pretty cool." Kura agreed. "We invited him to come join us a few times but he's always declined, right, Angela?"
"Yeah, he has." Angela huffed. "Marking work or whatever. But oh well, more fun for us."
"It'd be weird to be joined by a teacher though, right?" Yara pointed out.
"True, true." Seraph agreed, nodding enthusiastically.
"Mweeeeeh, I mean he's not like all fuddy-duddy and old or whatever." Kura shrugged.
"I mean, technically they're all old, right?" Theodore pointed out.
"Oh you know what I mean."
Kura stuck his tongue out childishly then drained the rest of his drink in a couple of extremely sloppy sips before grimacing at the bottom of the cup. Wendy quietly handed him a spoon, and he grimaced as he fished out a gloppy green mess.
"They're very old but you wouldn't know it from looking at them." Jan agreed. "And some of them are fine."
"Oh that I can't argue with." Ezrael nodded vigorously, making Haze snort.
The debate into the relative merits of the teachers went on for a little while longer until all of a sudden, seemingly out of the blue, Yara (who'd just been listening until then) asked:
"Hey, you know how we call jelly babies jelly babies, do you think that they call us fleshy babies?"
"I'm sorry, what?"
Angela stared at Yara, who just blinked back, her face as angelic as ever. Jae and Jan, sitting next to her, gave her strange looks which she seemed oblivious too.
"What sorta question is that?" Char wanted to know.
"I dunno, I was just wondering."
Yara shrugged and left it at that as she took some crisps and nibbled contemplatively at them.
"Well," Kura concluded after a moment of baffled silence. "I dunno about that, but as long as jelly babies don't get the idea to start melting us in hot drinks I couldn't care less."
"Thanks so much for that image, Kura." Rena deadpanned.
"Hey, it's what I'm here for."
"Hey, whatever happened with the chess club people from last term?" Wendy asked suddenly.
"You mean the ones dressed in black and gold?" Char asked.
"Yeah, them?"
"What chess club?" Jae and Seraph asked almost in unison.
"Huh, what was that?" Kay and Hibi asked, also almost in unison, just as their game ended.
"Wendy's asking about those really hot but really scary second years." Angela informed them.
"There aren't any frecht second years though," Hibi frowned. "I've seen a few who're hot, and a few who're scary but none who are both. I think."
"It's okay, I don't know what they're talking about either." Jae told Hibi as she and Kay joined them.
Kay narrowed her eyes at Jae, flicking back her long hair.
"What do you mean you don't remember?" she demanded. "One of them was a fox, for crying out loud."
"Again, no idea what you're on about."
A silence fell in the packed room, and Angela looked around at all her friends. They'd speculated a little about it at first, as one minute there'd been fear about something surrounding those six second years (and possibly a seventh member, a freshman) and then just like that, it had gone. They'd never seen those distinctive black-and-gold almost uniform-like outfits (though they'd most certainly not been uniform) ever again, never heard their names again. Angela didn't remember what it was that'd happened that'd had them shaking in their shoes, whispering and clinging, but Char, Mikelz and Ariadne did, and Wendy had had some sense. Either way, they remembered that something had happened in the first place. Remembered that once, there had been people like that.
"They don't remember," Ariadne spoke up softly, almost burrowing into her scarf. "Mikelz and Char and I, the other day we were talking to Kura's roommate. He doesn't remember them, either."
"You were talking to Howl?" Kura asked around a spoonful of melted jelly baby.
"He's in our tutor group, remember?" Char reminded him.
"Oh yeah."
"Cookie was asking us a lot of questions about it too, though I have no idea if she remembered anything or not." Char said.
"Oh, Cookie? She asks loads of weird questions, that means nothing." Jae said dismissively. "Probably just morbid interest or something."
Char shrugged at that.
"What were their names?" Theodore asked curiously.
"Um…." Angela screwed up her face, then looked to her friends. "Guys?"
"I remember Delilah De Callaway and Eve Elinschilde, their families are famous," Rena said. "I don't remember the others' eponymics but their names were Cain, Abel, Judas and….Mary? Marie?"
"Maria." Ariadne supplied.
"I didn't realise the De Callaway family had a daughter in high school?" Seraph asked. "I thought their kids were, well, not kids anymore. Never heard of an Eve Elinschilde either."
Another silence. This is very, very hinky, Angela thought. She saw Theodore, Haze, Ezrael and A exchange uneasy looks. She didn't blame them, though she was sure her feelings were for the opposite reason to theirs. After all it was her and her friends who were remembering things apparently nobody else did. Or maybe it was some kind of charm or illusion? As far as those things went, it was a weird thing to do.
"Yeah, I really don't remember anyone like that. Are you sure you're not just…imagining things?"
"What? No? We're not delusional just because we don't have magic!" Char yelled.
"Hey, hey, hey, that's not what I was saying!" Hibi exclaimed. "Just that it's weird that you have memories or whatever of these people, but we don't."
"Yeah, you guys aren't crazy…in that sort of way anyway. But I've never heard of any Cain or Abel or Eve or Maria or Judas or Delilah." Jae agreed.
"They exist." Sera declared stoutly, crossing her arms. "They do."
"What do you think happened to them, then?" Seraph tilted her head slightly.
"That…now that we're not sure about." Rena said. "We just think it's something bad. That's the sense we get."
"Murder, I keep telling you all." Char said.
"Maybe it's like ghosts?" Jan suggested helpfully. "This school does have some."
"Oh yeah, your redecorating ghosts." Hibi giggled.
"Who do you think I am to just casually be going around owning ghosts?" Jan asked.
When everyone stared at her she sighed and rubbed her head and continued on:
"I heard seniors talking about them, though not sure if they were second years or third years. They were dressed ordinarily though, so definitely not these guys."
"No, I'm sure they're alive…were alive…something?" Kura shook his head. "Ah, someone describe them better."
Wendy obliged, with some help from Ariadne, clearly describing Abel's white fox form, Judas' stony expression, Cain's charm and Delilah's prettiness, Eve's mask and the way Maria walked purposefully. The way they all wore black and gold (and some white in the case of the boys) in a way so coordinated it seemed almost effortless. The two almost rhapsodised about them, but considering the way Angela remembered, if even it was remembering at this point, such lofty language seemed fitting for them. Yet looking at her magical year-mates and the increasing looks of bafflement they were giving, it was clear that they were in the minority for remembering these things and she didn't like that at all. Maybe I need to drink more lemony insanity coffee, she thought.
"You know what?" Sera burst out suddenly. "I'll draw them! I'll draw them and then you'll all see."
"That's a great idea, Sera!" Angela agreed.
"I'll help too if you'd like!" Wendy nodded earnestly.
Sera grinned unexpectedly and gave Wendy a thumbs-up.
"Sure, okay, whatever." Jae shrugged. "Anyway, shall we play something else, as a group?"
"What about Cards Against Humanity?" Rena suggested.
"Do we even have enough decks for that?" Mikelz asked.
"We can play the digital version, you goof!" Rena exclaimed. "Everyone's got a device and I can easily send a link. So, what about it?"
"Sounds good to me!" Angela said.
The others agreed, and soon phones and tablets came out, and a game got itself underway, supplemented with continued snacks. The room filled with chaos once again, and for a while the mystery of those people could be put in the back of her mind.
She knew it was still there, though.
…
Will added the grapefruit garnish and adjusted it, before carefully pushing the tall glass over to Hiraga.
"Here, try this one."
Hiraga nodded and took a sip, eyes widening.
"Oh, this one's fizzy! What's it called again?"
Will checked the list that he was working on.
"Magic Hour, apparently."
Hiraga snorted as he wiped the rim of the glass and then slid it over to Tate, Kureha and Mica to take it in turns to try.
"Man, was the person who came up with this drink non-magical or something? We've already got that kal-it-magic one as well."
"No idea, but it's pink so it works, right?"
"Yeah, I think it's good. Guys?"
Tate, Kureha and Mica all gave their nods of assent and so, pleased, Will ticked that one off the list.
"Guys," he called out across the bar. "We've got one more on the list!"
"Oh, that's great!" Lidia exclaimed. "So what's that we've got now? The pear, apple and rose punch; the sidecar mocktail and the two you've just approved right? Are we trying for another, or?"
"We'll have juices and things too, and Tate and Wren are going to make different syrups to add variation to what drinks we do have. " Mica pointed out.
"Oh, but we've got to have a float, got to."
"I have a float recipe on the list, we can try that next, Hiraga." Will said.
"What about the South Side drink?" Lidia asked.
"You're just asking about that one because you want an excuse to slap mint leaves." Hiraga retorted.
Lidia giggled as she came over to try the Magic Hour drink, and the conversation drifted on as they continued making different recipes, taste testing and tweaking accordingly, putting a list together. They had to consider the properties of their ingredients too, well aware that their drinks were still one of the few things that were keeping the simmering misery from exploding into something terrible, even within themselves. Indeed, they were admittedly making more samples than they really needed to make sure that the drinks were alright. But for the most part it was just fun. Will felt in his element here, organising things and experimenting with flavours, full of anticipation for the celebration their drinks were meant to be for. He couldn't wait for their bar to be set up on the day and for their fellow students to try what they'd all come up with, together.
When they had the base list, they then tried some of the drinks with different syrups and garnishes in order to finalise their menu and at that point Gin, Getsu and Lily all burst in with the 'final touches' –their outfits and decorations for the cocktail umbrellas.
"We're baaack, check these out!"
As Lily dumped piles of cocktail umbrellas and other cute things on sticks, Gin and Getsu took folded garments out of a bag and shook them out.
"We've all got white shirts for school, and it's up to you if you want to pair this with black trousers or a black skirt-though we got a few spare right, Gin?"
"That's right, Getsu!"
Will and the others flocked around them and admired the jackets-black with lapels in red, green or white with gold buttons further golden embellishments and accents. There were also a couple of black waistcoats and a whole range of accessories ranging from neck ribbons to belts.
"We may have gone a little overboard."
"I mean, it's fine, we can use the same get-up for the winter celebrations and the end of year stuff, right? If we pair it with different shirts and stuff." Tate pointed out.
"Practical as ever, mate." Will laughed. "Good stuff, though."
A few of the girls took off their own school blazers (if they had not already during the course of the evening) in order to try on the new jackets, but Will noticed that Starri seemed hesitant even as she happily accepted hers from Gin.
"What's wrong, Starri?" he asked.
"I…"
Starri bit her lip and the room began to quiet as everyone else picked up on it.
"I've been having this dream…this weird dream like…you know that old story?"
"Old story?" Tate asked.
"Yeah, it's….there's a boy, a cursed boy, he's trapped by the faerie queen-"
"Faerie? That sounds very Lesser God to me." Lucy interrupted.
Starri just blinked, and Lucy sighed and shook her head.
"Sorry, go on."
"Anyway, when a girl tries to rescue the boy, it's part of his curse that he transforms into…many things. Beast, serpent, things like that, all writhing and feral, trying to attack. And the only way to break the curse is if the girl can hold on to him. If she can hold tight and not let go, no matter how much he may try to fight back, even if he could hurt her. That's the only thing she knows she has to do and so she does…"
"Does it break the curse, then?" Lucy asked.
"I don't know. I held on, I did. But I don't know what happened after."
"Wait, you were the girl in the dream?" Hiraga asked.
Starri shook her head, and tears filled her eyes.
"That's the thing…I think it actually happened. Not exactly the same, not precisely like that story. But it was like that. I had to hold on, it was the only way to help, but I don't know…"
"Are you sure it wasn't just a really, really vivid dream?"
"No. It happened here! I'm sure of it! I feel like it happened here, that the chair over there got knocked over and something broke and…" Starri whimpered, putting a hand to her mouth. "I'm not sure if it's a dream, or a memory. It feels like it happened but everything is blurry. All I remember is knowing that he was scared and I had to hold on…I don't even know who he is!"
"Hey, hey, hey, come here."
Will put down his new jacket and went over to hug Starri. Patting her head, he looked up at the others. They all exchanged uncertain glances.
"I don't remember anything like that." Tate stated, bluntly.
"Neither do I, to be honest." Mica said.
"I'm sure we'd not forget someone vandalising our bar," Lily said. "Though…haven't some of you felt something missing? Not just like, the clouds but like there's something we should know but don't?"
"Now you're mentioning it…" Lidia said.
A few of them nodded, but others seemed puzzled. Will looked at them and sighed, then released Starri.
"You alright?" he checked.
"Yeah…sorry, I don't know what came over me."
"Hey, it's fine. Don't apologise for that." Will said. "Now, shall we carry on checking out the clothes? Then, Tate, didn't you want to try a Magic Hour with a lavender syrup...?"
The distraction wouldn't be enough anymore. But he hoped that at least it'd be something. Because even if the party wasn't going to fix anything, at least it was something to look forward to. He had to believe that, had to believe that some sort of difference would be made.
Otherwise, what else was left?
…
One of the greatest disappointments of being a Plant and Earth Magician was that slugs were apparently impervious to magic but still remained a menace to all plants. As a result there was no other way to get rid of them than the usual remedies. So it was that after an unexpectedly rainy night, Yara and Jun's task was to go around the different areas of the garden, surround plants with crushed egg shell and seaweed powder, and then chuck any wayward slugs in salted bags for disposal.
Oh well, she thought, it could be worse. At least I know the charm to make my wellington boots invisible. Looking down at them as she approached a flower patch and opened her packet of seaweed powder, she smiled. Admittedly, the effect of turning her footwear invisible did make it look like she was floating slightly but at least whenever she glanced down it still looked like she was barefoot. With that happy thought in mind, she knelt down and began busily sprinkling the powder around the flowers carefully, making sure it provided a good enough barrier. Nearby, Jun was doing the same but with eggshells by the fruit patch. Occasionally, from time to time, both would find a slug and with a grimace they'd chuck it into the salted bag they were both sharing, occasionally comparing slugs and shrieking like children in disgusted delight at particularly large or disgusting ones.
"Oh, hello!"
In the middle of tipping out more seaweed powder, Yara froze as Professor Arianna's voice drifted over, followed by Yanovi's and then that of an eager student. After that initial greeting the voices became indistinct for a while, but Yara could sense the cheer and joy from it all the same, that combination of admiration and slight affection on the part of the student as though they regarded the teacher to be a special kind of friend. Special, so special…Yara shivered, and concentrated extra hard on the mental shield that she had up every day anyway, wanting to keep the recollections locked in (since there was no way for her to lock them out, instead). Even an indistinct babble of such love for teachers made her want to crawl out of her skin, and the fact that they could all objectively be considered attractive didn't really help that, with most of her new friends having swooned over one teacher or another at some point. As far as she knew, only Jun hadn't and that was because he'd basically been with Robyn since the beginning.
There was a moment of relief when she realised that the student had finished the conversation but a stab of terror when she realised that rather than heading towards a building, the two professors seemed to be coming near to the two of them. Meaning that it was entirely possible that they'd see them, and then there'd be a conversation, a spontaneous conversation outside of lesson time.
She was probably one of the few people who didn't enjoy the attractiveness of her professors even as she admired their prowess and their histories. She was one of the few who didn't mind and even liked the fact that the professors were all over three hundred years old. It was enough of an age to hold multiple lifetimes in, after all, and that was more than enough to keep them at a remove from people her age. For there to be a disconnect, a slight shield, the knowledge that no matter how nice any of them were that that was where it'd stay, far away and detached by a difference that made it impossible for the teachers to look at their students with any other eyes apart from the ones they were meant to. She didn't want them to be attractive, to be people that could be crushed upon. She wanted them to be teachers, and it seemed like that remove was what it took.
All the same, she wasn't about to ease up on her mental shields just because the teachers were at enough of a remove for her to feel more comfortable than she'd thought she'd ever be with a teacher again. She was sure that Professor Arianna had noticed though, and thus her comfort with her was just a little less than it was with the others. Even Headmistress Hades she didn't think was nearly as frecht or plain scary as others did. But Professor Arianna…
Mercifully, Jun had not jumped up and gone over to greet them as Yara had expected him to, and it took her a moment looking at him to realise why. The way he was crouching further behind the bush, head cocked slightly, indicated that he was listening to something. Yara quietly shuffled forward so she was behind him, glad for the fact the invisibility spell on her boots also muffled their sound and she listened to the conversation. Since they were far enough away though, it was only dribs and drabs that she caught:
"…it's too early…even with…"
"…you heard what Cher said…have to get to it before it gets out of hand…"
"…but we don't know…"
"falling apart, we're falling apart, Yanovi…the students…there's no choice…"
"But we're supposed to…the tree…"
"Will the tree even help?"
"I don't know…have to try...Anna, please…"
"…no, I know…but we…can't tell anyone…"
"….I know…but…"
"…too much harm already…"
"Ah, I think some of my students may be here…..slugs and snails…."
The footsteps stopped and abruptly turned the other way, receding instead of approaching. All too aware of the breath she had been holding, Yara finally let it out, and then realised that there was now a tiny mountain of seaweed powder on the ground. Hurriedly, she scrambled back and tried to sweep some of it back in so there'd be enough for the rest of the plants, and then her shoulders sagged. Closing her eyes, she tried to pull herself together, her breathing coming out in ragged puffs.
History would not and could not repeat itself with teachers who were like that and so Yara could breathe, just a little. It was for these reasons that getting her application to Kawaakari accepted had been such a godsend, one she thanked Akari for every day. It of course helped that nobody else from her old school in her cohort had been accepted in the school, nobody who knew what had happened. She'd believed that that would be enough, that'd it be all that would be needed.
It had never occurred to her that there was more than one way for a teacher to hurt. Her chest ached and her head twanged with the memories that were never too far from the surface. Please, please, Goddess. Please let it be…let it mean something else. Something…something that doesn't mean…There was nothing conclusive in those snippets, nothing that could help her paint a picture of a situation but all the same it was impossible to not understand that something bad was happening, something bad and that the teachers knew, that they…
Stop, Yara, stop.
Trying to get herself under control she opened her eyes and looked over the flowers for any stray slugs she had missed and spotted one, which she quickly picked up mid-chomp. Though slugs had no discernible face she swore it actually looked offended. She cast her eyes around looking for Jun and was pleased to see him back at the patch he was working on, not having noticed the state she was in.
"Hey, Jun?"
"Hmmm?"
"Do you think the Goddess likes slugs?"
Her chest loosened slightly as Jun looked up and stared at her. His brow furrowed deeply as he studied her.
"What sort of question is that?"
"Oh, I dunno."
But her chest was lightening now and her breathing evening out, and she smiled, throwing the slug into the bag. If the Goddess did like slugs she probably wouldn't be too happy with them killing them, but the Goddess did like flowers too, she was sure of that, so maybe she'd understand. Maybe.
"I was just wondering." She explained.
"Um sure, okay?"
Jun raised an eyebrow and then chuckled, covering his mouth with his hand and looking self-conscious. Yara wondered if he laughed like that with Robyn, and the thought made her smile a little more.
"We should finish up here, huh? Still got to get breakfast and all."
"That we do, that we do."
…
The class was too noisy for Tricker.
Ten minutes had passed, and yet Professor Nyamai still hadn't turned up, and none of them knew what to do. Quite a few of them had already checked on the school's intranet just in case there'd been a notice posted, but there was nothing there or in their school emails. There were no rules about what to do if a teacher didn't turn up for their lessons-by and large, that was something that never happened as far as Tricker knew. Except that it had and now they'd all apparently imploded. Most were talking in animated tones about the mysteriousness of the situation, while others were proposing just skipping and others had just grouped off and started chatting about who knows what.
It was too noisy.
"Hey, maybe someone should look for her?" a girl he didn't know said.
"Yeah, but where'd anyone even begin?" another called out.
"Faculty office, maybe? Or the staff room…where even is the staff room?" Jae asked.
"There's a question."
"I'll go take a look around nearby. She could just be running late or something, and maybe if another teacher's around I can ask them."
Oh, finally, a halfway sane suggestion. Tricker looked up in relief as Quiet got up and the volume of the room went down just a tiny bit.
"I'll come with you." He said almost immediately, also getting up.
Quiet studied him for a moment, and Tricker knew what it was he was looking for. In response, he just nodded to confirm that yes, whatever Quiet was managing to read he was probably interpreting correctly. Quiet relaxed and then nodded back.
"You can text me if you find out what's happening." Sado told them both authoritatively.
"Sure, sure." Quiet said. "Coming, Tricker?"
"Mhm."
The volume of the classroom skidded up almost immediately, and when Tricker closed the classroom door firmly behind him, muffling it, he let out a breath of relief, letting his shoulders relax as far as the prosthetics allowed him.
"You okay?" Quiet asked him.
"Yeah, yeah, let's just go."
The two walked together in silence down the corridor, with only a few second and third year students going past them, none that he recognised, not from Mixed Melee Combat or from anywhere else. More than a few did double takes at him, and he wasn't sure whether it was because of his arms or because he was shirtless, but both reasons were starting to feel old by now. I wonder what they'd think if they knew that without these arms, I wouldn't even be here in the first place? Still, it'd probably be better than what they'd think if they caught him in the wrong light and saw how his supposedly white hair took on the shade of mourning, though that wasn't something he could control apart from dying his hair completely…
"Is that her?"
With some effort, Tricker pushed away hair-colour woes from his head and looked through the window Quiet was pointing at. Sure enough, sitting on a bench in the courtyard, there was a slight, young looking figure and though their back was turned to them, the cropped cloak and the dark blue ponytails did seem a lot like Professor Nyamai.
"Seems like it." Tricker said.
The two of them quickly found the door that led out onto the courtyard and crossed over. Sure enough, when the figure turned at the sounds of their clattering footsteps it was indeed Professor Nyamai. But not grinning and cheeky, not more child than teacher the way she usually was but…haunted. Looking at her, there was something still a little childlike but not in the usual goofy way that reminded Tricker of Koda, but instead more vulnerable. Her expression was drawn, her poofy skirt was dusty and battered and her knees were all scratched up. When she lifted her hands to push her bangs away from her face Tricker saw that her palms were battered too, as if she'd broken a fall using her hands. Tricker remembered what wounds like that felt like, even though it was a long time ago.
"Professor Nyamai, are you alright?" Quiet gasped while Tricker just gawped.
"Yes, of course I'm alright, stop fussing!"
Her voice came out sharp, but thin, and wobbling all over the place. Her eyes were big and wider than usual and she then wrapped her arms around herself and drew her knees up to her chest. Sensing Quiet's confusion, Tricker mouthed scared at him and then turned back to look at Professor Nyamai, who rocked for a few moments then paused abruptly, staring at the pair of them.
"Quiet Serenschild. Tricker Suviko."
The voice was still thin, but it somehow felt a bit more solid. Tricker sucked in a breath at the use of his eponymic but then Professor Nyamai was talking.
"Even the sky has an end point, you know. There's no such thing as limitless, not really, not for anything at all. I don't know why it is we're lying to you like this, but…you're all gremlins but it's not like I haven't tried to do right. That's all we've been trying to do, in the end. But it is going to end, you know. Our Ragnarok, it's coming, however that may look like."
"Our what now?" Tricker asked.
"You don't know?" Professor Nyamai pouted indignantly. "Geez, what's Shippa even teaching you these days? Do you not know anything about the Lesser Gods? If it wasn't for those of the north, we wouldn't have our names for the days."
"Um…."
Quiet seemed like he was going to speak up, but Professor Nyamai cut him off obliviously, now sounding just a little bit more like the eccentric teacher Tricker thought he'd started to know but still a little…off.
"Ah, forget that. The point is…the point is, we're trying to do right by you all but in the end I think it'll be you all that are left with the consequences. Will you be able to forgive us for that? Sacrifice isn't all it's cracked up to be, even when it's utterly necessary but…well, perhaps at the very least by the time that time comes, we'll have equipped you with enough knowledge for you to make your own decisions….."
Has she completely lost it? Tricker raised an eyebrow as he tried to parse the meaning of her words, yet all the same he found himself shivering despite both the warmth of the day and his otherwise high tolerance of temperature. Next to him, Quiet let out a breath, and a quick sideways glance showed Tricker that his thoughtful friend was wearing an incredibly puzzled frown tempered with worry as he kept glancing towards the professor's knees. There was something dreamlike about the words, as if he was hearing a prophecy or something equally momentous, something of a realm that people like him could never reach. But Professor Nyamai had addressed them by name at the beginning, her eyes blazed and held both their gazes, even now as they blinked and then narrowed.
"Hold on a moment, shouldn't you be in class now? Why're you out here?"
Tricker could only face palm, though mentally because using his hands to do that would bloody well hurt as he remembered from the last time he'd face palmed without thinking. Thankfully, Quiet was there to answer:
"You're meant to be teaching the class, Professor Nyamai?"
"Oh, am I? Huh."
Professor Nyamai blinked and rubbed her eyes, then paused and looked down at her palms before returning her gaze to both boys and shrugging.
"Well, consider it cancelled or whatever. Do anything you want before your next lesson, just don't go causing trouble or blah, blah, blah, I'm sure you gremlins know the drill."
Before either Quiet or Tricker could say anything, Nyamai lifted up one of her injured hands and abruptly disappeared. The two of them stared at the stone bench where she'd been sitting, then looked at each other.
"Class cancelled, then. That's not something that happens usually, is it…?"
"Not that I know of." Quiet replied.
That knowledge sat between them for a moment and Tricker sighed, looking up at the sky. The coldness he felt was still there, and he didn't know if there was good reason for it or if he was just over-reacting.
"I'll text Sado," Quiet said suddenly. "Then we can wait a few moments for everyone to leave before we go back and get our stuff."
Despite his mood, Tricker couldn't help but smile at that. Nodding his assent, he went and sat on the bench that Professor Nyamai had vacated and once Quiet had joined him, the two of them waited.
Omamori-talisman/amulet typically sold at Japanese shrines for various purposes including protection in the real world.
Hama-ya- literally 'evil banishing arrow' another kind of amulet sold at shrines.