Hotaru Emirsdottir, from Arc 4, a roleplay on RPG

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Unnamed City

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Character Portrait: Laeticia "Cel" Concepcion

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#2017-02-03 03:25:08, as written by SkyCladSaya06

Sunday - 10:00 AM

"Man, you'd expect that since it's a Sunday, it'll be a lot quieter!" Cel thought irritably as Aziz's loud music blared from the second floor. Normally, Aziz wouldn't have gotten access to the stereo upstairs but seeing that most of the residents had gone home, no one really was around to reprimand him or anything. Technically there is Cel but--she doesn't get paid enough to put up with his antics.

"Rowdy morning as usual." Cel looked up from her desk and saw one of the dormers, Sora, headed out. She had already bathed and changed into the clothes she usually wore to work on weekends.

"Hey Sora." Cel greeted back. "What's going on? Don't you usually leave around 12?"

"I need to stop by somewhere before that. Just need to check on a few things." Sora explained before her attention turned to the noise. "What's with this guy?"

"Don't know either. Anyway, is Nagisa awake? I got a new movie she might be interested in."

"Maybe. I'm not sure. I get kind of tired sometimes that I fail to notice things. Anyway, I'm off."

"Bye."

As soon as Sora had walked out the door, Aziz came rushing down the stairs, grinning to himself. "Hey there, my pretty consort~"

"Aziz." Cel calmly called out, giving him a stern eye. "You do know that messing with the second floor stereos aren't allowed?"

"Yeah but see, there was no one there when I came in so--I kind of just plugged in my Mp3." Aziz looked around the lobby to see if there were any other people around. "No seemed to mind."

"Umm, I kind of do mind? Granted this job's not the most exciting job in the world but I would at least like some peace and quiet? It's kind of hard to talk with all the noise."

"You mean you don't like my sick beats?"

"Not that I think your choice of songs are bad; everyone's entitled to what they like after all. But 'New Flame' isn't exactly something I want to listen to at, let's see...10:25 in the morning."

"Better than the yoga and zumba crap the swim guys listen to whenever they use the pool." Aziz explained. A few weeks ago, the pool was rented out to the Partisan Rose Male Swimming Team in order to bring in more income. Cel personally didn't mind if it meant getting a raise. "Anyway, I heard there's something going on at Bishop's Park. Want to come check it out?"

"Sorry, I'll have to pass. Can't leave the desk since my partner's not around. But what's happened there exactly?"

"Folks online said it might be a meteor! But I don't know. That's why I want to see it." Aziz explained.

"You'd be better off towing Makoto or Yoite along since this thing's up their alley. Kanade might also be interested, I suppose." Cel thought of some people she knew who might be interested in those things.

"Of course! What do you think the morning new flame is for?" Aziz turned to face the stairs, looking all excited like a child waiting for a toy. "Watch out Cel, the first wave of people approaching Cel's Complaints Desk is coming--Now!"

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#2017-02-03 06:05:55, as written by Guardian Aelita

Sunday - 10:00 AM

Hotaru was starting to wake up from a day long sleep she went through yesterday. It had been a particularly brutal week as most first weeks tend to go. She was adjusting slowly to life at the Kurogane Technical Institute and found it a lot harder than she had even expected. As she got up and stretched, Hotaru saw her roommate playing on her cellphone. She assumed the girl was talking to one of her online friends again.

"Hey, Menou?"

The black haired girl grunted a bit in a small response.

"I'm gonna go over to the pool. Did you want to get a swim in?"

The black haired girl only answered with a small shake of the head. Hotaru frowned a little, worried for her roommate but since the two weren't particularly close yet, she chose not to say anything.

"Alright then. I'll see you later then..."

Hotaru grabbed a swimsuit and walked over to the indoor pool. Along the way, she saw a girl with long white hair reading from a book.

"Ah, Noa. Good morning~!"

Hotaru chirped in a happy voice. Noa looked over and nodded slightly.

"The morning is hardly what I would consider good but it is nice to see you as well, Emirsdottir. I trust you slept well?"

"Ah, yeah~! A day long sleep is just the fuel I need to get back to work."

Noa blinked.

"I barely see why you would need a "day long sleep" if you just adjusted your sleeping schedule according to the world around you. It's not good to be denying your body rest."

"Ehehe~ I know it's not the right thing for me to do but I've been doing it for so long that it's kind of become a habit of me to just... forget sleeping."

Hotaru laughed nervously as Noa sighed a little.

"Well, perhaps at some point, I can provide you with an effective-"

No sooner did the suggestion start to leave Noa's mouth that loud music began to blare from the hallways.

"What is this screeching nonsense...?"

Hotaru sighed.

"Chris Brown is what it is. I mean, it's a change of pace from Zumba but I was actually looking forward to doing some Zumba exercises. Who messed with the stereo?"

"I've been around long enough to take a wild guess."

Both girls turned to see Yoite and Akeno in the hallway. Both of their hair was damp and their clothes were put over themselves. It was a bit obvious that the two were swimming together in the pool only to get out at the sound of the music change. Yoite laughed a little.

"But yeah, Aziz is the only guy I know that could do something like this. That guy sure does love trolling."

Akeno pouted a little but waved hello to Hotaru and Noa. Hotaru waved hello back with a smile while Noa turned away a little.

"I am going to go and have a little "discussion" with the man. Assuming no one else gets to him first, I'd like to reprimand him on his atrocious choice in music."

"I'll go with you."

Noa quirked an eyebrow.

"And why is that?"

"Well, at least one person has to make sure no one murders him. Plus, maybe he just wants to talk and this is his... weird way of saying it."

"Ah! In that case, I'll come along too~ Akeno, wanna say good morning to Aziz and Cel?"

Akeno's face brightened as she nodded happily in agreement. With that mild discussion, the four went downstairs to the front desk to find Aziz himself and Cel.

"Good morning, Cel~ Sorry you had to get Aziz'd again."

Akeno tugged a bit on Aziz's sleeve and started to sign to him once she had his attention.

'Hi, Azi! The music you played in the pool sounds really good! Is there any more songs you have that I can listen to?'

Noa frowned a little at the purple haired man.

"Harumi, I do not appreciate that incessant clatter you call music being blared across the hallway. I was fine when it was in your room where the only damage you could inflict was on yourself and Nobuyuki but not in a public area."

Hotaru just weakly chuckled. This morning was already off to a wild start.

"Good morning, Cel-chan and Aziz-kun..."

As soon as Hotaru said that, Madoka descended downstairs. He took one look at the scene around him, sighed heavily then focused his gaze on Aziz.

"Aziz, what did you do this time?"

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#2017-02-03 09:16:46, as written by DeathScythe386

Sunday - 10:00 AM

Nagisa stared tirelessly at the unfinished drawing on her desk- a machine design she still hadn't finished up until now. Though she had been working for three hours on homework- she awoke at 7:00 AM; an oddity, as she usually woke up two hours earlier than that- and this drawing, she still hadn't the faintest idea of what to do with it.

Her gaze drifted to Chomper, who was sitting on her desk, staring with blank eyes. She reached over and instinctively switched him on.

While the robotic raptor's clear areas started turning blue, she heard loud music being played from the second floor. With a grimace, she watched as Chomper hopped off the table, staring up at her and reacting to the sound...just as his AI had been programmed to do. Nagisa hadn't programmed him herself, of course not. She wasn't that good yet.

The moment she stepped out of her room- Chomper following suit beside her legs- she immediately heard a sharp thumping down the hall. Looking over she recognized Kanade's shaggy hair; and besides, who couldn't mistake the heavy thumping her boots made?

"It's 10 in the morning-- who plays this shit in the morning?!"

This was going to be a good morning, Nagisa told herself as she winced. Looking around the area, the other girls weren't around to back her up.

"Clearly only one person in the dorm would, and his name starts with A and ends with -ziz."

"Hell-- don't get me wrong, I like this, but this shit should be played at night."

Kanade's insults and complaints droned on Nagisa's ears as they descended, joined no sooner than the other resident oddball, already wrapped up in his black coat and purple scarf.

"What is this ruckus in this hour?"

Soichiro grunted, his glare made worse by the fact that he seemed like he hadn't slept; Nagisa briefly wondered whether he had stayed up all night doing another one of his rituals.

She didn't realize she voiced that thought out loud until Kanade shot her a pitiful look and Soichiro's gaze hardened.

"Of course, manipulator of machines! I have not slept, for I have been trying to find my old nemesis!"

"And did you succeed?"

Soichiro hung his head and buried his face in his scarf.

"...No."

"You should just quit while you're ahead, oddball."

Upon reaching the first floor, Nagisa noticed the amount of people now gathered around Aziz. She got ready to reach out a hand to block Kanade's quickening steps, but then she heard another voice pipe in.

"Hey now-- what's up with y'all and complainin' about Aziz's sick beats?"

Oh god, it was him.

Kujo was stepping down from the stairwell, yawning and adjusting his draped jacket. He was grinning- yet another thing that annoyed Nagisa.

"Mornin' everyone. Takamine, I thought you'd appreciate it since-- you know."

"It's trap music? Shit, I can appreciate this but only at night, not at fuckin' 10!"

"Hmph, mortals and their music..."

Nagisa shook her head and completely bypassed her arguing companions, leaning against the reception desk and sighing deeply.

"Crazy morning as usual...did Sora leave already?"

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#2017-02-04 11:53:54, as written by SkyCladSaya06

"And the cavalry has arrived!" Aziz proudly declares as most of the population had arrrived--a little less enthusiastic with the whole noise he caused.

"Hey guys. Guess it didn't take long for you to find the culprit eh?" Cel greeted them almost apologetic. Some didn't seem to mind like Hotaru, Yoite and Akeno, who was tugging at his sleeve, making him laugh a bit. Madoka and Noa were...not satisfied at all with the whole ensemble.

"Ah well, you see--" Just as Aziz started on his explanation, Nagisa, Soichiro, Kanade and Kujo arrived at the scene as well. "Kujo! Takamine-chan! I need backup!"

"I don't think they'll be backing you up here." Cel sighed as Nagisa leaned on the desk, asking about Sora. "Yeah she left a little before this grape showed up. But it's nothing new isn't it? Sora's barely around most of the time."

Befored Madoka and Noa could murder him, Aziz brought out his proposition. "The truth is, I heard there was something going on at Bishop's Park so I decided to come tell you guys. Some dudes online were saying it might be a meteor but I don't know. If it is, I'm sure it's going to be pretty valuable. If not, well, I reckon it'll be cool regardless."

To get away from the commotion, he leapt up at the coffee table in the lounge, in a vain attempt to look taller than he really is. "Since King-wannabe's not around and Cel's stuck minding the CDC, I figured I should ask you guys! One professor of mine always told me to work smart and not hard so instead of going door to door to your rooms, I decided to gather you here instead! Haha! My genius surprises even me!"

"So come on! Who knows? It might be a relic from Tyrannica! Or, or--maybe a fraction of an alien robot species from outer space! With a mustache~"

"And that concludes his report I guess. If you all want to head to the park, you should get going now while the sun's not too harsh yet."

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#2017-02-04 14:27:24, as written by Guardian Aelita

Hotaru turned her focus over to Aziz after giggling over Cel's grape comment. Apparently, there was going to be an event going on in Bishop's Park. Hotaru knew a couple of co-workers who visited Bishop's Park around the night to look up at the sky. Perhaps she could talk to them if nothing else.

"That actually sounds like fun, Aziz. Sure, I'd like to go with you~!"

Akeno meanwhile had a more exaggerated reaction. Her eyes widened at the idea of going to see something potentially out of the ordinary at Bishop Park. She started to sign excitedly. Madoka quirked an eyebrow.

"What is she saying?"

"She's saying "take me too" and "Can I go too?" Haha, of course you can go too. Aziz did invite all of us so he meant you too."

Akeno smiled widely before jumping a bit in joy and hugging Yoite. Yoite laughed a bit and ruffled Akeno's hair a bit as she let go and hugged Aziz as if thanking him before letting him go. Yoite hummed a bit.

"It's been quite a while since I went to Bishop Park. I don't see why not. After all, there is beauty in the world that's just waiting for my canvas. Even if said beauty comes from a mustache sporting alien robot."

He laughed a bit. Madoka hummed a bit.

"I have nothing better to do. Sure."

Hotaru flinched a bit at how blunt Madoka was in his answer, laughing a little nervously.

"I-Is there any way you could have said that a bit nicer...?"

Madoka turned his gaze to Hotaru before caving.

"Count me in..."

"Well count me out."

Akeno pouted a bit at her roommate but Noa ignored her gaze.

"I have a lot of homework I need to catch up on, someone has to house-sit Blue Lotus with Concepcion-san and the idea that the thing that fell to earth is a robot is frankly somewhat naïve of you to think."

"There's Menou! She's still in the house."

Noa frowned a little.

"I understand that Koizumi is in the house too but, frankly, I wonder about her perception of things."

Hotaru sighed.

"Well, it's your choice in the end. So, looks like Yoite-kun, Madoka-kun, Akeno-chan and I are coming along with you, Aziz~ Is there anyone else who wants to come along?"

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#2017-02-05 01:55:40, as written by DeathScythe386

At the prospect of a meteor crash, the group's attention was immediately caught. Nagisa rolled her eyes- though it was obvious that the other three she had come down with here were already thinking of going. Well, she couldn't blame them- they were socialites, except for maybe Soichiro anyway.

"Did you say-- a relic of Tyrannica?!"

And there he goes.

"Then I must, by all means, investigate this! If it turns out to be something very valuable then I must see it for myself! Fuahahahah!"

In a whirling mess of black and purple, Soichiro was already out the door, faster than any racer they've seen. Kujo laughed a little.

"Hell yeah I'm going! I need a little morning air to freshen up you know?"

"Shit-- if there's any valuable scrap there I'm taking it! No one can stop me!"

Nagisa suddenly felt rather...unnerved. Turning, she noticed Kanade and Kujo's stares landing right on her. With a grimace, she started to turn around slowly.

"...What?"

"Are you coming along, Nagi?"

She wanted to avoid this question. She did plan on leaving, but not to Bishop's Park. She leaned down and picked up Chomper, lightly stroking his head and listening to the low rumbles he emitted as his tail swayed to calm down.

"...Maybe, but I'm not going to be staying to see the rest. I have some business to take care of."

"Awesome! That's almost all of us...well, aside from a couple of killjoys."

Kujo spoke the last part quietly, more to himself if anything before crossing his hands behind his head and grinning.

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#2017-02-05 04:16:41, as written by SkyCladSaya06

Aziz grinned upon seeing the number of people he managed to string up together. Eight people plus him. With this, he finally jumped down from the table.

"Cool! Well, last one to the park buys free drinks--!" After that declaration, Aziz practically stormed off, leaving the others to catch up with him. Seeing this, Cel sighed.

"And there he goes. Well, everyone knows the place at this point but just to refresh your memory, Bishop's Park is a little beyond Partisan Rose. Once you reach the school, you just take a ten minute walk up north." She explained to the others, seeing that the instigator's already stormed off. The other people did not seem to be very interested in going. Once the others have vacated the room though...Cel noticed something...off...

"Ah! That idiot left his Mp3 plugged in!"

Bishop's Park - 11:05 AM

A bunch of people have crowded on the site where the unidentified object crashed. A news van belonging to a local media station was parked, bringing out equipment needed to film the event. The park has both an open field and a children's playground with a couple of fountains going off at set intervals. Statues of historical people also adorned areas of the park. One statue, which was of a hero, was badly damaged. From the looks of it, it was where the unidentified object crashed through. The statue's head was blown clean off.

"Cool!" Aziz yelled as he picked up the statue's head lying on the meadow. Most of the people's attention was on the unidentified object so no one saw him as he picked it up. "This stuff's made from real bronze! Hey Ikeda! How much would you think this will sell when we pawn it off?" Aziz asked, tossing the head towards Kujo, his "sales associate".

"But check out that wreck! I'm guessing the souls of hero's enemies here did not like the adoration he received now." Aziz muttered as he ran closer to the commotion. Most of the people stood taller than him so he had quite a hard time trying to see what's in front. "So they called down retribution from the heavens--hey, watch the shirt!" He brushed aside another man aside as he finally made it through.

"Shit! Look at that!" Aziz pointed to a large rock sitting squarely on the hero's platform. From the looks of the smoke rising around it, it seems like it was quite hot. "Guys, you seeing this?"

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#2017-02-05 05:24:56, as written by Guardian Aelita

Bishop's Park - 11:05 AM

Yoite sighed a little bit as he arrived last alongside Akeno to the area. Akeno pouted a little bit and signed something to Yoite who ruffled her hair again.

"It's alright, Akeno~ I'll pay for the drinks."

Akeno signed a thank you before turning her attention back to everyone else. Madoka frowned a little as Aziz was touching the broken statue head.

"Hey Ikeda! How much do you think this will sell when we pawn it off?"

Madoka sighed heavily.

"I'd rather we not find out. It's government property after all. Aren't you a little concerned that pawning off government property could be considered illegal?"

Hotaru smiled a little.

"It's still really cool that the whole statue is made out of bronze~ But, I wonder how it was made. Did they find a giant slab of bronze??"

Madoka turned his attention to the brown haired girl.

"If anything, they probably melted bronze and molded it. I don't think bronze can exist in giant slabs."

"Even then, Hotaru, bronze isn't exactly the same as marble. There's no easy way to carve out a statue made of bronze like you would carve out a statue made of marble."

"Yeah, I guess that makes some sense, huh?"

Hotaru giggled a little before hearing Aziz speak again.

"Shit! Look at that! Guys, you seeing this?"

The four directed their attention to a rather large rock that seemed to be smoking somewhat. Madoka moved to inspect it a bit and Hotaru followed him. Akeno wanted to go too but Yoite stopped her.

"No, Akeno. It's a little dangerous. I want you to stay here, okay?"

Akeno pouted but nodded slowly. Madoka and Hotaru approached it slowly as Madoka did a small hand test. He couldn't get his hand within five inches of the rock and Hotaru's legs were already getting a bit tan from exposure.

"What do you think this rock is, Madoka-kun?"

"Not sure... I can't really explain how it's smoking like that... Either way, we shouldn't get too close to it. What do you guys think?"

Blue Lotus - 11:05 AM
Menou sighed nervously as she looked over at her phone. She briefly thought to if she should have followed the others over to confront Aziz. They seemed to have left five minutes ago but she wasn't sure where they went to. Ah well, it didn't really matter. If Menou did go, she probably would have made things worse for everyone there. She loaded up the chat site and logged on, hoping that her friend Makoto was online.

"Hey, Makoto. It's Menou again. How's your trip going so far? Anything interesting to see?"

She sent the message and just looked down at the phone, wondering if he would respond.

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#2017-02-06 15:14:06, as written by DeathScythe386

Bishop's Park - 11:05 AM

"Holy shit, it knocked off the statue's head!"

As they neared Aziz, they noticed the blown off head and the now headless statue. Kujo's eyes widened as he came closer, grinning.

"No shit, bro? Real, not just painted?"

As Aziz tossed it to him- and he heard Ikeda's annoyed voice scolding them-, Kujo weighed it a bit in his hand and grinned. "Oh yeah, definitely real bronze." Kanade immediately swiped it from his hands however, and Kujo could practically see her eyes turn into dollar signs.

"Toss me your jacket. We could take this back, pawn it off. What do you say?"

"I'm always up for more cash~"

Though their conversation was in hushed whispers, Nagisa heard it loud and clear as she rolled her eyes. She couldn't believe these two were actually stealing a head. With the distracted crowd it didn't take long to remove Kujo's draped jacket and cover up the head with it, and afterwards they could put it in Kanade's backpack and say it was another one of her odd inventions. Easy...illegal nevertheless.

"Should you really be doing this?"

"We're practically selling it back to them. Chill out, Makinami."

"We could always claim that it damaged Chomper, too."

Nagisa sighed heavily again, then remembered her errand.

"Well-- I have to split soon--"

Hearing Aziz calling out to them again, Nagisa sighed a little as Kanade grinned.

"Guess you're staying a bit longer, Makinami~"

The group ran over immediately only to met with a...smoking rock. Soichiro was one of the first to approach, staring down at the heated artifact.

"Almost as fiery as dragon's blood! This relic feels like a dragon's petrified heart!"

"Seriously?"

Kujo came closer, eyeing the rock a bit.

"You know, this could be a relic from space! Like a meteor?"

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#2017-02-08 00:55:05, as written by SkyCladSaya06

Nagisa and Madoka was quick to object to Aziz's idea of selling off the statue's head but the boy was too far gone on his new discovery that he didn't really heed what they said. Fortunately, Kujo and Kanade were quick to back him up on his idea.

"Next order of business is getting our hands on that meteor...Hmm..." Aziz contemplated their next course of action then. "Pretty soon, this place would be boarded up and those government guys from the science agency would come rushing in. We won't be able to get anything then!"

Unsure of what to do, he turns back to the others. "Any of you got any ideas? If anyone has any, I'm buying lunch!" Aziz offers with a smile, forgetting about the little bet he placed with the other residents.

"--reports of pieces breaking off and falling to the ground were reported. Fortunately, no one seemed to be hard in the incident and no casualties were reported--"

Makoto turns off the T.V. just as the broadcast wrapped up for the day. He puttered around his room, making sure he's got everything covered and he won't accidentally leave anything essential. So far so good.

Checking the messages on the PC, Makoto saw he had one new notification coming from Menou.

"Hey, Makoto. It's Menou again. How's your trip going so far? Anything interesting to see?"

Makoto grinned upon seeing it. He proceeded to type a quick response back before going on.

"Uneventful as usual. I'll be leaving early so I should be back there around three or four. Oh, but I heard something fell on Bishop's Park on your end. From what I heard on the news, it seems to be a plane component. No plane was supposedly flying past during that time though."

Makoto finished, hitting the button to send the message.

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#2017-02-08 04:25:37, as written by Guardian Aelita

Madoka stared blankly at the short male and sighed.

"Really, Aziz? It's bad enough that you're technically stealing government property, now you want to steal something that could potentially be dangerous?"

"Why don't we settle for just the head?"

"He shouldn't be taking anything at all."

Hotaru weakly laughed. Akeno listened and thought a bit about what to do when you want to grab a hot thing. Usually when her mother and her used to bake cookies, she would wear oven mitts to make sure her hands didn't hurt... Maybe oven mitts would help Aziz, Kujo and the others get the smoking hot rock! She felt a little proud of herself and walked away to get them. Hotaru continued to try and pacify the situation as Yoite watched with a small smile.

"Heh~ Aziz sure does have a habit of sticking to his ideas. Still, we should be careful, Ake-"

Yoite's statement was cut off when he looked to his side. The blue haired mute girl was nowhere in sight.

"Guys...? Where did Akeno go?"

Madoka and Hotaru stopped their discussion upon hearing Yoite's concern.

"... Aw, shit. I think she might have had an idea and decided to follow through on it without telling anyone."

"What?! What are we gonna do?! Poor Akeno's wandering the city all by herself!!"

"A couple of us should try to go find her. Anyone want to tag along with me and Emirsdottir so we can find Akeno?"

Menou giggled a bit as she read the response. She felt happy that Makoto was coming home earlier than usual but was a little concerned about the debris.

"There was no plane? That's really weird... Soichiro was excited because Aziz said it might have been a relic from his world or an alien robot species. It's Aziz delusions as usual but if there was no plane, maybe it has a bit of weight to it... Still, Aziz, Kujo, Kanade, Yoite, Soichiro, Madoka, Hotaru and Nagisa all went over to see what's going on in Bishop Park. I'm not all that sure if Akeno went or not; I didn't feel brave enough to really leave today."

Menou sent that before loading up another text seeing as how she reached the character limit.

"Did you want to go over to see the relic? Or did you maybe want to do something at Blue Lotus? With a lot of the loudmouths gone, I think I'd like to hang out with you today if that's cool..."

It was true, Menou did feel a bit braver once the dangerous three were out of the dormitory and she could probably be somewhat coherent now that Kanade's not available. Plus, today felt like one of those days where she had to get out of her room otherwise her muscles would be too stiff for her to work on classes tomorrow.

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#2017-02-08 14:03:11, as written by DeathScythe386

The moment Aziz offered to buy lunch, all four heads turned to him. Kujo looked at Kanade, raising an eyebrow at her.

"Sorry tough guy, I don't know how to pick that up unless we had like, robotic arms."

"Didn't you make a backpack that did exactly that before?"

"I'm still learning how to control it."

Soichiro looked around at the others, moving close to whisper in their little group.

"It looks fragmented. Perhaps if we picked up a small piece and hid it, no one will notice anything."

"Whoa, for the first time you actually had a good idea!"

"Hmph! I am full of good ideas!"

The group looked around at each other.

"So, anyone want to try? Hey, Soichiro, maybe your bandages can help you take a small piece!"

Meanwhile, on the other hand Nagisa was already attempting to sneak away from the group before she heard from the others that Akeno had apparently wandered away. She hesitated for a moment- she needed to run this errand already, she was running late for god's sake.

Maybe she could join up and split off. Just to be away from those crazy idiots who were attempting to steal a smoking component and a bronze statue head.

"I can go investigate."

She spoke up, catching Kujo's attention as he grinned.

"Whoa, miss assassin is actually volunteering for som-- ack! Hey! I-I'll fall into the crater! Makinami, calm down!"

Kanade pulled away an already fuming Nagisa, pushing her over to Hotaru's with an apologetic- and oddly nervous- look on her face.

"Yeah-- you should probably get her away before she ends up murdering someone."

"At the rate we're going, Takamine, I'm going to end up murdering you."

Kanade flashed a quick peace sign before hurrying back to her group, obviously cowering at Nagisa's rather intimidating scowl at her.

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#2017-02-10 17:01:27, as written by SkyCladSaya06

As someone pointed out, Akeno wandered off, leaving most of them rather worried. Madoka in particular, suggested to look for her with Hotaru. Nagisa seems to have volunteered as well.

"Isn't it alright? Wouldn't it get worse if she comes back and you have all taken off somewhere? I mean, we could always try her phone or something right?" Aziz suggested. "Besides, she's a college student. She can take care of herself can't she? At least, I know someone who would think like that."

Having said his piece, Aziz turned his attention back on the smoking meteor that fell on the park. He realized that the first order of business was to get all the other people away. To do that, he needed to make a commotion. The question is how?

"Hey! I have an idea!" Aziz gathered the rest towards him and spoke in a low whisper. "I think I may have found use for the old man's head. Basically, I'm going to run off with it, the other people would chase me and then you guys take the stuff! I'll try to lose them and we can meet up at the Wuck near the dorm. Isn't it genius? Huh? What about the heat? What's a few burns compared to the massive amounts of moolah we'll be swimming in should we crack this thing. So come on!"

Taking the bronze head in his hand--and without even waiting for the others to agree with him, Aziz walked up to the center of the commotion and held it up high for everyone to see.

"Wow! This is so cool! I bet this will sell for a lot! Oh well, finders keepers. See you losers!" Aziz declares in an almost mocking tone before proceeding to run off, the rest of the bystanders heading after him--including the park attendants and some of the guards.

"You'll never catch me alive!"

"That sounds good. I'll be back there around 3 or 4 though so sit tight until then. Or, you can head out and we can meetup somewhere. The Wuck maybe? Up to you though." Makoto managed to answer back before his signal died out.

"Was that too direct? I hope it didn't seem too straightforward for her taste." Makoto wondered as his thoughts turned to the dull soap playing on the bus' television. A couple more hours.

(OOC: The Wuck is...well, you know how they censor brand names in anime right? Same thing here. Wuck is...well, it's Mcdonalds.)

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#2017-02-10 20:02:40, as written by Guardian Aelita

Madoka just sighed heavily as Hotaru laughed a little.

"I'll go after Akeno. You guys go ahead and try to get the meteor. I'll meet you over at the Wuck~"

Yoite quickly excused himself from the situation, much to Madoka's chagrin.

"For fuck's sake... Are we seriously going to take this meteor over to the dorm?"

Hotaru shrugged a bit.

"If we don't, I think Aziz will throw a fit. I'd rather not though. My uncle wouldn't like it if I was a criminal that worked at his café."

"No one likes to be associated with criminals, Emirsdottir."

"There are some girls that find them hot. Almost like a weird bad boy appeal."

Madoka shook his head as Yoite came back with Akeno.

"Akeno was actually kinda easy to find. She was thinking about getting some oven mitts to help with protecting our hands from burns."

Akeno puffed her chest, proud of the idea she came up with. Madoka raised an eyebrow.

"Yeah, that's good and all but I don't think the oven mitts will help out that much."

"Well, you never know! They could help out. Either way, that was a good idea but next time let us know when you're leaving. You had me, Madoka and Yoite worried."

Akeno nodded and gave Hotaru pink oven mitts while putting on sky blue ones herself. She then tried to pick up the meteor, pouting a bit when it was too heavy for her to lift.

Menou stared at the screen a bit. The Wuck, huh? It had been a while since she went to a fast food place to hang out with friends. Part of her shivered in small fear of being stared at by beings that were superior to her but she swallowed it. Makoto would be there and Menou considered Makoto to be important to her. Plus, she was having a minor craving for a hamburger.

"The Wuck sounds really nice, actually. I'm a little worried about meeting you over there though. Maybe we can meet at the dorm and then walk over to the Wuck together?"

Looking over at the screen after she sent it, she almost thought it sounded like a date. A date with Makoto would be nice but he's a superior being and Menou didn't really deserve to go on dates. After all, she was a massive slut according to her parents. Still, she hoped Makoto would be okay with her small request.

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#2017-02-12 07:15:57, as written by DeathScythe386

Nagisa looked over as Aziz ran, furrowing her eyebrows.

"Was it really okay that he took the head? That might be more expensive you know."

"--No one's looking this way! Grab it! Grab it!!"

Without a moment's hesitation Kanade dropped her opened backpack and slid down into the crater the fallen rock had made. Soichiro followed, but Kujo halted for a moment to grab his jacket.

"Are you seriously going to take that thing?"

"Don't see why not-- aside from the illegal shit that is. But, Makinami, if this turns out to be some sort of robotic component, it could possibly lead to achieving your dream, you know~"

Kujo flashed the girl a cheeky grin before sliding down himself. Nagisa paused, thinking things over...

"Fuck it. Life's too short to be living slowly."

Grabbing Kanade's backpack, she slid down into the crater. Akeno was there too, trying to grab it with her oven mitts. Kujo was using his jacket as a cover of some sort, while Kanade...well, Kanade was just attempting to pick it up.

"Ow! Shit!"

"What's wrong, Takamine? Too hot to handle?"

"Why don't you quit yappin' and-- hey, those are my gloves!"

"I got it!"

Soichiro hefted up a piece of the rock, still smoking, in his bandaged hand. He was clearly grimacing.

"Put it in the bag before anyone sees!"

A few moments later, they had harvested all they could. Kanade grabbed the bag, wore it on her shoulders again- with a string of vulgar curses escaping her lips the moment she felt the hot rocks against her back- and motioned to the others to get out.

"What now?"

"Isn't it obvious?"

Kujo looked around the area, grinning when he saw that nobody seemed to notice. Nagisa sighed, shaking her head.

"And now-- we make our escape."

Soichiro loomed behind the others.

"I suggest we fade into the crowd over there."

"Then we meet Aziz at the Wuck. Come on."

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#2017-02-13 02:16:40, as written by SkyCladSaya06

"Have the others succeeded in their task now?" Aziz wondered as he ducked by railings and cut through alleys, trying to escape the park attendants chasing him down. Most of the other bystanders appeared to have given up so there were less people on his back though they sure are persistent.

"No time. Need to figure out a way to lose them before--" Aziz paused a bit to catch his breath. The bronze head was slowing him down badly no thanks to its weight. It was actually a miracle he even managed to run that far.

"There's that kid! After him!"

The voices of the attendants rang out from behind him, prompting him to start running again. He wondered why no one called the police yet and chalked it off to being swept by the moment. Still, he reckons he's already bought enough time.

"Catch!" Instinctively, he dropped the head and let it roll down across the pavement, allowing him to run away faster. The attendants of course, immediately went for the head, forgetting about the wannabe-thief. He felt a little down after letting a possible fortune slide out of his hands but, at least they managed to get their hands on the meteor.

"Whew! Close call there! Now I need to lie low for a couple of months." Aziz sighed in relief as he walked towards the Wuck near their place. Seeing that no one else is around, he proceeded to pick a spot and ordered. Outside, some protesters from a nearby health club were staging well--a small protest to the popular capitalist icon.

"The Wuck is really bad for you. It's got no minerals and we don't even know where the meat comes from!" Along with that, they were also flashing pictures of what appears to be the so-called pink slime used in the patties.

"That's disgusting!" Aziz groaned before turning to the counter. "I'll take ten big wacs, with large fries and large cokes!"

He wasn't sure what they wanted but he decided to order ahead anyway, wondering when they'll arrive.

The bus en route to the city proper stopped at its only pit stop for the trip. Makoto took this opportunity to check up on his messages through the signal that runs in the place and saw Menou's response.

"Hmm...It's kind of a hassle for me to head back to the dorm and go out again though. Why don't I just message you when I'm on my way so you wouldn't have to wait very long? Trip would still take over an hour."

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#2017-02-13 05:26:48, as written by Guardian Aelita

Hotaru weakly laughed but disappeared into the crowd along with Yoite, Madoka and Akeno. She briefly looked around the town, wondering if she could possibly get to her dorm early so she can get to work on her assignments.

"Something up, Emirsdottir?"

Hotaru blinked and turned to Madoka.

"Ah, no! I was just wondering if I can get home soon so I can get to work on homework."

"Didn't you finish it on Friday?"

"Yeah, but I like making sure it's perfect before turning it in."

Madoka sighed a little.

"Well, it is Kurogane so I don't blame you for wanting to be thorough."

"You two should relax~ We have a meteor to study. A beautiful meteor that came down from the heavens!"

"I swear, you can be such a dork, Yoite."

Hotaru giggled a little but noticed Akeno staring up at the Wuck with fascination.

"Is this your first time at a fast food place?"

Akeno blinked, looked at Hotaru and shook her head a little. Hotaru seemed a bit confused. If Akeno ate fast food before, why was she fascinated by it? As she was about to ask, Hotaru saw Aziz order them food.

"Ah, thanks, Aziz! I was actually having a craving for a big Wuck."

Akeno froze a bit and zoned out, as if she remembered something. Yoite was a bit concerned but shrugged it off, thinking Akeno was just in her fantasy world. Madoka sighed a bit.

"Didn't think you would actually buy shit for us."

Menou nodded. She could understand where Makoto was coming from and she was being a tiny bit unreasonable. It was just that being out in public for long periods of time still scared her. She just shook her head and typed her response.

"Yeah, that sounds like a plan. Just let me know when you're on your way then. See you~"

Menou tied her green hair ribbon in her ponytail and sat down on her bed, waiting.

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#2017-02-15 14:34:11, as written by DeathScythe386

"Ah, the local Wuck. Where my dreams and aspirations go to die."

As the group approached the fast food joint, Kujo stole a look at Kanade and raised an eyebrow.

"What's that supposed to mean?"

"It's where I go to when I give up on life. This is the first time I'm getting here triumphant."

The moment they noticed that Aziz did order food, Soichiro blinked.

"Well, look at that. He actually did buy lunch."

"Of course he'd expect that we are victorious!"

"Pipe down!"

The moment the not-so small group had gathered at a table, Kanade glanced around before removing the backpack from her shoulders and letting it rest on the table.

"Anyway-- the stuff in the bag is all we managed to get from the site. Should we inspect already?"

"While in the middle of those protesters?"

Nagisa glanced outside, her brow furrowing in concern. Kanade yawned.

"Wuck was never a farmer's market, geez. The hell do they want?"

"Come on, they all say the same thing. The documentaries and shit, I mean."

"Without this place, I can't communicate to the world that I give up."

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#2017-02-17 14:45:00, as written by SkyCladSaya06

"Aww...don't mind what other people think. Let's just enjoy the food!" Aziz urged the others to dig in, disregarding all the commotion outside. At the very least, none of those protesters were there for the parts they salvaged.

"Hey, Hotaru-chan? Do you think your roommate may know something about this?" Aziz asked, wondering about Hotaru's roommate. "I'd rather ask King-wannabe but--not available. Plus, we haven't exactly been seeing eye-to-eye."

"What a mess..." Makoto sighed as he slumped down on the side of a highway while mechanics work on the broken down bus on the side of the road. Last thing he remembered was drifting off to the melody blaring from his phone. He didn't expect to wake up to see this.

"I suppose I should tell Menou that plans may be cancelled..." Makoto sighed one more time before booting up his messenger on his phone to tell Menou about his predicament. To add insult to injury, the signal strength was quite weak in the area as well. Left with no choice, he walked past the others away from the bus a bit, looking for a spot where the signal could get through. Once he found such a spot, he immediately typed up his advisory.

"Koizumi-san, I may not be able to go through with our plans to hang out. Bus I was riding ran into some delay. Just wait for me at the dorm. I'll cook something up for the both of us later."

While waiting for the message to process and send, Makoto observed his surroundings for a bit. Apart from them and a few passing vehicles, the coastal road was mostly empty. There was only one car that was parked just a little off to the side adjacent theirs. For some reason, Makoto's eyes were drawn towards that car where he could make out a woman in the backseat. The woman seemed to have caught his gaze and glanced back, making him rather uneasy.

"Huh?" Makoto wondered as he stared back intently. She seemed to be mouthing something to him though he can't seem to figure out what. He wanted to come a bit closer and ask--she might be offering a ride back to the city--but something in his gut told him otherwise. Regardless, a man soon came along later and got in the driver's seat. Within a few seconds, they were gone.

"What was that about--?" Makoto wondered as he walked back to the bus. His phone notified him that the message had been sent successfully.

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#2017-02-17 16:16:35, as written by Guardian Aelita

"Hm?"

Hotaru tilted her head at Aziz, curious as to why he mentioned Menou.

"Mm, let's see... Well, she has been up at the rooftop at night recently. Maybe she could have seen something and not want to share with us."

"If it involves Emirsdottir's roommate, then maybe we should leave her alone. She doesn't seem to want to come out with us."

"Madoka, I'm really worried about her though... Maybe we should at least check up on her to say hi. Hm... Ah, I got it!"

Hotaru bounced out of her seat, went back in line and got some WuckNuggets, medium fries, diet coke and an ChocoBit WuckIcy. She came back with a warm smile.

"I could always offer her food and we could come on over and say hi~ Oh, only if you guys want to, of course."

Akeno smiled widely and nodded.

"I think you want to go, huh, Akeno~?"

Hotaru grinned as the mute girl seemed excited to visit Menou.

"Honestly, she's worrying me a bit with how often she stays in her room so count me in on visiting her."

Akeno smiled happily at her best friend who ruffled her hair in response.

"I don't know... I don't really feel comfortable invading on people when they want to keep their lives private..."

Hotaru showed a little bit of disappointment, causing Madoka to sigh.

"... But, I'll admit that I'm worried too so a small visit wouldn't hurt."

Hotaru smiled brightly.

"Thank you~! Ah, I'm sure Menou will be happy."

Menou glanced down at the text message and felt a small wave of disappointment. But, she smiled a bit when she read that Makoto would cook something. Menou didn't really know how good of a cook he was but her stomach growled a bit at the idea of eating a home cooked meal for once.

"It's cool. I understand~ I'll see you when you get back to the dorm then. :)"

When she sent the message, she just sat down and loaded up her 3DS to play some more Animal Crossing in the meantime.

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#2017-02-19 14:14:11, as written by DeathScythe386

"I'm going to have to sit that one out, unfortunately."

Several heads whipped over to look at Nagisa, who had been quietly chewing fries and glancing at the protesters for the past few minutes. She swallowed, then cleared her throat.

"I just have an errand to run."

Chomper was balanced on her lap, his head peeking out from the table as he emitted a quiet, almost electronic coo. Kujo tilted his head.

"Errand? I didn't recall you as the type who would run those. And I haven't seen you talk to anyone in particular--?"

"I didn't take you as the type who would go on quests!"

"That is-- well, Kanade would know."

Nagisa hesitantly looked to the blonde, who seemed to be listening to something on her phone while eating. Upon their eyes meeting, a quizzical look crossed Kanade's face.

"Yeah-- what am I supposed to know?"

Nagisa's red eyes hardened.

"Are you kidding me?"

Kanade shrank back, before she seemed to realize something and she relaxed, swallowing and grinning.

"Oh yeah, that! Yeah, Nagi and I got friends outside of Blue Lotus. She's meeting with Akame later, they're going to go get stuff for a project or something. Hell, I wouldn't know that much. I'm not in Kurogane."

"What?? You guys knew girls outside of the dorm and didn't tell us? Takamine, I feel betrayed!"

"Hey, Nobuyuki, we don't share babe rights! I never said I'd introduce you guys to girls we knew!"

As Kanade and Kujo bickered, Nagisa shook her head.

"So sorry, Emirsdottir, that's a no from me. The others might be willing to go though. Right?"

She turned her attention to Kujo and Kanade, who were almost reaching over the table to take it to a fistfight- but a single glare from Nagisa caused them to sit back and settle for glaring at each other.

"Guys."

"Your roommate huh? Well, it wouldn't hurt to see a cryptid-- Ow! The hell!?"

"You don't call others cryptids, Nobuyuki!"

"You do that all the time, the hell are you talking about?!"

"Well; I see no reason not to. I am free of my demonic duties, as my generals are carrying out my work."

Soichiro emitted an ominous laugh as he spoke.

"Yeah, I'm up for visiting the unknown scrub-- I-I mean, your roommate, Emirsdottir. Who knows, maybe she'd want a piece of this bombshell blonde."

Kanade grinned as she spoke.

"So that's almost everyone but me. Hope you have a big room."

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#2017-02-20 03:07:39, as written by SkyCladSaya06

"Yeah! Hope you got a big room--Wait, all the other rooms are standard sized right? Only Cel's room is bigger since she's technically an admin." Aziz grinned as he saw everyone, save for Nagisa, agreed to visit Menou.

"Let's go after we finish this then! I don't know about you guys but I'm getting seconds. All that running must've depleted my energy~"

Blue Lotus - 3:00 PM
"Well, guess who's back!" Cel greeted Makoto as he strode inside the lobby, bags in hand.

"Yeah, I decided to come home a little earlier since I wanted to beat the traffic." Makoto sets his bags on the floor for a bit in order to write on the log book. "A little quiet today huh? Where is everyone?"

"Oh, they all went to Bishop's to check out the meteor. Knowing Aziz though, they may have gotten involved in something. Again." Cel sighed as she explained.

"Meteor? You mean the plane engine?"

"Is that what it was?"

"That's what I read up on the news. Only thing is, no planes were reported to have been around the area and no airline reported anything missing from their planes either. It's a total mystery." Makoto finishes writing. "Anyway, I'll just drop these back at my room then I'm going out again."

"Hmm? Where? You gonna check it out as well?"

"Nah, I've already read the news. I'm going to stop by the farmer's market and pick up some stuff. Was thinking of cooking something for everyone. The kitchen's available right?" Makoto asked as he explained his plan. Cel could only laugh.

"Normally it isn't but since you'll be feeding all of us, I guess I can talk to the guys on your behalf."

"Thanks. Would've talked to them myself but you're much more popular. And older." Makoto teases her a bit before making his way to the stairs.

"The way you said that made it sound like I'm some kind of grandma."

"No, that's not what I meant. That wasn't my intention." Makoto laughed as he made his way to his room. He walked around the quiet halls which was quite strange considering Aziz always played his music the loudest during this hour.

"Well, all the more advantageous for me."

"I'm heading out now. Want to come along?" Makoto passed Cel in the lobby again as he made his way out.

"Sorry." Cel turns down the offer. "As you can see, my hands are tied."

"Alright. Don't tell anyone I'm back 'kay? Especially Menou."

"Is it supposed to surprise them?"

"Maybe. Well see you later!"

"Uh...is it just me, or was that King-wannabe just now?" Aziz led the others back to the dorm once they had all finished their lunch. He was holding a brown bag containing some takeout to give to Hotaru's roommate and chatting with Kujo about their next scheme when he noticed a familiar figure leaving the dorm.

"Oh well, guess he's back then. Lead the way to the room then, Hotaru-chan!"

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#2017-02-20 06:14:54, as written by Guardian Aelita

Blue Lotus 3:00 PM

Hotaru laughed a bit nervously as Aziz cheerfully told her to lead the way to her dorm. How her group of 4 ended up being a group of 8 is something Hotaru doesn't really know if she wants to find out. Still, she briefly wondered if Nagisa was going to be okay on the way over to her friend's house. Sure she was a college student, but she should still be a bit wary when it comes to night. Still, once they made it, Akeno ran over and knocked on the door.

Menou was a bit startled upon hearing the door knock. Did Makoto come back home so early? Nah, he couldn't have. Still, Menou didn't exactly want to be rude. Quickly saving her game, she put the 3DS back on the charger and walked over to the door to open it. Her face paled a little as she saw her roommate along with 7 people. Hotaru laughed a little and offered her the to go bag and half melted WuckIcy.

"Surprise~ I went and got you some food~"

Menou stammered a bit.

"T-This is too much! R-Really, Emirsdottir, I-I don't deserve-"

"Nonsense~ Of course you deserve some food. Anyway, come on in guys! It's not the biggest dorm but it is pretty cozy."

Yoite was the first to step inside and look around.

"Nice coloration~! Clearly you and Hotaru know how to color coordinate your room to suit both of you, Menou~"

"N-Not really. I just let Emirsdottir choose. T-Thank her- ACK!"

Her statement was cut off by a giant hug from the blue haired mute. She smiled warmly at Menou and let go to try and talk to her in sign language.

"U-Um... Y-You must be Akeno, right...? It's nice to m-meet you..."

Madoka let out a non committal grunt, not really sure what to make of the room or what Aziz has planned. Still, he noticed Menou seemed to be a bit flustered as if she was worrying over something important but decided to not question her about it.

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#2017-02-21 15:04:25, as written by DeathScythe386

Blue Lotus - 3:00 PM

It was already three o' clock- and Kujo scrunched up his nose a bit as he noticed a familiar figure walking out. Kanade didn't seem to pay any mind though and just walked on past, passing Hotaru and already climbing up to the third floor.

"Guess she's storing the loot. Let's go on ahead."

"This is undiscovered territory!"

Soichiro roared, stepping in and looking around. He pulled his scarf up and almost seemed to be glaring at the room- though it was clear he was just inspecting the area.

"Undiscovered territory indeed-- hey, are those game consoles?! Cool!"

Kujo on the other hand was already fawning over the consoles in the room, grinning while surprisingly keeping his hands to himself by tucking them in his pockets. The footfalls of boots outside signaled someone's arrival though.

"Hey-- this party ain't up without me!"

"Takamine! Check this out!"

"Now, if this was a guy's room I'd be checking out where all the 'good stuff' is-- but I'd go easy just for today. Besides, we've got loot to inspect later."

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#2017-02-21 16:38:53, as written by SkyCladSaya06

"Oh...so this is what it looks like!"

The look on Aziz's face practically screamed amazed when he stepped into the room. It was actually the first time he had gone into one of the girls' rooms--Menou's room at that. He wondered how much of this girl he's not seeing yet though as she admits, Hotaru probably chose most of the colors.

"So what do you often do around here? Late night chat? Discussing crushes? Comparing breast sizes? Just kidding about the last bit though~" Aziz asked in a teasing manner, making himself comfortable on one of the beds. "Akeno, you should take it easy. We're in the presence of a cryptid!" Aziz teased once again.

He noticed Kujo checking out the game consoles so he went over to give them a look as well. "Cool! Any of you play CS: GO? I may not look like it but I'm pretty beast with an SMG! Anyone up for a round?" Aziz asked Menou and Hotaru, though the question may have seemed too out of the blue.

Seeing that almost everyone had gone up to Menou's room and Makoto's off to the farmer's market, Cel practically spent her time in silence. Some old tunes were playing on the radio she kept by the desk so she would occasionally sing along to the songs she knows should they come up. In the middle of the song "Terrified", one of the other admins approached her from one of the rooms.

"What's up?" Cel greeted.

The admin nodded back and the two made small chat for a while. He handed over some papers to Cel who gave it a quick scan.

"Tomorrow? This is quite sudden. Was "he" notified about this in advance?"

"Ryota-san went up to his room yesterday but he wasn't around so no. He was hoping you'd be the one to break the news when he comes back."

"Figures. Well, he often goes home on weekends. Maybe that's why you're unable to reach him."

"Yeah. Well, you know how it is with this feeling big shots. They often do not pay attention to other's schedules. This one doesn't seem to be too much hassle though."

"Hope so. I don't think I want to settle another room dispute sometime soon."

"Alright. Leave it to you then, Cel?"

"Sure."

Blue Lotus - 4:00 PM

"I'm back." Makoto greeted Cel again upon arriving from the market, grocery bags in hand.

"Well you sure took your sweet time." Cel waved back and took out her log book. "By the way Makoto, Mr. Ryota told me that you might be getting a roommate soon. Well--tomorrow actually. He came up to your room to tell you yesterday but, you had already gone home the night before so--"

"Whoah! Slow down--what?" Makoto was visibly surprised at the announcement.

"Hey, don't look at me--I'm just the girl on the desk. I don't know the details myself but--looking over the person's file, they don't seem to be too bad."

"I don't really want another Aziz incident in the room though..."

"Well, we'll never know. Guess you'll just have to adapt. Anyway, what is that?" Cel asked, pointing at the bags Makoto held in hand.

"Hmm? Oh, I was thinking of cooking a simple stew with these. Figured almost everyone's been eating dry food and all for the past few days. Personal favorite of mine as well."

"Need any help with that? Would it take long to cook?"

"I'll be using tenderloin so I don't think it's going to take too long. I may need some help with the rice though. But are you fine with just leaving the desk?" Makoto asks.

"Rise just arrived so she can take over my shift in the meantime. Besides, I've been here since morning. Need to get my ass off the chair and exercise a bit." Upon saying that, Cel rose up and did some stretching. "You go on ahead, I'll catch up with you. Just need to tell Rise."

"Alright."

Like what Cel told him, Makoto was allowed to use the bigger kitchen on the second floor in order to cook dinner for the night. He started by cutting most of the ingredients into smaller pieces and arranging them in a large circular plate. Cel came up afterwards to help out with the rice and the cleaning. The two made small talk as they worked, moving meticulously around the kitchen like they were working on some cutting-edge machinery. Most of Makoto's inquiries were about his new roommate. Clearly the incident with Aziz never really left his mind.

"And it's done!" Makoto proudly declares as he shuts off the gas valve.

"Looks good--Hey! I used to eat this back home!" Cel remarked upon seeing the stew Makoto made. "Catering to my tastes eh?"

"Huh? I didn't even know you liked this." Makoto laughs. "Unlike Sora, I can only know how to cook a handful of things that doesn't just involve frying or putting in the microwave."

"Even still--think of it this way: If you know how to cook, you'll never go hungry in your entire life. You'll always be able to find something."

"Yeah, I guess. We should probably call the others though. Food might get cold."

"I'll give them a holler. You can arrange the plates. They're all up in Menou's room anyway."

"Wait--even Aziz?" Makoto looked rather worried.

"Yep." Cel answered back. "Guess I gotta hurry huh?"

After three sharp knocks on Menou and Hotaru's door, Cel called them over to the second floor.

"Hey guys! Food's ready downstairs. Better get it while it's hot and free!"