Hero

Fire Emblem: The Slumbering Goddess

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Derec watched as several members of the clergy came this way and that, speaking to one another in hushed voices. Occasionally, a knight would stop to ask why he was waiting outside of Professor Michail's office, giving little more than a hum of approval once he explained himself. Now that he thought about it, the church got awfully busy once classes were dismissed. He heard some students make plans about visiting, but he wasn't too sure why.

As another knight stopped before him, he straightened up, though this time the guy wasn't there to ask him any questions. There were several knights lined up and saluting, the movement in the hallway ceasing until he saw the woman clad in white at the end of the hallway. Archbishop Ioannis walked with her, pensive, though he seemed to brighten up. She was clearly hanging on every word, her features gentle and otherwordly. He had no idea who she was, though she must have been someone important for the knights to act the way they were.

All except one knight dispersed, though he moved to join another at the door as Professor Michail and Professor Simeon came up the stairs. He couldn't tell what they were talking about, but they bid each other farewell and separated--she went into the same room as the Archbishop and his guest, and Michail stopped in front of him.

"Sorry for the wait, I had to slip in with Kaira just so I could get here," He said, chuckling as he unlocked his office. "This place goes crazy whenever Lady Arianthe visits."

"Lady Arianthe?" Derec asked, following Michail inside. "Lord Ascelipus' former assistant? I thought she was helping the Western Church."

"She was, and she'll probably head back once she finishes her business here," He said, looking around. "Hm. I should...tidy up for the future."

It wasn't necessarily that the office was messy, but if Michail got rid of the armor and weapon display, it probably wouldn't feel so crowded. That said, the mountain of paperwork on one side of the desk didn't help things. Of course, there was a weird thought in the back of his head that Michail had set things up this way on purpose--some of those lances looked very, very intimidating, but judging by the professor not really giving them any attention, it was unfounded. Or at least, he hoped so.

Derec shook those thoughts out of his head, clearing his throat. "So...I was told that if I should encounter any trouble that I should go to you, but..." He trailed off for a second, thinking of the best way to say it, but ultimately deciding that he should get to it. "...I don't think you like me very much."

To his surprise, Michail outright laughed, crossing his arms. "I am the head of the Blue Lions," He said. "Though, I'm guessing you're referring to what Duke Charon told you."

Derec nodded. "Yes, he did. But...how can I turn to you if you don't really care for me?" He asked.

"I'm a professional, kid. If it's my job, then I'll give it my full effort," Michail stated. "So no, I won't look the other way if you're in danger, nor will I let any assassins get to you. I even went out of my way to get Theo to use his connections to make sure you're safe at all times."

That didn't do much to assure him, though Derec did notice he didn't address the other thing he said. "And you hate me because...of the claim?" He guessed.

"If I hated you, don't you think I would've exposed you from the start?" Michail replied with a question of his own. "With the exception of a handful of people, all that anyone knows is that you're here due to a sponsership from a noble. I couldn't do much about your unit assignment, but considering you have a Galatea, a Fraldarius, and a future Gautier, I think I made the right call. Or do you disagree?"

"As you said, you're a professional. You know how to separate your work from your personal feelings, even if you glare at me like I killed your father or something," Derec wasn't buying it. "I'd like to know. Is it the claim? Though I haven't heard of a House Kalonic taking any sides, unlike the other counts and dukes."

"Baron Eddard Kalonic is a minor lord in Charon territory. He isn't really anyone of importance, no--but Leon Charon is," Michail sighed. "I'm not really sure how much he's told you or what he did to get you on his side, but I recommend taking anything he says with a grain of salt."

"So your beef is with him, not me. But considering he's one of my biggest supporters...I didn't think you were so petty," Derec returned Michail's sigh with one of his own. "Here I thought it was something else. Still, whatever issues you have with him, they have nothing to do with me."

"Actually, it has less to do with pettiness and more concern for my country," Michail replied sharply.

Derec somehow stood his ground--though he wasn't sure why. "You're a Knight of Seiros, doesn't that mean you gave up whatever titles and the like back in Faerghus?" He frowned. "I don't understand."

Michail paused a moment to rub his temple. "...You know, I was under the assumption that Duke Charon had you under his thumb," He muttered. "Even though I've joined the church, that doesn't mean that I don't care about what happens to my country. You've uprooted the lives of the royal family, of all the lords--of the entire country. Do you really think making a claim wouldn't earn any resentment?"

For once, Derec was silent. Michail was actually right about that, actually--he really didn't think of how it would affect anyone. It was selfish, but at the time, nothing else really mattered. He had nowhere to go or anyone to turn to. It was sheer coincidence that Duke Charon had been visiting that small church and had bore witness to the reveal of his Crest. The rest happened so quickly that he never did stop to think of how his actions would impact anyone.

"...even so...I'm here," Derec said slowly. "I'm not going to apologize for existing, so...if it's at all possible, I'd like it if we could have a truce. Just until the end of this year. Then, after that, you can keep on hating me."

Michail tapped his fingers against his arm, staring at Derec. "It depends. What has Leon said to you about me?"

That was a weird question, but Derec didn't see the harm in saying it. "That despite being a knight, you're indebted to him, so you'd help me out if I ever needed it," He paused. Now that he thought about it, the duke never said why he was indebted. Maybe that's why he was so hostile? He wished he hadn't made the revelation right there and then, but it couldn't be helped. "...if that isn't the case, then that's fine."

Michail stared at Derec, though for once, his expression was blank. Derec couldn't tell if he said the right or wrong thing, and for a second he was a little worried. Okay, a lot worried. But as he uncrossed his arms, Derec noticed Michail looked warier than anything. Whatever Duke Charon had on him must have been bad.

"As I said, I'm a professional. You're safe with me, and I won't be turning my back on you anytime soon," Michail broke the silence. "That said, I recommend keeping your wits about you when it comes to him. He never sticks his neck out for anyone if it doesn't benefit him in some way. And all things considered, you have a lot to offer."

That was a fair enough statement. Derec nodded, scratching the back of his head. "I'd also like to go over the fight in Luin--if you don't mind," He added, realizing the conversation was impossible to gauge.

Michail motioned to the chair, walking around his desk. "Sit down, I'll see what I wrote so we can go through the details," He plopped down in his seat, taking a second to shift through the many, many papers. "...uh, actually, I remember most of it. We'll start with form--it seemed alright, but I got the impression you're self-taught. I'll make sure to take you back a step to make sure your grip and the like are better."

Of Blood and Magic

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This one was on Eris, he really should have known Varis was never in a mood to humor him. The vampire's eyes would have glazed over at Varis' bitching, but considering he'd get reamed for 'not paying attention', he'd endure it without complaint. Still, he couldn't believe his smile didn't even get an eye roll! What the hell was that?! Was he slipping? He was going to have to practice just in case he was slipping. No, he was fine, Varis was just immune to anything that would make any ordinary person swoon.

"Must you always refute me so?" He sighed.

Unfortunately for him, there was no saving the conversation as a nuisance appeared. As fun as it was to mess with Old Benson, Eris enjoyed having his break Eve-free. But all good things had to come to an end, and it was a little entertaining to see the little Eve's choice in approaching Varis as if nothing happened. He was almost convincing! Still, at minimum, he had to give credit where it was due, especially as Benton chose the right approach.

Before he could comment on it, however, Varis ditched him. And left him with Benicio. Great. Wonderful. Awesome. The painted on smile he gave the other blond had barely any effort put into it, but his willingness to care had already been in the negatives. Fine, if he was going to have to put up with him, then he was going to make sure he was

"Looks like if you're gonna keep up the ass-kissing act, we're going to have to have that conversation. You'll be tested on this later, make sure to stick close to me," He threw him a wink, motioning for him to follow.

Once they entered the classroom, Eris chose a seat off to the side, making sure that the kid sat next to him. They had just gotten there and already he was depressed--robes. They were dressed in robes. What century was this?! He suppressed a groan, rubbing his temple as he leaned back in his seat. That much was a mistake, as he ended up having to straighten up a little just to hear the vampire speak. Great Anastasia, had he known he would've skipped, too.

Some of this Eris had known, though he wasn't entirely surprised by the things he didn't know. Inner-House conflict predated even before the violence, he assumed. The stronger the House, the more conflict--anyone that didn't want power was lying to themselves. Even in his own family his aunts and uncles, cousins, and even his own sister often did everything but claw each other's eyes out in an attempt to gain the favor of their grandmother. He used to be part of that, too, before he was successful, but he'd admit it was fun to watch them fight one another.

He leaned in towards Benson, making sure to keep his voice low. "I'm sure you're all too aware of inter-House issues, hm?" He asked. "Though being on the winning side must feel good after finding out that investigation into Dracul's death was dismissed. Your pops must be pleased."

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@Achronum@Bert Macklin

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Lilie rode on her happiness cloud until she stepped into the classroom. Her mistake was thinking that this class would be similar to the rest--after all, if she could handle her old Spell Theory teacher, then she felt like she could handle anything. Unfortunately, she was a naive, optimistic child, and she was very quickly proven wrong. Why was this lady so mean and just charging ahead?!

There was no time to text Aaron, greet Max or Maddie, or even get herself situated, really. Her hand was already skirting over the blank page as she jotted down the rules, though she found the whole absence thing weird. That almost made it seem like they had a choice in coming to these classes. Unless she means people faking sickness? Who would do that, anyway? And even if you faked it, where would you go that wouldn't get you in trouble? She guessed maybe some people would like to stay in their dorms, but otherwise, she couldn't wrap her head around it.

Still, she focused more on the lecture, making sure to write down everything she thought was important. Despite missing out on the other class she had to drop, she was glad she ended up with this one, especially after her element was mentioned. Distance, material, sensing--it sounded easy on the surface, but she hadn't considered all these factors.

Max finally spoke to her, though Lilie couldn't really blame him for his comment. "I think she has it out for you, too," She whispered, having definitely noticed the Professor glancing his way.

At the chance of questions, she felt like she should ask something, but what? It was honestly her inner goody-two-shoes that wanted to participate, but this professor scared her a little. Even with that in mind, she ended up raising her hand. "Um, when you mentioned magical awareness, does that mean that we will be able to sense our elements subconsciously? Or will it be something we're able to do at will?"

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@Scribe of Thoth

ᴡᴏɴᴅᴇʀꜱ ᴍᴀᴅᴇ ʙy ᴍᴀɴ

A plain of fire as far as the eye could see, and yet nothing burned. In the back of his mind, he knew he should have wondered why nothing did. Whatever fear he would have had was long gone as he stepped forward. The flames grew ever closer until they surrounded him. He was tempted to draw back but continued forward, eyes searching the flames. Several shapes revealed themselves to him: a red, jagged tooth, a sword whose shape betrayed its origin, and what looked to be a city of smiling people with shackles around their necks. He knew not what they meant but largely ignored them as he had more pressing matters to attend to.

As quickly as they came, the flames died down. The brightness of the fire had tricked him into believing it had been day, but it was now the dead of night. The stars blinked down at him alongside a full moon and illuminated a grassy plain once again. Again? Yes, before the fire, it was nothing but green grass, wasn't it? And sitting before him once again was a large pile of ashes.

For whatever reason, the sight caused him to run forward and dig through them for something. He hadn't the slightest idea why, only that it gave him a sense of urgency so great that it overrode any other thought in his mind. Despite the heat, he kept digging, ignoring the stinging on his skin and hastily clawing his way deeper and deeper until--

"Beg your pardon, Highness?"

The carriage shifted and collided with the side of Vaeron's head, shocking him enough to fully wake him. His hand flew to his head as he sat up properly, lilac eyes blinking repeatedly as his vision cleared. The carriage was foreign to him, one borrowed after the Lord of Winterfell had graciously offered to better prepare him for the cold waiting for him. Yohn Royce, a knight clad in the gold armor of the Kingsguard, sat across from him with great concern on his face. He was little more than a face Vaeron had seen maybe a handful of times, but the same could be said for Brynden Tully, his primary guard for his grand adventure.

"Remnants of a dream, pay no mind to it," Vaeron uttered as he stole a glance out the window. "How far is the Wall?"

Yohn mirrored Vaeron. "Castle Black lies just ahead, Your Highness. We met a few of Lord Flint's men on their ride to Winterfell while you slept," He said.

"You didn't think to wake me?" Vaeron asked.

"The queen gave explicit instruction not to disturb you unless absolutely necessary when you slept. She expressed some concern over making sure you had adequate rest," He replied. "Brynden handled them, you needn't worry."

That sounded like his mother, all right. Fortunately for him, any protest was swept away with the wind as he noticed the few structures against blue--that must have been the Wall! It was strange, he had heard it repeatedly referred to as Castle Black, but there weren't any castles so to speak. There were several towers and keeps, sure, but there wasn't any true castle. Even so, it was a sight to behold as the Wall towered over everything. The awe he felt at finally laying eyes on just one small part was great, and he had practically jumped out of the carriage on his own as it finally came to a halt.

Vaeron's eyes and head looked up, and up, and up until he realized he couldn't crane his neck anymore to see the Wall touch the sky. He righted himself to look around at the men of the Night's Watch walk around, few giving them the time of day aside from a few passing glances. Whatever stares lingered were either on him or on Yohn, who was less than pleased at the quality of the men around them. He must have possessed the same worry his own mother did; the Night's Watch was filled with only two types of men, those who sought glory as the famed Jon Snow once did, or those who were criminals.

Considering the massive entourage that his father absolutely insisted on accompanying him, it was safe to say that the Crown Prince felt like he had little to worry about.

Brynden Tully entered his view, scarcely taking a look around. Either he was unimpressed by Castle Black or he did not care--Vaeron wasn't sure which one it was. Eventually, he did turn back to Vaeron to address him. "Stay here, Lord Flint will want to greet the Prince of Dragonstone personally," Brynden stated, motioning for Yohn to remain as well as he walked towards the closest men.

"How many would come to greet Vaeron Targaryen without the title, I wonder," He mused out loud, though did as he was told as he looked back up at the Wall.

ᴡᴏɴᴅᴇʀꜱ ᴍᴀᴅᴇ ʙy ᴍᴀɴ

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Next on the Itinerary

Heiseina: Memories Long Forgotten (CLOSED)

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Tsubasa's initial joy at her acceptance quickly turned to confusion. He did what to his shirt? Looking down at himself, he supposed she had reason to make her comment. Then again, he was so used to it that he didn't even bother noticing until it was pointed out. That wouldn't do at all, especially since Keiko was already clean and dressed and ready to go. Maybe they could continue the conversation as well, and he could get to the bottom of her sidestepping his other comment.

"You're right, it'll be on me, then. I promise I'll put on something clean, too, of course," He laughed, wiping his brow again. He was about to ask if she was willing to give him a few minutes to clean up before someone else approached the forge.

The arrival of Fumiko was a surprise--he was visited by two people today!--and straightened up a touch as she spoke. It was nice to hear Hayashi was going to be performing again this year, though he was a little surprised to hear that Fumiko was helping her out. Then again, Fumiko did like to do things around the village, same as he whenever he had the time. It was also nice to see the community come together to help one another, so maybe he shouldn't be too surprised.

Before he could respond, Keiko replied to Fumiko. Ah, she called him Tsu, that's so cute! Did she finally accept his own nickname for her? It did make him a little happy, though he was confused as she looped her arm around his. Wasn't she just complaining about how sweaty he was?

As she gazed up at him, he shrugged. "We could go help them out, then come back here and get ready before we enjoy ourselves?" He asked her. "If it's okay with you, Kei-chan."

@Asura@JessieTargaryen

Shin Megami Tensei: Persona

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The creature didn't take too kindly to getting set on fire, an unholy shriek emanating from within the well. It writhed and desperately tried to pull back from Noriaki to no avail, the flames burning through the darkness. At some point, it began to decay, its stringy tendrils pulling and yanking until it broke off, the hand pinned by Noriaki reduced to ashes.

Mira swung her sword as a hand made a bold attempt, though she heard both Genki and Yori's comments. "You're doing fine so far, though, aren't you?" She cheerfully pointed out.

As Khepri pulled on the hand, it resisted greatly and used the other hands to prevent itself from getting dragged out. The action did at least cause it to stop attacking the others as it used the rest of its arms to cling to the well. Despite its numerous appendages, however, it was clearly struggling to stay inside. Khepri's efforts would pay off as a massive black blob was pulled out, though it made every effort possible to get back into the well.

"Like pulling a hermit crab from its shell," Mira mused, twirling her sword. "Alright, then! Here I go!"

Dashing forward, Mira chose to dive right in, leaping forward and into the well. After a few seconds, however, she met something solid. It was a lot more shallow than she thought, the exit just above her. Changing her grip, she knelt down as she held her sword with both hands, plunging it into the darkness below her. No sound was made, though she noticed that her sword was slowly starting to sink in.

"Uh oh," She gasped, letting go of her weapon as the creature shook. She let out a yell as it surged upwards, stretching itself up and out of the well entirely. Its form was nothing solid and resembled a soft putty, oozing on the ground like toothpaste out of a tube. Falling to her knees from the movement, Mira realized she needed to get away, only to find herself stuck.

"Ah...hm, this isn't good," She muttered, though she raised her voice as she continued. "Well, it's out now, but don't let it get you or you'll get stuck!" She called as it sprouted more hands. She was surprised to see Khepri unaffected by it, although she wasn't sure why that was the case.

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@Scribe of Thoth@Asura@Lord Orgasmo@RiverMaiden

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Midnight Sun: Last Song Over the Horizon

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This one wasn't much of a talker, was he? Or at least, he didn't seem the type to enjoy a conversation with anyone. Still, he hadn't dismissed Aurora entirely--not yet, anyway--and actually continued said conversation. She was, however, just a touch surprised that he didn't seem to recognize her. Unless he did recognize her and was still being dismissive? Could that be it? No, there was absolutely no reason for her to doubt that her status had gone unawares even by the rabble. Aha, maybe that was it! She would love to put a name to his face, after all, so an introduction was definitely in order.

His next question did put a halt to that line of thinking, however. She thought the reason she was here was obvious, but he must have missed it. Perhaps she should be more straightforward. And less...aware of her chest, since for whatever reason, it didn't seem to please him. That was definitely a first, too, but she wasn't going to dwell on that for long, either.

Aurora gave him a small smile as she placed her hands on her lap. "I think most people don't aim to irritate you," She let out a small, girlish giggle. "But you should look at it from their perspective! You keep to yourself and give off this air of mystery...I would very much like to unravel you if you know what I mean." She concluded, giving him a wink.

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Heiseina: Memories Long Forgotten (CLOSED)

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Huh, now that Keiko mentioned it, Tsubasa supposed he never did see her around whenever the festivities popped up. He always assumed that she was busy or that there was work to be done; he remembered the many, many times that Tetsu would suddenly unload a bunch of last-minute orders on him, and sometimes that resulted in him missing out on a majority of the fun. She seemed entirely indifferent to it, the complete opposite of his own lament anytime he'd been so caught up in his work that it was too late to do anything meaningful.

At the very least she didn't linger on the subject for too long, though he wasn't expecting her next comment. The barrage of questions caught him a little off guard, eyes widening just a touch as she even went so far as to approach him. Wait, why didn't he consider asking her? Clearly that was the way to go! It was a good idea, he could wrap up what he was doing and they'd be on their way in no time!

But even as the thought crossed his mind, he scratched the back of his head with a small frown on his face. "Um, no, that wasn't why, but--well, actually, I would like to go with you. If you'll have me, of course," He dropped his hand as he spoke, deciding he would get that out of the way. "We can go see everyone's hard work, get something to eat, enjoy the shows that get put on, and of course the main attraction."

He paused for a moment. "...But I mean, even if I wasn't around, there's nothing wrong with going on your own, too. I've had to do it a few times myself. You're still a part of the village, and that means you get to have as much fun as everyone else, too, you know."

@Asura

Shin Megami Tensei: Persona

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"I don't know if threatening it is gonna be--eh, never mind," Mira sighed, albeit she turned towards the still-ordinary duo. "Stay behind us, okay? We don't know what's going to happen. The three of us can handle it. Probably."

Not the most convincing vote of confidence, but admittedly she wasn't entirely sure what to expect. There should have been something here waiting for them, and to see nothing was just jarring. Maybe it was because the dungeon hadn't fully formed yet? She could theorize all day, but she snapped out of her thoughts as Noriaki decided to approach the well. She had to hold back a sigh at his comment, wanting to say something along the lines of Shadows not really having the same forms as humans did, but she decided it was better to have him point his wrath at something that wasn't her.

She was about to say something to Daigo before every hair stood on the back of her neck, the chill in the air returning. So Shadows could just mask their presence until they wanted to now, could they? Once the thought crossed her mind, she knew what was gonna happen. Rushing forward, she took a hold of the back of Noriaki's jacket and pulled him back as a blob slowly rose from the well. It stopped as it rose about ten feet into the air, though it split into four different large hands.

"I guess it was hoping one of us would stick their head in there or something," She mused, watching as each hand moved this way and that. She raised her sword as the hands all stopped, shooting towards them.

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@Scribe of Thoth@Asura@Lord Orgasmo@RiverMaiden

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Shin Megami Tensei: Persona

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"That's the way!" Mira cheered Noriaki on, though she stopped to dig her sword into the shadow closest to her. The feeling was familiar, her body all too used to the movements. It was exhilarating, the urge to charge forth and throw caution to the wind overwhelming, but she knew better than to ditch three vulnerable people. She remained close, ready to deal with anything that decided to mess with them.

The loss of two shadows didn't seem to deter the rest as they swarmed and surrounded the group. Once the flames consumed Daigo, however, they backed away from the source. Mira winced slightly, her hand covering her golden eye as she turned to him. After seeing his Awakening, however, she ignored her eye as she let out a yell of excitement, practically bouncing in place.

"I never thought I'd be so happy to see my Sun!" She practically squealed in delight, completely overjoyed. "See? I told you, you had the potential!"

As she said that, however, her expression fell as she heard something in the distance. Was the big guy coming to them? No, it was something else, wasn't it? Had it been Daigo's Awakening that caused the feeling? She couldn't really tell, but it made her a little nervous. They hadn't finished with all the small fry just yet, but she felt like they couldn't stay here for too long. At the very least,

"Let's cut our way through and keep going," She told the crew, motioning for them to follow suit.

Once they managed to cross into the room, the doors closed behind them, blocking the shadows from following. Surprisingly, the room made it seem like they had gone outside. Grass and stone were now beneath their feet, a myriad of vines snaking up the stone walls and fading into a pitch-black ceiling. A well sat in the middle of the room.

Mira frowned as she looked around, scratching her head. "Weird, I can't sense him anywhere," She said, her eyes landing on the well. "...unless it's in there."

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@Scribe of Thoth@Asura@Lord Orgasmo@RiverMaiden

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"Yes. We'll check in with Nakano periodically, so I suggest you stay on your best behavior," Taniguchi said, albeit he didn't bother sticking around as he decided to rejoin the other teachers.

Suzuki resisted the urge to roll her eyes, focusing instead on Maki. "How about you and Asakura head on over together? Nakano-san will answer any questions you might have," She suggested.

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@WXer@psych0pomp

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Sakuya was relieved that at the very least Ueno was on her side. That said, she was a little confused by her line of questioning. Delinquency was usually the result of some bored people, she couldn't really say there was any particular source. Well, they had a ringleader and a few idiots running around, but that wasn't really out of the ordinary.

Still, there was that conversation yesterday, wasn't there? "There's the accident in the gym that happened, but I don't think Yamamoto would've cared much about that. It's also off-limits," She would divulge that much. "By what I saw and experienced, I'd chalk it up to male frustration."

Sora blinked slowly, looking at her curiously. "Male...frustration?" He repeated. "What do you mean?"

Letting out a sigh, Sakuya shrugged. "He came onto me yesterday and I rejected him. By his words, I assume the same thing happened with Mina. The string of rejections led to frustration, thus he lashed out."

Sora shifted his weight from one foot to the other, uncomfortable. "O-Oh..."

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@Obscene Symphony@Entityx

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