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Madoka Ikeda

"Parents don't really think I can do anything, so that's why I'm here. To prove them wrong."

0 · 1,357 views · located in Unnamed City

a character in “Arc 4”, as played by Guardian Aelita

Description

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Name || Madoka Ikeda

Age || 20

Gender || Male

Sexuality || Heterosexual

Appearance || Madoka has dark red hair that goes to his chin and light red eyes. His bangs are long enough that sometimes his left eye is covered up by his bangs. He’s often seen wearing the black school uniform but when free from school, he’ll wear a red sweater, brown pants and dark brown boots. He’s often seen staring off into space or smirking somewhat.

Face Claim || Yoh Tomoe from Starry Sky

Personality || Madoka is a man who has a passion for film and makes zero secret of that. He’s very hard at work when it comes to film making. It’s not to any extreme length but he does like to put in a lot of time to making sure a film is perfect or at least somewhat perfect. He’s not fond of opening up to people often and mostly keeps to himself. That’s not to say he’s a shut in, he’s just more of an introvert if anything. That said, once you get to know him, he’ll keep you in check. He’s a voice of reason and tends to try and calm down those around him before they make rash decisions. He’s polite but he doesn’t talk more than he has to and is loyal to those who earn his trust.

Room Number || 502

Roommate || TBA

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Likes:

Movies || Whether they’re appreciated only by cinephiles or popular in the mainstream, if they’re good, Madoka likes to watch them and analyze them for research on his own films.

Writing || Madoka considers himself to be more of a screenwriter and director than an actor due to his love of writing stories for plays, TV shows, music videos and so on.

Caramel || Though Madoka knows it’s unhealthy to eat nothing but caramel candies, that doesn’t stop him from enjoying them all the same. He considers it his favorite food.

Dislikes:

Bad Movies/Bad Acting || For Madoka, there’s no greater offense to film itself than to produce a terrible movie or to phone in a performance for a movie.

Tropes || Madoka is keen to notice patterns in certain movie genres and doesn’t like these patterns. He feels it stifles creativity.

Excuses || When someone does something wrong, Madoka prefers if people would just say that they messed up instead of making excuses for their behavior

History || Madoka has a complex life as he’s the middle child in an overworked family with 6 other brothers and sisters. Madoka wasn’t hated by his family by any stretch of the imagination. He was taken care of, well fed and shown a lot of love when he was younger. However as time went on, Madoka quickly became forgotten in the eyes of his parents in favor of the antics his brothers and sisters were doing. He felt like he was an afterthought and while that isn’t the case, his parents barely had any time for him. Madoka felt aimless and he had no idea where he was going to go with his life. One day in middle school, he stumbled onto a movie theatre and was in awe of how the movie was made. He wanted to get involved in film making and did everything he could to be a part of acting and film. He made a lot of movies with a group of high school friends and met a lot of actors to get advice on how to be a film maker.

When he graduated high school a year ago, Madoka decided to hone his craft by attending St. Gabriel’s Academy. It was odd seeing lots of girls while he seemed to be one of the only guys there but he wanted to continue his pursuit into film making. While doing this, he moved into the Blue Lotus dorm by himself. He knows a lot about the rumors and has a couple of experiences for himself but if anything, the end result will just make for a good horror movie.

Colors || Speech = Palevioletred / Thought = crimson

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So begins...

Madoka Ikeda's Story

Setting

Characters Present

Character Portrait: Hotaru Emirsdottir Character Portrait: Kanade Takamine Character Portrait: Akeno Furuya Character Portrait: Makoto Itsuna Character Portrait: Kujo Nobuyuki Character Portrait: Aziz Harumi
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Misaka froze, ready to whip out her Mirror Force card, when a weight all but tackled her. She almost felt her breath be knocked out of her lungs when she felt arms wound around her tightly. She lightly tapped Hotaru's shoulder.

"I--I missed you-- t-too but I can't br--eathe--"

When Hotaru let go, the girl abruptly ran off to handle her paperwork. Before Misaka could catch her breath and call out, someone called her again; she hesitantly looked over to see a red-haired guy who seemed to be acquainted with Hotaru, who introduced himself as Madoka Ikeda. Asagi's companion from earlier apparently was Akeno Furuya but Misaka almost felt like the world was spinning all around her; it was overwhelming, almost, the welcome in this dorm. At least, for a NEET like herself.

"U-Uhh, M-Misaka Amamiya. T-Thanks, gotta go."

She dashed over to where Hotaru had apparently finished, taking a bit of time to skim through the needed info; so she was in Room 302, apparently...and she'd have a roommate.

She barely caught the name Kanade on one glance. She really shouldn't be basing things off names, but that sounded friendly enough, she supposed.

They were soon joined by a rather mature-looking blonde with a braid and a brown-haired guy. They provided some sort of normalcy to the rather bright and cheery colors of the dormers so far.

When Hotaru offered help, Misaka glanced down at her bags and smiled sheepishly.

"Probably...I mean, with my equipment and all."




"Cool! Well, it's just around here. Just follow me!"

Kujo walked on at a leisurely pace. Kanade shrugged.

"Well, ya heard him."

"Hey, Aziz, when we get there at least meet us up at the entrance, man! We're heading there ASAP!"

Setting

Characters Present

Character Portrait: Kanade Takamine Character Portrait: Akeno Furuya Character Portrait: Makoto Itsuna Character Portrait: Kujo Nobuyuki Character Portrait: Aziz Harumi Character Portrait: Fuyumi Hirabayashi
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A rather small reunion unfolded, particularly from the Seven Stars alumni. Cel wondered how it was back in that school. Normally, one would think that a prestigious school like that would breed some rather...difficult students. Seeing Misaka, Hotaru and Asagi though, almost everyone seemed amiable.

"Oh, come on. We can settle her bags in later. You'll have a lot of hands to help you out with that." Cel taps Hotaru's shoulder and faces the two new residents.

"Misaka-chan, right? I'm Laeticia but everyone just calls me Cel. You'll usually find me on the front desk so if you have any concerns, you can always run it by me, 'kay~ Don't be such a stranger now~"

Madoka walked off to look for Yoite so Makoto took charge in leading everyone to the dinner table. He was only able to prepare spaghetti and some garlic bread but thankfully, Asagi and Hotaru covered all their dessert needs with some delicious ice cream and cake. A simple dinner all things considered but, at least it wasn't as lonely.

"Well, dig in! Plenty enough for everyone." Makoto urged the others on when everyone had gathered around the table.

"So, do we like--name ourselves like in class?" Asagi asked, scratching his head sheepishly.

"Just tell us your name and anything you might want to clear up. That would do~"

"Alright! In that case, hi! My name is Arakawa Asagi but you can just call me Asagi! I'm sure Cel-san, Makoto, Hotaru and Misaka knows this but, just to put it out there: I'm a guy~" Asagi introduced himself with a wink.



"Hey, there you are!" Aziz called the group over once he saw them pass by. "Come right in. I've already ordered for the rest of us so we shouldn't have to wait long. Speak of the devil--"

Before long, a waiter carrying heavy trays laden with food appeared before them. Most of the menu was comprised of grilled seafood, complimenting the whole beachside theme. Salmon and tuna belly were the main course for the evening along with some stewed mussels. On the side was a platter of bakes scallops and some beef dishes.

"For those who aren't a big fan of the bounties of the sea, of course~" Aziz explained. Like those who remained in the dorm, Aziz stood up once everyone had taken their seat and, raising a glass of Fanta in the air, he started a small speech.

"Well...I'm no poet or emcee but, I just wanted to welcome Hirabayashi-san as a resident of Blue Lotus. I know I'm not exactly in any position to do so since I'm known to be quite the troublemaker but, Hirabayashi-san! Welcome to Castle City!"

Setting

Characters Present

Character Portrait: Hotaru Emirsdottir Character Portrait: Kanade Takamine Character Portrait: Akeno Furuya Character Portrait: Makoto Itsuna Character Portrait: Kujo Nobuyuki Character Portrait: Aziz Harumi
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Aziz found Fuyumi's aptitude for food quite interesting as she was able to decipher which dishes were which with just a simple whiff.

"That's so cool! I can't even tell if I'm eating salmon or tuna and it's already in my mouth to boot!" Aziz complimented her in-between mouthfuls of food. "There's a girl in the dormitory who's also taking up culinary arts as well. She's Makinami's roommate but she's often out late." Aziz remarked at Fuyumi's suggestion of cooking meals with the rest.

"I guess there's also King-wannabe but--he's nowhere near Kyosuke's level yet." Aziz suddenly thought of a scheme to somehow start some sort of challenge between the three. "That would be fun to watch."

Nagisa, Kujo and Kanade were all talking about the outings Fuyumi mentioned.

"Right...well, if we do go out, we should try to make it out of Castle City. It's a good place but, live here long enough and the novelty does wear off over time. I know someone who feels that way at least."

After the hearty dinner, Aziz decides to make some plans with the rest after bringing Fuyumi and Menou home.

"Makinami, Takamine! What do you say to a two-v-two with me and Kujo after we take Hirabayashi-san and Koizumi-san home? Sitting on silver's not doing any good for my reputation so I want to try for gold this time." Aziz invited the two, referring to War Gunners--a game he frequently plays with the rest of the other residents.




"Yeah, nice to meet you to Misaka-san! Well, nice to meet you again, hehehe!" Asagi pats Misaka's back as she finishes introducing herself. "Anyway, all the meals here look great so, you won't mind if I dig in already right?"

"Of course. It's your welcome after all."

"Yay~" Asagi happily devours his own plate of food as the others did the same. Asagi, Misaka and Hotaru. It seems they were all from Seven Stars--that rather prestigious high school on the east. Makoto wondered how life was for them in that kind of school. Although he was no Seven Stars alumni, being in Kurogane is quite similar. Maybe even higher.

"So how's life in Seven Stars? Is it really that hard to get in and stay?" Makoto asks this from any of the three.

"I heard it segregates students based on academic performance. Is it true?"

"Hmm? Oh, I guess you're talking about the Star Section and the Reserve Section. Well...it's not that big of a thing really. The Star Section is where students scouted by the academy itself are placed. Reserve Sections are for regular students who got in by passing the required entrance exam. Once you're in the Star Section, you have a certain average to maintain. We actually get a lot of people moving back and forth between sections." Asagi clears up the misunderstanding.

"I see. But why the hassle though?" Cel implores further.

"I don't know. Scouted students tend to have heavier loads than non-scouted ones. I guess it's to make it easier to see where is whom? Rankings are done per section anyway so we don't have any discrimination based on grades or anything."

"It's that high-tier huh? I don't really recall a lot of Seven Stars students enrolled in my course though." Makoto recalled. "Well I suppose it's because my course is rather niche on its own. How about you Hotaru-kun?"

Setting

Characters Present

Character Portrait: Hotaru Emirsdottir Character Portrait: Kanade Takamine Character Portrait: Akeno Furuya Character Portrait: Makoto Itsuna Character Portrait: Kujo Nobuyuki Character Portrait: Aziz Harumi
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Fuyumi started the slow walk home, smiling warmly after the food she had eaten. It had been quite a long time since she had eaten among a group of newly developing friends like that. Perhaps the dorm she was with would be a nice bunch. However, when she heard that there were two people who also knew how to cook, Fuyumi's brain immediately shifted into rival mode. Though, she couldn't help it. With rivalries, she could learn more about culinary arts and improve her craft. Still, she closed her eyes as they all walked back to the dorm. When they arrived, she heard Menou exhale a quiet sigh of relief. Fuyumi frowned a bit. How bad was Menou's anxiety?

"Uh, thank you... I mean, it was a bit fun... So, good night..."

She then heard Menou all but run back to her dorm room. She felt a little bit bad for the girl. She heard her go through a panic attack and awkwardness throughout her day. Still, Fuyumi decided Menou probably needed time to herself.

"Please, do not take Miss Koizumi's actions with any form of malice. She did suffer a panic attack. I feel that she thinks she's embarrassed herself and would like to be alone for a little bit."

She smiled warmly, bowing a bit in front of the four.

"That said, I did end up having an excellent time~ I'm really glad you considered my outing idea. I was already thinking of a couple of ideas, like maybe going to the beach, hiking trips or maybe going to another country. Ah, but before I leave you..."

Fuyumi tilted her head a little.

"May I ask what War Gunners is? If a lot of people are playing it, even if I'm blind, I'd like to try it out for myself."


"E-Eh?"

Hotaru smiled warmly.

"Ah, well, my time in Seven Stars was certainly a huge amount of fun~ I got in by passing the entrance exam but moved up the ranks as a Star Section student once I decided what to do with my talent. I made a lot of friends in both the Star Section and Reserve Section. One of my best friends ended up being the local nurse at the school, a popular musician there too, a transfer student that came in from Spain and of course, Misaka-chan~ Still, there was this one guy in the Reserve section that I liked but he was into my best friend. I decided to let him go after a while since I couldn't get his attention beyond friendship and we were pretty good friends too~"

Hotaru sighed fondly as she recalled Yurin, Ridou, Victoria, Misaka and Shingen. The memories just kept flooding back and she ended up going through a small nostalgia phase while Akeno could only feel small bitterness underneath her mask. While a lot of people seemed to have good memories and could recall them fondly, Akeno's good memories can only be tainted by what could have been and the truth. Still, Hotaru pouted a bit, causing Akeno to tilt her head.

"But, in my classes on Kurogane, there's not that many people from Seven Stars. Maybe it's just because a lot of people aren't into interior design."

Hotaru giggled optimistically as she heard the door open to see Madoka dragging in a confused Yoite who had small smudges of paint on his clothing.

"Found him. He was making a mural of some sorts."

Hotaru grinned happily.

"Hello, Yoite-kun~ The food's just about ready for you!"

Yoite rubbed the back of his head.

"Ah, yeah. Sorry for being late. I just didn't think we were having new members. Anyway, my name is Yoite Arakaki; it's good to meet you. Who are you guys?"

"Come on, try to be a little bit more aware of things."

Yoite laughed a bit sheepishly as Akeno smiled at him, pulling out her phone.

"Our new residents are Misaka Amamiya and Asagi Arakawa~ Asagi-kun's actually a boy so don't be fooled by his clothes and Misaka-chan's like me in that we both talk with the app!"

Yoite smiled warmly at the two.

"Great~ Well, hopefully we can all get along together. Now, where did you guys come from anyway? What was your high school?"

Setting

Characters Present

Character Portrait: Hotaru Emirsdottir Character Portrait: Kanade Takamine Character Portrait: Akeno Furuya Character Portrait: Makoto Itsuna Character Portrait: Kujo Nobuyuki Character Portrait: Aziz Harumi
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After the dinner was done and over with, they made the trek back home. Nagisa stretched a bit- a somewhat good day at school, good jazz performance and a good meal. Now all that was lacking was a good fight in War Gunners and this would be a nice day overall.

Her chance came when Aziz offered a 2v2 fight in the game.

"Yeah, I've been waiting to bust out the Space Man again! Come on, just a quick match to get my buddy to gold."

"I'm not sure about Makinami, but I'm definitely in! I've been meaning to test out the new experimental weapons I just got off the market~"

"Ugh, Kanade, you're not using the nuke again are you? You nearly cost us the match with that ridiculous set-up and cooldown time."

"Hey! At least I killed the towers!"

The bickering was broken when Fuyumi asked about War Gunners. Before Kanade or Kujo could talk, Nagisa raised a hand to silence them.

"Ah...War Gunners is an MMO we've all been playing for fun, but it's sci-fi in which your characters are mchas and machines instead of fantasy races like elves. It offers a high degree of customization, for both the machines and weaponry, and while most of us compete in Player-VS-Player events, there's also a single-player campaign."




Misaka managed a small smile as Hotaru retold their stories- but then another person came by, followed by Ikeda from earlier. She kept her mouth shut for a little while before shakily mentioning-

"We came from Seven Stars..."

Setting

Characters Present

Character Portrait: Kanade Takamine Character Portrait: Akeno Furuya Character Portrait: Makoto Itsuna Character Portrait: Kujo Nobuyuki Character Portrait: Aziz Harumi Character Portrait: Menou Koizumi
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"Makinami's right! However, you also get the chance to play with something called an Automata which is a lot more humanoid in appearance so you can pull off some crazy customizations if you want!" Aziz gushed on, having played around a lot as an Automata himself.

"It's got quite a bit of a learning curve though..." Aziz recalled the time he was still starting out. "I had to bust out my P2P privileges just so I can get the stuff I want~"

Once Menou had gone on ahead of them too, Aziz turned to his fellow players. "So, want to head out to the Divide now? Hirabayashi-san can come along to wa--err, I mean, listen in to the gameplay." Aziz laughed, forgetting his language for a moment. "If I get to gold, I'm buying~"



Madoka soon joined the small table, towing Yoite along with him. Akeno took the courtesy to introduce Asagi and Misaka on their behalf.

"Ahahaha! Yeah, Akeno-chan's right, I'm a guy~ I'm actually Makoto's new roommate as well. Nice to meet you~" Asagi introduces himself again with a smile. Yoite asks which school they came from to which Misaka answered.

"Seven Stars Academy. It's that big high school in the east. Currently, I'm enrolled in Partisan Rose under Fashion Design." Asagi added in his current university as well. "Akeno's also told me quite a bit about you guys too!"

"Hotaru-kun also brought some cake along. Asagi and Akeno bought some ice cream too so if anyone wants some dessert--"

"Ah! I'll have some of the cake and ice cream." Cel immediately raises her hand. "It was rather hot outside too. Speak of good timing."

"Hotaru-kun, what do you say about helping Misaka get settled in her room?" Asagi asks Hotaru. "Ah, but the dishes--"

"You can leave that to me." Makoto willingly volunteers for the task. "You go help Misaka-chan."

"I'll help him out instead."

"Yay! Thanks guys~ Come on Misaka-chan, Hotaru-kun. Akeno-chan, you come along too!" Asagi drags the three girls along while Makoto and Cel tidy up after dinner.

Setting

Characters Present

Character Portrait: Hotaru Emirsdottir Character Portrait: Kanade Takamine Character Portrait: Akeno Furuya Character Portrait: Makoto Itsuna Character Portrait: Kujo Nobuyuki Character Portrait: Aziz Harumi
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Fuyumi smiled warmly as she clapped her hands, tilting her head with a warm smile.

"That sounds like a wonderful idea, Mr. Harumi~ I can't wait to hear this incredible game."

While Fuyumi would be at a severe disadvantage considering she couldn't see the game being played, there could be certain audio cues that would point her in the right direction of where to go, so she was looking forward to at least getting a feel for that.


Yoite rubbed the back of his head and smiled a bit sheepishly.

"Now I feel bad for making you guys wait so long. Still, at least there's still cake and ice cream to enjoy."

Madoka just sighed.

"Took me damn near an hour to find you. Also, I'll help out with the dishes too."

"Same here. I feel bad for taking so long to get here. Ah, Akeno? Where's Noa?"

Akeno frowned a little.

"She's really sick... I gave her some medicine and she's asleep right now so it's best not to wake her."

Yoite frowned a little as well, somewhat worried for the know it all.

"That's terrible... Well, I'll try to get her some cake if she's awake. Would you mind going to check up on her after you've helped with Misaka?"

Akeno nodded and followed Hotaru, Misaka and Asagi to Misaka's new room. Hotaru grinned.

"Alright, Misa-chan~ Just tell us where you want your things to go and we'll do our best to help you out!"


Menou just sighed sadly as she curled up on her bed. She couldn't believe she had a panic attack at the concert and didn't get to do much due to her stupid anxiety. She shook her head, looking over at her phone. Maybe she could have been a normal girl if she just acted like one, but it was too late for that. Now she was just stuck as garbage. She loaded up the local forum and typed out something on a new thread.

"Worst night of my life. I feel like absolute shit and it's all my fault. I wanted to try and get out more often and try to break out of my comfort zone by going to a concert. I figured maybe if I go, I could try to be not total garbage. It didn't work. I had a panic attack, barely talked to anyone and the day was just awkward for me. Also, I'm scared I got one of my friends mad at me and don't know what to do."

She posted it and saw an influx of people reply to the thread. Some were trolls that she dismissed because they weren't saying anything that she didn't already feel, some were giving her advice on how to help Makoto but there was one response that stuck out to her.

"Why should you feel like trash? You looked really beautiful at that concert."

That reply sent shivers down her spine. Why did that person word it like that? Was he trying to comfort her...? Regardless, it gave her the creeps and she locked her phone for now, sighing softly. She struggled a bit before deciding to try and talk with Makoto tonight to apologize.

Setting

Characters Present

Character Portrait: Hotaru Emirsdottir Character Portrait: Kanade Takamine Character Portrait: Akeno Furuya Character Portrait: Makoto Itsuna Character Portrait: Kujo Nobuyuki Character Portrait: Aziz Harumi
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"I'm not bribing you guys. I'm just saying it'll be my little celebratory gift. I'm not gonna head down that route. Cliche as it may sound, I want to beat you guys while you are fighting me in earnest." Aziz laughed at Kanade's joke. En route to the Divide, he overheard Fuyumi wanting to try the game out for herself.

"I guess you can catch audio cues faster if you don't turn on teamspeak. Where we are going though--it might be a little difficult to do that." Aziz warns Fuyumi as the silhouette of the Divide looms into view.

From the outside, it was almost difficult to tell that the Divide was a computer gaming shop if it wasn't for the various signages and lights. The shop itself was on the second floor as the first floor is mostly devoted to printing services. Upon entering, one had to take a rather steep stairwell in order to get to the shop proper. Inside though, it was very up to spec. All units are standardized and all are state-of-the-art. The pricing is a little higher than most shops but seeing that they also offer snacks, drinks, a bathroom and air-conditioning, it was pretty much understood by everyone who comes in. Sadly, most of its clientele can be a bit unruly.

"It's always a pigsty here. It's like they're all patrons of some low-class computer shops outside Castle." Aziz remarked as he walked up to the register to refill the credits on his account.

"Sorry Hayashibara-san, this is what I meant earlier. As you can see, it's often this noisy so it might be hard to pick up on the audio cues when playing." Aziz explained when one of the louder patrons apparently picked up on his remark.

"Hey! Who let the kid in?"

"This shop's only open to 16 above kid!"

The remark immediately got to him and, despite his lacking stature, immediately walked up to the man who was clearly twice his size.

"Oh I'm sorry. I thought you looked familiar there for a moment." Aziz answered back, catching the man by surprise.

"Oh? Have you seen me from somewhere?"

"Yeah, I do remember. Let me think...Oh! You were the pig that was lined up to be slaughtered in that supermarket! Great job at escaping bro! Don't worry, I won't tell the slaughterhouse owners where you are~"

"Oh, you picking a fight eh?"

"What did you think I came here for? Eat bacon?"

By now, it was pretty clear that both parties were half an inch away from a fight. Luckily, there was the proper avenue just around the corner for them to do that.

"You got four people with you. What do you say to settling this on Chronos? My troops vs your uhh...cheerleading squad."

"Oh, you're on!" In an instant, Aziz started gearing up his player character in preparation for the fight, gesturing for his friends to do so as well. The character selection screen popped up, prompting him to choose which one of his characters he'll use for the fight.

"Chronos is predominantly a desert stage with several turrets. In that case--" Having realized that, he hovered away from his first machine and opted to deploy his Automata character.

"Hello, Marleena~" Aziz grinned as he strapped on his headset. A 5-vs-5 would net him more points in the game after all.

"Just to warn you, I'm a Gold rank!"

"Pfft! Gold? I don't see any gold around here."




"Waaahh!!! This is a very cool room!" Asagi gushed upon seeing Kanade's various wares and gizmos littered about. "Do you guys have a resident mad scientist or something?" Asagi asked as he helped with most of the heavy stuff like some gaming equipment. As they finished up, he couldn't help but be quite curious about the person who lived here.

"Hey Akeno? The resident here is that Kanade girl right? The "fun" girl? What is her concept of fun anyway?" Asagi asks as he checks out a particular mech-tank hybrid in the room. "She seems really cool~"



With all four working on the dishes, the task was finished almost in no time. Makoto looked over and saw he still had some pasta left over in the big pot.

"This may go bad tomorrow since I used tomato sauce on it. Cel-san? Do you think we can give this to the others downstairs?" Makoto hands the platter over to Cel. "Just tell them it's my thanks for letting me use the kitchen all the time."

"Oh, alright. I'll bring it over to them." Cel took the platter and vanished downstairs for a bit, while Makoto finished up with the other guys. Once they finished up however, Cel had already returned, carrying a green bottle with her.

"Hey look guys! Tohno-san traded us this bottle of creme de menthe for the pasta."

"Liquor--! Cel, we can't possibly drink in the dorm are we?"

"Eh? Why not? We're all the right age."

"Still--"

"Come on! Let's drink in my room if you're too panicked. Arakaki-san, Ikeda-kun, you guys come along too!"

Setting

Characters Present

Character Portrait: Hotaru Emirsdottir Character Portrait: Kanade Takamine Character Portrait: Akeno Furuya Character Portrait: Makoto Itsuna Character Portrait: Kujo Nobuyuki Character Portrait: Aziz Harumi
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Fuyumi was very confused... She was suddenly thrust into a world of complete noise and from what she could make out of the noise, Aziz was challenging someone to a 5v5 match. Well, whatever the case, she had a small solution to the problem at hand. After managing to find a computer that wasn't occupied, she plugged in noise cancelling headphones. Her father had given these to her on her birthday as something to help calm her down. Back when she was just struggling with her blindness, her father noticed that she was listening to a lot of music to calm her down. However, she couldn't enjoy the music because her heightened hearing meant she could listen to other people as they spoke. So, to compromise, her father gave her a pair of headphones that cancelled noise but allowed her to listen to her music. She's never been seen without them ever since. Plugging them in and turning the "music" switch on, she looked up the name of the game online and turned on a text to speech function so she could hear the results. Once she found the site, she logged on and started up a new account, working on her character. She was still a little unsure on how all of this worked and hoped one of her friends would help her out.


"Ah, Kanade-chan?"

She hummed before grinning.

"Well, she likes to play War Gunners with Nagisa-chan and the others, likes to build models and likes to invent things~ I don't really speak with her that much though, sorry! But I'm sure you guys will get along great~ You both are awesome!"

Akeno giggled softly as Hotaru gushed over Kanade while moving a couple of boxes to help with setting up Misaka's room.


"Pass."

Yoite sighed a bit as Madoka, rather bluntly, refused the offer of alcohol.

"Why not? It's fine if you drink a little bit of it."

"Drinking is bad for your health and I'm not going to sacrifice my health."

"Drinking's only bad in excess. Plus, you need to have some form of fun in your life."

"The films I make are fun for me."

Madoka narrowed his eyes at Yoite, causing the green haired male to sigh.

"I'm going to go see if that girl needs any help."

With that, Madoka left while Yoite grinned a bit at them.

"Well, he's out. But I'll drink with you guys."

Setting

Characters Present

Character Portrait: Hotaru Emirsdottir Character Portrait: Kanade Takamine Character Portrait: Akeno Furuya Character Portrait: Kujo Nobuyuki Character Portrait: Aziz Harumi Character Portrait: Fuyumi Hirabayashi
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Fuyumi sighed in relief, happy that everyone had achieved victory.

"That was a lot of fun~ I'm just relieved I didn't get in the way too much. Still, I really have to thank all of you for your guidance. I don't think I could have picked up on any of it without your help."

She smiled warmly.

"I certainly hope we can continue to play this game for a while."


Yoite laughed a little at Cel's joke.

"Right, right. Well, good night everyone."

He went back to his room and sighed.

"Have fun?"

Yoite smiled a little at his roommate.

"Yeah. You really should have joined us, Madoka."

Madoka shook his head.

"Drinking isn't for me. Besides, I needed to wrap up some homework."

Yoite shrugged a bit.

"In any case, I'm off to bed. Don't stay up too much."

Madoka just grunted as Yoite went to sleep.


Hotaru gently smiled and rubbed Misaka's arm a bit in small comfort before her usual smile came back up.

"More of the same. I'm working really hard and taking a lot of classes to get my degree for interior design. To fund these classes and the dorm room I'm staying at, I'm still working with my uncle and doing let's plays."

She giggled.

"I heard that a whole new chapter of life opens up once you get to college but so far it's been more of the same. Not that I'm complaining though, I like the same things. Still, I can't wait until we all get to hang out~"

She clapped her hands in excitement.

"Hey, Misa-chan~ Maybe we should load up Skype to let Tori-chan know you made it over here safe."


Akeno suppressed the bitter feeling. Maybe she wanted to be outside during curfew. Maybe she needed to do something that went against the rules every now and then to see if she wanted to do it. But of course, she can't talk back because she's inferior to absolutely everyone. Still, she put on her mask and faced Sora with a bright smile.

"Ah, was it really that late? Sorry! I wanted to see if I can pick up something so Noa-chan can eat."

She blinked as Sora started to talk about crows or something. Honestly, who was she kidding. The girl with the blue ribbon may be talking to her but it wasn't out of any need to get to know her. It was just arbitrary behavior to make her feel comfortable. That's all it would ever be.

"Really? I didn't know that. Still, I wonder if there are any other birds in this city. I'd love to see a blue bird myself. Maybe the crows should get a little bit of something every now and then so they don't feel too upset though."

What was she even talking about? This was probably why a lot of people hated being around her. When she wasn't too stupid to know what went on in the world because her mother thought teaching her how to be a good housewife was more important than learning about better social skills and observation, she said a lot of inane shit because of her not being able to talk a lot of people in the past or in the present.

"Still, thank you, Sora-chan~ Hopefully I don't get scolded too badly..."

Akeno swallowed the bitterness and self loathing back. The girl was exhausted enough as it is, she didn't need to put up with Akeno's bullshit. The least she could do is go home with no fuss.

Setting

Characters Present

Character Portrait: Kirika Katsuragi Character Portrait: Hotaru Emirsdottir Character Portrait: Kanade Takamine Character Portrait: Akeno Furuya Character Portrait: Makoto Itsuna Character Portrait: Kujo Nobuyuki
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"Is that so? Then, never mind." Admittedly, Sora wasn't also feeling too up to cooking dinner in the wee hours of the night. Exhausted by the night's events, Sora changed out of her work clothes and slid into her bed.

"Someone was murdered on 14th Avenue. Watch where you tread Nagisa. If only I could always be around..." Sora recalled an incident she overheard and almost partially witnessed.

Murder.

She recalled someone say the word out loud amidst streams of lights coming from the ambulance and police cars surrounding the area. It was very close to Kurogane Technical--where Nagisa studied, making Sora quite concerned for her roommate.



(OOC: As almost everyone is asleep at this point, I'll be skipping ahead to the next day...)

Tuesday - Blue Lotus Dormitory: Parking Lot 6:00 AM

Cel woke up early and was immediately greeted by a familiar automobile sound pulling over into the parking lot beside the dormitory proper. She espied two figures walking out of the car and immediately headed over to the door to unlock it for their visitor.

Their landlord to be exact.

"Mitsuru-san? Back from Chiba already?" Cel immediately greeted the brown-haired male upon entering though her eyes immediately noticed his scruffed up look and the various bandages covering his face.

"Yeah. Dealing with appointments like that is such a drag." As if catching on to Cel's perception, he removes his hat and straightens his hair a bit, taking care not to hit the throbbing areas on his face. "Sorry about leaving you to hold the fort here for a month Cel-san. Hope the residents have been good."

"Well, there wasn't much incident...Oh! We got three newcomers who transferred in. Don't worry about it though. Ryota-san came over to personally oversee their transfer."

"Typical dad. Yeah, he called me up on it too." As he and Cel talked for a bit, the other person, a girl, who came in with Mitsuru merely sighed and started towards the stairs, looking a little bit pale.

"I take it Kirika-san's--?"

Seeing this, Mitsuru could only let out a sigh. "I knew I should've taken the convertible. Anyway, some of the residents are awake now right? Mind calling them over? I have some announcements to make."



"Hmm...Wonder what's going on this time?" Aziz wondered as he fumbled a little on his phone while he sat on one of the couches in the lounge.

"Beats me. I have a feeling what it is though." Makoto thought out loud upon seeing the familiar navy-blue Jaguar parked outside from the window.

"Care to enlighten me?" Sora asked. Before Makoto could answer, Mitsuru reappears before them, having changed into a new set of formal wear though he still kept the bandages on his face.

"Well--to get straight to the point--there's going to be a few changes around this place. First, I want to announce that starting today, Black Rose is officially closing." Mitsuru immediately got to the point. He never was one to linger too much.

WHAT???!!!

A collective gasp immediately rang out from the residents. Black Rose was the small cafeteria located on the second floor where most of the residents hanged out with their friends to watch. It was also popular among them for serving delicious meals and coffees.

"Tch! So noisy...You didn't let me finish." Mitsuru tries to placate the crowd. "Anyway, it's closing down on the second floor since we're moving it over there." Mitsuru points at the small bungalow type dwelling which had been under construction for the past three months. "So expect it to be a little more noisy in the day."

"But, will the system change or anything?" Sora asked, even if she doesn't really make use of its services that much.

"If you mean the meal and coffee coupons then no. You can still use them. Only difference is you now need to walk all the way outside. Not too much of a hassle though plus, the exercise will do you good."

"Umm...I can still borrow the kitchen there right?" Makoto asks next.

"No. But you can still use the one on the second floor--it's not like I'll be turning it into anything else."

"But why the sudden decision to close it down though?" Cel spoke up next. "So I guess it isn't really popular among us but--"

"Exactly the point though." Mitsuru cuts Cel at that. "By taking it outside, the brains behind this whole operation wanted it to at least gain some public appreciation which brings me to my next point. Because of this, your rent will significantly decrease."

"That's probably the best piece of news I've heard all week."

"However--I've been hearing reports about certain people breaking the rules on a daily basis." Mitsuru eyes the rest suspiciously. "Such as people breaking curfew rules, blaring overly loud music, letting in too many outsiders at a given time, bringing in loud equipment and damaging the facilities."

"I thought I've already explained this several times." Sora immediately defends her side. Makoto could only glance at Aziz who was surprisingly acting like a frozen stalactite.

"W-well...I guess that might be a problem...haha..."

"So, I'm thinking of implementing harsher regulations. I'm considering removing the 3-count rule for one. But of course, I need to take your needs into account as well. So, I want to talk to your parents first. My office, 10 AM -5 PM on Friday. That should be good enough right?"

"But--But they're in Dubai!"

"Mine's in Tokyo."

"And mine is...well, we're not exactly on speaking terms right now."

"Not my problem. Anyway, I've said my piece here. Do you have any questions?"

Setting

Characters Present

Character Portrait: Kirika Katsuragi Character Portrait: Hotaru Emirsdottir Character Portrait: Kanade Takamine Character Portrait: Akeno Furuya Character Portrait: Makoto Itsuna Character Portrait: Kujo Nobuyuki
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Hotaru hummed a bit to herself. So, there were going to be some stricter rules on the place. Well, she was certain that everything would work itself out. After all, it was only Aziz who was guilty of all of this so she had no real need to worry about anything. Still, her parents would no doubt freak out over this.

"It'll all be fine. I just have to tell them that I'm innocent in all of this~ Still, there are a couple of questions that come up to mind."

Hotaru just politely raised a hand.

"Yeah, Mr. Mitsuru, I have a small question. Do I need to change my work schedule to make up for the new regulations? I understand if you say yes and I'm sure my uncle and fans will too~"

Akeno just blankly stared at their landlord. This was her fault, wasn't it. She knew she shouldn't have tried to go against the system even if it was to satisfy her own needs. Still, a lot of them were adults or close to being adults, right? What point was there in a stupid curfew. Still, there was no point in arguing about it now as she knew she had to get in contact with her mother or at the very least the man who birthed her. She shook her head, put on her mask and grinned to show that she had no questions.

Yoite was a little bit concerned about the new and harsher regulations but not by much. He chuckled a bit as he thought Noa would like that the dorm was taking its rules a bit more seriously but he did have an inquiry.

"To echo a bit of Hotaru-kun's concerns, will the new regulations be a bit harsher in regards to hobbies?"

Madoka quirked an eyebrow up. He honestly didn't expect Yoite to show too much concern on the matter but he supposed even the carefree man should take this at least a little bit seriously.

"You're awfully concerned, Arakaki."

Yoite smiled a bit.

"I'd just like to get a good understanding of what's going to be happening."

"O-Oh my. I'm so sorry for being late..."

Fuyumi's statement was cut off by a rather loud yawn. Hotaru smiled.

"Ah, Fuyumi-chan! We have some good news! The good news is that the pay on our dorm rooms has been reduced so we don't have to pay much~ Sure it comes with new regulations and an old café of ours being closed but at least you can still have a lot of money to pay for classes and what have you."

Fuyumi was rather confused but appreciated that Hotaru was trying to keep the mood positive.

"That's quite a relief, Miss Emirsdottir. Ah, but I'm a little concerned since I still haven't gotten fully used to this place. I wonder..."

Fuyumi tried to focus her attention on Mitsuru.

"Sir, forgive me if I'm being unreasonable but I'm blind and I still only just got here. I would need a couple of days to get a feel for the surroundings. Is there any way I'll be an inconvenience to you because of it?"

Menou just sat on top of the stairs and listened in to their conversation. With that large of a group, there was no way in hell she was going to be caught down there but at least she would be in on their idea... from a very, very far distance. Still, the regulations would be fine for her. She rarely if ever went outside of the dorm anyway even when it was time for school. The only thing that deeply shook her was that she needed to get her parents to come to the dorm on Friday. Her parents... How long had it been since she even heard of them ever since they kicked her out? Now she had to bother them with her needs. Still, maybe she could convince the landlord that her needs didn't matter and they should go ahead with the plan with or without her...? Anything to keep her parents as far away from her as possible.

Setting

Characters Present

Character Portrait: Kirika Katsuragi Character Portrait: Hotaru Emirsdottir Character Portrait: Kanade Takamine Character Portrait: Akeno Furuya Character Portrait: Makoto Itsuna Character Portrait: Kujo Nobuyuki
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It wasn't exactly going to school that bothered Kanade- it was the fact that the bed seemed to be at its most comfortable when she was just waking up in the morning. She'd ditched her eye mask to ensure that she woke up, but the fact that her sheets have not felt this fluffy and the scent of her hair and the room on her pillow almost lulled her back to sleep.

At least until she heard a tossing and turning on the other bed in the room. She rolled over to bury her face in the pillow, attempting to keep her eyes open but giving up as she let out a muffled "Fuck," into the soft fabric. She almost forgot she had a roommate, at least now.

Hearing the sound of footsteps outside though alerted her that at the very least, someone else was awake. Normally she'd have told herself that it was fine- nobody gave a damn whether she was awake or not; if anything they wanted her to stay asleep so that the dorm could have some peace and quiet. "Unlucky them, this is how I roll."

With that thought in mind she lifted her weary body off the sheets, all but glaring down at the pillow for even attempting to drag a beautiful genius like herself back to sleep and cause her to be an embarrassment. Amamiya didn't stir, and when she glanced over at the other bed she saw that the redhead had curled herself into a blanket cocoon of some sort. With a scoff and a quick tuck of a stray blonde lock behind her ear, she heard a knock.

"Hey, Kanade, if you're awake, I think we're being called down to the lobby."

"Seriously?"

She sighed, glancing at herself in the mirror.

"I look like shit. Gimme a minute or two and I'll be right out."




Once almost everyone had gathered in the lobby, the quick "briefing" was started by none other than the landlord, Mitsuru Katsuragi. A part of Nagisa wanted to know what had happened to his face- but she bit back the question to listen to the rest of his announcements.

For one, Black Rose from upstairs was closing and moving to a new location. That was fine, it wasn't like Nagisa was there often anyway- and she knew Kanade was always finding some place cheaper if she wasn't at the local Wac.

The second announcement was a decrease in rent; Nagisa felt her chest loosen a bit at that. Sora put it best. That was probably the best news she's heard all week, though taking a glance at her roommate, the black-haired girl remembered the warning from last night.

"A murder on 14th Avenue..."

She had to look out. She remembered another quiet remark from her roommate, and Nagisa instinctively gripped the hem of her black skirt.

"I wish I could find a way to not be too much of a burden to you guys," She thought before she shook the thought out of her head- that was for another time. The only way she'd be able to not be one was by watching out for herself like Sora advised. She felt Kanade glancing at her from the corner of her eye, and waved a dismissive hand at her friend.

"I'm fine," She mumbled.

Katsuragi started listing off a few of the broken rules, and while Nagisa couldn't really find any sin she committed in the dorm- aside from dusty windows, perhaps- she could already see the people that were affected. Right next to her, Kanade froze, and from her rolled up sleeves Nagisa could see that the hairs on her arm stood on end. From across the room, she saw Kujo's jaw clench and his hand curl a bit into a fist which he tucked into his pocket.

Soichiro was leaned up against the wall and simply tugged his scarf up. Then Katsuragi mentioned that he'd like to talk to their parents- and almost immediately was met with a few complaints.

"W-Wha--! But they're in India!"

Nagisa glanced at her friend. Kanade's parents were kind souls, but maybe a compromise of a telephone call or live chat would be enough. Soichiro mumbled a "Very well," while Kujo shrugged. She remembered the ruffian had told her that his parents didn't really care that much about what he did.

As for herself...

"Matsuda and Yuuichi didn't tell me of any big orders, so maybe dad or mom can come around. Would be nice to see 'em."

A few questions were raised by Hotaru's crowd- mostly with regards to hobbies. Fuyumi was there too, and Nagisa glanced at Kanade a bit. The blonde was looking back at her.

"You think they'd have a problem with the paint fumes? I could just find an outside place..."

"Not sure yet-- let's wait for their definitive answer on hobbies."

Setting

Characters Present

Character Portrait: Kanade Takamine Character Portrait: Akeno Furuya Character Portrait: Makoto Itsuna Character Portrait: Kujo Nobuyuki Character Portrait: Aziz Harumi Character Portrait: Fuyumi Hirabayashi
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As Mitsuru listened in on the resident's concerns, it seemed most of them had to do with their hobbies and other activities they engage in outside their academic life. On the other hand, a couple of students like Sora and Hotaru are a bit more concerned with the curfew due to their part-time jobs.

"Honestly, I don't particularly care what your hobbies are unless it starts getting annoying when it infringes on the dorm rules. So far, running a blog or channel is perfectly fine if that's what you're asking." Mitsuru addresses the issues about virtual hobbies first. "Playing computer games outside's fine with me too though try to make it back before curfew. Projects that need spray painting or stuff is...I guess it's alright but do try not to get the attic or the fire exit to dirty will you? At least, put some newspapers or something before you spray."

"And what about us?" Sora raises their concern again.

"Nothing much I can do since you've got already discussed this with my old man." Mitsuru sighed. "Again, try to make it back before curfew--"

"With all due respect sir, our schedules tend to be too sporadic at times so we may end up arriving later than normal. Understand that we're not doing this to put more work on the staff but--"

"Yeah, I know. It's just a little complicated." Mitsuru thought to himself for a moment before turning towards the two girls. "Alright. Come see me in my office around 6 in the evening. We'll sort this out there."

"I usually arrive later than that--?"

"I'll think of something. Anyway--" Just as he was about to dismiss, Fuyumi went up over to him and introduced herself, voicing her own concern about her condition and the place.

"Yes, Hirabayashi-kun, Old Man has notified me about your arrival. I understand that you're still trying to get a feel for this place but time is against us on our end as well." Mitsuru reiterates his stance. "Black Rose launches next week and we're kind of struggling to keep up with that time frame as well. We'll mostly be moving stuff from the second floor and our walls should be soundproofed enough that the noise outside wouldn't be too intolerable. All the heavy work should've been finished by last week so all that's left is to wire the place up and decorations."

"Can't you just postpone the work for a couple more days sir? That should be enough time for Fuyumi-chan to get accustomed to the dorm." Aziz interrupts.

"I don't think it's that simple though."

"Itsuna-kun is right. For starters, this project has already been in motion for two months starting from the complicated paperwork and the construction. I have to consider the consultants and the workers as well. Sorry Hirabayashi-san. I just can't delay this project any longer."

"You are Hirabayashi, correct?" Sora turns towards Fuyumi. "I'm a culinary student at St. Gabriel's as well. If you need any help getting around then I believe I can be of service. My name's Sora. Kyosuke Sora. If I'm not at school then I'm usually apprenticing at Lou's in Queen's."

"Wouldn't it be harder for Fuyumi-chan to reach you there though?"

"Sora's just trying to help. Besides, at least we have some options."

"Glad to see you've got this little community thing going on at least. Anyway--if your parents can't come then it's alright. But do try to get them to. Just so we're clear on the rules and regulations. And I guess that's all for now. If you have any other inquiries, I'll be in my office." Having finished his piece, Mitsuru vanishes back to his office, leaving the residents to their own devices.

"Well--nothing like a good peppy talk before we leave--" Aziz was the first to stand up. "Bro, Hotaru-chan, Makinami-san and Itsuna-kun, since we're all here, why don't we all ride to school together?" He asks the other Kurogane students. "It'll be less dangerous than walking outside alone don't you think?"

"I think I'll take a cab from here. Sora, why don't you ride with me? We can split the fare if you want." Cel offers Sora a ride though the two attend different schools.

"Sure, why not?" Sora accepts the offer.

Setting

Characters Present

Character Portrait: Hotaru Emirsdottir Character Portrait: Kanade Takamine Character Portrait: Akeno Furuya Character Portrait: Makoto Itsuna Character Portrait: Kujo Nobuyuki Character Portrait: Aziz Harumi
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Hotaru sighed in relief. At least Mitsuru was willing to help out herself and Sora in regards to their jobs. Still, it was quite a bit worrisome in regards to everything that was happening. Still, Hotaru could look on the bright side. The dorm could have easily banned anyone who disobeyed the rules altogether but at least they were willing to compromise. Hotaru smiled when she heard Aziz make the offer. Despite him peeping on everyone earlier, she didn't have too harsh of feelings towards the short male.

"Sounds great, Aziz-kun~ Ah, I should probably let Menou-chan know about the new changes! Oh, and Noa-chan too since she's still sick and all. Hopefully she won't be too disoriented."

Fuyumi smiled warmly at Sora's offer.

"That's very kind of you, Miss Kyosuke. I hope to not be too much of a bother to you."

She politely bowed in front of Sora before smiling warmly at her.

"I think I might be able to find you if I listen hard enough and ask for directions so I'll be relying on you a bit."

Fuyumi giggled a bit to herself as Akeno soon got a text message from her mother. She snuck away to enter her room and frowned at the phone, loading up the messages.

"Akeno, dearie~ I trust you slept well. Beautiful women after all need their sleep~"

Akeno cringed a bit at that. Beautiful... That was all Akeno would be to her future husband. Just beautiful... not funny, not kind, not charismatic, not anyone of substance; just eye candy. Still, Akeno knew better than to talk back to her mother so she texted her back.

"Yes, Mother. I slept well. Thank you. Can I ask you to come over to Blue Lotus on Friday?"

She looked at the phone and saw the reply shortly.

"Of course... What is this about? Did you get in trouble? You know, getting in trouble doesn't do the Furuya name much good."

Akeno frowned before replying.

"No, Mother. I've been good since my time here. They're just thinking of making the rules a bit more strict and want to get the opinions of the parents of the residents in Blue Lotus."

Her mother's reply came in shortly after she sent it.

"Oh, wonderful~! I'd be happy to attend to get my thoughts out there. Only the best of dorms for my perfect little doll."

Akeno gripped the phone tighter as her mother replied that. She was about to text her mother back before a new message appeared.

"By the way, Akeno. I heard that your little friend is coming to your dorm and school tonight. Hopefully he won't be too much of an inconvenience to you."

Akeno froze a bit before typing her reply.

"I understand. Thank you, Mother."

She didn't even bother reading her mother's reply before smiling happily to herself. It had been a long time since she actually saw him. She wondered what had happened since they separated in high school and was seriously looking forward to seeing her "cousin" again.

"K-Katsu..."

Back on the main floor, Madoka frowned a bit at Aziz's offer. He didn't trust the grape but he also felt uneasy. Why did he say it would be safer for all the Kurogane students to go to the school together...? Still, he noticed Menou standing on the stairs, trembling a bit. He figured the girl was probably there to apologize to Makoto. Still, it wasn't any of his business as he noticed Yoite wave at him. Madoka quirked an eyebrow.

"Let's walk to school together."

Madoka just nodded with a grunt and started to walk with Yoite following him and laughing a bit. Menou walked down the stairs, uneasy as she tapped Makoto's shoulder.

"U-Um... I'm sorry about last night... I-I understand if you're mad at me but I'm sorry for a-abandoning you t-to hang out with Aziz..."

She shook a bit with fear, still unused to being in large crowds. Hotaru went to action and rubbed Menou's back gently as the girl shook.

Setting

Characters Present

Character Portrait: Hotaru Emirsdottir Character Portrait: Kanade Takamine Character Portrait: Akeno Furuya Character Portrait: Makoto Itsuna Character Portrait: Kujo Nobuyuki Character Portrait: Aziz Harumi
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While everyone was speaking, Kanade took a quick glance at the stairs as she heard footsteps. She noticed Koizumi come out and talk to Makoto, but her attention fell on the person quickly emerging from behind them.

"Morning Amamiya."

Misaka was rubbing sleep out of her eyes as she ran a hand through her red hair again. Nagisa glanced back briefly and raised an eyebrow at Kanade. The blonde shrugged.

"Did I miss anything?"

"Nothin', just a few announcements and such. There was a cafe on the second floor and now it's gone."

"Good thing I go to Orange Blossom then..."

Misaka didn't outright voice out her thoughts, but Kanade read the expression on her roommate's face- confusion. She glanced over at Nagisa again.

"Oh, so you must be Kanade's new roommate huh? I'm Nagisa Makinami. If you need help getting used to this place, you can always just give me a holler. I'm in the room next to yours."

She smiled a bit, jabbing her friend in the shoulder.

"And if you got problems with Kanade, you can always report them to me."

"Sheesh, it's not like I'm the worst roommate in the world."

Just then Aziz came by and offered for all of the Kurogane students to just head to school together. Nagisa gave a quick nod in Misaka's direction, and walked off to join the group.

"Hey Makinami! You tagging?"

"Yeah, that's probably the most practical way..."

It left Kanade and Misaka to their own devices, as Soichiro had already gone up to his room to prepare to leave for Partisan Rose. She glanced over at Misaka.

"I-I'll be heading out in a few too..."

"This early?"

"Y-Yeah."

"Right, cool- if you get back early I might just give you a brief rundown on who the scrubs are here. See ya around."

Misaka nodded and was glad to scurry away..

Setting

Characters Present

Character Portrait: Kirika Katsuragi Character Portrait: Hotaru Emirsdottir Character Portrait: Akeno Furuya Character Portrait: Menou Koizumi Character Portrait: Asagi Arakawa Character Portrait: Kazuya Tamashiro
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Hotaru smiled a little at the dorm owner.

"Alright, but Gecky-kun really needs help so please do whatever you can. Good luck, Gecky-kun~!"

While she said that, she slipped some of her money in his right pocket, away from Mitsuru's eyes before taking off with the rest of it. She knew Mitsuru told her to spend it for herself but she couldn't just do that without helping out someone who really needed the extra hand. Still, she walked downstairs to see Madoka coming home from his classes. Hotaru grinned.

"Hi, Madoka-kun! I got my first official job~"

Madoka raised an eyebrow as he saw the bubbly brunette jog to him.

"Job? What're you talking about? Don't you have a job?"

Hotaru smiled and laughed.

"I meant my first official job for my career~ I helped design Black Rose a bit!"

Madoka blinked before smirking a bit.

"Did you now. How do you know it was actually a job?"

Hotaru grinned happily before showing him the money she earned.

"Mitsuru-san paid me for my hard work. Wanna go out somewhere?"

Madoka stared at the girl for a bit before shrugging.

"Why not? I have nothing better to do."

Hotaru cheered happily as she led Madoka out. As they left the dorm, a man with dark blue hair walked in, listing to his music while his eyes were closed. Once he opened his eyes, he saw the dorm room greet him.

"This is Blue Lotus... Least that's what the directions should say."

The man just let out a heavy sigh as he stepped into the dorm, lazily glancing around until he found a couch. Immediately, he sat down on it to pass out for a while.


Menou was a bit startled when Asagi suddenly asked her what major she was in. She looked to the side, nervous.

"I... I kind of haven't decided that yet..."

She played with her hair a bit. There was absolutely no way that she was going to tell him that she hadn't decided because she might kill herself by her next birthday. So, what to say to lie to him...?

"My parents didn't really get me into a lot of stuff as a child so I never really got to experience that much. So, I don't really know what I want to do with my life once I get out of college."

It was for the most part the truth. Her parents never really showed her much in regards to the world as they found it full of sin and Menou ended up being corrupted by the sin. Still, what she hid was that she didn't know if she even wanted to live long enough to find out what to do with her life. Shaking it off, she smiled a bit at Asagi.

"What about you? What do you want to do?"


Akeno was very surprised at the turn of events. First, she managed to get Kazuya's name, or Kazu as he preferred to be called. Somehow, it fit him well. Second, she got some new information out of him. He's apparently going to work in the new Black Rose café in the dorm as part of the cooking and brewing. Would this mean that he was going to live here? Honestly, Akeno hoped so. It was genuinely nice to have someone she could be somewhat real around. Third, he called Akeno her friend...

"Friend... Heh... It's actually been quite a while since I heard someone actually call me that... I wonder if he'll stick around..."

Lastly, he introduced her to an old friend of his. She studied the other girl in front of her. Black hair, brown eyes, 5'4'', looked like she could be a model... In other words, she looked to be the exact opposite of Akeno herself. She felt out of place with her light blue hair, pink eyes, petite figure and doll-like appearance. If her mother wasn't so controlling, perhaps at one point she could have been beautiful like this woman. Alas, such was not the case. Yet, she didn't feel bitter about it. She briefly remembered what Kazuya said about images.

"If I had to guess, her image is that of a model. Still, she seems almost like a ghost in some regards. Regardless, she seems important to Kazu..."

She decided to try and be real around this girl too. She flashed the girl a weary but genuine smile.

"Hi... I'm Akeno Furuya, though I think Kazu already said that. Don't worry about my phone talking for me, it's a long and complicated story. In any case, I hope we can get along well... Kirika..."

She felt a small burden being somewhat lifted off of her shoulders as she acted as her natural self. Though she also felt a bit worried. She never normally acted like her usual self, always as the peppy and cutesy doll her mother forced her to become. What would happen if her mother saw her try on regular clothes and act like a normal person around other people? She decided that she would only do it in front of these two, just in case.

Setting

Characters Present

Character Portrait: Hotaru Emirsdottir Character Portrait: Akeno Furuya Character Portrait: Kazuya Tamashiro Character Portrait: Madoka Ikeda Character Portrait: Misaka Amamiya
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Blue Lotus - 6:20 PM

Hotaru hummed a small tune she had heard yesterday as she waited for her friend to arrive. When she finally saw the short red hair, she grinned and hugged Madoka tightly.

"Ah-!"

"Welcome back, Madoka-kun~!"

Madoka nodded a bit.

"Yeah, I'm back. How were things at Kurogane?"

Hotaru looked down a bit, smiling a little.

"Um... I don't necessarily want to talk about it right now."

Madoka frowned a little.

"I see... Well, who's the other girl you're with?"

Hotaru's usual smile came right back as she let go of Madoka to hold Misaka's hand for comfort.

"Madoka-kun? She's Misa-chan! She's a friend of mine since Seven Stars and is really talented with music~"

Madoka relaxed a little when Hotaru said that.

"Is that so? Well, I definitely hope we can get along. I've actually been a bit curious about life at Seven Stars. Emirsdo- Ah, Hotaru, I mean, doesn't really want to convey any details."


Old Black Rose - 6:20 PM

Akeno smiled warmly at Kazuya as he spoke up.

"Yeah! I'll meet you in the cafeteria. Thank you so much for doing this. Good night."

Once he left, Akeno got up and left as well. She went straight to her room and noticed that Noa wasn't there yet. She sighed in relief, not really wanting to face her when her mood was already terrible. She just hugged herself and let small and shaky sobs escape her.

"Why...? Why is this happening...? I made a friend and I'm wearing different clothes but I still feel miserable... Mother... If you have any compassion left in your body, please don't send me away from Kazuya and Tadakatsu... I... I don't want to lose them..."

Akeno wiped at her eyes underneath her glasses, shaking her head.

"I'll just see where Friday brings us..."

Setting

Characters Present

Character Portrait: Hotaru Emirsdottir Character Portrait: Madoka Ikeda Character Portrait: Misaka Amamiya
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Hotaru's Dorm Room- 6:30 PM

While Madoka chatted with Misaka, Hotaru decided to lead the two up to her room and smiled happily. Madoka seemed fascinated with Seven Stars and seemed to treat Misaka nicely enough.

"Ah, Emirsdottir? You know I'm not allowed to stay in your room, right?"

Hotaru smiled.

"Yeah, but you guys seemed to be getting along really well and I wanted to play some video games with you guys~"

Madoka shook his head and sighed a little.

"You certainly seem to enjoy those kind of things. Still, I'll try it out at least once."

Hotaru cheered a bit while turning to Misaka.

"You wanna play too, Misa-chan?"

Setting

Characters Present

Character Portrait: Hotaru Emirsdottir Character Portrait: Kujo Nobuyuki Character Portrait: Aziz Harumi Character Portrait: Hayato Morikawa Character Portrait: Madoka Ikeda Character Portrait: Misaka Amamiya
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"Video games?"

Misaka's eyes lit up almost immediately. She hadn't really gotten around to playing video games in earnest due to all of the new things she was going through now that she was in the dorm, and taking a quick look over at their room door, it seemed like her roommate and her friend wasn't coming out yet.

But if it was with Hotaru, she at least only needed one new person to deal with. It would be just like getting along with their band for the first time.

With that thought in mind, she nodded excitedly.

"What game are we playing?"




"That's true..."

Hayato nodded quietly. This was the only lead they had, and if they at least managed to do something for Kurogane, there was a chance to regain territorial advantage over Enigma.

And now that everyone was in a panic, it would be easier to get the Hounds to cooperate. At least, that's what he hoped for.

After a moment of thought, he gave a slow nod.

"Alright. Westside will help out. Is there something in particular that you need us to do?"




"Oh? Welcome back Bro!"

Kujo looked up from the newspaper in his hands the moment Aziz stepped in. So classes were cancelled tomorrow...that freed up his time a little. He had been steaming way too much to even hear the announcement.

"Yeah...well, a lot happened. For one--"

His blood boiled a little at the memory of Morikawa's sudden appearance and Arai's annoying scoldings, but he took a deep breath to calm himself.

"The Hounds are sticking their nose into this whole sudden murder business. Morikawa came around earlier, and though I'm not completely sure what happened, the Student Council Prez dealt with him. And as for the other thing that happened..."

He lowered his voice while speaking.

"There was another death. Tatara Isuko was pushed off of the building at a high floor. Tch! Some bastards were claiming it was suicide, but that girl Ichinose was her classmate and she was saying that Isuko was in perfect condition even before this happened. Nobody saw it coming."