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Laeticia "Cel" Concepcion

"Try not to unnerve the other residents 'kay?"

0 · 1,715 views · located in Unnamed City

a character in “Arc 4”, as played by SkyCladSaya06

Description

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Name || Laeticia Celine Concepcion

Age || 22

Gender || Female

Sexuality || Heterosexual

Appearance || Cel stands at 5'9" with a lithe, athletic build and weighs around 120 lbs. She has long light blonde hair she keeps in a braid and gray eyes. Her usual garb is a sleeveless dress shirt and shorts. Her foreign looks and appearance makes her quite known within Blue Lotus though she herself, denies having such a reputation.

Face Claim || Ruler from Fate/Grand Order || Fate/Apocrypha

Personality || Although appearing to be a rather quiet girl, Cel possesses a good degree of sociability and responsibility--making her quite a popular figure at Blue Lotus. She's quite chatty and often has some stories to tell of her own. Additionally, she displays a healthy dose of skepticism which allows her to be quite brave and calm in face of the inexplicable experiences happening around them.

She does have a bit of a temper though and one wouldn't really want to cross her or anything. She can be a bit of a stickler for the rules which may put her at odds with the more unorthodox people at the dormitory. She's not too brave to never experience fear or cautiousness though and for some strange reason, she often avoids being in her unit for too long.

Room Number || Room 102 (Solo Unit)

Roommate || N/A


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Likes:
Rumors || Cel's got quite the fascination for rumors and stories concerning the place and in over two years worth of living in the place, has already accumulated quite the number of experiences and stories.

Horror || Horror is Cel's favorite genre and she keeps a sizeable collection of movies stashed in her unit.

Pastries || She loves having them for snacks. There is a nearby bakery she often purchases these from.

Dislikes:
Noise || Cel usually scolds unruly and noisy folk who passes in the lounge. She rarely scolds anyone on the other floors though but people can often come to talk to her if they're being distracted by the loud noise other residents make and would often accompany them to confront the unruly unit.

Swimming || Not that she's afraid of it; Cel even knows how to swim! But something happened in the indoor pool that made her swear it off for good.

Staying in her room for far too long || Due to her added personal touches, Cel's room is regarded as one of the coziest rooms in Blue Lotus. But for some reason, she mostly stays at the lounge or in the desk during her idle time.

History || Cel used to live in the countryside with her family which consists of her parents and two older brothers. She was the youngest child of a middle-class foreign couple. Upon reaching her tertiary level of education, she decided it was time to leave the nest and be independent and upon moving to the city, she rented a unit in Blue Lotus due to the reasonable price and semi-furnished rooms. Upon experiencing the initiation rites for new residents though, she later asked to be transferred to a different room.

Throughout her stay in the city, Cel had already made small yet modest gains for herself. The unit she was transferred in, Room 1C, was already bought with savings from her part-time job and stipend from her parents, making her a permanent resident at the dorm. She had also gotten a job working the reception area for Blue Lotus during days where she doesn't need to take classes. She's also seen and heard quite the number of rumors as well.

Colors || Speech = Goldenrod / Thought = Orangered

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So begins...

Laeticia "Cel" Concepcion's Story

Setting

Characters Present

Character Portrait: Kanade Takamine Character Portrait: Makoto Itsuna Character Portrait: Kujo Nobuyuki Character Portrait: Fuyumi Hirabayashi Character Portrait: Laeticia "Cel" Concepcion Character Portrait: Nagisa Makinami
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"Yeah. And I really got to get this to her early."

Genji laughed as he tucked it away again. Removing his hat and mask, he moved to climb in into his own bed.

"Yeah, I suppose I am tired. And I have to head to Black Rose early tomorrow...I'll be turning in now. Good night."




"Yeah. Yeah, that works!"

Kujo paused for a moment as he realized how loud he had spoken. He rubbed his neck sheepishly and chuckled.

"Thanks, Hirabayashi. I'm sure he'll appreciate it. I'll leave it to ya then! I'll drop by and pick it up before we head to Kurogane tomorrow. Well, good night. I'm headin' back to crack a few heads at CS!"

He waved as he left for his room.




"Good lord, this is why I can't trust either you or Akame to go alone..."

"H-Hey! You're the one who wanted to tag along, you mythic...flat chest..."

Nagisa shook her head. It just so happened it had to be one of those nights. It was drink after drink after drink and now she had to deal with the buzzed blonde currently leaning heavily on her shoulder, knuckles almost white from gripping Nagisa's now wrinkled sleeve.

"Your fault you drank way too much..."

"That's not, way too much. This isn't blackout drunk!"

Kanade stumbled on her feet again, and Nagisa steeled her grip to steady her friend.

"This is the kind of shit that gets put in manga."

"Fuckin' hell...still, I can trust you and the others to help me out without doing anything bad."

"See? You trust me enough. You get drunker faster."

"No I don't! You get drunk faster!"

Kanade's words slurred slightly as she whipped her head up to look at Nagisa. She paused, grimacing, and leaned a bit more on her friend. They started getting closer to the Blue Lotus and Nagisa managed to hear Cel's voice mentioning something about going home for a week.

This, of course, did not escape the inebriated girl's ears.

"Ceeeel! If you're gone, where are we gonna crash if the ghosts come?!"

"Oh for fuck's sake-- Kanade! Jesus!"

She dragged her friend closer again, shooting an apologetic look at both Makoto and Cel.

"Sorry. She had a little too much to drink."

"Nagiiiii! I'm okay!"

"Desist!"

A little while after almost dragging Kanade up the stairs, she moved into their room and found Misaka, the new resident, playing something on her computer. The red-head looked up, startled.

Nagisa cracked her second apologetic smile that night.

"Yeah. You uh, gotta get used to this. Don't worry though, she's usually already passed out."

Sure enough, it seemed that Kanade had almost gone slack, head down and breathing steady.

"So...uh, can I get a hand here?"




Nagisa found herself walking into her room quietly after leaving Kanade passed out on her own bed with a very flustered Misaka, noticing that Sora was already back. Probably asleep, she reckoned.

With that thought in mind, she quietly climbed into her own bed and fell asleep when her head hit the pillow.

Setting

Characters Present

Character Portrait: Akeno Furuya Character Portrait: Makoto Itsuna Character Portrait: Kujo Nobuyuki Character Portrait: Aziz Harumi Character Portrait: Laeticia "Cel" Concepcion Character Portrait: Kazuya Tamashiro
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(OOC: Timeskip courtesy of Saya XD)
Wednesday - 6:00 AM

Both Sora and Makoto headed out to school prior to Cel taking up her position at the desk. Aziz decided not to go to school for today but instead, head to his friend Wakaba's vigil at her house outside Castle City. He left Kujo a note, asking him to take care of some things in his absence.

"I'll be back by tonight. Just tell the teachers about the vigil. I'm sure they'll understand." Aziz asks of his friend before heading out, taking nothing of any real value with him just to be safe.

As per the usual motions, Cel opened up the desk and the dorm, taking care not to wake the others up on the first floor. She debated whether she should shop for supplies to take on the ship for next week here or back in Shikoku though if she chose to do it in Shikoku, there'd be less variety of things to choose from.

"Hmm...decisions, decisions." Cel pondered a bit while waiting for the others to wake up. She reckoned if she can drag someone to go out and shop with her, she'll most likely do her shopping in Castle City.



Kurogane Technical - 7:00 AM

Makoto arrived early as per usual only to find out his professor for the day is absent, leaving them with only library research work to do. As it was something he can easily do later in the dorm, he decided to lounge around the place a bit. His classmates in that subject aren't even around, making him realize that they probably neglected to call him up about it.

"Seki...why didn't you even call or message me about this..." Sighing as he walked, Makoto wandered aimlessly at Kurogane's clean yet empty halls resounding with faint echoes from the other classes underway.

"Itsuna-kun? I guess Kirihara didn't pass you the message?" Turning around, Makoto came face to face with Taichi, the Student Council Vice President.

"Nope, she didn't. Just came over only to find Nakazawa-sensei absent." Makoto explained.

"I see." Taichi's eyes seemed to gaze at the empty classroom for a moment. "Hey, Itsuna-kun? What do you think about the President's plan? You know? The one where we talk to the west and east gangs?"

"Not so loud!" Makoto immediately scolds Taichi, glancing up at the security camera at the corner of the hall. "The school mustn't know about this remember? There's no way they'll approve!"

"I feel bad though--breaking the rules like this." Taichi replied with a laugh. "Think a bunch of brainless brutes can stop that guy? I mean, not even the police could do it."

"You may be right but, I suppose it would serve as a good deterrent. No one would want to mess with the gangs of the east and west."

"I don't know though..." Taichi interjects. "Personally, I don't think we can stop him. Especially in cases where "smart and independent women" are involved."

"What are you getting at?" Makoto perks up.

"What I'm saying is...quite peculiar of this guy to be targeting only Kurogane students no? I mean, it's not like Partisan Rose or St. Gabriel's short of beauties. From that perspective, that leaves the other trait."

"You don't say--?"

"Itsuna-kun? Do you know how many students are overlooked during the entrance exams for people who get higher scores--superficial standard as it may be?"

"That's preposterous! No one would be that heartless to kill people over not getting into a school you like!" Makoto firmly protests.

"We don't know that. Besides, it's dangerous to assume things all happen according to your perspective." Taichi counters back.

"But if this is out of vengeance or envy over the application process then why have there been only four victims as of now? Besides, just because someone dies, doesn't mean slots in the school will open up."

Taichi flinched a little upon Makoto discovering a small hole in his theory.

"And why all girls--?"

"Okay! Would you believe me if I show you some proof?" Taichi suddenly cuts in. "Proof which would cement this theory firmly in stone.

"You have something like that?"

Just as Taichi was about to take out his phone, his professor for the day shows up, informing him to head on to class. Sighing, he puts his phone back in his pocket.

"Well...duty calls. Kazenari has asked for a meeting later so I'll show it to you there." With that, Taichi vanishes to his classroom, leaving Makoto alone in the hallway again.

"Does he really have proof though? Well--it's probably just another one of his ramblings..." Makoto heads down to the cafeteria in the meantime, opting to waste time there instead.



Partisan Rose - 8:00 AM

"Akeno-chan! Good morning! You won't believe what I just saw last night! So I was on my way back, cutting corners and losing my sense of directions when I thought I saw Kirika-san walk towards a dark alley. So of course, I followed her to ask what she's doing there but when I got there, she was gone! Never mind it being Kirika-san, it wasn't even a person that looked like her! As in, there was nobody there! Urgh... I still get goosebumps when I think about it...

Oh, my classes also end at 3 so I'll wait for you in that place okay? See ya!!! :)"
Kazuya's message read as he sent it to Akeno while in the middle of class.

"Tamashiro-kun! Pay attention! Phones away!" His professor scolds him.

"Yes sir..." Kazuya groaned, defeated. Had his father been there, he was sure he would've felt disappointed as well.



St. Gabriel's - 8:30 AM

"And so you take X and use it to..." The rather dull professor went on, not minding that over half the class had already fallen asleep. Even those who managed to shake off the drowsiness were either on their way there or busying themselves with their phones and tablets. Sora, primarily belonged to the other half, her eyes closing every few minutes, only for her to snap them open again.

"God, this is a drag..." She thought as she stretched for the fifth time that day. A shrill vibration from her phone prompted her to look down and check who could be messaging her at this time.

"Tried to get permission for a leave but my boss wouldn't let me. Sorry. Let me know if you need anything else. Okay?" The message said.

"Why am I not surprised?" Sora thought as she tucked her phone away, not even bothering to grace the person on the other end with a reply.

Setting

Characters Present

Character Portrait: Hotaru Emirsdottir Character Portrait: Akeno Furuya Character Portrait: Makoto Itsuna Character Portrait: Asagi Arakawa Character Portrait: Laeticia "Cel" Concepcion Character Portrait: Kazuya Tamashiro
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Blue Lotus - 4:00 PM

"Maybe. But I'd like to keep Fuyumi's involvement to a minimum." Makoto agrees with reservations. "She's still from a different school--we'll be putting Kurogane's reputation at stake if something happens to her while we were at it." Makoto suggested though he figured it would be hard seeing that Fuyumi seems to have gotten herself involved with Kujo and a gang member from West Side.

"You guys look pretty occupied--is there something going on?" Cel suddenly asks, noticing the two.

"A-ah!, it's nothing. Something just happened at school that's all!" Makoto tries to divert her attention away, not wanting to involve her in it too. "Seriously..."

Cel gazed into his eyes for a bit and pondered. "Hmm...seems you have some reason for not telling me."

Makoto turned his gaze away for a moment. Seeing this, Cel just smiled.

"Well, if you don't want to tell me anything then that's fine. Besides, I'll be going away pretty soon so it's not like I'll be able to help you out or anything."

"Yeah. Sorry about that. It's a little sensitive--and a lot of people are getting involved enough as it is."

"Even Arai-chan and Hotaru-chan?"

Makoto nodded.

"Alright then I won't pry. When it's all over, promise me you'll tell me all about it okay?"

"Sure." Having said that, Makoto slumped over at one of the sofas in the lounge. The woman by the desk would be leaving tomorrow and he won't be able to see her for over a week after that. He just hopes they would be able to resolve the situation by the time she gets back.

"Sorry but, mind if I rest up here for a bit? I was literally running around all day and I'm rather tired." Makoto excused himself.

"Hey, dorm property. Won't try to stop you anyway." Cel just nodded. Just as Makoto slumped down on the sofa, the door burst open and a rather enthusiastic Asagi burst into the lounge.

"I'm home~" Asagi declared as he entered, carrying a tote bag full of file folders with him. He noticed Makoto on the sofa and approached him. "What's up? Why do you look like you've run a marathon?"

"With all that has happened today, I may as well have."

"Well whatever." Deciding to leave him be for now, Asagi immediately approaches Hotaru. "Hey, Hotaru-chan! Can I come over to your room? I need to talk to Koizumi-chan about something." He holds up the bag he was carrying, hinting that it may have something to do with Menou's little internship.



Black Rose - 4:00 PM

"What? Kirika isn't around?" Kazuya asks one of the coordinators on-site, a little dumbfounded.

"Yeah, well--she arrived with the guy she got as a driver a few minutes before you did and just gave us the okay and ran us through the rest of the proceedings before leaving immediately. Anyway, why you lookin' for her? She your girl or something?"

"Huh? I was just here yesterday, don't tell me you don't remember me? This is so sad. My grandpop would be rolling over in his grave..." Kazuya jokingly sulked at what the man just told him.

"Sorry but I only got here today. Who are you anyway?"

"Hngh! I'm Kazuya Tamashiro, new exclusive barista and possible chef for the redesigned Black Rose nice to meet you!" Kazuya declared, pumping his fist up in the air.

"Tamashiro? You don't--"

"Hey Akeno-chan--!" Kazuya turns to Akeno. "Kirika's not around but I want to test out the dishes anyway. Let's go up to the second floor and start cooking. If you want, I can show you a few recipes too."



Setting

Characters Present

Character Portrait: Hotaru Emirsdottir Character Portrait: Kanade Takamine Character Portrait: Akeno Furuya Character Portrait: Makoto Itsuna Character Portrait: Menou Koizumi Character Portrait: Asagi Arakawa
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Blue Lotus - 4:20 PM

"Ah! It's about our first project together." Making his way into the girls' room, Asagi laid out the contents of the bag he held onto the table. He took out what seems to be a movie poster for some upcoming, big budget action fantasy series and a couple of folders full of concept art of fantastic creatures, armor designs and weapons.

"It's going to be my first big project in a while too so I'm a little nervous." Asagi presented to the two girls. "My master's been chosen to take part in this and so she decided to take me along. Look--" Asagi flipped the concept art folder to the Sidhe Elves. "We will primarily be assigned to do the costumes for these elves. See how ornate the patterns on their dresses look? The difficulty we'll face is replicating that like, ten times!"

Asagi skimmed through the other drawings. Orcs, men, half-beasts--the variety of creatures and costumes was building up to be an interesting challenge. "We may occasionally get called to help out with the other races as well so I hope you've been brushing up on some tricks. I'll be there with you every step of the way though so don't worry~"

Asagi winked at Menou, having explained to her the details of their first task together. He thought perhaps by exposing Menou to a field with such a diverse amount of talent, they'll be able to find what she wanted to do.



Old Black Rose - Blue Lotus Second Floor - 4:20 PM

After seating Akeno, Kazuya went on to prepare the dishes he wanted to suggest to Kirika. He grinned when she called him Chef, since he never really considered that career path, though many people told him he might do well in it. After around 40 minutes, Kazuya brought back around five different sandwiches to present to Akeno. They had been sliced in half with a garnish of tomato on the side.

"Figured that since the new place will be catering to younger folk, I wanted to make them something quick and easy. The first is a simple ham and cheese sandwich with a dressing I looked up in the net." Kazuya explained, showing her the mayonnaise-like filling inside before moving on to the other ones.

"I also made a breakfast sandwich with egg and melted cheese and mushrooms oh, and you have to try the third one--it's my own tuna sandwich recipe. There's also the sweet ham TLC for those looking for something more uhh...classy dishes?" Before Kazuya could go to the last one, the door opened and Mitsuru peers into the kitchen.

"Well, well--if it isn't the 'Prince of the Rose'--" He greeted but Kazuya immediately went on the defensive.

"Aaargghhh!!! Please, don't use that nickname! It sounds so cringey!" Kazuya was flustered upon hearing that nickname again. It was a little thing started up by a girl in school and it stuck to him for a while. Took him quite some time to shed it off.

"What? It's what I recall you to be."

"It took me over a year to break free from that queer title!"

"Whatever." Mitsuru turned his attention to Akeno and the sandwiches Kazuya had prepared. "I'm just glad to see you working again. Hmm? You're Furuya-kun correct? You remember my announcement right? Are your parents coming?"

"Parents?" Kazuya wondered, unaware of what Mitsuru was talking about.

"I wanted to discuss a couple of policy changes with their parents. It's too much of a hassle to explain here so I don't want to go into too much detail. Besides, it doesn't concern you anyway."

"I see." Kazuya left it at that but suddenly came up with an idea. " Hey, why don't we have a soft opening on that day then? I can prepare the snacks and dishes to serve if you want!"

"Really? We might either get a lot of parents in or none at all. If the latter case happens, who's going to help you prepare the dishes then?" Mitsuru asked. Kazuya leaned beside Akeno before wrapping his arm on her shoulder.

"Well my new friend Akeno-chan here of course! After I hear her opinions on my snacks, I am going to teach her how to make them. I'm sure her parents will love it too. Right, Akeno-chan?" Kazuya grinned. Mitsuru just sighed.

"You really are as dense as ever huh?"



Blue Lotus Lobby - 4:30 PM

"Hey, Makoto?" Cel calls Makoto over from the desk who only responded by raising his hand. "Want to eat outside?"

"Hmm...I'm still kind of tired..." Makoto sits up, stretching his arms out. Suddenly, he remembered Cel was leaving tomorrow and won't be back for a week. Might as well make the most of his time with her today. "But sure. I don't think I want to cook anything today either."

"Great! Let's just wait for Ritsuka to come back so she can take over. Then, let's go." Cel smiled as she started rearranging the logs and files.

"Alright. Then I'll change upstairs first. Plus, I need to drop off my stuff."

"Go ahead. I'll wait here."

With that, Makoto started for his room. As he was climbing the stairs though, he felt his phone vibrate. Someone had sent him a message so he took it out to read it.

"Too bad I wasn't able to show you what I was talking about. Maybe tomorrow then?"

It was Vice-President Taichi. Before he can respond, it was immediately followed up with another message.

"Anyway, where's Kazenari? I heard something happened earlier. Condolences to Tatara-san I guess."

As much as Makoto wanted to tell the details of the event, he was a bit too exhausted to do so right now. Plus, he didn't want to reveal the fact that Kazenari had gone out to meet with a member of Westside. Besides, he was going out with Cel later in the evening. The last thing he wanted to do was to think about the sad events again. He noticed Nagisa, Kanade and Misaka waiting on the third floor as he passed.

"Makinami-san!" He called out to Nagisa. "About the incident earlier...can you keep it between ourselves for now? It's for the school's sake too."

Setting

Characters Present

Character Portrait: Akeno Furuya Character Portrait: Makoto Itsuna Character Portrait: Menou Koizumi Character Portrait: Asagi Arakawa Character Portrait: Laeticia "Cel" Concepcion Character Portrait: Kazuya Tamashiro
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Old Black Rose - 4:30 PM

"Waaahh!!! Please don't!" Kazuya practically pleaded with Akeno when she asked if she could call him Prince Kazu. He recalled his father making fun of him when he found out that current nickname. Lasted over a month. Watching them, Mitsuru just laughed.

"Alright. Well, I have other matters to attend to. I'll see you and your parents come Friday then." With that, Mitsuru promptly excused himself.

"Just Kazu will do actually." Kazuya murmured as Mitsuru left. Turning back to Akeno, he gave her a wide smile. She asked him about what he said concerning teaching her with the dishes.

"Right. Well, sandwiches are pretty no-brainer I guess. You just toss in the stuff in between slices of bread and voila right? Haha well..." Kazuya clears up his voice before carrying on. "What I'll be teaching you is my recipe to replicate the taste of these sandwiches. Listen up! First we need to--hang on, I need to check our ingredients."

Kazuya stood up for a while to check how much he has left.

"Waaahh!!! They're almost gone! Hmm...well, I guess there's enough for another tuna and another TLC--Akeno-chan!"

He headed back to the table with his arm full of the items he brought, spending the next few minutes showing Akeno his own sandwich recipes. For some reason, playing around with Akeno almost takes him back around two years ago--



Room 307 - 4:20 PM

After hearing the specifics of the project, Asagi saw Menou go uncomfortable. He can understand though--it was going to be her first time working in an environment of that scale. He reached out and held her hand in order to comfort her.

"Don't worry~ I'll be with you every step of the way. We have some time to practice before that. Don't think about it too much--you'll be fine!" Asagi gave her a warm smile before letting go.

"You're free on Saturday and Sunday right? Why don't you drop by my room at 7:00 AM? We can practice there. Makoto always goes home on the weekends anyway so we'll have the whole place to ourselves." Asagi offered with a big smile.



Blue Lotus - 5:00 PM

"Oh, there's Ritsuka! Hey!" Cel calls Ritsuka over upon her arrival, asking her to take over her shift for her while she goes out to grab dinner with Makoto. Hearing that, Ritsuka glanced at the young boy for a bit and sighed, catching Cel's attention.

"Alright. Bring me back something when you come home will you?" Ritsuka crankily asked them as she sat down at the desk Cel had just organized.

"Sure. Any special requests?"

"A tuna pie probably. And an egg salad."

"Alright. See ya~"

"Bye!"

"See you later Ritsuka-san." Makoto tried to bid Ritsuka goodbye but was summarily ignored by the other woman by turning on the radio at full volume.



Nocturne Alley - 5:10 PM

"Ritsuka-san...sure doesn't like me huh?" Makoto asked, keeping his gaze up on the buildings and houses they passed as they walked. Cel only sighed, recalling a slight discussion she had a couple of months ago.

"Makoto-kun, Ritsuka barely likes any guy in our dorm. Romantic way aside." Cel explained, getting Makoto to wonder.

"Not that I'm putting myself on a pedestal here but, I can understand why she wouldn't like Harumi-kun or Nobuyuki-san. Ikeda-san can seem a little shifty too. But what about me? Did I do something to set her off?"

"Well--Ritsuka's tastes and preferences are a little weird--it's no wonder she can't find a boyfriend. Don't worry about it too much. You're a nice guy, Makoto-kun."

"Think so?"

"Yep. Got my record books to prove it." Cel gave him a warm smile before walking on ahead while Makoto thought about it some more. Realizing that Cel had already gone ahead of him, he quickened his pace to catch up, almost bursting into a light jog.

"Nice guy huh? Haha, are you saying I'm bound to finish last at this rate?" Makoto asked teasingly.

"Maybe. Considering I'm just about to beat you in a race--!" Just as Cel declared that, she broke out into running, headed towards the ramen house they were going to eat at once it came into view.

"Haha, no you won't--!" Likewise, Makoto ran too. He managed to pass Cel after a few seconds, managing to arrive at the place first. "I win!" Makoto beamed at Cel.

"Yeah...hahaha~" Cel laughed once she managed to catch up. Together, the two made their way inside, where a few other diners were happily eating and chatting among themselves.

"I'm guessing...we won't be able to find Ritsuka's egg and tuna in this place?" Makoto pointed out.

"Well, we can always run to the nearest Leon's to get her her items." Cel replied while she looked around for a comfortable spot. "There! It's pretty close to the AC."

As they took their seats, Makoto realized that the table right next to theirs was occupied by what apppeared to be girls from his school. Though they were not in uniform as the school doesn't really mandate their students to, he could tell just from the conversation these girls were having.

"A girl just jumped off from the balcony...scary!"

"A lot of police also came by...oh, I was so scared. I thought there was a robbery or kidnapping!"

"I mean seriously, if they were going to kill themselves, they should have jumped off from a place where they won't cause any commotion. And what's with that Arai girl? For a mere treasurer, she sure acts so full of herself!"

Hearing the girls talking about the incident out loud in public was annoying Makoto. Plus, what they were saying was a little inappropriate. They were not sure if Tatara Isuko committed suicide. However, if they talked about it like she did, it could greatly affect people's perceptions. He was about to stand up to tell them off when he heard a familiar male voice cut through the chatter.

"Now, now--we aren't sure of that fact. It is still possible she was murdered no?" Taichi was apparently with them, smack right in the center of the girls nonetheless. "In fact, I think the culprit is one of you!"

"Hey, that's not nice!"

"Do you seriously think that Taichi-san?"

Taichi smirked as he gave them all a sharp glare before bursting out to laughter. "Of course not! I was only kidding--there's no way any of you could've killed her. Tatara Isuki committed suicide. That's the only logical explanation here." Upon hearing that, the girls all started laughing as well.

"Shirazumi--!" Having had enough, Makoto got up and caught Taichi's attention.

"Yo, Itsuna-kun. Fancy seeing you here." Despite that, Taichi's cool didn't break one bit, partly due to the fact that all the other girls turned to face Makoto as well, blaring him sharp glares. Regardless, Makoto tried to shrug the feeling of intimidation off. Noticing his unease, Taichi took a glance at where he was seated and grinned upon seeing Cel sitting there.

"So? Why do you call me? Is it about what I said earlier or just now?"

Makoto kept his sharp gaze on the Vice-President and his harem. It was going to be a long discussion.

Setting

Characters Present

Character Portrait: Kirika Katsuragi Character Portrait: Akeno Furuya Character Portrait: Makoto Itsuna Character Portrait: Menou Koizumi Character Portrait: Asagi Arakawa Character Portrait: Laeticia "Cel" Concepcion
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Room 307 - 4:30 PM

Asagi stayed for a little while just until Menou could find the determination within her. When she said she was coming to practice with him, Asagi finally felt a feeling of relief wash over him.

"Alright. Well, since I'm not here as an official visit and as as far as both my organs and chromosomes goes, I'm still a guy so--" With a satisfied nod, Asagi got up to collect his things. "I technically can't linger too long in the girl's floor. I'll see you on the weekends then?"

Before he left though, he decided to leave one of the concept art references to Menou. It was of a female elf with rather simple looking casual attire--as far as "simple elf attires" go.

"I'll leave you this for the moment. Based from my scans, this is probably the easiest one. Our formal lessons start on the weekend but, I figured you might want to get a headstart. After all, you do strike me as someone with initiative."

Asagi gave Menou a smile and a wink before heading back out.

"See ya Koizumi-san! Oh, and if you have any questions, just call in~"



(OOC: Time skip equalizer. Let's just say the remaining minutes were spent with Akeno and Kazuya making the sandwiches.)

Old Black Rose - 5:00 PM

Just as the two were finishing up with the sandwiches, Tadakatsu, Akeno's cousin arrived to seat down with them. Kazuya watch the two get to talking for a bit, with Akeno offering to let him try their recipe. Kazuya just smiled.

"That's right Akeno-chan! We'll use this guy as our experimental unit for these top-secret sandwich recipes! Now, let him have it! Let him be blown by the power of this sandwich of friendship!" Kazuya encouraged Akeno, making himself look like some shonen protagonist as he did.

"What power of friendship?" Just as the three got settled in, the girl herself made her appearance.

"Hey! If you're not going to come, you should've at least given me a call!" Kazuya talked back to Kirika upon her arrival. "You should've spared me and Akeno-chan the trouble of walking!"

"You seemed like you had fun though. And Furuya-kun's a resident here so she would naturally walk back here."

"Well you see--huh? What do you mean I had fun?"

"Making these." Kirika pointed at the sandwiches he made with Akeno. It wasn't what she was really referring to though.

"Huh? Oh, yeah! I decided to call these 'friendship sandwiches'! Haha! It's got a catchy ring to it if I say so myself! Perfectly compliments the theme of the new cafe." Kazuya once again, looked rather proud of himself. Kirika just sighed and reached for one to try,

"Akeno made that one. Just to let you know." Kazuya informed her. "If you ask me--they're pretty good!"

Kirika gave the sandwich a small bite, taking in the flavor of the whole thing. Having taken that bite, she gently set the sandwich down on the plate. "It's not the same..."

"What! That can't be--I guided her every step of the way!" Kazuya protested.

"You don't understand. Even I can do the same thing. Add in the same amount of mayonnaise, use the same bread and tuna, toss it the same number of times and the result will still be different. You're the only one who can make sandwiches that tastes like yours." Kirika explained.

"Oh...I see..." Kazuya quited down. He never really saw it that way. "Uhh...thanks, I guess?"

"That wasn't a compliment...On a more objective note, her sandwiches tastes better than yours."

"WHAT?!" Kazuya then quickly turns to Akeno. "Don't tell me...you've quickly attained the skill that rivals the sandwich god's in such a short amount of time?"

"Doesn't matter. I'm only hiring you for drinks anyway." Kirika sighed and got up.

"Wha--? But I thought you said--"

"I asked you to come work for me. I didn't say you also had to make the menu."

"Well, what are you going to do about the food then? As far as I recall, your cooking tastes like shit!"

"I planned on getting a professional chef to do that. Anyway, there's nothing for you to do today so you can go now."

"Well I suppose..." Kazuya scratches his head. "I want to lounge around here a bit longer though. Is it alright?"

Kirika just looked at the three before turning away. "Knock yourself out." Kirika just resigned to herself and headed back downstairs to the lobby.

"Great! Oh and can you tell Mitsuru--?" He was about to remind her about his visit log but Kirika just signalled that she'll take care of it. With her gone, he turned back to the two. "Alright so, what's the verdict, Akeno's cousin?"


Uzamaki Ramen Hut - 5:10 PM

"Itsuna-kun...do you have something against Taich-san?"

"Taichi-san, what do you mean something to show him?"

The girl's focus then turns to the two boys, seeing as the two stand off against each other like two angry lions ready to pounce. Makoto kept his steady gaze while Taichi kept grinning to himself.

"Don't think this is the right venue to talk about that though."

"Why not? I mean, you guys have already been chatting about it earlier." The girls groaned when they heard that. "And laughing about it, as far as I remember."

Hearing that, Taichi got up and walked towards the younger male.

"Oh sorry. Forgot how you're the most 'moral and upright' person here in this room for a moment--"

Makoto let out a slight chuckle. "Well, I wouldn't say I'm the most decent person in this room but I'm at least more decent than you and the others there on your table."

"Haha, always have your own comeback huh?" Taichi likewise, let out a slight chuckle before turning to the girls. "Sorry, but he and I have some things to talk about. Can I ask you ladies to leave for now? I'll pick up the bill and we can hang out at The Sagittarius tomorrow."

Hearing him say that, the girls promptly collected their stuff and left, bidding Taichi their 'goodbyes' and 'see you laters' as they passed. Makoto wondered how Taichi could have gotten this popular at Kurogane. It was difficult enough to stand out as it is. He glanced back at Cel.

"Cel-san, is it okay if--"

Cel just nodded though...

"Don't worry it's fine. I'm not leaving yet though. Haven't had my fill of ramen yet." Cel answered him back with a confident smile, putting Makoto at ease. He wouldn't be alone at the very least.

"Hey, Makoto--!"

"Not my decision. I can't force her." Makoto placed his arms up when he said it.

"Tch, fine. Come with me outside. I'll show you what I meant."

As the two boys were walking out the hall, Makoto espied a familiar couple down on one of the tables, recognizing them to be Noa and Yoite. Makoto wondered when they got there, or if they managed to catch wind of the little commotion he had with Taichi and his group. On the other hand, Taichi just grinned before speaking up.

"Well? You curious or something?" He practically yelled before heading out, followed by Makoto. Clearly, he was urging her to follow as well.

He probably wanted her to see what he got as well.

Setting

Characters Present

Character Portrait: Kirika Katsuragi Character Portrait: Akeno Furuya Character Portrait: Makoto Itsuna Character Portrait: Laeticia "Cel" Concepcion Character Portrait: Noa Arai Character Portrait: Kazuya Tamashiro
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Old Black Rose - 5:05 PM

"You seem worried there Akeno-chan." Kazuya asked, a little concern at how Akeno's gaze followed her cousin all the way downstairs. Perhaps he found it a little unusual since he never got along with his cousins? Well, it wasn't like every family was like his which is why he felt like he wanted to understand her a bit more so he sat down beside Akeno. "Hey, you never told me what your family is like. You said your mom prefers tea over coffee--hmm...could you be...part-British?"

Kazuya wondered. He didn't really know Akeno's family background that much. "We would be able to prepare well in advance if we knew about it. If they're from British descent then I can just throw down random stuff and they'll surely love it! Their cuisine's quite bland anyway so--hahaha! Or I can do a simple bacon and eggs right haha!"



Blue Lotus Lobby - 5:05 PM

Kirika heard Akeno's cousin follow her downstairs, just as she finished sorting out Kazuya's visitor pass with Ritsuka. She recalled him being a newcomer to the dorm--only yesterday in fact.

"What is it? If it's about the guidelines or facilities then you'd be better off asking my brother--he's the one who owns this place anyway."

Kirika likewise, voices out the first thought that crossed her mind.



Uzamaki Ramen Hut - 5:15 PM

Having followed Taichi outside just by the parking lot, Makoto stood by with Noa. He could see the table he shared with Cel by the window. It seemed like their orders haven't been sent out yet. He caught Cel's attention and the woman just nodded at him.

"Well, Shirazumi-san--" Makoto started.

"You're quite rude huh?" Taichi calmly jabs at him. "Mere historian ordering me around and ruining my little dinner plans."

"I don't know. Those girls seemed to be hooked on to you already. Bet they're already at your beck and call at all times anyway."

"You're quite mean Itsuna-kun. Those girls lead way more interesting and colorful lives than both of you. Don't look down on them just because you're on the council--you don't know what's going on with their lives." Taichi steps up for the ladies earlier. "Besides, they have given me some important information prior to your coming here. Information related to what I am about to show you."

Makoto felt a little stung by Taichi's words. He's just done one thing he didn't like others doing to him. He cursed himself for coming to assumptions too quickly but nonetheless kept his calm. It wasn't the time for self-loathing now. Not when lives are involved.

"Yeah that. I suppose it has something to do with what you were telling me earlier?"

"Yes." Taichi paced around as he talked. Despite nearing rush hour, Nocturne Alley was quite empty of people. "Those girls were Tatara Isuko's classmates. If we are to believe what they just told me, then they were with the victim two hours before she--well, before it happened."

"What?" Makoto was surprised. From what he heard from Noa, none of the students at the time bothered to speak up.

"Yeah. I wasn't just here with them to satisfy my own ego. Besides, didn't Tohsaka wanted us to use every means at our disposal to help stop these string of murders? So don't judge me. Anyway--according to them, Tatara Isuko had already been acting paranoid since morning. She would always turn back as she walked, like someone was following her."

"Like a stalker?" Makoto suggested.

"Maybe. Those girls also said she missed two classes today. I don't know. We'll have to check the attendance sheets to find out. Anyway, the last time they saw her was in the cafeteria. And yes, she still seemed to think someone was following her."

Makoto pondered over Taichi's story. "Is that it? Have they talked to her or anything?"

"No. Based from what they say, Tatara Isuko didn't seem too likeable among the girls in the class." Taichi glanced at Noa before resuming his tale. "She was your typical stuck-up, by-the-book girl in the class apparently. She would often reprimand her other classmates for even the most trivial of things. Wouldn't actually be surprised if the murderer was someone from their class."

"Shirazumi--!"

"Well, am I wrong? Sometimes the victims aren't always your good little angels who's well loved by everyone. Anyway, it at least starts to make sense. Considering what I dug up just after Wakaba Mutsu's death yesterday."

"And that is?"

Hearing that, Taichi took out his phone and started heading to the folder where he kept his screenshots. He hands it to Makoto who immediately started scanning the images.

The screenshots were of a forum discussion website. And the particular thread Taichi dug up was practically a thread where people talk about the students they hated anonymously. The subjects were explicitly named and the reasons why the poster hated them were explicitly highlighted.

And there were a lot. The first victim, Kyoko Akiyama who was killed two years ago seemed to be disliked for being the girlfriend of some guy from another school. Wakaba Mutsu was hated on for her grades while Megumi Harada well--the people commenting bad things seemed to be mad at the fact that she was able to get into Kurogane Technical. Makoto assumed they were former classmates or people from her old school. It was a deep hole Taichi's dug alright.

"A forum where people talk about hating on other people...a revenge website..." Makoto realized. Taichi just smirked to himself.

"Makes sense doesn't it? Almost all the victims so far had been discussed there at some point. My guess is that this how the killer found his targets."

"I see...wait, why would you tell those girls that Tatara-san committed suicide then?"

"Hey, haven't you been listening? I already slipped when I jokingly accused one of them to be the murderer haven't I? Had I not made that joke then if the killer had been one of those then I would have ended up dead and you wouldn't have your lead." Taichi explains his actions.

"You were a little too loud though. Was that part of the plan as well?"

"Oh that?" Taichi chuckled. "No. That was a jab at the stupid school's image. Allow me my indulgences, Itsuna-kun."

Having heard Taichi out, Makoto continued browsing through the other images, making a couple more chilling discoveries. While he was preoccupied, Taichi turns to Noa again with a sly smirk on his face.

"Well, Miss Treasurer? Do you have your own questions?"



The Sagittarius - 5:45 PM

The Sagittarius was a rather classy joint mainly patronized by people coming from the upper class. Located at the third floor of Emerald Gardens, it was right near trendy and classy clothes and furniture shops--most of which beyond the budget of the ordinary student. It was a restaurant mainly dealing with Nordic dishes and the whole place was decorated like a fancy mess hall inside a fancy cruise ship with framed photos of Norway sights and sounds.

Kazenari had arrived earlier then their supposed meeting time in order to secure a spot and was relieved to find that at least only six of twenty tables were occupied with customers.

She was dressed in her usual casual attire consisting of a white dress shirt and pants. She also had a brown jacket on. All-in-all, nothing to give away the fact that she was from Kurogane Technical much less its Student Council president. She casually approached the receptionist and asked for a table.

"Good evening and welcome to The Sagittarius mam!" A mild-mannered, well-dressed gentleman welcomed her.

"Good evening. Table for two please?" Kazenari asks. The man looked around to see if anyone was following and upon seeing no one, assumed she would be waiting for someone.

"Right this way please."

The man seated her at a cozy table with a view of the window. Seeing that the man, she was meeting with hadn't arrived yet, she had went ahead and ordered when the server arrived, in order to speed things along once the man arrives.

Setting

Characters Present

Character Portrait: Kirika Katsuragi Character Portrait: Akeno Furuya Character Portrait: Makoto Itsuna Character Portrait: Laeticia "Cel" Concepcion Character Portrait: Hayato Morikawa Character Portrait: Noa Arai
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Old Black Rose - 5:20 PM

Kazuya listened in attentively to Akeno's tale. The girl confessed to having a difficult family life with a very strict mother, and about having to live up to expectations so that other families may look up to them. He also felt bad about nonchalantly asking about her family without knowing the full story.

"Sorry." Kazuya started with an apology once Akeno finished her tale. "I didn't know and I just kept asking." He patted her on the shoulder. "Hey! I bet they'll be surprised once they see you on Friday! You can make sandwiches that are as good as mine (clearly, he did not agree with Kirika's assessment XD) and have a renewed, modern fashion sense! All of it the result of your experiences in this place. And not to brag but you also have me as a new friend so your circle of friends have just grown by one! That's good progress isn't it?" Kazuya asks her with a smile.

Still, he wondered about the mindset they took with regards to their family. Why the Brits of all people? The culture between the two were too far apart. Second, he couldn't exactly get the whole "perfect" daughter part. How would they expect people to see Akeno more if she can't be exposed to things that could develop her skills? Akeno also expressed concern with regards to the distance between her and Kazuya and seemed rather upset about it.

"Hmm...well your cousin seems like the distant, quiet sort..." Kazuya thought of what they can do to bond and get closer again. "Ah! How about you do a Seven Mysteries thing!"

Kazuya looked back at her to see if she was still following. "Back from where I came from, almost every place has mysteries associated with it, with seven being the most common. I'm sure there are some in here too! Yep, I think it's the perfect past time to share with that quiet guy! Yep!"

Kazuya crossed his arms, looking rather proud. Had his father been around, he was sure he would praise him for that idea. "So...don't feel too bad now okay? I'm always around to talk if you need me. Except maybe at 12 midnight to 6 in the morning since I'll be asleep hehe!"


Blue Lotus Lobby - 5:10 PM

Surprisingly, Tadakatsu didn't ask about things related to the dorm. Rather, his questions were about her mention of Kazuya and Akeno having fun. He thought she saw them walking home together and that was probably what she referred to. Admittedly, she didn't like the boy's tone and his choice of words. It was almost like he was accusing her of something.

"And? What if I did?" Nonetheless, Kirika asks in her usual uninterested tone of voice. "Does it concern or bother you in any way?"



Uzamaki Ramen Hut - 5:20 PM

"Hmm...getting to the bottom of this by tracking the website's domain isn't easy..." Makoto expresses his thoughts about Noa's idea. "First off, this forum site's pretty big with multiple threads dealing with a variety of subjects. The site may as well be located abroad."

"Yeah. Besides, the whole thing started with a simple discussion of "Do you have stories about people you hate at school?". Kind of like a chain letter. Once someone revs it up, it just gets going and going as people started talking. Pretty soon, everyone is explicitly mentioning names and other stuff." Taichi added.

"As far as everything's concerned, the site nor the site owner's not the problem. Rather, it's the ones sharing stories."

"Which is practically 75% of the student body from all three universities--even more."

Next thing Noa expressed her concern about is whether or not her name has popped up in the lists. Makoto turns to Taichi about this, given that he was the one who found the site first. It is also where his next concern lay.

"I haven't had the time to give the threads an in-depth look. The only reason I brought this up was because Tatara, Wakaba, Akiyama and Harada were explicitly named. It is possible they've been discussing you anonymously..." Taichi smirked again. "But yes, I think I've found your name dropped at a thread just before I stumbled into Wakaba's thread."

"Seriously?" Even Makoto was surprised.

"Yes. And so is my name and Tohsaka's. It's a venting site Itsuna-kun, what do you expect?" Taichi explained. "Well is that it? I'll need more time if I am to check this out any further. Most importantly, I've yet to bring it up with Tohsaka--

"I have one." Makoto finally speaks up his doubts. "How did you stumble upon this site Shirazumi-san? I don't think this would've popped up normally when you look it up. Is it possible that you've been posting here as well?"

"Of course not. I don't have anyone I hate in particular." Taichi sighed though he grinned again when he glanced at Noa. "Well maybe one or two but I have enough balls to tell it to their faces. No, I stumbled upon this the old fashioned way. I asked people."

"Asked which people?"

"You know who. The ones in that 'other place'? The one place we are never welcomed fondly?" Taichi's words immediately sunk in once Makoto realized what he was talking about.

"No way."

Taichi just chuckled. "You guys need to get your heads out of the books and explore the real world. You'd be astonished at what you'll find. Well, I reckon you know it now so I'll be taking my leave. Good night!"

And with that, Taichi Shirazumi disappeared into the night.

"In this city, there is one such place as what Taichi described." Makoto muttered within Noa's earshot. "A place where Kurogane students like ourselves aren't welcomed with open arms. Do you know what it is Arai-san?"



The Sagittarius - 5:50 PM

"Ah, there you are. I ordered for us if you don't mind. And don't worry, let me foot the bill for this night." Kazenari greeted the man from earlier. Like her, he had come to that place dressed casually and as far as Kazenari's eye could tell, nothing to declare that he was a member of a gang in the city. He arrived early as well.

A good first impression overall. Likewise, the man immediately got straight to the point by telling her how the Hounds have gotten riled up over the deaths. Knight's Sector is also the belt where most of the schools are located so the potential for the chaos to spiral out of control was very high.

"Yes. However, everything has a process by which it must be done. I'm sure you'll agree with me here. So first off--" On her side, Kazenari wanted to confirm a nagging suspicion she held the first time she saw the man and now that he has arrived to meet her here.

"You are...the leader of the Westside Hounds correct?"

Setting

Characters Present

Character Portrait: Kirika Katsuragi Character Portrait: Akeno Furuya Character Portrait: Makoto Itsuna Character Portrait: Laeticia "Cel" Concepcion Character Portrait: Hayato Morikawa Character Portrait: Noa Arai
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Old Black Rose - 5:30 PM

"Hey, we won't know until we try so don't be too worried about it!" Kazuya assures Akeno once he heard her concerns about her mother not liking anything she has done so far. "Of you think about things too much then you'll never be able to cross that bridge when you get there. Sometimes, it's nice to make sudden decisions. Sure, we may make mistakes but that's part of learning too!"

"Just don't make the mistake of putting playdough in a microwave haha!!!"

It seemed the girl is looking up somehow so Kazuya felt it was alright to take it easy. Before he knew it, she hugged him gently before asking about the other things he had in mind. The act caught him off guard so he felt a little flustered.

"H-Huh? Oh, the menu...hmm..." Kazuya thought for a bit. "I wanted to do some rice dishes as well but if Kirika-san says she doesn't want me to do the menu then this probably concludes my business here."

Kazuya sighed as he sat down, thinking. "Ah! What about you Akeno-chan? Do you have something you want to try making but can't? Tell me and I'll try to help out. Let's see...how about making something for Tadakatsu-san? Something he might like?"



Blue Lotus Lobby - 5:15 PM

Surprisingly, the conversation went from slightly confronting to awkward fast with Tadakatsu admitting that socializing isn't his strong suit. Kirika relaxed. She heard him suggest joining in for a win-win situation. Kirika just sighed.

"I was driving in the car while they were in the arcade. Considering I've put my driver through enough detours as it is, I wouldn't want to keep him waiting any longer. That's all." Kirika explained.

"So are you done? Or do you have other concerns you want to talk about?"



Uzuamaki Ramen Hut - 5:30 PM

Makoto nodded when Noa brought up the other school. "Exactly. Outside of academics and university pride, St. Gabriel's and Kurogane Technical have long been hostile towards each other for an entirely different reason. We get along fine with the St. Gabriel students from the dorm but point is, it isn't exactly a place we can expect to just visit casually. It's not our territory after all."

He supposed Noa already knew the reason why so he decided to just leave it at that as well. "So for Taichi to actually get information from the other side...you have to hand it to him, his sneakiness and smooth-talking has its purposes."

He realized he had kept Cel waiting inside for quite some time and with Taichi gone well...there wasn't much reason to stay outside any longer. Yoite was waiting inside as well.

"Well, we'll know more tomorrow. I think. Let's go back."

(OOC: Will upload Kurogane - St. Gabriel Black History in the Library Files later so Kurogane characters will have that shared knowledge.)



The Sagittarius - 6:00 PM

Kazenari managed a slight smile when she caught this man off-guard upon confessing she believed him to be the Hound's leader. He asked her how she found out and he did confirm her suspicions. Still, the man could easily be lying but nonetheless, Kazenari felt her intuition was right on the money.

"Three things: First was the school visit and Nobuyuki-kun's earlier outburst. It was the way he recognized you. If I am to give an example...you cannot recognize the faces of everyone in the diet but you can at least recognize the Prime Minister's face. For him to recognize you that way means you're an active member of your gang seen regularly by those they come into conflict with. You must be the leader or at least, someone close to them."

The waiter soon arrived, pouring them each a glass of white wine. Kazenari takes a sip from hers, complimenting the drink. Once the waiter was off, she continued.

"The second is this, meeting me personally out here. For all you know, I could be someone from the other factions. There's a risk of sending someone who can turn traitor and leak your secrets. Given how odd all these circumstances are, the person sent should be someone well-respected and trusted within the group. Perhaps even the leader himself."

She paused for a while to see if he was still following.

"The last thing was simply, a gamble. When I initially asked, I had nothing backing up my suspicions aside from the previous assumptions. Your reaction prior to your confession gave it away for me. Besides, I don't think you're a good enough actor to fake your expressions."

Kazenari laid each one out in detail so there's no room for confusion. Appetizers were brought out first, consisting of prawns and egg over rye bread. Quite a simple start.

"Well, we're not going to get anywhere unless the facts are clear for both of us so let me start with this: Kyoko Akiyama, Marie Kosuki, Megumi Harada, Wakaba Mutsu, Tatara Isuko..." Kazenari enumerated the five victims in order starting from the first up to the most recent one. "Any of these names sound familiar? I believe some of them were affiliated with your group at some point. Possibly as a lover or a relative."

Setting

Characters Present

Character Portrait: Kirika Katsuragi Character Portrait: Hotaru Emirsdottir Character Portrait: Akeno Furuya Character Portrait: Makoto Itsuna Character Portrait: Laeticia "Cel" Concepcion Character Portrait: Noa Arai
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Blue Lotus - 4:30 PM

"E-Eh?!"

Hotaru blushed a little.

"Seriously...? All I did was make the stages last time... But, I have been improving on my singing a bit since then so I'll definitely give it a try."

Hotaru recovered quickly enough from her slight embarrassment with a happy grin.


Old Black Rose - 5:30 PM

Akeno was ignorant of how the hug left Kazuya a bit flustered but thought a little. What did she want to make for food? She thought back to happier times in music club where she and the other members would gather over take out food and enjoy to their heart's content; specifically pizza, stir fry and spicy chicken. There was the occasional sweet treat there too like brownies or cookies, but for the most part it was just that. However, she remembered that she, Tadakatsu and another girl in the club wanted to make a giant strawberry flavored cake.

"S-Stra-awber-rry c-cake..."

She coughed a little after trying to speak it before returning to her phone.

"I want to try and make a strawberry cake. When Katsu and I were in Music Club, we wanted to try and make a gigantic strawberry cake for everyone to enjoy. We messed up a lot and had no idea what we were doing so the first time we tried it, we came up with a brick instead of a fluffy and delicious cake."

She weakly laughed before continuing.

"Katsu's favorite types of food are related to strawberries so I want to cook something with strawberries in it for him."


Blue Lotus Lobby - 5:15 PM

Tadakatsu thought a little.

"Can't say I can come up with anything else at the moment. But, I'll be sure to contact you if I do. In the meantime, I'm going to head out for a walk."

Before he left, he glanced at the girl one last time.

"Oh, and give what I said about hanging out with Kazuya and Akeno a little bit of consideration, yeah? Akeno could always use more friends."

With that, he left the building to walk around.


Uzamaki Ramen Hut - 5:30 PM

As Makoto spoke up about it being time to get back, Noa blinked and realized she completely forgot about Yoite in the middle of her talk with the vice president. Shaking her feelings back, she nodded.

"Right. Let's enjoy our meal and think about this more tomorrow."

She stepped back into the ramen hut and saw Yoite there with the two bowls. Noa sat down calmly.

"Sorry it took me so long. I was rather busy with the vice president and everything."

Yoite raised a calm hand with a grin.

"No worries, no worries. I knew it was something important. Besides, at least you got back quick enough that the ramen is still warm. Go ahead and eat up."

With that affirmation, Noa ate her ramen slowly. Yoite looked over at Noa and kept quiet, causing the girl to raise an eyebrow.

"Yes? Staring is rude and if you have something to say, I won't bite off your head unless it's something stupid."

Yoite chuckled a bit.

"It might be dumb but you just looked a little lonely is all."

Noa froze a bit.

"And what makes you say that?"

"Your face seemed resigned after the vice president of your school mentioned something. You may not want it, but I'm always going to be around as a listening ear if you need it."

Noa was silent a little before heavily sighing.

"Regarding the victims, their names all popped up on a venting forum and my name is on the forum as well."

Yoite frowned a little.

"Sheesh, that does sound really serious..."

Noa looked down at the table.

"I don't need to have the approval of anyone else... The only people that matter to me are my parents and older sister..."

"You don't sound like you're sure of that."

Noa was a bit startled at Yoite's tone and looked up to him. She expected a judgmental stare but all she saw was sympathy in his eyes.

"Even if that was what you honestly feel, doesn't it get lonely...?"

Noa was silent as Yoite continued.

"You don't need to answer that and I'm not gonna force you to do anything you don't want to, but if you need a friend or something, you can always talk to me. I already shared some of my burdens on you, it's only fair that I let you do the same."

"... T-Thank you, Arakaki..."

Yoite smiled a little as Noa continued to eat her ramen.

Setting

Characters Present

Character Portrait: Kirika Katsuragi Character Portrait: Akeno Furuya Character Portrait: Makoto Itsuna Character Portrait: Laeticia "Cel" Concepcion Character Portrait: Hayato Morikawa Character Portrait: Kazuya Tamashiro
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Old Black Rose - 5:30 PM

"Strawberry cake huh? Hmm..." Kazuya thought about it for a bit. Truth is he has never really made a cake before and so he doesn't exactly know how it's done. He's tried baking other stuff but for now, cake was a little out of the question.

"Maybe I should practice at home?" Kazuya thought. Only a couple more days til the parent meeting and he wanted to show it off there too. He wondered if he could learn the recipe in time to also teach Akeno how.

"Alright! Let's do it! Ah, but probably tomorrow since this place doesn't have any ingredients for pastries nor strawberries for that matter." Kazuya beamed proudly as he takes her up on it. "The strip mall down at Queen's is a nice place to get fresh ingredients. I wonder if strawberries will be in season though?"

Kazuya makes a mental note to head over there tomorrow. Hopefully, he remembers this plan.



Blue Lotus Lobby - 5:20 PM

"Yeah, everyone does." Kirika muttered as Tadakatsu left. Making friends wasn't exactly her strongest point especially--

No, it wasn't right to think about it like that. She could hear the two indistinctively talking upstairs. As she said, the two seemed to be having fun. Honestly, it should be a relief to her that Kazuya could somehow laugh, smile and joke around again. However--

"Gah! Why does this all feel so frustrating?" Feeling frustrated for some reason, Kirika marches up to her room. She needed both the quiet and the space to cool off. As her head fell on the pillows, her thoughts soon started to dim until she fell asleep.




Uzamaki Ramen Hut - 5:35 PM

"You sure took your sweet time talking." Cel greeted Makoto as he rejoins her at the table. Their ramen had already been served though Cel hadn't touched hers yet.

"Sorry. You should've gone ahead and eaten without me."

"No can do! Family principle says we all eat together at the table. Besides, if I finish up before you and clean up while you're eating, you'll grow old a bachelor!"

"Ugh! Is that how it happens?"

"Maybe. It's an old superstition from where I was from."

"Superstitions do not really have--"

"--scientific basis I know. I take up engineering remember?"

"Your field isn't exactly hard science though."

The two got to eating their ramen first, slurping it down as per usual ramen etiquette, finishing up in just a few minutes partly due to the fact that it had already cooled down. Makoto finished up first and waited for Cel to finish hers before putting the bowls away.

"Thank you for the meal." Makoto thanks the chef and turns back to Cel.

"Tough day huh? Must've been nasty to see." The look of Cel's eyes already screamed "I know" at Makoto.

"You looked it up?"

"While you chatted outside. Should I not have done that?" Cel asked. As per Makoto's earlier request though, she tried to keep it down as much as possible.

"Well...it can't be helped now that you know about it now. But--" Makoto's voice dropped a little. "Don't tell this to the others okay? It might hurt the school's reputation."

"Sure thing." Cel assured him. Given that it was Cel, Makoto didn't find it difficult to believe her words.

"Thanks."

"Why are you so concerned about the school's repuation anyway? Is that the only reason why you don't want this to get out? Just to avoid blowing up the topic?"

"Well, yeah. I mean, being a Kurogane student's one thing I actually take pride in you know? No. Perhaps it's the only thing I actually take pride in. So if the school's reputation goes down, I go down with it. Shirazumi-san and Harumi-kun don't understand that."

Hearing that, Cel takes the boy's hand in hers. Somehow, she could understand how he feels--having only the prestige of your school to hang on to. She feels that, though he may not say so directly...perhaps, he really likes studying in that school.

"Hey, want to take a small detour somewhere? Just before we go home." Cel suddenly asked.

"Well, I'm not in any rush. But why?"

"Nothing. So, are you up for it?"

Makoto thought for a bit. Honestly, he was feeling a little tired walking around left and right. However, he can't deny he wanted to spend a bit more time with Cel. After all, she was leaving tomorrow. Not that she won't be back but seeing as how busy the next week is going to be, he might as well make the most of this night.

"Alright. Where are we going?"

Cel just smiled. "You'll see."



The Sagittarius - 6:00 PM

Kazenari listened in attentively to the man discussing the victims he knew in-between light bites of the appetizer and some water. Of the five mentioned, only two seemed to be related with gang activity and even between the two, only one was directly involved with Westside. Whether others would've been involved with Enigma, even the man doesn't seem to know.

"I see. So based on what you said, this can possibly still be related to your ongoing power struggle." Kazenari thought for a bit. It's possible that the other girls were killed by Westside should they be revealed to be involved with Enigma.

"Yet something still seems off..." Kazenari thought as she glanced back at the man across the table.

"Quid pro quo. I believe you also have questions to ask of your own, correct? It's why you came to school in the first place after all." Before proceeding any further, Kazenari gives the opportunity for the man to ask his own questions. The main course also arrived just in time, with the elderly waiter setting their dishes in front of them: Beef Stroganoff for the man and a fried herring for Kazenari.

"Feel free to dig in first if you please--umm..." It was only then that Kazenari realized they haven't introduced themselves to each other yet.

Setting

Characters Present

Character Portrait: Akeno Furuya Character Portrait: Makoto Itsuna Character Portrait: Laeticia "Cel" Concepcion Character Portrait: Hayato Morikawa Character Portrait: Kazuya Tamashiro Character Portrait: Kazenari Tohsaka
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(OOC: Timeskip courtesy of yours truly XD)

Old Black Rose - 6:20 PM

"Well! Strawberry cake it is then! Ah, and don't worry about compensation. I have ways to circumvent this problem!" Kazuya assures Akeno as he prepared to head on home. As he'll be departing early, he was sure he won't be chewed out by his father this time.

"3:30 tomorrow huh? A little later but it'll do. Meet me at the cafeteria around that time then! I'll be waiting. Well, see you, and good night!" With that, the young man departed, heading back to his home.



The Sagittarius - 6:20 PM

"Hmm..." Kazenari muttered to herself as she listened to Hayato's explanation, as if she was already expecting the answer.

"Yes, it's possible. Given that you guys have been busy with your little territorial dispute, I doubt you would have the time to commit any small-scale murder. However--" Kazenari sternly narrowed her gaze at Hayato's. "Your fiercest rival is that St. Gabriel's gang Enigma correct? Well, your alibi applies to them too, no?"

"Don't get me wrong Morikawa-san--I'm not siding with neither yours nor Enigma's gang. All I'm saying is that it is highly unlikely that both gangs were involved this time around--given your territorial disputes."

Kazenari finishes her dinner, wiping her mouth with a napkin as their waiter took the empty dishes away. "It may sound unthinkable but my opinion is there is an involvement of a third party."



Grand Castle Observatory - 6:30 PM

"This is--!"

"Loving the view? I think you will."

Cel had brought Makoto over to the Grand Castle Observatory; one of the tallest structures in the city, almost reaching skyscraper height. The two were on the upper observation deck, as the top floor regularly closes at 4, to deter intruders from staking the place out. There were a bunch of people sharing the deck with them, mostly teens and young adults.

"Yeah. I rarely visit Bishop's Park myself so I've never really gone up to see this up close." Makoto explained as he leaned over the railing. Cel walks up beside him, peering through the binoculars between them, seemingly searching for something.

"Found it!" Cel taps Makoto on the arm, gesturing for him to look through the binoculars. Makoto does as he was told and he spotted Sapphire Theatrica, a rather luxurious resort/villa and casino mainly populated by those from the upper class.

"Sapphire Theatrica? What's so special about it?" He asked, wondering why Cel was looking into it.

"I once watched a live performance there. Some kind of piano recital, I think. No, wait--was it a musical ensemble? I don't know. I don't really remember haha~" Cel chuckled as she tried recalling the memory. "It was as part of our little "music appreciation trip". Umm...I hope you don't think I'm some kind of social climber or anything but, I like entertainment like that. Most of my friends just laugh and mock the performers."

"Hey, don't worry about it." He assures her. "I didn't really take your taste to be...I don't know? A little uptown, I guess? I couldn't really tell just by passing you in the lobby."

"That's cause' I'm not uptown. You know that."

"I guess."

"If I have the means though, I'll probably see a concert there every time it hosts one. Hell, I might even volunteer as a performer by then!"

"Wait--you can sing?"

"Anyone can Makoto. Even you." Cel teases him lightly.

"Urghh...you know what I mean. I mean like, professionally."

"No. Never entered a singing contest in my entire life. I do have something else though."

"Mind if I ask?"

"Hmm..." Cel thinks for a moment. "Nope! It's a secret~"

"Aww..." Makoto pretends to sulk for a while at her refusal to tell him. Cel just laughed.

"What about you? If you have that kind of amount, what would you do with it?" She asks.

"Get the best private investigator in the world and track the Iron Killer. That's how much I'm bothered by the guy. Or girl. Equality of course."

"You're that stressed out about it huh? Well, that's why I brought you here." Likewise, Cel leans over the railing, watching the people below them go about their usual routines. Above them, the stars have started peering within the night sky, calming down the overall mood of the city.

"Doesn't the wind and view relax you somehow?"

"Yeah." Makoto replied as he stared at the night sky. Now that he looked around, all the young people seems to be paired up, talking on benches, looking through the binoculars together. Admittedly, he started to feel a little awkward being with just Cel in this place. Yet she was the one who brought him there.

Could it be...?

"Everything looks peaceful from up high." Makoto smiles at his companion. "Maybe I should visit this place a lot more often now."

"You know, I'm a bit surprised you don't come here seeing as how you're a writer."

"Horror writer." Makoto corrects her.

"Same. Don't you normally go to parks or the countryside to look for inspiration or something? Your "muse" as you call it?"

"It depends. Sometimes, you have it. Often you don't. The places we go to depends on what we're writing of course. For me, staying on the third floor waiting area or one of the vacant rooms in the sixth floor of the dorm does the trick." Makoto refers to the notorious areas of their dorm.

"You won't get any complaints from me."

"Otherwise, I'm more of a Castle Waterside guy myself." Makoto refers to the tourist area near the harbor where the live jazz concert attended by Aziz and the others just concluded.

"I thought you're more Stephen King than John Green." Cel teases him again.

"I am. And John Green's stories aren't really that romance-centric all the time." Makoto explained. "But why would you think that though? I usually go to Waterside for the ocean view since some of the best stories I've read normally involve the ocean."

"Wait, you hang out at Waterside? Alone? Right near where Castle Bay is?" Cel asks, trying hard not to laugh.

"Well I have some friends over sometimes but--hey, what's so funny about it? What's with Waterside anyway?" Try as he might to act a lot more calmer, Makoto felt a little irritated at Cel laughing at him. Luckily, she managed to compose herself.

"You do know Castle Bay's dubbed the most romantic spot in the city right? If you go there alone well--"

Realizing that, even Makoto just laughed--the thought of other people thinking him to be some kind of loser hanging out there alone coming off hilariously to him.

"Hey, that's a bit too judgemental. Maybe I'm just waiting for someone else to come." He tried to catch himself. "Besides, I must've heard wrong then. Didn't realize the bay had that kind of reputation." Makoto peers over the railing again. "If it's first, then what's the second best?"

Cel's lips just curved into a small smile as she looked through the binoculars again. "This place."

Hearing that from her, Makoto slowly got up to look at her. Without taking her eyes from the binoculars, Cel reached out a hand to take his. His heart nearly skipped a beat at this gesture. Slowly, he closes his eyes, taking in that fleeting fifteen seconds of time.