Mana Academy (IC) (Open, Fantasy)

[Chrome Legion]

Elizabeth Tsukuyomi


"Yes, he is with the french team. I would not worry about him interfering with our students any more. We will be keeping a very close eye on him. I would like to know more about him though, especially anything you might know about his relationships with his school. I am growing somewhat suspicious of out host."

Normally Liz wouldn't have aired such concerns aloud, not wanting to worry her students, and used to handling these kinds of things alone. Now though, she wanted to start getting Soliel more involved. Let him known her thought process, and what threats might be lurking.

[Luminesa]

Elizabeth Tsukuyomi


"Yes, he is with the french team. I would not worry about him interfering with our students any more. We will be keeping a very close eye on him. I would like to know more about him though, especially anything you might know about his relationships with his school. I am growing somewhat suspicious of out host."

Normally Liz wouldn't have aired such concerns aloud, not wanting to worry her students, and used to handling these kinds of things alone. Now though, she wanted to start getting Soliel more involved. Let him known her thought process, and what threats might be lurking.

"...S-Saturninus is my cousin...He...He used to be nice...b-but...his mother started beating him, when he was...about 13...E-Eventually, he became...h-how he is now...H-He's...actually killed several mob members, from what I remember my mother telling me...I-I...I-I don't want him to hurt my friends...Tsukiyomi-sama...please..." He looked up at her, terrified. "...Please don't let him...hurt anyone..."

[Sky-TheLandOfNekos]

Catherine de Sanguine Vivere


Catherine smiled widely again, breaking the bar in half with her fingers, before ripping the packaging with her teeth, holding her piece in her mouth and tossing the other one to Aria. Before taking a bite, she moved the half back to her hand. She let out a fake, evil villain laugh, classic to all phony cartoon villains.

"Now you have shown me your true weakness, nothing will stop me!" Catherine laughed again, her own, then plopped down next to Aria, wrapping her long arm around Aria, and resting her head on the smaller girl's shoulder. It did make it a bit awkward to eat her half of the chocolate bar, since she had to reach out in front of Aria to get a bite. "You know, this really is turning out to be a pretty nice trip, hopefully the rest of it stays this good."


Hailey Winters


Hailey held back a gasp, putting her hand over her mouth. "I.. Alright, I'll make sure she gets it. Lots of water to right? I got a concussion once when a stage light fell on me... No bright lights, lots of rest and water, only light physical activy." Hailey spoke quickly, clearly nervous. "Ah, Rabbit, how did it happen? Was there and accident or something? Or did Kate..."
Or did Kate finally start a fight above her wieght? Hailey had been worried that something like this would happen, with how aggressive Kate could be, how willing she was to start a fight, something like this was bound to happen. It was just a matter of time. It almost made Hailey feel useless. She was no good in a real fight, she could barely keep up with Kate when they would practice, and it was obvious just how much Annice would hold back. And now some one had gone and really hurt her little Red, and she couldn't do a thing about it.


Annice Null


Annice woke suddenly with a cold sweat, her blankets tangled around her, a nightmare quickly fading from her mind. Blood covering her gauntlets, her blade wedged deep in a gap in the back of his Armor, the same type she wore. The first strike missed his heart, so she had to struggle a bit with the blade to finally kill him. Twisting and jerking it around inside his chest, unable to make the blade change shape to kill him, the Armor stopping her magic. Cold as ice she called out over the radio as she pulled her blade back out. Then she used it to behead one of the other fresh bodies around them, one with a long knife still clutched in her hand. Annice had killed her a few seconds ago as they were clearing the compound.

"Sergeant, Burrell's down. Some whore got him in the back. His Armor's gone cold, no vitals.

She tried to tell her self it was just a dream, but it was the same one she had over and over, there. It couldn't just be a dream . She knew it was real. She killed one of her brothers, stabbed him in the back. But there was something else to the dream, something much earlier, something she couldn't remember. And one though. They all knew.

Sage

Seeing that her roomate had awoken suddenly, presumably from a nightmare. Seeing that the girl would prevent her from resting, and her concern for Annice's well-being, Sage decided to check on her. Carefully, she climbed out from under her covers and pushed herself to her feet, taking a moment to enjoy the sensation of the carpet between her toes before walking over to the girl. "Are you feeling okay?" she inquired, once again using what Soleil had taught her. "Is there anything I can do to help?"

[Prusselanden]

Ignis decided to change teachers to talk to.
"She's smarter anyways. If she hasn't figured it already she'll probably figure it soon."

She went to find Tsukuyomi. "Tsukuyomi, can I talk to you please? I got something to say..."
She used one hand to cradle the small rat in her jacket. It warmed up a little and seemed to stop shivering. It opened its eyes and rested in the warm pocket.

[Chrome Legion]

Amélie Aleramici-Gramont


Amélie made a small mistake, not properly using the ground to make up for her lighter weight compared to her opponent, hoping that just the sudden impulse of her greater strength would be enough to break his guard. Instead, he broke away, and gave the first real hints of his talents to her. Now she was on the defensive, and even if she had forced him to show more of himself, it Amélie wanted to remain on the offensive. A spiked buckler appeared on her arm, and the blade in her main hand changed, again into a heavy warhammer. It wouldn't do to run the boy through with a sword in a training match. She hefted the weapon up as he came down, able to ignore her disadvantage in mass, now braced firmly in the ground. Amélie targeted her bone-shattering at his blade, hoping to force it out of his hand, or even shatter the metal.


Annice Null


"Fuck no. I... It was more than just a dream. I'm slowly remembering something I did. I remember the raid, but the details were always fuzzy. Some black mage using magic in Indonesia, breaking people with it, using them as slaves for human trafficking. A lot of them were to fully under his grasp for us to free, we had to kill them. They would come at us with anything they could grab, little blades that couldn't even scratch our armor. They weren't even a fight, just an extermination. I was with another knight. Clarence Burrell. We got the word that the mage had been taken down, that we should extract, let the local authorities clean up the rest of the mess.
The second that order came down, I killed Burrell. Stabbed him in the back. It wasn't clean, I felt him struggle for a bit with the blade in him before I found his heart. I called it in that one of the slaves had gotten in a lucky hit. I... don't know why I killed him. There's something, I knew I hated him. I don't know why. And... The others had to know. There was no way that one of the slaves could have managed that, they knew I was behind Burrell. But no one said anything, they accepted my story. No one ever brought it up again, and I forgot. Until now I thought it was just a dream."

Why the fuck was she saying all this? To Sage of all "people". Like the demon would ever understand. Maybe that was why, because Annice herself didn't understand anything about what she was remembering.


Elizabeth Tsukuyomi


"Albrect, I am currently discussing some rather important matters relating to our injured student with my.. student. This may be information you would be good to hear, so I won't tell you to leave, but I would like if you would wait until we have finished our discussion before speaking." Tsukuyomi spoke in a cold, curt tone, before returning to a warmer inflection talking to Soliel. "Thank you for telling me that, I understand talking about him must make you uncomfortable. I need to know if he has a deeper link to his school, would Bourbon do anything on her own to curtail his behavior, or is it likely that she is complicit in them?"

[Rhomaia]

Catherine de Sanguine Vivere

"Eh, I don't know about that. You know, you're the only one that it right to be... well myself around. Kinda silly and all that. I guess maybe Soleil to, that kid is adorable. Everyone else I always feel like I should be putting on airs around. And you even stood by me at my lowest point." Catherine curled up closer around Aria. "I've thanked you enough for helping me with that. So.. uh thanks for just letting me be silly."

Catherine laughed again, remembering that time they had spent under the tree at lunch before everything.

"You remember the time that Albrecht ended up letting the school animals loose? I believe my exact words as some animal or another ran past were 'Fuck that noise'. Barring all the trouble that caused, that was pretty damn funny. I think I remember seeing Tsukuyomi flying around on a gryphon, dressed up like a cowboy, with a lasso and everything. Feels like a long time ago, but I guess it really wasn't was it?" Are those times really so far behind us that we won't see them again?

Aria

"...And I don't think I can thank you enough...for trusting me...for loving me...for still treating me like a person, not a doll..." Aria said gently, her voice barely above a whisper as she let Catherine cuddle with her, looking at peace with the world. Slowly and deliberately, she planted a kiss on Catherine's forehead as a wordless sign of affection and her own gratitude. Even from this, her pale cheeks grew bright and rosy, the blush spreading throughout her face.

Seeing Catherine able to remember the time they spent under the oak tree so vividly, and to even laugh at the old memories was able to illicit a soft giggle from her. "Yes, I remember it well...It certainly does feel like it was a long time ago. A lot has changed..." Aria responded, her voice trailing off a little and her silvery amber eyes closing a little, only to brighten up once again. "But that's not to say they can't change for the better, from here on out." she continued, sounding slightly more optimistic than usual. "After all, we did just get a once in a lifetime opportunity to come to come to Paris, I'd say things are looking up a little."

Aria gazed upon Catherine longingly, stroking her smooth black hair just behind her ears. She knew very well that Catherine had experienced unimaginable pain in these past months, and Aria had been with her every step of the way. Even if she was wrong, and the world around her fell to pieces just as it had in the past, Aria hoped with all of her fabricated heart that she could still have Catherine to hold to.

[Sky-TheLandOfNekos]

Violet Heart
"So, who taught you how to dance?"

Venta
Theodora Mills

---

Lifting up Violet and doing a turn like the rest of the dancers, Theodora answered when she placed Violet back onto the floor. "My mother," she said flatly, not really in the mood of mentioning her, "I've actually been to more balls than I look, though most of the time I'd refuse to even grace someone's hand... Truth be told, she didn't like that."

Glancing over at a more romantic couple, Theodora seemed to have lost a step for a moment before getting back into the tune. She could feel a few people looking over at her mistake, but she didn't care about them at all as she tried to control her breathing. She smiled nervously at Violet, but upon finding herself looking at the other girl's eyes, she regretted it immediately and was left with red all over her face and a light wind blowing through herself which she had conjured accidentally to cool herself down.

Needless to say, she was half-enjoying, half-hating the activity.

"But I suppose that those lessons paid off, never expected to actually do this again..."

Violet Heart

-Before Timeskip-

Noticing the slight mistake made by Theo which was then accompanied by a short glance into Violet's eyes and a blush from her dance partner. She wasn't entirely sure about what the cause might have been, even though she herself is blushing almost as brightly as Theo. Was it embarrassment? Would that have been the word? They have known each other for a couple months, so it's only natural for them to be comfortable around each other. Then, why would they be embarrassed? After all, it's only a dance.

"Well, at least you're dancing with me rather than someone picked out by your mother," Violet replied, doing her best to hide her blush while she smiled.

[Saldinado]

Anatoly

Still adapting his eyes to the sunshine rays, Anatoly slowly crawled out of bed, shirtless, putting his hand over his eyes so he could see Simone more properly. Immediately, the expression of bother gave its place to one of satisfaction.

"You left the bed too early, my dear. We could've stayed here a while longer, you know... But how is your day so far?"

Simone Bellerose

Simone softly chuckled at his question and turned around to look at him, looking at his body and smiling before turning back around and looking out the window.

"Well it's currently good. Just got through getting dress and is now currently here standing in this special room."

She said laughing as she referred to what Anatonly said about his room being one-of-kind. Gently moving a lock of hair out off her face as she smoothed out her dress, even though it was already smooth and wrinkle-free; she always seemed to be self conscious about what she wore around people.

[Prusselanden]

"...but this has to relate with Saturninus and Bourbon...ok...I will wait." She turned around and started to walk away.
"Sure we both know he's scary, but there's something else I'd like to tell you... Never mind I'll leave you two alone."

She gently petted the rat with one finger. "Poor little bud."

[Charlia]

"....Alright."
Cheese picked up the doll in his mouth.
"Then don't be. Let it out. Let it all out. It's ok. Let yourself out at me. I won't leave you...I won't hurt you. I'll just listen."

"...I can't," she muttered. "I can't tell you. You wouldn't understand how I feel, anyway... all the things I've done, you don't know... what a disgusting wreck of a human being I actually am."

...Snow? Natalie said curiously. I've seen snow... Snow is pretty... and...

Her own memories returned to her, and her eyes widened slightly.

"Hey, Natalie, look! It's snowing!" The familiar face of her best friend was filled with cheer. "You've never seen snow before, have you? I wish I could take you out there, but it would get you all wet and you'd be in bad shape. So you just sit in the window and watch, okay? I'm going to go build a snowman by the window, so you can see it!"

Natalie sat in the window, watching her girl laugh and play in the snow, one of the memories she clung so tightly to after it all went wrong...

---

"...Look, Natalie," she whispered sadly. "It's snowing. Isn't snow so beautiful? It's so pure... It just covers everything and makes it white and clean..."

Her voice cracked.

"Except me," she whispered softly, hugging the doll tightly and crying. "Why... why can't it make me clean again, Natalie? Why... is this the way I'll always be?"

Natalie clung to Rabbit tightly, whimpering.

...Snow... she mumbled.

Rabbit came back to reality, as Natalie whimpered on his shoulder, and he held her against him. He then smiled and whispered to her kindly, "It is going to be alright...Sometimes it takes some time...but you are both young. You are growing, and you still have plenty of life inside of you...One day her wounds will heal, as will yours...and you will be well again..." He had his own sadness that marked him, but he was indeed far older than her, and his wounds were far deeper. She was a child, who would one day move beyond her wounds and find true happiness. She and Hikari...

At this point, Natalie was thinking both about Hikari and about the girl who had once been her best friend, the girl she had been powerless to save.

Then something connected in her mind, and she had a horrifying thought.

...Bunny-man! she squealed, trembling. Aunt Kasumi... She's in big trouble, Bunny-man!

Hailey Winters


"It's still pretty early, so nothing new has come up. I'll make sure too keep you up to date on any going ons, I don't want you exerting yourself. Best treatment for is to get lots of sleep, and don't try to be too active. Bout a year ago I got knocked out by a stage light and had a pretty bad concussion. I have some Tylenol if you need it. I think you'll be fine in a few days, it doesn't look that bad." Hailey didn't want to look that worried, and she wasn't about the injury. She was much more worried that Kate would keep doing things that would get her hurt. "Well, I guess activities like last night will be out of the question for a while."

Katelyn blinked, and then closed her eyes, thinking hard.

"...Hailey... What happened last night?" she mumbled. "I don't remember... Everything's fuzzy..." Her eyes widened. "Hailey, I don't remember. I can't remember things. I..."

Her hands started shaking.

"I'm scared... My memory's full of blanks... I can't remember..."

[Luminesa]

Amélie Aleramici-Gramont


Amélie made a small mistake, not properly using the ground to make up for her lighter weight compared to her opponent, hoping that just the sudden impulse of her greater strength would be enough to break his guard. Instead, he broke away, and gave the first real hints of his talents to her. Now she was on the defensive, and even if she had forced him to show more of himself, it Amélie wanted to remain on the offensive. A spiked buckler appeared on her arm, and the blade in her main hand changed, again into a heavy warhammer. It wouldn't do to run the boy through with a sword in a training match. She hefted the weapon up as he came down, able to ignore her disadvantage in mass, now braced firmly in the ground. Amélie targeted her bone-shattering at his blade, hoping to force it out of his hand, or even shatter the metal.


Annice Null


"Fuck no. I... It was more than just a dream. I'm slowly remembering something I did. I remember the raid, but the details were always fuzzy. Some black mage using magic in Indonesia, breaking people with it, using them as slaves for human trafficking. A lot of them were to fully under his grasp for us to free, we had to kill them. They would come at us with anything they could grab, little blades that couldn't even scratch our armor. They weren't even a fight, just an extermination. I was with another knight. Clarence Burrell. We got the word that the mage had been taken down, that we should extract, let the local authorities clean up the rest of the mess.
The second that order came down, I killed Burrell. Stabbed him in the back. It wasn't clean, I felt him struggle for a bit with the blade in him before I found his heart. I called it in that one of the slaves had gotten in a lucky hit. I... don't know why I killed him. There's something, I knew I hated him. I don't know why. And... The others had to know. There was no way that one of the slaves could have managed that, they knew I was behind Burrell. But no one said anything, they accepted my story. No one ever brought it up again, and I forgot. Until now I thought it was just a dream."

Why the fuck was she saying all this? To Sage of all "people". Like the demon would ever understand. Maybe that was why, because Annice herself didn't understand anything about what she was remembering.


Elizabeth Tsukuyomi


"Albrect, I am currently discussing some rather important matters relating to our injured student with my.. student. This may be information you would be good to hear, so I won't tell you to leave, but I would like if you would wait until we have finished our discussion before speaking." Tsukuyomi spoke in a cold, curt tone, before returning to a warmer inflection talking to Soliel. "Thank you for telling me that, I understand talking about him must make you uncomfortable. I need to know if he has a deeper link to his school, would Bourbon do anything on her own to curtail his behavior, or is it likely that she is complicit in them?"

He thought for a moment, and he shook his head. "I-I do not know...I do not know Madame Bourbon, myself...My mother did not want me to attend the school...she did not the strictness of the school..." he answered, softly. He then added, "...B-But...his mother probably wants him here to...keep an eye on me...That is why...I am afraid...I-I do not want them to know that...I do not know Dark Magic..."

Outside, Etienne's heavy wooden blade met her warhammer, and the recoil was enough to nearly break his hand. He jumped back, and landed on his feet as he moved back. The wood on his blade was scraped, and he whistled as he looked at the damage. "...Could have lost my weapon..." he muttered. He then smiled back at Amelie, before rushing back toward her to try and wear her down. She was on the defensive now. It would be a matter of time before he got her tired enough that he could hit her.

[Luminesa]

"....Alright."
Cheese picked up the doll in his mouth.
"Then don't be. Let it out. Let it all out. It's ok. Let yourself out at me. I won't leave you...I won't hurt you. I'll just listen."

"...I can't," she muttered. "I can't tell you. You wouldn't understand how I feel, anyway... all the things I've done, you don't know... what a disgusting wreck of a human being I actually am."

Rabbit came back to reality, as Natalie whimpered on his shoulder, and he held her against him. He then smiled and whispered to her kindly, "It is going to be alright...Sometimes it takes some time...but you are both young. You are growing, and you still have plenty of life inside of you...One day her wounds will heal, as will yours...and you will be well again..." He had his own sadness that marked him, but he was indeed far older than her, and his wounds were far deeper. She was a child, who would one day move beyond her wounds and find true happiness. She and Hikari...

At this point, Natalie was thinking both about Hikari and about the girl who had once been her best friend, the girl she had been powerless to save.

Then something connected in her mind, and she had a horrifying thought.

...Bunny-man! she squealed, trembling. Aunt Kasumi... She's in big trouble, Bunny-man!

Hailey Winters


"It's still pretty early, so nothing new has come up. I'll make sure too keep you up to date on any going ons, I don't want you exerting yourself. Best treatment for is to get lots of sleep, and don't try to be too active. Bout a year ago I got knocked out by a stage light and had a pretty bad concussion. I have some Tylenol if you need it. I think you'll be fine in a few days, it doesn't look that bad." Hailey didn't want to look that worried, and she wasn't about the injury. She was much more worried that Kate would keep doing things that would get her hurt. "Well, I guess activities like last night will be out of the question for a while."

Katelyn blinked, and then closed her eyes, thinking hard.

"...Hailey... What happened last night?" she mumbled. "I don't remember... Everything's fuzzy..." Her eyes widened. "Hailey, I don't remember. I can't remember things. I..."

Her hands started shaking.

"I'm scared... My memory's full of blanks... I can't remember..."

He looked at her, and he cocked his head slightly. "Hm? Why is she in big danger? Where is she, dear?" he asked. He was worried about her a bit, since he had not seen her around for a while, but he figured she was able to take care of herself...unless something else was happening. Was there some other sort of danger that Natalie was trying to warn him about?

[Prusselanden]

"....Alright."
Cheese picked up the doll in his mouth.
"Then don't be. Let it out. Let it all out. It's ok. Let yourself out at me. I won't leave you...I won't hurt you. I'll just listen."

"...I can't," she muttered. "I can't tell you. You wouldn't understand how I feel, anyway... all the things I've done, you don't know... what a disgusting wreck of a human being I actually am."

Rabbit came back to reality, as Natalie whimpered on his shoulder, and he held her against him. He then smiled and whispered to her kindly, "It is going to be alright...Sometimes it takes some time...but you are both young. You are growing, and you still have plenty of life inside of you...One day her wounds will heal, as will yours...and you will be well again..." He had his own sadness that marked him, but he was indeed far older than her, and his wounds were far deeper. She was a child, who would one day move beyond her wounds and find true happiness. She and Hikari...

At this point, Natalie was thinking both about Hikari and about the girl who had once been her best friend, the girl she had been powerless to save.

Then something connected in her mind, and she had a horrifying thought.

...Bunny-man! she squealed, trembling. Aunt Kasumi... She's in big trouble, Bunny-man!

Hailey Winters


"It's still pretty early, so nothing new has come up. I'll make sure too keep you up to date on any going ons, I don't want you exerting yourself. Best treatment for is to get lots of sleep, and don't try to be too active. Bout a year ago I got knocked out by a stage light and had a pretty bad concussion. I have some Tylenol if you need it. I think you'll be fine in a few days, it doesn't look that bad." Hailey didn't want to look that worried, and she wasn't about the injury. She was much more worried that Kate would keep doing things that would get her hurt. "Well, I guess activities like last night will be out of the question for a while."

Katelyn blinked, and then closed her eyes, thinking hard.

"...Hailey... What happened last night?" she mumbled. "I don't remember... Everything's fuzzy..." Her eyes widened. "Hailey, I don't remember. I can't remember things. I..."

Her hands started shaking.

"I'm scared... My memory's full of blanks... I can't remember..."

Cheese sighed and put his plush hoofs on her shoulders.
"....Hikari, listen. I am a disgusting, cowardly, petty fairy. Because one group of humans tried to hurt me I cursed entire towns, killed innocent people with plague, spread famine just because some girl broke my heart. I couldn't protect you from Aether. I couldn't protect Natalie from Cecily." He shook his head.
"If you are such a disgusting wreck than I can be a disgusting wreck with you. We can be disgusting together."

"...But gradually I'll be alone. Because you're not disgusting, you're beautiful. I don't wanna hear about your history cause I won't care. You are a better person, and you will always be kinder, more beautiful and stronger. Your past doesn't define you, only your actions now."

[Charlia]

"...I can't," she muttered. "I can't tell you. You wouldn't understand how I feel, anyway... all the things I've done, you don't know... what a disgusting wreck of a human being I actually am."At this point, Natalie was thinking both about Hikari and about the girl who had once been her best friend, the girl she had been powerless to save.

Then something connected in her mind, and she had a horrifying thought.

...Bunny-man! she squealed, trembling. Aunt Kasumi... She's in big trouble, Bunny-man!Katelyn blinked, and then closed her eyes, thinking hard.

"...Hailey... What happened last night?" she mumbled. "I don't remember... Everything's fuzzy..." Her eyes widened. "Hailey, I don't remember. I can't remember things. I..."

Her hands started shaking.

"I'm scared... My memory's full of blanks... I can't remember..."

He looked at her, and he cocked his head slightly. "Hm? Why is she in big danger? Where is she, dear?" he asked. He was worried about her a bit, since he had not seen her around for a while, but he figured she was able to take care of herself...unless something else was happening. Was there some other sort of danger that Natalie was trying to warn him about?

Bunny-man, Natalie said quickly, Soleil and Aunt Kasumi have been spending lots of time together and I saw Soleil kiss her once and I just realized that's what happened to my girl before she died! 'Cause there was this guy and he kissed her a lot and it made her really sad and then she killed herself and I don't want Aunt Kasumi to kill herself so we have to help!

She was waving her arms around throughout this less-than-eloquent speech, and at the end she just sat there, panting, because she had spoken far more quickly than she was used to.

"...I can't," she muttered. "I can't tell you. You wouldn't understand how I feel, anyway... all the things I've done, you don't know... what a disgusting wreck of a human being I actually am."At this point, Natalie was thinking both about Hikari and about the girl who had once been her best friend, the girl she had been powerless to save.

Then something connected in her mind, and she had a horrifying thought.

...Bunny-man! she squealed, trembling. Aunt Kasumi... She's in big trouble, Bunny-man!Katelyn blinked, and then closed her eyes, thinking hard.

"...Hailey... What happened last night?" she mumbled. "I don't remember... Everything's fuzzy..." Her eyes widened. "Hailey, I don't remember. I can't remember things. I..."

Her hands started shaking.

"I'm scared... My memory's full of blanks... I can't remember..."

Cheese sighed and put his plush hoofs on her shoulders.
"....Hikari, listen. I am a disgusting, cowardly, petty fairy. Because one group of humans tried to hurt me I cursed entire towns, killed innocent people with plague, spread famine just because some girl broke my heart. I couldn't protect you from Aether. I couldn't protect Natalie from Cecily." He shook his head.
"If you are such a disgusting wreck than I can be a disgusting wreck with you. We can be disgusting together."

"..."

Hikari just hugged Cheese tightly, probably halfway suffocating him with her grip.

She appreciated the sentiment.

[Luminesa]

He looked at her, and he cocked his head slightly. "Hm? Why is she in big danger? Where is she, dear?" he asked. He was worried about her a bit, since he had not seen her around for a while, but he figured she was able to take care of herself...unless something else was happening. Was there some other sort of danger that Natalie was trying to warn him about?

Bunny-man, Natalie said quickly, Soleil and Aunt Kasumi have been spending lots of time together and I saw Soleil kiss her once and I just realized that's what happened to my girl before she died! 'Cause there was this guy and he kissed her a lot and it made her really sad and then she killed herself and I don't want Aunt Kasumi to kill herself so we have to help!

She was waving her arms around throughout this less-than-eloquent speech, and at the end she just sat there, panting, because she had spoken far more quickly than she was used to.

Cheese sighed and put his plush hoofs on her shoulders.
"....Hikari, listen. I am a disgusting, cowardly, petty fairy. Because one group of humans tried to hurt me I cursed entire towns, killed innocent people with plague, spread famine just because some girl broke my heart. I couldn't protect you from Aether. I couldn't protect Natalie from Cecily." He shook his head.
"If you are such a disgusting wreck than I can be a disgusting wreck with you. We can be disgusting together."

"..."

Hikari just hugged Cheese tightly, probably halfway suffocating him with her grip.

She appreciated the sentiment.

Rabbit thought about what she had said, and he was actually slightly relieved. He knew Kasumi was not suicidal-at least, not to his knowledge-and he knew that Natalie was simply not able to separate past experiences from present ones. Again, another aspect of having a mind like a child. Nevertheless, he wanted to be sure, for his and for Natalie's sake. "Why don't we go check on her, then? Where is she, dear? Can you lead me to her?" he asked her, kindly.

[Prusselanden]

He looked at her, and he cocked his head slightly. "Hm? Why is she in big danger? Where is she, dear?" he asked. He was worried about her a bit, since he had not seen her around for a while, but he figured she was able to take care of herself...unless something else was happening. Was there some other sort of danger that Natalie was trying to warn him about?

Bunny-man, Natalie said quickly, Soleil and Aunt Kasumi have been spending lots of time together and I saw Soleil kiss her once and I just realized that's what happened to my girl before she died! 'Cause there was this guy and he kissed her a lot and it made her really sad and then she killed herself and I don't want Aunt Kasumi to kill herself so we have to help!

She was waving her arms around throughout this less-than-eloquent speech, and at the end she just sat there, panting, because she had spoken far more quickly than she was used to.

Cheese sighed and put his plush hoofs on her shoulders.
"....Hikari, listen. I am a disgusting, cowardly, petty fairy. Because one group of humans tried to hurt me I cursed entire towns, killed innocent people with plague, spread famine just because some girl broke my heart. I couldn't protect you from Aether. I couldn't protect Natalie from Cecily." He shook his head.
"If you are such a disgusting wreck than I can be a disgusting wreck with you. We can be disgusting together."

"..."

Hikari just hugged Cheese tightly, probably halfway suffocating him with her grip.

She appreciated the sentiment.

"....I love you Hikari. Me and Natalie love you. We'll love you no matter your past or your flaws."

He put his front legs around her neck in a hug.

[Kingdom of Irhk]

Anatoly

Still adapting his eyes to the sunshine rays, Anatoly slowly crawled out of bed, shirtless, putting his hand over his eyes so he could see Simone more properly. Immediately, the expression of bother gave its place to one of satisfaction.

"You left the bed too early, my dear. We could've stayed here a while longer, you know... But how is your day so far?"

Simone Bellerose

Simone softly chuckled at his question and turned around to look at him, looking at his body and smiling before turning back around and looking out the window.

"Well it's currently good. Just got through getting dress and is now currently here standing in this special room."

She said laughing as she referred to what Anatonly said about his room being one-of-kind. Gently moving a lock of hair out off her face as she smoothed out her dress, even though it was already smooth and wrinkle-free; she always seemed to be self conscious about what she wore around people.

Anatoly

"I must say that you're absolutely astonishing even with such simplicity. Well, give me a few minutes to get dressed."

Standing promptly, he walked over to the wardrobe, dressing himself with a white top and black jeans that made him look much less formal than the previous night. Finally, he promptly approached Simone by behind, kissing her gently in the neck.

"I think we should eat something, you know."

[Prusselanden]

Ignsi went to find Aether instead.
She wasn't so sure about this decision, since she thought that maybe Aether was still sleeping, and if she woke her up she'd be really cranky.
She knocked on Aether's room.
"Um...Proffesor Aether?"

[Charlia]

Bunny-man, Natalie said quickly, Soleil and Aunt Kasumi have been spending lots of time together and I saw Soleil kiss her once and I just realized that's what happened to my girl before she died! 'Cause there was this guy and he kissed her a lot and it made her really sad and then she killed herself and I don't want Aunt Kasumi to kill herself so we have to help!

She was waving her arms around throughout this less-than-eloquent speech, and at the end she just sat there, panting, because she had spoken far more quickly than she was used to."..."

Hikari just hugged Cheese tightly, probably halfway suffocating him with her grip.

She appreciated the sentiment.

Rabbit thought about what she had said, and he was actually slightly relieved. He knew Kasumi was not suicidal-at least, not to his knowledge-and he knew that Natalie was simply not able to separate past experiences from present ones. Again, another aspect of having a mind like a child. Nevertheless, he wanted to be sure, for his and for Natalie's sake. "Why don't we go check on her, then? Where is she, dear? Can you lead me to her?" he asked her, kindly.

I don't know where she is! Natalie wailed. But we have to find her 'cause what if we can't and she's already dying? She can't die! Mama would be real sad and I'd miss her 'cause she's nice to me like my girl was and she can't die too, I don't want her to die, I don't want anyone to die anymore 'cause it's real sad and we have to find her so we can make her happy again!

Bunny-man, Natalie said quickly, Soleil and Aunt Kasumi have been spending lots of time together and I saw Soleil kiss her once and I just realized that's what happened to my girl before she died! 'Cause there was this guy and he kissed her a lot and it made her really sad and then she killed herself and I don't want Aunt Kasumi to kill herself so we have to help!

She was waving her arms around throughout this less-than-eloquent speech, and at the end she just sat there, panting, because she had spoken far more quickly than she was used to."..."

Hikari just hugged Cheese tightly, probably halfway suffocating him with her grip.

She appreciated the sentiment.

"....I love you Hikari. Me and Natalie love you. We'll love you no matter your past or your flaws."

He put his front legs around her neck in a hug.

"...Love you, too, Cheese. Just... don't tell Natalie any of this, okay? She's so innocent and I don't... I don't want to ruin that any more than I already have..."

She closed her eyes, letting her head sink into the pillow, and quietly explained to Cheese what had happened to her, what she'd done that had led her to these feelings of guilt and self-loathing, and the broken doll that lay in the corner of the room.

Once she had finished speaking, she forced a bitter smile and said, "I told you I'm disgusting. I whored myself out to save my own skin. Isn't that just pathetic?"

Ignsi went to find Aether instead.
She wasn't so sure about this decision, since she thought that maybe Aether was still sleeping.
She knocked on Aether's room.
"Um...Proffesor Aether?"

Aether opened the door and looked at Ignis.

Oh, joy. It's you.

"What is it, Albrecht?"

[Luminesa]

Rabbit thought about what she had said, and he was actually slightly relieved. He knew Kasumi was not suicidal-at least, not to his knowledge-and he knew that Natalie was simply not able to separate past experiences from present ones. Again, another aspect of having a mind like a child. Nevertheless, he wanted to be sure, for his and for Natalie's sake. "Why don't we go check on her, then? Where is she, dear? Can you lead me to her?" he asked her, kindly.

I don't know where she is! Natalie wailed. But we have to find her 'cause what if we can't and she's already dying? She can't die! Mama would be real sad and I'd miss her 'cause she's nice to me like my girl was and she can't die too, I don't want her to die, I don't want anyone to die anymore 'cause it's real sad and we have to find her so we can make her happy again!

"....I love you Hikari. Me and Natalie love you. We'll love you no matter your past or your flaws."

He put his front legs around her neck in a hug.

"...Love you, too, Cheese. Just... don't tell Natalie any of this, okay? She's so innocent and I don't... I don't want to ruin that any more than I already have..."

She closed her eyes, letting her head sink into the pillow, and quietly explained to Cheese what had happened to her, what she'd done that had led her to these feelings of guilt and self-loathing, and the broken doll that lay in the corner of the room.

Once she had finished speaking, she forced a bitter smile and said, "I told you I'm disgusting. I whored myself out to save my own skin. Isn't that just pathetic?"

Ignsi went to find Aether instead.
She wasn't so sure about this decision, since she thought that maybe Aether was still sleeping.
She knocked on Aether's room.
"Um...Proffesor Aether?"

Aether opened the door and looked at Ignis.

Oh, joy. It's you.

"What is it, Albrecht?"

"Natalie, dear, you need to calm down...Kasumi-chan is not going to be found if we panic, dead. We need to think. Now, tell me, where was the last place you saw her?...Do you know?..." he spoke to her treating her as though she was maybe a few feet bigger than she actually was. He looked up at Natalie as she continued to sit on his shoulder, her tiny body shivering with fright at the idea of her 'aunt' dying horribly spontaneously somewhere.

[Prusselanden]

Rabbit thought about what she had said, and he was actually slightly relieved. He knew Kasumi was not suicidal-at least, not to his knowledge-and he knew that Natalie was simply not able to separate past experiences from present ones. Again, another aspect of having a mind like a child. Nevertheless, he wanted to be sure, for his and for Natalie's sake. "Why don't we go check on her, then? Where is she, dear? Can you lead me to her?" he asked her, kindly.

I don't know where she is! Natalie wailed. But we have to find her 'cause what if we can't and she's already dying? She can't die! Mama would be real sad and I'd miss her 'cause she's nice to me like my girl was and she can't die too, I don't want her to die, I don't want anyone to die anymore 'cause it's real sad and we have to find her so we can make her happy again!

"....I love you Hikari. Me and Natalie love you. We'll love you no matter your past or your flaws."

He put his front legs around her neck in a hug.

"...Love you, too, Cheese. Just... don't tell Natalie any of this, okay? She's so innocent and I don't... I don't want to ruin that any more than I already have..."

She closed her eyes, letting her head sink into the pillow, and quietly explained to Cheese what had happened to her, what she'd done that had led her to these feelings of guilt and self-loathing, and the broken doll that lay in the corner of the room.

Once she had finished speaking, she forced a bitter smile and said, "I told you I'm disgusting. I whored myself out to save my own skin. Isn't that just pathetic?"

Ignsi went to find Aether instead.
She wasn't so sure about this decision, since she thought that maybe Aether was still sleeping.
She knocked on Aether's room.
"Um...Proffesor Aether?"

Aether opened the door and looked at Ignis.

Oh, joy. It's you.

"What is it, Albrecht?"

"That doesn't make you disgusting. You couldn't help it. You were forced into it. Myself though....I chose the path of sin." He sighed and turned into his human form and patted her head gently. "You're still clean. You're still kind to me an' Na'alie. Listen it's no' your past that defines you but your character. You are kind, brave and selfless, and that's all that matters. And at least you're no' like Hitler."

Meanwhile....
Ignis nervously explained Katelyn's fight and how she got brutally injured.
"I took the aggressor to Madame Bourbon and she acted like it was a big deal. But I don't think he ever got punished and I suspect that she encourages him to do these kinds of things. I think we need to be on the lookout for the French team..."

[Charlia]

I don't know where she is! Natalie wailed. But we have to find her 'cause what if we can't and she's already dying? She can't die! Mama would be real sad and I'd miss her 'cause she's nice to me like my girl was and she can't die too, I don't want her to die, I don't want anyone to die anymore 'cause it's real sad and we have to find her so we can make her happy again!"...Love you, too, Cheese. Just... don't tell Natalie any of this, okay? She's so innocent and I don't... I don't want to ruin that any more than I already have..."

She closed her eyes, letting her head sink into the pillow, and quietly explained to Cheese what had happened to her, what she'd done that had led her to these feelings of guilt and self-loathing, and the broken doll that lay in the corner of the room.

Once she had finished speaking, she forced a bitter smile and said, "I told you I'm disgusting. I whored myself out to save my own skin. Isn't that just pathetic?"Aether opened the door and looked at Ignis.

Oh, joy. It's you.

"What is it, Albrecht?"

"Natalie, dear, you need to calm down...Kasumi-chan is not going to be found if we panic, dead. We need to think. Now, tell me, where was the last place you saw her?...Do you know?..." he spoke to her treating her as though she was maybe a few feet bigger than she actually was. He looked up at Natalie as she continued to sit on his shoulder, her tiny body shivering with fright at the idea of her 'aunt' dying horribly spontaneously somewhere.

...Um... I saw her in my room when I gave Mama her present... but then Mama yelled at me and broke the present so I ran away. Didn't see her after that... Natalie rubbed her eyes, shaking her head in frustration. What if we can't find her, Bunny-man? she whimpered.

I don't know where she is! Natalie wailed. But we have to find her 'cause what if we can't and she's already dying? She can't die! Mama would be real sad and I'd miss her 'cause she's nice to me like my girl was and she can't die too, I don't want her to die, I don't want anyone to die anymore 'cause it's real sad and we have to find her so we can make her happy again!"...Love you, too, Cheese. Just... don't tell Natalie any of this, okay? She's so innocent and I don't... I don't want to ruin that any more than I already have..."

She closed her eyes, letting her head sink into the pillow, and quietly explained to Cheese what had happened to her, what she'd done that had led her to these feelings of guilt and self-loathing, and the broken doll that lay in the corner of the room.

Once she had finished speaking, she forced a bitter smile and said, "I told you I'm disgusting. I whored myself out to save my own skin. Isn't that just pathetic?"Aether opened the door and looked at Ignis.

Oh, joy. It's you.

"What is it, Albrecht?"

"That doesn't make you disgusting. You couldn't help it. You were forced into it." He turned into his human form and patted her head gently. "You're still clean. You're still kind to me an' Na'alie. Listen it's no' your past that defines you but your character. You are kind, brave and selfless, and that's all that matters."

Ignis explained Katelyn's fight and how she got brutally injured.
"I took the aggressor to Madame Bourbon and she acted like it was a big deal. But I don't think he ever got punished and I suspect that she encourages him to do these kinds of things. I think we need to be on the lookout for the French team..."

"...But... but I'm not," Hikari cried. "I'm a horrible person. I yelled at Natalie and I broke her doll and all she wanted was to make me happy. How could I do that? How could I hurt her like that? She didn't deserve it..."

---

Aether's brow furrowed, and a spark lit in her eyes.

"That is rather unfortunate news," she said in a dark tone. "We will certainly have to keep our eyes open. Thank you for bringing this to my attention, Albrecht."

[Luminesa]

"Natalie, dear, you need to calm down...Kasumi-chan is not going to be found if we panic, dead. We need to think. Now, tell me, where was the last place you saw her?...Do you know?..." he spoke to her treating her as though she was maybe a few feet bigger than she actually was. He looked up at Natalie as she continued to sit on his shoulder, her tiny body shivering with fright at the idea of her 'aunt' dying horribly spontaneously somewhere.

...Um... I saw her in my room when I gave Mama her present... but then Mama yelled at me and broke the present so I ran away. Didn't see her after that... Natalie rubbed her eyes, shaking her head in frustration. What if we can't find her, Bunny-man? she whimpered.

"That doesn't make you disgusting. You couldn't help it. You were forced into it." He turned into his human form and patted her head gently. "You're still clean. You're still kind to me an' Na'alie. Listen it's no' your past that defines you but your character. You are kind, brave and selfless, and that's all that matters."

Ignis explained Katelyn's fight and how she got brutally injured.
"I took the aggressor to Madame Bourbon and she acted like it was a big deal. But I don't think he ever got punished and I suspect that she encourages him to do these kinds of things. I think we need to be on the lookout for the French team..."

"...But... but I'm not," Hikari cried. "I'm a horrible person. I yelled at Natalie and I broke her doll and all she wanted was to make me happy. How could I do that? How could I hurt her like that? She didn't deserve it..."

---

Aether's brow furrowed, and a spark lit in her eyes.

"That is rather unfortunate news," she said in a dark tone. "We will certainly have to keep our eyes open. Thank you for bringing this to my attention, Albrecht."

"I see. Well then, perhaps we should go to her room and check to see if she is still there? Hopefully she is alright. You lead me to her room, and I will follow, dear," he answered, looking back inside the hotel building. Even if Kasumi and Hikari were alright, it would probably do some good to talk to them at least. After all, Natalie was completely heartbroken by Hikari's actions, and he wanted to hear Hikari's side so they could understand each other (at least to some degree) and then be happy again.

[Prusselanden]

" See, you're showing you still care about Natalie." Cheese smiled and hugged Hikari again.
"....Listen. I have an idea. Wha' if we fix the doll but make it look a little different from you so you won't feel like you're being replaced?" his eyes lit up.

Ignis nodded. "Thanks for listening. Should we spread the word to the other Proffesors? I know Tsukuyomi already knows."

A small squeak sounded from her jacket. The rat poked its head out at Aether.
"Oh no little guy stay in there..." She gently nudged him back in.

[Charlia]

" See, you're showing you still care about Natalie." Cheese smiled and hugged Hikari again.
"....Listen. I have an idea. Wha' if we fix the doll but make it look a little different from you so you won't feel like you're being replaced?" his eyes lit up.

Ignis nodded. "Thanks for listening. Should we spread the word to the other Proffesors? I know Tsukuyomi already knows."

A small squeak sounded from her jacket. The rat poked its head out at Aether.
"Oh no little guy stay in there..." She gently nudged him back in.

"...Maybe..." Hikari whispered. "That might be a good idea."

---

"Do as you will," Aether said coolly. "I need some time to think about this."

...Um... I saw her in my room when I gave Mama her present... but then Mama yelled at me and broke the present so I ran away. Didn't see her after that... Natalie rubbed her eyes, shaking her head in frustration. What if we can't find her, Bunny-man? she whimpered."...But... but I'm not," Hikari cried. "I'm a horrible person. I yelled at Natalie and I broke her doll and all she wanted was to make me happy. How could I do that? How could I hurt her like that? She didn't deserve it..."

---

Aether's brow furrowed, and a spark lit in her eyes.

"That is rather unfortunate news," she said in a dark tone. "We will certainly have to keep our eyes open. Thank you for bringing this to my attention, Albrecht."

"I see. Well then, perhaps we should go to her room and check to see if she is still there? Hopefully she is alright. You lead me to her room, and I will follow, dear," he answered, looking back inside the hotel building. Even if Kasumi and Hikari were alright, it would probably do some good to talk to them at least. After all, Natalie was completely heartbroken by Hikari's actions, and he wanted to hear Hikari's side so they could understand each other (at least to some degree) and then be happy again.

Okay, Natalie said quietly, and pointed in the direction Rabbit needed to go, not wanting to bother getting down. She would just point until they got to the room.