The world is all one! Unity mind!

[brandnewday]

[Another week, another set of disasters. Hibiki’s head is still reeling from the lengthy ordeal that was Solf J. Kimblee. But it’s because of that exasperation that she’s able to turn her restlessness into something useful. It’s too late to set about making curry for everyone, so it’s time to make some easier dishes. A replication of Fern’s mac-and-cheese, somehow she’s whipped up some kind of donut to go with her animal-shaped rice balls. There’s coffee, tea...hopefully it’s enough? And if it’s not, Rin has provided some delicious Chinese food. And that always tastes better late at night, doesn’t it?

And for the adults (or the exasperated teenagers), Susan is carting down booze from the bar. Joy. Hibiki’s never written to the group en masse before, but she delivers a piece of paper to everyone while Rin and Susan finish up the preparations. Each paper has a drawing of an animal on it, too.]

Too much has happened today. Whether you want to get angry, cry, smile, laugh, or just be out of your room, you don’t have to do it alone. Rin and I have prepared food for everyone, and Susan’s brought the drinks downstairs so none of us have to go into the bar tonight.

Even if it’s just for a little while, won’t you think about joining us in the dining room tonight? Being together is just as important as working hard. And remember, nankurunaisa!

-Hibiki Ganaha

[Three more candles are lit today. Tabitha Smith. Sigrun Eide. Solf Kimblee. They’re all Cabanela’s doing. There aren't any decorations, but the food is spaced out so everyone should be able to grab something and munch if they need it. It’s not clear how many people will come, but a serious attempt was made this time.]

Comments

[heritrix]

[...

Rin reaches into her pocket, but before she can say what comes to mind, Susan asks an interesting question.]

We definitely can. [She sounds very certain.] Why do you ask?

[ninehundredlives]

Oh...I don’t know. I didn’t know her as well as I would have liked, but after last week I sort of felt like we got each other. [.....] I think I’d like to steal something of hers. Maybe that awful statue I gave her.

[heritrix]

[Rin can only stare quietly for a moment, before she has to turn her head and laugh. There's something a little sad about it.]

I can't believe we had the same idea.

[ninehundredlives]

Oh, yeah? What a pair of thieves!

[heritrix]

[Reaching into her pocket, Rin pulls out the key to Tabby's room and waves it a bit in the air.]

Do you want to go now?

[ninehundredlives]

Ah, you got it! Sure, let's.

[let's LOOT]

[heritrix]

[She'll come back for this food later then, she thinks, chatting quietly as they head out.]

Yeah. She was always stealing things and room keys... It's stupid, but in the moment I couldn't think of anything better to do.

[To honor her memory, and whatnot.]

[ninehundredlives]

I think I just wanted something to hold on to. I never really did that before...but everything reminded me, back there. Things just keep happening here...

[heritrix]

...I understand that. It's not just Tabby. I decided to keep something of Sigrun's as well.

[ninehundredlives]

Yeah. Sigrun was pretty great, too. I didn't know her as well...or, I don't feel like I did.

[heritrix]

I didn't either. But she was at the podium next to mine, and valuable at trials. I remember thinking after that first one that she was more competent than I would have expected.

[Rin sighs.] I regret not talking to her more. She said I could ask her any questions about how magic worked in her world, and I brushed her off at the time even though I was interested.

[ninehundredlives]

Yeah, she was nice. Always concerned for everybody. She told me a little about the disease that killed her world, but not any magic.

[heritrix]

It was a disease?

[Into the dorms area they go. Rin checks the number on the key, and realizes Tabby's room was in the same hall as hers and Susan, so they'll be headed that way.]

[ninehundredlives]

Yeah. Something airborne. It killed off almost everything, it sounded like.

[She'll just stand aside to let Rin get the door open.]

She couldn't tell me a lot about them. Probably most of the people who would study diseases died, too.

[heritrix]

There must have been someone who figured it out, unless entire countries were immune...

[But maybe they were? There's all sort of reasons why that could be, though Rin forgets to think of them as she opens the door.

...it's surprisingly bare (as described by Tabby's mun). There's not much here? Not even the knick-knack Susan came for.]

[ninehundredlives]

[...........]

God, did she just eat it all?

[heritrix]

[Huh...]

I wouldn't have pegged her as a cleanly person, but maybe it's all in her trunk?

[Or the desk. Rin turns to look at it and—oh.] Here's all the keys she took.

[ninehundredlives]

Surely it can't all fit in there?

[Is the trunk locked?]

[heritrix]

[The trunk is not! But there's nothing in there, not even vending machine items. Rin checks the closet while Susan does that, to similar effect. Just Tabby's extra outfit...]

Did I hallucinate her interest in stealing stuff?

[ninehundredlives]

It must be somewhere. [She shuts the trunk again.] Maybe she hid it all in one of the other rooms?

[heritrix]

[She snaps her fingers.]

Like a stash room! [Rin backtracks to the desk to pick up the keys.] It's worth checking out.

[ninehundredlives]

I don't know what else she might have done with it all. Let's start with the closest ones, probably.

[heritrix]

That should be Fern's room, right next door.

[Let's just go over there then, and...! There are so many chests in here? All the tables and chairs are missing, but there are several chests.]

What did— [Rin gapes for a moment, standing there.] I don't remember walking under a rainbow?

[ninehundredlives]

..........why.

[Let’s, uh. Investigate a chest?]

[heritrix]

[WE'RE GOING TREASURE HUNTING.

There's various things in these chests, it looks like. Some of them are empty, but a few probably have items in them that came from the vending machine. Like that weird clapping hat Fern got is probably in one of these. Still no sign of the Old Goldie Susan gave Tabby, though.]

She must have moved the chests from the other rooms into here. [Rin closes the lid of an empty chest.] It's like a game of musical furniture.