Homecoming

<I, uh, wondered if you wanted to hang out later tonight.>

"It means a lot to me too," Noct said with a small smile.

"Um, maybe," Astarte hesitated. "Where were you thinking of hanging out?"

*Senthose stares at her blankly.*

S"...Is that actually everything this time?"
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*Euryale walks Taiyo back to the dorms.*
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"That's good to hear."

<I believe so.>
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*Cameron turns red*

<Uh, whatever you want to do.>

"Um..." Astarte couldn't think of anything. "I don't... know..."

<We could have dinner then walk around a bit. Or something.>

Presumably at the dorms, Taiyo is hanging on to Euryale's arm.

Taiyo: "Um, do you want to spend the night? If you have nothing better to do."

"Yea," Noct said, running another hand through her hair, quickly finding that the friend-zone sucked pretty hard. "So, uh, I'm going to go finish shopping. I'll see you at your room?"

Mortal smiled a bit when she realized that they were still getting the hot pockets.

~Later That Night~

*Cameron & Astarte are doing whatever.*
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*Aroma is quickly setting the table, expecting Mortal, Noctis, & possibly Gabe at any minute.*
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*Euryale is with Taiyo in her room when she gets a text from Nero.*

Kept getting this message until I couldn't ignore it anymore. Clicked the link & thought that you should see it.
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*Everyone else is also doing whatever.*

Azuma went to that coffee shop for the poetry recital. Mimiru stayed at the dorm doing whatever.

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Taiyo is loving up to Euryale like a cat does when it wants to be petted.

Taiyo: "From Blacky? It's not something awful, is it?"

Mortal, Gabe, and Noct arrive in Sabroma's hall, and knock on the door. Sab was tending to the sauce when she heard the knock, "Aroma, I think they're here."

Astarte had not agreed to dinner, but instead suggested they get drinks.

*Aroma trots over to the door & opens it, smiling.*

"Hello, everybody!"
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*Euryale scratches Taiyo behind the ears.*

"I guess we'll see."

*The link goes to a crappy internet forum, blue on white background. There's only one topic, the subject line of which reads "Not Over."*
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*Also at the bar is Senthose, drinking a mixed drink with soda. Or possibly just soda.*
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*The tables are all arranged around a crappy stage of crates shoved together with a checkered cloth thrown over it. A man with a shitty goatee, sunglasses, & what looks like a mime outfit is sitting cross-legged over it, playing a set of bongo drums.*

<Everything is normal. Everything is fine. I worry about nothing. Because nothing is on my mind.>

"Hey, what's up?" Gabe said with a smile, walking in. Mortal and Noct followed, both giving greetings as they walked in.

Sab looked over her shoulder, "Hello you three, dinner is almost ready."

"It smells good," Mortal said with a smile.

Astarte noticed that Senthose was there, but didn't mind him at all. She was considering what to order, and went with Cherry Schnapps.

Taiyo purrs.

Taiyo: "What kind of things is he sending you?"

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This is horrible. That guy looks like a beatnik without any of the style.

"This is the first, actually."

*She clicks on the topic. It's an embedded video of a dorm, though they don't recognize whose. Moving on the wall is a shadow with a cloak & porkpie hat. It slowly walks in from one frame, & out of the other. The whole thing is about 20 seconds long.*

"Uhh...probably just someone dressed up, trying to scare us."
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*Astarte is provided with cherry schnapps.*
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*He gets up, a woman wearing all black with short, dyed-green hair comes to take his place.*

<Sometimes I think
about you and I
and wonder where it all went wrong
or if it ever went right.>
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*Aroma closes the door.*

"I'm glad."

*She heads over to stir the pasta.*

Astarte took a sip, glanced around the establishment, then settled her eyes on Cameron.

Mortal, and Noct took seats, but Gabe made way for the cupboards, getting a few cups, "Mortal told me to bring drinks, I hope you don't mind."

Taiyo shudders.

Taiyo: "They're on the right track."

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So painful. Could that get any more cliche?

Azuma resumes seated, sipping at his coffee trying to mask his displeasure.

"Oh, no, that's fine. Uh, any particular reason?"
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*Next up is the waitress from earlier.*

<Blackbird singing in the dead of night, Nothing wrong and nothing right, Broken wings and broken sight, Fly thee forth into the light.>
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*Euryale shuts her phone off & hugs Taiyo.*

"I'm guessing she didn't care for juice," Gabe said.

"Pretty much," Mortal said, "Hey, your beds look a little bigger than ours."

"Really?" Sab asked.

Taiyo returns Euryale's hug.

Taiyo: "That video doesn't mean anything, right? It couldn't have followed us, right?"

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That...wasn't too bad.

*The last one to go is a girl in suspenders with a black ponytail.*

<cold drinks make me cold on the inside. shiver shiver.>
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"But, I was sure to get your favorite drink."
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"...It's not a hard shadow to make. Everything will be all right. I'm here for you."