Homecoming

"I'm Astarte," Astarte had said. Now in line, she just said she planned on a soda.

Azuma: "He's always in a our sour mood. Our search yielded nothing."

Taiyo: "Something tried to get in Euryale's room."

"Astarte, like the Goddess?" Noct asked, "Pretty name."

"There is a Goddess named Astarte?" Mortal asked.

"I thought you said you liked 'Mesopotamian History'," Noct said.

"I did! Doesn't mean I remember everything..."

Astarte smiled a little, "Thanks... Noctis sounds Latin, am I right?"

*They presumably pick up their respective orders.*
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R"Shit...is everything okay?"

E"Yeah, whoever it was, I chased 'em off."

*There are a ton of people in the bar, surely some that she recognizes. Thiera heads over to talk to a table of girls.*
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"I'm not even sure who came up with 'Senthose.'"
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*In the kitchen, one of the steak knives is out.*
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*As she walks into the bathroom, she thinks she notices some movement in the mirror. The shower curtain is not drawn back.*

Azuma: "Anywho, what brings you here?"

Mortal chuckled at Senthose's response, but said, "Hey, at least you're not 'Mortal'. I'm told it was supposed to mean something else, but I feel like the most basic generalization. Not girl, boy, human, animal, vertebrate, invertebrate... just... mortal."

Noct nodded at Astarte, "Yea, my last name is Latin, and I suppose my parents wanted to really drive that point home. So now I'm 'Night Cutter'. Good super hero name, I guess."

"Yeah," Astarte said, finding it amusing for half a moment before her mind connected the name 'Night Cutter' with the creepy Shadow Man. She paled and bit her lip.

Noct smiled along with Astarte until she lost her color, "Is everything alright? You're getting pale."

"I'm fine," Astarte forced her smile to return. "But 'Night Cutter' is a really cool name. Like Jack the Ripper or... well, I don't mean like a murderer but... you know?"

Noct chuckled, "Serial killer name works too I suppose, but I'm not the murdering type."

Astarte looked almost genuinely relieved at this statement, but looked away at nothing in particular to hide it.

R"Nero came here with Astarte, & I came to find him when my search didn't turn anything up either. I made a huge fool of myself, considering the evidence was erased. Now I think that the only people we can kind of call normal friends think we're crazy."

*Thiera rushes back over.*

T"Ohmigosh, I forgot, we're late for that track meet!"

R"Yeah, I'm not going."

*Thiera's face falls.*

T"R-really...?"
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"While we're on the subject, is Aroma supposed to be named 'smell'?"

Azuma: "I thought the lot of you were crazy from the get-go. I'd try making new friends, but I think my choices are limited to some hipster dame at some coffee shop."

"Even better, her last name means 'Ginger'," Mortal said with a snicker.

Noct didn't really know what to take that reaction as, so she opted to take it as a good thing, "Big into sports, or just here for the company?"

"The company really," Astarte said, looking back to Noct. The colour seemed to have returned to her face. "I mean, I have run track a few times before, I was good at it... But I'm not so into it anymore."

"Ah, if you were good why'd you quit?" Noct asked, then added, "If you don't mind my asking."

"I could do it but I didn't particularly enjoy it... you know?" Astarte said. "I prefer indoors things. What about you? Into sports?"

"Yea, I get what you mean. Indoor things are more my speed too, if you know what I mean, and I think you do," Noct said, "But Mortal has been taking me to some martial arts thing for about two years now. Not really a sport, but, you know... For the most part though, I enjoy watching more than I enjoy doing any sports."

"Yeah, watching sports can be cool," Astarte nodded.

*Cameron had ordered some candy and a small soda*

<You all have interesting names. I'm just "Cameron.">
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*Tirea draws the curtain back*
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*Monu doesn't near the knife, but walks into the next room*
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<We can always go to the next track meet.>

R"I just don't feel right going with all of this weird stuff going on. So, did you find out anything?"

T"Oh...well...a couple of those girls have class with Vanessa. They say that she stopped showing up a couple of days ago. But the others said that they saw her in the bar recently, so she was probably skipping."
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S"We should probably head back, before we miss the whole event."
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*She sees...an empty tub!*
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*He arrives at the foyer with the staircase.*

*Monu heads up the stairs, and runs into Tirea*

Tirea:<Someone was in here.>

Monu:<I know, but I don't think there's evidence to report a break in.>

*They head down the stairs to check on the locks on doors and windows*
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<There's a chance she'll come here then. We might have to wait around a bit.>
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*Cameron nods*

<Yeah. Let's go.>

*He starts walking towards the stands, making sure Astarte is following*

Mortal is standing around with drinks, and about four candy bars, "Yea, agreed. Oh, and don't worry, I'd take a simple name over a unique one."

"Yea, I feel like I was named by a fourteen year old who just discovered the language," Noctis said, making her way back, "Speaking of the meet, are you doing anything afterwards, Astarte?"

T"That doesn't seem very efficient. What if she doesn't show up?"
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*The locks are all fine.*
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A"So, how'd it go?"

S"Pretty hairy. A chess clubber pulled a knife on us over the last soda."