Homecoming

A"I was with you all day."

*Senthose laughs in Cameron's face & gets up to go into the bathroom, still laughing the whole way.*
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*He comes back with their orders.*
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"I was thinking we could give it another shot. This time, draw the curtains closed, just as a precaution."

*She smiles in what she hopes is a seductive face.*
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<We can't find anyone fleeing the scene, or any hard evidence that there was someone in the house.>

<None of the neighbors saw anything.>

<Are you sure you didn't just leave the door open?>

Sab doesn't even respond as she takes hold of her drink, and sips at it without looking up at anyone else at the table.

Noct kind of let out a sympathetic chuckle, the kind usually reserved for when one sees a cat get itself stuck in a cereal box. "Well, that aside, got anymore track meets, Gabriel?"

Gabe was easing off a chuckle herself when she responded, "Nope, today was the last one. Guess we can't use that as an excuse to go out drinking anymore."

"We're a bunch of college kids," Noct said, "We're never really short on reasons." She then looked over at Astarte, "Brown Russian is with ginger ale, right? How is it?"

"Yeah, it's nice," Astarte forced the words out, and was obviously extremely aware of Cameron sitting next to her and was obviously trying not to look his way out of fear of seeing him upset or worse, angry. She downed almost all of her drink after her first sip. "I might actually go without the ginger ale next. Or maybe go white. Or both."

Noct swirled around her drink for a bit before taking another sip, "I enjoy white. The cream makes it much smoother. I'm not really one to drink something that isn't tasty."

Mortal caught wind of some chick saying she wanted to down some drinks and smiled, "If you really want to get a brown Russian again, make sure you go for diet ginger ale."

"It'll get you drunk faster," Gabe warned, "Mortal, quit trying to get everyone drunk."

"Everyone is more fun tipsy, I can't help it," Mortal said, "Like Sab. Sab is great drunk."

"I am?"

"Yea, I got you to sing the alphabet backwards, it was great."

*If she does look his way, Astarte will see Cameron smiling at her*
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*Rebecca nods*

<I'm sure I locked it this morning.>

*Tirea hands the police officer the note that was left*

<I found this inside.>

*He looks over it with a microscope.*

<...Nothing that might give us DNA.>

*He then hands it off to the other cop, who dusts it for prints.*

<...Nothing.>
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A"I don't want to get drunk, I've heard scary stories about it."

*Senthose comes back.*

S"Alright, I think I'm cured."

*He looks at Cameron.*

S"PFFT...okay, mostly cured."

Taiyo shakes her head.

Taiyo: "Sorry, but um...I don't think I want to give it another shot right now. It's just...I'm not sure how to say it. I guess it's just too freaky to...sorry."

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They thank him and take their drinks.

Azuma: "Any plans for tonight?"

Mimiru: "Might hit the gym."

*Cameron stares at him, totally confused*

<Um, are you alright?>
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Monu:<So there's nothing you can do?>

Astarte did not look for reasons already given. She finished her drink and got a black Russian.

*Euryale frowns*

"...Oh."
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<Not really, no.>

Noct couldn't help but find it a bit funny that Cameron couldn't even tell when people were laughing directly in his face. She hid a small smirk with a sip of her drink, then asked Astarte, "So, you don't live at the dorms?"

Sab looked at Aroma, "Getting drunk is bad, but getting only a bit, what's the word, tipsy, can be pretty fun."

Mortal looked proud of Sab.

*Cameron's still trying to figure out if Senthose is drunk*
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*Monu sighs*

<Well thanks for coming out to take a look.>

"No, I uh, live nearby," Astarte said. "I didn't really see the point in moving to the dorms when I'm so close by."

*Cameron looks at Astarte*

<Are you, um, alright?>

Taiyo: "I think I should stay in my room tonight."

S"Personally, I can't wait until someone gets drunk & blurts out what we're all thinking."

*Aroma frowned when she caught Mortal's look, then stared at her hands, where she poked her fingers together.*

A"I don't know...."
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"Wh-what? But didn't we just agree that it was a bad idea to stay alone? Also sent 2 orders of Chinese to my place?"
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<Right.>

*They head over to their car.*

Taiyo: "I'll pay for mine and take it to my room. It's just...I've disappointed you as is already. I don't want to stick around as a constant reminder of that."

"I'm fine," Astarte said, finally looking at him. She calmed down a bit when she saw he wasn't angry, but persisted in seeming uncomfortable.

"I suppose that makes sense," Noct said, "Still, it is nice to have the autonomy."

"Oh, that reminds me," Mortal said, looking at Noct, "After all that has happened, do you plan on returning to your home?"

Noct shook her head, "No. At least not now."

Sab looked at Aroma, "If it bothers you, I won't drink as much. Just this one."

"Umm, do you guys all live in dorms or...?"

"Yes, we do," Gabe said, "Though not in the same rooms. I have a single, Mortal is with Noct, and Sab and Aroma are with each other."

"No, you can't! It's too dangerous!"
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A"I don't want to hold you back...."

*She jerks her head up, Astarte having caught her attention.*

A"Sab & I are roomm--oh, Gabe already answered that...."

S"I still live at home."

"You're not holding me back," Sab said, "I'm not some hardcore party girl. Like I said, I just wanted a drink."

Taiyo: "Fine... But I'd have to stop by my room anyways for a change of clothes."

Astarte's eyes flicked over to Sab for a moment and she couldn't help a momentary smile at the term 'hardcore party girl'. She looked at her own drink, soon to be finished too.