Better Left Forgotten

"No, I..." Astarte paused in the sheet fitting, looking up sheepishly. "I think it is a good idea. I mean, I have a double bed, and one side has always gone to waste..."

Hector poured himself a second glass, "I'm quite pleased, really. Before Noctis there was this other guy trying to get with her I wasn't so sure about. Before him there was a really awful guy trying, too. Seems like she made it through to someone worthwhile."

{Um...}

*Cameron looks around to see what's nearby*
===
<We haven't yet figured that out.>

S"And we call this barely suppressed rage & anti-social tendencies."
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*Most of the houses are white, that's basically the best he's got.*
=============================
A"That's good to know...no one dangerous, right?"
=============================
T"Well, we don't have anything better to do, so I'll get on & check my class listings, like Lilith said."

*She grabs her laptop & sits on her bed.*

L"I guess we're going to have to work out sleeping arrangements."

E"Some of us can head to my dorm. I think we can manage a trip to the elevator."

Taiyo: "I should probably call home to say I won't be there."

{All the houses around her are white...that's all I can really tell.>
===
<I sure hope we can.>

"Now you're describing Noctis, not me," Mortal said, "I'm not anti-social. I like people, even though most are assholes."

--

"Oh, do you mean a boy named Cameron?" Sab asked, "I might have implied they were going out once... It was kind of embarrassing."

--

Noctis smiled and ran a hand through her hair. She'd have hugged Astarte, but they were separated by a bed, "Right, well, I guess I can solve that problem for you." She then went about finishing up the fitting.

Astarte smiled away and helped finish making up the bed. Once done she placed a pair of pillows on the head of the bed and went for the door, "Oh, by the way, the bathroom is at the end of the hall and on the right."

"Disregarding monsters, I don't think there's anyone dangerous to worry about coming after Astarte," Hector said as he approached the end of his second glass. "And yeah, Cameron was the latest guy's name. Didn't seem too bad but I don't know, awkward. Seeing those two try to be romantic would have been painful to watch."

E"Alright. How about once we get there? It'll be quieter."

*Euryale looks out of the door, then opens it.*

T"Good luck."

L"You're walking down the hall. I think you're being just a little melodramatic."
===========================
A"Didn't you hear what happened to us, & Noctis?"
===========================
S"Uh...right."
===========================
<If you could stay on the line, & let me know when you hear sirens. Also from where.>

Noctis frowned, thinking that Astarte was trying to give her a message, "I probably look a wreck, huh?" She ran her hands through her hair, and tried to straighten it out, "Do I have leaves and twigs in my hair or something? My back hurts from the fall, but I never really thought about anything else..."

--

"Yeah," Sab said, "There actually might be some people looking to hurt her. Oh no, even more so now since she is dating Noctis."

--

Mortal ordered another drink, then said, "Speaking of Noctis, I should probably give her a call to find out if she is alright. No matter how it happened, she fell out of a window."

"I just thought you should know where it is if you need it," Astarte said. "But then we have done a lot of running about today, and falling out of buildings. Freshening up would do us all good."

"Oh, your gymnasium attackers?" Hector furrowed his brow. The sound of the shower water stopped. "I wonder about them..."

{Alright.}
===
*Eve stands up*

<I guess I should probably go, since all my stuff is there.>

Azuma: "We're going to an entirely different floor. Anything can happen."

E"Alright, hold on, let's have a head count. I was talking to Taiyo, & what Eve said made sense. But, other than that, how many of you are inviting yourselves to my room?"
================================
*He eventually hears sirens, but he can't tell if they're from the northwest or the east.*
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A"What about them? Do you know something? Come on, tell us!"
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S"Oh yeah. One wonders why we just kind of ignored that for a while."

Azuma: "Well we were going to our own room, so it could just be you Taiyo, and Eve?"

"Distracted by talk of monsters," Mortal said, taking a sip of her drink, "And drinks, I guess."

"So... are you gonna call her, or should I..." Gabe asked.

--

Sab is also interested in any news on that front.

--

Noct nods, but says, "I agree, but we'd have no change of clothes."

{Um, east or northeast, I can't really tell.}
===
*Eve waits patiently*

"I guess not," Astarte shrugged, stepping out into the hall. "So, do you want anything else to eat or drink before bed?"

"I don't know, I can't be certain and I might not be thinking straight," Hector said, finishing his second glass. "But that attack might not have been totally independent of the creatures from the forest."

T"I don't know if we should split up right now."

E"I see your concern, but it's an issue of space. So, if we're decided, let's go."

*She heads out.*
==========================
A"How so?"
==========================
<Okay, I think we've pinpointed your position.>
==========================
*Senthose lets out a vaguely disgusted sigh & starts dialing.*

*Eve follows, waving good bye to Thiera*
===
{Good...thank you.}

*Cameron tries to sit up*

The others follow, Azuma and Mimiru heading to the elevator.

Sab frowns, but otherwise just waits for Aroma's question to be answered.

--

"No, no, I'm fine," Noct said, "I just... I'm kind of exhausted... I--" Noct looked down at her phone, "Excuse me."

She let out a small sigh, and picked up when she saw it was Senthose, "Hello, Senthose. I imagine you must think I'm crazy, but I can explain."

--

"Ask her about the shadow thing," Gabe said.

Astarte waited for her in the hallway.

"Well, Astarte told you everything right? Did she include the recent possibility of 'mind control'?" Hector smiled a grimly at the ridiculousness of what he was saying. "A friend of ours apparently beat the Hell out of his friend after they saw the Shadow, but couldn't control himself. It also occurs to me that members of our group have been receiving messages and videos that must have come from a phone. I can't see any of the creatures we've seen using a phone themselves. Now, it might just be coincidence, but these people attacked you after we came back from the forest and after Gabriel and I saw the Shadow together."

A"It sounds a lot like coincidence. Senthose said that one man had a history of homophobia, & he told us that someone at a party had convinced him & some friends to attack us."
===================================
S"I'm not asking her about the shadow, it's obviously some wanker in a fedora. We're calling to make sure you're still alive, on account of the fact that you just fell out of a window."
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*Cameron notices some movement nearby. Then, apparently, the strain from sitting up makes him feel faint & fall unconscious.*
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*The elevator dings for Euryale's floor, because it's probably closer. She starts to walk out.*

"You know, Taiyo, the circumstances could be better, but it really means the world to me to stay with you."

Taiyo: "I'd really like to stay with you too. When this is over, hopefully we can."

"Yes, I'm alive, and no, it wasn't a prick in a fedora," Noct said, "I know it sounds ridiculous, but you have to believe me. Call Lilith, and talk to her sister, I'm sure she could explain it better than I can, but something unnatural is going on."

--

"Where is she?" Mortal asked, "I don't have my room key..."

"Why would you leave without it?" Gabe asked.

"Obviously I was planning on Noct being home," Mortal replied, "Don't act like that isn't usually a safe bet."

--

Sab nodded in agreement, still upset at that guy for being so mean to them.