[Action]

[cardinalrule]

WHO: Elliot and Hunter!
WHERE: Kaisou High School
WHEN: Shortly after this conversation Hunter has with Raine.
WHAT: Hunter does some investigation into very familiar people.
WARNINGS: None atm.


[After one very awkward conversation with a Coven Head who doesn't remember him at all Hunter gathers himself, then races to school with his coffee. Luckily, he had left the Zodiac apartments early, so it's still a bit before class starts and there aren't that many people around when he arrives. That's probably for the best, since he isn't sure how much sneaking around he's going to have to do.

Raine had told him to check out the music department's awards, and that's where he's starting. He suspects the reason is because their name is going to be on some of them, which doesn't help his theory that Raine's memories have been altered rather than being a whole other person, but he can't very well just ignore a suggestion from a Coven Head.

He heads into the building, letting Flapjack fly off to relax in one of the trees on the grounds for the rest of the day, and goes straight to the music room. When he gets there he peers inside, making sure it's empty before entering and making a beeline for the trophy case. He starts scanning for names, looking for anything familiar, completely fixated on his little mission.]

Comments

[fiddlestick]

[Well after a pretty awkward conversation on Libra, Elliot heads out of his office and into the music room to set up for his first period class. He was expecting it to be empty, like it usually is at this hour. So he's rather surprised to see Hunter. Hunter didn't even have music for first period- so what was he doing here? ]

Hunter? Looking for something?

[cardinalrule]

[Hunter visibly starts at the sound of Elliot's voice, instinctively turning and raising an arm at the same time. Of course, once his brain actually processes that it's only Elliot he relaxes.]

- Mr. Craig. [He looks a bit sheepish, then pulls off his backpack and opens it up so he can start digging around in it.]

Someone I know from the Boiling Isles is here, but they don't remember anything about the demon realm. I'm positive some kind of magic has altered their memories and appearance, but they weren't convinced, and - they told me to look at the awards. [He huffs a little.] I suppose to try and prove a point.

[fiddlestick]

[Well that's surprising]

What, really? [Someone else from the Boiling Isle, and so soon after Luz appeared? What were the odds] That's...

[Well, there was a lot to unpack. But first, the whole award thing is pretty random]

Those awards are from years ago, when they had a music prodigy in the school.

[cardinalrule]

[Hunter nods vehemently. Yep, this isn't a joke or a prank, he isn't very good at those things. This is serious.]

Raine Whispers? [Who else would be the mysterious music prodigy?] They're the Head of the Bard Coven.

[He pulls out a binder from his bag, opening it up and flipping through the papers until he finds what he's looking for.]

They're a music prodigy, having mastered every instrument in the demon realm. We had a lot of Coven Head meetings together. They're... [Pausing, Hunter debates if he should mention this. It's on the personal side of things, but it's a nice kind of personal.] ... the only Head who didn't just ignore or growl at me.

1/??

[fiddlestick]

[Elliot has never been a morning person, so he doesn't fully think as he speaks, setting his own stuff down on the teacher desk]

That's the one. They play with the Kaisou Orchestra now, and is pretty famous for being their best violinist-

2/??

[fiddlestick]

[Wait a second. Rewind a moment to what Hunter just said.

They're the Head of the Bard Coven]

3/??

[fiddlestick]

[But that would mean-

No way. No way!! They're a part of this too?!]

4/??

[fiddlestick]

[But how?? How could a famous person get caught up in this?? Like some kind of normal person??

Wait oh crap- what if this means they're on the app?!?]

5/??

[fiddlestick]

[OH NO WHAT IF THAT AWKWARD CONVERSATION WAS WITH RAINE WHISPERS THEMSELVES?

Hooooooly crap he doomed himself didn't he?? He was overly awkward and now he destroyed hid chance of entering the music world forever? Oh God oh god oh--

6/8

[fiddlestick]

[Were he alone, this would be the part where Elliot would let himself spiral into a mess of anxiety and probably turn into a cat.

But before he has a chance to do that? He does remember Hunter is there. Hunter who looks well pretty unhappy about this.

"... the only Head who didn't just ignore or growl at me."

...Oh. ]

7/8

[fiddlestick]

[Pull yourself together, Elliot Craig. You can't spiral right now.

Save it for later and be an adult. ]

8/8 DONE AT LONG LAST

[fiddlestick]

[.... Right, ok.

He'll step closer to Hunter, talking in a soft voice and reaching out to gently put his hand on his shoulder]

...Hey.

Let's go to my office to talk, okay? As long as you need.

[Better than risking someone walking in to see them. He can ask one of his coworkers to watch his first period, if need be. ]

[cardinalrule]

[Hunter, meanwhile, has no idea what's going through Elliot's head. He assumes this is all brand new information outside of this strange 'Raine Whispers attended this school' problem that he needs to solve.

While Elliot is silent he pulls several papers out from his binder, then shoves it back into his bag. Of course he's one of the few students in the school still writing out papers by hand instead of using a computer.

This time he only tenses up a little when Elliot's hand settles on his shoulder, and he's even faster to recover from that reaction.]

I don't need to talk about this, I need them to get their memories back!

[fiddlestick]

[As soon as he feels the tensing, he'll immediately pull his hand off his shoulder apologetically. Right. Physical contact is out with Hunter. He'll instead play it off so it's less awkward, moving that hand to hold out for those papers Hunter has in his hands. ]

...Hunter, it's not a spell that erased their memories. They've always lived in this world.

[Elliot can verify that much. What music student in the Kaisou U's music program hasn't heard of Raine Whispers? He's even seen them in concert a few times. ]

The Raine you met is a different person from the one back on the Boiling Isles.

[cardinalrule]

[He'll happily shove those papers into Elliot's hands. There, that awkward shoulder touching never happened and he's free to be upset.]

That can't be right! The Owl Lady is here too, and she has the same problem!

[Not that he wants Eda getting her memories back, but that and Jun's situation points to a pattern to him.]

Back home there are spells that can cause this. I'm sure it's the same here, I just need to figure it out, and then they can help in building a portal out of here!

[And he has someone from home who is at least civil towards him and isn't a criminal. That's pretty important, too.]

[fiddlestick]

[He'll take those papers and only glance at them briefly before setting them with the rest of his stuff. He can read it through more thoroughly later. ]

Hunter this is their home. I saw Raine Whispers perform live four years ago - long before any of this started. They couldn't have done that if they were in the Boiling Isles.

I don't know how, but I think there's just multiple versions of people. The Madrigals have been dealing with something similar.

[He can't say he knows every detail but you know, when you teach half that family, you pick up on some things]

[cardinalrule]

[At least he's gotten that out of the way, though with nothing else to do with his hands he clenches them into fists.

He can't accept this. He can't. The Raine here has to be the one from the Boiling Isles.]

Then - maybe all your memories were altered, too! That could have happened - excess magic radiating from the ley lines, or someone doing a massive memory alteration spell -

[He knows how desperate he's starting to sound, but there has to be an explanation.]

[fiddlestick]

[Oh....Hunter. He could try to point out all the ways that argument doesn't make sense. But he knows if he did, Hunter would probably just make a more desperate sounding reason. Or dig deeper into his denial.

...]

You really miss them, don't you? The Raine in the Boiling Isles.

[cardinalrule]

No! I -

[Well, sort of? Can you miss someone when you don't know anything about them? He isn't sure, and he pinches the bridge of his nose.]

I barely know them. But they were civil to me, and they're important to Belos, so... it's important that they remember.

[fiddlestick]

[Barely know them...and yet it's bothering him this much. This really speaks volumes about how poorly Hunter was treated back in his world. ]

...If that's the case, then you were in the Boiling Isles recently, weren't you? Do you remember Raine Whispers being there while you were?

[cardinalrule]

[He nods slowly, dropping his hand.]

Yes, we were at some meetings together to plan for the upcoming Coven Day Parade. All of the Coven Heads were. [And he frowns as he remembers all of that.] They were acting strange, a lot quieter than usual.

[fiddlestick]

[Hmmm...unusual behaviors from the Coven heads huh? Something to note, but not really anything relevant]

Right, but the main point is, they were there. And if they're there, then there's no need to worry about a Raine being here affecting the Emperor's plans, right?

[Whatever those awful plans may be. But again, that was an issue for another time]

[cardinalrule]

[Elliot does make a very good point, though his anxiety is keeping him from accepting this as the truth. He can't be sure unless he's back there in the Boiling Isles, to see for himself that Belos' plans aren't getting messed up.]

I... it's a possibility. But if there's any chance I'm right then I need to take it. I need to be sure.

1/2

[fiddlestick]

[Elliot pauses for a moment. There's many things he could say to point out the flaws in Hunter's logic. Not to mention the terrible morality behind the idea of changing someone's memories and kidnapping them to another realm, but...

Yeah. He's seen that look of anxiety before in himself. No matter what he says will be hindered by that fear of displeasing Belos.

...]

2/2

[fiddlestick]

Welp, alright.

Guess we're breaking into Kaisou Hall tonight.

[What????]