1 ~ when did I stop believing in Santa Claus? [audio/action]

[menial]

[action]

[A teenage boy is extricating himself with some difficulty from having been dumped, or appearing, in the middle of the fountain in the center of the village. He's muttering to himself and clambering out. He's dressed in the generic-enough North High uniform, but of more interest may be what he's saying -- which is picked up by the split-open journal next to him.]

...Really, Haruhi? After all of that, I'm in some other time and place again?! Oh, boy. She really just doesn't stop... Where the hell is it this time?

[Once he gets up and brushes himself off, he can be found staring with slightly less bewilderment than you might expect at his surroundings.]

Comments

[action]

[menial]

--Well, as you can imagine, we haven't exactly wanted to test that hypothesis, but at least once or twice we were on the brink of needing a whole new world to live in, yeah.

[He paces, a little agitated.]

[action]

[so_shik]

...damn it. [She just sighs, tapping her fingers on the countertop.]

...they're the ones who told her, I guess. The Malnosso. Inadvertently.

[action]

[menial]

'Disaster. Or is it? Now I'm just looking around waiting for the other shoe to drop. And by shoe I mean world. And by drop I mean explode.'

--They experimented on her and found out? And then... she found out?

[action]

[so_shik]

Not quite. This all happened before I was here I guess, but somebody found a bunch of reports on all of the people here. A friend of ours translated the report for her and that's how she found out. Because she read the stupid report. [And she's starting to sound a little mad here, if only because she got to be on the receiving end of watching Haruhi have something of a mental breakdown right after that.] Because she read the stupid thing, who knows how often she wonders if she causes half of the things that happen here! But as far as I know...she's only made a chicken hatch from an unfertilized egg.

[Audio]

[mythmaker]

My, my, you're a friend of Haruhi-chan's? How wonderful! It's very nice to meet you.

[ooc; I hope this is okay and not too late?]

[Audio] Not a problem!

[menial]

'...I was expecting something more along the lines of "You're a friend of Haruhi-chan's? GET HER AWAY FROM ME." But why be churlish?'

...Thanks, I guess.

[Audio]

[mythmaker]

Goodness, I'm sure she'll be so happy to have one of her friends here. Are you two close?

[Audio]

[menial]

'You're sure, are you? I'm not so sure...'

...Fairly close, I suppose. I was the first member of the Brigade.

[Audio]

[mythmaker]

You were the first member? My, you two sound very close! Ufufu~. ♥

[It's very easy to tell what she's thinking, but at least she doesn't say it?]

My name is Azusa. I'm a member of the Brigade, too.

[Despite being 21.]

[Audio]

[menial]

'...Hnnngh. I should've seen that coming. I see there's a female Koizumi around. Engage Koizumi strategy: IGNORE INSINUATIONS.'

Nice to meet you, Asuza. Yeah, I've heard we've... expanded.

[action]

[menial]

As far as you know.

'But she could be responsible for just about anything. How would anyone know? Except Koizumi. Or Nagato. Okay, a lot of people could know, but not me or Shiki, probably.'

And... what did she do?

[action]

[so_shik]

[And...bringing a giant squid here. And the Closed Spaces. And...well, she thinks she may have made herself switch bodies with someone but not entirely confirmed.]

Kept it. We're currently raising a rooster in our house.

[action]

[menial]

'That seems unusually docile and low-key for Haruhi.'

...Right. But you really think nothing else has happened because of that?

I have no idea how any of it works, but I wouldn't think she could be kept here if she knew how to use those powers.

'Of course, I wouldn't think that anything would be safe if she knew how.'

[action]

[godbent]

[Good. :I But she'll release him once they're outside, expecting him to be lead anyway. Now... what to say? That's another matter]

Keiichi's a weirdo anyway, you need to recognize that. There's really no one who focuses on the death thing as much as him or certain other fatalists do.

[action]

[menial]

'I guess he'd have to be, wouldn't he? The death thing is a little existential teen, but that's nothing new, right? He can put the gothic in gothic lolita... Not that that's an image I should really be bidding to arise.'

Fun guy to have in the Brigade, then.

[Audio]

[mythmaker]

[Oh, Kyon. She's more like a Mikuru in-person, at least?]

It's a wonderful club, isn't it? Ufufu~, taking care of entertainment at a time like this...it's almost like Haruhi-chan's my new producer.

[Audio]

[menial]

...Producer? What do you usually work in?

'Ignoring the creepy statements about how wonderful it is that send a chill up my spine.'

[Audio]

[mythmaker]

I'm a member of an idol trio back home! I'm sorry for not introducing myself sooner. My name is Azusa, and it's very nice to meet you.

[Audio]

[menial]

'An idol trio! The imagination leaps in tandem with the mind's eye, to create a picture of unprepossessing idealism... Anyway, the point is, I've never met an idol before, have I?'

...I--see, Azusa. Nice to meet you too. [And he gives his name as well.] I can't say I've ever met an idol before.

[Audio]

[mythmaker]

[Oh, but...now how is she supposed to call him Kyon? ♥]

Oh, so I'm your first? ♪ I hope I meet all of your expectations.

[Audio]

[menial]

[Oh, he'll get around to mentioning that.]

'...I get the feeling that if I were prone to that sort of thing, I would be getting a nosebleed right now.'

I couldn't say, since I haven't heard you sing yet or anything.

[Audio]

[mythmaker]

My, my, that's right...hmm...would you like me to sing you something short? I'm saving my Luceti debut for a crowd, but I can give you a sneak peek, ufufu~.

[Audio]

[menial]

...It's very kind of you to offer, Asuza-san.

'I feel like something's wrong with me. Suspicious of such a cute voice...!'

What could it hurt? Please, I'd be honored.

[Audio]

[mythmaker]

It's no problem! I'd love to.

[She clears her throat, then waits for a moment before singing a part of The World is All One for her new friend.

After that, she pauses.]

How was that? My, it's been a while since I've sung. I need to practice more.

[Audio]

[menial]

'Not like I'd be able to tell, really, but--'

--Very good, Asuza-san, practice or not... Idols living up to their names.