Shards of a Broken Sun [Megaten/Shugo Chara/Exalted]

September 24, 2009

Amu's birthday, eventful as it was, wouldn't be complete without a mention of Ami's gift. The first-grader had seemingly spent most of the party asleep, which Amu's parents had thought was laziness, and Amu knew was procrastination. The young girl had a severe lack of focus at the best of times, and had seemingly forgotten to find a gift until well after the last possible moment.

Which meant she'd spent the party asleep, searching for said gift somewhere in a dreamscape, and- Amu knew, better than anyone, how tough it must have been for Ami to give up the chance at cake. Which sounded funny, but Ami was seven years old. 'Impulse control' was still a work-in-progress. Amu knew to appreciate it when it happened.

She had come through in the end, and had even managed to wrap her present, which was more than she usually managed.

So, after Ami came downstairs with her box, Amu hugged her to within an inch of her life. Snuggling with her little sister didn't need an excuse, but it was especially nice to have one.

⁂

"Thank you, Ami," Amu murmured, and felt a rush of warmth and accomplishment coming from Ami. It was accompanied by her hug being returned; a sensation she doubted she'd ever grow tired of.

"I did it," Ami declared, her voice sleepy. Amu squeezed her a little tighter, and was rewarded with a squeak.

"You did," Amu agreed.

"Open it!"

"Okay, okay," Amu chuckled. "I'll open it."

This was still in the middle of her birthday party, with Utau—and the others—looking on. She glanced at Kana, and was met with a soft smile. Her friend had been enjoying herself all evening. It was nice to see, and nice to feel. Somehow Amu had been worried Kana might be jealous or something, and instead found herself being termed a little silly.

Kana's mental nudge was nonetheless encouraging.

'What?' she asked.

'You're cute,' Kana replied.

Amu felt a faint blush rising to her cheeks. Underneath the watchful eyes of her friends, not to mention Ami, she carefully peeled back the layers of haphazardly applied tape and glitter-strewn paper with a tenderness that only an older sister could muster. Each piece of tape removed revealed more of the box's contents, a slow reveal that had all the children leaning in with bated breath.

Finally the last piece of wrapping fell away, and Amu lifted the lid to unveil Ami's gift. Inside the box lay a shard of light that seemed to pulse with a life of its own. It was a slice of moonlight, sharp in shape, yet when Amu hesitantly reached out to touch it, her fingers met a warm and gentle resistance. It was as if the moonlight was encased in an invisible sheath, protecting anyone from harm.

"It's pretty, isn't it?" Ami said, her voice thick with pride.

"How did you-?" Amu started to ask, her eyes wide with wonder.

Ami rubbed her eyes with the back of her hand, her other hand still clutching her stuffed toy. "I dreamt of the moon," she yawned. "I decided to chase it. And when I woke up, this was under my pillow."

"Thank you," Amu said again, and hugged her sister tightly. "Thank you, Ami. I love it."

"You're welcome," said Ami, her voice muffled.

Amu held the shard of moonlight up, watching as the colours shifted and changed. Pale, soft, almost like an echo of the real thing. She had no doubt the shard was magical, and yet somehow felt entirely mundane. A part of her wondered what had happened, if someone had sent it to Ami, and how she'd gotten ahold of it.

Most of her was happy to take her sister at her word. It felt like an illusion. Beautiful, but untouchable. And yet, the moment her fingers brushed against the surface, it felt like a familiar memory. Like the moon, but not the moon. A fragment of something that had been lost. An eagerness to greet the future, despite the challenges that lay ahead.

"I saw a boy in the dream," said Ami, without prompting. She was snuggled up against Amu, her sleepy thoughts drifting freely.

"Oh?" Amu replied.

"Mhm," said Ami. "He said he wanted to help."

"Really?"

"Mhm." Ami's eyes were drooping. "He was really nice. He liked my rabbit."

'Rabbit?' Apparently there were things going on with Ami in her sleep. Her stuffed toy—Amu glanced down to check—was a seal.

"He did?" Amu asked.

"Mhm," said Ami, and yawned. "He had pretty hair. Like Ikuto's. Do I get my present now?"

Amu chuckled. "You can if you want. But wouldn't you rather have it while your friends are here?" She gently stroked her sister's hair.

"Mmm..." Ami mumbled, her thoughts a jumbled mess.

"I think that's a yes," Utau supplied, a small smile on her face.

Ami nodded slowly. Her eyes were closed, and she was resting her head against Amu's chest. She was already drifting off.

"Alright, Ami," said Amu, gently scooping her sister up. "I should have done this sooner. But since everybody's here…" She trailed off, looking over at Utau, Tadase and the others.

"Yes?" Rima said, her eyebrow arched.

"I'd like to introduce you to the other birthday girl." She turned to the others, holding up Ami. "This is my sister, Hinamori Ami. She's seven, and she likes rabbits and sleeping."

There were scattered giggles from the gathered group.

"Hi, Ami," said Tadase, smiling. "Happy birthday."

"Happy birthday, Ami-chan," Yaya added.

"Happy birthday," said Rima, and the others chimed in with similar sentiments.

Ami smiled sleepily, her mind a muddle of warmth and appreciation. She'd have her own party, of course. It was just going to be tomorrow—the 25th, the day after her actual birthday. And her parents would be there, and her friends from school.

It wouldn't be as unique as Amu's, but, well, Ami was seven.

Still, Amu could tell that she appreciated the attention, even if she couldn't quite stay awake. She settled down on the sofa, still carrying her little sister, and smiled up at her friends. She was now less than twice as old as Ami, and there was some horror in that—Ami could talk back, sometimes she was even fun—but, overall, Amu felt she was okay with the changes.

"Thank you," said Amu, "for being a part of my day. And for Ami's, too."

= = =

It's not very long, and there aren't any choices to be made, but I felt I might as well hand this off. It'll give some people ideas, I'm sure, so I'll repeat what I stated before: The shard of moonlight is really just a toy. There is no possible way for it to be a danger, least of all to Amu of all people. If it were... it'd be the exact same kind of thing she's already practiced at cleansing.

September 27, 2009

The phone clicked several times, then started ringing. Amu held her breath, her fingers clasped tightly around the receiver, her mind a tumultuous mix of hope and uncertainty. What if Lulu didn't pick up? What if she didn't want to talk to her? This was the second time she tried to call, and nobody had picked up yesterday-

"Hello?" a familiar voice said, and Amu's breath caught.

"Lulu?"

"Amu!" There was a rustle of movement, and the sound of a chair being scraped across the floor. "It's been ages! How are you?"

"Good, I'm good," Amu managed, and felt her cheeks grow hot. She was a teenager. Teenagers were not supposed to be nervous. They were also not supposed to be so happy that a simple conversation made them feel like they were going to explode, and yet, here she was.

"I've missed you," Lulu said. "Sorry I didn't catch you yesterday. I've been super busy. Work's been crazy."

"What are you doing now?" Amu asked, a hint of curiosity in her voice.

"Right now? Talking to you," Lulu replied. "But, well, you know. I'm not exactly working at a corner store anymore."

"Oh."

"Yeah," Lulu agreed. She sounded tired. "But enough about me. How are things with you? Quiet, I hope?"

"Yeah," said Amu.

"You sound a little off," Lulu observed.

"Um, nothing much. Just..." Amu hesitated. She didn't want to lie to her friend. "You know my birthday was three days ago?"

The silence on the line stretched out, and Amu could almost see Lulu's expression shift.

"No," Lulu replied. "No, I did not. Ugh, Amu-" She could hear the frustration in her friend's voice. "You never told me."

Well, that was just awkward. Amu winced, a mixture of embarrassment and guilt bubbling up inside her. She sat down on her bed, phone clutched in one hand. Miki bounced a little, then raised an eyebrow at her. She was reading manga. The little traitor.

"I'm sorry," Amu mumbled. "It... slipped my mind."

"It's fine," Lulu sighed. "We're talking now, right? Happy birthday, by the way. What did you do?"

"Thank you," Amu managed. "My friends, we, um, we had a little party. And then..." She trailed off, her gaze wandering to the shard of moonlight that now sat upon her desk, a soft glow illuminating the room. "Ami got me a gift. It's very pretty. Um. I... I think it's a piece of the moon?"

There was a few seconds of silence.

"Amu," said Lulu, her voice serious. "Do you remember what we talked about, the last time we talked?"

"About how I attract weird stuff?" Amu replied.

"Yeah, that." Lulu's tone was dry. "Did it arrive through the mail? Did it drop from the sky?"

"Neither," Ami replied. "Ami got it in her dreams."

The silence this time was profound, and Amu found herself fidgeting uncomfortably. If Lulu had been actually here, she might've been able to sense the worry and concern radiating from her. As it was, Amu was left guessing, and the guesses were not particularly pleasant.

"You know," Lulu said, after the silence had stretched on for an unbearable length of time. "We really, really need to catch up."

"We do?"

"Mm. But, Amu, listen. If this is what I think it is, this is not a joke. You need to pay closer attention to your sister. Please."

Amu swallowed, a cold knot forming in the pit of her stomach.

"Why?" she asked, her voice a little hoarse.

"Because, Amu, this is not something to be messed with." Lulu sounded a bit frustrated. "I'm not supposed to say, but, look, I... ugh. Did I tell you, grandma got me a new part-time job? She was really not impressed by Easter. I didn't get the full story, but it sounded like some kind of scandal? Nothing you need to worry about, though. We've moved on."

"So you're not...?"

"Not involved in anything dubious, no," Lulu replied. "At least, not in the same way. I got a good talking-to, too. 'Lulu, you're meant to tell us if something sketchy's going on! Look at your cousin, he's the perfect example. You should be like him!'" She snorted. "And, well, grandma can be kind of scary when she wants to be, so..."

Amu couldn't help a small giggle. She could picture the scene clearly, and the way Lulu imitated her grandmother was spot on.

"I can imagine," Amu murmured.

"But, Amu, look, that's not the point!" Lulu continued. "I was being a little shit, and yeah, thank you for looking out for me. You were totes right, okay? And now it's my turn to give you the same advice. So listen, and stop giggling, because this is important."

"Right," said Amu, and winced. Lulu could also be a little bit scary, sometimes.

"Listen, this isn't a joke. Promise me you'll pay attention to Ami. If you spot anything abnormal—if she acts weird, or if something happens, anything at all—you let me know. Please. I don't want either of you to get hurt, okay? Because that would make me really, really sad."

Amu could almost picture her, her friend's blue eyes wide and serious.

"I promise," she murmured, and the tension eased somewhat.

"Thanks," said Lulu. "I know it's a lot to ask, but..." She sighed. "Okay, enough about that. Let's change the subject.

"You're welcome," Amu replied, and felt the knot in her stomach loosen. "So, what's this new job?"

"That's not important," Lulu said, and the lightness in her tone belied the concern that still lingered. "Grandma got me an internship with the French meteorological society. It's really, really boring. And, no, before you ask, I don't get to wear a labcoat or anything. I just sit around and make tea, mostly. It's boring, but it's a family thing, and I don't really have the option to say no."

"Oh."

"Yeah," said Lulu. "It's kind of a punishment, because I'm not as boring as my cousin. Anyway, that's been my weekends lately. How about you?"

"Nothing much," said Amu, a faint blush rising to her cheeks at the lie. "I've, um, spent a lot of time practicing my telekinesis. That's the term, right?" She'd used the English word, but wasn't confident enough in her pronunciation.

"Yep, that's the term," Lulu agreed.

"It's been kind of tough," Amu continued, her voice hesitant. "At least, fine control is tough. Ran was better at it, except she had no idea what she was doing. Moving big stuff is easy, but moving small stuff... I can do it, but I keep breaking everything. And that's, um, kind of scary."

"How are you doing it?" Lulu asked, her voice a little curious.

"Oh, it's..." Amu paused. How did you even describe it? If she was telling Utau, she'd just have a mental nudge. "Um. I can kind of... reach out, and grab hold of something. It's sort of like holding it, except with an extra hand. Only, I have to use my mind, not my hands."

"I don't think that's very helpful," said Lulu, her voice dry.

"Well, I'm not sure how to explain it better," Amu admitted. "I'm just kind of sticking spokes in reality and making it bend. That's the best way I can put it."

"Huh." Lulu didn't sound convinced. "I'm not sure if I understand."

"I'm not sure if I do, either," Amu admitted. "But I'm getting the hang of it. Sort of. Um, Lulu, how do you do your gems?"

"My gems?" Lulu echoed. "Oh, my gems." There was a faint note of amusement in her voice. "It's a family thing. We've been doing that sort of stuff for years, though not many people outside the family are aware of it. 'Lightning is a little life, and jewels are its eyes.' That's how my grandmother puts it."

"Lightning is alive?" Amu said, a bit doubtfully.

Lulu's laugh this time was hearty, a loud and rich sound that warmed Amu's heart. "You can say that, if you want. I won't deny it. Lightning is definitely alive, and it's been around for longer than humans. It's just, well, lightning is a very, very small life. If you store it in a gem, you can make it do stuff. You know, I'd love to show you. Next time we meet, maybe?"

"Sure," said Amu, knowing that might be years—if ever. "Next time."

"Yeah," said Lulu. "We should try and keep in touch. I've missed you. And, Amu?"

"Mhm?"

"Remember your promise. If something goes wrong, if Ami is in trouble, you let me know. I don't care how small the problem is. You call me, okay? No more excuses."

"Okay."

"Good," said Lulu. "Now give me the scoop on your school."

They chatted for a while longer, swapping stories about the mundane things in their lives, the weather, and the recent news. Lulu shared her thoughts on the current riots in France, and Amu shared her thoughts on the latest school drama, and somehow, it was nice. She avoided telling Lulu much about Kana; in Amu's retelling she was a random girl whom Amu had run into less than a week before, then hit it off with.

"-and her birthday present was this pretty charm bracelet with a feather attached," she finished. "I didn't think she'd give me one, but I guess she really wanted to." Amu lifted her wrist, and the light caught the delicate chain, sending a glimmer of rainbows dancing across her skin.

"She sounds nice," Lulu said, a note of warmth in her voice.

"I guess," Amu agreed, a faint blush rising to her cheeks. "She is, actually. She's a bit intense, and her guardian's more so, but, well..."

"What do you mean, intense?"

"Oh, well, her guardian's a little..." Amu struggled to find the right words. "I guess she really cares about Kana? And they're both teenage girls, so... she worries. I guess."

"You guess," Lulu echoed, her voice dry.

"It's hard to put into words," Amu replied.

"Sure."

"She is nice, though," Amu said, after a pause. "It was really nice chatting with you, Lulu. I wish I could come over and visit sometime. Your home seems amazing."

"You're always welcome here, Amu," Lulu said. "We've got plenty of guest rooms. Though, um, I might not be there. The internship's taking me all over the country. Grandma's thinking about sending me overseas, next year."

"Overseas?"

"Mm," Lulu agreed, her voice wistful. "I might go, but... it's not certain. There's a lot to do here, and I'm not really that eager to leave, you know? My life is here, but then again... I'll have to see. Besides, I need to keep an eye on my cousin, you know? All work and no play makes boys like him into very dull adults indeed, and he'd just hate that, I know it. I'd never let him hear the end of it."

Amu had no idea what that meant, but nodded along anyway.

"And on top of everything else," said Lulu. "You're there. So that's a benefit of going."

"I am?" Amu was taken aback.

"Of course you are," said Lulu. "What kind of a person would I be if I left a friend behind? So, I mean, it's not for certain, but—I might come back to Japan. I was going to tell you later, but... surprise!"

Amu blinked, her mind trying and failing to process what she'd just heard.

"You'll be coming back to Japan?" she echoed.

"Yes." Lulu sounded almost amused.

"Oh."

"You sound almost like you don't want me," Lulu said, a note of mock-offence creeping into her voice.

"I didn't mean—" Amu started to protest, then caught herself. "I'm glad. That you're coming back."

"Are you sure?"

"Yes," said Amu, her tone firm.

"Good."

There was a pause, and the silence stretched on, the seconds ticking by. Then Lulu spoke again, her voice softer.

"Grandma's not sure what she's going to do yet, though, so... maybe, maybe not. I'll try and visit, if she does send me away. Betcha it's going to be busy, but I'll be living in Tokyo, so... yep." Lulu sounded satisfied with herself. "We should totally meet up, if I do end up in Japan."

"That sounds nice," said Amu, a little shyly.

"It does," Lulu agreed. "Now, how's Miki doing? Is she nearby?"

"Of course she is," said Amu.

"Can you get her to say hi?"

Amu did as requested. Miki took over the phone, and the rest of the hour was spent talking, trading stories and ideas and observations, with the occasional question lobbed at Amu. Lulu was clearly having fun, and Miki was too. Amu, who was mostly content to listen, didn't really mind.

Yes, she thought, her stomach unclenching fully. She'd needed this, and so, she suspected, had Lulu. Something was going on in Europe, and Lulu didn't want to tell her, but... that was fine. It was good enough to know that she might come back. And that Lulu knew she had a friend.

She'd take that.

⁂

Lulu put the phone down, then leaned back in her chair, a faint smile playing about her lips. The call had gone well. Better than she'd expected, in fact, for forgetting about Amu for nearly a year. Amu-chan had clearly gotten herself into something, though she'd been cagey about details, and Lulu wasn't going to press her on it. The fact that Amu had reached out, however indirectly, was enough.

Her gaze drifted across the room, and settled on a framed picture of her, Amu, and the Guardians. The frame was a simple silver affair, and the picture was an old one, from when they'd both barely been twelve years old. They'd had so much fun, back then.

The photo was the first thing she'd put up in the room her grandmother had assigned her. Her room, not a guest room. She was no guest, not anymore.

Her hands automatically started working on the lapidary she'd been fiddling with, and a soft glow spread across the gemstones, the facets of the black sapphires catching the light. The foundation-stone of the pattern she was trying to make was already there, a tiny seed. Now, it was time to add the rest of the facets.

Lulu's eyes narrowed, and the stones began to dance.

This wasn't part of her duties, exactly.

Lulu's thoughts were elsewhere, and she didn't really need her eyes for this. Her fingers moved through the familiar motions, her mind reaching out, and then the light dimmed as hours passed.

A knock on the door interrupted her reverie. She glanced up, a familiar face framed in the doorway.

"I was wondering where you went," her grandmother said, a faint smile on her face. At a little over sixty, the woman was still a force to be reckoned with. She was dressed formally, the white suit and skirt she wore contrasting sharply with the black streaks in her otherwise silvery hair.

"Hello, grandma," Lulu murmured. "Did you need something?"

"Your presence," her grandmother stated, a note of amusement in her voice. "You missed lunch. Did you get any sleep at all last night?"

"Some," Lulu muttered. "I got up early, and..."

Her grandmother raised an eyebrow.

"...and yes, grandma, I was working," Lulu sighed. "Yes, I am aware that it's Sunday. Yes, I am aware that I am not supposed to be working today. But it was an emergency, and I needed to finish my lapidary, and—"

"Oh, hush," her grandmother said, waving her hand. "I'm not here to scold you. I was just worried. I haven't seen you come up for air since you started working on your little project."

"It's not a little project," Lulu mumbled. "It's a major one, and I'm getting close. It's going to work, I can feel it."

"I'm sure," her grandmother said. "In any case, it's a lovely evening. Your parents have set up camp on the veranda. We're having tea. Why don't you join us?"

"I've got so much left to do," Lulu protested.

"That is not a question," her grandmother continued, her voice firm. "You won't be of help to anyone if you collapse. Now, please. We'll worry, otherwise."

"But-"

"Additionally, the liaison is there."

"Fine."

Lulu rose from her chair, and her grandmother paused, placing a hand on her shoulder.

"You've grown," her grandmother noted, a small smile on her face. "When did that happen?"

"Grandma," Lulu muttered. "I'm a teenager."

"Of course, of course."

They made their way downstairs, through the halls and passages that had been her playground, her sanctuary, her prison, whatever you wanted to call it. The Morcerf family grounds had grown gradually older over the century or so before her birth, but you wouldn't know it, to look at it now. Even those three years she'd spent in Japan had brought huge changes. The once-crumbling manor now shone with a quiet elegance, the old stones cleaned and restored, the interior redone and upgraded.

As they walked, Lulu felt the faint buzz of energy against her senses, the subtle tingle that accompanied her grandmother's magic, as it seeped into her senses from gems set throughout the castle. Her hand clenched and unclenched on a gem she'd made on her own; a simple quelling. An anti-demon grenade, in effect. Less refined than her grandmother's, more powerful than anything Viscountess Morcerf could have made.

"It looks like you're ready," her grandmother observed.

"Just in case," Lulu murmured. "It's better to be prepared."

"I suppose."

They emerged onto the veranda where Lulu's parents sat, chatting quietly. Across from them was a representative of Japan's sibling agency, dressed in their habitual yellow and black.

"Ah," the agent said, rising to his feet and extending his hand. "Viscountess. Welcome back."

"Hello," Lulu greeted, the Japanese word rolling off her tongue with the ease of practice.

"And Lulu," the man continued, his smile a little brighter. "You're looking well."

"Thanks," said Lulu, taking his hand and shaking it. "It's been a year. How's business?"

"Your cousin seems to have usurped their agency," said her grandmother, and Lulu couldn't quite suppress a snort. "So, you'll have to forgive the man if he is a little put out."

"I wouldn't dare," the man chuckled. "But, well, he does have the talent. Not to mention the personality. And the name."

"Of course," said Lulu's grandmother. "Would you like a drink?"

"Tea, please," the man said. "Thank you."

Lulu settled into the empty seat beside her father, who smiled, his eyes crinkling in a way that told her he was more pleased than she'd imagined. And thought. While the adults discussed recent events, she tried her best not to fidget. She was thirteen. Thirteen year olds were not supposed to be fidgety, nervous, or any of the things she felt, but what Amu had told her, what she'd sensed during the call, had set her on edge.

And now, hours later, she was no less troubled.

It wasn't even so much what she'd said. Ami worried her, but a lot of what she'd seen in Amu's city should have worried her, had she had the sense god gave a particularly dull rock. And now, she had to wonder—what had she left unsaid?

"I'm glad you were able to make the time," her grandmother was saying. "With everything that's been going on lately, it's not easy to find a time when we can coordinate."

Amu wasn't the type to hide things, not unless she thought it would hurt someone. Or scare them. And yet...

"We do apologise for the short notice," the man was saying. "Things have gone a little crazy on our side as well."

...had Amu been afraid?

"Oh?" her grandmother prompted.

Lulu narrowed her eyes. That would make sense, but if so, of what? Not her, surely. The things she hadn't said... had they been about her family?

"Yes," the man sighed. "Our agency has been, shall we say, a bit more active than usual. You may have heard some reports."

"Reports," her grandmother echoed. "D-type events? We've got those here as well."

No. Lulu shook her head. She'd confronted Amu about Ami. If there had been a genuine problem there, then Amu would have told her. Which meant it was something else, either something she hadn't mentioned at all—like her school, Lulu realised belatedly, Amu acted like she'd barely noticed middle school—or one of her new 'friends', and her bet was on the latter. After Utau, Ikuto and herself, Lulu could only assume that Amu's taste in friends was...

...not great.

"We've noticed," the man said.

"Is there something we can help with?" her grandmother inquired, her tone neutral.

"Well, yes," the man said, and hesitated. "The reason why I came, viscountess, was to request your aid. If you'll take a look at these maps of the disturbances, you'll see we've picked out a pattern in the events."

He was holding out a sheaf of papers, and Lulu's grandmother accepted them, her expression carefully controlled. She looked, and Lulu leaned over, her eyes quickly scanning the contents.

It was a little odd, actually, that they were letting her stay here. It wasn't even the first time. They didn't talk much in front of her, but Lulu wasn't an idiot. She could tell that they wanted her here, that the two agencies were slowly, steadily, building trust, and her grandmother's hints about going to Tokyo-

Her eyes stopped moving, seizing on a world map, her breath catching.

"This," Lulu breathed, her heart suddenly pounding. She'd used patterns like that, on a small scale, usually in hope of fixing a slightly malformed gemstone. Usually it broke them. "Why is there a calcinating circle centred on Japan?"

She glanced up, her eyes meeting those of her grandmother, who looked at her with a mixture of pride and sadness. The other adults, meanwhile, had turned to stare at her, the man with a surprised smile, her parents with a hint of confusion. But Lulu only had eyes for her grandmother.

"I think that's the question, yes," her grandmother agreed.

⁂

The two weeks after were quiet, which Amu appreciated.

She did have school.

She did have tests.

And, despite what the teachers seemed to believe, she did have other responsibilities, though none of them had cropped up yet. She'd promised to help Kana, she'd just yet to figure out what that meant, precisely.

Her birthday had been a bit special, but Amu was more than happy to settle back into her normal routine. It was nice, almost. Normal, in the sense that nothing particularly crazy had happened. She'd visited Kana's home, more than once! And you'd think that would count as 'crazy', except, well, the place was pretty normal. A little bigger than the Hinamori household, maybe, and a little nicer, and with a slightly smaller yard, but still, it wasn't all that much.

It was a house, and Amu had imagined that maybe Kana lived inside a warehouse or something. Or, well, a lair, or a dungeon, or a bunker. Someplace you'd find a villain, not a house. And maybe it was a bit silly, and a little presumptuous, but she couldn't help her expectations. There was the question of how they could afford to live here, but—Amu had decided not to ask about that.

Naomi was nice, when she wasn't being protective. Aoi was cute, in a girl-next-door way, and good at word games; she was fifteen, good at cooking, and Amu could see why Kana looked up to her. And Yui was-

Yui was a sweet girl, but not quite all there. The nine-year-old never seemed to sleep well, and always seemed a little drowsy, as if she'd been up too late. She was a bit like a teddy bear: Cuddly, tiny, quick to trust, and not very mobile, so it didn't take long before Amu found herself with Yui on her lap.

Yui, too, was scared of sleeping. The moment she started to nod off, Kana swooped in to scoop her up, and it seemed to be an unspoken rule: Don't let Yui sleep, unless Kana is there to help.

Amu was a little curious as to what Kana did, to help.

She didn't ask, and Kana didn't volunteer. But time passed like that. Week by week, Naomi seemed less on edge, and her attitude towards Amu gradually softened. It was a relief, honestly. Amu wasn't used to having anyone angry at her, and even less so for what they thought was good reason.

Kana herself was just as friendly and supportive as ever, and the rest of her family was slowly growing to accept her. It was... nice. There was one of them she hadn't even met, but—it was nice. She was sure she would. Eventually.

So of course it didn't last.

= = =

This is not an interrupt. This is 'something happens, but what'. There are three ongoing story threads of note; you can pick one to focus on, and the others will process in the background. Or, if you so wish, you can vote for something entirely different.

[ ] Something unexpected happens
- QM mystery box. I know what's behind this card; you don't. It's likely (but not guaranteed) to bring Amu closer to the Scavengers.

[ ] Amu has her promised talk with Naomi, on the subject of asking people for help.
- Write in your preferred strategy for that discussion, as well as who you think she should ask.

[ ] Amu, while getting to know her classmates, discovers something odd.
- This might be a chara user. It also might not be. I've got a list, and will be rolling a dice.

[ ] Write-in
- While the options above let you decide which storyline to focus on, they say nothing at all about what happens. Which is intended, and there are limits to what I'll accept as a write-in, but if any of the other aspects of the world strikes your interest…