"I think it makes the most sense to wait for school to end, and all go together," you suggest. "There's less risk of discovery, it keeps Kazane-san out of trouble for skipping, and more people there means we can come up with better questions."
"That seems reasonable," Midori nods in agreement.
The stranger seems more reluctant, but also acquiesces. "...Very well. However, I will warn you that the hospital's visiting hours end fairly early in the afternoon, so you'll need to be over there quick once the school day is over. I, of course, can help expedite that, but please don't linger too long."
Midori nods again. "Don't worry, I'll be ready."
"Excellent," The stranger confirms. "Then for now, let's adjourn, and get you back over there."
Another door takes you a little bit closer to the school, so it's only a couple of houses and an intersection between Midori and the schoolyard. "Here, I'll follow you and make sure everything goes well," you offer, detransforming. Turning to the stranger, you add "And when I get back, I wanted to ask you about some things." Now, you feel, is as good a time as any to finally get a better look at the full picture. They nod in that frustratingly visible-yet-hidden way of theirs, and you set off after the verdette.
Fortunately, reintegration proves to be fairly simple. Everyone's watching as the firefighters return through the main entrance to speak with the teachers, so Midori is able to slip into the back of the crowd without any issue. After waiting for another couple of minutes, the firetrucks pull away, and the teachers begin ushering everyone back inside. Once it's clear that it was a false alarm, you hear some grumblings about it having happened during lunch break instead of a class period, and you feel a bit guilty about that. Still, what's done is done.
Finally, Midori is the last through the doors, offering a parting thumbs-up… at an approximate right angle from your actual position. You find yourself grinning in amusement at the mistake, until you spot Hotaru rounding the corner of the building, radiating her usual aura of intimidation. She slows down for a moment, staring back at the intersection with a confused glare, but when you turn to look for yourself, you don't see anything out of the ordinary. For her part, she just shrugs it off and heads inside, leaving you on your own again.
Returning to the intersection, you find the stranger waiting again, with a different-looking door this time; you realize suddenly it looks like the one they originally used to arrive in the graveyard the previous evening. "Just in here," they say, ushering you through.
After the bright midday sun, the dimness of the other side takes a few moments to adjust to, giving the stranger time to follow through after you and dismiss the door. "Welcome to my office," the stranger says, somehow sounding more bashful than anything. "I only just moved in, so please don't mind if it's a bit drab yet." Moving to one side, they pull on a chain, and the entire wall shifts, metal shutters slowly shifting aside with each tug, folding away to reveal a wide window. You gasp in surprise at the blue light filtering in to fill the small space; outside, you see mounds of coral, and schools of fish and the occasional shark swimming by in the middle distance. From high above, sun-rays filter through the gently shifting surface, and you can see their refractions on the seabed just outside the window.
"We're underwater?" You ask, though it's plainly obvious. The stunning view reminds you of when you once went to an aquarium in middle school. It had been an impressive view then as well, albeit somewhat intimidating too. "Uh… this is safe, right?"
"Very safe, yes," the stranger assures you. "This place has been here for centuries." That helps ease your concerns, at least a little bit; enough that you feel comfortable looking over the rest of the space. As the stranger said, it is indeed still rather spartan, and surprisingly small despite the size of the window, only slightly bigger than the kitchen in your home, but it still feels luxurious somehow. There's an odd blend of futuristic and antique styles in the architecture and furnishings; the walls comprised of silver angled metal plates, (between which deep-set lights blink without any apparent pattern) while the floor and ceiling are made of a polished redwood, the latter having crossbeams that strike you as being less than necessary. The furnishings are equally anachronic, with a heavy wooden desk offset by a second ergonomic tier like you've seen on modern pieces, and a metal bookcase with raised patterns and lights along the sides. Both of the latter items are mostly bare, aside from a couple of unidentifiable gadgets, and the box you recognize as containing the rings. You also realize that there are no built-in doors, probably because the stranger can summon one themselves.
"So, anyway, make yourself at home," they say, taking a seat between the desk and window. "How can I help you?"
What do you want to ask?
> Write-in
(This vote will not be a competitive one. Just put the usual X before any and all questions you can think of, and they will all be counted. There may be some that can't be answered if the stranger doesn't know either, but don't let that discourage you.)
