[Fletcher is just waking up at the hospital, feeling so refreshed and well-rested that at first he's almost sure what happened last night was a horrible dream. But when he opens his eyes, he's still in the hospital.

So, it really did happen... But he feels so much better now; as though it had never happened. And then he notices the slight weight on his chest.]

...Cornus?

Good morning, criminals! Today marks the forty-seventh day of the third generation. It should be a warm, sunny day, and those of you who are recovering from last night are encouraged to spend some time outdoors and enjoy it. I would like to inform everyone who might not be aware that the threat has been handled. It is most regrettable that such a thing happened, but this is precisely why this system does not bring criminals back from the dead.

I have one last, fairly significant code adjustment to make to this system. Please bear with me if I cannot converse with you this morning. If you require my input, please feel free to come visit the kiosk in Sector 1, and I will address your concerns there. Thank you for your understanding.

[The video snaps on. The screen is slightly tilted to one side, and not quite focused on the young man with the white hair doing some improbable one-handed vertical push-ups on a tilted chair somewhere in the athletic complex. His left arm (the one he's not using) is strangely metallic and dark red, almost black, and he's covered in long, ugly scars. He's counting softly to himself, keeping track of the exercise, and not paying any attention to the communicator.

[Then there's a crunch, jagged teeth in the video, and a burst of static obscures the camera for a moment. Allen looks up and drops down off the chair nimbly, a little alarmed.]

T, Timcanpy, no, that's not food--

[aaaand the video goes off]

[Xion is sprawled on the ground near some benches in the park. Someone appears to have clocked her a good one upside the head with a nearby rock, but it's thankfully nothing life-threatening. Just dramatically bloody and painful.]

[Jennifer's walking Shin, Reira's dog and feeling quite relaxed and serene considering all the fretting and worrying of the previous night (and thankfully Yuuri must have slept through it all too). Perhaps it was having someone to look after was all she needed to relax. She'd have to thank Ashton later.]

[Settling down on a bench, Jennifer keeps an eye on Shin, knowing he'd tire himself out soon enough. After that, a nice long soak in the public baths would be just what she needed. But first...]

[Voice: Private to Road] Road? Are you awake? I'm sorry I never called you yesterday, but Yu-chan took for~ever to find!

{OOC: Feels like she's going to regret this, but feel free to tag her while she's in the giant hot bath too. Just be kind?}

Good morning!

[ yes, Suzaku is broadcasting across the network and right into your ear just to say good morning. blame Tear. he's just -- in a much better mood today. there's this wonderful... ease to everything. like it's all going to just work itself out. it's... nice to feel that for once, and he wanted to share it with everyone else. ]

[Waking up feeling refreshed was not something Zelda expected after spending so much of her power yesterday. That, and the fact that she remembers hearing a song that felt too real to be just a dream.]

That song...last night...who was it?

[If you happen to be out in the shopping district, you might see a girl, a little unsteady on her feet and looking a bit ill]

What...just happened...?

[Holding her head, Yuuki stumbles a moment before catching her balance. Her face and words reflect her complete confusion.]

Aidou-senpai...? No...or did Shoutou-dono... [A soft moan as she shakes her head. Wait...Aidou...and Shoutou-dono...? Is that what she was last doing? Everything is a blur in her head of overlapping memories.] Nng.

[Guess who is back! And canon updated, too.]

[Ashton had visited the kiosk just a while ago, but he couldn't bring himself to say anything. There were so many people coming and going, and he lost his nerve when he saw others who probably had bigger problems than his. On the network, so many people seemed to go on with their lives, and it just puzzled him how little was spoken of last night.

Now he was in the park under a tree, trying to sort out his thoughts, and he was doing this by talking out loud to himself. Well, mostly.

For the first time, he found himself speaking to the dragons as if they were equals.]

Robbers hurt people because they needed something. Monsters attacked people because they don't know any better, or because the Sorcery Globe is messing with their ecosystem... [The dragons growl a reply.] I don't know. It doesn't make any sense.

[Ashton looked around the park, and then at the sky.] It seems so peaceful here. It's almost like... like nothing bad could happen here. It makes me feel safe, and I want to make them feel safe, too. [The dragons turn their heads, not sure who he means by "them".] But I don't know how...

[He looked to the charm he was wrapping wire around, and was whisked into a daydream.]