iridesenescence | Fairy Tale - Once Upon A Time 3

Season: Spring

[A few days later]

Tori: "Because he had consumed wine, the boy slowly began to lose consciousness."
"The sound of a nearby wedding led the boy to believe he had reached Heaven, and he froze to death in the cold of the night."

Tori: — Wait, he dies?!
No, absolutely not! What's a book like this doing in this lineup?!
Well, I guess that's what we get for trying to gather as many picture books as possible and not stopping to check the contents of each one.
Mm~gh. I can't even figure out what motif to use for an attraction on my own and had to ask the others for help. I bet Eichi-sama is so disappointed...
But if he's not retaking control of the Atlantis project, then that means he's still willing to let me handle it.
This time, for sure, I'll come up with a plan that'll leave Eichi-sama impressed...!
H~m...
But I can't really find any good picture books to reference...
Mm, that's not true. We gathered so many that there are one or two that seem like they'd be useful, but the more common ones like Cinderella are already being used as motifs in other amusement parks...
I want to make Atlantis the best amusement park in Japan, but it's just going to end up similar to the other existing amusement parks that I like.
I have to think of what Atlantis' trademark will be.

Shinobu: Woah, how nostalgic~ ♪

Tori: Hm?

Shinobu: I happen to have this exact same picture book at home.

Midori: Oh, I have that too. That series is so famous, it's probably the first thing that comes to mind when thinking about picture books.

Tetora: I guess that means I probably have it too~?
I've never liked reading, so I don't remember it at all.

Tori: Oh, it's the 3 Ryuseitai dummies. Do you guys need something from me?

Shinobu: Uhm? That was a lot of info to take in at once.

Midori: Most of Ryuseitai are dummies, I'll give you that, but I don't wanna be lumped in with the rest of them...

Tetora: You can't just turn your back on us like that, Midori-kun. You're just as much a part of Ryuseitai as we are!

Midori: Seriously? That's so depressing...

Shinobu: Actually — I'd rather you not casually turn us into a trio, Tori-kun. We're idols, but the way you say it makes us seem like comedians.
It does feel like you're being kind of harsh to me... Are you perhaps still hung up on what happened during the student council elections?

Tori: Of course not, suck-up ninja ♪ Do I really seem that narrow-minded to you?

Shinobu: Y-yes?! I don't even think I could fit a piece of paper in there! You're really holding it against me, aren't you~?!

Tori: Calm down, I'm just kidding. We had a heart-to-heart back then, I wouldn't hold anything against you at this point.
You don't have to keep tiptoeing around me, okay?

Shinobu: I'm not particularly trying to, but... This is pretty much what our interactions have been like until now.
Through that whole situation, I came to realise that you allow yourself to be dishonest when you feel you can relax around the other party and trust them. I am not truly bothered either.

Tori: H-huh?! Who asked?! Don't get ahead of yourself, ninja!
Enough of that, though. What did you guys come here for?
I came here to the common room first, so if you guys are going to hang around, then don't be too loud.

Tetora: Well, we came to watch TV together, but if that would bother you, we don't mind leaving. We'll just record the program and catch it another time.

Tori: Mm~mm. I mean, I'm not going to chase you away if you keep your volume down.

Midori: What're you doing with all these picture books anyway? Are you just reading?
Oh... Don't worry, I won't laugh at you for enjoying picture books even as a high schooler.

Tori: Totally off. Well, I don't dislike picture books, since they have cute pictures and the stories are easy to understand, so I can see myself enjoying reading stuff like this.

Midori: Yeah, I get it. I could never memorise the names of all the shoguns for history class, but the names of mascot characters all over the country are a piece of cake. Something like that, right?

Tori: I guess, but... It's kind of annoying if you end up thinking we're the same...
Ah, whatever. I'm trying to plan out the Atlantis project, so I'm looking for a picture book that I can use as a motif in the main attraction.

Midori: Atlantis... That's the amusement park that's going to be built on Hoshijima, right?

Tori: Yep. The project wouldn't have been able to proceed if things had been left as is, so you guys from Ryuseitai were a big help. I guess I should express my gratitude. Thanks for your assistance with that.

Midori: I'd say Shinkai-senpai's the one who did most of the work, though...

Tetora: Yeah, he was really into it.
So... Have you found a picture book you like, Tori-kun?

Tori: No, not yet. Nothing's really standing out to me...
Oh, I know. While you're here, you three can tell me what kind of picture books you like!

Once Upon A Time 2 || Once Upon A Time 4