[Kodai]

It wasn't every day that one woke up and wondered if their genes had suddenly somehow failed them.

But that was exactly the thought that T-82918 had upon opening their eyes and discovering that they apparently could no longer see in color. You didn't just stop possessing color vision unless something was very wrong with you.

...Or, they thought, looking over at their arise, which had stopped its morning ritual and was now rubbing its face in the bedsheets in agitation, because you've been blessed. Either directly, or...

Sitting up, T-82918 took their face from their inventory and put it on, then pinged the others.

I suggest we call an emergency meeting. There seems to be an anomaly about. ÒwÓ

[Kodai]

Garbled nonsense through the feedback alerted T-82918 to the fact that a few of the others were still asleep, but soon enough, there was a lucid response.

An anomaly? I thought we decided there weren't any here? OuO

Apparently we were wrong. Unless you know of another reason why I can no longer see color and my arise is insistently wiping its face, K-32206. ÒwÓ

Silence temporarily filled the connection.

Well–

holy SHIT YOU SEE IT TOO?? >:V

There was another pause.

Technically, he doesn't see it, N-113005. OuO

ba-dum tsh. >:V

Please focus. This is serious. ÒwÓ T-82918 sighed, slipping out of bed. What about you, K-32206? Are you still capable of color vision? ÒwÓ

I am not! OuO It was an oddly cheerful response, considering the situation. Though at first I thought it was simply the effects of a poorly lit room. OuO

...did you try turning on a light? >:V

I had not reached that point, no. OuO

[Kodai]

Reaching the hallway, T-82918 continued making their way to the kitchen, making note of the continued lack of color along the way. Sure, this might be an emergency, but that didn't mean they had to abandon all sense of normality.

Right, then. Now that this has occurred, what are we going to do about it? ÒwÓ

There was a good moment of silence in which you could almost hear the other two notails thinking.

... We could study it. OuO

Of course K-32206 would say that.

K-32206. We can't study the anomaly. ÒwÓ

Why not? OuO

We're not Q-Classes. We're not equipped to deal with anomalies. We'd be killed. ÒwÓ

Or worse! >:V

Or worse. ÒwÓ

[Kodai]

The connection trembled with uncertainty.

Well, yes, it's true that anomalies are incredibly dangerous and one should generally keep their distance from them, but... do you really think there's anyone else on this planet who could "deal with" it? OuO

T-82918 sighed as they poured out their oatmeal. K-32206 had a point. If the notails were correct in thinking that anomalies had never previously been found on Evelon, then no one else would understand the intricacies of dealing with such an entity.

Well. I suppose it wouldn't hurt if you went out to collect some information, at least. ÒwÓ

[Kodai]

Now the mental connection was bubbling with excitement. T-82918 could easily imagine K-32206 making a mental list of all the sources she'd want to check and all the supplies she'd need to do so.

I can absolutely do that! I suppose I'll start by asking around here– oh, perhaps the Baron knows something! OuO

Probably. That guy knows everything. >:V

A suspicious character, indeed. ÒwÓ

Despite how helpful the rabbit-man(?) had been in assisting them – giving them food and a place to stay after their ship crashed, telling them some of the basics about the world – all of the notails were wary of him. The Baron was as close to an anomaly as one could get without actually being one, and T-82918 still wasn't quite sure why they'd decided he wasn't one.

[Kodai]

Yes... alright! I'll start with him, then. OuO

Please eat breakfast first, K-32206. ÒwÓ

The enthusiasm was tamped down a bit.

... I'll see you in a moment, T-82918. OuO

Guess I'll come down, too. >:V

A regular get-together, this breakfast was shaping up to be. Ah well. It would be nice to have the noise, this morning.

Pulling their oatmeal from the microwave, T-82918 sat down and waited for it to cool to a more digestible temperature. They were just about to take their first spoonful when K-32206 and N-113005 walked in together.

Kill my god, I can't believe you still eat your oatmeal plain. >:V

He's allowed to eat plain oatmeal, N-113005. OuO

Yeah, but why would you?? That's just sad. >:V

[Kodai]

Completely ignoring N-113005's judgement of their breakfast choices, T-82918 stuck the spoonful of oatmeal in their mouth.

Saaaaaad. >:V

K-32206 pushed past her antagonistic friend, who promptly sat down backwards in a chair in order to wait his turn.

What are you going to eat, then, N-113005? OuO she asked, reaching for the bread with the aim of making some toast.

Oatmeal with BANANAS in, >:V he replied triumphantly. And CINNAMON. >:V

T-82918 simply continued eating. N-113005 was a tease, and they knew him well enough to know he was joking around. Mostly.

[Kodai]

You have a very strange palate, N-113005. OuO

K-32206 took the slices of bread and set them in the toaster, though she couldn't help taking in their lack of color for a moment. What a very strange thing, to know it was supposed to be a variety of creams and browns and seeing it as something else.

I'm surprised you're not more adventurous with your food choices, Kay, he returned, watching her. You're the K-class, here. >:V

She shrugged.

I'm not much of a breakfast person. I will try anything at least once, though. OuO

[Kodai]

I dare you to eat something different for breakfast, then. >:V

Like what? OuO

N-113005 considered the possibilities, and decided not to get too terribly outlandish.

Like... fish paste. Instead of butter. On your toast. >:V

Right? That wasn't too outlandish? Perfectly prank-y?

K-32206 stared at him from behind her face. This was one of the scenarios where having something to hide your real emotions came in handy.

...Alright, then, N-113005. I will put fish paste on my toast. OuO

[Kodai]

Still silently eating, T-82918 took the time to be thankful that they weren't the one whose breakfast was being interrupted. Or at least any more interrupted than N-113005 getting up out of his chair, clapping happily and going to the refrigerator to fetch the fish paste.

Here you go! >:V he announced, handing K-32206 the jar. Calmly, she took it and placed it on the counter, then went to get a plate, the butter, and two knives.

Ding! went the toaster.

N-113005 couldn't look any more excited if he tried.

[Color Harvested]

[Kodai]

Completely nonchalantly, K-32206 spread butter onto one of the slices and fish paste on the other, putting them together to form a complete toast sandwich. Putting the completed meal on its plate, she set about clearing the area (much to N-113005's chagrin, who was half convinced she was prolonging things just to spite him despite her not being a spiteful person in the slightest) before taking it over to the table.

Kitchen's free for you, N-113005! OuO she chirped.

There was a good ten seconds of staring between the two before N-113005 teasingly stuck his tongue out at her and went to make his oatmeal.

[Kodai]

* * * * *

After the conclusion of their unusual breakfast, the three notails decided that T-82918 would remain at the House in order to inform the others of what was happening (they weren't any sort of traveling class, after all), and N-113005 would go with K-32206 to see what could be learned of the anomaly in their midst.

Curiously enough, they didn't need to go far to get their first bit of information. Even before they had a chance to go find the Baron, K-32206 received a news alert on her tablet and subsequently spent the next hour and a half combing through reports and comments. Aside from confirming that the lack of color wasn't just confined to their little area, however, there wasn't much that was helpful. No one knew where or why the color had gone, or how to get it back.