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June Event
hello
You open your eyes.
And you scream.
Four long gashes tear your sleeve to ribbons and arm to searing pain, something sharp clamps down on your ankle and sinks into flesh and bone, down the hall another student dangles half a foot off the ground with their hair slowly separating from their scalp, and littered across the floor are bodies pooling blood and occasionally twitching— not in a last bid for life, but in the way strips of skin and muscle and fabric pull away from a person's limbs when several dozen invisible hungry imps have decided they don't want to be banished and would rather feast on the blood of their enemies if that's what it takes to survive.
For every instance of blood that touches the floor, the school pitches and transforms into a dilapidated version of itself, what npcs that were in the hall with you turning into shadow versions of themselves and taking hold of the fallen bodies to drag them to the auditorium. There, the empty room is pitch black. There, the threshold at the doorway crumbles and expands with each shadow that stands and feeds the void another sacrifice. In this school, in its darkness and its silence and its faceless students that cannot be touched, you may at least find some reprieve from the imps that do not exist, find fresh water flowing from the bathroom sinks, and scenes of normal school life playing out in the cracked mirrors that if you break even further you find that you return.
You open your eyes, and no time has passed. Something invisible tears open a student's throat, so close you can see their vocal cords bright white and vibrating as they scream. Blood splatters on the ground, and the school pitches and turns once again.
And you scream.
Four long gashes tear your sleeve to ribbons and arm to searing pain, something sharp clamps down on your ankle and sinks into flesh and bone, down the hall another student dangles half a foot off the ground with their hair slowly separating from their scalp, and littered across the floor are bodies pooling blood and occasionally twitching— not in a last bid for life, but in the way strips of skin and muscle and fabric pull away from a person's limbs when several dozen invisible hungry imps have decided they don't want to be banished and would rather feast on the blood of their enemies if that's what it takes to survive.
For every instance of blood that touches the floor, the school pitches and transforms into a dilapidated version of itself, what npcs that were in the hall with you turning into shadow versions of themselves and taking hold of the fallen bodies to drag them to the auditorium. There, the empty room is pitch black. There, the threshold at the doorway crumbles and expands with each shadow that stands and feeds the void another sacrifice. In this school, in its darkness and its silence and its faceless students that cannot be touched, you may at least find some reprieve from the imps that do not exist, find fresh water flowing from the bathroom sinks, and scenes of normal school life playing out in the cracked mirrors that if you break even further you find that you return.
You open your eyes, and no time has passed. Something invisible tears open a student's throat, so close you can see their vocal cords bright white and vibrating as they scream. Blood splatters on the ground, and the school pitches and turns once again.
hi
For each fallen student, a new one transfers in to replace them. Between the student council election and the imp infestation, more and more you seem to be surrounded by unfamiliar faces. The contrast is stark between those veteran students with bandaged arms and a limp to their stride and long sleeves and pants despite the growing heat, and those students with bright and smiling faces, the ones who coo over the cats and share their lunches with anybody who looks hungry and sit in small groups outside by the wisteria tree to chat during breaks, ignorant of what keeps it fed.
With all the new transfer students, many teachers have decided to assign group projects for their classes: poster presentations on their favorite myth or legend, short skits portraying famous historical scenes, and, everybody say thank you Cain and Kelly, taking care of flour sack babies. Projects are by homeroom and can be done in groups of 2-4, because sometimes a family is a dad and a dad and a wine aunt and a dog. The projects are all due at the end of the month, and if you're able to keep your flour sack baby from being turned into a cake or torn apart by imps, you may notice that they start to feel... warm... after one week. At the end of the second week, they begin to make short, quiet noises— a gurgle, a breath, a whine. At the end of the third week, while you're cradling the sack in your arms, you swear it moves. At the end of the fourth week, well. The project is over. Maybe it'll hatch? Let me know if you make it.
With all the new transfer students, many teachers have decided to assign group projects for their classes: poster presentations on their favorite myth or legend, short skits portraying famous historical scenes, and, everybody say thank you Cain and Kelly, taking care of flour sack babies. Projects are by homeroom and can be done in groups of 2-4, because sometimes a family is a dad and a dad and a wine aunt and a dog. The projects are all due at the end of the month, and if you're able to keep your flour sack baby from being turned into a cake or torn apart by imps, you may notice that they start to feel... warm... after one week. At the end of the second week, they begin to make short, quiet noises— a gurgle, a breath, a whine. At the end of the third week, while you're cradling the sack in your arms, you swear it moves. At the end of the fourth week, well. The project is over. Maybe it'll hatch? Let me know if you make it.
can you hear me?
The veteran students don't seem very keen on working with transfer students who make excuses about not wanting to work outside of school, but newer students are more willing, eager to meet people and get to know them and learn about the school. They gravitate towards the bulletin board to check out the class ranks, new clubs, a new section on the board with several dozen slips of colored paper tacked onto it and a little container below containing blank slips and a pen so you can add your own wishes:
That's certainly the thought as the month goes on and there are more and more wishes for the construction in the clock tower stairwell to hurry up and finish already, as the entire month of June, from 6AM to 6PM, six days a week, the sounds of drilling and hammering and screaming and sawing can be heard in the stairwell despite no construction workers being seen entering or exiting the school. The clock tower itself is inaccessible while the stairs are being taken down and replaced with a brand new elevator— veteran students are particularly grateful, because it's hard to climb stairs and go to class when your shin is splintered and a thin layer of bandage is the only thing keeping your guts from spilling out onto the floor.
In the evening after the npcs leave, characters are able to open the doors on the second and fourth floors to find... that nothing looks any different. On the first floor, however, a set of elevator doors has been installed right by the front doors, and while the button to open the doors don't work, they can be wrenched apart and entered, revealing a barren space with metal walls, a clock hung on the back wall that ticks backwards, and too many buttons on the panel by the double doors. Most buttons are white, numbered -6 to 27 though out of order and not all the numbers are there. Some are black, one is red, neither colors having symbols etched into them. None of the buttons work when pressed.
Not yet.
Wishes are meant to be granted, but... Some of the newer students make an attempt at being a little more realistic and add things like "I want the answers to next week's math exam" and "I want a pony" and do check the board occasionally, so it never hurts to leave a wish of your own.
"I want to be normal. --XX, 1-A"
"I want to live. --XX, 2-B"
"I want my friends back. --XX, 3-D"
"I want life to go back to normal. --XX, 2-A"
"I want my brother back. --XX, 2-A"
"I want more power. --XX, 1-A"
"I want to be loved. --XX, 1-B"
"I want to fix the past. --XX, 2-A"
"I want to find my family. --XX, 3-B"
"I want to be loved. --XX, 2-A"
"I want a normal life. --XX, 1-A"
"I want my brother back. --XX, 2-B""I want to see my family. --XX, 1-C"
"I want to die. --XX, 2-D"
"I want my friends back. --XX, 2-D"
"I want to fix the past. --XX, 3-D"
"I want freedom. --XX, 1-D"
"I want to live. --XX, 1-C"
"LUNCH DATE WITH IZUMI SENA!!! --XX, 1-A"
"I want to be strong. --XX, 2-E"
"I want freedom. --XX, 3-E"
"I want to live. --XX, 2-E"
"I want to die. --XX, 3-E"
"I want to remember. --XX, 3-C"
That's certainly the thought as the month goes on and there are more and more wishes for the construction in the clock tower stairwell to hurry up and finish already, as the entire month of June, from 6AM to 6PM, six days a week, the sounds of drilling and hammering and screaming and sawing can be heard in the stairwell despite no construction workers being seen entering or exiting the school. The clock tower itself is inaccessible while the stairs are being taken down and replaced with a brand new elevator— veteran students are particularly grateful, because it's hard to climb stairs and go to class when your shin is splintered and a thin layer of bandage is the only thing keeping your guts from spilling out onto the floor.
In the evening after the npcs leave, characters are able to open the doors on the second and fourth floors to find... that nothing looks any different. On the first floor, however, a set of elevator doors has been installed right by the front doors, and while the button to open the doors don't work, they can be wrenched apart and entered, revealing a barren space with metal walls, a clock hung on the back wall that ticks backwards, and too many buttons on the panel by the double doors. Most buttons are white, numbered -6 to 27 though out of order and not all the numbers are there. Some are black, one is red, neither colors having symbols etched into them. None of the buttons work when pressed.
Not yet.
it'll be alright
Until then, the clock tower can be reached as normal up several flights of stairs, the room at the very top bright and sunny with clock faces in the glass on all four sides, floorboards stained copper red and the air thick and difficult to breathe. For some, it's still worth it for the view of the wisteria tree in perpetual bloom in the courtyard below, especially as the heat and humidity of summer approaches and with it comes clouds of gnats that have taken up residence in the courtyard, hovering over puddles of light pink water left over from watering the courtyard overnight. Classes are no longer held outdoors, as teachers find it impossible to speak without gnats entering their mouths at any given opportunity, and the heat inside the school becomes near unbearable towards the latter half of the month as there is no air conditioning and teachers hesitate to open their windows. The homeroom teachers in 1-B, 1-D, and 2-C made that mistake once, opening the windows facing the courtyard and the gnats had gotten in, little homing missiles to their favorite food: blood, sweat, and tears. But if you don't cry, sweat, or bleed and aren't afraid of the gnats squeezing their way through the mesh screen in the windows, it can be nice to sit by the window and hope a breeze comes your way.
Those in classes 3-A, 3-B, 2-C, 2-D, 2-E, and all of the first year classes can find that they're able to open the windows in classrooms 1-B, 1-D, and 2-C to enjoy the breeze, but find an invisible barrier blocking their way and preventing any part of them from reaching out into the open space. 3-A, 2-C, 2-D, 2-E, 1-B, 1-D, and 1-E are able to remove the screen and exit through those windows facing the courtyard, keeping in mind it is the 3rd and 4th floors and they will have to climb back up to reenter the school. 2-C, 1-B, and 1-D can go a step further and find that the front door to the school opens for them, except when they try to leave, they run into an invisible barrier, unable to take another step out the door. But they can stand there and take in the sight of the school gates in the near distance, of the forest just beyond, of the npc students slipping past them on their way to and from home. At this threshold it is chilly despite the heat that smothers the school in waves, the air is fresh, invigorating, and when the sun passes overhead you swear you can feel it staring.
Those in classes 3-A, 3-B, 2-C, 2-D, 2-E, and all of the first year classes can find that they're able to open the windows in classrooms 1-B, 1-D, and 2-C to enjoy the breeze, but find an invisible barrier blocking their way and preventing any part of them from reaching out into the open space. 3-A, 2-C, 2-D, 2-E, 1-B, 1-D, and 1-E are able to remove the screen and exit through those windows facing the courtyard, keeping in mind it is the 3rd and 4th floors and they will have to climb back up to reenter the school. 2-C, 1-B, and 1-D can go a step further and find that the front door to the school opens for them, except when they try to leave, they run into an invisible barrier, unable to take another step out the door. But they can stand there and take in the sight of the school gates in the near distance, of the forest just beyond, of the npc students slipping past them on their way to and from home. At this threshold it is chilly despite the heat that smothers the school in waves, the air is fresh, invigorating, and when the sun passes overhead you swear you can feel it staring.
OOC
✽ Sometimes you summon murder imps and you gotta get rid of them yourselves. The imps are invisible unless supernatural sight (eg Nene, Clamor) or form (eg Moriarty, Sherlock) is regained, or are seen through an adder stone (possessed by Arthur, Gundham), but can still be fought either way through physical or magical means, or banished with the proper materials. They will NOT be rampaging and attacking everybody all the time, so this prompt is avoidable if you'd rather not, but they will gravitate towards 1) students who are alone, and 2) areas where there is already bloodshed happening.
✽ For the flour sack group project, groups are by homeroom and can number between 2-4 students. You may also assume npc students are part of your group if you wish.
✽ Characters may notice that physically, an elevator can't make sense without demolishing the first floor locker area, and they will have to accept the fact that not everything will make sense, and that sometimes, Ori just does not want to redraw floorplans. The elevator will be functional starting next month, maybe.
✽ Only windows in classrooms 1-B, 1-D, and 2-C can be opened by characters in classes that have gained at least one class rank to date. Those classes that gained at least one class rank last month are able to exit out the windows facing the courtyard only. Those classes with 30 or more ranks are able to open the front door to the school but not exit through it. To anybody else watching them open the door, they will see that character turn into a shadow and go through the motions of opening the door without exiting, exactly how npc students appear when they enter and exit the school.
✽ For the flour sack group project, groups are by homeroom and can number between 2-4 students. You may also assume npc students are part of your group if you wish.
✽ Characters may notice that physically, an elevator can't make sense without demolishing the first floor locker area, and they will have to accept the fact that not everything will make sense, and that sometimes, Ori just does not want to redraw floorplans. The elevator will be functional starting next month, maybe.
✽ Only windows in classrooms 1-B, 1-D, and 2-C can be opened by characters in classes that have gained at least one class rank to date. Those classes that gained at least one class rank last month are able to exit out the windows facing the courtyard only. Those classes with 30 or more ranks are able to open the front door to the school but not exit through it. To anybody else watching them open the door, they will see that character turn into a shadow and go through the motions of opening the door without exiting, exactly how npc students appear when they enter and exit the school.
no subject
Sure, all of that was still better than Add rubbing against their leg or talking about taking them apart. Did that mean they were even attempting to hide their annoyance? Absolutely not. That was the exact reason why when Add stood up, Turing immediately reached out to try and grab the back of his uniform. They weren't going to let him bother Legion! Not after the distress Turing had seen them in. Even if they had failed to protect their friend Ishimaru, they had to at least try to protect their new friend Legion.
"You sit down and leave them alone!"
It was a very different tone than the one they had used with Legion before.
no subject
Not that Add is going to get much chance to find that out, because Legion will, instantly, pull away.
"Request: cease physical contact."
They almost take a step back, except then Turing is up and trying to defend them. They look at the smaller robot.
"Do you believe he is likely to be a threat?"
Turing does not seem happy about this person's presence, and they have a low tolerance for organic harassment. Add isn't wrong about them being made for combat: if they need to, they will use physical force.
no subject
Ugh. He misses having longer arms.
When that fails, he cranes his head back to smile at Turing, equal parts irritated and curious. He can't be too mad, since reactions like these are exactly what he's been fishing for, but that doesn't mean he won't continue to goad them on. Will he elicit stronger reactions from them now that another machine lifeform is involved?
"Kukuku, don't tell me... you're not getting jealous now, are you? What an irrational little machine you are. I could've left you alone, and instead you vie for more of my attention..."
Really not leaving any better of an impression on Legion here, but it's not like he's trying to.
no subject
"Very well, I will not tell you those things if that is what you wish."
Their gaze snapped back to Legion upon remembering they had been asked a question. Ah...the response that they had just witnessed was not a way to make a good impression, was it? Even if they were already past first impressions, it was still close enough for them to be a little embarrassed about Legion seeing their response.
Did they regret it though? No. Not one bit.
"I...I am not completely sure yet, to be honest. Possibly?"
no subject
Needless to say, they definitely aren't judging Turing for dropping him, especially as they aren't even sure they won't need to eliminate him and the possible threat he poses.
"...Acknowledged."
no subject
Alright, reflection over. He props himself back up on his elbows, admiring Legion from below for the time being. It's not the worst angle, really... he can see the legs and feet pretty well.
"Anatomy is distinctly non-human... designed after an existing species, or for more practical reasons? Digitigrade stance would improve speed and stealth, but such things are irrelevant to Nasods that can levitate at high speeds. Nasod technology still reigns supreme, kekekeke...!"
Maybe... if he's very slow and cautious... he can touch Legion's ankle.
but before that, there's probably something else he should address. He rolls himself over enough to look up at Legion's face(?), still remaining on the floor for now because he's a weirdo and maybe it'll make it seem like he fell on purpose all along.
"Specimens get boring after awhile once they stop moving... and I don't particularly want to fight. So don't worry about it."
no subject
"Stop speaking as if we are things!" Turing suddenly shouted, their temper exploding all at once.
Even if Add said he didn't want to fight, those were indeed fighting words as far as Turing was concerned. They had worked hard to give all ROMs a chance to have their own identities, for better or worse. This was not Neo-SF or anything even close to it, but they were not about to go back to the world where ROMs were still considered to be subservient to humans, even if their words only succeeded in making themselves feel better. They were not Hayden's ROM, or one of Add's specimens, or even Alys' ROM. Not anymore. They were just...Turing. Their own person.
They wanted to keep it that way.
"I do not know what I have to do or say to make you understand, but I will not silently accept hearing you speak this way in the meantime."
It was a good thing they had met a decent number of kind and understanding humans. If Alys had treated them in the same way Add was right then, their path would have been altogether different.
no subject
If Add wants to touch their foot, well, he'll get his wish. They're watching him, and they can see when he reaches for them, and when he does ... they step on his hand.
It might be interesting to experience: they have more than enough weight to crush the bones in his hand beneath their foot, but instead they're balancing perfectly, curling their long toes slightly around his wrist and putting most of their weight on the hardened, claw like tips of their feet.
They stare down at him, utterly unimpressed.
no subject
"Another feisty one, aren't you?" The face seems less expressive than Turing's, but he can't call that response anything but 'emotional'. An interesting specimen indeed... how fortunate, that he'd end up in a place with so many interesting things.
His eyes flick to Turing, though, acknowledging their request. However...
"Does it bother you? Kukuku, it wouldn't be any good if you had no sense of pride. If you want me to stop, then stop me. What's the problem?"
Really, he wasn't even trying to call them a 'thing'. He'd call a human his specimen, too, if he had any interest in organic creatures... but the more Turing gets upset about it, the more he wants to push their buttons and see how they'll respond. They 'saved' him once, and they've tried several times already to use reason to get him to stop... but how much can he push before they lose the rest of their patience? Are they pacifistic by choice, or by programming? How will this new machine specimen respond? So many questions he needs answered.
no subject
Turing did have an idea to back up those very to the point words. It was not a violent one, as they did prefer not to resort to violence if they didn't have to. (Coding around the Three Laws of Robotics was trivial for a truly self-deterministic being, but still.) It wasn't hard to tell that Add was fascinated by them instead of intimidated, so trying to force Add to do anything seems like a futile effort. Therefore, their only option was to make it more difficult for him to say such things.
Turing hopped down from their seat, circled around the desks to get to Add and crouched down near him. They were not scared. Add was no Dekker, and he already said he didn't want to fight, so it was time to be a little bold. Impertinent, even! Their master plan to stop him from saying all those upsetting (to them) things was to reach out and try to pull on his cheeks to keep him from speaking coherently. If they succeeded they wouldn't be pinching or pulling hard enough to hurt, even after all the things he'd said already, but there was another side to this plan. Turing couldn't deny that making Add look a little silly wasn't also one of their objectives.
...Of course, there was the risk that Add would grab them before they got the chance to. Turing did consider that. Honestly, they were taking all kinds of risks lately, and being grabbed by someone who was just a smidge too enthusiastic about robots was pretty low on the list of risks they had both seen and taken lately.
no subject
They are, to some degree, thankful that Add took the hint, and they do not have to pin his hand under their foot.
That said, they're really not sure how to respond to ... this. They take a step back, letting out a brief burst of rather awkward chatter at the display in front of them. Perhaps, if they were familiar with such things, they might consider it more similar to two children fighting than the more serious argument actually taking place.
You know, people are looking at them, and the teacher is probably going to arrive soon...
finally a reason to use this very specific icon
This would be an opportune moment to make a grab for Turing again, but he's interested to see what they try, so instead he finally sits himself upright and allows them to go through with their plan. Trusting that they're not going to snap too dramatically, he can handle some minor injuries—
or this can just happen instead.
He tenses up at the extended contact, not really expecting to have his cheeks pinches like this... but it's also a display of Turing's dexterity, so he doesn't want to stop them. This, too, is a valuable source of research.
After about a minute of silently tolerating this experience, he finally speaks up (though it's a bit muffled since, y'know).
"How long do you plan to do this?" 'cause on one hand, it is working, but also they can't just hold Add's face forever...
so I need to cause more reasons for it, gotcha
"Until you promise to behave until the end of class, if not longer."
Yes. Turing was trying to wring just a little more out of this while they had a chance. It was kind of awkward with other people looking, but this was important, darn it.
...In other words, Legion would have been entirely right to see it as a squabble between children if they could.
"I believe that's a more than fair trade. It's even an advantageous one for you considering everything you've done and said. Do you agree, Legion?"
no subject
They relax a little. It is unlikely that this individual will cause them harm, if this is sufficient to neutralize them as a threat.
"Alert: according to scheduling, class will start in approximately 3.4 minutes."
They still need to find a desk to sit at and all that.