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04/04, 23:56

M.Arisu

hey... anybody who's awake to see this. hope you're not having too much trouble sleeping.
get rest when you can. work together when you can.
all we can do is keep trying, but i'm hopeful for this year.
feels weird to say... but it's all going to be gone soon, so...
anyways.
see you at school tomorrow.

Any replies on the forum go unresponded, and at the stroke of midnight, the past year's worth of messages are completely gone from the PDA forum, including any sent over spring break. Hope you have a good memory if you were in the middle of a conversation! Though you should really be in ...whatever you've managed to make your bed... because tomorrow is a big day.

04/05, 06:00

The silence continues until six in the morning with the toll of the clock tower bells, and anybody near the locker area will hear two women in mid-conversation as they phase through the front doors, heels clicking on the ground: "-—didn't even have the decency to finish the job! And now I have to— oh, stop crying, for goodness' sake! I swear—" It's a one sided conversation, mostly, and one that stops short the moment the women spot the students lingering around. While the younger woman, recognizable as the assistant principal, hurriedly scrubs at her face with her sleeves, the unfamiliar older woman with the oddly dissonant voice scowls intensely. "I don't need this on the first day of school! Students trespassing over break! I can't believe it! I don't have time for this—" she huffs, shaking her head and stomping down the hall towards the faculty office. "Miss Nene, I expected better of you! And you! Miss Ritsuka— the two of you shall report to the faculty office after the entrance ceremony. I expect a full report of everybody involved. Now behave yourselves and go to the auditorium."

Goodbye...

The assistant principal is left behind and looks confused and distraught. She sniffles and ducks her head a little, draws a shaking breath and stands a little taller. "I'm so sorry. I'll hear you all out after- after this is done. Alright?" She too heads towards the faculty office, trying her best to smile at those she passes by. While they may be followed, they seem to phase through the faculty office doors which remain closed and locked, and cannot be interacted with until after the ceremony.

Until then, other students start to filter through the front door, seeking out friends and chatting about their breaks, remembering about homework and asking if anybody actually did it so they can copy off them before classes start, laughing at any mention of being locked inside the school all break because what?? that's silly. A handful of students wear yellow armbands on the left sleeve of their uniform, marking them as members of the student council, and these student council members go around finally removing the gorinto from the window sills, tossing the rocks into a bag without any apparent ill effects, and collecting the snacks in a separate bag— though they'll offer the food to anybody they pass who looks hungry enough. Which is a lot of you. One or two might give a short lecture about the importance of eating breakfast to start the day off right. Other student council members busy themselves in the locker area, posting the new homeroom assignments and updating the school calendar to reflect exam dates and breaks for the coming year, or help setting chairs out in neat rows in the auditorium in preparation for the entrance ceremony.

04/05, 08:00

The opening ceremony starts at 8, with students and staff moving to the auditorium to sit with their homeroom class, calling characters out by name and dragging them over to their seat— physically if need be, and they're much stronger than they look. Unlike the graduation ceremony, characters are not forced to come to the entrance ceremony, but the moment they take a seat, they find that they can neither speak nor get up again until the ceremony is over.

The assistant principal stands behind the podium on stage, looking rather nervous as she glances down at the watch on her wrist for it to be time, and clears her throat before addressing the room. "Yogen High welcomes you, all our new students," she pauses, beaming at the row of first year classes before her gaze sweeps over the rest of the student body, "our transfer students, our returning students, our... repeat students..." Looking at you, Norton, Gawain, Abel... "I, um. You may have noticed that I am standing in for our principal today, who is currently... unavailable... and didn't exactly leave any notes to go off of..." She wilts a little, but trucks on nonetheless and continues the address, promising that the teachers will pass along any important announcements, expressing her belief in the potential of young minds, and wishing everybody a fulfilling school year. The ceremony concludes in a little under an hour, and the spell binding the students to their seats is broken, allowing everybody to rise and leave.

School lets out for the rest of the day with classes starting the next morning, and while many students take the opportunity to leave, some linger around the school. Gossip is flying already with news of the transfer students caught breaking into the school over break and what punishments they might get, rumors of what happened to the principal ranging from a family emergency to hospitalization to death, complaints about the water pipes not getting fixed over break, and general excitement over upcoming events listed on the bulletin board by the lockers, in particular new club advertisements, fortune telling ads, and a Charity Auction to be hosted the Monday after Golden Week next month.

April

School is school... The first thing teachers ask at homeroom Tuesday morning is for students to hand in their spring break homework. Didn't do it? You're on their shit list now. Characters are not forced to attend class, but patrolling faculty and student council members will heckle any truant students into going and can be a pain to deal with. Classes aren't taught terribly, though. The second year math teacher has a knack for easily digestible explanations, even if she writes and erases the board a bit too quickly to copy. The third year literature teacher combines weekly analytical essays with film studies, and is showing Child's Play, Invasion of the Body Snatchers, The Silence of the Lambs, and Where the Red Fern Grows this month. The first year biology teacher brings eyeballs and frogs and rats for dissection during anatomy lessons, and if you have a special request for a specific eye color, give him a day or two and he can deliver. 2-A's homeroom teacher can be seen stealing chalk from each of the second year classroom she rotates through and is offering extra credit to any students who sneak her chalk without asking questions.

New students will quickly learn that merit points are awarded for a full day's attendance, turning in homework, participating in class and clubs, scoring 80% or higher on quizzes and exams, etc. Less predictably, the PDA may sometimes ping for a single merit point when hanging out with a friend or arguing with a classmate, with stronger emotions (positive or negative) when interacting with somebody else more likely to trigger a point, and if students are abusing this system, it's kept out of the faculty's eyes. As the month goes on, sometimes a student comes to class with a cut eyelid, or a busted lip, or bandages wrapped thick around a wrist, but they always deny anything more than clumsiness or an accident or having pets who very aggressively show their love. Sometimes it's harder to hide, when a bloody nose drips onto the ground or bleeding knuckles brush against the wall, and those near enough to see blood touch the building will find that everything sort of... shifts... Just for a second. The feeling of vertigo that stops almost as soon as it begins, the world tilting without slotting back into alignment. You feel a bit nauseous. Just a little.

You go to the bathroom to splash water on your face and the pink looks a little darker, a little more solid. On the fourth floor, the water has stopped running in the bathroom sinks altogether, and students are told to go downstairs to do their business so that they may wash up after. With more students milling around the bathrooms, it's much easier to notice that people's reflections in the mirrors are just a bit off, lagging that split second long enough to be impossible to ignore once aware.

Every day you have homework. A new essay for something or other is assigned each week. Nobody wants to do group projects with a slacker who can't promise to meet up after school to get it done. Like clockwork, the school empties out at 6 PM each school day, leaving those behind to their own devices. There is no school on Sundays. Golden Week marks the end of the month, and guess who's going to be stuck at school for an entire week with only vending machine junk food to live off of if they aren't able to make progress concerning their living situation? Yeah.

Charity Auction

At least students have the charity auction to look forward to and work towards. Information about the auction set on May 10 can be found on the bulletin board, and appears to be put together by the student council as an annual event and an incentive for students to start the year off strong in earning merit points. Both students and staff are encouraged to donate to the auction, with the items collected and put on display in the auditorium behind locked glass cases. On May 10, students will be able to bid on items using their merit points, those who donate will receive 10% of the winning bid towards their item, and the school will match donations 100 to 1 point with proceeds going towards the "Save A Brain Foundation."

Throughout the month, glass cases lining the walls of the auditorium start to fill up with donations. The most popular donations seem to be physical items: possessions such as jewelry or gaming consoles, or artistic creations such as hand sewn clothing or paintings. There are placeholders for things that can't be put on display all month, such as placards with a picture or description of homemade food that won't be prepared until the auction date, or the promise of fishing lessons with the guidance counselor or a dinner date with the school principal (pending availability). At the back of the room stands the largest case, with the skinny black cat often found lying on top of it as if guarding it, although it will run away when approached.

Inside the case is a body.

OOC

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✽ The plot will only move forward as things are discussed and acted upon, and clues distributed during app acceptances are meant to be shared and connected, so don't be afraid to ask questions and dig into things! I am here to enable.

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[ he takes that spoon as if it were made of glass. touched. moved. he's absolutely warmed by her kindness, in feeding this starving (???) and helpless (????) soul, here. ]

Miss Iria...? --Ah! What a beautiful name for a divine and saintly being~! [ he's cradling the spoon to his chest as if it were a precious artefact, ] Please, there's no need to be humble...! This looks really delicious, especially after being subjected to the lot of the vending machine to make due... a real meal goes a long way, I assure you~!

[ The first thing Iria can think of is that... Abel is dramatic. Very much so. Well, it's fine. As long as he'll eventually eat. ]

Thank you, but that's a little too much for a regular person like me. Please, eat.

[ Abel isn't wrong though, but instead of eating the food she made for herself, she takes a bite out of an apple.

This is her meal. ]

[ 'regular person' she says, he would like to dispute that fact as she is anything but, being lumped in with the rest of these "transfer students," huh... but he minds his manners and begins to spoon up a mouthful of chicken and rice--

but the utensil hovers half-way to his lips, and the priest finds himself staring. ...w-wait. ]

Um-- Miss Iria, surely you've eaten already...?

[ she didn't make all of this without the intention of having just an apple herself, right...? ]

Edited (typos... fingers.... please, i beg you) 2021-04-04 21:51 (UTC)

I'm allergic.

[ To what she made. Sure sucks, huh! At least, if Abel believes her. Though with the way she says it with finality doesn't seem like she wants to go further into that. What would the people say when they can eat it just fine? People don't need to know. They only need to survive. ]

Though, I assure you... I am not starving myself. I eat other things as well to keep myself healthy. I thought all this would be good for others to eat, and not out of a vending machine all the time. So, if you could tell the others to come by for a plate, I would greatly appreciate it.

[ allergic... well, allergies weren't an uncommon occurrence - just terribly unfortunate considering their circumstances, and he gives a sympathetic wince as he eyes his plate. he wonders what it is, precisely? ]

Mm, of course! I'll be sure to pass the word around... But-- [ he's leaning in, just a little ] if there's something in particular you can have... you should let us know, alright? We ought to do our best to make sure there's enough for you, especially since everything seems in short supply...

[ and ngl it would be just their luck that whatever limited diet Iria was allowed gets plowed through first bc of course it would be ]

[ Iria had never thought of herself as unlucky because of what she was born into, and merely thinking so would make her feel incredibly ungrateful. However, for the first time in her life, she really thought that she was unlucky--a major source of a human need has been made inaccessible, technically speaking, despite how it's all around her. However, she gives him a small smile anyway. ]

Thankfully, I managed to find alternatives, so really... I'm fine. That sort of concern should be saved for the younger ones.

[ hmmmmMMmmmMmmmm... Abel's eying her skeptically at this - no no, that simply won't do - before he goes ahead and begins eating in earnest. --ah, it really is good... something about something filling after eating junk food for far too long just makes it taste even better, honestly?? ]

Then isn't it a good thing you and they both happen to be younger than me, so I'm free to split my concern equally between you...? My! How terribly convenient...! [ looking quite self-satisfied, he scoops up another spoonful and gestures with his utensil - thankfully, not hard enough to send chicken and rice splattering everywhere. ...probably. ] Say, Miss Iria... what's your favorite thing to eat you can get your hands on around school? I'll make sure to keep my eyes peeled for you~! And before you protest, I'll just start bringing you back a little of everything, so you really ought to save us both the trouble, mm?

... I enjoy chocolate milk on occasion.

[ She figures she should be fair, lest she mention her favorite food is grade A5 wagyu steak. Iria knows that it's much better to just let people do what they want than to argue. ]

But not too much at once. I don't eat a lot.

[ A5 WAGYU... no problem, no problem... sweats,

chocolate milk, however, he can work with! and he gives a little nod in acknowledgement around his next bite. ]

No...? Not a big eater? [ he cannot... relate, ] Hm, I see... but do you like cooking, despite it? This is quite good, I have to say!

Cooking is just a necessary skill for me, though admittedly, I do feel good about people eating what I cook.

[ It makes her think back to the more peaceful times. It would be nice if she could go back, but she snaps out of it to focus on the present. ]

My brother eats a lot, so I'm used to cooking big portions. He's the type that could probably finish this pot and some more.

[ Big Eater. ]

[ ahh, he's smiling at that ... because it's quite endearing, imagining her cooking for her family, as well as taking pleasure in others enjoying what she makes. Abel looks pleased as he gently fidgets his glasses further up his nose. ]

Are you a big sister, then...? Just a hunch.

[ she kind of radiates big-sis energy tbh... but hey, he could be wrong! ]

He sounds quite lucky to have you, in any case...! You know how that saying goes...? A way into a man's heart is through his stomach? Brotherly affections are won that way, too, I assure you!

[ Iria just manages a smile. "Lucky to have her" is an all too familiar phrase that only makes her stomach churn now. ]

He loves food, so I can definitely say it's a way to get closer to him. I'm the middle child, actually... my brother is younger and I have an older sister. Though, it feels like I'm both of their older sister at this rate.

[ Sounds like her older sister is a Handful. ]

Ahhh, I'm beginning to get the picture, now...

[ he nods, Knowingly. yes, yes, Abel Knows what this sounds like. poor Iria; to be the level-headed and responsible one... not that he has any experience with that bit? still, he can sympathize. ]

So you double as 'big sister' and 'sometimes mother hen?' It sounds like you're busy at home, aren't you?

[ To that, Iria laughs a little softly with a smile that doesn't quite reach her eyes. ]

I always strived to be independent, but always being their support was something I never minded. In fact, I liked it that way.

[ hmm... the juxtaposition between the story her eyes tell and what leaves her lips doesn't escape his notice. it isn't the first time he's seen some measure of reservation in her smile, either...

... ]

Mm, really... I suppose it must be nice to be relied on like that. But, um... doesn't it get a bit tiring?

I enjoy helping others.

[ Whether as a self-satisfaction need or purely for the sake of others, is something Abel can eventually decide. ]

People say it's a waste of my talents for something like that, but I'd like to be someone who makes a difference in a good way.

[ ...

he cants his head slightly at that, and the quiet question in blue eyes as he watches her across the counter deepens. ]

But.. what about you? Do you think it's a waste...?

[ Abel wants to say any talents used to the betterment of others can't be wasted - he definitely believes that. but, he wants to hear if Iria is of a like mind. ]

Of course not.

[ The answer comes very easily with conviction. ]

Besides, my talents are my choice of how I use them. I love helping people, so they're definitely not a waste.

[ her answer has a pleased smile tugging at his lips as he takes his next bite. good... he's rather glad she answered with as much surety as she did. ]

Then I couldn't agree more, to be quite honest...! Especially as cooking is one of your talents, and might I say... one I'm fond of already? I'll encourage you as much as necessary, Miss Iria, if you keep it up...

Ah, well...

[ Iria laughs a little again, but it sounds like it's more from her heart this time. ]

Depending on the leftover ingredients, I'll try to make a meal every day after school. I have both home economics and cooking club to attend, so I will be here more often than the others, I assume. Please come by when you can.

[ he's made short work of his plate, and good as licking the spoon clean now - exhaling contentedly. ]

So you're going to make this a daily thing, hm...? Now, I'm pretty terrible about the actual cooking part, but maybe I could give you a hand? I'm a very reliable go-getter for ingredients and a passable dishwasher to boot, if you wanted some help...

[ one must earn their keep, you know...?! ]

[ The thing about Iria is that when help is offered, she doesn't reject it right away. She could always use some help, and there's a particular task that she definitely would like help with. ]

Washing the dishes would be a really big help. I would really appreciate that.

Then consider it done~! I'll pop in here after the last class wraps up and give you a hand. Maybe bring some chocolate milk, while I'm at it...?

[ you know. every now and then. ]

You can always send me a message if you need me to play courier for anything else while I'm at it. There's... well. A lot of children who could use a good meal, so... I'm at your service!

[ making a good faith effort to feed them? that's as good a start as any toward keeping everyone in good spirits - as much as possible, anyway. ]

Thank you, and... ah. I don't think there is a way to send a private message on these just yet, but if you let me know where to usually find you, I can go there.

[ She also thinks it's a good start. People get cranky when they're hungry and can't do things properly. It would surely help the efficiency and energy of everyone else, so as long as Iria can help make that happen, she would be satisfied. ]

Ah? No personal messaging... mm, well, we'll just make due somehow! You can leave me a note in 3-C if you need anything; that's probably the easiest way to make sure I see it.

[ Abel likes to Roam... he can't sit still, it's a Thing. but she can put that to good use and send him wherever she needs him to go for various errands; it's a win win! ]

Well! Then, considering you fed me... I think it's only fair I get started on cleaning up, hm? Are you finished with cooking for now, Miss Iria? [ rising to his feet and dragging his plate along with him, he's scouting out for anything else that might need washing. might as well be productive, right... ]

04/04, 23:56

04/05, 06:00

04/05, 08:00

April

Charity Auction

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