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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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[ ......did he just--

did he just get bopped on the nose like a BAD DOG??? ok actually you know what, he's easily consoled by the prospect of a snack, so he's shifting a bit and peering into the vending machine's contents... ]

U-um... s... sweet? Something sweet? Ah... m-miss, um--

[ is she really buying......

...he may have inadvertently found his new best friend, if that's the case. ]

Stephanie. [hmmmmm] I'll get you a melonpan; those are nice.

[she purchases said snack, removes it from the machine, and holds it up.]

If you want it, you'll have to follow me. [without waiting for a reply, she turns on her heel and crosses the hall, well away from the crowds of students by the machines. ~~so i guess steph has two dogs now.~~]

Edited 2021-04-05 01:45 (UTC)

[ she's not wrong, honestly?? the occasional treat and pat on the head and he'll even play fetch, sure, why not,

...which is probably becoming clear, since he's performing the trick "COME," trotting after Stephanie once he shakes off his dumbfounded stupor. --THIS GIRL, IS JUST... ???? ]

H-- hey! Miss Stephanie -- where exactly are we going...? I'm, um-- i-isn't this a little...

[ whatever he was about to say is cut off as he side-steps the near collision with another student, doing his best to catch up with her. gosh!!! ]

[she's just gonna lean against the wall, drinkin' her milk. gettin' her calcium. need strong bones to be a dancer, you know.]

I don't know what'll happen if one of the weird kids gets too annoyed with one of us. [holds out the melonpan to him.] And I don't want to know. There's better spots to cry.

[ ...ah. he blinks a bit quizzically when she ends up leaning all casual-like against the wall here, but... her explanation seems to have the pieces falling into place. ah, ah, he gets it. ]

--I'm not crying. Who's crying...? Honestly, if you're feeling sad, you could've just said something earlier! I wouldn't have made a scene, if that's what you were worried about.

[ Abel says this with no small measure of indignation, before eying his would-be reward...

....d-does he get it now, ]

It's not bad to cry, you know. Sportacus says it's a very healthy way to get out your emotions!

[she rolls her eyes, putting the snack in his hand.]

Just cry in the school bathroom like a normal kid.

[ heh heh, one snack acquired! he's abruptly all smiles, and he's already working on opening the packaging. she's the best... love u stephie, ]

Spor... Sportacus? [ ...did he hear that right? oh, we're back to being indignant again, ] And pardon me, but do I look like a 'normal kid' to you? That ship sailed a good ten plus years, I'm afraid. Don't ask me what in the world I'm doing here, but someone's wires were quite seriously crossed, Miss Stephanie.

Normal is relative. [just. breezes on past that.] If this place decided that you're a kid, that's what you are for now. It's like playing pretend, except not fun at all.

And it's just Stephanie. We're all friends! [absolutely zero say in this btw]

[ she really did just breeze on past that, huh...? Abel's arching a brow, but luckily for her - the last part has him brightening up and forgetting it shortly. ]

Friends, hm? [ clearly he doesn't mind this arrangement at all, ] Well! If that's the case, I suppose I ought to make proper introductions, shouldn't I...?

[ thus, he's forgoing his eager unwrapping of his treat to offer his hand for a shake. ]

Abel - Father Abel, at your service~! It's a pleasure, Stephanie, though - um. I have to admit, the circumstances could be a bit better... y-you know, with the whole kidnapping-into-a-weird-school and all...

[shakes it! she has a weirdly strong grip for a child and seems to believe the point of a handshake is to remove the arm at the joint.]

It's nice to meet you! [beat] Who are you the father of?

[ —STEPHANIE, his arm doesn’t COME OFF please stop he isn’t a lego i-it’s actually attached to him,

he’s quizzically staring at her for a second, before it sinks in. father of... —oh. oh, oh, oh— ]

H— haha, nonono, not— [ abort, ABORT, he’s waving his hands, here, once he’s got them free ] Father is a, ah, the title for a priest! Vowed to the church...? I work for the Vatican in Rome, does this ring any bells...?

[ this tricksy multi-world bit sure can be

problematic, huh. ]

[the bells are completely silent and i will never know if it's solely because it's a children's show or magnus scheving has a 10 page document explaining how everyone in lazytown is asatru]

I've never met a priest before! [hm] You don't look Italian.

[where's your mustache]

[ i'm crying that Steph's first experience with clergy is this miserable pile of a man i'm so sorry for her,

...he's peering back at her, and arching a brow???? stop ]

I'm-- not... Italian? [ ... ] I'm not Italian! [ why did he have to word it hesitantly the first time, she is messing with his SMALL, pitiful brain, ] I merely work there, alright...? A-actually, I'm a touring priest, so I'm sent all over the place, it's-- it's not important, okay? The important part is I, [ points to himself, here, ] am a priest. That kind of 'Father.' Got it? Wonderful! Glad we're on the same page, now.

[ he is going to take a bit of his melonpan,

...and then hesitating. s-sigh, he's breaking a piece off to hold out to her. he feels GUILTY eating it all himself when she bought it for him... don't look at him just eat it ]

That's really cool! ["sent all over the place..." okay. she can work this new information into her frame of reference.] So, you're like a superhero.

[it's just that superheroes are her sole frame of reference.

and she understands that guilt very well so she just takes the piece and says no more fam.]

[ --Steph?? he's hesitating once again when he goes to take a bite, but... this time it's because

that's so cute?? and he's giving a slightly pleased smile, more than a little endeared. both because she accepted his offering without refuting it, and because he's apparently a ~superhero~ wow, h-heh, ]

A-ah, well... I wouldn't say it's anything as grandiose as that, but... I do try my best, you know? It's a hard job, but someone must do it~! I go where the good Lord wills me, performing countless thankless and exhausting tasks for my demon of a boss...

[ please don't listen to or believe him, smh ]

But what about you, Mi-- ah. Stephanie...? Are you a student back home as well? Is your home much different from here?

[she nods knowingly. yes, this sounds like superheroism to her. love it when all the puzzle pieces fit together.]

It's pretty different! It's a lot bigger; I think you could fit my whole town into just this school... And, if it's weird for them to expect an adult to go to high school, it's even weirder for them to expect a fourth grader to.

[she literally just learned long division and now she has to know what geometry is.]

But, outside of all the spooky business and missing my friends, it's not so bad. Nobody's dead yet or anything.

F... fourth grade??

[ he nearly chokes on his next bite of melonpan - coughing into his hand for a moment before gaping at her. i-is she. is she really so young...?! he imagined maybe she was just... you know, small for her age, or... ]

Stephanie, how old are you? Do you mind me asking...?

[ we will address the "nobody's DEAD YET" part in a SECOND HERE one thing at a time-- ]

I'm ten. [and then she holds up ten fingers, because perhaps he's a visual learner.]

[ wow ty steph he really is and that's so helpful,

Abel's staring for another good moment - you know, just absorbing this - before his expression sobers some. ]

...Then, I'm-- you must really miss home, hm? I'm sorry, Miss Stephanie.

[ rubbing a tad awkwardly into silver hair, he fidgets a moment with the wrapper to his snack. hmmmm... ]

Have you been getting enough to eat? Where have you been sleeping...?

[ she's done so well to fend for herself up until now... ]

... Yeah. I do. [a shrug] It's not like it's your fault.

Spring break was a little hard, but it's better now. It's definitely not healthy food, and I'm not too happy about that... And I figured my homeroom would be the safest spot to sleep, so I've been there. I made a little sleeping bag [it's a sheet of cloth] and keep it under my desk during the day.

[IT'S LIKE CAMPING but not fun.]

[ ...well. that does it.

he's looking thoughtful for a moment, before he makes a face as though he's had a "eureka!" and bends down a bit, like he's about to share a secret. Stephie come closer..... ]

Now don't go spreading this around or anything, but I happen to have a pretty unique ability. Do you want to hear about it...?

Yes! [BOUNCES she loves secrets] What is it, what is it?

[ h-haha. her enthusiasm is endearing, and his smile is just that much brighter for it. ]

I happen to have the very convenient skill of being able to sleep just about anywhere~! Train? Car? Airship...? Hard, uncomfortable floor? --Creepy high school?! No problem...! But there's one small issue with this ability, you see. Since I can fall asleep so easily, it's a little bit of a pain in situations like this one where I might end up missing something, being so heavy of a sleeper... you know, like one of the teachers comes in early and invites us to an all-you-can-eat breakfast buffet? Ah, I'd really kick myself if I missed something like that. [ ah, yes, definitely the most likely of scenarios. ]

So I was thinking... maybe you wouldn't mind if we camped out together? That way, you could wake me up if anything interesting happens~! I feel like I could count on you for this important task, you know...?

[ this definitely has nothing to do with Abel wanting to look after certain quite-young Stephanies, for the record. it's all about not missing potential invitations for free food, absolutely. definitely. ]

-- Oh, like a sleepover! [which happens to be one of her absolute favorite things in the entire world.] That'd be so much fun! I'd love to!

I'm a pretty light sleeper, so that should work out pretty well... I go to bed at 8:08 every night, though. Is that okay? [because it's incredibly difficult to follow every aspect of sportadoctrine here but she'll be damned if she fucks up the easiest one.]

[ sometimes it's nice when a plan just comes together, you know...? he's smiling beatifically at that!! wonderful... ]

--Ah! Really...? So early! That's not a problem at all, though that is a very curiously specific number...

[ Stephanie why 8:08 he has questions? ]

Say, maybe we can make some kind of camping spot? Like a pillow fort~! ...Without the pillows, I don't think I've seen any of those laying around. Um-- but I have a coat in my locker that might do nicely as a blanket...?

[ she's so tiny he could tuck her right on up in it... cute... ]

04/04, 23:56

04/05, 06:00

04/05, 08:00

April

Charity Auction

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