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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.

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

[during lunch on the 13th, Stephanie approaches. she places a bag of almonds on the desk, because you pay for goods and services.]

Are you really a fortune teller? [this isn't even an "are your powers real" question she literally just wants confirmation that he tells fortunes normally and this isn't a murder plot.]

( your payment has been accepted, young padawan. he is extremely delighted by these small snackable treats and will very casually open them to eat. thank god he doesn't have a nut allergy, or stephanie would be the first murderer of this game. )

That I AM. I've trained under my mommy since I was a little KID, and she's the best in the entire WORLD... Well, at least where I'm FROM. ( he's noticed that not everyone is the same here we have a talking dog for christs sake it's fine. ) I hope to one day surpass HER... but that's far into the fuTURE. Speaking of —

( SMOOTH, NATSUME. )

You're here to have your fortune read, corRECT? I can't imagine most people of our kind would simply give up their precious snacks just to be NICE.

[sounds legit she's sold]

I mean, I would do that, but I am here for my fortune! How does it work? I've never had a real one before.

( best girl stephanie wtf )

Ordinarily I'd let you choose the meTHOD, but cards tend to be the easiest for beginners to underSTAND, so let's go with THOSE... I'll shuffle the deck and lay them out in a ROW. From THERE, you'll simply pick three or four CARDS, and I'll tell you their meaNING. ( he'll pick up his playing cards and shuffle as stated, very casually. ) Do you have a particular question or queRY, or would you like a more general overview of the future inSTEAD? Either is fine - it just pertains into how thorough my assessment of their readings I can BE.

[just kinda. nervously shifting from foot to foot.]

I guess it's not really the future, so much as it's... I want to know how my friends are doing, back home. If they're all still okay. [and looking for her.]

( ...well, he can do that, too. he'll shuffle for a little while longer, quiet, then spread them out in front of him and gesture for her to make her picks. )

Something of that nature would be easier with a crystal BALL, but let's see what the cards can inform us of anyWAY. When - if - I get my proper tools BACK, I'll give you a reading free-of-charge for the same question in reTURN. Magician's hoNOR.

That's really nice of you!

[she spends just a bit too long thinking it over before pulling out three cards. she just wants to do this right! which isn't really the point. but.]

( turning them over reveals... Natsume's pursing his lips a little, hmmmmm, they're all black: Four of Spades, Seven of Spades, and Jack of Clubs.

Not exactly a stellar turnout there, if he's honest, but it could've been worse. )

...Our present and future are always built upon the PAST, and so we turn our gaze to it to make sense of the now and the SOON. The four of spades here represents small worries or proBLEMS, or personal LOWS. Perhaps something like that is the reason for why the seven of spades has appeared - this card signifies an obstacle to sucCESS, usually coming from within the querent themSELVES... Spades generally represent making changes and having ambition or courAGE, and facing conflict head-ON. While they aren't exactly the happiest of SUITS, given their combative naTURE, they aren't all bad; they just require a clear mind to consider all possibilities logicalLY.

( hmmm. )

It may be that the cards are telling you that you're merely worrying too MUCH, and thus it's clouding their ability to truly advise YOU. Naturally your friends are fine back HOME, and I'm certain... that your presence is dearly missed TOO. Just as mine must BE, and just as others must BE. It would be ridiculous otherWISE.

( he drums his fingers by the last card, considering it. )

Moving ON... All face cards represent a type of perSON, and the jack of clubs is no exception: this one signifies a dark-haired or fiery YOUTH, or someone who is popuLAR, good-hearTED, and playFUL... Or an admiRER. Either you must embody these traits and overcome the issues plaguing your heart and obfuscating it from the cards' abilities to read your fuTURE, or you must find someone matching these qualities in the heart and now to assist YOU...

( natsume stares at it for a moment longer, then reshuffles his deck and sets it aside. hmm. )

Seki-kun from class 3-B seems to be of the second temperaMENT, but I'm not sure how much use he's going to BE. He treats me as if we've known each other for a WHILE, but I can assure you I've never met him a day in my LIFE. While I don't have the eidetic memory of one of my PEERS, I doubt I'd forget anyone in my own SPHERE. It might be easier to simply take confidence in the idea that things are going just fine back home and seek to do your best in making connections here; they might prove to be useful in figuring out something or other OUT.

I don't think I worry too much. I think I worry an appropriate amount.

[she absolutely worries way too much

otherwise, she quite likes this fortune. if cards say her friends are okay ~~and miss her~~, then they're okay ~~and haven't forgotten her~~.]

Seki? [she frowns.] Is he... one of us?

( THE CARDS NEVER LIE, GIRL. )

Regrettably, I don't believe SO. He seems too well-integrated into the SCHOOL, and I don't remember seeing him around during spring BREAK. He is more willing to go out of his way to interact with us THOUGH, at least compared to other stuDENTS. ( ... ) Maybe I should ask him for materials from the science LAB...

Hm... Like he's something in between us and them. That's interesting. [wouldn't hurt to make a very particular new friend...]

... Uh, what materials?

ChemiCALS. I'm fond of alchemy, or rather, the modern-day form of it: chemisTRY.

( i'm so sorry....... he's like this....... he larps being a sorcerer and he means it... )

It'd be nice to clear up the water, wouldn't IT? I'm certain I'd be able to figure something out if only I had the means to do SO.

Ahh, okay! [just. making sure it's not explosives. a normal thing to worry about.]

It's a temporary solution... But, there's probably just something wrong with the pipes here. If the pipes get fixed, the water would be fine. [hm] The sinks on the fourth floor just outright stopped recently. I bet the problem is in there.

( well......... he'll probably also make explosives, but don't worry about it, okay. )

As if the pipes themselves are CLOGGED? ( hm. ) A shame there's no way to get to the inner-workings of the SCHOOL... Those would be located either outside in the BACK, or somewhere below - only maintenance workers would have clearance to the latTER. Those would be school-wide anyWAY, not just limited to the fourth FLOOR...

( ................ )

I suppose there are the crawlspaces between the floors we could investiGATE.

... [lightly, after glancing around the classroom] Y'know, I was thinking... I mean, kids pull pranks in school all the time, right? And if, during the night, something happened to the sinks... Nobody will get in trouble if they don't know who did it.

[so maybe

making explosives wouldn't be all bad.]

( ...well, Someone is his new favorite girl. he'll lean in slightly conspiratorially. )

I like the way you THINK, Little Bunny. ( welcome to the nickname club sorry you're a rabbit now. ) Give me a week or SO, and I'll have a few pranks prePARED.

[her immediate reaction to the nickname is to wrinkle up her nose, which is. the exact opposite of helping.]

It's Stephanie.

( what you got against bunnies, )

...Stephanie-chan, THEN. My apologies for the familiarity - it's a bad habit of MINE. ( that he isn't actually sorry about. he'll keep it in mind that nicknames get on her nerves though. ) I'll bring them by your classroom after school once they're finISHED, so just be paTIENT.

-- Ah, no, it's not... [how does she even word this] Familiarity is good! We're all supposed to be friends! It's just, um... Now that you know what my name is, I'll know you're using the nickname in a friendly way, and not because you want to be mean and never learn my actual name on purpose?

[beat]

I'm sorry. It's silly.

( oh.

no that's a valid thing to worry about, if natsume could go through his life not learning people's names he probably would, but he's a stickler for information gathering so he probably would anyway. )

Personal experiENCE?

[nods stiffly] I have been "The Little Pink Girl" for two years. It gets old.

( hm. )

And the person in question is aware you have a name and they're allowed to use IT?

Oh, I know he knows.

[DRAMATIC SIGH] Sometimes people don't wanna admit they're your friend, so they try really hard to make you think they don't like you. Some people here act that way.

( THE FUCKING HYPOCRISY OF HER TELLING THIS TO NATSUME, WHO REGULARLY ACTS THAT SAME WAY TO THE PEOPLE HE'S FRIENDS WITH.

so there's like. a long pause. before he shakes his head with a sigh, tutting. )

How awFUL. It's inexcusable to treat a young lady like yourself in such a WAY. ( anyway, ) You should retaliate by referring to him in a similarly dehumanizing WAY. As cruel as it SEEMS, some dogs only learn housebreaking by having their nose shoved in their own mesSES.

[seems. genuinely distressed at the mere suggestion?]

I could never treat anyone like that! You should always treat people the way you want to be treated, even if they don't do it back. [...] It's not easy, but the easy thing to do and the right thing to do aren't usually the same thing.

04/04, 23:56

04/05, 06:00

04/05, 08:00

April

Charity Auction

OOC

THE HEART OF THE CARDS

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