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Autumn Semester

✽ School starts up again on August 30, and club supplies resume being replenished at the start of each week.
✽ All character run clubs survive the vetting process. Maya gives the jar of dragonflies to Hiro, who hot potatoes it to Nao, who opens the jar and sets them free outside. Maya will also tell Add that if his club damages any more of the school, she will shut down the Robotics & Programming Club. The cultists are delighted with their gifts and play rock-paper-scissors to determine who gets to keep what.
✽ The science club is shut down and disbanded due to their club project being interrupted and therefore incomplete, and the door to the lab will not open to any student. The club may be reinstated in the winter semester, and will be open to all students regardless of grade level.
✽ Posted all around the school are colorful posters painted by somebody who has no sense of color theory nor any idea what racoons, manta rays, or zebras look like. They advertise the student store, and its newest attraction:
✽ There is now a gacha machine set up outside the student store, which only takes tokens provided by the shopkeeper. Tokens are 1000 yen or 10 merit points each, and 99.99999% of the prizes are normal boring rocks, but there is a miniscule chance of winning rare gemstones. If you return 100 empty gacha capsules back to the shopkeeper for recycling, they will give you one free token.

Setting Updates

✽ The right fourth floor hallway will be cleaned up during the first few days of school, with the gorinto rocks lined up against the walls on either side, and enough structural support is done so the hallway is in no danger of collapsing.
✽ The rooftop on the right side of the school can be accessed via the stair up from the end of the fourth floor hallway. The rooftop on the left side of the school can be accessed via the windows on the fourth floor, where you have to lean out the window and pull yourself up somehow. The two halves of the roof are separated by the clock tower, and there is no railing. There are concrete dividers sectioning out part of the right side into what may have once been a rooftop garden.
✽ Touching the track for more than 2 seconds results in permadeath. If you're able to jump over the track to the field, the grass is lush and green, although it gives more than expected, like a lawn after rain.
✽ There are six ball courts with height-adjustable poles for tennis and volleyball. Very old, falling apart equipment can be found in storage in the auditorium, while brand new ones can be purchased from the student store. The courts are surrounded by 10-foot fall chain link electric fence both between and around them, with a voltage high enough to cause severe burns to death, depending on the duration of contact. Electricity flows through all parts of the fencing except the door handle on the side of each court to enter.
✽ The indoor swimming pool contains separate girls and boys changing rooms, each consisting of 5 changing stalls, 2 showers, a bathroom, and 20 small lockers that do not come with their own locks but you can purchase one from the student store. Swimsuits, floaties, and towels can also be purchased from the student store. The pool is 25 meters by 25 meters, with a shallow end of 3 ft which then drops precipitously towards the deep end, where a flimsy diving board is set up. The deep end seems to continue down for thousands of meters, with light quickly disappearing and pressure becoming immense, and there is no bottom. The water is held at a constant lukewarm, and is very very slightly tinged pink. It tastes strongly of saltwater. The only windows are located on the ceiling like a skylight rather than on the walls, and lights shut off at 6pm, so it is pitch black after sundown. The pool is always open.
✽ The dormitory is open to be moved into, with rooms assignments being ICly first come first served. There is no Resident Assistant in charge. It's a lawless land. Please use the toplevel below for sign-ups.

Autumnal Equinox

✽ September 23 marks the autumnal equinox. Like during the Vernal Equinox, students spend the week cleaning the school and gorintos are set upon the windowsills. Touching a gorinto causes the character to fall into a trance and experience the moments prior to death of the person being honored, up to and including the death, with all the physical and emotional pain that comes with it.
✽ On the morning of the equinox, red spider lilies bloom all across the courtyard and deep into the forest seemingly overnight. From the clock tower or rooftop, characters are able to see the forest surrounding them on all sides is entirely covered in the red flowers up to the crest, as if the entire land were awash with blood.
✽ The wisteria tree starts to shed petals, only a handful a day and impossible to notice compared to the hundreds upon thousands of petals held aloft by the tree, if it weren't for the fact that wherever a petal drops and touches the ground, the grass and flowers in the immediate vicinity are all dried up and dead.
✽ The void continues to grow, expanding outward and reaching up into the floor above.

OOC

✽ Characters in classes 1-B, 1-D, 1-E, 2-C, and 3-E (classes who rose at least one rank in August) find that in the void school, they can start to see the void students' faces instead of them being completely shadow. They look scared, angry, resigned, anything but happy.

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

That's a shame, you really must be an airheaded idiot... I'll help you, it's the least I can do so you won't embarrass me anymore.

( komaeda knows hope, he comes from a hopeful place unlike subaru, but he's going to search for something sharp. maybe a knife... he finds one that's butter until...

shing... a butcher knife is in his grasp. )

You said that if something happened to you, I wouldn't let you die?

[oof

that is a big ass chopper

subaru stares at it and thinks of the horror movies featuring them. they're never anything good. on the other hand, he does have a point to prove. komaeda's out of his mind and he already doesn't like subaru too much, subaru is aware of this, but

he does have a point to prove, and whatever comes of that he'll. deal with afterwards. maybe this will swing in his favor.]

Yeah, I said what I said.

[it's a little hesitant, because any sane person would be, but he's resisting shying away like a sane person should]

( he sets the butcher knife down on the table, while it would be a good item to cut someone in half, this doesn't mean he wants to do that to subaru — he has to have a chance to fight back, to use his hope to overcome the despair of death. komaeda knows that watching him die now would be meaningless because he knows there's no one here to mourn him just yet, to use his life to walk upon, and move forward.

komaeda would never kill to kill, but this is about testing subaru's hope. )

Here.

( he holds it out to the other, handle first as the sharp blade sits in komaeda's hand, but hasn't yet broken the skin. )

You'll be holding onto this, it may be best... if you sit down.

Do you... do this with everyone you test the trust of?

[uhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh he'll... take it? and. sit on the nearest spot? is counter okay. if not then he can find a stool or something]

It depends... everyone's hope shines differently, and yours is...

( he laughs, amused almost, but he's not going to explain at all as he checks the kitchen cabinets to grab a shot glass. )

Let's find out, shall we?

( he pulls outa small vial of clear liquid, the label unreadable because of his fingers around it, but he pours a small dose, lifting the glass so he can spin it around so that it doesn't get stiff. it's not that type of liquid, so he walks over to the table, and sets it down right in front of subaru. ) Drink up, and your hope... will do as needed.

[, just a quick question nms but what's it smell like

chances are he'll do the shot as long as it doesn't smell like cleaner but what's it smell like. subaru's lifting it up to do so, like a dog ought]

( i've googled, and googled, so i'm going to say it has no smell, and it'll probably taste bitter?

think of arsenic tbh. which komaeda's going to watch to see if subaru drinks it or not, it's not a lot, but... )

[thank you for your service

anyway it doesn't smell dangerous so he's gonna pop it back no problem, despite me personally being worried that you compared it to arsenic. now what]

I'll tell you before hand what you'll experience... there'll be a saliva reduction within 5 to 30 minutes, and the effects will last to four to six hours. I only gave you a small dose so...

( he sees the blade in subaru's hand, wondering if he'll use it while under the influence, luckily in yogen they aren't banned for drugs like this. )

If you see two of me, it's fine... I'm only the one.

( a hint to blurry vision as he walks towards the idol, looking him over as he reaches out with his mechanical hand to pry open one of his eye. checking to see if there's any dilation, because that does happen with the consumption of poison. )

[i had right to worry but it's fine. subaru reflexively flinches back from something so close to his eye, but forces himself to remain still and lets komaeda do it. it'll be more dilated as it works through his system, but it will.]

Oh... Okay? Are you gonna be on the left or the right side?

[why............... did he let komaeda poison him. natsume's not gonna have any pity on him for this. he's gonna keep this a secret from natsume actually. natsume doesn't need to know if he's just going to judge him anyway. yeah. subaru's nervous, but it's too late to go back now; he's made a decision and he's gonna stick with it.

unfortunately, he's gotta.]

I'll leave it up to your discretion, Akehoshi-kun, this is about your hope, isn't it? If you can overcome this, but simple techniques hardly need so much effort.

( he knows he's a little too early to check, but the urge to gouge out the other's eye with him so close nags at the back of his head. the chance to get rid of him, but losing an eye doesn't guarantee death, so there's no need for him to attempt. instead, he smiles softly as his hand pulls away from subaru's face. besides, with him so close, the other could stab, or will he let go of the knife? it raises various questions because for komaeda-arata, there's a security in bloodshed, there's hope that's brought by acting on his own accord by the use of taking lives — )

If you walk around, it'll work faster —

( make the heart race, and then it'll never stop, it's an overwhelming feeling he thinks, so to allow subaru to experience that would be good. )

So come with me. ( and komaeda-arata is making his way towards the exit of the kitchen, leaning against the side as he waits for the other. )

[... if it works faster, then it'll work out faster too, right? subaru sits there for a moment, watching komaeda not unlike a dog seeing what'll happen next before he blows out some air and sets the knife aside to follow after.

komaeda never said he had to bring it with him, and honestly, why would he. that'll just raise more questions and if they get stopped, someone might really figure out something wrong with subaru.]

Where're we goin'?

Don't ask questions, and listen to me... besides, if you think too hard... the vessels might explode. But I want to help...

( to overcome the position that they're in, to figure out the mysteries that stand in their way — it make not be to graduate, but it's to bring them closer to a hope that'll spread among others, no longer allowing them to cower in fear. who will be that beacon? as they make their way down the hall, they'll turn a quick left so they're able to walk towards the exit of the dormitories. )

I know what's good for your hope, that's all I want to do... is cultivate that beautiful essence between you all... to see you all make it.

( it's all he has left in him anyway. )

[komaeda's as weird as always, and it rubs subaru wrong. not in a way that he wants to be away from the other, but that he wants to speak against it again and again and again and he's gonna before he starts feeling too cottonmouth to do so.]

And what about you? Are you including yourself in that, or are you gonna stick around once we're set and wave goodbye?

Some of you won't make it.

( that's a given, half of the people here have to prioritize themselves as what they are: stepping stone. as of now, subaru is one of the many, an individual who lacks not an ounce of hope, but if he plays his cards correctly... he could instill it into others... another underdog added to the ranks of those who believe they can do something.

his will is admirable, but he has to apply it in some way for komaeda-arata to actually notice him. )

They'll walk over us, use us as needed to reach the top of the monument before them... their beacon will shine brilliantly, and others can use that light of hope to bring about absolute good in a world that has no direction! ( if subaru means here, komaeda-arata hums a little tune, and then looks towards him with a small smile. )

I'll be used properly, so in the end... I won't be a thought that crosses your mind!

[...]

Maddy, I'll still think about you no matter what happens to any of us. You're pretty unforgettable.

[there's like, a whole lot of things the other just Says that subaru doesn't get, thinks is dumb, so on and so forth, but he can at least recognize that as dumb as they are to himself they're important to komaeda. and hope is just one of those things. even if his understanding of hope and what it means feels at odds with subaru's own.]

What if they don't want to use you? Or any of us? Would you think their hope's less shiny than any of the others? Or are you gonna say that's their gracious nature, and that everyone steps on someone whether they wanna or not?

( pretty unforgettable, but when the person that he had so much hope in, so much belief in... the one he thought would bring hope to the group no matter how hard he was pushed against the wall... the person he felt comfortable around has managed to forget him not once, but twice...

he finds that he must be pretty forgettable, if those memories meant nothing.

that doesn't show rather its a thought he's accepted, a smile on his face as he hums. subaru's attempt is pretty good, in a way, they're gracious, but there's more to it. )

I wonder if it's so different where you and I come from...

( he won't answer the question because if subaru wants to know, he'll find out by his own means. )

Have you failed saving someone you cherished? ...We can work together, help everyone here so that their hope shines! It must be hard working alone, using your own happiness... won't you get tired?

( his attempt at changing the topic, but he pushes the door open to the dormitory so that they can step outside — sun's light brushing against their skin, the wind whispers secrets into their ears — flicks their hair. )

If they lose your smiles, you'll be in trouble.

[I wonder if it's so different where you and I come from...

it's not. people's dreams are stepped on, trampled, and crushed without a second thought all the time. even trickstar ended up doing the same, careless in their march to the summit. but they don't like to, hated that they did, and never want to do it again; it's inevitable, sure, but it's something they detest with all their might.

... if only everyone could shine together, without stepping on anyone at all...

that's the ideal, isn't it? that's what trickstar's working towards, aren't they? that's what eichi-senpai believes too, isn't it?

... isn't it?

the warmth of the sun is a relief, a light in the dark spot of his mind clearing away shadows and chill-- but the brightness dizzies him and he clutches onto komaeda unexpectedly, hands gripping the other's arm you choose.]

I haven't failed anyone. [that's resolute, even if it's a moment before he says it.] There's no one I haven't been able to save, Maddy. And as long as I have people who believe in me, I won't ever lose my smile.

... Even if it's just one person out of millions who does, I'll shine for them.

( freedom is all around them depending on how they see things, and for others this is their cage — hope is all he has left here, the people who radiate what they have in order to shine for others, to brighten a path so that they can follow, and act on their own accord. that's what the people here lack is self-guidance while others burn for the sake of others.

the way subaru talks reminds him of something, or of someone, it's rather familiar, and he doesn't want to place his finger on it. he can't, not now anyway as there's a brief attachment that heavies the weight of one arm — the material is hard, thicker than human skin, his prosthetic that doesn't flinch nor brush the other off.

he's unable to feel his touch, all he knows if that there's a semblance of a tug, and that part of him is something he cut away a long time ago out of adoration, out of... love, one sided, but love all the same. now, he no longer feels on that side, doesn't know who needs him when they pull from that end... yet, the creation of it stems from hope, so even if they don't need him to be their foundation, at least hope manages to hold others up.

... )

That sounds like a perfect world, but... it's never that generous.

( or maybe it is, he lived a tragic life, he saw the ups and downs, and he lives with the consequences or perhaps... the lucky instances that he's able to gain. )

Are you prepared for the consequences? That one day... your light will be snuffed out from the amount of people who will suffocate you?

( he turns back, and he gives subaru a carefree smile without scorn or hate, almost like an understanding, or he waits for that. )

Because then... who will save you? A light that shines no longer has no use, but... you gave all you had, inflated their hopes, ah... would you even want to be saved?

[the bleak television light seems to swallow the rest of the room up, a small hand half-grasping for the face on the screen. there's clamor and screams, but there's a static crowding his head blotting out faces drowning out his mother's voice as her hand comes in front to blacken the scene unfolding before his eyes--

subaru's face, when he turns, isn't bright or happy. it's not sad or mad either, it's picture perfect neutrality.

his gaze is a different matter, guarded and narrowed a little more than the usual wide-eyed idealist he seems to prize himself as. a summer afternoon heralding the seasonal storm, just beneath the surface. despite this, though, the poison's working through his system, dialating his pupils. a closed book with a transparent cover, titled: subaru akehoshi.]

I have someone who would, but it won't happen. I'll be the brightest star in the sky and I won't let anything or anyone swallow my light.

Edited 2021-09-23 19:37 (UTC)

( is that so? he smiles, contemplating to continue by attaching himself to the conversation since he knows someone like it, has seen someone in the position where their purpose was instantly taken from them. normally after death, the muscles relax, and the pupils dilate — sometimes not as much, but that's all he can think about when staring into the ocean blue of subaru's own.

the ocean that sparkled as lights danced upon the surface at jabberwock, the waves that crashed into the rocks, into each other feels as restless as whatever thoughts brew through the youth's mind. )

I wonder if they'll be able to hold on without you...

( or will they subject themselves to it because he wasn't there? who knows. of course, he moves on: )

Such a bold claim... there's so many people to shine for, and yet you tend to dodge the questions about yourself — the state of your existence. Can you see your own light, or have you set in the darkness... becoming the light for others, and can't see what's before yourself?

( slowly, they'll walk past the wisteria as petals barely miss them, dance around their bodies... like they're protected by an invisible force on purpose. )

[it reminds him a little of his first year in a different way and subaru didn't answer natsume's questions then, necessarily--

-- sometimes not answering them is answer enough anyway. it feels like the start of a long, brain-picking conversation subaru really doesn't want to go through with komaeda, so he sighs loudly after a moment and slumps more against the beanstalk as they walk, watching the petals. there's an easier smile on his face, not unfamiliar to someone like komaeda i'm sure.]

... Jeez~, you sure ask some over the head questions, Maddy. No wonder you and Natsume get along so well, he's always talking about you, you know?

[let's change the subject... while he's focusing on the individual petals to keep the brightness of the sun from irritating him in a way it normally doesn't.]

( he noticed the change in subject, and he'll let subaru avoid it for now, and instead he feigns his shock. )

He does what?

( does he want natsume talking about him? or does it just seem odd, he doesn't find natsume to be the type to bring him up — he and komaeda are always on opposing ends, but then he really thinks about it. he's a magician, but also he's a person who thinks about everyone around him. he's kinder, komaeda has seen it in various ways — how he stood up for someone like sora, but also called himself special despite coming from different place. when there were wishes on the board, he attempted for komaeda, along with others. )

...We're all peers, so it wouldn't be unusual. He's been here for quite awhile, but you're a newcomer, but if you know him... you'll adjust here quite well.

( leading them along, he walks crooked... diagonal considering subaru's weight is different from komaeda's, but he'll learn that the student is colder... than normal — likened a corpse, but he's always been that way. once they're officially past the wisteria, they come to the front doors of the school. )

Have you solved any mysteries while you've been here? ( which being here long enough subaru should know that this school is full of... odd, anyway, it's the same thing rokkun did to change conversation, guess he'll follow in those footsteps. )

[komaeda has a high opinion of natsume, or at least a better one than he does of others. subaru notes it best he can, along with the way the other bends under his weight, the difference in how komaeda's arm feels compared to a normal person's, the way their temperatures contrast.

subaru's been called overbearingly hot, his temperature running higher than others. while komaeda feels closer to the cool side of an unflipped pillow, without a trace of human warmth to it.

but they say that those with cold hands have warm hearts, so subaru'll hedge his bets on that in the end.]

... Huh? Oh, no. I oughta look into some of 'em though, 'cause I really like ghost stories and stuff like that... Have you?

( please don't say that, he likes his hope... is that so wrong? as if komaeda can like a person for a person, he's too fixated on what they do, and how they handle what's before them. even now, subaru's an example of that hence why the ultimate is so willing to speak to them without a problem —

...

when was the last time he was exposed to this sort of warmth of a human body like this, subaru's heat coming off in waves that compares well with his own. he doesn't mind the other pressed against him as he tries to think about what he knows, and doesn't. )

Do you remember the wisteria that we passed?

( he speaks softly, but asks just in case the poison works on subaru's brain making it buffer slow... you never know, anyway... he's willing to tell the adventures of his ultimates if he has to, besides... to know their accomplishments, to praise them because of how lucky they were to handle such efforts. it is exciting when he can talk about them and nothing else, considering their hopes shine brighter than anyone else's here. )

Autumn Semester

Setting Updates

Autumnal Equinox

OOC

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