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wake up

You open your eyes. And then immediately squeeze them shut as a cloud of chalk dust gets clapped in your face, the student next to you looking surprised— but the sort of surprised as if they're faking it, barely suppressing a laugh. "What're you dozing off for, transfer student?" they ask, going back to wiping clean the chalkboard you two are standing in front of. "The sooner we get everything cleaned up, the sooner we can go home!" Another classmate tosses a wet rag at the side of your face, laughing as if a joke— if it weren't strangely warm to the touch, with dark red stains smelling strongly of iron.

All characters open their eyes and wake up in one of the classrooms around school. Whatever they remember last, it's lost in a thick, sleepy fog, the drowsiness still wearing off and making it difficult to reconcile the fact that they've never seen this classroom or these people in their lives, but somehow, it feels like they've been here forever. The other students all act familiar towards you, calling you by name and encouraging you to help clean the classrooms as part of observing the Vernal Equinox. Buckets of soapy water are set on the desks around the classrooms, light pink suds spilling over the sides, and both students and faculty can be seen hard of work scrubbing dark, stubborn stains out of the walls and floors. "It must be absolutely spotless," they murmur under their breaths. "All evidence must be erased."

You don't have to stay and clean. You could throw the rag back into a bucket and flip these strangers the bird and exit the classroom. But those who don't help clean even a little will find that they leave sticky red footprints wherever they walk, creating more work for everybody else and becoming very easy to track down and """accidentally""" knock over the backside of the head with a mop handle. Besides, it's not like you can walk out of the school and get back to whatever you were doing before. Your feet may bring you to the front door on autopilot, but the doors do not open for you, and neither do any of the windows no matter how hard you try to pry them open or kick them in.

Careful, though. On some windowsills, particularly on the third and fourth floors, rests a stack of five flat stones one on top of another: a gorinto to those who recognize such a thing, a pile of rocks to those who do not. The stones are all damp with water, topped with a scattering of wisteria flowers, and flanked by cheap packaged snacks. Whether on accident or on purpose, the moment you touch any of it—-

wake up

You open your eyes. The last thing you remember is touching a wet stone or trying to swipe the rice cracker beside it, and in the next moment, you're somewhere else inside the school. Characters who touch the gorinto or its offerings will find themselves pulled into a memory of high school life, one that feels like theirs, although they recognize that that's impossible. There's the feeling of being classmates with the other characters- perhaps two characters are seat partners, or best friends, or rivals, or club members- but despite the familiarity, do not know each other's names or recall ever seeing their faces before. Essentially, live your pre-established cr high school au dreams.

The memories fade in and out of different scenarios, but they all start off the same: You open your eyes.

You open your eyes and the inside of your left wrist is stinging; you stop scratching, pulling your other hand away before the angry red lines on your skin splits and bleeds. Somebody calls your name, just as you see a pan slide off the stovetop out of the corner of your eye, and the stinging on your wrist flares to a searing burn, hot oil splattering you and the person next to you.

You open your eyes. You're flat on your back in a room that smells of paint thinner, your chest is heavy, and it's so hard to breathe. Something is crushing your throat- a fluffy white cat with golden eyes, purring and kneading away, but then somebody calls your name and its fluff puffs twice its size in surprise, claws sinking into your throat, hooking and tearing as the cat scampers away.

You open your eyes. A kendo shinai comes down hard on your head, the one in your hand failing to come up quick enough to guard, your classmates groaning in sympathy all around you. Your head is spinning, you feel sick.

You open your eyes. You and a friend are seated side by side in the clock tower, back to the walls and feeling the resounding toll of the bell fill your entire being as the count reaches ten, eleven, twelve. The world turns to silence. Your friend opens their mouth to speak, but you cannot hear them. You cannot hear anything.

(tw: implied suicide) You open your eyes. Your classmate sits on the other side of your desk, a spread of sandwiches and juice boxes between you and the window to your side providing a clear view of the upper branches of the wisteria tree in full bloom. And the strangled look on an upperclassman's face as they fall headfirst from the sky on the other side of the glass, hurtling towards the pavement of the courtyard below.

You open your eyes—-

You're standing in front of a window, cold fingers wrapped around your wrist and pulling it away from the pile of stones. Perhaps another character has come to your rescue, or else one student in particular who shakes his head, whispers "don't," and walks away.

wake up

You open your eyes and wipe a bit of drool off the corner of your mouth. There's really no shame, when half the students sitting around you in the auditorium are half asleep as well. As if coming out of a dream, the characters don't remember getting here, just that they are now- sitting in uncomfortably hard plastic chairs in the back rows in the auditorium, the school principal's flat, droning voice reverberating oddly off the walls of the large room. No matter how hard you try, you cannot get up out of your seat.

"...and now, let us congratulate the graduating class," the principal says, stepping back from the podium. A single student rises to her feet and meets the principal at the center of the stage, her long dark hair falling across her face as she bows and receives her diploma. "Congratulations, graduate. May your life be full and prosperous. Please, if you would say a few words..."

The girl straightens and pushes her hair out of her face with one hand— she has no other hand, the entire sleeve of her right rolled all the way up to the shoulder and pinned flat. She forgoes the podium and the microphone, but somehow, her voice rings out clearly and reaches all the way to the back of the room: "Keep your eyes open."

With that parting message, she steps off the stage, disappearing into the mass of students who stand and fill the room with applause, drawing the graduation ceremony to a close. Characters find that they can now get up and move, which is a good thing because the other students are all pushing and shoving to get out of the auditorium and out the front doors, phasing right through the closed doors. Like a sieve, the school empties out, leaving behind the dregs.

wake up

Your eyes are open and the school is quiet. None of the students or faculty remain in the school, and all the staff— the principal, faculty, nurse, and counselor's— offices are locked. A skinny black cat flicks its tail from where it sits on top one of the lockers, where characters can find a copy of the school calendar showing the next two weeks to be spring vacation, with the school being closed for the holiday.

At least, with school vacated, it's clear from those left who's in the same boat and allows the chance for exploration away from prying eyes of the other students and staff. Introductions are probably in order, a discussion of what the fuck is going on, maybe also a plan of attack— or a plan for survival, at the very least, because there is no way out of this school. What ingredients are left in the home economics kitchen is going to have to last everybody the next two weeks. The student store is already empty. The water runs pink. The vending machines don't respond to jostling or being kicked over and brought to the ground, only the last dozen "merit points" on your PDA that you can't earn any more of, with class out of session. The snack you've been hiding in your locker should probably be saved as a last resort. The cats are starting to look tasty.

Hang in there. School will be starting again real soon.

OOC

✽ Characters experience the recurring feeling of drifting in (school life) and out (canon life) of sleep up until the graduation ceremony, after which they will have full awareness and come to their senses. Pre-established cr is possible to some extent, as a varying degree of familiarity may remain, but all characters will be strangers to one another unless they know each other in canon. All npcs will know the characters' names, but characters will not know each other's names until introduced.

✽ The second prompt occurs upon a character touching a gorinto or any of the offerings surrounding it. While touching it, characters fall into a trance and experience different scenes of high school life, with examples given in the prompt but players are free to play out any aspect of normal school life taking place at any time during the school year.

✽ stopit is an npc and will be available for threading in his toplevel during the vernal equinox and graduation day, but not during spring break. After the game opens, he will be available as a student for threading on the npc contact page. The graduating student will not be available for threading in this TDM.

✽ During spring break, all npc students and faculty will be absent from the school, with exception of one white cat and one black cat. For this TDM, in addition to the areas greyed out and inaccessible on the locations page, the faculty office and nurse's office are locked and unavailable, as there is no staff. The library and club rooms remain open, but supplies will not replenish themselves.

✽ As a reminder, all doors and windows leading outside are locked and cannot be broken. From midnight until 6AM, all sound disappears from the world. Characters are free to use their PDA as a network, but it is text (and shitty touchpad art) only and all threads are public.

✽ TDM threads may be used for bonus activity after April AC is submitted.

Comments

[comburst]

Tch. Maybe not the ones who don't know what the hell computers are. [ He's spotted one or two of those, but not many. People who clearly have no idea what technology is just...in general.

Which, like. Is a pain in the ass, really, if Katsuki had to pick something to feel about it. ]

But fine. What have you learned. [ Feel free to enlighten him and or lecture him about information now. He'll cross his arms over his chest and listen up. ]

[moraloutrage]

As well as loners who try to avoid others in general! [He knows all too well how people like Togami and Fukawa could be problems, constantly skipping out on group meetings and often needing to be hounded to get anything out of them.

He can see the other boy's suggestion as well - those who know nothing about technology likely won't use the PDA that much. It's somewhat new and challenging technology for Ishimaru, too, though he'll sure to do his best to utilize its potential for communication.]

Now we're talking! For starters, I regret to inform you that the front door is locked! In fact, every conceivable exit that I have tried cannot be opened. This school is far tighter with its security than I could have imagined!

[comburst]

[ Yeah, Katsuki is one of those loners who tries to avoid people in general. UNFORTUNATELY, his classmates never let him do this. The absolute assholes. ]

Tch...yeah, throwing a chair at the windows didn't break them, so that seems to be fucking out. And... [ He doesn't really want to talk about this personally, so: ] ...in addition to missing all our shit, I'm wondering if everyone still has their abilities.

[moraloutrage]

[At least he seems fairly reasonable to talk with, aside from the rudeness. He frowns at the imagery of a chair being thrown at a window.]

It - it is a shame that the windows could not be opened through any means, though I am also relieved that no school property was damaged...

[The boy's other point has him raising an eyebrow, given that he does not know what he means by "abilities".]

Abilities? ....Ah, well I have not felt any less capable of anything myself...!

[comburst]

So you have a Quirk?

[ He'll just stop beating around the bush and ask point blank.

...Although he's going to have to fucking explain that probably, but Katsuki isn't totally sure about that just yet. He's not going to be hard to convince of different worlds, exactly, but he definitely isn't jumping to that before "this is weird Quirk bullshit" just based on his life to date. ]

[moraloutrage]

A quirk? [He repeats, confused because this seems like a topic shift to him. But sure, he'll go along with this. He transitions into a hearty laugh.]

Ahahaha! Who doesn't have some quirks of their own? I tend to read paragraphs twice in a row to make sure that I am correctly taking in the information, I have been known to speak with a raised voice at times, and I have also been told that my decision to wear a school uniform at all times of the year is considered to be quirky! And those are just a few examples...!

[comburst]

[ ...Yeah, no, this guy doesn't know what the hell a Quirk is. If things were normal Katsuki would flip his palms over and set off an explosion, and he almost does just that - but then he remembers it won't do anything at all. ]

No, you dumbass, I'm talking about superpowers. [ So he clarifies. ] Like turning your skin to rock or going invisible.

[moraloutrage]

Oh - superpowers! [He responds, wide-eyed.]

No, I do not possess any abilities like that! ...Nor did I know that it was humanly possible!

All I have is a "talent", though it is not a superhuman one. Rather, it is one forged through human effort alone...!

[comburst]

What, just one?

[ LAME, he's judging you. Katsuki is...way too good at almost anything he tries (minus manners & people) so don't take his arrogance personally. But really, the thing he wants back most is his Quirk. ]

S'just genetics at home. I can blow shit up.

[moraloutrage]

It- it may be considered to be one talent, but it covers a wide area. I fulfill the ideal of a member of the public morals committee! And I am a student who works hard to learn as much as I possibly can...!

[He passionately defends himself!

...And then he blinks, flabbergasted by the other boy's response.]

Bl-blow things up?! That sounds dangerous!

[comburst]

No? [ Well, yes, but not to KATSUKI as long as he does it right. ] I know how to control my own Quirk, shut up. It's only dangerous to anyone who pisses me off.

[ WHICH IS...

Everyone actually. So yeah, be worried (although Katsuki actually IS worse in bark than bite. It's just that he has a lot of bite, too). ]

[moraloutrage]

Well that's a relief! If you have a power like that, than self-control would be absolutely necessary!

[He still eyes him uncertainly.]

But the way you phrase that - I hope that does not mean that you would recklessly use your power against anyone who bothers you!

[comburst]

Lay off, Eyebrows. [ This is Ishimaru's Officially Designated Katsuki Name, now. He will never ever call him by real name from this point forward (not like he was gonna use it to start with). You're just Eyebrows.

Considering he does this nickname shit to his friends even, it's probably not the worst thing in the world... ]

Can't use it right now anyway, and why the fuck would I bother wasting my time with extras anyway?

[ These days, at least. ]

[moraloutrage]

I am not sure what you mean by 'extra', but I certainly hope that you exercise caution regardless! [Ishimaru has his arms folded as he attempts to scold the other boy.]

Also, just in case you missed my introduction, my name is Kiyotaka Ishimaru! I have yet to receive your own name, sir! [He says that just a bit snippily! Where are this boy's manners?]

[comburst]

Katsuki Bakugo.

[ His manners are non existent except the rare times Katsuki feels like displaying them...which is basically never. ]

You don't wanna be Eyebrows, you do something about all that. [ Gestures at Ishimaru's face, rudely. ]

[moraloutrage]

[Ishimaru grimaces in disapproval.]

My appearance is perfectly fine and orderly, thank you very much! I will not change just because you call me something so ridiculous...!

[He shakes his head.]

Despite your manners... It is good to meet you, Bakugou-kun. ...Some of your input has been helpful. And I look forward to working together!

[comburst]

Yeah, whatever. Call me when there's something we need to beat up.

[ Or like...other things. But Katsuki really wants to punch something now... ]

[moraloutrage]

I- I certainly hope a situation requiring such violence does not arise! But I will be sure to call on you if you are needed. ...In the meantime, take care!