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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.

(tw: implied suicide)

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

npc contact page

locations page

✽ 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.

Threaded | Flat

Please leave any questions here.

[

stopit is an npc played by

birdseed who can be found setting up some of the gorintos around the school during the vernal equinox, and lingering back in the auditorium for a short while after the graduation ceremony. He may not be the most helpful with questions, but he seems more willing to talk than the other npcs, and you take what you can get.

If you really want to thread with a cat, I am also willing to rp a cat. ]

→cleaning
[ It's extremely unusual for Miyuki Shirogane to fall asleep in class. Extremely wired most of the time, he typically overcame his insomnia pretty well during his studies, and even after school he didn't keep time to doze. Waking to dust exploding in his face caused him to recoil, coughing away.

It felt... strange. Had he really been assigned clean-up duty today? The others could stand to wait a second--

The others? Wait...

Hey, Shirogane! Hurry it up, already! He swears he hears someone call out to him, a voice distant enough yet one he feels he's heard constantly over the past year. Sighing, Miyuki gets to his feet, coolly stepping over to take the bucket from his desk. ]

Fine, fine. Let's get this over with.

[ So, he'll be found having rolled up his sleeves, scrubbing at a windowsill momentarily before he pauses. Contemplating. ]

Is this... [ Is... this right? ]

→living
[ He hadn't been paying attention when he had accidentally grazed against the stones and suddenly...

As he stands there, he can feel his pulse racing a bit, his palm flush against the window as he tries to catch his breath. Constantly, he's seen different moments of his high school life, different moments where he's sure he's seen friends that he's familiar with.

It feels like a cycle of nightmares, and it'll take him a while before he's dragged away.

It leads to him standing around near the gorinto, pretending to read a book he had found in one of the classrooms. If he sees a character come close to it or decide to reach for one of the snacks, he'll appear. ]

Hold it! Hands off.

[ With all of the authority in his voice he can muster. ]

→washing
[ Reality's finally starting to settle in, as the school emptied out and he, along with certain other students, were left to fend for themselves. It took him a second, and he might have contributed to the original discussion, trying to remain composed and stating that they should definitely search for clues.

Immediately, he's offered to check out one of the restrooms to see if he can find anything.

If someone does come in, they may have actually come in to what his true goal was: hurriedly attempting to wash his face. ]

This isn't happening, this isn't happening, I'm dreaming, somebody wake me up-- [ As he fiddles with the faucet until finally the water starts flowing and... it's pink.

Through a strained voice, he wonders aloud. ]

I can't even tell if the water is safe... ugh, get a hold of yourself, stay calm, Miyuki...!

[ Help this poor lad. ]

→wildcard
[ feel free to reach out to me on discord @ perpendicular#5335 if you wanna figure something out! i'm also cool participating in a previous high school au memory. ]

Edited 2021-03-21 02:54 (UTC)

↳ option i.

[Cleaning was a pretty common class duty to go through, although doing something like this as a part of what seems to be something celebratory...

... is it something that you'd normally celebrate?

It's kind of strange, really.

But more importantly...

It feels off, somehow. Like there's something wrong. Not just with this place, but... the words that they use in particular.

Of course, it's because of that she tries to find someone else, looking a little desperate, but also strangely uncomfortable.]

[She calls out, pushing politeness as if that could possibly work.]

[There's suspicion there.

A heavy amount of doubt that's simply settled and made its way there. It's probably fine, though.]

↳ option ii.

Fuck.

[After the graduation ceremony ends, she finds herself cursing in frustration, even if the feeling of memories that don't slot correctly into place, or living a completely different life is familiar to her.

In fact, it makes her even more annoyed, and now that the place seems practically emptied out and she's essentially her whole self again...

It's time to investigate a little bit. Which is why people can find her snooping around the various rooms that are unlocked.

Of course, if she finds someone near a locked door, she can't help but smile, her eyes brimming with curiosity:]

[Sometimes, you gotta do a B&E.

Otherwise, you might find her in the library, looking through the massive amount of books for answers as she essentially tries to memorize everything she possibly can.

People might even hear her murmur words like That's strange... and Is this like that, then...? but she doesn't seem to be paying much mind to the others around her. Although she wouldn't mind being bothered... probably.]

↳ option wildcard.

[Want to play something else not written above? Feel free to plot something out with me, either via PM or hitting me up at

tsundereban, I'm willing to write up a custom starter! As a heads up: Himeko herself is coming in from the end of the light novels, so if anybody is trying to avoid spoilers, feel free to also let me know.]

Edited 2021-03-21 03:51 (UTC)

A. Clean Record

[When Ishimaru wakes up in the classroom, he feels no doubts about the current situation. In fact, the idea of cleaning is very appealing to him! A clean classroom is an ideal learning environment, after all. Best to scrub and scrub away until no traces remain of anything to sully one's memory.

And so, this intense young man quickly gets to work on scrubbing down every inch of the floor without question! He will engage in a little bit of chatter with anyone nearby, while trying to focus on his task.

One thing that can easily break his reverie is if he sees someone leaving - with a trail of red footprints. Furious, Ishimaru will try shouting at the offender.]

Hold it right there! This is no time to wander off! Can you not see the mess you are making?!

B. Locked In

[After witnessing the graduation ceremony, things feel a lot clearer. And a lot more confusing at the same time! That's right, he was supposed to go to Hope's Peak Academy! ...But then, things went horribly wrong. He was trapped in the school and the killing game, and so many awful things happened...

And now, here he is. In a different school. One that seems to be messing with his head. Ishimaru has a bad feeling about this, so he quickly heads towards the front door. Once he sees it, he's initially relieved. There's no sealed vault door - it's just a normal door. Or at least it seems.

Then he tries to open the door. And he tries again, and again, and again. He struggles, practically trying to rip the door off its hinges. Because he got out! Somehow, he had left Hope's Peak Academy! And now, he's trapped in a different school instead?!]

Come on!! Open up! [His frustration and rage build up, and his hair flashes yellow.] Dammit!

C. No Escape

[Later on, Ishimaru has regained his cool. Or some of his cool, at least. Enough to try to speak to others. He knows that they'll have to work together to make it out, just as in Hope's Peak Academy. So he'll try to address others in the middle of halls or classrooms. His arms folded, he shouts out to anyone who will listen to him.]

Greetings! My name is Kiyotaka Ishimaru! I- I believe that we should discuss the current situation and perhaps organize our findings! Let us... let us all do our best to get out of here safely! [It feels like a lifetime ago when he tried to take charge like that. In a way, maybe it has been. But he won't let that stop him from trying to address anyone!

...Unless he's at the library. There, he tries to address others loudly, only to trail off and look around anxiously. This does not feel right!]

D. Wildcard

[Feel free to make up an alternate prompt, or hit me up for plotting!]

Cleaning Duty;

[Slap. The sound of the washcloth colliding with the side of her face seems to reverberate through her whole head. Rachel feels it slip like a living thing down the side of her face before it glances off her shoulder and down to the ground with the same wet splatting sound.

"Eeeeh, do you not have any reactions or something?" The words set off a chorus of laughter amongst the gathered students. It's both light-hearted and filled with viewed passive aggressiveness at the same time.

Oi, Ray! Wake up, will ya? Things are coming into better focus now and the feeling of disorientation is receding enough for Rachel in her continued muteness to kneel down enough to pluck up the washcloth at her feet.

She pauses, holding the lump of wet material in her hand. Pink suds drip from it and she wrinkles her nose just a little. It smells like...]

Blood.

Highschool Dreams;

[Rachel had her wrist in a white-knuckled grip as she stands, head reeling from the dizzying display. A name called, the purr of a cat, the tolling of the bell ringing through her body and her friend --

Her friend. A friend? What friend. She had never --

Suddenly the sensation of someone being close shoots through her like a bolt of electricity.
She turns sharply, eyes wide and knuckles as white as ever and face just etched with startling fear.]

Zack?

[She knows the moment that singular word rushes out in a tight breath that it isn't correct. Yet it feels like the only word she wants to say.

No, this was a friend. A classmate. Why doesn't she know them?]

Left to Roam;

[Things are beginning to feel more grounded now. Rachel is beginning to get her bearings at least. The school is easy to navigate at least and she doesn't ask many questions about why that is. Most schools were laid out in similar fashions, yes?

As the realization of their plight settles on the gathered students Rachel listens to much of the discussion with the cold expression of a statue. Others have tried the offices already and declare them locked and so on.

This is when Rachel finally speaks up, the statue of a girl's voice as soft as one might expect from someone who looks so bland expression-wise.]

Have you looked for ventilation systems into the offices?

[Hey, it's worked for her before, don't knock it.]

Home Ec;

[With few other options survival is key. And if Rachel if good at anything it's managing to survive on little to nothing. It helps that she's tiny to begin with but she knows how to ration things out.

That's what folks can find her doing in the cooking portion of the Home Economics' rooms. She's dug out whatever was left in the cabinets and has sat everything out on the counters. Whatever pots and pans there are are laid out as well.

She's likely delving into the fridge whenever someone else walks in, taking count of whatever ingredients may be left in there as well.]

Wildcard;

[Feel free to throw down any other prompts here. PMs are open for your plotting needs!]

Edited (formatting) 2021-03-21 04:19 (UTC)

a. [ This was starting to get frustrating.

Never mind that she had woken up and had been made fun of by some of her classmates (which, fine, the room looked like a disaster anyway), but now that she was actually at the front door, it wasn't opening? As much as she had pulled and yanked and kicked and pounded at the door, nothing seemed to get it unlocked as hard as she tried. So, she's decided to take matters into her own hands, which results in her tracking down one of her classmates... this one, right here? ]

You! [ As she walks right up to her target, arms folded and sizing them up. ] Finished cleaning for the day? Good. Help me get the door open.

[ No, you don't get context. No, she doesn't know if you were in her classroom or not... weirdly enough. But she is conscripting you in her battle against the front door. ]

b. [ Shortly after the graduation ceremony and everything's fallen back into place, there's a moment of worry... instantly followed up by a bit of excitement. This whole thing was weird, it was hard to tell where her time at Kouyouen ended and her time at Yogen began, and she should be scared out of her wits. But at the same time, this was absolutely certainly a mystery. Why she had been brought here, why there were others who had the same thing happen to them, and really... what this school even was.

So once introductions have been had, Haruhi immediately starts on her own investigation. She can be found in two places:

First, the faculty office. If no one was around, it was only natural to check out where the teachers typically worked. It looked like the cabinets were locked for the most part, but that's not really stopping her from snooping around a bit, searching under the tables for any sign of... well, anything! No stone left unturned after all.

Second, the home ec wing. It was only natural to look for supplies if they were going to survive here, right? Finding the kitchen was important, as was making a note of what was there. At this point, it finally dawns on her... ]

This has to last us for a while, huh? [ That might be a problem, depending on how long they'll be there and how many students are around. ]

c. [ Well, at the end of the first day, Haruhi tinkers with the PDA and sends a message to the student forum. ]

►H.SUZUMIYA

Hey! Make sure to read this!

If we're all going to stay here overnight, we'll need to find a good place to stay. I've checked around and I can't find a dormitory, so it's best we try to make our own arrangements! If you come across anything that can act as a blanket or a pillow, let me know about it!

Also, try to keep in touch! We're in here together, and we've gotta get out together too! Over and out!

[ She... didn't think that through too much in terms of security, but what's the worst that can happen? ]

d. ((this is the wild card option! feel free to reach out/pm if you wanna plot something!))

a. i know that sweet warm taste, and the bitter trace (cleaning)
Hey! [Ritsuka barely flinches as the chalk dust creeps into her air ducts, her cough quickly turning into a snort-giggle. She lightly tosses a chalk-laden eraser at the back of her assailant's head, says,] Alright, alright. I'm on it, jeez, [catches the washcloth lobbed her way, and-

The sharp iron odor hits her nose, bombarding her with grisly and very, very real memories in the process. Ritsuka freezes for a moment, considering the wet rag, before shaking her head and attacking the board with the washcloth. She crawls back through her dream-addled memories as she works, trying and failing to pin down when, exactly, she arrived at whatever this place was from... the Border? Novum Chaldea? She wasn't exactly new to waking up in unfamiliar places with only a hazy recollection of how she got there, but usually- okay, there have been a few times when Ritsuka's memory was scrambled in the process, but at least there was almost always someone else there who could explain what was going on.

Still, though. It wasn't exactly an extraordinary occurrence. Although she can't help but let out a rueful sigh, Ritsuka continues her task with vigor.] Just another Tuesday, I guess.

...or Wednesday. Saturday?

Yeah, Saturday.

Oh, here you go. [She passes her bucket over to the next student over who needs it.]

b. it never hurts to give thanks to the local gods (shrines)
[Traveling the world left Ritsuka with odd habits. She picked up a taste for just about anything that's edible, for one, although that isn't to say Ritsuka didn't have an appreciation for fine cuisine. Learning how to sleep standing up was an important talent, too (although several people back home would argue that peculiar habit had a different cause entirely).

Picking up the customs of places that she stayed in for more than a few days was bound to happen, too. This is especially true with Uruk—the fact that she can speak Ancient Sumerian semi-intelligibly was a testament to that. She also gained an appreciation for small acts of devotion, thanks to Siduri. An offering to the local gods, whatever she could spare. A short prayer, if she could at least fumble her way through pronouncing it. Having a few friends who were literal divinities made it easier to swallow... and seeing Ishtar's face light up when Ritsuka had left some bread for her at a shrine definitely made it worth it, if nothing else.

So when she sees a gorinto shrine near a windowsill, already surrounded by small offerings, it's only natural for Ritsuka to hit up the nearby vending machine to leave a protein bar by the-

-her eyes go completely glassy as the false(?) memories(?) flood her mind, battering down its doors with a rapid-fire barrage of images and friendships she never got the chance to have over the past two and a half years. Someone is going to need to rescue her, and it's probably not going to be one of the native students.

Once Ritsuka is freed, she considers a different vending machine thoughtfully. On the one hand, her stomach's growling, and she's already regretting leaving that offering at the shrine. On the other hand... who knows where else she'll find food here. She'll probably regret it if she blows all of her "merit points" before the first day ends.

Ritsuka slumps.] Mannnn. Now I'm really regretting not studying harder for that- [before she can catch herself falling into another dream, something else catches her eye: a different student going for the shrine. Leaping off the carriage of her train of thought, she dashes over, grabbing them by the shoulder with a surprisingly tight grip.] Trust me, you do not want to touch that thing.

[Her voice is deathly serious.]

c. it never hurts to give thanks to the navigator (cooking)
[Three things became readily apparent to Ritsuka after the graduation ceremony.

One, wherever she was, she couldn't contact Chaldea or the Shadow Border.

Two, she was stuck here for the foreseeable future.

Three, until "spring break" ended, Ritsuka and everybody else stuck at Yogen had very, very limited resources to work with.

There weren't any Servants summoned by the Counter Force nearby, nor any indication of what caused this distortion and how to resolve it. So Ritsuka only had one course of action to take: survive until she could figure out what the Hell was going on here.

To that end, after meeting up with the rest of the students, her first destination was the kitchen. She was no Emiya, or Boudica, or Cat, or Raikou, but she could at least warm up some cup ramen and knew approximately how to make a variety of practical dishes for the road, so she should be able to make do. Hopefully.

Wrenching open the fridge, Ritsuka peers inside, narrowing her eyes at the meat.] We need to preserve all this before it goes bad... Jerky should work, I think?

I'll start cutting the meat. Could you do me a favor and look for some spices and some kind of sauce? Just because we have to eat trail rations doesn't mean we have to eat disgusting trail rations.

d. wildcard
[Hit me up at

TheDoomkitten for plotting, or The Doomkitten#8383 on Discord. I'm also good with AU memories.]

It isn't the bloody rag that's strange. Nor does it feel unusual to be laughed at and called transfer student in the same breath. Even the fact that she doesn't recognize this place fails to register as all that alarming. No - it's the chalk. The chalkboard. This, more than anything, makes Homura stop and stare and suddenly realize that something is not right. For some reason, she overwhelmingly feels like she's staring down a real-life anachronism, like her teachers should be using digital whiteboards that could be cleared with the press of a button. That's what they'd used at some point, hadn't they? Or... hadn't they always used them? But here she is, standing in a classroom which itself feels so familiar.

What is going on?

Homura stays to help clean anyway. She has no idea who these other students are, but she is a transfer student, and everything about that feels correct, at least. Using a sponge, she scrubs at a rust-colored stain around the classroom door. It looks like an old bloodstain; the pinkish water is clearly tainted with blood, too. This also does not strike her as particularly unusual or upsetting, although she vaguely senses that perhaps it should. For some reason, she finds herself staring at her right hand instead. Her palm and knuckles and fingers are completely bare, and that feels weird.

♢ vacant.

This is wrong. How, exactly, she still doesn't know, but after half an hour of wandering the school, she finds herself hopelessly torn between feelings of familiarity and being totally lost. That alone is enough to conclude something is wrong, but the more her memories clash with her surroundings, the more obvious it is that disorientation is the least of her problems.

Homura ignores anyone attempting to engage with her in the halls. If asked to help clean, she complies for a cursory moment before continuing to wander. The gorinto on the upper floors finally make her stop and pause. Reminiscent of graves, they stand out ominously. And a few of them have people standing beside them, staring vacantly into space, hand reaching out to touch one of the stones or offerings.

"What are you doing?" she asks flatly upon approaching one. No answer. After another moment, she pinches the sleeve of their outstretched arm and yanks on it roughly, breaking the contact with the gorinto. "Can you not hear me?"

♢ congratulations.

Even after the invisible force keeping them all in their seats disappears, one thin, raven-haired girl stays in her chair and watches the people around her begin to filter out. The expression on her face is completely blank, but she studies the crowd so closely that there must be many thoughts racing through her head. Once enough people have left to give her a chance to scan the room for whoever chose to remain, she stands, smooths out her uniform, and flips her hair over her shoulders to set it back in place.

With several people lingering nearby, perhaps with the same mindset she has, she might as well try to confer with them about what the hell is going on.

"A graduating class of one person," she says to whomever she might make eye contact with or be approached by. "Do you find that normal?"

♢ trapped.

Homura is managing to keep it together - you could say she's had a lot of practice - but this situation is stressful, even for her. The disorientation from earlier in the day is long gone, replaced now with the horrible feeling of being trapped and powerless. None of this makes sense - where is her Soul Gem? how is it even possible for it to be gone? - and yet she needs to get home anyway, somehow, some way.

She stakes out a small area to claim for herself in front of her locker. Using chairs from nearby classrooms, she forms a shoddy desk and collects a small supply of paper, pens, and other supplies. Homura is going to do what she's always done: start again. This will be her new work space, her new collection of intel.

It begins with a few sticky notes and papers taped to her locker, detailing the scraps of possibly useful knowledge she's collected so far, but she needs more. So even after she uses her spare clothes to set up a makeshift bed, she sits up when she hears someone walking around her campsite in the middle of the hallway and commandingly asks them, without a greeting first, "You - Do you know anything about where we are, or how we got here?"

((ooc: canon point is not yet decided, feel free to switch to action brackets if you prefer!))

Cleaning... Or Not:

[As if he's going to stay and clean.

The metallic tang of iron is enough to set off his flight or fight response. Making a face, he peels the wet rag away from his skin, holding it out as if it's somehow tainted. Perhaps it is. He's having absolutely none of this — what is all the chattering about "erasing the evidence" about anyway? Evidence of what?

Noah really, genuinely isn't sure what's going on. His memories seem to be clouded over — he knows what amnesia feels like, since he experienced it not too long ago, and to be frank he's pretty tired of getting it. Instead of sticking around to find out what's going on, Noah opts to get up from where he was apparently napping on the desk a minute earlier, disregard everyone telling him to clean up, and march out.

Unbeknownst to him, he's tracking red footprints down the hall. When he's sure he's out of earshot of other students, or at least, when he thinks he might be out of earshot, he reaches down to his hip and clasps the handle of his sickle...

...or attempts to, anyway, finding it missing.

Well. That's bad. That's very bad. How does one lose a sentient weapon? Noah swears he had Clamor... at... some point... when was that point? Ugh, his head hurts.

Clamor must have been stolen, is the only logical conclusion Noah can come to. Stolen or... somehow wandered off somewhere in all of his scythe-y glory? That doesn't make much sense, but Noah has seen weirder things. Maybe if he calls out...?]

Clamor? [No response, so he raises his voice.] Clamor?!

[Nope. No sentient magic scythes around. Maybe he can lie through his teeth and say that Clamor is another student at wherever-this-is if anyone overheard him screaming his head off.]

Memories:

[Noah made the mistake of touching whatever that gorinto stone thingamabob is (he's never seen one before in his life, and luckily for him he happened to find out what it was called through passersby) a couple hours ago, and ever since then, he's decided to spend the day guarding it.

Or, perhaps guarding it is not exactly correct. Protecting students from it is more like what he's doing. Were it not for a student pulling him from the horrible memories that the stones inflicted upon his psyche, he'd probably be lying on the floor completely incapacitated, and that's absolutely the last thing Noah wants.

He concludes that this place — not just the gorinto itself but the whole damn school — is dangerous, because there can be no other conclusion. What kind of school has a magical rock-thingy that shoves awful visions into people's brains? That doesn't sound right to him. And so, instead of doing normal school things (why would he waste his time doing that), he's making sure no one else falls under the awful spell of the gorinto. Should they do so, at least he'll be there to drag them out of it.

For the time being, though, there's no one around. Should someone wander up to it, Noah manages a soft,]

H...hey. Don't touch that. It's dangerous.

[in their general direction, and boy, he doesn't sound all that confident all of a sudden.]

Spring "Break":

[Noah isn't a survivalist. Not really. He's not really cut out for rationing food or figuring out why the water is pink (seriously why is it pink) or even just normal everyday person stuff like that in general. His proficiencies include magic (which he's found he can barely even use here, splendid), hitting things with a sickle (said sickle is missing), and accidentally getting warped through time and space to a different timeline (the little trinket that does that is gone as well). So, Noah feels pretty useless. He can't even punch through a window.

He definitely made an attempt, though. But he wound up bruising the hell out of his hands, so his knuckles are, uh, a little bit black and blue. It's fine.

With breaking out being a colossal failure, Noah is instead sitting in front of a vending machine, hungry and perturbed by the fact that no matter how many times he kicks the ever-living shit out of this stupid vending machine it simply will not cough up the chips. Is it broken? Is he weaker than he thinks he is? Clearly frustrated, he sits criss-cross applesauce on the floor with his bruised hands on his knees, trying to come up with a plan of action.

Those chips will be his. Eventually. Some day. Gods, help him, he's starting to think going to school sucks.]

Wildcard:

[Surprise me! If you want to plot or chat you can add me on Plurk! (

wolfchan)]

Edited (forgot to include wildcard and contact RIP) 2021-03-21 09:40 (UTC)

A. Ominous Tidings

Zagreus has never really liked sitting down. Or lying down, as it happens. Resting in general, sort of a foreign pastime for him. So being forced to sit is pretty alarming, actually! After he finally gives up trying to escape the chair, he spends the rest of the ceremony, such as it is, fidgeting and making idle comments to whoever's seated nearby. Which may or may not annoy the hell out of them.

And then it's finally over, and the instant he sees other students standing he bounds out of the chair and stretches mightily. When he talks, it appears to be addressed to whoever's around and feels like responding. "Whew...I've never been through anything so mind-numbing in my life. Never thought I'd say this, but not even my father's lectures are quite that tedious. Keep your eyes open, eh? I can't tell if that was a threat or a warning. What do you make of all this, mate?"

B. Restless

Zagreus is a restless man by nature. Whatever part of the Underworld this place is, it's somehow worse even than Tartarus. Or perhaps it is a part of Tartarus he's stumbled into, somehow. Whatever the case, his attempts to escape have been absolutely stymied for the first time, because it isn't a Fury or a massive monster that he can defeat standing in his way. It's...nothing in particular. He just can't get out. It's infuriating.

It doesn't take long for his restlessness to catch up with him, and so once the shades all file out the door that somehow won't open, he begins to wander the school aimlessly. He's simply exploring with no particular goal other than to find a way out if it's at all possible, and to try to make sense of all the things he doesn't understand in this place. Which is, frankly, a lot of things, even if he has some hazy half-memories of a time when he did understand them. And wow does that ever make no sense at all!

When he eventually runs into you in a random place of your choice, his face lights up and he approaches quickly--you may notice that he's wandering around barefoot. "Oh, hi there! I was just starting to think I might be all alone here now that all the shades have gone. I...don't suppose you've happened upon a way out of here, have you?"

C. Network

[It takes Zagreus a while to figure out the PDA, as well as a lot of asking people questions (to which they tend to respond with skepticism or disbelief, for some reason) and a lot of trial and error. Eventually, he becomes adept enough to actually send a message. Hooray for small victories!]

[From: P. Zagreus]

Hello! I'm told this note will reach everyone in the area, I hope that's true. My name is Zagreus, and I think there's been some mistake in the paperwork somewhere, because unless my father has become truly incensed, I really shouldn't be here. Er, no offense to anyone who earned their place in Tartarus! I'm sure you're all very lovely people and I'd gladly have a chat and get to know you, it's just...well, I live in the House, you see. I'm not actually a shade. So if someone could get a message up there for me, I'd be grateful. And not to brag, but I do have ways of getting my hands on some pretty choice contraband, which I would gladly give to anyone who can help.

D. Wildcard!

I'm open to pretty much anything, feel free to just reply with a starter or catch me at

thessjuli if you want to plot!

a.
With spring break started, that means none of our fellow "students" or "faculty" will be around.

[ He definitely did the air quotes. The students always gave off some weird, uncanny feeling to him. ]

We'll have to ration things for the next two weeks.

[ He crosses his arms as he speaks to his fellow "transfer student";

someone who actually feels real to him. ]

I know it's going to be tough, but if we maintain a sense of calm throughout this, we'll get through it. At least most of the classrooms are still open- we can find things to help us if we search them.

b.
[ The library was vast, full of all sorts of different books for the students to read. One student in particular, had two stacks of them seated next to him to comb over. Senku flipped through page after page, though he had to take a bit longer on account of the books being in an unusual language. Though it was still legible to him if he squinted- thank goodness for context clues. He wanted as much knowledge of this place as he could get, and thankfully he'd be able to recall any of it at the drop of a hat. He looks up only briefly as someone approaches him. He speaks softly when spoken to. ]

Oh, that seat's not taken. You're welcome to it.

c.
[ His heart is pounding in his chest, someone's hand clenched over his wrist as he stands there. Wide-eyed and breathing heavily, as if he just awoke from some dream.

Some terrible, horrible dream.

And then he realizes, he's being spoken to. ]

Ah- ...thanks for that. How illogical for me to touch something so important; I... I don't know what came over me.

d.
Any other prompt you can think of! Throw your muses at me! Catch me at spooksville for plotting! C:

Edited 2021-03-21 10:15 (UTC)

WAKE UP

[ Satoko awakens with a cough and a splutter, batting the chalk dust away from her with her hands as best she can as the students laugh around her. What happened? What had she been doing, again…?

Oh, right. Cleaning. How embarrassing, to be caught sleeping like that… ]

I’m terribly sorry! I’ll get to it now, okay?

[ With a sigh, Satoko stands, takes the rag in her hands, and begins to clean. What a pain… but she supposes it’s only fair that she helps out some of the time. Still, she’d rather be playing games, like she would in-

In… what? Huh?

Satoko can’t recall what she was just thinking about. That’s strange. And though she can’t say why, all of a sudden… she begins to feel a little like she’s sinking – an uncomfortable chill runs through her, along with the sudden sense that something is wrong.

These people, she… doesn’t think she’s ever seen them in her life. But that can’t be right, can it? No, she knows them well. She’s just… just…

For the first time, Satoko looks down at what she’s scrubbing. And the sight of the dark crimson red makes her recoil back in fear.

Fear? Why is she afraid? Why does everything feel so wrong?

...It’s just her imagination. This is where she’s supposed to be. Taking a deep breath until she's calmed down, Satoko clutches the rag in her hand and eventually begins to clean again. Still, as soon as someone approaches her, she can’t help but question, out-loud- ]

Umm …Why are we cleaning, again? Somehow, I feel like I've forgotten...

GRADUATION

[ As the last of the students file away through those giant front doors… Satoko remains in her seat. She doesn’t move at all, except for the trembling of her body.

She remembers everything now. How could she ever have forgotten? How did she get here? She doesn’t understand – not at all!

She’s scared. None of this makes any sense - it shouldn't be possible! But she's sure that this isn't a dream, either... Even now, these halls still feel familiar, making her doubt the memories she's just recalled. Is the life she lived here really not real at all? She remembers spending time with her friends so clearly, laughing away happily as the hours flew by, but… at the same time, she can’t remember their names.

No. No, those memories can’t be hers. And strangely, she feels something like grief at that thought.

It takes a while before Satoko is able to stand at all. ...She wants to go home... she wants that more than anything, but- she has to be strong. That’s what she'd vowed to herself. She still doesn’t know if there’s even a way out of this place, and the thought that there isn’t scares her more than anything, but… she has to believe that there is, that there’s a way to get back home to Hinamizawa. To her friends. If she doesn’t believe in that, then… she’ll go crazy for sure.

So for the first time, Satoko stands, and leaves her seat, looking around at the students who’ve remained. Some of them look as confused as she is – could it be that they’re like her? ]

Umm… excuse me. [ After a moment, she walks over, and reaches out to tap you on the shoulder. ] I don’t suppose you know what’s going on here?

SPRING BLESSINGS

[ There’s no way out. Not that Satoko has been able to find, anyway. But the initial panic she’d felt upon realizing that has faded now, leaving her with but one goal: to survive this place, and eventually, to figure out what’s going on.

Because there has to be a way back home. But she won’t be able to find it if she’s... if she's dead. …The horrifying possibility that she might die here makes Satoko's stomach churn with terror whenever she thinks of it, but she’s pushing that down as best as she can. Right now, her objective to find supplies. It’s not just food she’s looking for, though. That’s a priority, for sure, but for now- things like rope, buckets, tape – along with anything she can use as a weapon… that’s what Satoko’s searching for. ]

These should do nicely… [ She mutters to herself as she pulls a pair of scissors out of a wooden drawer, sounding remarkably cheerful, considering her situation. ] Now if only I could find some rope… I wonder if I should check the gymnasium out, next…?

NETWORK

S. Houjou

I think we should arrange some kind of meeting…

So that we can discuss what we’ve learnt in person, and what we’ve found. Maybe we can figure out how many rations we have to go around as well.

Is everyone available today?

WILCARD

[ Feel free to throw anything you'd like at Satoko here! Canon point is still undecided, but I'm thinking of taking her from Post-Matsuribayashi before later updating her to herself during Gou. Feel free to plot with me over PMs or at

Rivenix if there's anything you're interested in doing! ]

Edited (forgot the subject...) 2021-03-21 14:57 (UTC)

WAKING UP

[ Cleaning blood from a classroom wall should be a frightening experience for a twelve year old boy. It should unsettle anyone, really – it should stand out as wrong, as something that's not normal. But for some reason, Kai doesn’t seem to find anything strange about it at all.

He scrubs away at the blood without so much as blinking, though he’d complained a little when his classmates first threw the rag his way. Still, in places like this… going against the rules is usually a bad idea.

Not that Kai particularly cares about that. But in a place so unfamiliar, it’s better to get to know what could go wrong before getting himself in any trouble.

Somehow, he’s confident in those conclusions, though he doesn’t know why. The longer he cleans, though… the more he gets the feeling that something is wrong. Not because of the blood, no… it’s because he can’t recall the names of the students here. No matter how hard he tries, his mind comes up blank, and though they feel familiar… there’s clearly a gap in his memory that shouldn’t be there.

It’s suspicious. And the more time passes, the more that suspicion grows – Kai can feel himself becoming tenser, and he gives the students occasional cold glances before turning back to his work. Still, he scrubs, and keeps on going until everything’s clean. After all, he doesn’t want the others to notice that anything’s wrong…

The second everything’s finished, though, Kai’s out of the door without a word. And he quickly walks in the direction of the front doors – the path comes to him naturally, which is strange, because he doesn’t think he’s ever walked it before. But that doesn’t matter. It doesn’t matter at all. The only thing that matters is…

Kai pulls at the doors. …They don’t budge at all. ]

Damnit.

[ Somehow, he’s not surprised at all. ]

GRADUATION

[ By now, everything’s come back to Kai. His real life, the fact that he doesn’t belong here – everything. And it makes him feel sick to know that he’d fallen for any of it for even a second. The fact that he still has memories from this school, though they can’t possibly be real… it’s unsettling beyond words.

Just how did he get here, and who did this to him? To mess with his memories to that extent… it must be someone who has an extraordinary amount of power – power that Kai can’t even imagine. All Kai knows is that he needs to figure it out – and he has to escape.

That’s right. This is essentially a kidnapping. And what’s worse is that he doesn’t even have Dranzer with him – meaning he’s completely defenceless, and completely on his own. His team aren’t here either, though he supposes it’s good for them that they weren’t dragged into this along with him. But…

The gut-churning, uncomfortable feeling that Kai’s been feeling deep within his stomach for a while now… If he were to identify it, he’d have to call it fear. …He’s afraid. It shouldn’t surprise him, to realize that, yet somehow it does – he thought he’d escaped fear a long time ago. Fear is a useless emotion, though – it won’t help him get out of this place alive. …It never did before.

So he buries it down, and gets to analyzing the situation. …It’s a process that comes far too easily to him.

The doors and windows both won’t open, and can’t break – he’d tried to get out that way even before this joke of a graduation ceremony. That means his best bet for getting out of here is to research – to learn the secrets of the school, and this place, until he’s figured out how he was taken here to begin with.

Just to be safe, though, he approaches the doors, and once he’s there, pushes against them as hard as he can. Yep – he’s not gonna be phasing through any time soon. ]

Well, it was worth trying.

[ All of a sudden, though, Kai can feel someone staring at him, their gaze drilling into the back of his skull. He turns around to spot you, and with a slight scowl, speaks. ]

What are you looking at?

WILDCARD

[ Feel free to throw anything at Kai here! I’ve taken him from the end of season one, for anyone who cares about that – and I’m available for plotting at

Rivenix or over PMs if you prefer. Thanks! ]

route a: cleaning

S-Sorry, it seems that I zoned out! Hehe...

[ The other students don't seem to mind a skeletal transfer student which is unexpected and oddly flattering. Even though he's still a bit confused—Emil's trying to figure out what was the last thing he was doing and he simply can't recall what it was—he's eager to help with cleaning! It doesn't stop the group from being rude, though. ]

I'll help! Just give me something to—

[ He gets something. Namely, a wet rag that lands directly on his face. It's not enough to make that somewhat eerie grin of Emil's disappear, apparently. Actually, there's no change in his expression at all. If someone happens to witness the situation, Emil will try to make it look like it's not a big deal. ]

It's okay, I'm sure they thought I'm going to catch it.

route b: graduation

[ It looks like Emil has zoned out again except this time around he finds himself in an auditorium with other students. It looks like some sort of special occasion, so he can only barely hold himself back from asking questions. The fact that he's far from being tall doesn't help either. ]

Who's speaking now? [ He tilts from one side to the other, hoping to see something, anything but the student in front of him is blocking the view. ] And now?

[ "Keep your eyes open." The words reach his ears but he doesn't seem to be too bothered by that. ]

Okay, I will! Actually, they're always open...

[ Care to check for yourself if he's telling the truth? ]

route c: machine

[ Ever since Emil has figured out how to use the vending machine, he's dropping by every day to use up some of his merit points (he's a good student and attends all classes, mind you) even though he doesn't even need snacks. Still, he finds joy in collecting them. ]

Granola bar, yes! [ He jumps up to where he's standing, absolutely thrilled to see a snack coming out of a vending machine. ] A new one!

[ Emil shall never learn about gacha games or it will be over for him. It looks like it's not even his first time using the machine today—there's a bag lying on the floor next to him where he puts all the loot. It's filled with some snacks already. ]

Oh, sorry. Do you want to use it? Let me just try one more time...!

[ He almost depleted all of his merit points, it seems. ]

route d: wildcard

[ Feel free to hit me up with a starter of your own! ]

[OOC | As a note: Kanade's backstory and some of the content that she deals with ties with cw: suicidal ideation and the like and will be marked as necessary; if you'd like to avoid those sorts of topics altogether, however - please do not hesitate to let me know!]

♫ one.

["What're you dozing off for, transfer student?"

It's definitely a strange question, and for some reason, to Kanade, there feels something off -

Not the fact that she had been sleeping, that's something that happens to her every now and again, as if it were a bad habit. After all, staying up at hours on end without it is pretty common.]

[Her answer is rather quiet, and whether she's apologizing to one of the other students or perhaps your character, she eventually grabs a rug. After all, the sooner that this is clean, the sooner she can go home.

And if she goes home, then--]

[So, she cleans, diligently, quietly. It's a bit tedious, however, and she isn't used to it, so she finds herself exhausted in no time.]

[She murmurs those words to herself, as if trying to voice forbidden thoughts, but she keeps scrubbing anyway. If she can do this, she can get back to what's more important, she's sure.

So naturally, after she's done, she thinks that maybe she can finally leave, heading towards the front entrance and trying to open the doors...

...only to find herself failing.]

[And she tries, and tries, and tries again, in futility. Maybe someone should convince her that it just can't open.]

♫ two.

[At some point, Kanade notices the gorinto.

And of course, she's rather familiar with it - it's enough to make her frown deeply. What exactly is this sort of thing doing here, in the school...? But she doesn't touch it, not yet. Instead, she asks the next person she sees, quiet:]

[Because the implications are there.

Someone died, right?]

♫ three.

[After graduation, Kanade... finally realizes what that nagging feeling at her was. And it's because of that in of itself that people might find her holed up in the music room where she makes herself comfortable at the piano with a bunch of papers and even pencils.

For those paying close attention, they might notice that the papers are sheet music with a bunch of notes filled in.

And they might occasionally, during the times when sound can actually be heard be able to hear the piano play varying songs. And she's quite talented at playing them, too. But she doesn't seem to be looking bothered in the strangest bit... especially now that she's changed from the school uniform to more casual clothes: specifically, a jersey.]

♫ four.

[And in the late hours of the night - at 1 AM in the morning, to be precise, people might see a message from one listed as k. yoisaki:]

What kind of music do you all like?

[That's... rather casual, isn't it?]

Also: am I the only one who cannot hear anything?

[She may still be making the attempt at playing the piano at this hour, but to no avail.]

♫ wildcard.

[Want to play something else entirely different? Hit me up via PM or at

tsundereban! I'm willing to work with people as necessary.]

Edited 2021-03-21 17:47 (UTC)

I. Cleaning Duties
[The blood - she's pretty sure it's blood, it smells like blood - doesn't particularly worry Auditi. After all, it's only red... or maybe brown, it can be difficult to tell the difference between the different hues of rust when it's already soaked in and dried onto a surface. She's not thrilled about being on the hook to clean it up, but the fact that someone, or several someones, has been bleeding all over the place doesn't strike her as particularly worrying.

It is a little annoying that it's been let to get this bad, though. And that apparently she's on the hook for cleaning it up, or at least helping. She'd tried walking away, but somehow while abandoning her... classmates? to their task didn't bother her, the realization that she was tracking gore around did. Just because it isn't her mess doesn't mean she has to make the mess worse, after all. So she's now retrieved a soapy rag, mopped up her own footprints, and set to work on one of the dried in stains on the wall - although she's muttering darkly as she does so. If you take the time to listen to what language she's speaking, it's... not one any human who hasn't previously had contact with trolls will recognize, human-ish phonemes mixing with odd chattering rattles and purrs. But then, Auditi herself is not human - grey skin and blue-grey-on-gold eyes and bright orange horns.]

And why couldn't they clean this up before it dried, huh?

II. Recreational Rock Touching
[The first time she touches the odd little pile of rocks - she's sitting on a desk, feet propped up on the back of the chair, chatting to a friend, and she hears the classroom door opening behind her and there's a flash of naked panic on the other student's face and she isn't sure she dares turn around - it's out of simple curiosity. The little cairn seems both out of place and intentional, and she wants to see if it's actually damp or if it just looks that way. When her fingertips slip from the surface, she blinks hard and shakes her head, as if trying to clear it. Weird.

She doesn't have the excuse of ignorance when she reaches out to touch it again.And now she's been there a few minutes. Someone could probably stand to help get the weird grey girl moving again.]

III. Network
[A message hits the network shortly after all of the regular students have left for spring vacation:]
FROM: A.BLYGHT
-)ok so i don't think there's a not awkward way to ask this so i'm just gonna come out and say it-
-)what the heckie are the rest of you?-

IV. Wildcard
[Throw something else at the weird alien punk kid! She's pretty adaptable for an indigoblood. If you want to plot, hit me up at

bramblepatch.]

cleaning

[ amidst the gaggle of students who look disoriented and lost in this labyrinthine school is a man in his early thirties wearing a gakuran, gathering his bearings upon being stirred awake in these strange premises. figaro had insisted to his fellow "classmates" that no, he's absolutely too old to be a student at this point, but all he got was an exasperated huff and a bloody rag thrown at his face.

well, it's not like he didn't deserve that, given the stuff he'd committed back then, but this ain't about that right now. he's perceptive enough to catch the incriminating murmurs among the students, and it's a little worrying, so to speak.

for now, he'll just wing it. he's rather tall enough to reach the upper nooks and crannies, but he'll offer himself to anyone who needs a boost with a friendly smile and a wave of his wet rag. ]

Need a lift? I may not look like it, but I might be able to carry you on your shoulders if necessary.

[ unless you're like, a fully grown adult?? but hey at least he tried asking. ]

gorinto

[ he'd accidentally touched the offerings at the gorinto, but the memories flooding into his mind barely even deter him. aside from the fact that he's old as balls, most wizards don't even get proper education and mentors who'd actually treat their students well are rare enough as it is. sure, the various death flags are a little troubling, but figaro knows that they're simply not real.

he knows all too well that he won't die in such a mundane way, after all.

still, he has to pretend that this is all Very Shocking for him. whether someone snaps him out of it or he brought himself out of that trance, he turns to anyone who's around with a sheepish smile on his face. ]

Ah, that sure was something. I wouldn't recommend touching the offerings, if I were you. It might scar you for life.

[ probably. ]

exploration

[ after gaining his bearings, figaro can be found outside the clinic, trying to take a peek through the door while his hands shake at the doorknob in a paltry attempt to open it. ]

Locked... Well, that's fine. No one should get gravely injured so long as Doctor Figaro is around.

[ while wearing a school uniform??? one would think that he's talking out of his own ass.

alternatively he can be seen blocking the vending machines, tinkering away at his PDA like the ancient boomer that he is. ]

Fascinating... Is this what the Sage wanted Murr to make, I wonder?

[ says while he's making shitty drawings on the generic-ass paint app. rutile would've loved something like this, he thinks. ]

wildcard

[ come at me scrublords im ripped. feel free to pm me if you want something more customized, tho. ]

Edited 2021-03-22 03:46 (UTC)

[ A : CLEAN UP ]

[ Maybe she spends too long staring at the other students, broom in hand, before forcing her breathing to steady. She doesn't remember transferring schools- not that she's sure Hanako would let her- and she doesn't recognize anyone around her. The teachers feel off and she can't put a single name to a classmate's face. And yet... no, maybe she's misremembering...?

... It's... not the first time something strange has happened to her. So what does she do? Does she play along? Or make an excuse to go? Once erasing evidence comes up, however, she decides it may be time to go- except none of the doors open, and- oh god what did she step in?

Eventually the cleaning is finished- somehow- but Nene finds herself struggling to actually look anyone in the eye long enough to hold a conversation. Instead she's just desperately searching for someone who looks just as lost or unnerved as she feels. ]

[ B : GRADUATION ]

[ Now, Nene might be a bit of a space-case sometimes, but when the sole graduate of the previous class comes up to the podium, well, something's hinky. But when she speaks, almost no one around her seems to react. Is she being paranoid? Is she just flinchy because the whole scenario is weird? ... No, no, Keep your eyes open matched with that demeanor is definitely strange. Just what is going on?!

Eventually, however, the students are set free and Nene struggles to not get swept in the crowd- once she's able to steady herself though, she turns to someone nearby. ]

Um... what do you think she meant?

[ C : NIGHT TIME ]

I was trying to look around a bit, and I found something...

[ And here, Nene waves whoever she's talking to over... and then tries to push the entrance doors open. It doesn't budge. Sliding them doesn't move them a millimeter either. She tries multiple times from multiple angles to make her point before stepping back again. ]

The windows are like that too.

[ D : wildcard ! ]

[ hit me up in the dms or on plurk for plotting or shoot your shot! please note however that i'm not yet caught up to the manga, but i love nene a lot and i couldn't resist. ]

( ᴀ - ɴᴏᴛᴛᴏ ᴅɪsᴜ sʜɪᴛᴛᴏ ᴀɢᴇɴ )

[ naegi is so fucking done with this locked-in school bullshit ]

[ Well, it's not like he remembers. Something nags at him from the back of his mind, but he can't grab ahold of it. Everything feels... off, but before he can think about it any harder, there's a wet rag in his face. ]

[ He feels as if he knows this smell. He doesn't know how he does, but something twists in his stomach and-- ]

"Hey! C'mon, let's hurry up and finish cleaning already!"

[ A bucket is shoved into his hands. The other student walks away and Naegi stands there, dumbfounded. Cleaning, that's... what he was doing... right? That nagging something is still there and he still doesn't understand it, but it doesn't seem like he's given the chance to. At least, not now. Everyone keeps yammering at him to help out and he's even given a light tap to get moving. ]

[ Still in a daze, he walks towards the windows, but something snags his feet and the next thing he knows, he's falling. ]

[ And he's not going down alone. Whoever has the misfortune of being in front or next to him is coming down too and they're also getting drenched in gross, soapy water. Yuck. The now-empty bucket sits on the ground next to Naegi, who is wincing in pain and rubbing his backside. ]

[ Ow. ]

( ʙ - ғᴜᴄᴋ ᴛʜɪs sʜɪᴛ ɪ'ᴍ ᴏᴜᴛ )

[ Eventually, everything comes back to him and after the graduation ceremony, he immediately heads towards the main entrance. It's locked. He can't even get the doors to budge and he turns, looking back towards the hallway with a sense of dread. He decides to look around a bit more. Maybe there's something that he missed, like a key (... he hopes), but when the bulletin board catches his eye, he stops to read. ]

[ He looks over the board, seeing if anything can give him a clue, but he stops at the rules. ]

[ oh thank fuck there's nothing about having to murder someone ]

( ᴄ - ʜᴜʀʀʏ ʙᴇғᴏʀᴇ ʜᴇ ᴀᴛᴛᴇᴍᴘᴛs ᴛᴏ ʀᴜɴ ɪɴᴛᴏ ᴛʜᴇ ᴅᴏᴏʀ )

[ Naegi is eventually found in front of the faculty office. He's bend down as he inspects the lock. Of course, this door is locked as well, but that didn't stop him from trying to open it a few times. ]

[ He looks around and grabs the closest person to him. ]

[ he has absolutely no idea how to lockpick but goddamnit he's going to try his best and stab himself ]

( ᴡɪʟᴅᴄᴀʀᴅ )

[ i'm open to a lot of things so feel free to hit me with a wildcard! you can either send me a pm or reach out to

northpaws. also what canon point is naegi from? i'll figure that out :') ]

I. WAKE UP: YELLING

[ Katsuki shouldn't be able to move. He knows exactly what sort of hits he took, but he jerks awake in class - a classroom he does not recognize - and he's...fucking fine. No broken bones, no bruises, and that in and of itself is more worrying than being beat the fuck to hell would be. He doesn't recognize the clothes, yanks his tie loose and off immediately without thinking about it when he feels the weight at his throat and thinks: a Quirk. Fucking fantastic. because when anything goes wrong with the world you can always assume it's someone's dumb ass making things go awry with their power.

The second thing he does after yanking off his tie is to growl when someone says his name too-familiarly, palms flipping up instinctively as he goes to let off warning sparks so he can get some space while he figures himself out - but. His palms do not ignite. His palms do not ignite and Katsuki's blood runs cold the way his hands should be running hot, as he tries again. Nothing. His palms are slick with sweat so it shouldn't be an issue and yet...while all the NPCs are being friendly fucks, that means little towards how Katsuki treats them. His usual method of fending people off is gone, but the second method is just reaching out to yank someone in by their tie, growling. ]

Who the fuck do you think you are, huh?! Stop it! [ It's not like he's going to kill any NPCs right now, but he'll yell and grab people to his heart's content as he catches his bearings. He's a hissing cat dropped into a lake of what the fuck is going on. ]

II. WAKE UP: CLEANING.

[ Once the initial rage has simmered off - but not left, because he has things to do and wants to actually wake the fuck up already - Katsuki actually takes a damn rag. It's only after he's tried to get out a window that he does so, and, well - after he takes a few steps outside. He notices the bloody footsteps immediately - what the fuck else could it be? - and backtracks. It's not so much the conscientious student facet of his personality that causes this, or even his neat freak tendencies - it's just that he can recognize external pressure when he sees it and while he might be tempted more than a little to say fuck it and spread the footsteps around, trying to break out hasn't helped so far. Maybe he has to bite his tongue and go along with whatever delusion this is for a little bit to find the way out of it.

This tactic won't last for long, but while it does he's going to be a demon about it. ]

You're missing spots, idiot! [ As in coming into full touch with his naggy mother in law roots and going over other people's work. He doesn't just verbally nag them, though, he actively cleans up any spots they missed and directs them to Do Better. Katsuki is excellent at making friends (as in: he sucks at first, second, and third impressions. It's his greatest talent in life). ]

III. WAKE UP: MEMORIES.

[ He wakes up again. He's getting fucking sick of waking up when he doesn't remember going the hell to sleep (it was easy enough to assume the first time he'd just passed out because he'd taken a few too many hits, several of them for another person) but this time he wakes up and it feels real in a way Katsuki can't put his finger on. He knows he goes to U.A. high. He knows there should be grey uniforms and loud chatter about Quirks and heroes, and he should know every inch of the classroom he's in.

But he doesn't, even if it feels so fucking familiar it's like a gut punch. He's sitting at the edge of the class, by the window, and even that is familiar in a way. It's lunch break, and he doesn't know why or how he knows that even as he looks over and sees someone he doesn't know but there's enough familiarity there it feels like looking at fucking Deku or someone he's known his entire life.

Katsuki doesn't like it. His lips draw back in a snarl. ]

You. [ Whoever the fuck you are! How dare you make him feel like he knows you when he knows he doesn't know you. As always, his irritation is directed to the first available target, although he'll be soothed the second he realizes the person next to him isn't the cause of this but also a victim of it. ]

IV. WAKE UP: GRADUATION.

[ Oh, that's fucking it. Katsuki gives a frustrated shout this time, hands twitching with the urge to explode even though they apparently don't do that here! Whatever! ]

If I wake up one more fucking time - ! [ He's this close to death threats and mayhem. Katsuki's all talk on the death front - he wants to be a hero and that means adhering to certain codes and standards, especially when the man he admired most for all his life stood for peace. But he's not all talk when it comes to punching someone's fucking face in just so he stops "waking up" again and again like some infinite dream loop.

He heard the warning from the graduate, of course. But he's definitely just swearing up a storm and standing to kick the stupid chair he'd been sitting in, running useless hands through his hair as he tries to calm himself the hell down. ]

V. WAKE UP: SILENCE.

[ It's late. The world is strangely silent in a way Katsuki doesn't get (he's beyond thinking this is a single Quirk, but he doesn't know WHAT it is and that's driving him mad) so he's prowling around trying to explore. He already noticed his own voice comes out of his throat only to die, the clock having gone past midnight. It pisses him off, but what can he do?

They've got the PDAs, at least, although Katsuki hates group messaging systems. It's better than tracking down a notebook to use, and while he's familiar with a level of sign, he doubts everyone is. So if he runs into someone he makes an exaggerated sigh as he drags the stupid thing out of his back pocket. A message on the forum appears from K.Bakugo and reads: ]

Who's the jackass in front of the vending machines?

[ Charming as ever. If you'd like a specialized character descriptor in place of the insult, let me know. He tends to refer to people by obvious physical traits. ]

WILD.

[ Feel free to reach me via PM if you would like to figure something else out - including a high school AU memory or what have you, because I'm down for fake dream CR he'll be mad about after the fact. ]

Edited 2021-03-26 14:23 (UTC)

[A]

[the chalk dust makes her cough and sputter, and she barely even recognizes what's being said to her as words. cleaning up, of course, she's always glad to help... even as the strong, rusty smell makes the back of her mouth taste like pennies, and why can't she think...]

I'm sorry, I just... I need to get some water, first... [she rushes out of the classroom, and has made it a good five feet down the hall before she realizes that she's making... noises. noises like her sneakers make after visiting Ziggy's house.

she glances down, and behind. she slowly lifts her foot, watching as a red print is left behind.

how long can she stand there on one foot, staring at the floor? maybe we'll find out!]

[B]

[her first instinct is to stand, of course. a part of her muddled brain tells her how rude that would be, to move around while someone is giving an important speech, but the other part of her brain, the one with the highly tuned Bullshit Sensor one only gets from years of an adult purposefully tricking you every other week, tells her to get up immediately. and she can't.

she fights against it for the entire speech, which is definitely a foolish expense of energy, and she stumbles out of her chair when the hold finally breaks. and if she turns that tumble into a vague sort of cartwheel, that's her own business. she's back on her feet, at least.]

Brr! [she shakes her limbs, like she's trying to get rid of the last lingerings of that feeling.] That wasn't... normal, right? I've... [her eyes light up.] I've never been in a school like this before! I don't belong here at all!

[and she's just so pleased to be suddenly thinking clearly that she hasn't. quite grasped how that's actually a really bad thing.]

[C]

[so! turns out being a lazy scout is absolutely not proper preparation for an actual survival scenario! but, if there's one thing Stephanie knows, it's the value of a thorough journal, which is why she has one, and is using it to inventory the contents of the home ec room when she is probably supposed to actually be doing some sort of class project.

she scratches at the paper with a swiped piece of charcoal, tongue stuck out in concentration.]

If we ration out everything like... No, but then, what if someone... It might be more efficient, but... [she looks, helplessly, at the closest Normal Person.] How many people could share one egg, do you think? I don't think more than two.

i. cleaning

[Hinata can feel his stomach clench up into a tight knot as the laughter bounces around in his head, unnervingly familiar in a way he can't put his finger on. As the smell floods his nose, too much like the blood at the crime scenes of his dead classmates that he's become so terribly accustomed to-

...What the hell? His classmates aren't dead? They're fine, right besides him and being pieces of work as usual. He must not be getting enough sleep or something.

But... But the smell. That Godawful smell sets off both familiarity and panic in his brain, for some reason. It's enough to make his hands shake, and Hinata's overcome with the desperate need to get out.

He can't do this, he can't do this, he's going to go insane if he has to do this-

He has to. Hinata doesn't know why that feeling pings through him so strongly, but he can feel the back of his neck prickle with sweat as he picks up the sound of the students murmuring to themselves. There's a finality to their words, how they "must" clean up the classroom, and he doesn't want to find out what the alternative is. So he grits his teeth, hard enough to make his jaw ache, and gets back to work.]

I hear you. You don't have to tell me twice.

[That only coaxes out giggles from a girl at the other end of the board. Hinata does his best to stay calm.

In his haste to be done, there's a good chance he'll bump into another student who happens to be in his situation, but if not he definitely will once he's finished. The moment that the room is deemed clean enough, Hinata throws himself to his feet to get away from the class and the smell that haunted him even on Jabberwock-

Where... where is Jabberwock again-?

-and in the middle of that momentary confusion, he crashes shoulder-first into someone the moment he's out in the hall.]

S-sorry, I- [His face burns with embarrassment; whether it's from the collision or the stutter, he can't really say.] I just... needed to get some air.

[He feels a little lame for saying it, but it's the most genuine thought he could have right now.]

ii. dreams of a daily life

[He wakes up, indeed.

At first he's aware of touching the gorinto the moment he does so, fingers tracing the smoothness of the stone-

But that very quickly slides from his mind as easily as water.

There's someone he gets into fights with.]

If you're going to come in here with an attitude like that, I don't have to give you the time of day. [Hinata leans all the way back in his chair, looking at the person standing over him with the sharpest glare he can manage.] Things are hard enough without you acting like you're better than everyone.

[There's someone he always helps.]

No, no, not like that- [Hinata reaches over both his own desk and one beside him to point at a particular line of numbers.] Here, let's just. Try and go through it together this time, okay? Sorry, I know I suck at explaining this, but... We'll go slow and keep trying til you get it.

[And there's someone who always makes him feel safe.]

Hey, sorry I'm late. [Hinata offers a sheepish grin as he sits, gently bumping shoulders with the person already seated at the clock tower. It's only been a moment, but the tension begins to leave his shoulders. Sometimes he really doesn't know how stressed he is until he gets here.] But! I have the last thing we need for our midterm celebration. [A bag full of melon pan and other sweets is gently set between them, smile shifting into something more fond and soft.] I made sure to get a lot of your favorite, too.

[Hinata wakes up... but is he really waking up at all?]

iii. after graduation

[Even though he can already surmise the result, Hinata tries to open the front door again.]

...Still locked, huh? [He notes it with a grimace.] I guess I shouldn't be surprised.

[Disappointed, but not surprised. The fog that's seemed to hang around in his brain is dissipating, and with it comes the realization that something is terribly wrong - both with him, and with this school.

"Keep your eyes open." That's what his upperclassmen had said. He remembers it clearly, as clearly as he remembers the shock he'd felt at the sight of her arm.

I'm trying.

It won't do anything to mope at the entrance, though, so Hinata ventures back into the rest of the school in the hopes of possibly finding some sort of clue. It's out in the halls that he'll run into someone, or maybe a few someones, and speaks after a thoughtful pause.]

Hey... You're stuck here the same as me, aren't you? Otherwise you would've left with the others, right?

[He's apprehensive... but perhaps just a little bit hopeful, too. If he doesn't have to figure things out alone, maybe it'll be okay somehow.]

iv. wildcard

((got something else in mind? you're welcome to throw it at me here! c: i'm totally down for any pre-established cr via the second prompt, including any scenarios i didn't write out. if you need me for plotting or otherwise, feel free to shoot me a pm or hit me up at

Yamadori!))

I. WAKE UP: WAIT, DID WE MURDER?

[ Morgan is unfortunately rather used to not knowing what the hell is going on. It's just something that comes with having almost-total amnesia, although he's gotten used to things at home and so he feels that amused confusion a little less. At home he has a bunch of people always willing to fill him in on anything, too, and is constantly surrounded by an army of people Morgan is fond of who are fond of him in return.

Right now he has...a bunch of people who are acting like they know him, and as a certified amnesiac Morgan? Supposes that could be the case?? And everyone is being friendly so he's perfectly happy to laugh and joke around, although. He's eyeing the stains and the pink suds and just has to ask maybe you, leaning in and trying to lower his voice so not everyone knows he has no idea what the heck is happening: ]

Evidence of what? Did we murder someone? [ If so, were they bad people. He is asking for a friend, who is him, although Morgan sounds remarkably unconcerned about the possibility and more just Mildly Confused in a positive and friendly way. Surely if this class of people who apparently know him murdered someone it was...for good reasons??? He's not sure but he's not about to start off a fuss without knowing what's up. ]

II. WAKE UP: MEMORIES.

[ The sense of familiarity he can't quite remember is, again, perfectly normal for Morgan. He's not bothered by it, although he is a little confused by all the setting. He knows what this vending machine he's standing in front of is but he also...

Doesn't? He's seen a million of them, of course, but Morgan also isn't certain he's ever seen one in his life. He knows how they work, though. He digs into his pocket for some coins, and slots them in, picking a drink that his memories suggest are familiar even though he can't say he's ever had a soda before. He's not really sure who he's with, either, but Morgan smiles anyway and counts out enough coins. ]

Did you want something, too? I can cover it.

III. WAKE UP: RESCUE.

[ Alternately to memories: Morgan doesn't recognize the thing on the windowsill, but he can absolutely recognize someone standing there touching it and zoning out. So it doesn't take much to go and grip their hand and pull it away, a concerned if easy smile on his face. He's lost in this new and technologically advanced (comparatively) Japanese school, but that's no reason not to be friendly. ]

Are you okay? I don't think you've even blinked for the past few minutes.

IV. WAKE UP: GRADUATION.

[ So Morgan claps when other people do even though he's never? Attended a graduation? In fact he has never attended a school, especially a Japanese one, so he's just :)? :)? :)? in general but doesn't seem too put out about it. You know, it seems like people are having an okay time? Maybe? ]

Do you think she was warning us to keep an eye on our limbs? [ Is this something he should be concerned about? ] ...I have no idea what's going on.

[ The admittance to confusion is said SO BRIGHTLY, like a sunny afterthought, but hey. He's happy to wander around until he figures it out, although he hasn't been able to find his mother or literally anyone else he recognizes thus far. ]

V. WAKE UP: EXPLORING.

[ Left to his own devices, Morgan wanders around, particularly interested in any machinery that is or isn't working, and completely unsure of how the hell to use his PDA, so feel free to find him seated on a desk in one of the rooms sort of pressing buttons randomly.

Or, uh, feel the wrath of that with a random message from M.Morgan: ]

altkj4wl

[ He knows how to spell, don't worry. He's just. Hitting random buttons to see what happens. What happens, so far, is spam. Though if you find him in person he'll look up with a sunny if baffled smile. ]

Hi! Sorry, but I think I've forgotten...a lot more. Have we met? [ He will believe you if you say yes. Be nice. ]

WILD.

[ Feel free to reach me via PM if you would like to figure something else out - including a high school AU memory or what have you, because I'm down for fake dream CR! Morgan really will just assume he's operating on extra amnesia, though. ]

→ cleaning

( Falling asleep in class has never been a particular problem for Dimitri. Sleep doesn't come easy to him on a good day, so to find himself being jolted awake by a cloud of chalk dust is... disorienting. And the wetness that hits his cheek, the smell of iron strong in his nostrils, does nothing to help.

It takes a few, long seconds of staring at the rag in his hand - his bare hand - and the strange uniform he's wearing for Dimitri to realize he isn't dreaming. His eyes lift, sweeping the classroom and the others cleaning away. He can't help but watch another student as she shoves his hand into the bucket of pink suds, and something twists in his gut in disapproval. This is all so... horribly wrong.

Dimitri, are you just going to stand there or help out?

The voice snaps him out of his thoughts, and he glances towards his classmate. Their name comes to mind immediately, but he feels as if he's seeing them for the first time. )

Forgive me, my mind was elsewhere.

( He says it carefully, brows furrowing as he crouches besides one of the buckets to eye the water. He doesn't trust it, he decides immediately, but what can he say that would possibly stop any of the others from continuing to clean? The thought frustrates him, and he's only distracted by someone passing by, the trail of footsteps they leave in their wake. His head snaps to the side to follow them, the trail they're leaving, and he calls, )

Your feet-

→ cat

( There are strays around the monastery, certainly, but Dimitri keeps a fair distance away from them. Someone with his strength should be wary of handling such small animals, after all. So the feeling of the furry creature on top of him, kneading at his throat is distinctly different and new. But the weight on his throat snaps him out of the... sleep? he'd been in, and those claws at it startles and scrambles away tear a sharp hiss from his lips. )

Goddess... ( He whispers quietly to himself as he sits up, reaching up to rub his hand against the fresh scratches against his throat. They sting, and his bare (where are his gloves) fingertips can feel the warm wetness of blood. He trails his fingers curiously over the scratches, vicious and angry, and draws his hand away to look at the blood across his fingertips. ) Do all cats do these things?

→ wandering

( This cycle of waking is becoming familiar though no less tiresome. It doesn't take long for him to find himself slipping away from his classmates and exploring the halls. He is careful in the way he moves, almost as if he expects an enemy or mage to appear from a dark corner and ambush him. The less answers he finds, the more he thinks something along those lines might be true.

He finds himself at one of the exits. He tries the door - once, twice, three times - before stepping back to study it carefully. Perhaps he could break it down? But without his usually monstrous strength, he is certain it would be a failed endeavor. One hand lifts slowly, putting his hand to his chin thoughtfully as he studies the door. )

Some sort of entrapment spell, perhaps... ( He wonders aloud to himself, brows creasing. ) These doors must open somehow.

→ wild card

( feel free to hit me with a prompt or we can work out something together. i'm Batsy#9168 on discord. )

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miyuki shirogane | kaguya-sama: love is war | open

himeko inaba | kokoro connect