DECEMBER EVENT/TDM

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bulletin board updates

✽ There are several new points of interest at the bulletin board this month, most prominently a wooden box with the slit on the top just large enough to drop a sheet of paper inside. Above is an explanation of Secret Santa and a form to fill out for those interested in participating to write down their name, homeroom, and locker number. Sign-ups close on 12/5, and following assignments, gifts may be given in person or through one of the student council members if anonymous gifting is preferred (contact the mod to hire a stuco elf).
✽ Right next to this box is a poster with a large orange giraffe painted on it. The contents of the poster has nothing to do with giraffes, but rather, is an advertisement for student store commissions featuring quality work with quick turnarounds and a special discount for the month of December if you buy five or more commissions, or bring the shopkeep a warm drink and maybe a snack while they're working.
✽ To the side of the class roster and current ranks is a digital countdown, and scrawled on the bulletin board itself is the message "You're almost there! You can do it! One more push!" but it's unclear whether this message refers to the countdown to the new year, or to the long glass tube situated along the edge of the bulletin board next to it. Maybe both. The tube looks similar to a graduated cylinder, holding a total volume of 5000 ml and currently containing 4850 ml of dark red (presumably) blood, hot to the touch. It can not be broken or removed. The mod will be in contact if any character action this month causes the volume to change.
✽ A neatly typed notice, half buried under all the other announcements, contains a reminder that tuition will be due soon for those students continuing to study at Yogen. If tuition is not paid in full by the end of February, "compensation" will be taken instead.
✽ And finally, there is a notice from the student council that proof of club activity is once again due for submission to the student council by 12/24, otherwise the club will be dissolved and resources taken back. Please submit activity proof to the toplevel below.

12/20 - 12/24 finals week

✽ The week before winter break is finals, with many students cramming as many math formulas and foreign country leaders into their heads as possible without it all spilling over, while other students have decided to chance the practicum instead. Those who have signed up for the practicum are asked to meet inside the auditorium after homeroom at the start of the day while test takers begin their written exams. Students are allowed to change their minds on which to take, up until the end of homeroom on Monday, after the bell rings and the doors close.
✽ For the test takers, finals last for five days, from 8AM until noon each day, after which students are allowed to go home, or have lunch and continue studying in their homerooms or in the library. At the end of finals on Friday, students are asked to remain in their homerooms over lunch break while their exams finish being graded, after which homeroom teachers will return and ask certain students to go with them to the faculty office. These are the failing students. Which the homeroom teachers themselves have the pleasure of executing for their failures. All other students are dismissed and wished a happy winter break.
✽ For those opting for the practicum, finals last for two days, from 8AM until noon on Monday and Tuesday. All students from all grades meet in the auditorium the first day and are told the very simple rules for this semester's practicum: in order to raise your failing grade, all you have to do is kill another student, upon which you take their points for yourself. At the start of both days, students first gather in the auditorium for a headcount and then are given a half hour no-killing grace period during which they are allowed to scatter and find the best sniping/ambushing/hiding spots. The hunt is limited to four hours each day and kills must be done on campus; any kills done outside of these parameters are just for fun and do not count towards their final grade. Points are given for kills involving students in the same grade level of different homerooms (e.g. third years only benefit from killing other third years) and points are revoked for kills involving other grade levels or test takers not participating in the practicum. They studied hard, leave them alone. Most students need only one or two kills to pass, but multiple kills stack and earn them extra credit that will carry over to the next semester. Students who end the second day with a still failing grade will be called to the faculty office. ... All remaining students are dismissed and wished a happy (early!) winter break.
✽ A winter storm starts to whip up around noon on the 24th, raging through the night before settling down come morning, blanketing the entire campus with several feet of snow.

OOC

✽ PC faculty still have finals: they will either take written exams excluding that of their own subject, or they can take the practicum. Players with faculty characters are asked to reply to the toplevel below to indicate the number of failed students per class, but characters do NOT have to ICly be responsible for killing failed students. Unless they're cool with that, and if so, please let me know.
✽ This is a reminder that for any character that murders (again, please let me know), they will experience the same pain the following night and lose powers/abilities for one week. Two weeks after the murder, +1 tally and +100 merit points will be awarded for each kill.
✽ The void in the auditorium continues to grow, and (pending character interaction) by the end of the month will encompass the entire right wing of all floors, including the locker area but not the rooftop. Please mind the void, murderers.

Comments

[notsosou]

A: art is communication, communication is violence
[Go into the common room today, and you will see two things; the portraits now hanging on either side of the fireplace, and this guy, who has the tips of his fingers over the one of him and is futiley dangling where he jumped and tried to pull it down with his admittedly not high weight.]

Urk! What kind of... joke is this??

[He kicks his legs and then there's a thud and a winded noise as his fingers slip and he ends up spreadeagled on his back underneath, beanie fallen off next to him. On the other side of the fireplace, the extremely unsettling portrait there watches the events and you with amusement.]

B: hoarding problem
[If you're trying to use the vending machines any day in the week leading up to winter break, you may run into a problem... which is Shin is hogging them. He's repeatedly tapping his PDA against the reader and stuffing the food in his jacket and from the shape of it and his beanie he's gathering as much as humanly possible. He'll give a glance and then return to it... maybe he's clearing out your favorite snack in particular?]

Nearly done... The others are free, though.

[At least before he starts on those. It's also possible to catch him all puffed up from snacks on his way back to his dorm room as well, making a disgruntled noise when something falls out and he's clearly doing the mental equations on picking it back up.]

C: wildcard!
[Lemme know if there's something in particular you'd like! I've got my contacts if you want to jam something on discord or plurk.]

a

[commences]

Older, handsomer you?

( insult to injury, maybe, but he's bending down to pick up the beanie that's fallen on the floor once the other crashes. that will probably also become part of komaeda's hoarding collection if shin isn't careful. it's weird, actually, watching one portrait follow, and the other stagnant, but maybe that's because that person is here? or well, maybe when shin gets older, the younger protrait will move, and the older one will stop, you never know with how these things work. )

You're pretty weak! Ahaha, why are you taking them down... ( hm. ) It looks better than your mug shot in Ito-kun's mind, you know?

( where's the coffin so he can sit on it while picking out the stray hairs from the beanie, because shin clutches his head so much, you know he's got to leave some strands behind. )

[notsosou]

[Shin is not in the mood, feeling the crawl of a face he never wanted to see staring at him again down his spine, with Komaeda's own gaze adding to it. The lifted-head look doesn't last long before he rolls and picks himself up, dusting himself off.]

Maybe you'd like to give it a try? Surely you're strong enough, then.

[Pot. Kettle. Komaeda.

Sure enough, there's teal hairs standing out against the green of the beanie, somewhat dry and brittle towards the ends. Shin involuntarily contemplates the remote.]

Ugh... don't remind me.

[The way Komaeda was pulling his mouth up into a smile... hard to say which picture is more disgusting. Probably this one, because it isn't a fiction of someone's imagination.]

[commences]

Don't be delusional, certainly I'm...

( not, which he thought shin would be able to deduce from komaeda's appearance, but they're both pale and low temperature, so if he couldn't do it then komaeda shouldn't be able to. he stops though, actually thinking about it for a moment as he continues to pick out the strands of hair one by one, counting them like a person would sheep to lull themselves to sleep. between this color hair and the other picture by the fireplace, komaeda tries to find the similarities, but he can only compare if he's a little closer. )

I guess he wouldn't mind... ( he mumbles, setting the beanie down in his lap as he doesn't look towards shin's direction, and instead down at his prosthetic arm that he proceeds to slowly twist the wrist off. it doesn't hurt him to do so since it's made of only machine, but he wonders what it could have been like if it was his actual arm — twisting it, that is, he only knows about the messy, jagged cuts of a chainsaw. that's neither here nor there. once the arm comes off, he digs into the jacket of his attire, and he pulls out a different hand with claws. after a few twists, it's attached, and he clacks the blades together that sounds off a sharp shing when they touch.

with the beanie in his possession, he looks between the portraits as he walks to stand just a few steps away from shin. )

Which version of you?

( even though one set stares at him like so, and the other doesn't, it's up to shin to choose which "him" comes down, but komaeda doesn't know the full technicalities, so this is said without any intentions to get under his skin. obliviousness rewards many, and maybe it saves shin's sanity. )

[notsosou]

Hm?

[That's kind of the point really; bit rich of Komaeda to be making comments about him being weak in his own glass house. Put your money where your mouth is on that one... and Komaeda actually does. The moment the wrist comes off something is already prickling up at the back of his neck, and he's hyper aware of the sharpness of the claws, where he and Komaeda are as one closes the distance, and the exits, all at once. The unseen twitch of ears, paved over by a need to not show a reaction, and also... the filing away of this, because it's something he knows now, as a salve.

'Which version of him'... is his eyesight that bad? Does he know? He can't... it's probably just another toying, rambling shot in the dark, Shin can not afford to react. Unless Sara told him... or Ranger. Both of them have been chummy with Komaeda lately, haven't they, and that's how it works, doesn't it?]

Ahaha, whichever you like, go nuts. Why not both? If you can, that is.

[Ideas Shin hates: Komaeda just having these in his room, because he knows Komaeda well enough to know he wouldn't destroy them. But it's slightly edged out by the current horrible scenario of these just being in the common room forever. At least out of sight is out of mind.]

A

[samuraiwomen]

[ Walks in the room behind him holding the ethics club box of darts...

...Pulls one out as Shin falls to the ground, totally ignoring him. There's a moment of silence as she aims, and then Sara absolutely sends it at Midori's picture, hitting him square in his smug smug eye. ]

I heard the other pictures feel pain. Think these ones do? [ SHE'LL MAKE YOU REGRET SHOWING UP HERE, PICTURE MIDORI. ]

[notsosou]

[Shin lifts his head when he hears the sound of someone coming in, mouth already thick because he was hoping to get these down before anyone else noticed them, and then props himself up more on an elbow when he sees that it's Sara with... a very familiar dart set.

He can't help but do a sort of wince-grin when she gets Midori right in the eye.]

Showing your scary side again, Sara...

[But he doesn't sound too bothered about it. They can both agree; fuck that guy, even portrait him.]

No clue. Hey, how many points do you think the other eye is worth?

[Ethical and metaphysical ramifications of potentially pain-feeling portraits(??) aside, right now he just wants it to stop staring at him.]

[samuraiwomen]

[ Scary side...maybe so!!! Sara straightens up, pulling out another dart and offering it to Shin. ]

The order counts, right? If you get both...I think you get twenty points! But to win, you need to get his mouth too, so he'll shut up for once.

[ Today we roast Midori. ]

[notsosou]

[He gets up and lopes over to take the dart, sizing up the portrait.]

He sure does like the sound of his own voice...

[The dart ends up bouncing off the wooden frame near the other eye; he's got good hand-eye coordination but not a lot of practice with the physical motion of throwing itself, other than their periodic games of lobbing red things at Moon 1's door. (Snowball fight may or may not also improve this).]

Urk... Not even in frame... Ahaha, your turn, I guess.

[This is getting kind of fun.]

c, 4th.

[decrypter]

[there's a knock at Shin's door this Saturday, late afternoon - he probably knows it by now, that Helena comes calling when she feels the urge now. gentle but insistent, and coupled with her voice -]

Sou, are you in?

[there's something important to discuss.

the small bottle she carries in her hand bears a familiar symbol, slightly raised from the surface, and her fingers stroke over it while she waits for his reply. it had been under her bed, slightly dusty, with others - but this symbol strikes her, remembering the journey into Narumi's heart, and why not ask the first person that comes to mind?]

[notsosou]

[Things periodically just showing up in his room: always deeply concerning, in implication.

The kotatsu is forgiven, though. He'd just kind of stared at it for a bit, almost too afraid that if he used it, he'd never leave again. The also deeply concerning in implication lotus print is making him wonder if whatever entity is responsible for this has a sense of humor.

Either way, he's dozing arms folded on it and the study materials underneath him when Helena knocks, head lifting in a muzzy jerking motion.]

Hmnh? [Takes a second for it to register as Helena, and he turns towards the door, arm dangling.] Come in! Err, wait actually...

[Remembered he has to actually go over there and unlock it, both him and Sara tend to leave it locked whereever possible by habit, even if one of them is already in the room; it's not paranoia if it really is murder school. He manages to extricate himself somehow from the syrup-like warmth and flick the inner mechanism, pulling open the door and stepping back to let her inside, revealing the new furniture piece behind him with the motion. One side of his hair is stuck up at new and odd angles.]

Okay, now come in.

[decrypter]

Oh, were you asleep? I'm sorry to have woken you...

[not sorry enough to not walk in, gently tapping and stopping in surprise when the echoes have a different quality than what she's used to.]

You got something added to your room! What is it?

[it feels just a touch warmer here too...but absent the hum of the space heater.]

[notsosou]

Ah, no, I was just getting some study done... you know.

[That's his story and he's sticking to it... he actually did manage some before the kotatsu status effect claimed him. Even if they don't fully know the lethal nature of it yet, finals are still coming up and he's shoring up his weakest areas that aren't PE (thankfully Helena and Subaru's November training has been helping just a little there).

There's a warmth in his voice equal to the warmth provided.]

It's a kotatsu! Come on.

[He'll close and lock the door again and hurry over to it... his steps have a rare bounce to them. He sits and then pats the table surface after the sound of shuffling papers out of the way stops.]

It just was here, already on...

b

[sportadork]

[... okay that's, um. hm. possibly a chance to confirm something he's increasingly worried about. also honestly just concerning behavior in general.]

Is that all for you?

[notsosou]

[Shin knows vaguely of Sportacus as 'that one guy who replaced Stephanie(?) and also teaches second year math' by osmosis but hasn't formed any strong opinions per se beyond his natural background radiation suspicion of upbeat people.]

Well, some's for my roommate.

[Since that's where he's storing most of this, knowing how easy the lockers are to break into. Maybe if he runs out of space he can try and find some untraveled corners of the crawlspaces, but that's more risky. He's factoring Sara laying claim to some of this into his calculations.]

I'd be stocking up too if I were you... Winter break's almost here, after all.

[Since this guy is new and all, this is helpful advice from Shin and not anything to be concerned about, for sure, absolutely.]

[sportadork]

[cocks head]

Is something going to happen over winter? I haven't heard anything.

A

[moraloutrage]

[So much commotion in the common room lately! Ishimaru steps into the room with his arms crossed and a frown.]

What is going on in here? [He then notices that he's on the ground and approaches him to lend a hand.] Are you alright? [And he blinks, as he glances towards the portraits in the process.] ...Ah, those portraits seem new.

[notsosou]

[He's never sure what to think about this guy, in passing. Something about him being so consistently and bluntly himself is weirdly reassuring, though. Which is why he'll take the offered hand and help getting to his feet and then let go the second he's upright. It's like lifting a couple of grapes, as the meme goes.]

Ahaha, just fine. [If still a bit winded from the impact, with his hands on his knees and his breathing. He turns his head to follow Ishimaru's gaze, pulling his scarf up around his mouth as he straightens. His entire skin prickles just them being here, let alone them being observed.]

Disgusting, aren't they? I've been trying to take them down but no luck...

[moraloutrage]

[Ishimaru gives a small smile as he helps the boy up on his feet with little effort and looks towards the portraits again.]

They do not seem as unpleasant as the other portraits, but... there is something unsettling about them. [One of them really seems like it's looking at him!] If they are like the others, it may prove impossible to remove them. However, I am here to lend you my aid!

a

[adsum]

[ The loud thud prompts npckun to poke their head out the door to see what's going on, but not without waiting a couple of seconds to make sure whatever is out there isn't screaming their head off and staying inside would be the wiser course of action.

... ]

Sou...? Were you trying to do a handstand? The trick is to go slow and not kick so much.

keigoooooo

[notsosou]

[This is a wise move and normally Shin would be internally giving a sage nod at it. He is a little distracted, currently, by lying on the floor, head rolling towards Npckun as they speak.]

Aren't you supposed to be at your store right now?

[This is 'hello, how are you' in Shin language when there's something in the room he's desperately hoping despite all odds for you to not notice.]

Ah, I'll keep that in mind... Should have taken it slower, yeah.

[He will actually keep it in mind, trying it out later in curiosity while also hoping no one is watching. Handstands, totally what he was up to, yep.]

[adsum]

[ They make a little face at that snide comment, but decides they'll be the bigger person and let it slide. Sou's just upset because he can't do handstands. ]

Yeah, but everybody's too busy studying to go shopping, so I'm working on commissions in my room... I can spot you if you want to try again.

[ Probably can't catch him or break his fall or do anything a spotter is supposed to do, but they can watch and tell him what he's doing wrong. ]

A

[rearranger]

[ First a laptop (which he was, admittedly, grateful to have,) that eyesore of a coffin, now these eyesore portraits. What next? One of their machines? He hopes not. He doesn't trust anyone around here not to find some way to cause trouble, and he'd rather not not have to worry about being blamed for whatever stupidity they get up to by virtue of being the only one who knows how to use anything from that place.

Ranger's eyes flick to Shin as he collapses before moving back to the portraits, looking between the two before his eyes settle on Midori. ]

Yeeeesh, there's a face I'd hoped I'd never have to see again.

[ His eyes turn back to Shin. Is he alright? ]

[notsosou]

[He's fine, most of the damage was to his pride. He was planning on lying here and being miserable for a bit before trying again, but lifts his head off the floor when Ranger speaks, rolling to the side to get up and look back up at it.]

Ugh. Tell me about it...

[Still weird to think that Ranger must have known him. This whole thing, the whole time, and him with no idea... it's the kind of emotion that's more of a moving scribble than something describable, waxing and waning as it comes to mind.

It is a little vindicating that apparently Midori wasn't popular there, even if it makes that old wound of 'how-could-you-not-notice' sting a bit.]

[rearranger]

[ Well, he seems to be fine. Ranger walks over to the wall, reaching up on his tip toes to experimentally slip his fingers under and bug at the Midori painting. The way that the eyes seem to be trailing is seriously creepy. It's no more inclined to budge than the painting of Shin. Judging by how hard he had been going at it, Ranger finds it safe to assume that no amount of pulling will get it down.

He could understand the fine art that they were all treated to, but who though they needed these eyesores permanently fixed to the walls? ]

These are from his floor.

[ He tugs a few more times anyway a little irritable. ]

That coffin too.

[ He blows out a sigh. ]

They couldn't have sent a better retirement gift? The Hell is the point of making these immovable anyway?

[ He does give up and step back after a few more tries though. ]