(open) alice in yogen...land

[shimashima]

Who: Alice and anyone!
What: Awakening + some post-arrival catch-all content for variety (library studying efforts; music room moment of silence; attempting to carry out his "three hopeful deeds" quest; testing whether he can bathe without summoning his fairy godmother at awkward times or prove that it was all a prank after all).
When: Late January and probably early February.
Where: First floor hallways and locker area; library; music room; dorm building common room and bathrooms; anywhere you want to run into him to aid his mission.
Warnings: YTTD spoilers and discussions of death in some threads.


a. first floor — counselor's office to lockers: awakening

[ Alice blinks, shaking his head as he catches himself against the doorway. The fog hampering him barely lifts; something feels off, but it slips through his fingers as soon as he pursues it. Finding a mysterious surprise in one pocket is just as perplexing — 35.4 N, 138.6 E... Whose writing is this, and why is the note in his possession? Since when...?

The answers don't come. They definitely aren't written on the walls, or the floor, or anyone's face. For now, Alice folds the scrap of paper back into a small square to store in his locker — it's possible that he simply needs to get some rest, out of sorts, he decides.

Upon reaching the correct row of lockers, entering the combination for his own, he hovers there too long, abruptly gripping the edge of the locker's open door so tightly that his hand trembles, white-knuckled, and the locker hinges creak. His other hand does the same with the front of his jacket, creasing its lapels.

This, all of this— What in the world is he doing here, classes to attend on his mind, years after already finishing high school...? In such a plain uniform, at that! It's almost as bad as enduring the restrictive shackles of "slammer style"! These thoughts hurtle through his head, wherever they came from, knocking loose question after question, each one more dizzying to ponder than the last.

He shuts the locker, and thinks of countless others lining a white room. He opens it again, merely to continue peering inside at its perfectly normal contents, seized by the absurd fear that he'll come face to face with a gun-wielding schoolgirl. But that can't be right — she was outside—

In some sort of nonsensical dream, yes? ]

How... how ridiculous...!

[ Open, shut. Open, shut. A white room with a stained ceiling. Perhaps it would be best to turn around and leave for a change of scenery, but he can't seem to clear his head for that, soon clutching onto the locker partly because his knees might buckle otherwise as one hand tugs at his shirt's collar. ]

b. library: totally blending in

[ The spectre of finals week may have been vanquished for the time being, but this is still a school, and the start of another semester heralds the inexorable approach of further torment. Not only that, but if the rumors are to be believed, this particular school's methods are plainly insane, the biggest yikes imaginable! It's like a death game, culling students so cruelly...

As tempting as it must be for everyone to hide from it all (right?), they have no choice but to prepare in advance for whatever else lies in store.

Alice, for his part, is seated at a table in the library, textbooks and pages of notes laid out before him. A model prisoner elsewhere, it should be a piece of cake to mold himself into a model student here, thanks to the completed high school experience under his belt, thus setting an inspiring example to follow — it's the least he can do now. And so, with what might be unexpected diligence, he turns page after page, the tip of his pen scratching across paper, covering the sheets in neat (if somewhat odd-looking) handwriting.

Consequently, the look of concentration he wears is particularly intense, closer to scowling at the study materials in front of him — at least until he pauses for so-called furtive glances cast around rather conspicuously. Eating in the library is surely forbidden, and he knows better than to try his luck here, even with his unparalleled capacity for stealth, but how can anyone focus uninterrupted for hours on end on an empty stomach?!

All the same, despite such inconvenient obstacles, if anyone in the vicinity appears to be noticeably discouraged in the face of their schoolwork today, Alice will eventually speak up. ]

...Trick questions would violate some kind of code... I'm sure of it. So it's simply a matter of studying regularly, and paying attention in class, in order to face future exams without any mental blocks... Perhaps that's the key to avoiding a terrible fate.

c. music room: reko was better at this

[ Why come here, of all places?

Alice can't play a single instrument — it makes no difference whether or not most are locked away out of reach. Even so, once he's approached the piano, he lingers there awhile, though he only lets his fingertips wander across a few keys, slowly, from left to right, without pressing down.

He does hum under his breath, just a brief sequence of notes that breaks off before long, leaving the song unfinished. ]

d. dormitory common room, various locations: three hopeful deeds

[ Support others, lift their spirits by returning hope to their despairing hearts... What a task he's been handed! Honestly, there's a part of him that thinks this is purely for his peculiar fairy godmother's entertainment. He's rather out of practice when it comes to spending so much time around others, for one — unless this school counts, hazily, and the Death Game before it — and no one seems especially inclined to regard him as a beacon of hope.

(Did his words dispel Ranmaru Kageyama's despair, that time...?)

Nevertheless, unwilling to risk something dreadful if the entire thing is true, Alice is taking his quest seriously indeed. Around the school grounds, on each floor and from rooftop to courtyard, he stays on the lookout for anyone who might fit the description of someone who has lost the will to go on.

In the dormitory building's common room, however, while he tries to surreptitiously keep up his watchful observing from a free seat, the disturbing decor remains distracting. This feels horribly familiar, too, all these paintings on the walls. ]

As if one art gallery like this wasn't enough...

e. dormitory hallways and bathrooms: haunting

[ Since human bodies continue to function as they did in life outside of this bizarre purgatory, it would be completely disgusting to have no access to running water, and so forth. Daily showers are as necessary as ever!

But with a ghostly presence lurking about, how is a man to bathe in peace?! Said ghost could appear at any moment, and if it wasn't a lie that no one else can see him, reacting aloud would arouse suspicion...

Alert, Alice does his best to tiptoe through the hallways, and to flatten himself against the walls without touching any of the paintings. It's a race against time — he can't hold his breath much longer to stay silent as he creeps towards the nearest bathroom! ]

Comments

for amami

[shimashima]

( continued from here )

[ Physics... Alice's heart sinks. The content isn't completely unfamiliar — he managed to survive ordinary high school, after all, and he's been attending every class since waking up here — but it's not as if science is his forte. His knowledge of equations and formulas and so on feels somewhat wrapped in cobwebs... That's not good at all, since physics is probably a compulsory subject.

Besides, this boy is counting on him now, and he mustn't disappoint him! ]

I see, so it's the phrasing... [ Alice nods several times in a row, resorting to the thoughtful chin-rubbing once more. ] It's annoyingly convoluted, isn't it? Anyone who doesn't grow confused must be superhuman!

[ And merely commiserating isn't helping, and rubbing his chin obviously doesn't change that. Overdoing it will only make him look like a weirdo! But an idea begins to take shape — he's going somewhere with this. ]

Er... Do you like... art?

[sisters]

( ha, looks like he's caught on one that's tricky for both of them. it's not that amami minds though; commiserating isn't so bad once in a while, he does find himself nodding along with a bit of a laugh at the comment that's offered up. watching with sharp eyes as he is, he's pretty sure he can see the exact moment that little lightbulb pops up over alice's head too, even if he doesn't quite get what the connection is from the question alone. )

Art?

( can't say he expected that one, but after a moment of surprise passes through his expression, it actually lights up. )

I wouldn't call myself an artist or anything, but I have been practicing lately. ( wonder if those ugly raccoon posters he made are still up anywhere... ) What are you thinking?

[shimashima]

[ This is it! The perfect opening to explain his solution! An interest in art is all they need...

Alice allows himself a triumphant chuckle, mouth curving into another smile, though he knows that they shouldn't rejoice prematurely. In fact, getting ahead of himself would be terrible when it's become even more important to overcome those dreaded mental blocks for good — the boy looks genuinely hopeful. ]

Your skill level won't matter. You enjoy drawing, then...

[ Here it comes...! ]

Which means that drawing diagrams to represent each frustrating question could be the road leading you to victory!!

[sisters]

You think so?

( his eyes are bright, even as he asks — he's not opposed tot his idea at all. actually, it sounds pretty solid. )

Well, it's worth a shot. Here... ( let him scribble a quick note down on his paper. ) I'll give it a try next time and get back to you with the results. How's that sound?

( this guy seems so proud of himself already that it's actually kind of funny, in an endearing way mind you. colourful temperament, this one — but it's hard not to like someone who's so earnest. with that in mind, amami can hardly imagine limiting him from seeing what a help he's been if this ends up working. oh, and just for good measure: )

If I have any luck with it, I'm sure there's others who'd benefit too.

( he could be a hero to exam-takers everywhere... )

[shimashima]

R-Really?

[ What is this feeling... It's such a rush to experience someone taking his advice to heart, listening attentively and agreeing to try his suggestions! Those aren't empty words — the boy has jotted down a reminder for himself!

Sitting up straight, fingers splayed atop the table on his side, Alice isn't quite sure what to do next. As a teenager, he was an average student, he supposes, and few fellow students needed to borrow his class notes or ask him to shed light on challenging concepts on a regular basis. Here, the whole routine feels familiar again, but the rising worry that he can't guarantee success just like that wars with his earlier confidence.

Nevertheless, it is worth a shot... With a decisive nod, Alice continues: ]

By all means — you may report your results to Alice Yabusame at your leisure! You can even spread the word as you please, if all goes according to plan.

[sisters]

Alice Yabusame-kun. Gotcha, I'm Rantarou Amami, and I'll make sure I let you know how things go.

( which will be great, by the way, because much to his dismay he won't end up taking a written test at all. that's beside the point though — for now, he'll takes a moment to stretch, offering a smile as he heaves out a big sigh. actually, he'd almost yawned, but manages not to be that rude in front of company. pretty sure you're not supposed to yawn in front of a guy who's looking so serious about the whole tutor bit.

with that out of the way, he starts gathering up a couple of those books he'd had spread out, stuffing them back into a bag he'd had hanging off his chair. he continues on conversationally as he does, peeking at alice from the corner of his eye. )

What do you say I get you a drink or something as thanks? It's the least I can do.

[shimashima]

[ Truly, this is an amazing feeling, the sweet novel taste of an incredible accomplishment... Rantarou Amami's stress levels appear to be reduced, enabling him to breathe freely! Alice, in turn, relaxes to bask in that satisfaction. That much isn't premature — alleviating some pressure is cause enough for celebration.

Perhaps they've earned a break... Though he may be accustomed to sitting stuck in one place, stretching one's legs every so often makes it more bearable. ]

Rantarou Amami! I'm pleased to make your acquaintance, and I'll accept your invitation. Staying hydrated is another essential part of maintaining sensible study habits!

[ Rising from his seat, Alice tidies his belongings into a stack to hold in his arms. Briefly, he glances around for any ghostly company watching them, but there's no one to be seen. ]

Shall we visit the vending machines?

[sisters]

( amami pauses to follow alice's gaze around the room, eyes flickering over the surroundings despite not quite being sure what he's looking for, but it doesn't seem like whatever he's so curious about is here after all. for the time being, amami will nod in the direction of the entrance before leading the way himself, glancing over his shoulder to make sure alice is following along with him. )

We shall. I haven't seen you around before — you have any favourites? ( and with a bit of a smile: ) No guarantees I can get them, mind you.

( sometimes it feels like the real gacha is the vending machine, rather than kamo-kun's rock setup. you should see what their resident shsl lucky godmother got from it in the past. )

[shimashima]

Correct, I... woke up quite recently. I've needed to rely on the vending machines extensively, even though some of their contents aren't normal.

[ Alice isn't far behind Amami, falling into step with his new acquaintance to leave the library together. Quiet for a moment, he considers the question — and the implications of vending machine gacha. The Fairy Godmother of Hope Komaeda must have used his wand to eliminate any risk of receiving the wrong item! ]

Such as the beetles...

[ No one in their right mind would ever think of beetles as a beverage anyway, but it's the first thing that strikes Alice as necessary to address. ]

As long as it's sweet and refreshing, and not weird, anything that emerges is acceptable! Juice or tea, for example... Have you any personal recommendations?

[sisters]

Ha, yeah, don't worry. I wouldn't let you get something that bad.

( he's got more than enough merit points to reroll if alice's luck really did him in like that. luckily enough though, it doesn't; what he'll get instead is a pink mogu mogu lychee drink. sweet, refreshing, and something amami's been kind of fond of despite circumstances — he holds it out for alice to take with a smile on his face though. )

New though, huh? If you need a rundown of anything, let me know. I've been here for a while, so even if physics isn't my strong suit, I can at least say I've studied up on this place.

[shimashima]

[ Rantarou Amami's personal recommendation is more than acceptable! It has an appealing design and it's sure to be delicious, and Alice takes the proffered bottle with a gasp equal parts appreciative and awed. Maybe Rantarou Amami's luck even extends to rock gacha, with those elusive striped stones...

Holding his acquired beverage cupped between both hands for the moment, Alice doesn't unscrew the bottle's cap just yet — he intends to wait until he isn't the only one with something to drink. Amami's new offer gives him pause, too.

A while, hmm... ]

Well then, what do you consider important knowledge?

[ Using one hand, Alice indicates the vending machines. Most of the items are fine, but the unpredictable results make it stressful to purchase enough to feel satisfied! ]

I suppose I'd like to reduce my reliance on these... I know it's possible, for some reason, but I don't recall the details.