(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

[shimashima]

[ The voice coming from behind him sounds harmless, uttering a friendly greeting followed by some puzzling sentences that don't register immediately, but Alice jumps with a jerk of his shoulders. The first thing out of his mouth is something embarrassing: ]

KYAAAH?!

[ The owner of the voice has snapped him out of suffocating under an avalanche of too much to think about all at once, at least, grounding him while he attempts to compose himself, to breathe, to sift through what he's hearing until the words make sense. He manages to straighten up, looking over his shoulder. ]

A... what?

[ Did he mishear? What is this person even talking about, rocks? ]

[adsum]

[ They jump back in surprise at the shout, but the smile on their face freezes rather than drops, heart pounding in their chest and hands reaching into their pocket to pull out a sample rock: it's polished smooth, has a good heft to it, flat and sized to fit in one's palm with a shallow dip in one side. ]

A rock! Here, hold this.

[ It's a rock. ]

[shimashima]

[ Thoroughly distracted in his bewildered state — blessedly so right now, and calmer for it — Alice turns around all the way, his movements less sudden, a little more dazed. Why, this person seems scared of him! Yet they're still insisting on their unusual marketing strategy? ]

There's no need to be frightened...

[ Ah. That really is a rock. There it sits once it's handed to him, cradled in his palm, impressively smooth in texture. It feels pleasantly cool against his skin, and he lowers his gaze to study it quizzically. ]

...You wish to sell this? [ And there are more? ] Well, how much does it cost?

[ Perhaps he did need a rock... Ten or a couple dozen might be excessive, however! ]

[adsum]

[ "There's no need to be frightened" that's what people say about heights and the dark and deep water and strangers, but logic doesn't stop them from being scared anyways. But there's nothing like unusual marketing strategies to push through your fears. ]

Mmhm! It's called a worry stone, and you rub your thumb against it, like this.

[ They reposition his hand so that his thumb rests in that shallow dip; it gives off that very satisfying sensation you get when something fits perfectly. ]

With the new customer discount, it can be yours for the low low price of 100,000 yen!

[shimashima]

A worry stone...?

[ This rock... It truly feels like it was made for him, the way its shape neatly accommodates his thumb. Obviously it would be extremely arrogant to think that it's a special rock just for him, but its combination of properties make it so appealing, and somehow soothing to hold. Since it seems that he's being invited to do so, Alice rubs his thumb against the stone's polished surface, in that dip, back and forth.

Why is it so satisfying—

Wait. Hold on! ]

...100,000 YEEEEN?! Is this a joke?!

[ Even for such a nice stone, that's not a bargain at all! How cruel, after getting him excited about it... ]

What was the price without that discount?!

[adsum]

A whole extra zero! That's a 90% discount, it's practically a freebie!

[ Calling them cruel when they gave such a steep discount... even though they set the price in the first place and there's only ever been two people fool enough to hand over that amount of money. ]

Not a lot of people have money here, though, so I'll take goods and services too. Do you have anything interesting...?

[ stands on their tippy toes to try and peer into Alice's locker, curious as to what had him all riled up in the first place. ]

[shimashima]

What a strange interpretation of "freebie"...

[ Who would pay that much, even if they had the funds to cover a couple dozen rocks?! And yet, the rock merchant evidently isn't joking, and Alice isn't their first target!

He's beginning to feel rather foolish for being so taken with this damn stone, still holding it in his hand despite his remarks, but the sales pitch really was too effective... He can't deny that he was considering it, moments before the harsh truth was revealed. ]

Hmm? Is your definition of interesting goods and services questionable as well?

[ Or does the merchant covet his stylishly striped change of attire? Of the contents found inside Alice's locker, several such garments are the most noteworthy thing. ]

[adsum]

[ 90%!!!!!

It's hard to tell what sort of clothing it is when neatly folded like that, but they're more of a solid color person than a stylish striped. They sort of really want to rummage around in there, but move to clasp their hands behind their back so that they're not tempted. ]

Mm... Are you any good at drawing? I'm always looking for unique art styles to help advertise the shop— have you seen the posters hanging around?

[ Maybe he has, some on the bulletin board and others in the halls or inside classrooms, each featuring a drawing of some sort of animal. Some feature colorful scribbles that's supposed to be an animal, but bears no resemblance. Those are Keigo's favorite. ]

[shimashima]

[ Studying the locker's contents himself, Alice pauses on the note placed atop the stack of folded clothing. He may have calmed down, but whatever secret those coordinates conceal remains a mystery — no explanation surfaces from the depths of his memories.

It's no less surprising to hear these latest questions. After the rock disappointment, services involving something as ordinary as advertisements is unexpected! ]

I... [ If he stops to contemplate the walls and so on around the school building, Alice thinks that he does recall seeing posters. ] Those are yours, then... I don't see why I wouldn't be able to produce suitable drawings. Have you any striped rocks to sell?

[adsum]

[ Keigo opens their mouth, about to argue that they did not draw the monstrosities, but technically the art is still theirs or at least drawn for their sake, so. Well. Good artists aren't exactly what they're looking for anyways. ]

Sure I do! Want to see them? C'mon, follow me, the student store is this way!

[ They round behind Alice to place their hands on his back and push him the direction of the store, walk walk walk ]

[shimashima]

Wha—

[ His locker isn't closed and locked properly yet! Hurriedly, Alice reaches over to take care of that, and then he acquiesces, letting himself be ushered along the hallway to the student store. With the worry stone in his hand, they can't part ways, anyway — he's no thief!

Perhaps it's shameful that he welcomes the distraction. ]

I'm following you, I'm following! See?

[adsum]

[ Once Alice gets going, Keigo goes on ahead of him, turning around briefly with a couple of backwards steps to make sure he really is following, before facing forward again so they can get to the student store first, the sound of a lock clicking open when they turn the handle and nudge the doorstop in place.

They step into the center of the room and go \o/ ]

Ta-da! This is my shop! Whenever you get rich, come by and buy something from me! I've got sweatshirts and keychains and suncatches and lots and lots and lots of rocks!

[ There are so many rocks. No matter how many they manage to get rid of, they keep coming back. Inside the store, they're kept in little boxes on the shelves, one of which Keigo pulls down and rummages inside— just a cursory glance, more with their eyes than their hands— and puts it back. ]

Hmm... Not here... I know!

[ Okay so this was the master plan all along, it's them leading Alice over towards the rock gacha where they can peer into the glass and try and spot striped rocks in the clear halves of the capsules inside. ]

Ohh, this one has stripes! That one too! Rock gacha's only 10 merit points a try so it's super affordable, and you get as many tries as you want! Give it a try! You can do it! I believe in you!

[shimashima]

[ Lots and lots and lots of rocks is no exaggeration — but then, the vast supply needs to feed the rock gacha habit of many a student. Sweeping a look around the store's interior from corner to corner, Alice can't mask his amazement. Even though his mind tells him that he should recognize the school's various facilities, coming here feels new at the same time, the assortment of items on offer a mystifying concept.

And true to the shopkeep's word, there are striped rocks... Alice's eyes rest on them. Besides him, is there any other soul in all the world who could truly appreciate such rocks?!

Participating in rock gacha requires a mere 10 merit points per try, and merit points can be accumulated with relative ease, as long as a student attends class and behaves themselves. On the other hand, rocks aren't edible, so use of the vending machines swiftly depletes one's merit point balance.

A mere 10 merit points... Alice's thumb brushes across the worry stone clutched between his fingers. At first, he'd only meant to recommend adding striped rocks to appeal to future customers, and he would have declared himself willing to sketch detailed pictures to advertise the shop, in exchange for one rock, but now...

Now temptation's whisper is in his ears, rousing dangerous desires in his heart! He should resist, he knows, but— ]

...I suppose there's no harm in it... just once. Right now?

[adsum]

Yeah! Just try it once!

[ It's like a gateway drug, all it takes is one pull... Keigo grouches down next to the gacha machine, alternating between looking at the capsules and up at Alice, very excited, very expectant. ]

Ten points a pop, and if you play ten times and give the empty capsules back to me, you get one extra pull! And recycle to help the environment! It's a win-win!

[shimashima]

[ That excited, expectant look is formidable indeed. ]

Very well... I accept!

[ Ten times ten... Hmm, that's too reckless for a first attempt, isn't it? Alice rubs his chin with one hand, and the worry stone with the other. A single overly cautious pull is no good, either... ]

I shall play three times today...

[ Sadly, it seems it's not meant to be... These three acquired rocks are very ordinary, and not one striped specimen has come home.

Seven more makes ten, plus the extra pull for the empty capsules... ]

...I absolutely won't give up, you hear! I will return!!