(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

c...!

[mermaidcursed]

( oh- someone's on the piano again. admittedly, nene sort of assumes it's someone who she already knows, because instead of double checking, she instead goes straight to the cooking classroom and instead makes snacks because all of her piano friends get too absorbed in the piano.

when she quietly slides the door open with one hand, a glass of coffee milk and some cat-shaped rice balls balanced carefully- she blinks. that is not lucifer. or kaede. or anyone she's seen before, actually. ... well, she still made a snack, so... nene knocks on the wall beside her to announce herself and then waves, once she's sure she has the man's attention. from there... well, there's a chalk and chalkboard. )

it's too cold and empty here to be alone.
if you haven't eaten, i brought you something.
my name is nene yashiro!

[shimashima]

[ Those days of trying and trying to follow Reko's instructions are too distant for Alice to retrieve anything like a series of scales, let alone a cohesive melody, but he's surrendered to the call of the piano before him, compelled by the uncomfortable ache in his heart. His index finger pushes down one white key, a second one, a third. The notes produced are disconnected plinking.

The sudden knock prompts him to hastily withdraw his hands; whirling around, he straightens up like he's been caught at a crime scene instead of in a music room, relaxing only when his gaze lands on the person behind the knocking — his reaction immediately seems excessive. The two of them are alone for the moment, so the girl's waving at him must be deliberate, if surprising. Uncertainly, Alice lifts one hand in return before he approaches the chalkboard himself, scanning the sentences written there.

If this girl — Nene Yashiro — can't speak, perhaps she can't hear, either? ]

Ah...

[ Pointing at himself, Alice eyes the unexpected snack delivery. Such cute rice balls... He supposes that Nene Yashiro takes it upon herself to bring anyone using the music room snacks — and that she's not a ghost.

Her timing is impressive, and it is a little cold, but introductions come first, so Alice picks up another piece of chalk to write out a response: ]

It's a pleasure to make your acquaintance, Nene Yashiro. My name is Alice Yabusame.

Will you be eating any of these yourself?

[mermaidcursed]

( nene almost thinks nothing of his writing alongside her- hinata did the same, and so did ishimaru sometimes. but then... this man has no reason to do so. the others were out of solidarity on some level. he, however, doesn't know her... oh right, muteness and deafness go hand in hand in society's eyes. after a moment, she hastily writes: )

i can still hear, don't worry! but you can do what you want

( or maybe that was a rude assumption and he's like her. wait. crap. she falters for a moment before moving just enough to set the tray down on the teacher's desk. ... it's probably fine, they aren't here to see and meng yao is very understanding of things when its his turn to use the music room.

there's only the one glass, and then five rice balls... they aren't very big, really, but they are almost too cute to eat in her professional opinion. after a moment, she shakes her head and approaches the board again. )

no, these are for you. though, i'm sorry if the fillings aren't something you like
its just normal stull, ume and salmon though
you're new, right? it's nice to meet you, yabusame-san!

[shimashima]

[ It's easier if she can hear after all — and if it doesn't bother her to be the only one writing. Sheepishly, warmth creeping along his neck and across his cheeks for his incorrect conclusions, Alice sets his piece of chalk back down, brushing the dust from his fingers. ]

Very well... I shall write if you prefer it.

[ And he won't pry into it with nosy questions. His eyes track Nene's movements to the desk, resting on her tray. He could easily finish the lot on his own, of course, but isn't that impolite? That, and it almost seems a shame to eat the rice balls when they're so cute, even if letting them go to waste would be worse. ]

I don't doubt that the snacks are delicious, Nene Yashiro. Your guess is correct... I... woke up recently, and it's my first time sampling such rice balls.

[ Should he simply sit down and help himself to everything...? He can't help but dwell on the thought that much like Helena Adams, someone like Nene Yashiro seems out of place here, if those who become students have slates to wipe clean before they're deemed ready for reincarnation. ]

...Have you been here for a while?

[mermaidcursed]

( nene giggles quietly behind her hand- he was a very earnest person, huh? but that's alright, she doesn't mind that sort of thing. it's refreshing, almost. after the rough months of betrayals and slowly-growing secrets... someone so earnest as to blush from his ears when he makes an understandable but wrong assumption is like a spring breeze. )

help yourself, i don't mind. something to eat will do you good, anyhow.

yes, i've been here since last spring.

( simpler times, honestly. )

[shimashima]

[ Well, if Nene Yashiro insists, then he won't hold back! Carefully, Alice seizes one of the rice balls between his fingertips, keeping it above the tray in case any grains of rice escape. It's dwarfed by his hands as he nibbles on one corner, but from the very first bite it is delicious, promising more of that with each mouthful. His taste buds rejoice, and his stomach will soon do the same!

He hums an appreciative sound, about to take another bite, but Nene's answer sinks in. For a moment, he stands frozen, rice ball in hand, staring at the words on the chalkboard.

Last spring... It's winter now, spring once more in a few months... ]

I... I see...

[ Nene Yashiro is quite young — does she miss her family? Alice's gaze leaves the chalkboard, traveling back to the girl. ]

Little wonder that you know your way around so well...

[mermaidcursed]

i've had a lot of time to learn. but i think there's still more that i'm only familiar with
i don't do the exploring aspect a lot, i try to help take care of everyone instead.

( she helps with cooking and cleaning, she's made blankets for others- so many excess blankets, if only they had a linen closet- and her gardening club grows food and flowers... something for the brave mystery solvers to come home to. something light in this dismal place.

even if it's a little tiring.

still, it looks like he's enjoying the treat. that's good. she's doing her job right. so despite everything, she smiles a little. )

[shimashima]

[ A lot of time... The notion tugs at his heart, but at least it sounds like Nene Yashiro must know everyone here, and she undoubtedly has plenty of friends, so perhaps she isn't really lonely in this place. He hastens to return her smile. ]

I'm certain that you do it successfully, Nene Yashiro. Eating properly is essential, after all, and these snacks alone are truly superior to nothing but vending machine meals...

[ The vending machine selection on offer is perfectly palatable for the most part, but using them involves constantly keeping an eye on one's merit points, and choosing only one item at a time isn't filling at all! Purchasing several is more satisfying, yet simultaneously stressful.

To emphasize his point, Alice finishes the first rice ball soon enough, reaching for a second without hesitation — in part because he's suddenly conscious of Nene most likely being forced to wait until he's eaten to collect the tray and used glass. Though he'd like to savor the food, he won't keep her stuck standing there. ]

[mermaidcursed]

( she does get tired of standing... which is precisely why she's going to be borrowing the teacher's desk chair! it's hers now. she is the queen. or something. kicking her legs back and forth, she scoots the chair closer to the rest of her writing, and it takes great strength to not just spin the chair 'round and 'round. )

when spring comes again we'll have some fresh veggies
my club oversees the rooftop garden and we try to plant lots of useful things like that
i have a strawberry pot too and am willing to share!

( fresh grown strawberries are serious business. a rare treasure to be sure. )

[shimashima]

[ The desk chair makes a magnificent throne for Queen Nene Yashiro, and while Alice is of course an adult and would never be tempted to play around in such a chair nowadays, he can acknowledge its appealing properties. For a moment, he half-expects some spinning in circles as Nene slides herself back over to the chalkboard.

So as not to cause her neck pain from looking up at him, Alice takes a seat on the floor, the tray beside him. Two rice balls gone, he starts on his third, though he pauses to read Nene's announcement as she resumes writing. ]

Hoh... What a good club! The strawberries must be in high demand... But what do you request in return?

[ For all of this, and anything from her club's garden eventually... ]

[mermaidcursed]

( in return?

what a silly question. enough so that nene actually looks taken off guard before thinking. after a moment, she writes her answer, simple and clear. )

stay alive.

just adding a wrap-up tag, ty for all nenes!

[shimashima]

[ That answer isn't one that he predicted at all. His reaction matches Nene's, but before long, his expression softens. He understands where that request comes from, he thinks, and he replies with a nod. ]

I intend to. I shall do my best to keep such a promise, Nene Yashiro.