![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
![[community profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/community.png){kind=small}
npc contact.4
As the game progresses, different npc faculty and students will become available for threading. To request a thread, please comment below with the name of the npc and the ic date in the subject header. Threads may be cut short due to mod availability, so please have a reason in mind for the interaction.
AVAILABLE
Students
✽ Yumemi Minazuki: A student in class 1-D. An earnest and straightforward girl who falls in love easily. She seems to attract odd occurrences. Computer Science is one of her electies, and it seems that she was one of the students who was saved by transfer students' efforts after failing her final.
AVAILABLE BY REQUEST
Faculty
✽ "Kazuki": The gardener is a spirit which appears in the courtyard during the night. He can not normally be seen, unless a character has the ability to see spirits, owns an adderstone through which they can see spirits, or visits the courtyard during nights of the full moon. Those who have spirit sight or see him during the full moon will see him in his human form; through an adderstone or within the "void" version of the school, the gardener appears in his true form as a man-eating monster. The gardener is blind, and only darkness can be seen in the eye holes of his mask. Rumor has it that the gardener has used to be employed as a teacher before becoming the gardener, and has been around almost as long as the counselor. He is patient and understanding, and is fond of the students.
✽ "Mizuki" Arata: The counselor is available during school hours, answering to a knock on the door with permission to enter. While the counselor typically sits on top of his desk, there are a variety of chairs in the office to choose from, and he will always offer to share his snack bowl. All supernatural powers are nullified within his office. Rumor has it that the counselor founded the school and is aware of everything that goes on in the school at any given moment. He can be difficult to talk with, but always seems to be having fun.
✽ "Mizuki" Arata: The counselor is available during school hours, answering to a knock on the door with permission to enter. While the counselor typically sits on top of his desk, there are a variety of chairs in the office to choose from, and he will always offer to share his snack bowl. All supernatural powers are nullified within his office. Rumor has it that the counselor founded the school and is aware of everything that goes on in the school at any given moment. He can be difficult to talk with, but always seems to be having fun.
Other
✽ "God": "God" can be visited at the shrine accessed from within the forest, and will introduce themselves as Jizo, the deity who guides souls through the afterlife, particularly those of children and travelers. They take on the appearance of a middle school child, and although their power is limited, they may grant a wish for a price, and otherwise seems to enjoy company.
UNAVAILABLE
Faculty
✽ Principal: There is currently no principal. The principal's office is unlocked, but until the sub-zero temperature condition in the room is dealt with, normal students will quickly freeze to death upon entering. Rumor has it that historically, the principal monitors the school but does not have active involvement.
✽ Vice principal: There is currently no vice principal. The vice principal has a desk in the faculty office with the rest of the staff, and takes on the responsibilities of the principal if the principal is unavailable. Rumor has it that the vice principal's job involves a LOT of paperwork.
✽ Teachers: Teachers hold office hours in the faculty office from 4 PM to 6 PM and supplemental lessons are handwaved. Students of any age can apply for a teaching position, provided competency.
✽ Librarian: The librarian is available during school hours, and can help locate or otherwise order new books on specific topics upon request. Requests for books on specific topics are handwaved, as long as the book is not canon specific. Library materials are not to be removed from the library.
✽ Janitor: The janitor cleans the school at the end of each school day, of everything from trash in the bins to bodies and blood following a murder. They are never seen, but most students assume they exist. The janitor's closet, located between the faculty office and the bathroom, can be freely accessed.
✽ Vice principal: There is currently no vice principal. The vice principal has a desk in the faculty office with the rest of the staff, and takes on the responsibilities of the principal if the principal is unavailable. Rumor has it that the vice principal's job involves a LOT of paperwork.
✽ Teachers: Teachers hold office hours in the faculty office from 4 PM to 6 PM and supplemental lessons are handwaved. Students of any age can apply for a teaching position, provided competency.
✽ Librarian: The librarian is available during school hours, and can help locate or otherwise order new books on specific topics upon request. Requests for books on specific topics are handwaved, as long as the book is not canon specific. Library materials are not to be removed from the library.
✽ Janitor: The janitor cleans the school at the end of each school day, of everything from trash in the bins to bodies and blood following a murder. They are never seen, but most students assume they exist. The janitor's closet, located between the faculty office and the bathroom, can be freely accessed.
Students
✽ Keigo Arata: The previous shopkeep of the student store. Unlike most students, they committed suicide to purposely arrive at the school, under contract with a "god." Through the efforts and sacrifice of their friends, this contract has since been nullified and they were killed in hopes of becoming an official student in the future.
Other
✽ A fluffy white cat: Very friendly and will come running seemingly out of nowhere when food is being offered. She can otherwise be found seeking out warm sunny spots within the school, and enjoys being kissed and petted but not held. She is called by many many names, including Lily Mayhemnaise, Lucy, Lucifer, Whitey, Yuki, Cygnus, Sweetheart, and Emerald Moon, but does not actually respond to any of them.
✽ A skinny black cat: Wary and skittish, and will occasionally come eat the leftovers after the fluffy white cat has eaten her share. He can otherwise be found perched up on high places out of reach, but will run away if approached. He appears to be small and skinny enough to squeeze through gaps underneath doors and other places, and is occasionally seen in the counselor's office or rooftop. He is called by many many names, including Beverage, Belphegor, Blacky, Yoru, Robbie, Crux, Sweetheart, and Citrine Blizzard, but does not actually respond to any of them.
✽ A skinny black cat: Wary and skittish, and will occasionally come eat the leftovers after the fluffy white cat has eaten her share. He can otherwise be found perched up on high places out of reach, but will run away if approached. He appears to be small and skinny enough to squeeze through gaps underneath doors and other places, and is occasionally seen in the counselor's office or rooftop. He is called by many many names, including Beverage, Belphegor, Blacky, Yoru, Robbie, Crux, Sweetheart, and Citrine Blizzard, but does not actually respond to any of them.
no subject
The god is already there when Rika makes her way past the boundary stones and through the torii, up the mountain steps to the little shrine set apart from all else, the thick surrounding fog offering nothing for a view even at this altitude. They sit on a corner of the offertory box, silent as she approaches, with the appearance of an ordinary middle school aged child. Back straight, hands loose on their lap, staring, silent. ]
no subject
And so that Rika wouldn't be jealous.
As someone who could never grow older beyond the age of eleven, stuck in an eternal loop in 1983.
But even though she sees him, she knows that she should pay her respects anyway, bowing slightly when she reaches the torii. She keeps walking straight ahead, silent before placing down her offering in front of the offertory box before doing the usual greeting.
Bow twice.
Clap twice.
Keep your hands in a gasho, with her eyes closed. When she speaks, her voice is soft. A whisper, in spite of the fact that there aren't any other students here at the moment.]
... I wish for everyone to have a happy future.
[At least, that's the kind of prayer that she's always had, as someone whose heart always aches for a future.
And then, she bows one more time before straightening herself out and standing straight; this time speaking to the god in a way that is less traditional, so to speak.]
It is a pleasure to meet you. It's been a while since I've been able to speak to a god. The offering isn't exactly the normal things that you'd give for a normal shinsen, but a certain god that I knew... [Hanyuu, her actual living, breathing ancestor.] ...they really enjoyed sweets. Cream puffs, especially.
no subject
It's a pleasure to meet you, Rika Furude. My name is Jizo. I accept your offering and have heard your prayer. I have never had cream puffs before.
[ They look down at the bento box, curious. Not enough to ask her to hand them over immediately, but curious. Of what's been shared with them, human food has been wonderful. ]
no subject
[But even though she might not be as familiar with baking, she does have a knack for cooking — which shows in her handiwork. She's done quite a bit of effort to make sure she didn't mess something like this up.]
Jizo-sama, then.
[Because of course she knows how to refer to a kami properly, as a miko. While she isn't entirely familiar with the name, coming from a backwater village with people who only revered oyashiro-sama with both fear and reverence, that doesn't mean she doesn't know how to do her job.]
To be honest... I don't know what to say. [It's been too long and she feels like she's lost herself. She feels like a fish that was suddenly dropped into a new tank.] But perhaps, and forgive my rudeness if this question is inappropriate to ask, but - I was wondering.
[Curiouser and curiouser.]
Do you know why I am here?
[There's a slight emphasis on the word 'here'. She doesn't speak of 'here' as in this very moment, on a smaller scale of things. Of why she had decided to come out to the forest, visit the shrine.
No - she speaks on the grander scale.
Why is she in this world to begin with? It makes no sense to her.
Not the fact that she somehow died again and can't remember it like all the other times.
But the fact that she's in this strange place, one that isn't the sea of Fragments that she used to see many times after her death before being brought into the next Fragment.
And truthfully, she had guessed that if she were to die again, before...
...that's the place she'd end up in, forever a wanderer.]
no subject
I do not know.
[ The hand that had been inching towards the bento box draws back; the cream puffs would be undeserved if they cannot answer her question. It would be like if she'd asked them why there are stars in the sky or fire deep within the earth— there are science answers, undoubtedly, and maybe there's a logical reason to why a person is anywhere at any given time, but it is not one that they know. ]
I am meant to guide the souls, you see... why a person is here was never a concern of mine, but rather, what I can do for them.
[ The person could be a vile criminal and this is a deserved hell; the person could be an innocent child who was met with misfortune; the person could be a typical high school student, it never once mattered to them. ]
...What I believe, however, is that there is something or somebody here which called for your soul. This harbor is populated not by arbitrary measures, but by a net dragged through the sea.
[ There's connections here and there, some blatantly obvious and some thin, nearly invisible, fragile spider's silk. ]
no subject
[For a while, she finds herself quiet. Silenced not because there isn't a proper answer to her question--it's not surprising to her. Others may think that kami are omnipotent, but Rika knows better.
That is why she asked her question in such a manner.
With no expectations.
She lets out a breath and shuts her eyes, momentarily, deep in thought.
When she opens them again, the color of her eyes has shifted--a bright, deep red. One might call them the eyes of a witch. But they are also the eyes of the descendant of oyashiro-sama.
One that hasn't lived the life of just a simple eleven years or even sixteen.
It's an old, tired, and weary soul of a hundred repetitions.
And when she speaks, it's with that same polite air and seriousness. But there's something tighter in her voice, darker. Like she's scraped the whip cream off a cupcake.]
I see. So that would mean that whoever or whatever forcibly dragged me here out of the sea did so with a purpose. I wonder if it was a cry for help.
[She finds herself curious. Or at curious as someone whose interests lie in learning new things can be.
Hesitantly, she adds, noting what they said-]
And what can you do, exactly? I apologize for my rudeness, but even a miko such as myself isn't all too familiar with other kami--you spoke about guiding the souls. What exactly does that entail?
no subject
... ]
I am Kṣitigarbha, a bodhisattva, and a human.
[ Not an ethereal being as old as time, but a human who had resolved themselves to an impossible, eternal task before they too are able to move on. A human who had once once lived and and suffered and died. ]
When one's corporeal form is destroyed, I bring them back before they are lost forever. When stone towers are built for such souls, I am able to help them speak with their loved ones when they otherwise could not. I have set a boundary around the school to protect it from the greater demons, although there are still students who do not heed the warning and travel beyond the boundary... [ That's just human nature, though. You see a wall, and there's the urge to tear it down to see what's on the other side. ] I am able to hide souls for safe passage, illuminate the darkness for those who are trapped within it, and open the gates of hell once your time here comes to an end.
But that time is not for me to decide. I believe the term the school uses is "graduation."
no subject
Someone who had become something more than human, is it...? That's something that she can understand.
She was someone who was--
is?
--human themselves, mostly. Being born into the Furude family meant that you were a descendant of oyashiro-sama, and being the fifth daughter meant that she was the proper reincarnation of a kami, something descended by demons.
Maybe she was just deluding herself all along.
But enough about her.
There were some interesting things here...]
I understand.
[But she still has questions.]
So if I am understanding this correctly: "graduation", then, speaks of the time when someone's soul is ready, in a sense--does that mean, perhaps, that there is someone who judges those souls to determine that fact?
And there are two other things, as well that are a bit...
[...]
Whenever I had moved on from one life to the next, it wasn't like this.
[Her sole reason for asking why she was here.]
However, I do realize that things are different. I... do not remember how I died, [Was she murdered? Something else? She doesn't know.] so I suppose it is difficult to accept if I've truly lived out a full life or if I have forgotten things.
But - if your job is just simply that, then... I will count on you to do your work properly.
However, I must ask. You speak of only the gates of hell--you specifically speak of naraka, is that correct?
[The Buddhist term for 'purgatory'; while it is also known as hell, the way it works, based on her vague knowledge, is vastly different.
But based on what the words they said earlier...
That's her guess.]
no subject
Yes. Such as the Sañjīva Naraka, among the other Narakas.
[ But this one here, specifically, is akin to the "reviving" Naraka, one of fire and iron but the most dangerous things here are the other people who would tear each other apart without provocation, the constant fear of death— actual death— of revival, of death, revival, death, revival. A place of torment. But it's not a place where one must remain forever. ]
The only one who determines when you are ready is you. Being here does not make you a bad person, or mean you deserved an untimely death. What matters more is the karma you gain during your time here... it is not a game where there exists one set number to reach, but you will know when you are ready through the intentions behind your actions, the effects of those actions on others. Positive or negative, that karma can be shared, spread amongst your peers. ...The world has enough suffering in it; there is no need to add to it.
[ The last bit isn't what she asked for, but they offer their opinion anyways. Be good at kind to one another, even if it is difficult. Especially then. ]
no subject
[That's to answer the first part.
The constant fear of death is something that is all too familiar to her.
Death, revival, death... is something that's even more keenly familiar to her.]
Perhaps it may not be a game for those who understand it. But it does not stop those from potentially treating it like one. And even if the world may have enough suffering, that also doesn't change the fact that humans are the ones that continue to pile up their sins for one reason or another.
[...]
Why is it that our time here is the one that matters?
[Her feelings for home lingers.
She knows of course, she won't meet those from that past Fragment again, but--she can meet them again. In another Fragment. And perhaps a miracle will happen. That's probaby why she asks.]
no subject
It matters because this is your present. The soul is everchanging, and so the past is not a true reflection of a person.
[ The past, home, it does matter. But just as a good person can do bad things, just as a sinner can pray for forgiveness, action tells them more than existence. This is a universal believe, they think. ]
You will leave when you are meant to leave, and go where you are meant to go. I do believe that, wholeheartedly.
no subject
[The fact that the soul changes.
Although the idea of "the past is not a true reflection of a person"--she's not entirely sure about that. But maybe 'not a true reflection' just means that it's just a small part of a greater whole.
But she knows her soul is scarred with the past.
There used to be a time where she thought that certain things didn't matter, because she could just simply discard them. She didn't need a world where her friends died, so she just gave up on it; tossed it aside like trash. Convinced herself that none of it held no meaning.
Now, however... those worlds, the time she repeated -
It's all important to her. It's something she keeps close to her heart.]
Thank you. I'll... believe in that.
[Her soul is exhausted and weary, but if there's something she can grasp on, she'll hold onto it tightly.
Especially now that she's more alone now than ever.]
I suppose I can wait a little longer, then. Whatever "a little longer" entails, in any case.
[Whether it's two years or another hundred... she supposes she might as well wait, until she can go back to where she's meant to be. The endless sea of Fragments, maybe. Or perhaps, if she's lucky, back into a new Hinamizawa.]
Anyway... I suppose in return for my barrage of questions, I should return the favor. If you'd like. I know I did my offering already, but that was just for a small, simple wish. Although that may just be an excuse for me to try and make friends with someone who shares an existence that's closer to my own than everyone else's.
no subject
My barrage shall start with two, then. One: [ they point to the bento ] will you eat with me? And two: [ letting their hand drop back onto their lap, with the slightest of head tilts of curiosity, recalling a previous conversation with Sara Chidouin. ]
What sort of world do you yearn for?
no subject
[It's a simple answer.
And the next one is... well, not exactly simple, but it comes easy.]
I don't know. I've never really had the chance to think much upon it before. When you die repeatedly, all that you can really yearn for is a world where you survive. Where you can live happily, with all your friends. Anything more than that would be considered too greedy.
But -
[She pauses.]
If I'm allowed to have my way... I'd want a world like that. But I also want a world where I can see change. Where I can learn new things, see new sights. One might argue that this place can fulfill that but -
My friends aren't here.
The person that I care about most in the whole entire world... isn't... here.