... the same as the last.

[mermaidcursed]

WHO: Nene Yashiro and You!
WHAT: After a year, Nene finds herself experiencing Spring Break in Yogen again. What's changed? What's the same? 
WHEN: Spring Break ( March 21st - April 3rd )
WHERE: All over!
WARNINGS: references to cannibalism

a. empty exploration 

( a year ago, nene woke up in this school and found herself trapped. and now, she remains still- a little bit older, barely taller, hair longer. still feeling clueless despite everything. she doesn't wake up in class 1-b, anymore. she lingers for a while as she passes it in her wanderings, though- she spent months there, after all. leaning on hajun, or just existing. the cardboard prison she constructed for her ice-breaker game still remains folded up behind a cabinet. hah... at least clamor enchanted it? that's funny. 

nene leaves class 1-b behind, careful to avoid the elevator and the clocktower. she remembers last year sitting in it, leaning against the glass and looking at the forest longingly. but something about the clocktower feels wrong. 

probably all the murder that happened in it. 

be it up or down the stairs, nene wanders still. once upon a time she had looked for mokke. now she knows: there are none here, and that's a good thing. but now, perhaps appropriately, she feels like a ghost wandering an unwanted haunt. seeing another person brings her out of it, and she gives a small wave. time will tell if she'll say hello, though. )

b. crafts, cooking and comfort 

( nene knows the crafts room like the back of her hand- same as the cooking room. just like last time, one can find her going over the stock of the kitchen- they have supplies in the dorm too, and she'll be going over that as well. this, combined with the vending machines, may last their greater numbers- and she can make big, hearty meals maybe... with noah bringing back biblically accurate deer, they have non-human meat for sure. even if it tastes kind of bad. so maybe you find nene half inside a cupboard counting quietly to herself with only the scritch of a pencil on paper as her only other company...

or maybe you'll find her in either the cooking room or the dorm kitchen, standing at a large pot diligently. curry and stews are filling, after all. and they have a lot of people to feed! 

alternatively, nene can be found in the crafts room, once more organizing sewing kits, fabrics and threads. sometimes she's sewing, sometimes she's practicing knitting. all the while, a music box plays a gentle melody as she works, and she might not notice someone enter right away. when she does, though, she'll stop what she's doing and look at her guest. )

c. new sprouts

( perhaps the best thing about spring is the gardening club can be active again. so members or spectators may witness nene running around with some freshly cleaned pots and planters, or with entire tools. there's a lot to do- the winter seeds have already sprouted as the snow melts, and there's spring seeds to plant too. old potted plants have to be removed if they're beyond saving... and natsume's herb spiral probably needs tending to, too! the bad part is that nene isn't quite looking where she's going at one point, and may crash right into someone. woopsies. nene winces, giving an apologetic look before she ducks down to pick up seed packets gotten through a teacher before break. )

d. wildcard

( shoot yo' shot! nene is still mute for the most part but close cr pre-november may be able to get her to talk while relaxed. she's kinda running around all over the place, and just trying to be helpful. nene is still at 0 tallies and making no effort to hide this, so feel free to notice and stuff! )

Comments

a

[violetlies]

[It would be safe to say that considering the current state of affairs, Kokichi's mind is somehow even more of a mess than usual. First of all, he was fairly certain he was supposed to be dead. That was how it was all planned out, after all. But he never felt that final impact - he never felt that pain he thought he'd face...

And then there was the odd deja vu of waking up in a new school. For a moment, he didn't even know who he was - what he was doing - but then it all clicked into place as he finished what looked like some kind of ritual Korekiyo would've organized. The entire thing reminded him of that time, and so it was safe to say...he got out of that room as fast as possible when he'd gotten his bearings, only truly looking at what he'd been left with when he was out into the hallway.

A PDA, a few essential numbers...a tally mark on his wrist. 5, carved right in there. As to what exactly anything meant, he wasn't certain. But he'd checked his locker, and inside...he hadn't looked too hard. He'd just noticed that his checkered bandanna was in there, and grabbed it immediately to tie it around his neck.

He felt uncomfortable without having his last connection to DICE taken away, after all. But this was overall...ominous. Another school. He hadn't noticed any murderous bears (yet), but he hadn't even remotely let his guard down. Once he'd gotten outside, he'd taken a look around, and then noted--

Oh. There was a girl. And she was waving at him. Short, with long hair with green tips, younger than he was. Legs roughly the size of daikon radishes. He...had no idea who this girl was.

Still, he waved in return, and strolled over, his arms folded behind his head.]

Hey there. What's up?

[Might as well pretend like he knew what was going on for now. He couldn't trust anything here, obviously, so he had to play his cards close to his chest.]

[mermaidcursed]

( --oh. she hadn't realized... there'd been similarities, of course. sometimes the non-transfer students look like people once known, but without their memories. she thought she was desensitized to that. but now that he's closer, it's clear to see: it's ouma-kun. and if he's being genuine- which can be incredibly hard to tell honestly- then he doesn't remember anything.

... though, knowing him, it could also be a prank.

still, once the shock fades, it melts into a warm if not melancholy smile. nene pauses for a moment, considering... admittedly, it's still hard to speak to others sometimes, and she doesn't trust her jaw not to clench and not move mid-word. so with a deliberate slowness, she signs out with her hands: )

Do you know JSL?

[violetlies]

[Is she onto him? She might be. The young lady seemed shocked to see him. Play it off--but then she seems to smile. There's a certain twinge of sadness to it, and it's something he feels inherently weird about, but he won't let it show.]

Hmmm? I don't understand what you're trying to do. Is it a new dance?

[And then just as abruptly, after he feigns a confused expression for a minute to maybe let her falter, he quickly signs in return--]

It's a lie. Yes.

[mermaidcursed]

( for a moment, nene's ready to dig out her phone and turn on text to speech, then- but of course it's a lie. she can't help but giggle quietly, the softest hint of a noise from her before shaking her head fondly. but, hm... what should she do... there's a lot of information to dump on him if he doesn't already know, and it's! heavy. )

What is the last thing you remember? This place does things to your head sometimes. I should know, I've been here for a year now.

( she doesn't expect the truth- but if she's right, a fib will be telling in it's own right too. it's just a matter of... seeing what's not there. right? )

[violetlies]

[Ah. It's telling that she's asking him that. This girl's already gotten the idea that he's new. And this place does things to your head...for a moment, Kokichi considers telling a lie. The girl seems pretty harmless on the surface, and even if she had any kind of foul intent, he was pretty confident in the fact that he could just run away. But she's made her intent clear. To help him remember.]

Let me ask you something instead. What do you last remember me doing, hm?

[He turns it around. Confirmation that there's familiarity there, confirmation that somehow, he's been here before. That's the first step. As well as getting an idea as to how he should be acting.]

After all, I'd hate to assume that you were replaced somehow. This place is weird enough as is - and I remember someone a loooo~ooot more vocal.

[That's a wild guess that could either be entirely correct, or entirely wrong. Either way, it might give him basis to stand on as having been here all along, if he were here at all.

Already this was even more confusing than expected, but he hated coming forward with the truth so easily: it put him in a vulnerable position.]

c

[shimashima]

Ah—

[ The collision is hardly the most painful thing that Alice has experienced — in fact, it does little more than nudge him in the stomach — but he stops in his tracks, arms reflexively raised to catch Nene. As it turns out, it's unnecessary, and she and the scattered seed packets seem unscathed. Both important indeed!

Crouching down himself, Alice moves to lend a hand instead. ]

Are you alright, Nene Yashiro?

[ It must have felt somewhat like running into a wall... Not quite the best way to cross paths again, after merely seeing her about from a distance here and there. He holds out a few packets to return to their owner, contrite.

Landing on her wrists, his gaze lingers there, faintly puzzled before long. ]

[mermaidcursed]

( even as nene rubs her head with an almost comical wince, she nods. she's alright, just a little stunned!! so she nods eagerly once she recovers, and accepts the packets happily. but... where is he looking? ... oh-

she doesn't make any effort to hide her wrists, but with her hands full she can't quite explain properly just yet. so she points to the stairs- her destination this time is the roof- and offers a smile as invitation to walk with her. )

[shimashima]

Hmm...?

[ He tries not to look too skeptical as he glances up for Nene's answer first. Perhaps she isn't completely unscathed after all... Doesn't her head hurt, if she's rubbing it, wearing an expression like that?! But he has to accept her claim that she is fine, and it's reassuring to see her smile, her gestures lively enough.

For now, he leaves the question of her entirely unmarred wrists alone — he knows little about those tally marks himself, with the exception of what Komaeda told him when they met, and the discovery of a third one on his own wrist after the school trip. With a smile in return, he rises to his feet again to accompany Nene up the stairs. ]

I shall follow your lead!

[ It doesn't bother him to settle into silence as they walk, no chalkboard or pen and paper on hand. He adjusts his steps to match her pace. ]

[mermaidcursed]

( sometimes you have to be dramatic, alice. it's fine! she's fine. probably. don't worry about it.

but nene leads the way to the stairs and up up up they go. the quiet is colder and almost eerie down the final hallway, where burned remains and old gorintos lay discarded. it's the equivalent of walking through a mostly abandoned graveyard, truthfully.

but the chilled spring sunshine welcomes them once they reach their goal, and nene walks over to a mid-sized wooden chest, where she sets everything down. the rooftop garden plots have sprouts and early stages of a variety of plants that had been sowed before snowfall, and she's proud. but she doesn't linger for long, instead digging out her phone and letting it talk for her in it's mechanical voice. )

hi yabasume-san! welcome to the garden! i bet you've got some questions?

C! i was so tempted by the kitchen tho

[notsosou]

[The form she collides into is very bony, and stumbles back a little, bracing himself on the nearby wall during the sway.]

Oww, careful... you were flying like a shuttlecock for a second there, ahaha...

[At least Nene's not on rollerskates! He's bending down to help her pick the packets up, handing them to her.]

Things are getting busy, huh? Need some help?

[He's happy to see her as usual, it's in his warm tone.]

i will take two threads don't think i wont. come eat a meal niichan

[mermaidcursed]

( owwww... nene stays there for a moment, rubbing her arm a little before bouncing back to work, crouching alongside him. after a moment, she nods- it IS busy, and she'd love some help. ah- the packets are disorganized though...

but nene beams nevertheless before darting to a desk- come on, come on!!! tug tug tug- and letting the packets plop onto the surface. flowers go to one side, vegetables and herbs to another... )

... The, um. The winter crops that got planted before snow are sprouting....

( her voice is quiet, and a little shaky- but she's trying, for him. )

[notsosou]

[Sorry for all his sharp angles, Nene... they've been softening at least. He follows the tugging in curiosity, watching her start to sort them with his customary lean... a pattern quickly starts to emerge... he looks up when she speaks.]

D-don't strain yourself...

[He's got his palms up a little... she's trying but that shakiness makes him worry she's pushing herself. Which she shouldn't have to, just for his convenience... he's not sure what happened to Nene's voice, but he knows trying to force speech when his throat was still healing inflicted it's regrets pretty quickly...]

Ah, that's pretty impressive, actually. Wasn't sure if they'd survive the cold...

[It's it's own kind of magic, in a sense. Dormancy...]

So that means we should be repotting them soon, right?

[He kind of wants to show off that he's Learnt Things... just a little.]

minor cw: unhealthy disability thoughts

[mermaidcursed]

It's just hard, taking around others... But. It's just us too. Easier that way.

( there's only a handful of people she feels she can talk around- almost all family or deeply beloved in some way. and even then, she has to try... she wants to try. she's tired of feeling broken. )

You're worth the effort.

( but that's far less important than p l a n t. nene beams up at him. )

Some of them will need to be moved, yeah. Onions grow fast though... ... Ehehe, I might move my strawberry pot to my room.

( accessible strawbebes all of the time.... )

b

[dereban]

[Inaba was definitely going to cook something for herself since she can't rely on anyone to do the cooking for her, in spite of not exactly being ridiculously average at the task -- and that's when she sees Nene and raises a hand in a rather casual wave.]

Hey. What'cha making there?

[mermaidcursed]

( oh- nene glances up before stepping aside for inaba to see for herself. it's a chicken curry, with the rice cooker going beside the pot on the countertop. after a moment, nene digs out her phone and types onehanded, letting text to speech go. )

i thought it'd be easier to portion out since its hearty. it's almost done if you don't mind waiting

[dereban]

Curry's always pretty easy to portion, from experience.

[It makes her feel nostalgic, in a lot of ways.]

But if you don't mind me having some, I certainly won't mind.

[mermaidcursed]

( nene nods eagerly- the way that just screams 'of course you can have some!' before returning to the stove to check... almost done!!! nene raises four fingers to inaba. four minutes! )

c.

[decrypter]

[fortunately for her, the gardening club is also in her homeroom, and so going there is no trouble at all when she needs to duck back and grab a book for homework. the pleasant scent of earth, of plants, comes to her, and she pauses behind her desk to breathe it all in. if Nene is rushing about, she'll be thankfully easy to avoid - she's just happy to be part of it at the moment.

curiously, she draws closer to some of the pots, resting her hand on the side of one to feel the texture. it's spring now, isn't it...they'll all be coming back to life.]

[mermaidcursed]

( between getting all the tools and new seeds ready for both the rooftop plots and the potted plants, ensuring the remaining members had enough to go around and more, nene almost doesn't notice helena scooting closer. but she does, and she smiles tiptapping her way over- it wouldn't do to surprise her, especially around a bunch of clay- and perhaps noisily pushing a pot forward. it's one of the jade plants from the very first batch, still alive somehow or another. the plant itself will feel smooth to the touch, cool and fresh. it's lasted a long time. )

this one is called a jade plant because of its color and texture. they're hardy. hiyori-kun takes care of some for us too!

[decrypter]

[so gently, she touches the leaves, eyes widening at the smooth texture, the faintest coolness from them. she smiles, turning in Nene's direction.]

It's lovely...it feels like it's grown up strong. You've been doing a wonderful job of it!

[mermaidcursed]

( nene giggles, quiet little hums that perhaps only helena could catch. she can't see it, but nene nods with a smile. --oh!! she just got an idea! )

would you like to plant something? we'll take good care of it. either an inside flower or a roof plant!

c

[subtract]

[Add is here... planting some new anemones, because the one pot he has is nice and portable but obviously he needs MORE of these. There are some different seeds mixed in this time, so it'll be nice and colourful whenever it all sprouts. carefully measuring and plotting out the distance between each seed so they'll all have enough space to grow...

anyway, he's not the one Nene bumps into, but he does spot her out of the corner of his eye. casually turning off gravity around her feet just enough for the seed packets to float into the air... they're easier to grab now. helping!!]

[mermaidcursed]

( oh! she remembers this! from christmas, before everything got extra-terrible! nene turns a little and beams before grabbing the packets-- oh wait. wait! after a moment of searching, nene holds out a packet just for him. purple anemones. )

[subtract]

[he stares dumbly for a long moment like hey that's weird why is she holding it like that, is there something wrong with it— oh.

very awkwardly... taking the packet, staring at it. more anemones... this one is a different colour...?]

... Uh. Thanks. [he's gonna plant them in with the others it'll be pretty]

Are we... good for fertilizer? I can make more.

[mermaidcursed]

( nene nods in affirmation at his 'thanks' before she pulls out her phone- and then she pauses, before trying something else, first. it's just them, after all- )

I... ordered it for you. They're your colors.

( oh-- fertilizer? hmm. they have plenty of meal left at least, but... )

I think we need more. Can I help?

( she misses you. )