INTRO MINGLE

[whimsicalism]

WELCOME IN

ORIENTATION DAY

(CW: Slight undertones of experiences of unreality.)

It’s a bright Monday afternoon at the Academy. If the sun happened to be visible, it would certainly be shining. The new semester that everyone has been waiting for is about to begin!

All students wake up at exactly the same time–not that you’re aware of this. Even those who don’t normally sleep must have given into slumber at some point; they, too, will jolt awake with the strangest sensation that someone was just whispering in their ears. The beds that you’ll find yourself in are small and unfamiliar, and you wake up wearing a uniform that you don’t recognize even though it fits you like a glove. A red book with black cardstock lining the inner cover sits on each dorm nightstand. Opening the book reveals a strange code of conduct. The following pages list, in alphabetical order, all of the students.

Beyond the handbook and a change of familiar clothes in the closet, there’s little personalization to the rooms, and they lack most homey comforts. As unusual as these surroundings may seem, it’s impossible to shake the subtle, lingering excitement: It’s the first day of school! What a delightful occasion. Shouldn’t everyone want to make the most of the year? The subtle, unshakeable desire to achieve sits in the back of every mind like the story of a happy dream. Perhaps you brush your hair or wash your teeth before going on with your splendid day. Your reflection in your bathroom mirror looks a little off, did you forget to cut your hair before the big day? Perhaps you realize that your nails or claws have been trimmed recently. A little odd but you must have been excited for a brand new school year.

The world outside the dorm room holds a few more answers, but most things are still shrouded in mystery. Today, it seems that some rooms are still locked up tight from summer vacation. Beside the dormitory and hallways, only the cafeteria, kitchen, gym, playground, school store, and A/V room are accessible. Outside the cafeteria, a digital sign titled DAILY SCHEDULE offers little structure, save for one afternoon event: 5PM - PREFECT’S ORIENTATION - AUDITORIUM. There’s a lot of business to take care of on the first day of school, after all. No one can just be expected to start learning without the proper preparation.

With some time to kill before the promised orientation takes place–and, according to that rulebook, everyone is expected to attend–students have only each other and the various robot sheep for company. With such a small class, perhaps working together will bring you newfound and long-lasting partnerships. The robotic staff seem polite, at least, if a bit confused at the sudden flurry of non-scheduled activities.

How will you spend your first day before classes begin?

OOC NOTES

Welcome to the IC intro mingle for Round 2! Your characters have the afternoon to meet one another, get lunch at the school cafeteria, review their student handbooks, harass the Little Brother robots, and prepare for the upcoming school semester in this post. As promised, the Prefect will meet everyone in the auditorium at 5pm and will post their own introductory comment at that time (Eastern).

While we're sure that some people are dying to get a head start on investigating all of the mysteries of the school (we're excited to reveal them), please hold your investigation comment ideas until the weekly post goes up tomorrow. As all ground floor locations should be open for exploration at that time, we invite everyone to scratch all of your investigation itches on tomorrow's post at noon (also Eastern)! In lieu of investigation threads today, characters may speak to/question/accost the Little Brothers, who have an NPC thread down below.

Thank you, and have fun!

Comments

[copycut]

That's right! Maybe one day your papa will even teach you himself!

[ But it's not a long walk from the gym to the cafeteria, and now they've reached their destinations. Kuro strolls up to the Little Brother cook, wiggling her fingers at it in a cheerful wave, as if she hadn't been threatening it with bodily harm a short while earlier. ]

Hi~i! We need a meal for two, please! [ Kuro hasn't actually eaten yet, either, and the physical activity has left her pretty hungry. Unfortunately, also this means she doesn't know about the menu of bland mush. ] Anya-chan, you wait out here while Little Brother gets us our food, okay?

[ In the meantime... Kuro releases her hand and strolls toward the door to the kitchen, intending to search the cabinets for a canister of mixed nuts or... something. ]

[imprefect]

Of course he's a monster, but that's only because adults in Closetland are monsters. It's the rules of this place, and maybe you haven't noticed, but for the Principal it's important that people follow the rules.

[ She says all of this as if it makes complete logical sense to her - that this specific rule is an arbitrary one, and so of course the Principal is a monster if only for arbitrary reasons. ]

[noblesnow]

I don't know specifically, but if we're in the northern hemisphere, we should see the same constellations I normally see in the night sky.

[violence_ensues]

Huh...? Isn't... skewl all about learning things? I'm just trying to learn about y'all.

[violence_ensues]

Well... then... Are there any other phones in this skewl?

[canismajorcontrolfreak]

Wait, seriously?

[Going back to the book and flipping through-]

Either that, or they're just making stuff up at this point. You can't kill something that doesn't exist-that's like trying to find a real live unicorn!

[Completely ridiculous.]

[imprefect]

[ Things escalated really quickly from his well-employed parents being too busy to enroll him to this. The Prefect has the expression of someone who's still processing that dogs can have complex families they care about. ]

Look, it's not like we can contact anyone outside the school until the semester's over, now... But if all that was really going on, it's better for them as long as you're safe here, right?

[panglici]

[Despite herself, Carrie actually blushes slightly. That searching look - it's just this side of uncomfortable, the way he's so intent and then looks away. That charming voice paired with frustration and inability to say plainly why he's frustrated, that's something unsettling, but at least that's a familiar kind of unsettling:

It is never good to have someone so handsome that most people would trust him without question frustrated by you, even indirectly.

But it isn't really her he's frustrated with, is it?]

It can be, but... here, that only matters if someone decides they want to make outcasts of us, and hopefully they won't.

[She knows nothing of typical highschool politics, Edward. Nothing.]

[imprefect]

No, you're just being stupid!

It isn't like you can just point to Closetland on a map. So you also can't just get here walking into any old closet!

[ A bit more pettily, and less important to actually developing the context of Closetland: ] Especially yours!

[cellpreservation]

You're okay working for a monster?

[cellpreservation]

We'd have to be able to get out here at night to check.

[Hmmm...]

[bellabellabella]

[Deliberately he takes a moment and composes himself, and when he looks back up his expression now is polite and apologetic and perhaps a touch wistful.]

Perhaps you're right. I'm sorry, I'm being very rude, aren't I? At the least, I suppose, the fact that this single trait is one we share might be a comfort.

[Humans always wanted to be unique, almost as much as they wanted to fit into a faceless herd, each striving to outperform each other in their identical individuality. They wanted to stand out, but they did not want to be seen as other. Surely this girl would take comfort, then, in the fact that there was someone else here like her.]

It's always easier when you know someone who can understand, isn't it. School is difficult enough without adding anything more.

[Despite the wording, he speaks it as a statement of fact rather than a question. His eyes stay on hers, because he is an excellent liar and not so experienced as to look away. The expression in them is not nearly as intense as it had been when he had tried to hear her thoughts, uselessly. The itch in the back of his mind remained, still desperate to know if she was taking all this as he hoped she would. How did normal people live like this?]

[temmapathy]

Didn't you say something about having personal experience with it? Or did I misread you?

[temmapathy]

Yeah. And figure out where we are and which way we need to go after getting out.

[temmapathy]

An education, apparently. To become adults like the principal. [Her expression shows how unenthused she is about this possibility.]

[temmapathy]

Yeah! Almost everyone where I'm from can. [Now Thomasin being surprised by this is getting more of a side-eye.]

[bellabellabella]

[He shrugs, the motion careless, and--because it feels rude, somehow, to be towering over his companion like this, even if his companion is a dog--takes a seat against the wall, one leg folded up, arm resting across his knee.]

There are some people who believe in them, but from what I've seen, there are people who believe in almost anything. Still, I quite agree. And hunting for imaginary dangers can cause real harm. You can even see echoes of that philosophy in quite a few religions. What else, after all, is karma, or even the rule of three, if not the same concept? What goes around comes around?

[whimsicalism]

[The chef suddenly pays attention and walks over--]

Oh no! Please let me help!

[This is a fire hazard, oh no!]

[noblesnow]

The rules say we can be out as late as ten. That might be late enough.

[imprefect]

Really.

So don't get any funny ideas! [ It's like she knows... but no, she's just warning him with comedically suspicious timing. ]

Today was a surprise, so we can forgive you for being so disrespectful... but don't think the response will be so lenient next time!

[canismajorcontrolfreak]

[In response to that, Dylan can only give...what can only be described as the longest, most suffering sigh.]

I GUESS?! There's still a LOT of issues with this! And I will not be happy while I'm here!

[noblesnow]

I--

[Oh no. That's a good opportunity to explain things away, but also that would feel bad. Only one thing to do!]

--so where do you think that road leads?

[imprefect]

Why wouldn't I? I told you, those are just the rules, even if they are ridiculous.

[ She, too, sounds very accepting of them, as if it's perfectly normal and rules are the natural order of things. ]

It's not like he's hurt me or anything.

[temmapathy]

[Emma takes note of the topic change, eyes narrowing slightly. But okay, she'll roll with it for now. But Emma will remember that.]

Maybe a town or something? This place should get supplies from somewhere, right?

[canismajorcontrolfreak]

Oh, believe me, I know exactly what you're talking about. Ask Dante and he'll probably say any monster under the sun is real-and any monster that isn't, really.

[...]

Dante is one of my brothers-the point is, you are very much right, and it can definitely make people-or dogs, for that matter-be very weird.

[He loves his family very much, but if there is one thing he will always admit, it's that most of the dogs in it are weird in some way or another.]