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

[holyironmade]

[Soon enough, you will see a little girl with enormously long silver hair striding through the hallway in the skirted school uniform. She's humming Amazing Grace to herself. It gives an impression that she is in her own little world where nothing can hurt her. She doesn't shift her gait at all in response to your character—just meets their eyes and smiles.]

[Despite the strong impression that Jeanne knows where she is going, in reality she has been kidnapped just like the rest of you and is embarking on various exploratory circuits of the school. In fact, she's almost more likely to have meaningful dormitory interactions when she comes back from the school store later well-supplied and ready to support. If there's one particularly wistful spot in her explorations, though, it's the gym. She is staring through the big double doors like Mulan in "Reflection".]

It wouldn't be proper to play in the uniform, but it would also be improper to arrive at the orientation in gym clothes... What a conundrum...

[So. What was going on in the school store? Lots of things! She's narrating it to herself enthusiastically!]

The school colors are burgundy and black, so I can get a red backpack or a black backpack, just like I heard about! I'll have a red backpack!

[She's loading this red backpack with the preexisting school handbook, an agenda, an unlined notebook, pencils, erasers, a white handkerchief... She purses her lips. That might be its limit. Pretty tiny cheap backpacks we got here.]

post-school store

[canreallymove]

...man I miss my backpack.

Where'd you get that?

[holyironmade]

The school store.

[She extends her arm gracefully in its direction.]

It seems as if they have some kind of running tab for our expenses.

[canreallymove]

Man, this place gets lamer by the second! What next, we gotta pay for the school we didn't ask to get put in?

[holyironmade]

That seems a bit likely. The handbook did refer to an academy balance. That would probably have been set up for general use, not just special cases.

...I must admit that I likewise hadn't had this in my plans. But I believe it is important to adapt to new situations.

[canreallymove]

Doesn't mean this new situation isn't lame.

[Like boooooo school is boring, why is he here, etc.]

I sure didn't sign up for this, and I bet you didn't either, huh?

[holyironmade]

...to be honest... I thought this might be a new stage in... my previous engagement. It hasn't been disproven yet, so I don't want to say too much. But you're not part of that, are you?

[canreallymove]

Um. No?

I'm still tryin' to figure out this whole....heumin thing. Also the escaping this place thing. You catch my drift?

[holyironmade]

Human? So you don't normally interact with us? I suppose you seemed a bit too. Ahem. A bit too fashionable to be an aged nature spirit.

[canreallymove]

Aged? No way, I'm a hedgehog in my prime!

[Heumins. Right.]

I've only ever seen two of them, and they're both as evil as they come, honestly. Kinda makes it weird to see heumins who aren't anything like them. Like, you know. Male and not bald and evil.

[holyironmade]

It doesn't seem that you put much thought into their origins.

[canreallymove]

Nah, thinking's Sally's thing, not mine. I prefer doing myself.

And why would I, anyways? They're bad guys.

[holyironmade]

[Turns away. Some of his comments just seem so dumb but she's keeping her judging silent. Ish.]

It strikes me as rather shortsighted. What if you really had thought so poorly of us as a group?

[canreallymove]

[Joke's on Jeanne. If only Sally had been the one brought here instead of him.]

Can ya blame me, dudette? Only two heumins on the planet and they come outta nowhere, roboticizing and polluting and destroying everything. Definitely uncool and gross!

[holyironmade]

Presumption is the first step before prejudice.

[But whatever. She looks into the distance.]

I take it you found some sort of perimeter in your important attempts at escape? As it happens, I have not myself ventured the entire way outside.

[canreallymove]

Uuuuugh...look, I did, but so far as I can tell going out through the playground is a no go. Tried it with Turbo and failed.

[Which absolutely stings.]

[holyironmade]

[Mouths to herself "Turbo?" as she does not recall such a name in the profiles even though she did not yet outright memorize them. But he called her Dudette so maybe he's just a nicknamer.]

That is unfortunate. I suppose it's unlikely they'd summon us with such force and have nothing to spare for the barrier.

[noblesnow]

Oh... you're right, gym clothes would be inappropriate for orientation.

[Reika's gonna have to change! Oh noes!]

[holyironmade]

((I am so happy that as soon as you saw it properly you tagged me and also your comment WAS part of the inspo for gym clothes to be mentioned))

[[Don't cry!!]

...do not rush on my account! It was not enumerated in the rules. There is still time before 5 PM, at any rate! [Don't know how MUCH time. Maybe it's 4 PM for them too.] A watch... Perhaps I should have looked for a watch, but...

[noblesnow]

[\o/

She's not going to cry! She's just going to stretch the limits of my selection of icons that I haven't gotten around to updating.

She does look like she's going to say some more about clothes, but then there's more nonsense to distract her.]

Now that you mention it, I'm not at all sure what time it is. Surely there'll be an announcement when the time comes?

[holyironmade]

...how strange...

[You know how in every school gym the clock looks so small because the walls are so far apart by comparison? That's what Jeanne is experiencing at this moment.]

Oh! Here it is!

[She's running towards it and can't quite read it yet.]

[noblesnow]

[Reika CHASES HER.]

Why is it so far away?

[Yeah, why didn't the people who furnished the school anticipate where they'd be having this conversation and put a clock right there?]

[holyironmade]

Mmm... Hmmm...

[Jeanne is trying so hard to not huff and puff after that sprint, or to put her hands on her knees. She clasps her hands and stares at the clock to make a prideful declaration.]

It is... seven past four!