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

[imprefect]

Sure, since you've waited so patiently, I guess it's fine if you have something to say.

[noblesnow]

How did we get here? I don't recall enrolling.

[imprefect]

You say you really don't, huh?

[ She crosses her arms, looking more pensively bothered than...annoyed bothered. ]

I personally know that you all knew that you'd be starting classes here. So, what's the truth? Maybe you're just trying to pull one over on me, is that it?

[cellpreservation]

[Raising his hand this time.]

Just how long do you think we've been here?

[imprefect]

[ She is visibly thinking, doing some math in her head that will almost certainly not line up with expectations. ]

I've been here for around two months, but it's not like I could keep an eye on you all the time while I spent the whole summer getting ready for the semester... Do you have any idea what I've done already?

And classes were always supposed to start today, anyway.

[cellpreservation]

Are you sure it was all of us and not some other students? Like, have we even spoken before?

[imprefect]

No way. I think I'd remember the blue thing.

[ OH GOD THERE'S MORE THAN ONE ]

Blue things.

[cellpreservation]

So it could be you're mixing us up with some others.

[imprefect]

I really don't think so. The odds of that would be really, really slim! The Principal really would be playing a sick joke on me if he hired me for a dummy class before this one... [ Her voice pitches up into a low whine throughout the last sentence. ]

This is definitely the class I reviewed before... I don't know who picked what information to put in the handbook, though.

[cellpreservation]

What kind of guy is he? The sheep said he's a monster.

[imprefect]

Obviously, he has to be strict. That's the only way to make anyone listen to you, in a place like this.

[ While she doesn't gesture at the surrounding classmates, she is clearly indicating the total zoo that's happening around them. ]

He thinks kids should behave a certain way, and what's so wrong about that?

[cellpreservation]

[Okay his classmates(?) aside-]

I don't think being strict is what the sheep meant when they called him a monster.

[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. ]

[cellpreservation]

You're okay working for a monster?

[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.

[cellpreservation]

Yet.

[imprefect]

Ever!

[ She's probably having an emphatic, crossed-arms staring contest with him now. ]

[cellpreservation]

Why do you even like him that much? Does he pay you a fortune for hanging around here?

[imprefect]

[ She scoffs at the second question in particular. Does she look like she needs the money? But if it's not the money, then... ]

He recognized that I was the only person who could do something like this, of course! Things are in my hands, now, so this all reflects on me.

[cellpreservation]

So you're the one in trouble if things go wrong?

[imprefect]

It's not like you won't also get into trouble if you do something worth getting into trouble over! There are expectations, and everyone has to meet them, from the smallest ant to the most majestic of lions!

[ So, yeah, probably. ]

[cellpreservation]

So what happens to you if we cause trouble? Do you lose your job?

[noblesnow]

Does that mean you were in on it? Are you working against us??

[imprefect]

I'm a member of the class - it'd be impossible to really be working against all of you, wouldn't it? [ Individual petty grudges, however, don't sound like they're included in that. But as a group, sure, that's what she ahs to say! ]

It's my job to make sure you all get to the end of this. That's what the Principal trusted me with.

[noblesnow]

Oh. All right.

[...yes, just like that.]