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 natural. They wouldn't be so eager to make those sacrifices if they were the ones who had to shoulder them, too.

[temmapathy]

[She nods.] They'd rather fix up a whole new planet to run away to rather than try to fix the world they live in.

[copycut]

Even when they want to fix the world, they go about it all wrong! [ Kuro sets her hands on her hips, clearly incensed. ] They decide their way is "the only way," and then act like that gives them the right to make the decision for everyone else! Just like the stupid rules in this book, or deciding we need... Whatever it is they think we need here!

[temmapathy]

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

[copycut]

That doesn't tell us anything! [ Even without being able to hear Kuro's voice, the huff is probably tangible. ] An "education," being a "proper adult"... That could mean anything this guy wants it to, just like his insane rules.

[temmapathy]

Judging from his profile, it probably means hating kids like he does at the very least.

[copycut]

I wonder if kidnapping us like this, subjecting us to these weird rules... Is this just his sick way of taking out his issues with kids? That's what it feels like, but that still doesn't make any sense — I don't even know the guy, whoever he is...

[temmapathy]

He probably doesn't see any difference between kids. I mean, 17 is barely a kid! [At least from her perspective.]

[copycut]

Yeah, that's right! [ Kuro is definitely of the same mindset. ] Still, it makes you wonder — how did we get chosen? Even if he just picked names out of a hat, he'd still need our names to begin with.

[temmapathy]

Do you think he has access to our old school records?

[copycut]

That's—a little mundane, don't you think...? Besides, even if he did, that wouldn't... explain...

[ She trails off. Her face goes through a number of contortions, with all of the resulting expressions communicating some variety of confusion. ]

[temmapathy]

[Emma watches the face journey carefully, before writing a bit more and lifting up her notebook again.]

What's wrong?

[copycut]

[ How to explain without raising even more questions with her answer? She mulls it over for a moment, and then answers, ]

It's just... Even if he was able to see my school records, that wouldn't tell him where to find me. The last I remember, I wasn't anywhere near my school or the address I would have been registered under. [ To put it mildly ] So, if that's the answer... Doesn't it raise a lot more concerns than we had to start?

[temmapathy]

[Oh...yeah, that extra explanation does make it seem more worrying. Emma nods hard at that.]

I'm not sure if I was registered at my new school yet either. And my old school was really far away. [That's an understatement, honestly.]

[copycut]

Right. So either the Principal had some other way of finding us, or...

[ Or the situation is even more worrying than they'd initially thought. ]

[temmapathy]

[She shudders. None of that sounds good.]

Do you think someone told him?

[copycut]

[ ykw let's just say her sheep thread happened before this one so Kuro can say: ]

The cook, it said... The Principal has lots of associates from all over. He's very well-connected. So, maybe someone else was observing us and we were tapped—?

[ Which also sounds bad to her, so that explanation isn't much of a step up. ]

[temmapathy]

Well-connected makes sense, I guess. Some of the adults I know are pretty well-connected too. [She looks disgusted about it.]