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

[curdle]

[ Thomasin nods in response, though privately she feels a bit disappointed. Knowing how to write, in her mind, confers a certain level of social status she herself lacks — though this girl is far younger than her, some foolish part of her must have held a hope that the paper she showed her held something of greater significance. ]

I never saw such a place, [ she adds. ] But... thou canst write, then? And read, too?

[temmapathy]

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

[curdle]

—Oh.

[ She must be the daughter of a family wealthier than Thomasin's own, even back in England with their silver cups and glass windows. And now she has glimpsed that coarseness in Thomasin and disdains her, and that is clearly why she's looking at her like that. ]

I'm not of thy station.

[temmapathy]

[That gets another blink from Emma, and she responds without thinking.] Just because I'm part of SIX doesn't mean I'm of higher station than you! I wouldn't have wanted to go there if they didn't kidnap my parents!

[But wait...Thomasin wouldn't have read about that in the book, would she?] Really, I'm just a normal girl from England-wait, I mean America.

[curdle]

[ Well, that first part is extremely worrying! But the second: ]

Dost speak of the New World?

[temmapathy]

[...okay, now that's even weirder phrasing.]

We haven't called it that for thousands of years. What year is it for you?

[curdle]

It was the year of our Lord 1633 when we went from the plantation. But it's been a spring and a summer since then.

[ So, 1634, because as far as she sees it the new year starts in March. ]

[temmapathy]

[Okay, maybe "thousands of years" was a bit of an exaggeration, considering. Also, still not sure if this is a time travel situation or a serious cult situation, although the former is seeming much more likely...]

I remember it being 2015. So either one of us is wrong or something weirder is going on.

[curdle]

[ you know that one tweet that's like a single sour patch kid would kill a pilgrim instantly... this is it, this piece of information is the sour patch kid ]

I do not lie.

[temmapathy]

[f in the chat for Thomasin]

I don't think you're lying either! But this is my first time seeing time travel happen!

[Then again, if teleportation is real, why not time travel?]

[curdle]

I know not even what that is—

[temmapathy]

It's something that only happens in stories! Or that's what I thought. People from the past suddenly ending up in the future, or the other way around.