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

[keyringwitness]

Um, um...

[She shifts in place, frantically thinking through a solution.]

The, uh, school store might have... some sort of, um... string we can use?

[holyironmade]

[Touches her hair self-consciously because it might weigh literally more than Yasu.]

That seems like it might be a bit thin... [But it seems that the other kid will freak out even more if they give up.] Perhaps it is worth trying?

[keyringwitness]

Y- Yes, if that's what you'd like! Please, right this way!

[Unfortunately, Jeanne being so sophisticated and nice has only further twigged Yasu's perpetual servantbrain.]

[holyironmade]

[Jeanne, ironically enough unfamiliar with the idea that a child could just have brain rot for no good reason / ultimately induced by adults, assumes that Yasu must have seen something she did not notice. How kind of her to point it out!]

Very well! Lead the way!

[keyringwitness]

[...why did she SAY that she's not familiar enough with the school's layout oh god,

Through blind luck or a maid's intuition, Yasu manages to stumble into the school store and cast her eyes side to side, looking for...]

There we are.

I was, um, looking for bookmarks earlier, and these look pretty sturdy, so...

[She points out the unadorned, ribbon bookmarks in a bin. Then pauses.]

If, er. You don't mind me asking. What did you need them for?

[holyironmade]

[A maid's intuition might literally be picking up on Jeanne's recollection of where the school store was. It could happen. The cold reading of it all.]

Oh... Hm! They're short, but they really are sturdy... [She was imagining the quarter-inch bible ribbon, but thicker ones are out there.] I believe that putting two together will work well enough!

[Her little fingers clasp the white ones, before she agrees to explain.] If I don't keep these short forelocks separate from the rest, it's a little more disheveled... [It's all a single mass right now unless you look closely.]

[keyringwitness]

I, um, see, [says the girl with hair so long it goes past her waist and bangs so thick that they obscure her eyes,]

Is there anything I can do to help? My hands are shaky, but...

[...

...yeah, she has nothing else to qualify that statement with, Yasu is just really clumsy.]

[holyironmade]

[Looks at Yasu's not-eyes again. Do you see. But it really seems to be normal for her.]

What I want... is an Alice headband style. It would require both ends to be tied together, so I am not sure it will be any easier for you than myself...

[Still. Honestly, it just feels good to let someone else dress her because. Where do you think she got a huge taste for ribbons, it wasn't herself.]

[keyringwitness]

I understand, m- milady.

[Considering the way that Jeanne was acting, calling her that almost felt more natural than addressing her as "Miss Jeanne," but that slip of the tongue still makes Yasu embarrassed. There was only one "milady" in Yasu's life, and Jeanne, all respect that was due to her, was not that girl.

Yasu moves behind Jeanne with the book ribbons. Despite her protestations and a few fumbled ties at the beginning, Yasu really is quite good at this sort of thing, and completes the impromptu hairstyling quickly and without error.] Is that to your, um, satisfaction?

[holyironmade]

[She raises her hands reverently to the space above the crown of her head, emptied with the ribbons holding hair back. The shape is there, unseen. Her face lights up.]

It is so beautiful! You have worked a miracle!

[She stands back up and picks out a blue ribbon on a whim.]

Now it is your turn!

[keyringwitness]

I w- w- wouldn't really call it a mira-

Whuh?

[Yasu's awe at getting praised for once is interrupted by confusion. What on Earth could Jeanne be dong?]

W- What do you mean, milady?

[holyironmade]

You also woke up without your ribbons, did you not? And you have no mirror. I will put it on for you.

[Jeanne just thinks this is girls giving each other hand cream and not a servant-oriented one-way street.]

[keyringwitness]

I, I, um, didn't really use my r- ribbons for that, so really, don't worry about it...

[She'd just taken to using pretty ribbons over red string for her "reminders" after a while, that's all.]

[holyironmade]

Oh, were they bookmarks? [That's what's here.] Something else?

Well, if you insist, then I must say, being able to find what you want without seeing it all is quite impressive. I also have a friend who--

[Hm. Maybe not the right time.]

Is very handy with string.

[keyringwitness]

Oh... like a spider?

[That's a perfectly normal assumption for a kid to jump to, right,]

[holyironmade]

Yes!

[It seems normal to Jeanne!]

He has an older friend who is actually very fond of spiders. Albeit more so the concept than keeping a large number of them.