Sachiko and Dinah Intro #2: Look Out Prez, You're Being Flanked By an Asshole!

[13:06] <PersonaGM> [Sachiko Kurata, Class H2-B, had had a fairly peaceful weekend. She barely saw another denizen in the dorm besides the cat, or perhaps from a distance and in circumstances too awkward to force conversation.-
[13:07] <PersonaGM> [Still, today was the first day of class, and that meant heading off to the bus stop. There were multiple ways to get to the school- bus, some biked, others even walked. The school even sent out a shuttle to the dorm areas.-
[13:07] <PersonaGM> [But Sachiko today had decided on the bus.-
[13:07] <PersonaGM> […-
[13:08] <PersonaGM> [The day after Dinah settled in, she'd probably get around to unwrapping that parcel, finding within the smartphone, the class diary (she was in H2-B too!), and of course the practical yet stylish shirt with the school logo on the front and the map of the school on the back.-
[13:08] <PersonaGM> [There was, however, one key difference. The morning after settling in, Dinah would find outside her door a dinner tray, with her name written on a post-it note attached to it.-
[13:09] <PersonaGM> [The tray was laden with dishes… Which were empty.-
[13:09] <PersonaGM> [There was a pamphlet, containing all the usual rules- curfew, meal times, don't do the unprotected sex, etc.-
[13:10] <PersonaGM> [But Miss Asahina had taken the opportunity to draw a huge red circle and several large arrows around a single rule in particular.-
[13:10] <PersonaGM> [NO SMOKING!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!-
[13:10] <PersonaGM> [… And so ever since then, Dinah had been left out of the meal circulation. Whilst everyone else got to eat for free thanks to Miss Asahina, Dinah would find only empty dishes with her name on it.-
[13:11] <PersonaGM> [What this told the others in the dorm was this:-
[13:11] <PersonaGM> [1) Miss Asahina was the sort of person who would fully lay out a tray with dishes, then not fill it. Wild.-
[13:11] <PersonaGM> [2) Dinah smoked.-
[13:11] <PersonaGM> […-
[13:13] <PersonaGM> [Regardless, these two would now meet at the Shigenori Boulevard Bus Stop- one who had been served a variety of dishes over the last several days, the other who had to rely on takeout or grocery store raids.]
[13:23] <Sachiko> Sudden bout of existential dread night one aside, Sachiko had actually rather enjoyed spending the weekend on her own terms. She'd made several short, exploratory trips out into the neighborhood around Soejima Road, but otherwise she'd kept to herself. She was in about as much of a rush to meet the rest of the dorm as it appeared to be about meeting her.-
[13:23] <Sachiko> She arrived at the bus about five minutes earlier than she needed to, but she supposed that was better than being late. There was an unsheltered bench a couple of paces away, and she seemed perfectly content to sit and watch the slow procession of people passing by.
[13:29] <Dinah> The apparent singling out of Dinah when it came to meals for her smoking was something that didn't weigh as heavily on her head as Box Lady likely would want it to. The first few meals, the empty plates were left as such. The next couple, she had put out her cigarette on the main plate and simply left it. After that, she started using the plates to catch her ashes as well. From there, the sky was the limit. Maybe she'd start writing messages back in the ashes.-
[13:34] <Dinah> The morning of the first day saw her get dressed in the school uniform as provided, save for a jacket where the vest would be instead. Heading downstairs saw her silent when she passed by Box Lady and out into the main area, where she headed off to the bus stop. As soon as she passed through the doors, she had another stick in her lips, the soft click, click of the lighter being the only real sound that came from her when she walked.-
[13:36] <Dinah> She made it to the bus stop with a comfortable amount of time, almost surprised to see someone was already there. It was weird seeing someone else after…well, just seeing a cat for the whole weekend. And a box that presumably held a woman for most hours of the day. But while the other girl sat, Dinah simply stood by, passing the girl a look but not speaking up just yet.
[13:48] <Sachiko> Sachiko wore… well it wasn't quite the uniform. She wore pants instead of a skirt, and the little bow intended to sit at her neck had been ditched entirely (Forcefully, if necessary). Otherwise the correct jacket, shoes and socks were all there. The only other accessory were a pair of black barrettes covered with fine gold tracery pinning back her jaw-length hair at her left ear.-
[13:48] <Sachiko> The fact that she had company didn't escape her, but she didn't really acknowledge it until the street temporarily lacked other people to watch. "You're from the Soejima dorm?" Sachiko asked, briefly glancing back over her shoulder.
[13:53] <Dinah> The only real change that Dinah had made to her uniform so far was the jacket rather than the blazer and the fact that she wore a pair of shorts under the skirt instead of stockings. Considering how ready she was to get in a fight at any minute, it was a little….necessary.-
[13:57] <Dinah> Regardless, none of that was likely to stand out over the main features that drew attention the most. Her long hair, dyed blue, was pulled back into a fairly tight ponytail, save for her stray bangs shielding her forehead. And the small ruby stud adorning her red nostril. Well, that and the cigarette that hung loosely from her mouth that was basically ever-present, even if it was a different one every time someone looked at her, basically.-
[13:59] <Dinah> The other girl saw fit to be the first to speak up, earning a slight glance over to her by Dinah. Her gaze was hard, not in itself intimidating but wary. "Yeah. You too?" She still had to get used to answering everyone back in Japanese after speaking almost none of it for the entire break. At least this was practice.
[14:09] <Sachiko> She pivoted on the bench face to face Dinah properly. Her stare lingered on the cigarette for a moment before moving on. "Yeah."-
[14:09] <Sachiko> "You're the hungry one, I guess. Dinah, right…?"
[14:12] <Dinah> A blue-dyed brow perched up higher at the descriptor, prompting her to look at the girl more full on. Pulling the cigarette from her lips to let out a puff of smoke, she rolled her shoulders. "Interesting way to put it. I am Dinah, though, yeah."
[14:18] <Sachiko> "Sachiko," she said, with a little gesture towards herself. "Which class did you get?"
[14:20] <Dinah> "Class H2-B." Another drag, another puff. "You?"
[14:24] <Sachiko> "H2-B, actually."
[14:30] <Dinah> "Huh." There was silence for a few moments as Dinah wondered where the bus was. It wasn't that she was anxious, it was just that she wasn't exactly friendly. That dream the first night here had stirred some things up in her mind that still weren't settling well. At least, what parts of the dream she remembered.-
[14:30] <Dinah> "What about the others? You know? There's only….what, two more?"
[14:38] <Sachiko> "Weird, right? I saw someone going upstairs when I came in yesterday, but otherwise it's just been me," she said with a shrug.
[14:40] <Dinah> "Same. Only people I talked to all weekend were JC and Box Lady." She sniffed, dropping her spent stick and crushing it with her foot. "The cat's JC. To me, anyway."
[14:44] <Sachiko> "Why JC?"
[14:45] <Dinah> "I tried to pick him up and he jumped away. Like a jerk. So, Jerk Cat." She shrugged with the explanation. It was just that simple.
[14:51] <Sachiko> That got a gentle laugh out of her, even as she turned back towards the road.
[11:06] <PersonaGM> [The bus arrived soon after- mostly empty, except for a friendly bus driver and the odd sleepy-eyed student here and there.-
[11:08] <PersonaGM> [But as the bus filled steadily as it moved toward the school. By the time it arrived, it was standing room only, with a cluster of unlucky students standing, hands death-gripping the poles and the rubber handles that hung from the roof.-
[11:12] <PersonaGM> [It only took about ten minutes for the bus to arrive, nonetheless.-
[11:18] <PersonaGM> [Sophia Academy occupied a massive slice of land. From the perspective of those on the bus, it seemed to stretch right up to the foothills of Mount Honga, which seemed quite a distance away. The campus was bounded by white stone pillars connected by knee-high stone walls, with black iron fencing in between.-
[11:19] <PersonaGM> [But on passing through the front gates, the scenery would change. Gone were the tall, clustered buildings of the city; Sophia Academy was spacious, wide and green; no matter where they looked they could glimpse one of the larger gardens of the campus, and even closer by there were vibrant, colourful gardens decorating small plots and parks between buildings and carports.-
[11:22] <PersonaGM> [The buildings were wide here, rather than tall, spreading out luxuriously over the abundance of space. The buildings were an eclectic mix of designs, with older, stately sandstone artifices sitting shoulder-to-shoulder with ultra-modern galleries of glass and steel. The buildings generally were white, sandy or clear, letting the gardens and plants carry the colour.-
[11:22] <PersonaGM> [The bus drove past many of these before arriving at Sophia Court, the very heart of the campus.-
[11:25] <PersonaGM> [Sophia Court was a great green square of grass, dotted with plants and trees- especially the ume trees that were all around the campus, some with bright red flowers, others with clean white flowers. The edge of the Court was bounded by buildings and pathways leading students to and from the rest of the grounds.-
[11:26] <PersonaGM> [There were students all throughout the Court, and right away Dinah and Sachiko could see the slight separation between the school students and the university ones; the way the school students, unmistakeable in their uniforms, tended to cluster around the western, city-wise edge of the Court, contrasted with the plain-clothes university students who were everywhere else.-
[11:29] <PersonaGM> [The bus stopped; the passengers briskly left. The instant Dinah and Sachiko stepped out into the open, they'd notice the floral fragrance of the plum blossoms, unmistakeable and strong.-
[11:30] <PersonaGM> [There were signposts at all the pathways leading away from the Court. The one closest to them pointed westwards- back the way they came- towards 'Sophia Secondary School (Lion Hall)'- their destination.]
[11:36] <Dinah> As the bus arrived, Dinah stepped on it it briskly, exiting the conversation they were having easily, though it was less a conversation and more idle chatter back and forth. It was a good stopping point for it. Moving to an empty seat toward the back, she sat down and settled in, pulling out her phone - her actual phone, not the one given to her in the welcome package - and playing around on it for the entire journey. Even as more people started filtering in and settling in.-
[11:37] <Dinah> She did look up when they neared the school grounds if just to take a look at it all. It was always…breath-taking. If there was one thing she liked about the school, it was this. Even for someone like her that didn't usually appreciate such things. Still, after a moment of awe and reverence, she was done with it, going back into her game on her phone until the bus finally stopped.-
[11:38] <Dinah> Getting up and out of it when she could, she sniffed and caught a whiff of the flowers, wrinkling her nose a bit after. It wasn't bad, just…strong. She didn't really need the sign to know where to go, heading off in the way she needed to go.
[11:55] <Sachiko> Sachiko was the last one off the bus, watching the campus through the window until the last of the students had passed her by.-
[11:55] <Sachiko> She'd had to leave her glasses back at the dorm, but a high-end set of headphones served as a replacement insulation between her and the world as she stepped out onto the Court. She took a moment to look at the signs - Like Dinah, she didn't really need them, but they offered a useful disguise for a couple of deep breaths - before she set off towards Lion Hall. Her pace was slower and more methodical than the students around her, but she kept her eyes up and locked on her destination.
[12:01] <PersonaGM> [Lion Hall was in some ways the campus writ miniature. A handful of large, spread-out buildings grouped around a far smaller green court, home to a few flowering trees and gardens. Lion Hall was grouped roughly into four areas: the classroom building (which included the local cafeteria), the practical buildings (which included the science labs, computer labs, home ec and other such rooms), the assembly hall, and the sports complex.-
[12:01] <PersonaGM> [Before the two of them could actually enter any of these, however, or indeed even before they could get too far away from each other, they'd hear the sound of a roaring car engine.-
[12:03] <PersonaGM> [A sleek, black sports car came to a stop just outside Lion Hall. A moment later, a high schooler climbed out of the back seat- and the moment the door opened, they heard extremely loud rap music playing from within the car. He was white, and pale at that, with curly blonde hair unconvincingly slicked back with gel. He was maybe 5'5, perhaps 5'6", and rather skinny at that.-
[12:06] <PersonaGM> [Although he wore a student uniform, Sachiko could tell right away that it hadn't been bought from the student stores; rather this uniform was exactingly tailor-made with expensive materials. His shirt was probably silk or something. She thought she might've seen cloth of gold worked into some of his threads.-
[12:07] <PersonaGM> [He stepped out, smirked up at the buildings- "… So everybody, just follow me, 'cuz we need a little, controversy, cuz it feels so ~empty~ without ~me~"- then turned toward Dinah and Sachiko. "Diiiiinah! Sachikooooo! Hey!" He cried in an accent that Dinah would probably pick as vaguely Quebecois.-
[12:07] <PersonaGM> [… Neither of them knew who this person was.]
[12:14] <Dinah> These were some of the worst parts of going here, unfortunately. The long treks, surrounded by other students. She didn't like being near so many others, first off, and secondly, it meant she couldn't smoke. Usually she just went off to other areas where she could have a little seclusion to feed her vice and these were the times that that wasn't possible.-
[12:18] <Dinah> All she wanted to do was get to her destination, suffer through whatever was there and sneak off to have some time for herself. But it seemed like other things were in order. The car that pulled up saw Dinah glance over at it and spot the boy inside, though she wasn't particularly interested in him, even when he got out. To others, he might've made an impression. Dinah just saw him as another student. Though as he called out to them, she stopped dead in her tracks, the warning lights going off in her head. How'd he know her?-
[12:19] <Dinah> Glancing over at him, she frowned, her eyes showing distinct wariness. But she said nothing in greeting or response.
[12:26] <Sachiko> With headphones on, Sachiko didn't pick up the accent or even her own name. It wasn't hard to get the gist of it anyway, given she was already watching him with extreme skepticism.-
[12:26] <Sachiko> She didn't bother slowing down, though, she just turned her headphones up a notch; Stopping would mean starting again, maybe even needing to rush, and that wasn't really something she had the energy for today. It didn't help that this guy's entire demeanour had done a fabulous job of putting her off.
[12:28] <PersonaGM> [Dinah had done half of this guy's work for him by stopping. As for Sachiko, he literally just put himself in her path directly.-
[12:29] <PersonaGM> ["Ladies, ladies, ladies! Come on!" He said. "New year! New… Opportunities? No?" His smirk widened. "Well, regardless, as your very special friend, let me be the first to say that you ladies look fiiiiiii~iiiiiiiiii-yeee-yeeee-woooooo-yeahhhhh-uhhhh-*michael jackson yell*-yooooo-iiiiiiiiiine today!"-
[12:29] <PersonaGM> [He winked.]
[12:34] <Dinah> The young man simply received a blank look from Dinah as he spoke before she simply tried to pass by him. "I'm not buying whatever you're sellin', dude." She didn't really know how to deal with him but to do that. Well, either that or knock his lights out. But he seemed harmless for the moment.
[12:46] <Sachiko> The sudden stop hurt, but Sachiko had a lot of practice at hiding it. She stood roughly eye-to-eye with the idiot blocking her path, and only stalled long enough to give him a look of purest contempt before stepping around him and trying to continue on her way.
[15:03] <PersonaGM> [The boy stared at Sachiko with big hazel eyes. His smirk didn't falter. "Ooo, isn't it scary, Sacchin? What a face."-
[15:03] <PersonaGM> [His eyes flicked between Sachiko and Dinah. "Could it be… Neither of you remember… Moi?"-
[15:03] <PersonaGM> [His smirk widened. "Goodness! Does this mean you two have the fortune of meeting me for the first time… Twice?!?!"]
[15:07] * Sachiko kept walking, music rendering the idiot blessedly silent - at least to her.
[15:10] <Dinah> Dinah had already walked past him and there were few things that he could say that would get her to stop and engage him. He didn't seem to be saying any of them currently.
[15:11] <PersonaGM> [… And so he followed.-
[15:11] <PersonaGM> ["Allow me to introduce myself… Again. My name-"-
[15:12] <PersonaGM> [("Holy shit, leave 'em alone!") shouted a passing student.-
[15:12] <PersonaGM> [("She has headphones on, Delacour, read the room!") shouted another.-
[15:12] <PersonaGM> [Delacour started. He glared at the interlopers, his face flushed, before he sulkily fell into step with Dinah and Sachiko- but quietly this time.-
[15:18] <PersonaGM> [The first step on today's agenda: homeroom meeting, then school assembly.-
[15:20] <PersonaGM> [Off they went, then, to the classroom building. A building of handsome wooden floors, clean walls and colourful message boards. The three of them- including Delacour- made their way, whether by stair or elevator, to class H-2B, on the second floor.-
[15:21] <PersonaGM> [The closer they got, the more familiar faces they'd see. For Dinah, students from last year; for Sachiko, students from a year before, although many she remembered only vaguely, and some neither she nor Dinah remembered at all.-
[15:22] <PersonaGM> [It was rowdy outside H-2B as old friends met up and talked, students carefully checked their bookbags, new transfers became lost and the odd hungry heart tried to wolf down a breakfast.-
[15:23] <PersonaGM> [Adding to the rowdiness were two boys who stood outside the doorway, both of them recognisable to Dinah and Sachiko, although neither had been very close to the girls.-
[15:25] <PersonaGM> [On the right was a giant of a boy, standing clean over two metres tall. This was Terry Savage, an Australian- a gloriously bronzed young man, his shirt visibly straining against pure muscle, his hair a tangled vinepit of red straight hair.-
[15:28] <PersonaGM> [On the left was a tall (albeit not as tall) Aboriginal Australian boy, with short, curly brown hair and clear grey eyes. His name was Wallace McClean- tall, but much ganglier and thinner than Terry, and he looked thoroughly as though he'd just had a growth spurt and was still coming to terms with it.-
[15:29] <PersonaGM> [As students approached the door, the two of them raised their hands high above the door and high fived, forming a high-five arch for the student to walk under. "Good luck for a year!" both cried as students went through.-
[15:30] <PersonaGM> [As Dinah approached, Terry clicked two of his big, meaty fingers together and pointed at her. "Heeey. Welcome back. Go on in, your seat's on the far left."]
[15:36] <Dinah> Dinah continued to ignore the boy who sought their attention, smirking somewhat as others called him out on his antics. It didn't last long, however, as he merely thought it best to fall in step with them instead of doing literally anything else. With her hands thrust into her jacket pockets, she was trying to keep herself distracted from the need to lash out, have a cigarette, or both. The stress of him being nearby wasn't helping anything.-
[15:39] <Dinah> Dinah went in the elevator, as she wanted to get there as fast as possible and as she walked toward the classroom, she did indeed see a lot of familiar faces. Including a few people she'd intimidated. Some she'd beaten up. Some she'd almost beaten up, though was stopped one way or another. It wasn't exactly pleasant.-
[15:40] <Dinah> Still, the sight of the two tall boys didn't really bother her. She'd never really had problems with them. Terry only got a slight nod in response to his helpfulness and positivity before the girl was in the room, in her seat and wishing it was over with already.
[15:40] <PersonaGM> [Dinah would of course get a high-five arch.-
[15:42] <PersonaGM> [Then there was Sachiko. As the pair turned their eyes towards her, she saw their eyes widen.-
[15:42] <PersonaGM> ["Whoa. No way!" Said Terry.-
[15:43] <PersonaGM> ["Do mine eyes deceive me?" Said Wallace. "It's miss Kurata!"-
[15:44] <PersonaGM> ["Goddamn." Said Terry. He gave Sachiko a huge grin and thumbs up. "Welcome back to the fold. Your seat's in the left back corner."]
[15:52] <Sachiko> Sachiko had lagged behind Dinah following their little encounter, and so it was a minute or two later when she arrived at the class. Despite the crowds of people of people outside, most of them gave her a wide berth. When she finally took her headphones off as she neared the door she could hear faint whispers from a couple of people from nearby, but she tuned it out.-
[15:52] <Sachiko> … and thus a second later she was caught flat-footed by a full force blast of positivity from the pair by the door.-
[15:52] <Sachiko> "Thanks," she said, even as she found herself smiling back - not quite the grin Terry had going, but it wasn't a bad effort. "Good to see you both."
[15:54] <PersonaGM> ["Aww. That's nice." Said Terry.-
[15:55] <PersonaGM> ["It's good to see you as well." Said Wallace, smiling. "We'll give you two claps, for two years of good luck."-
[15:55] <PersonaGM> [Clap! Clap!-
[15:55] <PersonaGM> [The classroom was steadily filling up, although no sign of the teacher- a 'miss Smithson'.-
[15:56] <PersonaGM> [("Ooh, high five arches!")-
[15:56] <PersonaGM> [("Not for you.")-
[15:56] <PersonaGM> [("What?!")-
[15:57] <PersonaGM> [("Sorry, we only give high five arches to the deserving.")-
[15:57] <PersonaGM> [("As opposed to big ol' cashy assholes like yourself.")-
[15:58] <PersonaGM> [("Yes, so why don't you take your no-doubt unethically stolen hoarded capital to the other door?")-
[15:58] <PersonaGM> [("… Oh, you know? I'd forgotten that I was extremely rich. Thank you both for reminding me that I have enough money to buy everything ever.")-
[15:58] <PersonaGM> [A few seconds later, Delacour slunk in through the lonely other door, trying his hardest to look haughty and proud. He took a seat near the front.-
[11:17] <PersonaGM> [Despite the noise and chaos, it only took a few minutes for the crowd outside to thin out, for students to settle and find seats. By the time Ms. Smithson arrived, everyone was seated, although plenty were chatting away.-
[11:26] <PersonaGM> ["Good morning, everyone!" Said Ms. Smithson. She wasn't a teacher neither Dinah nor Sachiko recognised- Ms. Smithson was tall, with an average build. She was white, with long brilliant wavy red hair, brown eyes and a light dusting of freckles. She wore a black business suit, black heeled shoes and tan stockings.-
[11:27] <PersonaGM> [She took a stand near the front of the class, looked out at the students and smiled. "I'm Ms. Smithson, your home room teacher. I'm new here, same as some of you, I bet. I'll do my best to take care of you all, but I hope you'll overlook it if I make mistakes."-
[11:27] <PersonaGM> ["Alright, let's see what the day has in store…"-
[11:29] <PersonaGM> [Homeroom passed quickly, and served mostly to cover the outline for the day. First would be a whole-school assembly, then after that they'd go to their classes, although today was more about orientation than actual work. After lunchtime, there'd be another homeroom, where they'd try to break the ice and introduce everyone.-
[11:29] <PersonaGM> [All in all, pretty simple.-
[11:29] <PersonaGM> ["Any questions?" Asked Ms. Smithson.]
[11:36] <Sachiko> There were none from Sachiko, at least. It was all very boilerplate, and while she'd been listening throughout, sometimes her attention had wandered towards other members of the class.
[11:43] <Dinah> Dinah smirked a little as she saw the new teacher walk in, especially so when she announced that she was indeed new. While she herself wasn't the type to 'haze' the new ones, it wasn't as if she had never done it before. And with how she was feeling right now, it was a bit tempting. Though when questions came around, the girl merely brushed some hair out of her eyes and slunk back in
[11:43] <Dinah> her chair a bit, crossing her arms and resting one leg over the other at the ankle.
[11:49] <PersonaGM> [And so Ms. Smithson would go mercifully unhazed.-
[11:49] <PersonaGM> [Plenty of time left in the day, though.-
[11:57] <PersonaGM> [Sachiko's attentions would take in a sample of the rest of the class, some she recognised from her old days, others she only knew from her academic diary or because she'd overheard their names. There was Takumi Mizushima, who had short dark brown hair, was both tall and portly, and had been browsing through a fantasy novel when the teacher had walked in; Viola and Sif Thorsen, a pair
[11:57] <PersonaGM> of short, pale identical twins with shiny blonde hair who had been famously reclusive back in middle school, but now seemed more chatty; Salman El-Amin, a tall, willowy Arabian boy who had spent at least fifteen seconds openly staring at Sachiko as though confused by her existence, before apparently coming to some realisation, which he recorded in his smartphone; and Ren Tanaka, a skinny boy with long arms, long legs and small ears who was apparently having some kind of moment; he'd been staring raptly, awestruck, at Ms. Smithson the moment she'd entered.-
[11:58] <PersonaGM> […-
[11:58] <PersonaGM> [School assemblies are boring.-
[12:01] <PersonaGM> [They all assembled in homeroom groups and listened to teachers and local elected officials drone on for awhile. The principal, Mr. Chen, a gaunt-faced, tall, bald Chinese man had given them a mercifully brief speech, wishing them all the best for their year and promising that the school was behind them. The city mayor, Goro Matsudaira, gave a much longer, windier speech that could be summarised as thus:-
[12:02] <PersonaGM> ["This school is really old, and started as part of a modernisation process of the country. Twenty minutes of school history tied into the city. Do really well and show everyone the Sophia spirit! Which is also the Katashiba spirit. Bye!"-
[12:03] <PersonaGM> [After that, the students got to meet their council, who all introduced themselves. Finally, the student council president, Caolán Choi, gave a speech.-
[12:06] <PersonaGM> [Choi was a looker. He was tall, and wore his uniform well on a well-fit and toned body. His hair was short, black and well-kept. He was handsome, even pretty, with features soft enough that his deep, resonant voice came as a surprise. He wore glasses, which seemed to give him a kind of dignity.-
[12:08] <PersonaGM> ["I accept the duty that you, the student body, have placed on my shoulders." He said. "And as student council president, allow me to present my manifesto: to consider, and to challenge, the standards and norms around how education is conducted. Last year, a record number of students presented with anxiety and depression. Suicide attempts spiked, and first-week safehavens filled all the way up. I expect those numbers to remain similar at the start of this year as well."-
[12:10] <PersonaGM> ["And to me, it seems obvious that if this is the case, then it is a failure in the system, or at least those who are charged with representing it. This year, things change. I promise to challenge old, outdated rules and those who abuse them for petty ends. I'll overturn pointless traditions and enshrine respect and goodwill for the student body in all things. For those of you who felt let down by your family, friends, your school, or your society- I want this year, and this council, to be for you."-
[12:12] <PersonaGM> [Viola and Sif, who were sitting in the row behind Dinah and Sachiko, leaned forward to talk to them. "Wow." Said Viola quietly. "He's kinda pissing off some of the teachers. Check out old Asaka, he looks like he's about to do a murder."-
[12:13] <PersonaGM> [And indeed, if Dinah and Sachiko looked, they'd see the history teacher- a middle-aged man of average build- slowly going red in the face. Even from a distance they could see one of the man's hands balling into fists.]
[12:27] <Sachiko> Sachiko hadn't really expected a sudden voice in her ear, and had to crane her neck to check who it actually was, but she'd already been watching the teachers with some interest.-
[12:27] <Sachiko> "Wouldn't really play well to stand in the way of a kid whose platform is 'less student suicides'," she replied, keeping her voice low.
[12:32] <Dinah> Time dragged on and on and with every passing minute, Dinah was getting more and more tired of this bullshit. Which was exactly how she saw it, of course. She'd taken to rapidly tapping her thigh with her finger, tapping her foot, bouncing her legs and all manner of things to try and keep her mind off of how bored she was and how annoyed she was becoming because of it. And how much she wanted to just take a break.-
[12:34] <Dinah> She almost lost it halfway through the mayor's speech. He was just going on and on and on and saying nothing and Dinah just wanted someone, anyone, to shut him up. But when Choi got up to speak, things did get a little interesting at least. He had a way of speaking that saw people want to listen. And the things he talked about were not what someone would expect a student to say so openly and readily.-
[12:38] <Dinah> The voice from behind her made her jump in her seat, setting her jaw in a scowl when she looked back at the girl. Yet she wasn't wrong. And finally, Dinah'd had it. Before she could stop herself, her hands cupped around the sides of her mouth and she called out - in Japanese of course - "Watch your back! Asaka's givin' you the death stare!" Of course, she wasn't really saying it for Choi's benefit. Her tone was more mocking than anything. With any luck, that was her ticket out.
[12:42] <Sachiko> Sachiko's head was one of the many that turned Dinah's way, of course, but looked more curious than surprised.
[12:46] <PersonaGM> [And indeed, when Dinah had cried out, a collective gasp had burst from the crowd of students.-
[12:46] <PersonaGM> [More than a few laughed.-
[12:47] <PersonaGM> [Choi froze. He turned slowly to look at Asaka, then back out at the audience.-
[12:48] <PersonaGM> [Asaka snapped. He marched over to the front of the stage. "Who said that?!"-
[12:49] <PersonaGM> ["It could've been anyone." Said Choi, making some attempt. "You couldn't possibly know-"-
[12:49] <PersonaGM> ["The dyed European." Spat Asaka. "From Ms. Smithson's class."-
[12:50] <PersonaGM> [Ms. Smithson went a deep, shameful red. Sachiko heard her squeak.-
[12:50] <PersonaGM> [There was a deadly silence from their area of the class, before-
[12:50] <PersonaGM> ["She's American, actually." Cried out Wallace. Helpfully.-
[12:52] <PersonaGM> […-
[12:55] <PersonaGM> [Dinah and Wallace had been frogmarched away by an infuriated Asaka, and the assembly had broken up, the students dissolving into frenzied gossipping the moment they'd been let off the leash.-
[12:56] <PersonaGM> ["Welp. That was fun." Said Viola. Sachiko had, for whatever reason, found herself sandwiched between the two of them as the assembly broke off.-
[12:56] <PersonaGM> ["That's Dinah for you, though." Said Sif. She eyed Sachiko. "You know what she's like."]
[13:10] <Sachiko> "Not really," she said, shrugging. The fact that they'd caught up with her and matched her pace rather than the other way around hadn't escaped her notice. "I never spoke to her before this morning."
[13:10] <PersonaGM> ["Violent, temperamental. Heard she beat someone with a chair last year." Said Sif.]
[13:12] <Sachiko> "Heard or saw?"
[13:13] <PersonaGM> ["Heard." Said Sif. "As for things I saw, I definitely saw her punch at least two people."]
[13:25] <Sachiko> "I'll try to keep an arm's length away, then," she said.
[13:25] <Sachiko> "… Maybe a chair's length."
[13:25] <PersonaGM> [Viola giggled.-
[13:26] <PersonaGM> ["Smart thing to do." Said Sif. She eyed Sachiko for a moment, her head tilted slightly to the left, then nodded. "… Anyway, we'll be off. See you at class."]
[13:44] <Sachiko> "Yeah. Seeya there," she said, giving them both a quick nod. She'd matched Sif's stare without any apparent concern, and continued to watch them as they departed.
[13:51] <PersonaGM> […-
[13:52] <PersonaGM> [First period: Mathematics. Starting off strong.-
[13:53] <PersonaGM> [Ms. Kongo was a rubenesque Japanese woman of average height with her black hair done up in a bun. "Mathematics is like the dirty engineer of science." She said. "It does all the hard work, gets none of the respect, yet you can't deny that in the right light, it's kind of sexy…"-
[13:53] <PersonaGM> […-
[13:54] <PersonaGM> [Second period: English.-
[13:55] <PersonaGM> [Mr. Kobayashi was a muscular Japanese man, his black hair dyed a peroxide blonde and styled back with gel into a spiky array. He wore a leather jacket over a white shirt, blue jeans and crookred red tie. He lifted a sweet in the shape of a cigarette to his mouth and took a… Drag?-
[13:55] <PersonaGM> ["Do you know why English is my favourite language?" Said Mr. Kobayashi, flipping a chair around so the back faced the class; he sat down in it. "Because like me, it doesn't care for rules."-
[13:55] <PersonaGM> […-
[13:59] <PersonaGM> [Third period: Japanese.-
[13:59] <PersonaGM> [Ms. Smithson was back. She entered the classroom and stared at the class.-
[13:59] <PersonaGM> ["Hello to all you native speakers." She said sweetly.-
[14:00] <PersonaGM> ["As for those of you who speak Japanese as a foreign language…" She slammed her hands down on the desk.-
[14:02] <PersonaGM> ["Japanese is an ancient and poetic language that you will respect. You think you can come here and get by on a diet of scanlated manga and subbed anime? Well think again! Japanese isn't just all senpais and onee-chans. It's a complex, storied system of communication that reflects the very soul of its people! Under my tuition, I will turn you into the best Japanese foreign speakers the world has ever seen! You will teach Japanese to the Japanese, just. Like. Me."-
[14:02] <PersonaGM> […-
[14:02] <PersonaGM> [Fourth period: History.-
[14:04] <PersonaGM> [The atmosphere in 2-B was… Convivial, to say the least, as they waited for the man of the hour to arrive.-
[14:08] <PersonaGM> [Not because of their previous session- that had been a linguistic boot camp- but because Asaka's shaming this morning had been on everyone's lips since the assembly. Sachiko had seen Delacour do a few impressions that seemed to paint Asaka as being a four-armed ogre man who sneezed steam.-
[14:10] <PersonaGM> [When Mr. Asaka arrived, of course, the atmosphere changed very quickly. The man's face was no longer red, but he held himself incredibly rigidly, so much so that each time he turned it was as though he snapped into place.-
[14:10] <PersonaGM> ["2-B." He said, his voice cold and slow. That was all he said for awhile as he walked the rows of students.-
[14:12] <PersonaGM> [After a few minutes of this, he returned to the front of the class. "Ling. Both Thorsens. Ito. Kurata. Stand."]
[14:22] <Sachiko> Sachiko waited until the others had begun to stand before she made any move herself. It took her a little longer anyway, but it also let her get a look at the other named students so she could check what they had in common.-
[14:22] <Sachiko> … frankly it wasn't hard to guess, but she felt her teeth grind together as she made herself stand.
[16:20] <PersonaGM> [Asaka eyed the five of them.-
[16:21] <PersonaGM> ["Ling. Skirt too short. Minor uniform infraction. Ito. Skirt too long. Minor uniform infraction. Both Thorsens, your black brassiere straps stand out too much on your uniforms. Minor uniform infractions."-
[16:21] <PersonaGM> ["Kurata. Non-uniform compliance." Said Asaka. "That'll be a detention."]
[16:35] <Sachiko> "I think you're mistaken," she said firmly, trying to ignore the stares of those around her. She focused on Asaka and Asaka alone. "The pants are uniform compliant. Purchased direct from the school, actually."
[17:41] <PersonaGM> ["Curious that you mentioned the pants, and not your tie ribbon." Said Asaka, his tone cool. "But the pants are definitely an infraction, because school purchased or not, the girls' uniform has a skirt."-
[17:42] <PersonaGM> ["And unless you underwent some experimental surgeries over the summer break, that means you are expected to wear a skirt. That'll be an insubordination infraction on top of your major and minor uniform infractions."]
[17:43] <PersonaGM> [The rest of the class had gone very quiet at this outbreak. Ling, whose skirt had been too short, looked quietly defiant. The Thorsens looked… Uncomfortable.-
[17:43] <PersonaGM> [Ito was welling up.-
[17:45] <PersonaGM> [Mizushima's eyes kept flicking from Sachiko to Asaka nervously; El-Amin was quickly, yet surreptitously, making notes in his smartphone. Savage had a muscle working away in his jaw; one of his hands kept clenching and unclenching.-
[17:45] <PersonaGM> [Delacour watched the proceedings with a kind of detached amusement.]
[17:58] <Sachiko> Sachiko's posture suddenly grew very rigid.-
[17:58] <Sachiko> "Why don't you let the others sit, if you're done with them?" she asked, resting her hands on the desk and leaning forward. "And then you can refer me to the appeals process the student handbook made note of."-
[17:58] <Sachiko> "Unless you'd prefer to give me a minor infraction for the bow, which is fair, and you can continue with your class?"
[18:00] <PersonaGM> [Asaka's eyes narrowed.-
[18:00] <PersonaGM> ["Ling, Ito, the Danes, sit down." Said Asaka. "Kurata, we're going to the office. Appeals it is."]
[18:03] <Sachiko> "Appeals it is," she said, matter-of-fact. She collected her things and followed Asaka out… though she gave Ito a small smile on the way passed.
[18:04] <PersonaGM> [Ito rubbed at her eyes and did her best to return it.-
[18:04] <PersonaGM> […-
[13:03] <@PersonaGM> [Dinah and Wallace were taken to the office by a glowering Asaka, who radiated an aura of anger around him.-
[13:04] <@PersonaGM> ["Detention." He said. "Both of you."-
[13:05] <@PersonaGM> ["I will determine the nature of your detentions later today. Until then, you are to wait in one of our disciplinary contemplation rooms."-
[13:06] <@PersonaGM> [And that was how Dinah and Wallace ended up locked inside a bare, small cube of a room with three chairs, a table, and a very locked door with a single small window.]
[13:08] <Dinah> Dinah didn't have any qualms with what she'd done. The whole point was getting out of that room, after all. But getting locked in another one wasn't high on her list of things to do. At least, not until she'd gotten a little 'me' time. So as soon as the door was closed behind them, she knocked against it - hard - and called out. "Yo, Asaka! Before you run off and glare at other
[13:08] <Dinah> kids, I gotta hit the bathroom!"
[13:09] <@PersonaGM> [Silence.]
[13:10] <Dinah> "C'mon! Choi just said he was goin' after bullies! And you're gonna leave me in here like that? What happens if I can't wait, y'know? That's gonna look awfully bad on you!"
[13:12] <@PersonaGM> [The door was solid, hard, and probably soundproof. Dinah definitely couldn't hear anything from the other side, like a remorseful Asaka or anything.-
[13:14] <@PersonaGM> [Wallace had already settled into a chair. "We're going to be here for… Some time."]
[13:27] <Dinah> Throwing a middle finger toward the window in the door, the young woman scoffed and slammed her other fist against it again. "That's probably your thing, Asaka, isn't it?! Gross old guy." Sniffing in annoyance, she walked over to one of the chairs and kicked it out, turning to practically fall into it, crossing her arms over her chest.-
[13:28] <Dinah> She looked like the bear you didn't want to poke, and yet part of her just wanted an excuse. Even if Wallace had just been rying to help. Or something. Glaring over in his direction, she watched him for a moment before speaking up. "Y'should'a kept your mouth shut."
[13:31] <@PersonaGM> ["True." Said Wallace. "You should've too. But we both didn't, which makes us dummos."]
[13:36] <Dinah> "Nah." She snipped, crossing a foot over the other and bouncing them lightly. "Someone needed to say something. Asaka's an ass. He needs cut down a bit. But I was gonna make sure he knew it was me. Y'didn't need to volunteer."
[13:38] <@PersonaGM> ["True again." Said Wallace. "At least you've got someone to talk to now."]
[13:44] <Dinah> "Yep." As if to prove a point, she spent the next few minutes completely silent until she finally let out an annoyed groan. "Goddamnit." Reaching into her jacket pocket, she produced a small box of gum and shoved a piece in her mouth, chewing rather loudly and fiercely until it seemed to calm her a little.-
[13:45] <Dinah> Regarding him again, she leveled a firm scowl in his direction, a brow lifted warily. "Why're you so positive this year?"
[13:51] <@PersonaGM> ["Being young and carefree?" He offered. "… No, probably not. No one's really carefree. Guess nothing's gone too terribly this year so far."]
[13:59] <Dinah> His answer seemed to inspire even more of Dinah's ire, leaving her to glare fully at him for a long while. Turning her head indignantly, she just scoffed and spoke bitterly. "Must be nice."
[14:02] <@PersonaGM> ["What must be nice?"]
[14:04] <Dinah> "Nothing." She snapped off to him with the bark of the word, her eyes suddenly blazing with anger. "And if you piss me off, I'm gonna break your arm and beat you with it. Got it?!"
[14:05] <@PersonaGM> ["Got it."]
[14:06] <Dinah> "Good." A grumble left her lips as she chewed harder for a moment, obviously carrying a lot of stress all of a sudden.
[14:06] <@PersonaGM> [Wallace took a box of pocky out of his blazer, opened it, took out a stick and began crunching away at it.]
[14:11] <Dinah> There was silence for a good while as Dinah pulled out her phone and got back on the game she had been playing on he bus. For another few minutes, she played quietly until she finally chimed up again. "Amateur didn't even take our phones."
[14:13] <@PersonaGM> ["He's history teacher for a reason. Dummo probably doesn't know what a phone is."]
[14:17] <Dinah> "Or he knows he's getting my phone when he pries it out of my hand. And I'm not letting it go that easily." Playing some more, she was quiet for a time again. Under normal circumstances, she would be happy to just sit there and ignore her fellow prisoner.-
[14:19] <Dinah> But her nerves were shot, her temper was non-existent and she had no patience for anything going on. Which meant she needed distracted. Or she needed to start punching the wall. Spitting her gum out on the floor without a second thought, she held a free hand out without even looking. "Gimme one of those. You can have a piece of my gum if you want."
[14:21] <@PersonaGM> ["No worries." He shook a stick of pocky out of the box and handed it to her.]
[14:33] <Dinah> Snatching it from him, she took a bite and then held it in her lips while she retrieved a piece of gum and tossed it his way regardless. "If you don't want it, give it to someone else."
[11:50] <@PersonaGM> ["Cheers." Said Wallace. He grinned and popped the gum in his mouth.-
[11:51] <@PersonaGM> [The pocky and gum both would prove invaluable over the next two hours of increasingly ethically questionable confinement. Wallace maintained the peace with mostly good cheer, but after several hours he was becoming noticeably fidgetty.-
[11:52] <@PersonaGM> [And then- the door suddenly opened. Asaka appeared, leading on another student- Sachiko.-
[11:53] <@PersonaGM> ["Wait in here whilst I contact your homeroom teacher." Said Asaka coldly. Once Sachiko was inside, he slammed the door shut and locked it.]
[11:55] * Sachiko gave him an irritatingly sunny smile before he could shut the door on her.-
[11:55] <Sachiko> She waited a moment to be sure he wouldn't come back, then turned to the others. "Hm. Hello, you two."
[11:56] <@PersonaGM> ["Welcome to… Oz?" Said Wallace. "That sounds on the nose when I say it."]
[11:56] <Dinah> Dinah stood suddenly as the door opened, the chair practically flying out from under her while she stomped toward the door. "Hey! Asaka! You owe us a bathroom break or something! Don't close the fuc-"-
[11:56] <@PersonaGM> ["holyshit-"]
[11:58] <Dinah> And the door was closed. Growling as she heard it lock, she raised her foot and lunged it forward in a hard kick that, well, did nothing. Considering it wasn't the first time she'd tried it. Glaring at the empty window, she eventually just huffed and looked over at Sachiko. "Yeah. Hey. Welcome to this bullshit."
[11:58] <@PersonaGM> ["Hey, Dinah?" Said Wallace as he steadied his chair.]
[11:59] <Dinah> Flexing her fists out of frustration, she glanced over at Wallace, an irritation clear in her eyes. "What?"
[12:00] <@PersonaGM> ["You thinking about prison tats yet? I was thinking I could get H-A-T-E on my knuckles, but L-O-V-E on the inside of my palm, you see…"]
[12:02] <Sachiko> "… I thought it was supposed to be the other set of knuckles," Sachiko said, wandering past Dinah to find her own chair.
[12:03] <@PersonaGM> ["Yeah, but I want it so that when I punch people it's hate, but when I open my hand, it's love."-
[12:03] <@PersonaGM> ["It's… It's symbolic."]
[12:03] <Sachiko> "Maybe just don't punch people if you're that into the symbolism."
[12:04] <@PersonaGM> ["I've been radicalised by the prison-to-school pipeline, that's just not an option anymore." Said Wallace, shaking his head sadly.]
[12:04] <Sachiko> Sachiko let out a quiet snort of amusement.
[12:07] <Dinah> Dinah still growled at the fact that they'd been stuck in here for as long as they had. Her phone's battery wasn't going to last much longer thanks to mostly gaming on it and when that was gone, she'd only get that much more annoyed. The back and forth between Wallace and Sachiko had her groan and rub the bridge of her nose before moving over to pick her chair back up and flop down into it.-
[12:07] <Dinah> "Who says I don't already have prison tats?"
[12:10] <Sachiko> "… have you been to prison?" Sachiko asked.
[12:13] <Dinah> The girl crossed her arms and shrugged, crossing one ankle over the other. "If I did, I ain't about to brag about it, am I?"
[12:15] <Sachiko> Sachiko just shut her eyes, settling back in her chair. "Sure."
[12:20] <Dinah> "So what'd you do to piss Asaka off?"
[12:25] <Sachiko> "He was more invested in seeing me in a skirt than doing his job," Sachiko said calmly.
[12:29] <Dinah> "Sounds right." She sniffed, lulling her head lazily toward Wallace. "Told ya he's that kinda guy."
[12:30] <@PersonaGM> ["Schools are one of the few places left where you can institutionally enforce skirts on girls." Said Wallace. "Some people are very protective about that weird advantage."-
[12:30] <@PersonaGM> ["Also, you forgot your bow."]
[12:35] <Dinah> "I didn't forget it. I just didn't wear it." She pulled out her phone and checked the battery before slipping it back in her pocket. "If he doesn't like it, I can tell him exactly where my bow can go."
[12:35] <Sachiko> "Offered to accept the minor infraction for that," she said to Wallace. "The pants he'll have to fight me for, though."
[12:36] <@PersonaGM> ["Fair." Said Wallace. "And hey, I don't care if anyone wears bows or not."-
[12:36] <@PersonaGM> ["Did he nail anyone else for uniform non-com?" Asked Wallace. "Because I know Delacour's uniform is custom-made, and that's a major infraction."]
[12:37] <Sachiko> "Only other girls. I noticed, don't worry."
[12:41] <Dinah> "Imagine that." A frown crossed her lips as she said the words, uncrossing her arms and crossing them again, her impatience becoming that much more obvious.
[12:48] <@PersonaGM> ["Naturally." Said Wallace.-
[12:48] <@PersonaGM> [There was a knock at the door, which unlocked and opened. Standing in the doorway were two people- Ms. Smithson, who was staring at the room with a mix of alarm and surprise; and President Choi, who looked harried.-
[12:49] <@PersonaGM> ["Are… You all okay?" Asked Smithson.]
[12:51] <Dinah> When the door opened again, Dinah almost jumped up once more, though at seeing the two different people there, she frowned. Shooting the woman a glare, she gestured around the room. "Hell no we're not. Wally an' I've been locked in here ever since the assembly. Asaka didn't even show his face to see if we were still breathin' or anything."
[12:51] <@PersonaGM> [Smithson sighed. "Sorry."]
[12:52] <Sachiko> "I'm fine," Sachiko added helpfully. She stood as well, although she didn't seem rushed to move.
[12:58] <Dinah> "If you're sorry, then nail him for this. Or you." She gestured off to Choi, standing up with a hard look at both of them. "Who knows what could've happened in here? Who knows how much longer he was gonna hold us in here? No water. No food. No bathroom." She was visibly livid as she started listing it all off, hands balling into fists. "Asaka's gotta pay for this, somehow."
[13:00] <@PersonaGM> ["I don't disagree," Said Choi, running a hand through frazzled hair, "Especially after today. But the best hope we have right now is the appeals process. Should I walk you all through it?"]
[13:02] <Sachiko> "Please," Sachiko said, perfectly calm and standing in absolute contrast to Dinah a few paces away.
[13:04] <Dinah> The look that Dinah gave Choi suggested she had something far different in mind than appealing but she bit her tongue. Crossing her arms, she dropped back in her chair, flicking her wrist dismissively to tell him to go on.
[13:07] <@PersonaGM> ["The appeals process is pretty simple." Said Choi. "If a teacher says you've broken a rule, you can ask for appeal, and your homeroom teacher can decide to uphold or overturn the ruling. If your homeroom teacher overturns, then great, you're off the hook."-
[13:08] <@PersonaGM> ["But, the prosecuting teacher can appeal that to the principal." Said Choi. "And finally, either teacher can challenge that ruling, and it's referred to the school senate, including the chancellor of the Academy as a whole."]
[13:10] <Sachiko> "Perfect," Sachiko said brightly, bouncing on the balls of her feet. "I can work with that."
[13:11] <Dinah> "That is really stupid."
[13:11] * Sachiko continued smiling, even though the bouncing stopped.
[13:13] <@PersonaGM> ["It's better than what came before." Said Choi. "Besides, I wouldn't recommend you do appeals, Schreier. You're pretty much toast. If you want to challenge Asaka on anything, you should focus on this… Incarceration thing."-
[13:13] <@PersonaGM> ["But that…" Choi sighed. "… Is covered under student-teacher grievances, and involves an entirely different set of bureaucracy."]
[13:18] <Dinah> "I don't give a shit about the assembly. Asaka was lookin' at you like he wanted to wring your neck." She sniffed, her arms unfolding so she could gesture around the room. "But this? This is bullshit. So yeah. I wanna call him out on it. But hell, if I get brought back here again, I might just have to get creative. Show everyone what a bad idea it is. Then they'll have to change it."
[13:21] <@PersonaGM> [Choi nudged his glasses further up the bridge of his nose.-
[13:22] <@PersonaGM> ["Very well." Said Choi. "Then as student council president, I'll assist you during the process and act as advocate."-
[13:22] <@PersonaGM> ["Ms. Smithson, what do you feel about Kurata's infractions?"-
[13:22] <@PersonaGM> [Ms. Smithson looked over at Sachiko. "… You have reasons for wearing pants, right?"]
[13:28] <Sachiko> "They're related to my absence last year. If you need more details…," a glance at the students to either side of her, "We can speak in private, I guess."
[13:29] <@PersonaGM> ["No, that won't be necessary. Consider it overturned." Said Ms. Smithson with a smile.-
[13:29] <@PersonaGM> ["That's all well and good, but Asaka will appeal. And he'll probably win the next round." Said Choi.]
[13:31] <Sachiko> "Do I get to speak in my own defense?"
[13:32] <@PersonaGM> ["You do. What did you have in mind?"]
[13:39] * Sachiko looked at Ms. Smithson. "I figure a school this big requires teachers to record their infractions, correct?"
[13:40] <@PersonaGM> ["Of course."]
[13:48] <Sachiko> "Then I would be interested to see the number of infractions Mr. Asaka made against the female students in the past year, compared to the male ones," she said. It was easier to tell now that she was speaking more openly, but there was a precision to the way she spoke, clear and crisp.-
[13:48] <Sachiko> "Then I would like to see how those numbers compared to other teachers working in the same area of the school. Perhaps I would solicit testimony from how this affected other members of the student body."-
[13:49] <Sachiko> "And then I would let the principal know I look forward to bringing these issues up in front of the senate and the school's chancellor."-
[13:49] <Sachiko> "Or he can give me a minor infraction from the bow and let me wear pants," she finished, still smiling with absolute frosty sincerity.
[13:51] <Dinah> Dinah stretched her legs out again, once more crossing her legs at the ankle while she sagged in her chair somewhat. "Do we even need to worry about that? If Choi an' me are going after him for locking me and Wally up like this and the whole school hears about it, is he even gonna care about pants?"-
[13:51] <Dinah> She sniffed, staying quiet for a moment, thoughtfully. "Though, hearing that plan, I kinda want him to."
[13:53] <@PersonaGM> ["It depends." Said Choi. "Honestly, though, I wouldn't put it past him to fight the entire way. I like your plan, Kurata, but Asaka is the kind of person who'll double down when challenged, and he has powerful friends."-
[13:54] <@PersonaGM> ["We'll see what we can do, though." Said Smithson. "I think there's merit, but… Well. At the very least, you three should be getting out of here."]
[13:56] <Sachiko> "If he wants to win I'll make sure he hurts first," she said, even as she took a couple of steps forward.-
[13:56] <Sachiko> "Back to class?"
[13:56] <Dinah> "It's about damn time." She stood and thrust her hands into her jacket pockets, frowning deeply as she did. "I've had to hit up the bathroom since he threw us in here."
[13:57] <@PersonaGM> ["Alright, then off to the bathrooms, then to your classes."]
[13:58] * Sachiko nodded. "Thank you, both," she added as she passed Choi and Smithson
[14:01] <Dinah> Glancing to Sachiko as she thanked them, Dinah just sniffed and nodded in their direction slightly. It was the best they were going to get.-
[14:01] <Dinah> After that, she was on her way to the restrooms, walking with a little extra sprint in her step.
[14:03] <@PersonaGM> […-
[14:05] <@PersonaGM> [Fifth Period: Physical Education.-
[14:07] <@PersonaGM> [Mr. Matsudaira was a beastly bear of a man, two metres tall, utterly bald and with a face that only a mother could love when drunk. His muscles spilled out of his short white t-shirt, and his legs were as tree trunks.-
[14:07] <@PersonaGM> ["Physical Education." Said Matsudaira. "Is in our blood."-
[14:09] <@PersonaGM> ["For five hundred years, the Matsudairas have been educating the good people of Katashiba on perfecting the mind, the soul, and yes-" He took a deep breath- "the body. Here, we strive not just for physicality or education, but to struggle against ourselves, our very nature! To find absolution in pain and OH MY GOD WHO IS THAT BOY?!"-
[14:09] <@PersonaGM> [Matsudaira pointed at Terry. "WHO IS THIS HONDA MADE FLESH? HE'S A UNIT!"-
[14:09] <@PersonaGM> ["Uh, I'm Terry. Terry Savage? I've been here for years."-
[14:10] <@PersonaGM> [Tears sprang into Matsudaira's eyes. "You should be teaching this class. Not I! Not in a million years could I ever achieve such a rugged, lionesque look-"-
[14:11] <@PersonaGM> ["… Sir, if you desire to become as lionlike as I, then by all means, I will help you achieve PERFECTION-"-
[14:13] <@PersonaGM> […-
[14:14] <@PersonaGM> [Sixth Period: Home Economics.-
[14:16] <@PersonaGM> [Ms. Eichel was a statuesque, snow-white-with-raven-hair German woman with forest-green eyes. She surveyed the class with a fond expression.-
[14:19] <@PersonaGM> ["I love first days, don't you all? To have all this potential concentrated in one room…" She sighed. "Home economics, or to give it its proper name, The Science of the Domestic, is about ensuring peace and plenty in the home. It covers more than just cooking and cleaning. I want you all, especially the boys, to join me in becoming avid domestic scientists this year."-
[14:22] <@PersonaGM> ["At the end of the year, we'll be awarding a special medal to the best domestic scientist! It used to be a nobel prize- not a real prize but named like that- but we stopped doing that because did you know Nobel invented dynamite? Weapons manufacturers will burn in hell forever, so I decided to name it after Wolfgang Puck. Did you know Puck left home and became a chef to get away from his terrible stepfather? Isn't it curious how adversity can breed genius?"-
[14:22] <@PersonaGM> [Sixth Period: Home Economics The History of Wolfgang Puck A Brief Foray into The Gender Politics of Prussian-Dominated Germany-
[14:22] <@PersonaGM> […-
[14:22] <@PersonaGM> [And after that, it was time for homeroom again.-
[14:28] <@PersonaGM> [It had been a long day. A stressful day. But now it was time to head home. For Dinah and Sachiko to say their goodbyes, and then head off.]
[14:35] <Dinah> It had indeed been a long day. As soon as Dinah got the chance after her confinement, she'd indeed gone to the restroom but only to spark up a cigarette to take the edge off. The place either had to have a vent, a window or both, so she was fine on that front. And she always had gum and some kind of spray freshener on hand for just that purpose.-
[14:36] <Dinah> The rest of it passed by in a blur, save for sixth period, which saw Dinah a little uncomfortable compared to the other classes. She'd glance at the teacher and then try to look away from her only to end up doing it again some minutes later. The whole time, she wore a fairly complicated expression as well, which wasn't her norm.-
[14:37] <Dinah> Still, the day was over and they were on their way back to the dorms. As soon as they stepped off the bus, she was already fishing in her pocket for her pack, producing another stick and lighting it up deftly for the walk home. She honestly should head to the shop and buy something to eat but she wasn't really hungry. Not yet. She'd just come back later.
[14:46] <Sachiko> The rest of the day had been a rather solitary affair for Sachiko. After returning to class, she seemed content to follow along with her classes without comment or complaint, and while she didn't raise her hand she also wasn't singled out by any teachers. This suited her fine.-
[14:46] <Sachiko> Physical Education had been… trying, but luckily Savage and Matsudaira had shouted through most of the allotted time. She was noticeably limping as she exited the bus later that day, though. She paused long enough to give the walk ahead of her a very unfriendly look, then put her head down and got to it.
[14:49] <@PersonaGM> [A few minutes into Sachiko's walk, a plain grey car would pull up. Behind the wheel was Choi. "Can I offer you a lift home?"-
[14:50] <@PersonaGM> […-
[14:50] <@PersonaGM> [Dinah would be walking along home unaided and alone, however, which is probably how she liked it after such a heck of a day. Before long, she was close enough to see Jerk Cat flitting around the stores near home…-
[14:50] <@PersonaGM> […-
[14:51] <@PersonaGM> [And then, both Sachiko and Dinah would feel their smartphones buzz.]
[14:54] <Dinah> The walk was probably the most relaxing part of Dinah's day. Partly because there was no one around and partly because she was finally smoking again. Not being able to do so for such long periods of time was going to take some getting used to again.-
[14:56] <Dinah> With a puff, she let out something of a sigh and then glanced to JC with a wave. "Hey, JC. Miss me? Yeah, probably not." She sniffed and then stopped when her phone started buzzing. Reaching into her pocket, she produced the one in her welcome packet, as her main phone was almost dead by now. There was definitely some curiosity in her gaze when she glanced it over to see what was going on.
[15:03] <Sachiko> The drive with Choi was fairly quiet. Sachiko'd seemed… guarded, but grateful at the offer, and while Choi had asked a couple of questions, he'd gotten answers just long enough to be polite without giving much away. There wasn't a lot of time between the bus stop and the dorm anyway.-
[15:03] <Sachiko> So when her personal phone buzzed in her pocket, she wasn't all that worried about checking it.
[15:07] <@PersonaGM> [A second later, Choi's phone buzzed as well. He sighed. "That'll be someone from the council. One moment." He pulled the car onto the side of the road in a very careful, precise park, then fishes his phone out of his pocket.-
[15:07] <@PersonaGM> […-
[15:08] <@PersonaGM> [Dinah would see that she had a notification from S-Chat. She'd not had any real reason to pay attention to S-Chat as students had started logging on with personal apps and from computers, but…-
[15:08] <@PersonaGM> [It looked like someone had sent her a video.-
[15:08] <@PersonaGM> [In fact, it looked like someone had sent everyone a video.-
[15:08] <@PersonaGM> […-
[15:08] <@PersonaGM> [Choi took his phone out. "Huh."-
[15:09] <@PersonaGM> [He pressed the screen, then watched. A moment later, his eyes started to widen. "You might want to look at this."]
[15:11] <Sachiko> She was already opening it when he spoke.
[15:28] <@PersonaGM> [It looked like a video recorded on a smartphone. It showed a school corridor, as well as two people- the picture wasn't entirely clear, because whoever was recording this had hidden their phone in a bag of some kind.-
[15:32] <@PersonaGM> [The bag was adjusted slightly, and two figures came into view- A younger high schooler, east Asian in appearance, and a teacher- Mr. Asaka, the man of the hour, it seemed.-
[15:33] <@PersonaGM> ["… Undermined my authority for a year." Hissed Asaka. "I won't have it this year again. This ends here, and if I have to see to it that you're expelled, I will."-
[15:35] <@PersonaGM> ["By all means." Hissed the student. "We have a right to be taught proper history. I don't think the school would be impressed much by your unique take on the syllabus."-
[15:36] <@PersonaGM> ["You overestimate how much the school cares." Said Asaka. "And this year will be different. Political agitators like yourselves are no longer welcome. If I had my way you'd be on a plane home already-"-
[15:37] <@PersonaGM> ["Some of my ancestors died in that war." Said the student. "Their memories demand honesty. Or what are you afraid people will find? That your ancestors killed them?"-
[15:39] <@PersonaGM> [Asaka reached out with a hand and nearly grabbed the student's collar- but stopped at the last moment. The cameraperson gasped.-
[15:39] <@PersonaGM> ["I'll tell you a little secret, Wu. If my ancestors killed some of yours, I wouldn't be hiding it."-
[15:40] <@PersonaGM> [The tables turned. Wu leapt forward towards Asaka, hands outstretched- he was stopped, just barely, by the cameraperson. "Wu, don't!"-
[15:42] <@PersonaGM> ["You raise a hand against a teacher?" Asaka's eyes glittered. "That'll be more than detention for you, Wu. For both of you, in fact. I think it's time to make an example of you disobedient students, who come here and take advantage of our patience and hospitality. You disobedient, uppity child-" He jabbed a finger towards Wu,- "That rude European, Schreier, from this morning-"-
[15:42] <@PersonaGM> ["She was American." Said the cameraperson. Evidently a girl.-
[15:57] <@PersonaGM> ["I don't care what she was-"-
[16:01] <@PersonaGM> ["Hey, is it true you sent a student to detention for wearing pants instead of a skirt? And blasted another student for wearing a skirt too long? What's up with that?" Said the cameraperson. "Is that why you were so angry at Choi's speech? Was he talking about you?"-
[16:03] <@PersonaGM> ["Choi, much like you, is an idiot who doesn't know what he's talking about." Snapped Asaka. "You're here to face me with nothing more than gossip and insinuations. Nothing you say can actually be proven. You should know your place, before you join the rest of these delinquents."-
[16:04] <@PersonaGM> ["I guess you're right." Said the recorder. "The students at this school aren't always good at talking to each other. But what would come out if they did?"-
[16:04] <@PersonaGM> ["Is that a threat?" Said Asaka. "Let me repeat myself: be careful, before things turn out badly for both of you."-
[16:05] <@PersonaGM> ["Fine." Said the student. "I'll do that."-
[16:05] <@PersonaGM> [The bag shifted. Asaka and Wu were hidden from view. After some misheard mumblings, the group seemed to break off.-
[16:07] <@PersonaGM> [… A few moments later, the recorder took the phone from her bag and looked into it. It was a girl, a pretty older girl with long black hair and olive eyes. "Taro Asaka is our history, social studies and geography teacher. But he's also a denialist, a creep and bully who threatens those weaker than him. Last year, he denied war crimes in Korea and China, and he hit on one of my friends and tried to look up my skirt. And he wants to do it again this year."-
[16:07] <@PersonaGM> ["My name is Yi Ji-Hu, and I'm calling on anyone who sees this video who knows what Asaka is like to step forward and start talking."-
[16:07] <@PersonaGM> [With that, the video ended.]
[16:23] <Dinah> Dinah watched the entire video, letting out a huff at the end of it. "Serves him right. Bastard." Letting out another puff of smoke, she tapped off the ash and looked down at the cat. "What do you think, JC? Should I find this girl an' tell her about what happened to me an' Wally today?"
[16:24] <PersonaGM> [JC looked up at Dinah, looked her square in the eyes, and gave her the most affirmative 'meow' she'd ever heard from a cat.]
[16:21] <Sachiko> In the car, Sachiko removed her headphones and frowned down at her phone, where the final still of Ji-Hu's blurry face still stared back at her. She remained still and apparently calm, but she was suddenly giving off an aura of energy - in the same way a lightning rod, freshly struck in a storm, might seem energized.-
[16:21] <Sachiko> "Yi Ji-Hu," she said eventually, looking over at Choi. "You know her?"
[16:23] <PersonaGM> ["I do."]
[16:23] <Sachiko> "Can you introduce me?" I think it's time I made a friend."