Week One

[stagemanagers]

[Yesterday, everyone woke up in a strange place and realized that they'd been kidnapped, and also that everyone else around them may or may not be kinnies? Wow, what a weird escalation of kin drama! Given what some people have seen of Spongebob's freaky arm thing, though, maybe it's not that at all?

Your Assistant Director, Hester, showed off her stuff and immediately had her life threatened by Lumpy Space Princess, who got her life threatened right back. Maybe you should keep that in mind if you decide to pay Hester any more visits! She won't be making another public appearance this week, but as promised, she'll be available for visits and consultation in the Principal's Office during business hours.

If you don't want to chat with Hester, there's always the school to explore! Some of you might also be receiving mysterious coins next to your bedside this week - those must be useful for something, right? There's lots to do, and you all seem like a group who can make your own fun, so enjoy your first week of school!]


Monday | Tuesday | Wednesday | Thursday | Friday | Saturday


(( OOC: This will be the last mod post for this week! Feel free to start submitting regains for any threads that aren't with Hester. Remember, song threads mean an extra coin! This is a peace week, so get all that CR while you can! ))

Comments

[alchemistake]

[Varian wasn't expecting Thursday to be quite so eventful as it was, especially the incident with the vending machine. Now that he thinks about it, he's really thankful he came along when he did...Ruddiger- the raccoon poor Maya received from the machine, who could have been in there for who knows how long- actually belongs to Varian, and he doesn't want to think about what the others might have done to a live raccoon running around the school. Ruddiger probably would have hidden under or in something to stay safe, but that would have been an unwelcome surprise for anyone not expecting it...or, you know. Somebody might have just taken the little guy out. People don't usually keep raccoons as pets, he understands this.

Needless to say, anywhere Varian goes today there will be a conspicuous raccoon perched on his shoulders, clinging to him rather tightly and nervously eyeing the rest of the environment and people they might come accross.

Broadhurst will see him first. Actually probably while Varian is still asleep, since even though he gets up early he decided he'd stay in the room a bit longer for Ruddiger's sake. There's a fluffy black-and-white tail where Varian's pillow usually is, and if you call for him in the dark of the early morning you might be startled by what you see. SORRY...

The rest of the day is spent mostly in the Cafeteria in various places, a change from Varian's norm of aggressively working on this or that project (like the battering ram Angus put forth), or the parts needed for Salieri's performance. And while you'd think Varian would have learned his lesson from witnessing poor Maya getting items from the vending machine, the appearance of Ruddiger has him worried. What if there are more creatures stuck in there? If there's the possibility of even one, especially one he KNOWS, there could be others...

So there are two options for that:

1) Trombones: The same horrific groaning emits from the machine, and it's too late for Varian to realize what he's hearing. Ruddiger manages to jump off and hide under one of the tables in time, but Varian isn't so lucky. The avalanche of brass is sudden and takes him out with a startled sound, but thanks to peace week armor he'll be okay! Just...don't mind him if he lays there for a while, groaning.

2) It's A Leezard: A HUGE number of other items pour out of the machine that Varian will have to sort through later. But there's one that sort of plops out unceremoniously into his hands that almost startles him into dropping it. The flash of green prompts him to quickly cup his hands around it so he doesn't have to chase it- them?- all over the place, because he thinks-]

Pascal? Okay, this is starting to get rid-

[He opens his hands. This blinks its eyes out of sync up at him.]

...wait.

[Then later, Varian just...pushes his pile of items to one corner of the tables to go through them. There was a a fully formed chocolate pie (how) with fresh strawberries on top, so he's going to be eating that because why not, mostly so he can pull all of the strawberries off the top and hand them to Ruddiger to eat after washing them with a waterbottle he snagged from the concessions. He seems much happier with fruit to eat, even if he's still a bit wary of his surroundings.

There are some items that might be familiar to people, like a wrapped lawschool textbook, or some very strange bags of ginseng that are doing their level best to fly up into the rafters when Varian isn't paying attention to quickly pull them back down. Like honestly now, he's not even sure if they're safe to drink like that?

As he sits there, he's holding what looks to be a small chunk of amber in his palm. It's a very weird shape, all twisted in on itself with a few protrustions coming off it, more like a thorny vine than a normal chunk. It's got Varian's attention, mostly because amber doesn't really...form like this? If anything, it should be more like a rock...

Maybe he's just thinking about it too hard, and it's just amber. It's sort of soothing to run his thumb across it though, so it's fine for that he guesses.]

broadhurst bc of course

[prophetpriestandking]

[Mumble's sleep is interrupted by some (mildly) unpleasant dreams and an aching in his ankles. He opens an eye a peep, and notices some movement from where Varian usually is. Some company in this early morning would be quite nice, so he shuffles on over.]

Hey, Varian - you awake?

[And then something moves which is not Varian. And it stares at him with bright eyes.

The noise Mumble makes is not human.

Mirroring his roommates earlier in the week, Mumble jolts backwards and ends up on the floor with a thud.]

OF COURSE

[alchemistake]

[If Varian wasn't awake before, he sure as hell is now. Fortunately, he's sleeping closer to the wall to give Ruddiger more room, meaning he won't actually go tumbling off the top bunk this time.

Less fortunately is the fact that Mumble's penguin-shriek is enough to startle Ruddiger into jumping so hard he nearly hits the ceiling, scrambling across Varian's face until he can duck under the blankets and hide.]

Wha- wh!? Where- what's happening?!

Peaceful mornings just don’t exist in broadhurst

[prophetpriestandking]

[Mumble watches the raccoon scurry off, chest heaving with panicked breaths.]

What -

[Okay, he’s recovered now. Curiosity has taken the wheel.]

Was that? It was small and furry and had glowing eyes.

[alchemistake]

What was...

[Oh. Oh god.]

Right! Um! Mumble, I'm so sorry, I should have warned you-

[Varian sits up a bit straighter with his hair a right mess thanks to sleeping weird, quickly brushing his bangs from his eyes before putting a hand atop the shaking lump beneath his covers.]

This is Ruddiger. He's my pet raccoon. He, uh...sort of...came out of the vending machine yesterday? I have no idea how he got in there, but I promise he wouldn't hurt a fly.

[prophetpriestandking]

Oh.

[Well, that's a relief.]

Hi, Ruddiger. [He waves to the shaking lump, for whatever good it'll do.] Sorry for scaring you.

[A pause.]

H-hold up a second, they have animals in the machine?

[alchemistake]

Apparently? I found a lizard in there too...

[Actually, where is Varian keeping that lizard? The world may never know, but hopefully he's found a suitable home for it for the time being.]

So I'd just...be careful, if you planned to use that.

it's a leezard

[tellthestory]

Is that a raccoon?

[That's the first question, because it's a lot easier to see Ruddiger on first approach, but before he's stopped his stride, the Balladeer adds:]

Do you have a lizard?

[alchemistake]

...yes.

[He answers, slowly. And then he looks down into his cupped hands where the lizard still sits, licking its eyeballs.]

And...also yes.

The raccoon is mine. The lizard...sort of just happened to me, just now.

[He has no idea what to do with it, but he's not just going to shove it back in the machine or something.]

[tellthestory]

You have a pet raccoon? Is that usual where you're from?

[The Balladeer only has very slim experience with animals, generally. He wouldn't say he's afraid of them, but he's certainly a little...wary, as he approaches the side of Varian where Ruddiger is perched.]

What are you gonna do with it?

[alchemistake]

No, not really...it's kiindof a long story.

[That's said as Ruddiger watches the Balladeer carefully from where he's still perched by Varian's ear, acting much more like a pet than you'd expect a wild raccoon to behave.]

Basically, I had set up a trap to keep pests out of my lab, and Ruddiger kept getting caught in it. Over and over, looking for food...eventually I just gave up and started leaving food out for him and, well. Here we are.

[I mean, he says it's not normal yet the Princess has her own pet chameleon, SO...]

I guess I'll have to keep it for now...it's not like I can just open the door to let it outside, right?

cw: referenced animal death

[tellthestory]

True. Maybe Hester could.

[GIVE HESTER RANDOM LIZARDS]

I've never had a pet before. There weren't really that many animals, where I'm from...Sarah Jane had a dog, but she killed it like, immediately.

cw: referenced animal death continued!!

[alchemistake]

[Varian's mouth drops open. For a second, he like...just sits there, holding his lizard. Ruddiger's expression mirrors Varian's, actually, it's quite comical.]

I'm sorry, she did what? Why??

Broadhurst

[violentenvies]

[Salieri, as usual, is up with the sun. Most of the getting ready he can do fairly quickly, seeing as the uniform is always the same. He's just turning to get something out of his desk, when there's a movement that catches his eye on the top bunk next to him. Salieri's head jerks around to look, and is met with a reflection of eyes--to which he naturally badly startles, letting out a small surprised sound as he stumbles, back. Unfortunately, the back of his legs end up hitting the seat of his deskchair, and the momentum carries him to sit back in it, causing it to rock back on two legs. Salieri's arms pinwheel a bit as he tries to find balance--before he manages to push his balance forward enough for the other to legs to come back down to the floor with a "thump!"

Now steady and stable, Salieri reaches out to clutch at the edge of the desk, breath fast and high as his head snaps up to look back up into Varian's bunk. There's a moment, two--and then he's cautiously pushing to his feet, crossing the couple feet to the bunk bed]

--Varian?! [it's half stage whisper, half voiced, all concerned]

[alchemistake]

[Salieri's concern probably isn't soothed at all when, the moment he speaks, those eyes vanish. It's almost like he imagined it, really...if it weren't for the sudden rustle of blankets that followed, as if whatever that thing was just joined Varian in his own bed.

You know, fine! It's fine!

Varian- not one to be that much of a heavy sleeper, though somehow having not initially awoken to the bang of the chair- stirs when his name is called. He's still somewhat half asleep, so he answers initially without turning or looking over, his voice thick with sleep and murmured.]

Mmhh...Dad...s'too early...

[He shifts and turns over, his eyes opening a crack until he actually sees Salieri there, and reality hits him like a brick to the face.

Right. Right.]

Salieri...what's wrong?

[violentenvies]

[Salieri's eyes widen whatever that was seems to have joined Varian on the top bunk, and he swallows]

Is there--that is, I don't want to alarm you, but.... I think there's something up there with you. [VARIAN HE IS VERY CONCERNED] Perhaps, if you moved slowly enough, you could climb down without it noticing.

[alchemistake]

Something...

[Varian squints, rubbing at his eyes with one hand.]

Wait...do you mean Ruddiger?

[violentenvies]

[....what]

....that depends. What, precisely, is a Ruddiger?

[alchemistake]

[Varian is sitting up properly, now, searching his bunk suddenly for something...and when he pulls it out, Salieri will perhaps be startled to see a very chubby raccoon in Varian's lap, who is also looking like he just woke up.]

This is Ruddiger! Guess he's who you saw in the dark, sorry about that.

cafeteria time

[disharmonizes]

[It's around when Varian is pulling those bags of tea back down that Discord passes by. The singing of those bags is pretty hard to ignore.]

See, now, if all tea did that, maybe tea parties would actually be interesting.

[alchemistake]

[They're getting louder by the second, he's sure of it. And if he didn't feel a sort of responsibility to keep them in check, he'd have just let them drift away and become someone else's problem by now.]

Assuming you could even- ugh- make tea with them-!

[Varian gets a good grip on the bags, but that doesn't stop their singing. If anything, they just launch into an even louder chorus.]

Gods, they've been at it ever since I sat down here.

[disharmonizes]

I don't see why you couldn't, if you're quick enough! Tea with a challenge. And I think the singing is pretty fun.

[They're on brand for the situation! Sort of.]

A little singing isn't getting you down, is it?

[alchemistake]

It's less the singing that bothers me, and the fact that I'm pretty sure they're not going to stop, like...ever.

[Maybe if he does successfully make tea with them?

He has several tea bags though. Hm.]

...you can have some, if you want.

[disharmonizes]

I'm not much of a tea aficionado, but since you're offering.

[He'll very casually just reach out and grab a few by the string. And then... pauses.]

...Well, isn't that interesting.

[alchemistake]

Huh? What is it?

[That's asked while Varian is like....pinning the rest to the table because they just won't stop Wiggling.]