School mingle log - OPEN

[reformedsinner]

Who: Teachers, students, library attendees and anyone else who just wants to hang around the temple of Menrva, a.k.a. Dead Kid School.
What: Even being dead doesn't mean you can skip out on your homework. (Teachers, please feel free to put up headers for your classes if you like!)
Where: The temple of Menrva, including its library and study rooms
When: April 1 - 10
Warnings: Please keep things school-appropriate. Hibari is watching. (also possible foul language, violence, firearm use: there's this Buddhist high priest taking care of the library, you see.)

(Schedule of Classes)

Library

[The library is at the back of the temple, with full-length windows onto a balcony that looks out over a valley filled with late-spring foliage. The books that can be found here cover a wide variety of subjects, from religion and philosophy to history, biography and the sciences. You can even find some fiction if you're here for lighter reading.

Tables are available for reading or studying in the library. Talk to Menrva or one of her shinki if you want to take something home: they'll check it out for you.

The shelves are imposingly tall and stuffed with texts. If you want something on the top shelf, you might have to find someone to help, or try to clamber up on your own -- careful, though, those shelves aren't built for climbing....]

Courtyard

[The courtyard at the front of the temple is large and paved, with blooming trees around the edges and a massive set of steps at one end rising to the columned entryway of the temple. There's a giant heap of scrap metal daubed with paint next to the steps. From the right angle, it's an avant-garde sculpture of a massive owl.

The courtyard is a great place for exercise, weapons practice, tree-climbing or hanging out with your friends on days when the weather's nice. Be careful, though: if you hang out here too long and don't look busy, Hakkai will hand you a broom. Those lovely trees drop flower petals and leaves all over the stone, and he can always use a hand cleaning up.]

Classes & Independent Study

[Classes are held every day of the week except Sunday, in temple rooms next to the library that have been re-purposed with large tables and plenty of chairs to hold all of the students who are interested in showing up. Anyone who's interested in a subject that's not on the class list -- kanji study, for example, or literature -- can show up to one of the study halls or make separate arrangements with Hakkai, Elsa or any other teacher.

One of the classrooms, as of April 2nd, has a number of desktop computers set up in it, with working Internet connections and basic office software installed. The computer classes haven't been scheduled yet, which means all of those machines are free for walk-in use: homework, games, trying to figure out what a keyboard is, surfing the Internet or laughing at dumb YouTube videos -- the sky's the limit.]

Dinner

[The school doesn't actually close, since it's also where Elsa and her two shinki live. Stay too late, or fall asleep in one of the comfier library chairs, and you may find yourself woken up and invited to dinner. With so many students around the place, Hakkai always makes extra.

If your god happens to be missing or you're not sure where to go, you might even be allowed to spend the night. If you stay over, though, Hakkai will definitely have cleaning chores for you in the morning. Those pretty stone floors need a lot of mopping!]

Comments

April 1

[returnedfromtheline]

(Library, for Hakkai and/or Sanzo)

[It's only been a few days since Yukine was last at Elsa's school, but as soon as he steps into the library he can tell something is different. More correctly, he can smell something different.
He's used to a faint smoke smell in the living room at Daikoku's place, but--]

Who the hell smokes in a library?

[This is not a rhetorical question. Let Yukine at 'em- he'll chew them out.]


(Free Study, open)

[Hiyori is a harsh taskmistress, and Hakkai is a harsh taskmaster.
In one of the free rooms next to the library Yukine is trying to finish up his homework, and fix the homework he's already done.

Making a disgruntled sound he runs both hands through his hair, making it even more messy-looking.]

'Do it again' is easy for them to say! Ug, it takes forever!

[But despite his mood he's still picking up the dictionary to check things over again.]

[cyberfly]

[ Having spent the last couple hours helping Hakkai and Omi set up the school's new computer lab, Nagi now sits in the free study room with his laptop, taking advantage of the fast wifi here to get some research done. He's still just newly arrived after all, and there seems to be a lot of information he can glean from reading old postings on Heaven's BBS.

(He's also downloading some games at the same time, but hey, he can multitask).

He glances up when the boy across the large table complains about something out loud. ]

... are you okay?

[returnedfromtheline]

Mm? [He looks up at the question, then waves his hand apologetically.]

Yah, I'm fine. I just wish I could get more right the first time. Doing it over is a pain.

[He then looks questioningly at the laptop.]

Is that one of the new computers Hakkai-san wanted to get? Or is that your own?

[cyberfly]

[ Nagi's not sure if yelling about it would help at all in getting it right the second time, but he doesn't say so, only nodding in response. Interacting with so many people over the last couple days has impressed upon Nagi that his emotions tend to be very muted compared to other folks. ]

This? I got this one for myself. I helped him set up the other ones earlier.

[ Three desktops. There was a tablet too, which Nagi thought was pretty cool, and is already thinking about getting one of those for himself as well. ]

[returnedfromtheline]

[He hadn't been yelling though... (Okay, maybe a little. loud. for a study area.)]

Ohh. [It's a slightly jealous sounding 'oh'. He would still be without a phone if it wasn't for heaven, seriously. (Stupid Yato.)]

That's pretty lucky. There aren't a lot of computers around here. What are you using it for?

[cyberfly]

[ Lucky? Not really. Nagi simply made it happen. It's not like laptops just fall out of the sky from sheer luck. You have to purchase one. (Or steal one, as in this case). ]

Mostly programming and gaming. And I guess homework, once I start classes here.

[ Which, he supposes, is what this boy was working on that gave him so much grief? ]

Are you a shinki?

Library

[reformedsinner]

Ah -- we've been trying to air it out! Sorry about that, Yukine.

[Hakkai laughs merrily, pausing by Yukine's table, and glances around for Sanzo. He hasn't been smoking in here again, has he? No; the scent isn't strong enough to be very recent.]

[returnedfromtheline]

[Oi, is this really a laughing matter?]

Well, the smell is only kinda annoying, but I might go to one of the other rooms anyway once I'm done in here...
How did it get like this in the first place, though? I thought that you'd be all over someone trying to smoke in here, Hakkai-san.

[reformedsinner]

I think I've explained to him that he shouldn't. It was a little touchy when he arrived!

[--what with himself and Elsa going to Yomi-no-kuni, and Gojyo's arrival, and -- it had been a very busy week, hadn't it?

Luckily, things seem to be settling down. Hakkai straightens up, absently rubbing the back of his neck. It's fine, at the moment. He thinks.

He's been avoiding thinking about the situation as much as he dares, and that does make a difference to the amount of purple he finds dotting his neck and back on a given day. Perhaps he could even master Kazuma's self-justifying technique, given time.]

[returnedfromtheline]

'When he arrived'? So it was a new shinki? Or a god? I get being touchy when you show up, but what kind of person has such bad sense that they'd smoke surrounded by paper?

[Not letting up on the idea of the smoker being an idiot.]

[reformedsinner]

He's Elsa's second shinki, in fact. Genjo Sanzo.

[Hakkai sighs with a long-suffering air.]

I've managed to convince him not to, I think, but he did spend a day smoking in here while Elsa and I were away last week.

free study

[punchpass]

[He really didn't mean to suddenly walk up behind Yukine and appear like a ghost, but seeing another kid around his age struggling with work made him want to go right up and talk to them. Maybe he knew something that could help!

The little bulge in his jacket wiggled as he leaned over what the young shinki was working on.] Excuse me, what subject are you studying?

[returnedfromtheline]

Wha-?!

[Yukine gives a jolt- he'd thought that he'd been alone in here! He can't help but say in a low voice,]

S-since when have you been there-?

[but he pulls himself together. It's only another boy, after all. Jeez, how did he sneak up like that though? (For the moment any suspicious bulges go completely unnoticed.)]

Japanese. [He shifts his notebook slightly, not sure whether it's too late to cover up the embarrassing number of red strokes on the page.]

[punchpass]

I've been here the whole time.

[The bundle in Kuroko's jacket wiggled again, hearing another human voice, but for right now, didn't make a noise. Instead, his owner sat down on the table, crossing his legs on it and trying to peer at the book.]

Kanji or grammar?

[returnedfromtheline]

[Yukine has so much to say that for a moment his mouth just hangs open silently.
Then he digs in with a clipped, rising tone,]

Both, the table is not a chair get your butt off it, and what are you keeping in your jacket?

[punchpass]

[Yukine's rudeness certainly didn't outwardly affect him, because it was Kuroko and he's had way worse.]

Well, there aren't any chairs and I don't think you'd appreciate me getting in your personal space.

[As for what was inside his jacket, Kuroko merely unzipped it, and let a small fluffy pomeranian head pop out and answer that question.] This is Satan.

free study

[galactically]

[Now here is someone that Sheryl hasn't seen in a while. With the sight of a familiar face, it's only natural for her to approach him by simply walking up to him and hovering over his shoulder.

Surprise!]

Homework problems?

[She can't help it, as she heard his complaining from where she's standing.]

[returnedfromtheline]

[Yukine gives a start at there suddenly being a voice at his shoulder.

Whipping his face around, there is no mistaking who it is though.]

Euterpe-sama-- [Give him a sec to calm down and-- we're good. (As good as he can be around someone beautiful like her, anyway.)]

Yah, sorry, I didn't mean to say that so loudly.

[galactically]

[At least Sheryl is considerate enough to pull back, albeit with a few laughs out of herself. It seems that she gets a kick out of surprising people during free study periods, and Yukine is no exception to list of her "victims"... boredom tends to lead her to do weird things after finishing her homework, sometimes.]

Sheryl.

[She amends with a drawn-out lilt, wagging a finger lazily.]

That's okay. Homework is such a lame hassle to deal with, isn't it? I can't blame you at all.

[returnedfromtheline]

[Hey, don't laugh at him-!
...Sheryl-sama, then.

Yukine relaxes a touch more, seeing as she seems to be a sympathetic ear to his complaining.]

Right? And then as if doing it once isn't enough, they tell you to do it again if you get anything wrong! It takes forever. They don't have to give homework on every little thing we study, either. It's totally overkill.

[He's not going to readily admit that he does remember things better the second time, because damn it, he wants to get it right the first time!]

[galactically]

[Finally, someone who understands! She pulls out a chair to sit next to Yukine, an irritated huff out of herself.]

100% overkill! It's so annoying and redundant, and not only that, it's also cramping my work schedule!

[She crinkles her nose, elbows on the table with her palms propping her chin.]

Honestly, are any of the lessons going to be useful to us in the future?

[tofus]

[Oooooh, cute boy studying? Clearly that means she should bother him!

Actually, it's more by chance, Rise herself was exiting with some books in hand when she hears his outburst. Oh gods, is someone other than her having trouble too? She lingers in the doorway, an annoyed look on her own face.]

Sometimes I don't think they realize how frustrating it is. [Huffs, and then she comes closer, smiling every so brightly at him.] What do you need help with, hmm~?

[returnedfromtheline]

[pffff, not cute! not cute!]

My teachers haven't met each other, but it's like it's a conspiracy... [And then suddenly the (pretty) girl is closer.]

Uh. English. [He answers without really thinking about it, but he shifts the notebooks in front of him a bit, trying to cover up some of the red marks in them. He sucks at languages, he gets it! Doesn't mean the world needs to know!]

[tofus]

[Nuh-uh. Total cutie!

She laughs nervously, glancing behind her to make sure no one was within earshot.] I don't think it's really a conspiracy... but it really feels that way. [Sounding deadpan in the end there.

Uh oh. You weren't fast enough, Yukine. She saw some of those red marks. Poor guy.] Hmm, languages are as frustrating as math. But maybe I can help! Two heads are better than one, riiiiiight~?

[Don't look now but she's sliding up to him, and maybe even giving this cutie a wink.]

[returnedfromtheline]

Math is totally fine-- [And then the girl is even closer?]

I- I suppose so? [She looks a little older than him, so she'd probably know more than him just by that...

Is there something in her eye-- no wait did she just wink at him?!

Yukine is totally and completely unsure what to do now. (But going by how warm he feels, he's probably blushing, damn it-)
Should he bail? Should he stick with it- just for the homework? Should he just relax and enjoy being around a cute girl? nope, impossible.

Averting his gaze he shoves his notebook towards her and stabs his finger down on the open page.]

I'm having trouble with this one.

[The question "What are you going to do next Sunday?" is answered with "I go to Kofuku's to working." He gets that if -ing is in the question it should be in the answer too. Where did he go wrong?]