thenearshore | School mingle log

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School mingle log - OPEN

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!]

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

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?

[ 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. ]

[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?

[ 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?

[ (Don't tell Yukine that.) ]

[It's been a long time since Yukine has played any kind of video game, but he still perks up a little at the mention. And he's another person taking classes, too.]

Yep. [He pulls down the collar of his shirt a little to make the red 'yuki' mark on his collarbone more visible.]

I'm Yukine. I guess I should mention, I'm not one of the new shinki.

[ (He won't. Nagi's aware that stealing is considered wrong by some standards and can cause an inconvenience for him if people find out).

He glances at the tattoo that Yukine shows him. Nagi's own is on his neck, only partially covered by his high collar. ]

Yukine ...?

[ That sounds familiar. ]

I was just reading your post.

[ ('Cause an inconvenience' That's one way to put it! XD)]

[Yukine perks right up at that!]

You were! Oh, good. I was thinking that it was getting buried under all the other stuff that's been posted since then. I need to figure out how to have it always stick at the top, or something...

[And Yukine doesn't know enough kanji to be confident in making a guess at the reading when he can't see the whole thing. So he's got to wait for a proper introduction...]

[ (Hey, he's a pragmatic guy! It's all about what's efficient. xD)

And yes, Nagi was indeed reading Yukine's post. And all the other posts from the forum. He's diligent in his efforts to find out more about himself and others like him. And what exactly the heavens have planned for him. Yukine looks to be about his age, but seems to know a lot of interesting things. Nagi is definitely curious about him ... one who isn't a 'new' shinki. ]

You can probably make it a sticky post.

[ You'll possibly need admin powers for that sort of thing, but Nagi might be able to hack that. He hasn't tried yet, though. ]

I'm Nagi, by the way.

Nice to meet you. [He smiles faintly at Nagi, then digs his phone from his pocket.]

A sticky post? That's actually what it's called?

[He's a little amused at that, but hey, it's practical.
Yukine starts navigating his way to the post.]

Okay, let's see if I can change it.

If you were reading that post that's a good place to start. But if you wanted to ask anything else, go for it.

[ Nagi nods slightly in response. He's still not used to all these people who say things like 'nice to meet you' as though they really mean it. The words feel too foreign to speak. And so he doesn't. Possibly this might mean he comes across a little rudely, but he doesn't really mean to.

He leans forward a little bit as Yukine begins to mess around with the phone. He doesn't know, after all, if admin powers are needed for a sticky post. He'd like to know the answer. And since Yukine offered, he'll ask away, if he doesn't mind... ]

Do you know why they're bringing in the new shinki?

[He glances up from the phone at that.]

That's the ten million yen question. [He sighs, his mouth tight, and looks back at the phone as he continues,]

I don't know. Even Amaterasu-sama has admitted she doesn't know. Supposedly heaven is looking into it. There's no reason for them not to- I'm sure they want everything to go back to normal too. [He pauses for a moment, checking his post's options and clicking a few things.] We're keeping an ear out for any clue, but nothing has really come up yet. It sucks, waiting for the other side to make a mistake just so we can even get started on their trail...

[He clicks a few more things, then makes a faintly irked sound.]

It won't let me do it.

They do...?

[ Want things back to normal, that is. That's new. That hero kid had told him that Amaterasu didn't know anything, but Nagi had been suspicious. If the head god in charge wasn't in control, then who was? He can understand Yukine's frustration, though. Having no data was frustrating enough. But having no where to even start looking was just aggravating.

He leans forward a little to see if he can peer at the screen. ]

Do you want me to take a look?

[ ooc: Can he hack the bbs to make a sticky post? Nagi's pretty good at this sort of thing, but I can say he can't do it if the game doesn't allow it. ]

[Is it so surprising, that heaven wants things back to normal too?

With a nod, Yukine passes Nagi his phone. If he was helping to set up the computers earlier, he must be good at it.]

Sure.

[[ooc: although he can't make it 'sticky' in the true sense of the word, Nagi can bump Yukine's post to the top by forward-dating it (which does require low-level admin privileges).]]

[ ooc: Okay, thanks! Let me know if this is okay...]

[ Nagi wouldn't know what heaven wants. People in high places, they're moved by strange motivations. Sometimes, chaos reins and that's exactly going as planned. Nagi just knows.

He takes the phone from Yukine and pokes around with it for a few minutes. He can only get access into the low level admin panel, but it's enough to change the date on the post to make it stay on top. ]

That should work. I forward-dated it.

[ He hands the phone back. ]

So are you any different from the newer shinki?

[[Totally good o7]]

[Yukine takes his phone back with a bright smile!]

Whoa! Thanks! That'll really help me out. Well, me and all of you guys.

Ha, heck yes I'm different. I'm way less weird. [He says that with a straight face, but his lips twitch up a little after a beat.]

I'm joking, but not by much. Everything about this situation is weird, to the point of breaking the natural rules. It's pretty disturbing.

[ He nods in response to the thanks. The BBS tends to get cluttered a lot with stupid postings, so he can understand Yukine wanting to put actual real information on top, where it can be seen by more people. Nagi's had quite a few run-ins with clueless folks on the bulletin...

Nagi arches his brow at the joke. For a moment, he actually thought Yukine was serious. It's not like Nagi would've had any reason to disbelieve him, after all. He snorts softly. ]

Is it really unnatural? I thought all shinki died first.

[ In that, they're the same. He can't speak for the god situation, though. ]

Mmm? Well, yah, shinki are spirits so you'd have to have died...

But there's... something else.

[Yukine looks really uncomfortable for a moment.]

If you're reading the BBS you'll see it eventually. But it's hard to talk about it because shinki shouldn't start thinking it's a norm or will always happen this way...

But one of the shinki died, and came back to life. Apparently he's missing his memories of the time before he died, but still... coming back is not normal.
And another shinki died... and came back as a god. That is really not normal.

[ Actually, Nagi had been wondering exactly that. Dying a second time, and what that means. He's not sure why you shouldn't come back. The first time is unfathomable enough. Why should a second be any different? But the rules of gods and shinki are too arbitrary to really make much sense of it. ]

I wouldn't know if it was normal or not. Is anyone looking into it?

That's another part of the trouble. New shinki don't have an experienced god to tell them what's 'normal'. You're all new.

Amaterasu-sama apparently has people looking into it, but it might be a while, going by last time she talked to us. And like I said, we're basically waiting for a clue, which sucks.

[ Waiting doesn't seem all that useful. At least if he had a hint as to what to expect, he could prepare for it. ]

...do you think it's something they're talking about? Like to each other, in emails or chats?

[ Maybe he can try a hack... ]

[Yukine blinks in surprise at the suggestion, then shrugs with a bit of a smile pulling at the edge of his mouth.]

You know, I'd have never thought of that. As far as the gods, I've only ever seen Yato use a smartphone, so I kind of wonder if others do. That is, outside of the new gods and shinki, of course. All you guys got one!

[And thanks to them, Yukine finally got a smartphone too! He's so glad~!]

[ Yeah, he figures the new people got them, because he's been seeing all kinds of stupid crap being posted on the BBS. He's had to dig through a lot of dumb posts before he found anything useful, like Yukine's tips. He has yet to find anything from the older gods, though. Maybe they have their own separate boards, or private means of communications. Either way, if it's some kind of tech, he might be able to hack it. The wheels are turning in his head. ]

...Yato? Is that your god?

Yep. He's a bottom-tier jersey-wearing nobody, so I don't expect you've heard of him.

Who is your god?

[ Jersey-wearing nobody...sounds weirdly familiar. But if it was someone Nagi met on his first day on arrival, it's a little fuzzy. He got a little drunk that night and his memories aren't so clear. ]

Diana. Or Omi. I think he likes that name better.

I can see why.

[He grins a little- he'd seen some of the gods talking about this on the BBS.]

Well, if either of you have any questions, let me know. Or Kazuma-san. Like I said, you're all new, so we expect to have to answer questions. ... A lot of questions.

[Hence the BBS post, so he stopped feeling like a broken record.]

School mingle log - OPEN

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