may catchall

[nmc0204]

⭐ Who: Ryoko and y'all
⭐ When: All through May, with prompts specifically during Golden Week and her first day of school at Promised Morning
⭐ Where: Primarily Yumemigaoka tho I might add a Dream Sphere prompt or two down the line
⭐ What: Ryoko's life has flip turned upside down and now she's getting used to it. Between starting as a new student at Promised Morning and suddenly having another Dreamer to feel responsible for, she's got a busy month ahead. I'll also put closed starters here if requested!
⭐ Warnings: Keepin this to edit them in if it comes up

Comments

Promised Morning (Starting May 8th -> Through the month)

[nmc0204]

[ It would be just like Ryoko's luck to be starting a new school life the day before midterms, but she's trying her best to look on the bright side. The storm has blown out most of the cloudy weather and even though everything is still soaked, the bright sun catches on all the water in a way that sparkles and makes things look freshly washed and new. She takes deep breaths on her way to the station, trying to scoop up some of that energy in the air and let it fill her as well.

The trip, thankfully, is painless. She gets a little turned around at her second stop but figures pretty quickly that she can just follow the tide of students in the Promised Morning uniform and falls into step with them with the slightly clueless expression of a newbie. It's a little easier once she actually gets to the campus – one of the teachers meets her at the gate and shows her around her little corner of the campus and after that, Ryoko's left to fend for herself.

The worst part is her class introduction. She knows it can't be an uncommon occurrence in Promised Morning, but she still feels particularly put on display stood at the front of the class. She keeps it brief, trying to not let the anxiety rolling in her stomach show on her face as she goes for it; ]

... I'm Ryoko Shinonome. I've been a Dreamer for a few months, but I'm just transferring now. [ a very audible Dot Dot Dot as Ryoko scrambles for something else to say then very visible gives up. ] It's good to be here.

[ And that's that. Quite understandably, she spends the rest of the morning in a Introvert Recovery Haze and spends much of that first day keeping to herself and just... trying to adjust. Thankfully, midterms are a weirdly blessed escape from having to Do Regular High Schooler things but once they wrap, she's at a loss.

She generally spends a lot of time hovering around in the library, or camping out in quiet spots around campus with her phone and while she's clearly a little withdrawn and a little awkward about settling in... she won't exactly turn away anyone who approaches. ]

[illrested]

[ Makoto has started to get used to taking the train to school after a month of it. Walk to the station, get on the train, wait a few stops, get off... it's all turning into something routine now.

The first day back from Golden Week, though, the routine changes. There's a quiet girl who gets onto the train that he hasn't seen before, dressed in the Promised Morning uniform. He glances towards her, not quite sure what to say for a moment, then steps across the train car to grab hold of the overhead handle. ]

...Are you transferring?

[ He asks after a moment, feeling awkward. ]

I just mean I haven't seen you on the train before.

[nmc0204]

[ It takes Ryoko half a second to realise she's being addressed - there's so many people on the train, after all - and then she blinks at Makoto with the slightly deer in headlights expression of ah a stranger is talking to me unexpectedly. But she nods and gives a little huff through her nose. ]

Mm. As of today. The timing isn't perfect but...

[ It was here or stay at her old school... and presented like that, it isn't even really a choice at all. ]

[illrested]

[ Makoto feels a rush of embarrassment. Talking to a relative stranger on the train feels kinda shitty, but... well, he's curious and it's gotten the better of him for once. ]

Ah. Yeah. I just started this term, too.

[ He shifts his weight, the awkwardness of the moment settling more fully. ]

Ah, I'm Amanaka Makoto. Second Year. Class 2-A.

[nmc0204]

[ She dips her head in greeting – she's sat down, arms wrapped tight around her bag for something to grip onto, so it's the best she can do. ]

Shinonome Ryoko – I'm also a second year. Though I won't know what class it actually is until I get to the school...

[ Which is just fine by her. One more thing to keep track of today might've made her head go pop. ]

Which school did you go to before transferring? If you don't mind me asking.

[illrested]

Ah... Nakakita Senior High School, in Koubai. It's practically in Akabeni, close enough to where I live that I could walk. Now I have to take the train.

[ Bleh. He clearly doesn't enjoy that part of moving to a new school. ]

What about you?

[nmc0204]

[ Another dip of the head, but this time it's in agreement. ]

I was at Asagao High School in Akabeni. It wasn't too far so I used to walk but...

[ She trails off then gives a little shrug. Even if she'd stayed at Asagao after moving in with her stepfamily, it would've necessitated a train ride anyway but that's a piece of information she's not going to drop on a stranger on her first day of school. ]

It's going to take a little getting used to – I was really shocked when I saw how busy the main station gets in the morning. Is it always that bad?

[illrested]

Yeah, it's always like that. People commuting and stuff. I try to just squeeze myself into a corner and not be in the way. Or get a seat, if I'm lucky. BUt... uh. If there's someone who needs it more I'll give up...

[ Thoughtful one, this Makoto. ]

Oh I know Asagao. My friend Taichi is on the soccer team and they played Asagao last year. I think you guys won though...

[nmc0204]

[ Last year, huh? Ryoko wonders what she'd thought of it when it happened. Had she been excited? Had she watched the match? She doesn't think so - sports aren't her thing at all and it's hard to imagine that having been different back then.

Still. The not knowing for certain is what bothers her. Rather than let on with any of that, though, she gives Makoto a bland smile. ]

I think we got a trophy from that, didn't we? Or from some tournament match or other. They had it displayed in the entryway while I was there, so I guess they were really proud of it.

[ Then, as smooth of a subject change as she can manage; ]

Are you on a sports team at Promised Morning, then?

library

[considergun]

[It's not just Ryoko's first day, of course. Ei's introduction went similarly, with about as much excitement. Naturally, he's going to be checking on her the moment they have some free time. Finding her takes a bit.

But he's stubborn. He manages.]

There you are.

[nmc0204]

[ Deadpan: ] It was here or the roof and that's way too much of a cliche.

[ She huffs a breath up into her bangs, sending them fluttering up and off her forehead for a second. She looks kind of exhausted, but that probably makes two of them. ]

How'd it go?

[considergun]

[ It's hard to say, honestly. "Exhausted" is the default state. ]

Well enough. Uneventful, really, which is how I like it.

You?

[nmc0204]

The same, more or less. I didn't really know what to say for my introduction, so I just gave my name and basically left it at that. [ awkward fish ryoko... ] I didn't really get anyone crowding my desk, either, which was good. I guess transfer students aren't as much of a novelty here.

[ which is a relief. if she'd had to deal with a bunch of people harassing her at her desk, that really might have been the end of her.

She glances Ei a sidelong look for a moment before she continues that train of thought. ]

... it's weird. How much it's not weird here, I mean.

[considergun]

School's school, right? Guess that's a good thing. Makes it easier to adjust.

[ Not that there's any reason to worry about adjustments. Or anything. ]

So you're feeling... alright, here?

[nmc0204]

Well, I'm not looking forward to midterms but I'd be feeling that way whatever school we were at.

[ By some miracle, she's kept enough of herself to be able to get by and keep her grades up but this is the first real standardised test since... everything changed. She'd be lying if she tried to pretend she wasn't at least a little apprehensive.

But instead of voicing that, she just shakes her head a little to chase the thought away. Worrying about it now isn't going to do her any good. ]

But... things seem fine so far. Really, I think I was worried we'd stick out but so far, we've just blended right in. ... I guess it's because they're all like us.

[considergun]

Hard to stand out when no one here's really normal.

[ He means that like a good thing, in a weird way. It's a relief. Neither of them are looking for a spotlight here. ]

Have they tried pairing you up with anyone yet? That mentor thing, you know.

[mnemon]

[ That gets a snort. ]

They sure tried. They didn't really bother back when I Awakened, so I thought they'd leave me alone but as soon as I talked to them about Promised Morning, it came up again. I said I'd look at all the paperwork just to shut them up, but I haven't bothered. I guess they figured that's how it would go, because they haven't actually shut up about it yet.

around campus

[voltrounds]

[Ricky hasn't been going here too long herself, but one thing she's been doing with her time is staking out all the quiet spots where she can be extremely online. So it was really only a matter of time before she'd run into her new classmate in a non-classroom context.

She almost literally runs into her, glancing up from her phone just in time to kind of stumble-veer away at the last second.]

--whoa! Sorry!

[mnemon]

[ It doesn't help that rather than sitting on like, a bench or somewhere visible, Ryoko's gone and hunched up on the floor with her back against one of the buildings, maybe in the hopes that it'll make her less visible to passers-by. Uh, mission accomplished on that front, I guess.

Ryoko slowly rises to her feet and starts dusting herself off. ]

It's fine. Just... watch where you're going next time.

[ even though this was kind of her own fault............... ]

[voltrounds]

Right. Sorry, there isn't usually anyone over here.

[Now that she's not narrowly averting disaster, Ricky stops to actually look at the unexpected traffic hazard with belated recognition.]

...you're in my class, aren't you?

[mnemon]

[ Ryoko almost says something like 'am I?' which sounds way more damning and dismissive than she actually intends it to, so she catches herself and hastily rewrites her reply before it comes out. ]

I think so. [ or rather, if this girl recognizes her, then Ryoko guesses she must be. ] I just transferred in, so I'm still learning everyone's names and faces.

[voltrounds]

I remember now. I'm actually pretty new too--I probably should have said something sooner, but my mind was on [that fighting game she's apparently really good at and nothing will stop her from becoming one of the top players] midterms then.

Anyway... [She offers her hand to shake, really hoping that's not weird in Japan.] Frederica Irving.

[mnemon]

[ It takes Ryoko a second to catch on but she manages quickly enough and takes Ricky's hand, giving it a firm, businesslike shake. ]

Ryoko Shinonome. It's good to meet you, Irving-san. [ her standard I'm The New Kid greeting. it's already getting a little stale. ] How long have you been at Promised Morning?

[voltrounds]

[Very professional. This will be good for business. Sales of being magical girls will be so great this quarter. Ricky's grip is pretty firm as well. She has Strong Fingers.]

Just a couple of weeks. So I'd offer to show you around, but other than the obvious places all I can really show you are the best places to stay out of the way. ...or to have me trip over you, apparently.

[mnemon]

[ A pause as she considers that. . . ]

I know you're probably joking but I actually might take you up on that.