open

[testcase]

Who: Ryoko and you!
Where: The Gardens
When: October 15th
Rating: PG
Summary: Ryoko exploring the gardens!
The Story:

Today, Ryoko can be found outside, strolling around the gardens with her notebook open, writing down her observations and notes about it. She thinks she should have had notes on this place, but there's nothing in her book. There's some notes about a flood during a prior event, so maybe they were lost then?

Or maybe she never wrote anything down beyond that the gardens existed. Most of her notes about Wonderland's geography pertain to inside the mansion, so she must've thought this place wasn't important. It had nothing to do with her.

But she did write that she was going to try and not write things off as having nothing to do with her as often as she used to, and yes the note's old, but since she noticed it again today, she's trying to correct what was probably an oversight on her part.

So she'll be spending most of her day out here, this way when she forgets about this place again, she'll at least have her notes to fall back on if she decides to visit this part of the grounds again.

Comments

[jivitadana]

Minato had been out as he sometimes was as well, having paid a visit to the hedge maze to raze part of it again, if just to give his Personas another chance to stretch and do their thing, before heading back toward the mansion.

On his way back though, he caught sight of someone familiar. He didn't want to scare her off though, seeing that she might not recognize him. He did make his way over to her, if just to see how she was.

"Otonashi? Is everything all right?"

[testcase]

Hang on, she'll address that in a second. She just wants to make a quick note about the fountain before she forgets. And with that done...

“Everything's fine. Um, is there a reason it wouldn't be?”

She really has no idea. Is there another event going on or something? Did she forget again? Considering she's not even sure who she's talking to, it's entirely possible she did.

[jivitadana]

Minato stepped closer to her now, checking to see that she wasn't hurt. She seemed okay.

"I thought you had a notebook with more notes in it?"

More than what she had here with her now. He thought too that he had to help her keep those notes too, eventually.

[testcase]

"I do?"

That doesn't sound right, but she'll check this notebook and sure enough there's a note about having a more complete notebook in her room.

"Oh, I guess I must've run out of space and started using this one. I must've forgotten."

Which happens a lot.

[naughty_nurse]

Mikan was leaving the greenhouse, and she spots Ryoko. She hesitates, not wanting to bother her... but eventually she gathers her courage and approaches her.

"H-Hello, Ryoko..."

[testcase]

“Hello.”

She'll look over from her notes, not recognizing who she's talking to at all. Sorry Mikan.

“Do I know you?”

She could probably fill her notebook with a tally of how many times she's asked that question. If she remembered to start one anyways.

[naughty_nurse]

Mikan, by this point, knows and understands Ryoko's condition. "I'm Mikan Tsumiki... if you check your book, you'll see we know each other."

She even gives a little shy smile. "I just wanted to say hello, and see how you were, i-if that's okau."

[testcase]

Ryoko'll just check that and yup, she's in here too!

"Sorry about that. I think I forgot again."

Maybe someday she'll be able to remember her friends without having to consult her notes. But probably not.

"But it's definitely okay to say hello. And I'm doing fine...I think. If I'm not, I don't remember."

She's laughing because she thought it was kind of funny even if it's not really that funny.

[moraloutrage]

Ishimaru has been taking walks more often, to help keep his mind at ease. Between the difficult news that came with Mondo's arrival over a month ago and the danger of recent events, he's had a lot on his mind.

But as he ends up in the garden, he stops with a soft gasp as he spots someone familiar. He slowly raises his hand in greeting.

"Ah... Otonashi-kun! Good day to you!"

[testcase]

Oh, it's um...uh...definitely...no, don't tell her. She knows this one. It's...

Okay, she's drawing a blank here.

“I'm sorry, I think I forgot something. Have we met?”

She's probably asked the question before, but she can't remember when. Or how often. Probably a lot, but in her situation, it can't be helped.

[moraloutrage]

Every time they meet, he's hopeful that she'll remember him. He frowns for a moment as she fails to recognize him, but he can't stay down for long! Ishimaru quickly smiles and nods.

"That's correct, Otonashi-kun! We happen to have met a number of times, even if you do not remember it at the moment. Please consult your notebook! It must have some information on me. This is Kiyotaka Ishimaru!"

[testcase]

"Ishimaru, Ishimaru..."

Let's see, does she know an Ishimaru? There's her notes on the gardens, a note on this being a backup notebook. Hey, that's interesting. She must've left the main one in her room...assuming she has a room. Oh wait, no, here's a note on her room, so she definitely has one of those. And here we go, taped to the inside cover a note listing all of her Super High School Level friends, with some identifying characteristics listed.

“That's right! We do know each other! How did I forget that?”

Oh right, because she forgets everything.

[idolings]

Sayaka had just came back from running a few laps around the beach and decided to take a break and relax at the gardens. As she was strolling around, she notices the familiar red head and beams just from the sight of her. She waves at Ryoko and quickly runs over to meet the other girl.

"Hello Otonashi-san! It's good to see you. How are you?"

[testcase]

“Hello!”

If her memory were better, she probably wouldn't display the same confusion she's displayed with talking to everyone else today. But it's not, so she's just as lost as she's been with everyone else today.

“Wait, um, do I know you?”

She'll just start checking her notes while waiting for Sayaka to answer, it's probably in here somewhere.

[idolings]

Since she's known Ryoko for a good while, Sayaka has become pretty used to this. It probably would have surprised her more if Ryoko knew who she was right off the bat.

"Yes, you do. I'm Sayaka Maizono, the Super High School Level idol and we are friends."

Just as she was getting ready to suggest checking her notebook, it looked like the other girl had beat her to that. The bright smile doesn't fade away as she happily watches her flip through the pages.

"I should be somewhere in your notebook!"

[testcase]

Friends, huh? That seems to be what the notes she's taped to the inside cover of this notebook say. She's friends with Sayaka and...wow, it looks like there's a few other Hope's Peak students here. How did she forget something like this?

“Oh! You are! Um, all of you are. That's weird, why don't I have more notes about this?”

She'll check and...

“That's right. I filled up my other notebook, so I started using one of the ones...oh! It's one of the ones you gave me! Thank you for that. If I filled up one book, I definitely needed another one.”

[trabryu]

The one and relatively effective way Mondo always uses to lull his overly active mind into a hush lately is running. While running down the hallways is an option as there's no end to them, it feels weird running around indoors.

So he takes the trip outside. It's the closest thing to motorcycle ride while he's still in the process of assembling one, and having a breath of 'fresh' air is always nice. Plus, he's been needing the exercise. He still has qualms about hitting up the training room and he wants to be faster in running anyway ー two birds with a stone.

Off he goes running laps following the footpaths. One lap, two, three. By the fifth, he notices the same girl's still at the gardens since his first one, strolling around taking notes. Her beauty is one thing, but beyond that, there's an air around her that draws him in closer. His pace gradually slows down as he begins approaching her, carefully.

When he's close enough to say hi, though, he doesn't. He realises he's got no business, no topics with her. And so he walks away hoping it looks like he's just passing by naturally.

But the questions won't leave him just yet. What's it that draws him to her? It certainly isn't something like attraction, at least not in romantic sense. He just... wants to know. He feels like he shouldn't run away.

Taking one whole round the gardens, he eventually walks up to her again.

"'Sup." Was that too friendly? Let's try this again. "What're you doing here?" Uh. Great, now he just sounds like he's picking her up.

[testcase]

Well, here's a new face. Then again, to Ryoko every face is a new face unless she checks her notebook. Which she'll do now. She's not ignoring Mondo, it might look like it, but she's checking to see if this person has anything to do with her. And she's not seeing anything. And he definitely looks like someone who would be in here if she knew him. So nothing to do with her. But one of the things that's been in her notebook since...not as long as she can remember, but a while is to not write people off because of that, so she'll answer the question.

“I'm taking notes on the gardens. Because um, otherwise I won't remember that they're here or what's in them.”

She doesn't explain why she needs to do something like that though. In fact, she quickly forgets that she was even explaining that because her notebook mentions something she should do when meeting new people.

“Oh, I'm sorry. I'm Otonashi Ryoko. But you can just call me Ryoko. According to this, most people do.”

She delivers this like it's completely normal and not weird at all.

[trabryu]

Mondo isn't at all bugged by the initial lack of response, figuring it really must have sounded like a pick-up line and she's just trying to swat him off, which... is fair. A few months in the Wonderland is surprisingly making him a lot less on the edge. Bursts of anger explosions happen still from time to time, but he's got no reason to feel so this time.

He's about to walk off awkwardly when she suddenly responds, halting his steps.

"Oh." Huh. Maybe she's the kind who doesn't really remember spaces well?

Wait, no. Didn't she just say that she wouldn't remember that they were here?! Mondo does a double take at her, open his mouth to ask, but closes it back as she introduces herself.

"...I'll go with Otonashi." There's no way he can call a girl with their first name on first encounter, not when they're not a foreigner. "I'm Mondo Oowada. You can call me whatever you want." Granted, he probably would feel a little awkward being called with his first name, but it's not something he'd be too bugged about. He's much more bugged about her saying 'according to this'. "...Say, you said you can't remember that this space exists unless you refer to your note, right? You mind me asking what you meant with that?"

[postictal]

Tim's out with a cigarette between his teeth, as per usual. He doesn't tend to wander, particularly not anywhere wooded, but the gardens are generally a pretty safe bet. Isolated from any mirrors, devoid of a clean view of the treeline he tries not to look at, and no one's gonna yell at him for smoking inside. Not that anyone has yet, but habits are hard to break.

He recognizes the girl, and more to the point, he recognizes her notebook. That's a familiar pang in his chest, and he exhales a faint plume of smoke, hand dropping to his side with the cigarette pinched between middle and index finger.

"Ryoko," he says softly. "Right?"

[testcase]

There's just confusion from her. She can't remember that this has happened a few times today, so it just keeps happening over and over again. But that's just how things are for her. Every time she meets someone, she's pretty much meeting them for the first time.

“That's right. Have we met?”

He knows her name, so she figures they probably have. But it never hurts to make sure.

[postictal]

It's a safe venture on her part. He doesn't really do smiles, but he can ease the cadence of his tone and drop the defensive hunch to his shoulders that he always seems to regress to whenever he enters a conversation.

"Yeah." Did she write it down? Pays to make sure. "Tim. Might be in your notebook?"

[hairdont]

Josuke doesn't often take his bear outside during the day -- walking it is often a task for the nighttime, when people aren't out as much so they won't get scared by the fact he has a bear. It's just easier that way, for everyone.

But sometimes the bear gets antsy and wants to run around in the sun, and he gets that, he really does.

Too bad he doesn't realise the bear got away from him until it wanders up to Ryoko and sniffs her notebook.

[testcase]

With no one talking to her, Ryoko had gone back to taking notes, so she's just sort of lost in her notebook while the bear walks up. She hasn't noticed it, it has nothing to do with her at all. So when she looks up? It takes her a moment to kind of process what she's looking at.

Because that sure looks like a bear. And then she looks back down at her notes, and there's nothing about a bear in the gardens. Why would there be a bear in the gardens? That doesn't make any sense. But there sure is a bear. No matter what her notebook says, the absolute truth of things is that there's definitely a bear in the gardens. It might not have anything to do with her, but it's there and nothing she reads will change that.

So this is the part where she starts screaming and running because please don't eat her, she probably doesn't taste good and being eaten by a bear definitely has nothing to do with her.

[hairdont]

It's definitely the screaming that tips Josuke off that something isn't quite right. It doesn't tell him what the issue is immediately, but it doesn't take long for him to look around and realise --

"Where's my bear?!"

Fortunately, it takes him less time to realise he should follow the screaming to find his missing bear, and he breaks into a run. Unfortunately, the bear only gives chase because Ryoko ran away, so in true Wonderland fashion, it's a god damn mess.

"Hey! Hey! Stop!"