+ Too Cool for School +

[vitaelamorte]

Who: Everyone!
Where: Yasogami High School
When: 6/28-7/1
Rating: Warn if you go higher than PG-13
Summary: Open log for the Persona 4 event! Everyone is spending some time as students and instructors at Yasogami High School in Inaba, Japan.
The Story:
For the weekend, everyone is either a teacher or a student at a Japanese high school. Enjoy Friday, Saturday, and Sunday, and look forward to exams on Monday.

The full event description is located here and the plot post is here, with a Q&A thread where you can ask questions.

Comments

SUNBURST | OTA

[bibliocorn]

[A: Hope is what moves on - CLASSIC LIT CLASS]

[It's probably a good thing that Sunburst (Mr Sunburst???) doesn't remember a time when he was anything but a human being, or this would be a very different lesson. Likely one with a lot of snarky commentary on how Wonderland really shouldn't just change people's species willy-nilly.

Luckily, there's none of that. Instead, he's focused on his lesson- trying to sharpen young minds and all that. Regardless of species, Sunburst is still an awkward, anxious weirdo, so he paces around his classroom as he speaks, not really making eye contact with his students unless he has to. ]

Right- so here we've come to a turning point for Dantès. He's been consumed with the idea of revenge for so long- to get retribution on the people who wronged him. And yet it's not Mercédès pleas that finally breaks through, but the death of Édouard - someone with very little presence in the story, in all honesty. So the question is, what made this particular person give him reason to pause? To question his ethics in un-relentless revenge? Anyone have any ideas to put forward?

[B: Teacher's lounge]

[Sunburst isn't exactly the most sociable person in the school. He tends to keep himself to himself. He sits quietly in a corner, with a cup of tea and whatever book he currently has his nose in. He'd happily spend his entire time out of the classroom doing nothing else but reading- but social interaction is something he can't ignore forever. Eventually, if someone comes close enough to him- he'll peer over his book to give them a small smile.]

So. Uh- exams soon, huh? How do you think your students will fare?

[C: Wildcard]

[Want to do something else? Throw it here!]

[shslliar]

[The lack of memories of a life outside this existence is a blessing for Kokichi as well. If he still remembered, this story would have resonated with him in a different way than it does now.]

Is it because Dantes actually loved Edouard more than Mercedes? In, like, a gay way?

[He doesn't sound very serious at all.]

[mourning_ghost]

Nageki isn't the sort of student to volunteer his opinion unless specifically asked for it. When it appears no one else will answer he says, "Edouard had never committed any wrongs against Dantes, so he couldn't say it was part of his revenge."

[tinyfoods]

[Entrapta is in no way paying attention to this lecture. Rather, she's doodling plans for an invention in her notebook. She's not sure what it does yet, but it's got lots of gears and other moving parts. She's a little sad, actually, that she will probably never get to build this while she goes to this school because it's so far out in the country-side.]

B.

[charlastan]

[Stan is raiding the teacher's lounge fridge and he lingers just a second too long as he looks over the options. Eventually he grabs some sort of peach soda that probably doesn't belong to him before hip-checking the door shut.]

My kids? Tough to say at this point. Maybe they'll surprise me and I won't have to flunk anyone this time.

B!

[failed_astrophysics]

[Pike does smile back, when he spies Sunburst peaking over the top of his book.]

Is it any good?

A.

[powerofmabel]

[Mabel looks up from her doodles of Dantès with big bishounen eyes.] Iiiis it 'cause he was just a kid and had nothing to do with anything?

[She's guessing anyway.]

Grendel | OTA

[oneagainstall]

[A: Playing hookey]

[Gren has never been one for following rules, not for as long as he can remember (which given he's, like, 18 isn't as long as he seems to think it is) and he's not about to start now. He can be found behind the gym during almost all classes, leaning on the wall and scowling at anyone who comes too close. ]

You got a fuckin' problem? 'Cause if you have, keep fuckin' walking, I can stand wherever the fuck I like.

[B: History class]

[The one and only time when Gren isn't sticking it to The Man is during history class. It's the only subject he gives a shit about. He has a talent for the dates, he finds. He's able to remember when shit happened well- keep events in order. It's almost as if he was there- which of course he wasn't- and he loves it. If someone makes a noise in the lesson (despite how disruptive he is in any other class he gets dragged to by teachers) the student in question gets a desk implement tossed at their head and a trademark Grendel Scowl. ]

Hey! Shut the fuck up and you might learn something.

[C: Wildcard]

[Go nuts!]

B.

[failed_astrophysics]

[While Pike does appreciate the sentiment, the way it was gone about was a different story all together. As much as he hates disrupting his lesson, he can't let that go.]

Mr. Grendel, thank you for the enthusiasm, but the language...and the flying implement of doom could be done without.

A.

[beatupgrass]

It's free period somewhere.

[So says the actual teacher who has decided to skip his afternoon classes on behalf of some arbitrary excuse. Rocket also hates the rules, but he is, deep down, a good physical science teacher. Just a rough one.] Though at this point, why are you even still here, kid.

Lapis Lazuli And Art, OTA etc

[ssmisery]

[Ms Lazuli (or, depending on the zealousness of your localization, Lazuli-sensei?) is a newer teacher, but already well-liked; she's young and, let's say, relatable, she has a sense of humor, but most of all she doesn't really give a shit what anyone does in her class. As long as you put in a bare minimum of effort and don't actively antagonize her, you've got nothing to worry about. The downside is that if you do get on her bad side, or you can't even manage the bare minimum, she won't hesitate to smack you down. Once roused, Ms Lazuli does not believe in compromise, excuses, or mercy.

This is a basic course and has generally focused on pencil and pen drawing -- which are relatively easy, accessible, and above all cheap -- although there are supplies for more elaborate pursuits should students desire them. Ms Lazuli does go over principles and techniques, but also likes to leave a lot of time open for the class to try things out (read: goof off) while she is available to answer questions and supply further guidance on an as-needed basis (read: that book at her desk is definitely manga). With exams right around the corner, however, she takes it upon herself to lighten things up. On her last day of class for the week, she makes a vague effort to get everyone into groups (read, of course: everyone groups themselves however they like) to play a round or two of exquisite corpse. Is this educational? It's art, anything can be educational! Is it being graded? Who knows! If you're enough of a goody-two-shoes to have worries about your upcoming project, you're going to have to ask her about it yourself.

If you want to get ahold of her on the day off, she's spending quite a bit of it in a computer lab. This is because she is locked in battle with a scanner, going back and forth between it and the computer in increasing agitation. It's seriously taking hours. Maybe there are still some students seeking actual scholastic guidance from her, but maybe someone should be helping her. This is a young adult who once tried to do a powerpoint type thing and failed so badly to get it working that she gave up and presented youtube memes to the class. Sort of amazing.

In lieu of a test, projects are due on Monday. Ultimately, she'll take more or less anything as long as you made it yourself and can make a case that, again, some modicum of effort went into it; if you don't want to put together something big, a sketchbook that has something on more pages than not will do fine. You knew this was coming up from the start, so as lax as Ms Lazuli is, there's really no excuse not to have it ready.]

((Replies will be coming from terranform I just didn't wanna bother for the toplevel. Also, I don't know if there's interest but if people want to actually do exquisite corpse in my thread I'd be honored. Here's one template, but there are many ways to approach it, I'll help if you want!))

exquisite corpse

[teamfun]

[Louis is much more attuned to music and poetry than he is this form of art. But he does his gosh darn best anyway. Because at the end of the day, art was a hundred times better than trying to memorise a bunch of boring dates or follow some regimented learning.

He gleefully dives into the exquisite corpse exercise. It's as unstructured as you can get and it appeals to him greatly. He draws his (turtle head???) singing a few musical notes, before sliding the page over to the next student. He flashes Lapis a grin.]

This is the best thing, Teach.

Souji | OTA

[eatsyourscience]

[Friday & Saturday]

[Souji is relatively quiet during class, listening during lectures and answering correctly when called on. After class, he tends to wander the halls, looking for people he knows and even approaching those he doesn't. He's pretty fearless when it comes to bothering people, and he approaches them like he's known them all along.]

Hey. [He comes to a stop nearby.] How's it going?

[Sunday]

[There's not a ton to do on Sunday other than study. Souji makes his way to the library to do just that. He doesn't struggle much with exams, but studying is still a good idea. He scans the room before approaching one of the tables.]

Is it okay if I sit here?

[Monday]

[Before exams on Monday, Souji can be found loitering around the stairs with a handful of notes, doing some last minute review. Despite that, he's not worried, seeming pretty relaxed, even. When approached, he glances up.]

Are you ready for the test?

[Wildcard]

[Souji is also to be found at soccer practice and music club. Feel free to find him there or set up something else!]

Saturday

[teamfun]

[Louis throws Souji a lopsided grin, hey buddy.]

Sup, Dude. I'm pondering if actually faking my own death will get me out of Pike's history class or if that might be a little too excessive. How about you?

sunday

[entreats]

[ It seems there was probably.. an attempt at studying on Ange's part while she was sitting here? There's an open math textbook on the table, but at this point it's half buried under fiction books that don't seem fit for any particular class.

She looks up when Souji speaks up, and lets out a sigh when she notices it's him. ]

Of course, sit down. [ She nudges the other chair with a foot. ] Good timing, I thought I was about to die of boredom.

Monday

[clodcuckoolander]

[Peridot isn't carrying notes of any kind and seems to be the picture of confidence.]

Heh. I was ready the day they announced the exam.

WIRT | OTA

[singloversing]

A. CLASS/LOOKING OUT THE WINDOW

[Wirt is a second year, though he's pretty sure he doesn't stand out too much (thankfully). Average all around, that's him.

That being said, he does care very much about his grades and super doesn't want to be average with those. Exams are coming up and he like, has to pay attention. What if he flunks out? What if he winds up a total disgrace and never gets into a good college and oh god.

Which makes his seat in the classroom incredibly dangerous. Honestly, he might as well be sitting in the dunce box. He is trying so hard to give his attention to the lecture, but he's in the last row of the window aisle and he keeps getting distracted watching what's going on outside...]

B. LIBRARY

[Even when it isn't the week before exams, Wirt can often be found in the library, reading for fun or writing poetry. This week though, he's trying harder to actually study, but he keeps writing bars of poetry in the margins, or little pieces that come to mind that he doesn't want to forget.

His head's in the clouds and he's easy to distract, so feel free to come help him study, or just bother him.]

C. MUSIC CLUB

[He totally thinks about skipping club, to be honest. There's this nagging sense that he should be working harder, but he knows that if he doesn't turn up Louis will Find Him and drag him there.

Besides, music's always been a good way to clear his mind. Maybe actually getting to play clarinet and not think about their upcoming exams will make it easier to study later.]

D. WILDCARD

[Got something else in mind? Go for it!]

Music Club

[teamfun]

[Louis would have absolutely dragged Wirt here if he hadn't shown up on his own accord. As is, he looks up from the piano as Wirt enters, flashing his friend a wide grin.]

Well, look who it is! Glad you decided to take five, Buddy. You need it. I was getting worried you were just gonna let the exam stress eat you alive until you literally explode.

[He plays a short little ditty across the keys, a bit of improv to suit the mood.]

C'mon, take a breather.

B

[entreats]

[ Sometimes the only answer when you're dreading being forced into a club and therefore into way too many social interactions is to just join the library committee instead so you can sort out and put away books in perfect solitude.

Although even then sometimes social interactions are unavoidable. Like when Ange notices Wirt has been sitting there for hour, mostly not even touching the books he has in front of him. So she heads over to his table with a sigh, gesturing at the book in front of him. ]

Are you actually using those?

class

[eatsyourscience]

[Souji sits in front of Wirt, toward the middle of the room, so he doesn't notice Wirt's attention is elsewhere until class actually ends and he turns to look around.

With a small smile, he gets up and goes over to Wirt.]

Do you have something on your mind?

Juliet O'Hara (student) | OTA

[holyshihtzu]

FRIDAY & SATURDAY

Juliet is always a little high strung, but it always seems to become significantly more obvious as exams creepy closer. She's borderline manic, rushing around the school to make it to classes on time, scribbling her notes to keep up with the teachers, peering at chalkboards before bolting out of class again.

There is no doubt she's run at least three people over by the time classes are out on Saturday, paper scattering everywhere and her apologizing profusely as she tries to help scoop everything up.

Eventually, she'll make her way to the library and spend the rest of the afternoon either tutoring or studying on her own, textbooks open as she writes clear, concise notes in her notebook. Anyone who is sitting near her or peers over her shoulder will definitely notice doodles in the margins, usually flowers or hard to identify four-legged creatures.

But, if you're sitting near her, you might also get some unsolicited suggestions.

"I don't think you did that one quite right."

SUNDAY

Even the most studious of them all needs some time off, and Juliet's favorite way to take her mind off things is getting active. Which is why she is using the calmness of their day off to take over the school halls as her own personal roller skate rink.

This probably is against the rules and while Juliet does respect the rules, that doesn't mean she won't occasionally find a way to bend them. And since the handbook doesn't specifically say anything about roller skating through the halls, who is to stop her?

Someone, probably.

MONDAY

And even after all that preparation, she slept through her alarm.

There's a very loud screech that comes from the vicinity of Juliet O'Hara's dorm room, followed disturbingly quickly by her frazzled form bursting out the door. Her blonde hair is a mess and her uniform is barely within code, and she is doing her best to keep her arms around a pile of books and a handful of pens as she runs as fast as she can from the dorm to the school building.

"Don't start yet, don't start yet!" she keeps yelling as if it will somehow put all exams on hold before she gets there, and all the while, she seems completely oblivious to anyone she might pass or disturb on her way.

Monday

[teamfun]

Louis has been taking his damn sweet time getting to the exams. He doesn't see any reason to rush - sure, he's expected to get straight As, and he's sure he will. But running like a headless chicken isn't going to make his exam smarts any stronger.

As such, he's not paying that much attention when Juliet barrels towards him at a rate of knots. He stumbles backward into the locker with a surprised yelp. When he realises who's doing the stampeding, he laughs.

"Holy shit, Jules, take a breath. The world's not gonna end if you're a few seconds late to an exam."

Stanley Pines | OTA

[charlastan]

A. ECONOMICS (ALL YEARS)

[Stan never figured he'd wind up in a teaching gig. That always seemed like it was more of Ford's thing than his (though then again, Ford's not always the best at working a crowd. Of the two of them, Stan's got that trait in spades). But here he is! In a stable job and everything! And he only had to lie about every single one of his credentials to do it!

Granted, the school's given him maybe too much freedom regarding his curriculum, which is why today's lesson is on Pyramid Schemes, complete with this useful diagram. It's part of a series he's been doing on cons, grifts, and fraud.]

Alright, which one of you knuckleheads remembers the difference between a Ponzi scheme and a Pyramid Scheme? Anyone?

[If no one volunteers to answer, Stan's going to just call on someone who looks like they're not paying attention, like the absolute monster he is.]

B. HOMEROOM (CLASS 1-1)

[In addition to teaching economics, Stan's also the homeroom teacher for the first year class, which is effectively a non-class. Most of the time he's got his feet up with a new paper while the kids run things themselves. Student representatives take care of all the hard stuff, so the whole thing's pretty much a cake walk and half the time he's got his feet propped up on the desk while he reads a newspaper or eats something.

Despite the fact that he acts like he doesn't care, he's protective of the kids in his homeroom. He knows all their names and he chats them up half the time instead of doing real teacher duties, and does his best to nip bullying in the butt (usually by turning the bully into the object of ridicule so the behavior stops and the other kids lose respect for them)

Today though, no one can shut up about exams coming up, so Stan's gotten in on that.]

So, exams, huh? Y'know what happens when you flunk those, right?

[He grins wickedly and laughs.]

You get to spend all your time with me, in summer school!

C. ECONOMICS EXAM

[Despite how ridiculous Mr. Pines is, his exams are notoriously difficult. Mostly because they're non-traditional - Stan has never, ever given out a pen-and-paper exam in the entire time he's been teaching at this school, which tends to make kids nervous about how he's grading. Often they're pass/fail.

This year, all three classes have the same exam, and it was given to them on day one of class. Their assignment is to sell him something. They can sell him any thing they want, and pitch it any way they want, but everyone gets ten minutes to stand up in front of the class and convince him to buy whatever they're peddling. They have all year to learn what they can about him and think about what will work and what won't.

If they succeed, they pass the class (and make a couple dollars!). If they fail, they're going to summer school. Bonus points are calculated at the end for things like style, and who took the most of Mr. Pines' money.

For this class, Stan doesn't sit in the front at his desk, but in the back of the room, on top of one of the desks. He has a megaphone to be extra obnoxious about it.]

ALRIGHT, WHO'S NEXT? I'VE GOT A WALLET FULL OF MONEY HERE AND NOTHING TO SPEND IT ON!

D. WILDCARD

[Got something else in mind? Go for it!]

C

[choosetruth]

[Georgia hates this class. She hates Mr. Pines' focus on grifting and con schemes that always feels more like it's about how to run them than how to recognize and avoid them. She hates that he always gives off the feeling that he's lying, even when he's talking about what he had for breakfast. Even when he's saying something as simple as his name.

And she hates this complete joke of a test.]

This is a mockery of our educational system and I refuse to participate.

Dipper Pines | student | ota

[krmvgivv]

Class

[Dipper's a smart kid. Too smart, some of his teachers might say. Smart, outspoken, and determined, and lacking anything resembling manners.

Which is why he's had his hand raised for the past six and a half minutes, reaching as though if he strained any harder he might reach the ceiling. Because he's smart and he knows a lot and one of the things he knows is that the thing the teacher said seven minutes ago was completely wrong and he needs to correct them!!

Too bad he's been a student long enough that the teacher knows calling on Dipper rarely goes good places. They just keep teaching while Dipper tries to get their attention, reaching higher and higher and higher until he falls out of his chair. Whoops.]

Library

[Dipper should be studying for his exams. He does care about his grades, and he even like studying, even if what he wants to study and what his teachers want him to study rarely overlap.

But today? His studying has been abandoned for a much, much more important project.

Trying to figure out the best possible plan to ask out the cute older boy he's seen around.

His papers are spread around the table, a mishmash of crumpled up papers, notes, words circled with question marks, pros and cons, and the thing he's working on now: a long numbered list detailing out the perfect plan.

So long as he follows the list, he can't possibly fail.]

Music Club (sort of)

[Dipper plays sousaphone, but he's not very good. Or at least, he's not very practiced. He just has so many other things that occupy his thoughts all the time that music ends up getting pushed to the background.

Right now, though, he's kind of wishing it wasn't. Because that cute older boy he keeps seeing around plays clarinet in music club and maybe if Dipper was actually good he could use that to go say hi. As it is?

Well, he's standing outside the music club room, clutching the instrument to his chest and trying to decide whether it's worth it or not. He peeks through the door, then ducks his head back quickly. Okay. He can do this.

Maybe.]

Wildcard

[If you want something else, hit me up! We can roll with it!]

Class

[bibliocorn]

[If Sunburst had to pick some reasons as to why he sometimes goes home at the end of the day and just wants to lie down in a dark room for an hour, Dipper would be Exhibit A. He watches Dipper fall off his chair with a clatter, tilting his head to stare at the ceiling as if that would give him some strength. He takes a deep breath. Fine. ]

Did you have something to offer to the lesson, Mr Pines?

[He should probably help the kid up, but no. The further he can keep out of Dipper's range, the more chance he has of walking away and pretending he can't hear him later.]

Christopher Pike - History Teacher - OTA

[failed_astrophysics]

History Class

[Pike's not known for being an easy teacher by any stretch of the imagination, but he is a fair teacher, and that approach is one he hopes gets him some measure of respect from the students. The main rule in is class is, do what is asked of you and everything will be fine.]

So who knows the answer? What year was the Magna Carta signed?

Teacher's Lounge

[There are days where he wishes he remembered to put whiskey in his coffee. Today is one of those days. Teenagers can be so. aggravating. He's sitting on one of the 'too old to still be used' couches, legs crossed. His paperwork is on his lap but he isn't paying attention to it. Honestly, if he had to read one more paper about ninjas in communist Russia, or something equally ridiculous, he was going to scream.]

Wildcard!
[I'll run with anything! Seriously, be those kids that turn all the desks backward to mess with him.]

history class

[entreats]

[ Respect is a difficult term with Ange. Sure, she's not a disruptive student in any way, just minding her own business, but she is also not the most engaged student either, so she isn't exactly a teacher's pet. She'd prefer spending her days just here in the back of the classroom, not having to say anything.

So when he's asking the class a question, she's just going to be over here in the back suddenly staring at her desk very intensively in that typical "don't let him call on me for it" way teenagers do. ]

Georgia Mason | student | ota

[choosetruth]

Newspaper Room

[Most of Georgia's spare time is spent here. As far as she's concerned, it's more important than her actual school work. Sure, the stories she gets tend to be pretty low stakes, but it's good practice for when she graduates. She's going to be a journalist. That much she's sure of.

She's not sure she'll be able to actually publish the piece she's working on now, but it still feels good. She'll need to do a lot more research to back up her general frustration and anger, but she's got no doubt her instincts here are right. Mr. Pines is a fraud and should not be teaching. And if she can get him fired, she won't be stuck in summer school with him.

For now though, it's all opinion and anger and not nearly enough facts. Sometimes, you need to do that to get your thoughts straight before the real work begins.]

Library

[She might prefer her work at the newspaper to her actual classes, but she's aware that they're still important. She's got plans, and those plans will be a lot easier to achieve if she does well in high school. So she's in the library, at a table piled high with books, and focusing very hard.

Disturb her at your own risk.]

Lunch

[On the off chance you feel like running into Georgia when she won't destroy you for interrupting her, she does occasionally take meal breaks. She's actually looking up at the world around her even, watching people through her sunglasses. Hard to say who exactly she's looking at. Might be you. Might not be. Maybe she's just thinking about her next story.

Either way, she's about as relaxed as she gets. She won't smile at anyone who approaches, but she'll at least nod cordially. It's the best you can expect from her.]

Wildcard

[CHOOSE YOUR OWN SCENARIO I'm sure we can find something if none of these work.]

Lunch

[teamfun]

[This is about as relaxed Georgia gets and Louis will take it. He hops onto the table, obnoxiously stealing a bite of whatever she happens to be eating. He won't try to steal her coke though- even he has some sense of self-preservation. ]

Watcha doin?