[Arc 1: Class 2-E] A New Day Dawns

[Asta]

Lilly donned her standard gentle smile at the mention of a younger sister.

"Little sisters can definitely be a handful sometimes."

They had arrived at the vending machines, and Ardelia's assessment was indeed correct. The machine was stocked with a variety of unfamiliar brands. Canned coffee huh... Looks good enough to me.

Lilly waited for Ardelia to make her choice, answered in the affirmative, and then made her own. A black can of coffee labeled "BLACK" in bold uppercase fell into the receptacle with a ka-chunk. Popping the tab, she took a swig. Not bad.

Lilly glanced around the area, and seeing nobody else in the vicinity decided that now was as good a time as any to get down to brass tacks. She adjusted her glasses and fixed a serious gaze on the other girl. She wasn't sure how exactly she was going to phrase this question, and she was a little worried that Ardelia might react... less than positively. However, she had to do this, just to see if she was going crazy.

"Ardelia, Ive got to ask you something a little unorthodox. Have you noticed anything... strange, going on lately? Like, more than just the clubs, I mean..."

She trailed off for a second, trying to find the right words.

"Have you noticed that things seem to be off? Like, something will change right in front of you, but you aren't really sure what it is that's changing?"

Lilly crossed her right arm over her chest and grabbed her left at the bicep, and looked away to the right. Pursuing this line of inquiry was an outstandingly uncomfortable thing for her to do.

"Things have seemed kind of weird since the museum. Parts of that day are kind of, how do I put this, fuzzy?"

She had put all her cards on the table. Ardelia was likely going to thing she was crazy and never speak to her again. At least she didn't seem the type to spread gossip.

[Oath]

[spoiler]http://youtube.com/v/Ceo5oFkicGg&autoplay=1[/spoiler]
Ardelia looked at Lilly with quite a bit of confusion, manifested in the form of a blank stare. It took a bit to register the complete change of subjects. I'm not so sure that I feel things are that weird... but the museum definitely does feel a bit off... Standing there silently for a moment, she tried to think of the proper way to frame her response. It wasn't quite coming to her but she decided to go with the best she could think of. After all, it was a completely unexpected question.

Well... It seems odd that we went into that area of the museum that was off-limits and I don't remember anything about it. Apparently we found it boring or something but I find that hard to believe from a personal stand point, as the new exhibit seemed really interesting. So unless there was absolutely nothing being prepared for display back there, I would have been more than happy with just seeing it, and wouldn't have forgotten easily.

In regards to other things seeming off, they haven't really. I mean this vending machine seems like it has stuff that wasn't there before... But I just assumed it was stuff from the city finally trickling down to our little backwater area. We're not too far away from New York City, so it made sense to me. Though, I don't normally pay too much attention to what all is around me. I watch out for people, but when something is moved from one place to another, if it wasn't something I used regularly I wouldn't notice. It does seem like school is a bit different this year though, and I can't put my finger on exactly how."

Not really sure what was going on, it was at least worth answering. It had been bothering her a bit that she couldn't remember what had happened in the new exhibit especially when there was supposed to be a really old book involved in the completed project. If that was the case and it had been there, it would have been quite memorable. If nothing else at least someone else felt a bit uneasy, maybe even more so than herself. She took a drink from the green tea that she had gotten from the vending machine, to refresh her throat after a bit of conversation.

"If something is different, I'm not sure there is much we can do about it. Everything seems to at least be safe, so maybe for now we should take things in stride and see what happens. If anything else that seems particularly odd happens, we can talk about it as it comes up. I don't see anything to be too worried about currently, but maybe the clubs will end up being odd in some way. I'll be checking out the Library Club after school today, and I'll let you know if its anything out of the ordinary."

Break was winding down and it might be wise to head back to class shortly, but Ardelia was interested in hearing Lilly's response even if it meant being a bit late to class on the first day. Though she didn't anticipate it being a problem. They had homeroom so being lost wouldn't be a good excuse. Oh well, teachers shouldn't be too angry on the first day of school.

[Asta]

Damn.

Ardelia, was either less perceptive of the peculiarities that had been occurring that day, or was ignoring them. Lilly didn't think the girl would outright lie to her, after saying something so crazy herself. But, after such an outlandish inquiry she was running the risk of looking foolish. Class would be starting soon but back-peddling out of this situation was more important. Ardelia had said she would keep an eye out for anything strange, but she might have just been humoring her.

Lilly gave a nervous laugh, and waved the air in front of her with a hand dismissively.

"Heh... D-don't worry about it. I'm sure it's just the stress of starting a new school year, and continuing to look after my sister that's making me see things. Sorry to be so weird about it."

Lilly did an automatic little half-bow in conjunction with her apology, which was strange, because it wasn't something that people normally did. Jesus, why did I do that? Now I look even weirder.

Lilly waited for Ardelia's inevitable comment with much apprehension.

[Throndir]

The time has been passing, and Brian realized it wouldn't be too long until they were all called back to the classroom. He looked at the board full of clubs with the scribbles of his classmates adorning the peices of paper like some sort of graffiti. He knew not everyone had chosen, some were probably still deciding. In Brian's opinion, they took it all too seriously. Then again, the teachers would simply assign the others who had not chosen their own club. They were required to choose two clubs right? That lead him to wonder what kind of club the teachers would place him in. He found the idea almost amusing, but a part of him was curious. A new year was a fresh start after all, and even if the teachers of the school knew of his previous 'misdemeanors', they might just place him somewhere more fitting.

Taking up the pen attached to the wall, he began scratching out his name under the Art club. He kept glancing at the cooking club, but he realized he wasn't just about to give that up.

There were still a few students out in the hallway. Though he didn't know them personally, they did seem familiar. It was then that he remembred they were the same students back in the museum; at least some of them. Ardelia, Lilly, and Serena. The names came to him immediately, though he was pretty sure he had just heard them from somewhere before. There was the new kid named Desmond who had transferred there as well, but he wasn't quite sure if he had been with them at the museum hiding from the heat. Brian furrowed his eyes, it was pretty strange for him to just now realize that the other three were there at the museum, but he shrugged. He was probably just tired. He thought of how else to describe it. Fuzzy. His memories were pretty damn fuzzy.

Mr. Smith probably won't notice he was gone. It was the perfect opportunity to escape, and without any more further thought he headed away from the classroom. He didn't know where he was going, but since it was the first day of school, he could probably get away with it.

[Oath]

"If you say so, Lilly. Just try not to push yourself too hard, Okay?"

Ardelia gave some brief words of reassurance, though she didn't know what was going through Lilly's mind. Now wasn't the time to worry about it though, they had to get back to class before they were too late.

"Well, Let's get back to class."

Ardelia kind of beckoned towards Lilly as she made her way through the hall and back to class. Hopefully we're not too late...

[Mysticsage]

Ardelia[/b] & Lily[/b]

The two of you start heading back to class so that you will be able to grab your book bags and make it to second period on time.  As you return back down the sophomore hall there is still quite a lot of commotion going on. People are still trying to make last minute decisions. As you make it back to the classroom you see you have made it with about five minutes to spare to do as you please around the classroom.

Serena[/b]

As you get distracted from Jude as you attempt to talk to the new student he returns to the sign up sheet and is lost once again in his own activities. Alicia also pops her head outside the classroom and looks on at the situation. She bites her lip in distress as she continues to see Jude standing at the sign up sheet.

Desmond[/b]

As you focus on looking for the guys who might have been bullying Wallace and the blonde girl begins talking to you notice some kids who might fit the bill. At the second sign up sheet at the far end of the hall you see a group of three guys huddling suspiciously and snickering. They seem to be writing something on the board and then breaking out into laughter. Any time they see a teacher coming however they block whatever their doing so that the teachers will be unable to see. With all the chaos in the halls at the moment the few teachers that are out of their classrooms already seem to have their hands full with other problems, and far to busy of the strange behavior.

Brian[/b]

[spoiler]please respond to this in the class 2-C Main story[/spoiler]

As you cross paths with classroom 2-C The teacher Miss. Rest walks out of her classroom at that exact moment as well. Seeing you she steps in front of your path with her clipboard. She?s always been nice to you when you have had her for a class, but her constant kindness to everyone has a way of setting you on edge.

?Ah, Mr. Campbell I?ve been meaning to find you and Mr. Smith it seems you were mistakenly placed in his homeroom instead of mine. A simple oversight really with all the big changes around here, at least we caught it before things went wrong right?" She smiled warmly, ?So why don?t you grab your things there is an empty desk somewhere in the classroom I?m sure.?

She was about to leave towards the teacher?s lounge bore she turned back, ?OH! I almost forgot, I saw that someone had crossed out your name on one of the lists, so I took the liberty of filling the remaining club spot with the ?Moral an Togetherness Club? I hope you don?t mind. It will give you a good opportunity to meet new people.? Having said her piece she turned and was gone even before you have a chance to respond.

[Asta]

Ardelia had expressed concern for her condition when she attempted to play off her inquires as stress induced madness, which could be a positive. If Lilly really wasn't losing her mind then eventually Ardelia would seek her out to discuss any strange happenings. In the mean time, it was most prudent to continue life as usual.

The throng of students outside the classroom hadn't diminished at all it seemed, and it was chaos as people tried to get their name on the list before second period began.

"Guess some people had a harder time deciding."

Unsure of what to do in the remaining time before the bell, Lilly slumped down in her seat with a heavy sigh and prepared herself mentally for the rest of the day.

[Oath]

"I guess so." Those were the last words Ardelia said before getting ready for the next period, she went to her desk and took out a little notebook. While it might be the first day, taking notes might be important. She took a sip of her tea, and smiled at Lilly before getting further settled in.

[Bootman]

Desmond let out a sigh and leaned against a wall, crossing his arms. "Yeah, I'm new around here." The man looked at his watch briefly before glancing back up at Serena. "Name's Desmond.I'm a part of the Automotive and Workshop clubs, if you ever want to find me." She seemed to be in a good mood for some reason. Better then getting his head bitten off by a random stranger, at least.

That was when he glanced to the side and saw the group of punks, clearly up to no good, huddled around. He motioned for Serena to look over there. Desmond knew the odds of them being the same people who messed with Wallace was low, but they were pissing him off either way. Serena seemed like the type to get upset over pranks, so perhaps she'd be good person to bring along. After all, they'd be less likely to fight them or something if he had a girl with him.

"You seeing this Serena? Those are probably those guys that have been messing with the sign up boards. They problem just signed a cripple up for the rugby team or something." He started walking towards them forcefully, hoping that the girl would follow.

[Neko]

"Well, it's nice to meet you Desmond." She replied with a smile. "Oh! I was in the middle of some-..." She had suddenly remembered her previous mission...to stop Jude from joining Alicia's club. But, the new kid turned her attention to a group of potential ruffians before she could run off. "Really?" The idol thought, in disbelief that she was going to be dragged into yet another problem. Why couldn't everyone just be happy and behave today!? Being every bodies hero was exhausting! But, Serena saw this as yet another opportunity...She would save the day, and gain a little more fame for it. Other students obviously saw the mischief too, so it wouldn't go unnoticed. If whatever Desmond had planned didn't work, Serena would be right beside him, her own simple idea in mind.

[Mysticsage]

Bootman & Neko

As you waited to move over to the other group of guys at the other board they write down yet another name, and then the bell rings and the hall is alive with movement. As people shove past you and knock into you attempting to get into class you lose sight of the boys and Jude. By the time you have a clear line of sight again they are gone leaving you with nothing. What?s worse because you now have to go to class neither of you have the chance to look for them so it seems like for the moment you will have to let things slide for now.


Later that day

The day goes by normally for the most part once homeroom had finished. The usual first day classes with very little out of the ordinary. The largest thing being that people seemed uncomfortable sitting in the lunchroom. Otherwise, only a few blips of strangeness caught your eye but nothing really worth remembering. Before you knew it the day is done and you all go off to your first day of clubs. The teachers are either in the lounge or have gone home so mostly only teachers remain.

As clubs finish up and those who are left leave the school the four of your activities finally end and the four of you leave your own clubs. Led each by your own blue butterfly you all met up in the halls. As you all meet face to face with each other the four insect circle around then float down yet another hall. Pulled by some unknown force the four of you end up back deeper into the school. The door is slightly ajar and it seems like you can here some sobs coming from somewhere inside. Negative energy poured from the room like waves of the ocean sending waves down all of your spines. None of you have anytime to rest since what you did in club, but as you are swept over by the negative energy none of you feel like you can escape going inside

[spoiler]Inside in the back of the classroom is a student a sophomore perhaps shaking with sadness and anger sobbing slightly. None of you can recognize him but he?s clutching a pretty bad bruise on the back of his head. ?I can?t believe those jerks signed me up for the basketball team. I wish I could just make everything disappear!? he whispered just barely enough for you to hear. A dark and foreboding aura was swirling around him like a storm forming a visual manifestation of his rage and pain.
[/spoiler]

[Oath]

[spoiler]http://youtube.com/v/VBpTCcTD_oY&autoplay=1[/spoiler]

Ardelia sees the student in the room, and he looks to be wounded. Stepping into the room she attempts to strike up a conversation.

"What happened? Who signed you up for the basketball club? And you look hurt, did they force you to do it, or did they do it and then attack you when you confronted them about signing you up?"

It's odd, the club signup was so easy for me, but it seems that it has really been stressing out a lot of other people. It would be nice if everyone could take it easy.

She tried to comfort the guy that was sitting there, even though she didn't know him. It was odd, she didn't normally act like this but since it seemed like there was no way to avoid the room she felt the need to at least try to do something.

"Maybe if you explain the situation, they will let you switch clubs. Surely they don't want students forced into something they didn't even think about doing themselves. I'm Ardelia, by the way. I don't think I've seen you before, do you mind sharing your name?"

Unsure of what effects the words would have, Ardelia hoped that the guy would calm down a bit, after she was talking, she nervously glanced back towards the entrance, hoping that some of the others would come in and help out. Even if they were just there for moral support, surely if multiple people were around this guy would feel a bit more at ease.

[Asta]

Lilly watches Ardelia pass through the door and hears her speak to whomever is in there but doesn't make out the words. Poking her head through the door she calls out softly.

"Hellooo-oh!?"

The sight of the sobbing boy gave her a start, he seemed hurt and Ardelia was making an attempt at calming him down. Lilly moved to Ardelia's side and quickly spoke first to her recent acquaintance and then addressed the boy, her eyes were looking the boy over. That's a nasty bruise.

To Ardelia: "Ardelia, whats happened?"

Then to the boy: "Are you alright?"

Something about the air in the room was making Lilly feel ill at ease, it was almost as if pervasive darkness had enveloped the room. The boys bruise looked painful, and Lilly would have liked to help, but it seemed that Ardelia was already attempting to engage him in conversation so she observed silently.

[Neko]

Like the others, Serena followed after a butterfly which, she couldn't help but feel was familiar somehow. Had she seen one of these before? Following after a silly little bug wasn't something she'd normally do, but for whatever reason, she felt compelled to do so. These sudden urges to do things were becoming oddly common ? It was rather unnerving. She couldn't control herself, and not having control was not something the idol was ok with.

?Anyone else finding this a little weird? Like, at all?? Serena questioned, finding the butterfly had led her and a few other classmates around the school. Standing in front one of the classrooms, the sound of someone crying had grabbed their attention. She sighed, watching as  Adrelia entered the room with little hesitation. Serena slowly peeked inside, not quite as brave. The feeling she got, even just standing next to the room, was unsettling...and she wanted nothing to do with it.

?Get yourself together, Serena!? She mentally scolded herself. Being a wimp was unattractive!

Regaining her composure, she marched into the room, putting on a brave face. There was nothing to be worried about! Maybe the horrible feeling was just her own anxieties. It was the first day of school, after all, and a lot had already happened. The butterflies? Obviously just a hallucination. She was likely dehydrated from all the running she'd done that day. That awfully dark aura? Yeah, more hallucinations. Obviously.

She walked passed Adrelia and up to the boy. Being beside him, she lightly placed a hand on his back, patting it for comfort. ?Hey hey! Calm down, ok?? She put on her sweetest voice. This was another way to impress people -Show them your soft side! ?Look, that bruise is pretty bad. Maybe you should go see a nurse? And you know, there are worse things than the basketball club.? She said. ?Ardelia  pretty much said it all, too. Just explain the situation, there's no reason to freak out.?

[Mysticsage]

When Serena touched the boy he screamed and the aura flared violently it began to grow like a flame licking the ceiling and spreading fast to envelope the entire surrounding area. All four of you felt gust of negative energy whipping around you like you were caught in a windstorm. All the air felt like it was being pulled fron your lungs dizzyness setting in. Then as soon as it started it stopped the wind died down and the darkness receded out of the doorway.There was only one problem the boy is no where to be found and you are no longer standing in any part of the school you recognize.

You all appear to be in an M.C Escher painting, a maze of sorts going in every type of direction made up classrooms and bits of the school. Anything outside of the open air maze was pitch blackness more like void. Classroom desks, chairs, computer monitors, and towers floated as if gravity had no affect here. The strangest thing was that there were wires everywhere sticking out the wall and snaking across the floor. It was a threatening and frighting atmosphere. What worse you begin to hear strange sounds in the distance that does not sound friendly.