sevenhorrors | (no subject)

[ Sometime a bit later in the day, this new guy enters Kin'un's dorm with a wrapped parcel of Something that smells good under his arm ]

Ah... please excuse my intrusion. I believe I'm supposed I'm supposed to report to this ... [ hum? ]

Report here.

Edited 2025-09-09 05:07 (UTC)

[First thing he might notice: it smells like cigarette smoke in here.

The second thing: there is a tall, lanky man, stretched out on the couch in the common area. On the coffee table before him, there are stacks and stacks of books, no rhyme or reason to the chaos.

This man sits up quite suddenly, peering over at the new face.]

Ah, a new addition to Kin'un, I perceive.

[ if the smell of smoke bothers him, he very politely does not let it show on his face.

he enters further into the dorm and, cupping his hands, bows low to Sherlock in greeting. ]

So I'm told. I'm afraid I cannot offer you my name, but may I ask how to address you senior?

[That scent is, unfortunately, going to be a constant here. At least until he runs out of his cigarette stash – which will probably happen any day now, so the point is moot.

Goodness, that bow. How formal. Meanwhile, Holmes does not even get up from the couch.]

My chosen alias for this place is Kieran Adair. You may call me Mr Adair, if you like. As for yourself...

[And now he stands, peeling himself off the couch.]

...you are right to not offer our real name, but in time, we must call you something, my dear fellow.

[ unfortunate. he'll have to do something about it. ]

Of course. For now, I've given the title "Little Disciple". At least until I can settle on a proper name.

Adair-shixiong, it is an honor to meet you. I brought a small gift for the occasion. Are you the only member of this "class"?

[Adair-shixiong. This school really is a place of firsts. He has never been addressed in such a way, though it certainly is an obvious clue as to this man's heritage.]

Very well, Mr Little Disciple. [Sorry, he will also tack on the "Mr" for now.] It is good to meet you, too; if only the circumstances were better.

[Hm. He's brought food. From the new kitchens, no doubt?]

No, I am not. There are three others. Ms Fairplay, a tiefling woman. She is blue and in possession of horns and a tail, and thus hard to miss, but her intellect is invaluable in a place like this one. Ms Girl, a young lady who ultimately means well, though she will make certain you put in the effort before she warms up to you. And Mr Kazu, a young man who has some experience with ghosts prior. He is full of energy and enthusiasm, to say the very least.

[ exactly! as Adair keeps talking he'll take the initiative to set his parcel on a nearby table and unwrap it, revealing deep-fried stuffed bean curd and sliced lotus root with sweet osmanthus sauce ]

I see. I look forwards to meeting them as well. Do you know when they will return?

[Oh? He flutters back to the table and scoots aside a pile of books or two to make room for him, eying the foodstuffs with great curiosity.]

Oh, whenever they feel like it. It is impossible to rein in this classroom, you will soon learn.

[Whatever, he's not their Team Dad (laugh track), they can come back whenever. Right now!! Food!!]

My, aren't you a deft cook.

I hear there are no teachers here. [ so it's only to be expected. what a garbage school, they don't even have a proper Shizun to keep them in line. he won't say that out loud though. ]

This humble disciple thanks you, but it's only a small thing. It would be rude to arrive empty handed. I hope that they are to your taste.

[ he'll just stand off to the side, allowing his new Shixiong room with the food. ]

If you'll allow me to continue troubling you... I have a few questions. First, is it possible to transfer "classes"?

Edited 2025-09-09 20:07 (UTC)

My dear fellow, anything that is not from the cafeteria will be to my taste at this point.

[He will never be a picky eater again after months of surviving off of school cafeteria food. He will go for the stuffed bean curd first, expecting questions in the meanwhile. The first one he receives actually makes him huff with amusement.]

Only your first day, and you'd prefer a different class? Tell me first: what is it that compels you to another?

... [ he hesitates for a moment. ]

There is someone from another class that I must keep my eye on. It would be easier if we were to sleep in the same dormitory.

Ah, I see! So you are one of the few who have not been pulled here alone, but with a companion from your world.

[Interesting. He has a few follow-up questions of his own, but first he will attend to the other's.]

Then, to answer your question: no. There is no way to transfer classes officially. Even those of us who've tried to sleep for an extended period in another dormitory will find ourselves soon beset by nightmares, the protective powers of their patron spirit waning.

That said, there is nothing to stop you from spending more time in one dorm than another, generally speaking.

[ he will be asking all the questions right now thank you!! if he's troubled by this turn of events, he moves past it quickly enough. ]

"From my world". Then, would it be accurate to guess that Adair-Shixiong is from a different world than mine? As well as all the others? [ that would explain so much actually ]

Many of the others, yes. There is the chance that there are pairs of us who hail from the same world and remain unaware of it, but that is highly unlikely. You will get a sense of this yourself as you come to know everyone better.

[A moment of consideration.]

As for myself, I daresay it is likely we do not share realities. Does London, England mean anything to you?

[ a slight shake of his head ]

I don't recognize that place, no. [ a pause... and considers; ]

Is it possible for memories or knowledge to be lost when we're brought to this "school"?

[Then, no, not from his world.]

No one has felt a sense of memories or knowledge being missing. However, there is always the trouble of verifying such a thing.

[How do you know you are missing memories if you... do not remember it? A quandary, indeed. But he would like to think the more mentally cognizant of them would at least sense something is amiss.]

Do you suspect you or your companion may be missing something?

[ ... ah, he might have talked too much. ]

Yes. I believe I might have forgotten something. Or perhaps I'm mistaken.

[Oh??? Holmes pries a little more-]

May I ask why you believe this is the case?

[ ... a small, polite smile. and another little bow, this time much more shallow. ]

You may ask.

[ yup. you may ask. ]

[All signs point to not receiving a straightforward answer.

He asks anyway:] Why do you believe you have forgotten something?

I said you may ask, I never said that I would answer. My apologies, Shixiong.

[Mm. He thought so. And yet so polite about it.]

The details may help me better understand your situation. However, if you refuse to share them, I can hardly force you. Let me offer you this alternative instead: you and your companion may not hail from the same points in time. This has happened once before, too.

[And thus, what is construed as missing memory is simply the fact that it has not yet happened for one party.]

[ oh. ]

[ please hold while he comes to several conclusions and internally wrestles with several different realities at once now ]

Is that so. ... and there is no way to fix this?

[Yes, welcome to brain break town.]

It is certainly not in the power of anyone here to do so, no.

... I see. You've been very helpful, thank you Shixiong. [ he now has about 50 more reasons to assume he's done something Wrong ]

Earlier, you mentioned people experiencing nightmares if they slept in other dormitories. Is that the worse of the consequences?