Persona RP: Home of the 75k Page!

[Azer Kriemhild]

First posts listed below.
_________________

[KittyKatStar]

All our posts from the other forum:

~ Erihana Avalon ~ [Dreamtime Dorms]
Sunday, April 3rd

“This… this must be the place,” she said out loud, comparing the address on the building to the one in her crumbled invitation. She glanced back from where she was previously; pleased it was only a block away from the train station. Excited, she rushed up the stairs and discovered the front door was unlocked.

“Forgive me for bothering you!” she called out as she entered, glancing around for any sign of another person. Was she the first one here? Then why was the door unlocked? She saw that all the other doors on the first floor were open and peered inside one. It was empty, but contained the basic furniture all dorm rooms would have: a single bed, dresser, shelves, a desk and chair, a full-length mirror, and a nightstand. Some of the rooms already had boxes piled in the center of the floor, probably possessions that were shipped here early.

“Um, excuse me, is someone here?” she heard a female voice call from the stairs leading up to the 2nd floor.

“Yes, I’m here,” the young girl called back. “I got this invitation from Dreamtime and…” she trailed off as she saw a young woman – possibly in her early 20’s – come down the stairs. She wore her long black hair in a tight bun and wore thick black glasses, and in her arms she carried a clipboard.

“Pleased to meet you!” the woman said cheerfully, with a hint of tiredness behind her eyes. “I’m Atena Karin, I’m … well I guess you can call me your caretaker of the dorms. I’ll be the one collecting data every week and checking to make sure everything is running smoothly. And you are…?”

“Erihana, Erihana Avalon,” the young girl replied, exchanging bows with Ms. Atena.

“Ah, Erihana Abaron,” she repeated glancing through her papers. “Your room is on the top floor and your belongings arrived here yesterday. Would you like me to show you around?”

“Sure!”

The two made their way to the fourth floor, as Karin pointed out the male and female floors.

“This is your room,” Karin said, gesturing to the room to their right. Sure enough there was a neat little plate with her full name subscribed in kanji and katakana. Avalon enthusiastically pushed the door open and surveyed the room – it looked like all the others and her boxes were placed in the middle of the room. The blinds were open to let the afternoon sun in.

“Ah, this room is bigger than the one back home!” she explained happily, rummaging through the empty drawers and desk. “And the furniture is nice!”

On the bed she noticed her new school uniform was laid out, and at the foot of the bed appeared to be a trunk.

“Oh this where the equipment is placed when not in use,” Karin explained, opening up the trunk. Inside appeared to look like fancy headband ad wristbands laid on a plastic case that held them neatly.

“When you’re not using them they’ll be kept safely here and connected to a charger. Everything is wireless. There’s more instructions in the manual here, and we provided a sleep journal as well.”

Karin toured Avalon around the dorms some more, pointing out the bathrooms and closet areas while Avalon quickly explored each nook and cranny of the building with boundless energy. The washroom contained no bathtubs, but there were multiple showers at the back, with a small-enclosed lavatory at the front. Each floor contained a small table surrounded by comfy chairs while the bottom floor had an additional dining area. Avalon was pleased to see the kitchen was stocked with various ingredients and foods, which Karin said she bought this morning.

“There’s a shopping list on the fridge, so if you’re out of something write it down and I’ll deliver it at the end of each week. Um, of course, we have a grocery limit so try not to abuse it too much. Anything extra will have to come out of your own pockets,” she chuckled, but Avalon was too busy searching through the kitchen to hear her.

“Onions, carrots, curry sauce… oh, I could make curry!” she concluded then glanced back at Karin who sighed heavily.

“Um, well that concludes the tour,” Karin said, checking her watch. “I have to go now, so I hope you can show everyone the dorms in my place. There should be more arriving tonight. If you have any questions my cell number is on the fridge as well. And… you’re not listening.”

“Hm, did you say something?” Avalon asked, glancing up after examining the rice cooker.

“No, nothing, just saying I’m off,” Karin replied, defeated. “I’m glad you’ve chosen to accept Dreamtime’s invitation and I hope you will enjoy your stay here.”

“I will! Thank you!”

When Karin left, Avalon rubbed her hands together. There were enough ingredients to make curry. The train ride here was exhausting and she guessed if other people were arriving they would be hungry as well. She could start unpacking first thing tomorrow.

“Um… not sure how many will arrive today, I can always make more if needed. I guess I’ll make a serving for four as a start…”

OOC: Yes the post is a bit long, sorry. ^^; Anyway, everyone else can start arriving, or do other tasks first and arrive tomorrow, anything works. Smile

----------------

[Isenet]

~ Shun Armada, Entrance to the Dreamtime Dorms ~
Sunday, April 3rd

Heavily laden with various cases, bags, and other such packages, a young man made his way slowly up to the entrance of the dorms that the girl had just entered. He was weighed down by the stuffed backpack on his back, and was somewhat unsuccessfully trying to keep a duffel bag from falling off his shoulder. He was dragging two suitcases along behind him, and the strap of a shoulder bag was held in his teeth while the bag itself hung over his neck. Every few moments, he stopped to catch his breath.

"Gah!" he spat as he pulled the duffel bag's strap back up on his shoulder, "I should have listened and sent some stuff over early." He sighed, then reached over to grab something from his pocket, causing the bag strap to slide down again. He gave a muffled curse, then pulled out a piece of paper and adjusted the strap again. He glanced at the paper, then looked around.

"I think I'm in the right area," he murmured in English, "I think it might be right over...there!" His eyes lit up as he realized the address of the building was the same as that of the one on the paper. He then stared at the small set of stairs leading up to the door and sighed again as he realized that he would have to pull all of the bags up those stairs.

After a while, he managed to do so. Releasing one of the suitcases, he knocked on the door, then opened the door without waiting for a response, slightly surprised that it was unlocked. As he pulled his luggage in with him, he noticed the smell of curry wafting from some distance ahead. Throwing all his luggage by the couches in what appeared to be the living room, making sure to make as much noise so that whoever was cooking would hear him. He made his way forward, and saw with surprise that the chef was a girl hardly older than himself.

"Ah, hello," he said in Japanese with a slight accent, "My name's Armada. Shun Armada. I was wondering if this is the Dreamtime Dorm? I got an invitation to come here and, as you can see, I'm here." Shun glanced at her cooking.

"Hey, bet you I can make better curry than you," he said with a grin.
---
~Chiyoko Ikeda (the Judge), Train Station some distance from Kasaku~
"Attention: We apologize for the inconvenience, but the train to Kasuka has been delayed. We repeat, the train to Kasuka has been delayed."

A young woman listened to the announcement attentively, then pulled her cell phone from her pocket. She checked the time, adjusting the thin black glasses frames that she was wearing. Oddly, the frames held no glass. She closed her phone and put it back, placing her hand on a suitcase that was standing beside her. From another pocket, she took out a small red diary and quickly scribbled something in it. She replaced it and drew out a piece of paper. She blinked a few times and read it.

"It seems I may be running late," she said softly to herself. She folded the paper up neatly, putting it back in her pocket. Dusting off her black jacket, she looked expressionlessly forward, waiting for the train.

----------------

[Azer Kriemhild]

[Atsuko Kazumi - Dreamtime Dorms (Room 4A)]
~ Sunday, April 3rd ~

Kazumi let her freeweights down at her side and sighed. Judging from the voices she'd heard earlier and the noise downstairs, it seemed she didn't have the dorm to herself anymore. She checked herself in the mirror: a dirty white camisole and black tights... whatever - she had no intention of getting close enough to anyone to have to worry about making a good first impression. Setting one of the weights on her desk on the way out, she went downstairs.

"Good morning." She quickly noticed the smell of curry wafting through the air, and her stomach rumbled in response. Right, I haven't had breakfast yet, have I? She walked into the kitchen through the other entrance and grabbed a strawberry pocky, and let it dangle out of the side of her mouth as she introduced herself. "Atsuko. Atsuko Kazumi. I guess this means we're dormmates."

[Shiraume Makoto - Shiraume Shrine (Front Steps)]

Makoto checked his watch as he sat on the curb, his duffel bag on the sidewalk next to him. In the distance, he could hear the telltale roar of Kirsa's engine and the squeal of her brakes. He looked up just in time to see her powerslide through a corner and come flying up to him. He got up and went for the trunk, but she rolled her window down and called out to him first.

"No room! You mind keeping it on your lap, Makoto?"

He opened the door and sat down, putting the duffel bag in his lap as asked. "Morning, Kirichan. Not at all," he answered as he shut the door. The back seats were loaded with things as well. "I appreciate you going out of your way like this."

"I should be the one thanking you," she said as she took off once again, making her way to the Dreamtime Dorm.

Makoto shot her a questioning look.

"For helping me bring all my stuff up to my room," she said with a smile, as though he'd already agreed to this and she was only reminding him.

He let out an exaggerated sigh. "Fine - I suppose I can take care of the heavy stuff." She was still saving him bus fare, though it was hardly an even trade. "How can you have so much stuff to bring, anyway?"

"How can you have so little?"

"I had more, but I sent it ahead of time."

"So did I." She smiled in response to the shocked glance he shot her. "These are just some little valuables I didn't want to trust to the movers."

He looked at the boxes in the back seat. Every last one of them was marked 'Sound Equipment.' He was glad he'd picked a room on the first floor, and pitied whoever had the rooms next to and beneath her. "Where's the guitar?"

"Packed tight in the trunk. I didn't want it sliding around loose up here, you know, in case I got in an accident or something."

Makoto shook his head. He couldn't understand how a ¥150,000 guitar could be worth more than what had to be a million yen of sound equipment (or a twelve million yen car, for that matter), but then, he wasn't a musician. "You going to join the music club this year?"

"Maybe... I'll have to think about it. Between the band and gymkhana competitions, joining a school club would pretty much kill what's left of my 'me time,' you know?"

"Yeah. It'll be nice to get away from the shrine...not have to practice my kyūdō every single day. Though, I wonder if my skills will suffer as a result?"

Kirsa laughed. "You worry too much." To drive the point home, she did a Scandinavian Flick and a handbrake turn, flipping the car around 180 degrees and bringing them to a stop in the opposite lane of traffic, right at the edge of the curb. "We're here."

Makoto looked out the window. Sure enough, it was the Dreamtime Dorm. He unbuckled his seatbelt and opened the door. "I'll just drop my bag inside then I'll help you get your stuff up."

Kirsa cut the ignition and nodded back. "Don't take too long."

----------------

[KittyKatStar]

~ Erihana Avalon ~ [Dreamtime Dorm Kitchen]

Avalon was busy sautéing the chopped meat and vegetables when she heard something being thrown to the floor. She glanced up when she saw a tall thin boy roughly about her age enter the kitchen. Hopefully things will finally get lively around the dorms.

"Ah, hello," he said with an accent which she recognized as American, "My name's Armada. Shun Armada. I was wondering if this is the Dreamtime Dorm? I got an invitation to come here and, as you can see, I'm here." Before she could reply he surveyed her cooking and added with a smile, "Hey, bet you I can make better curry than you.”

“Ah, pleased to meet you,” she said excitedly, “I’m Erihana Avalon but you can just call me Avalon. Yes this is the Dreamtime Dorm – I got here myself not too long ago actually and…” her eyes narrowed at the possible challenge presented to her.

“You dare challenge my cooking?” she stated, full of spirit, standing as tall as she proudly could at 4’10. She picked up a spare spoon on the counter and pointed it at him dramatically, already jumping at the fun possibility of a cook-off.

“Loser has to clean wash the dishes tonight if you accept the challenge now,” she proclaimed before turning back to her cooking. “I’ll let you decide.”

Before any possible competition could arise, someone slipped through the other kitchen entrance.

“Atsuko. Atsuko Kazumi. I guess this means we're dormmates.”

Avalon was taken back, startled by the appearance of a 2nd person. She didn’t hear her come in at all! Did she already arrive before her? The girl had short black hair and wore a simple white camisole and black tights and had an air of coolness around her.

Yay, more people!

“I’m Erihana Avalon!” she said eagerly then quickly focused on her cooking, determined to make a great impression with her curry. She glanced at the rice cooker. “Ah, it should be ready soon. I hope I made enough – “

Just then she heard a loud tire screech from outside, and Avalon had a feeling more people would be arriving soon.

Gah, maybe I should increase the portion size… I hope Armada-san decides to cook as well.

----------------

[Toku]

~Kimura Toshio: Kimura Residence ~
Sunday, April 3rd

“Ouch!” Toshio winced as he felt the tip of the needle dig into his skin, precariously close to drawing blood. He shot an acid look at the woman kneeling beside him, the quick spark of pain dulling. “Grandma, try to be more careful!”

The old woman looked up apologetically, her teeth clenched over the head of a needle. “It’s being difficult with how often you’re moving! Can’t you stay still for a while?”

“It’s so stuffy!” Toshio complained, hooking a finger around his collar and loosening it. Thinking again, he dragged his finger down the collar buttons and unfastened them. Air hit the bare spot underneath his neck and he let out a suppressed sigh. “They didn’t have uniforms like this over at the states…” He took a look at the long mirror in front of him, tempted to turn in place to get a better view of what he would be forced to wear for a year.

Meticulously weaving one of her needles through the fabric of the yellow coat, Toshio’s grandmother shook her head slightly, “Oh, stop complaining. You look nice in it, Toshio. Really, you do.”

“You’re just telling me that.” He replied snidely, arms getting sore from holding them out to the sides.

“Yeah,” Toshio’s grandmother said indifferently, switching the needle in her mouth for the one in her hand and vice versa, “just keep quiet as I taper your coat please.”

For a few unbearable moments, Toshio managed to remain still and silent, a task made even harder by the increasing soreness in his limbs. Finally, he heard the snap of a thread as his grandmother bit off a section with her teeth. She stood up, admiringly, with her hands on her hips, the needles and spool of thread clutched tightly in her hand. “There, all done.”

Toshio immediately began to relax, observing how his school uniform fit him better than it did when he had first received it. “Are you even allowed to do this?” he asked, turning his body to take a glance at the back.

“I’m not sure.” His grandmother replied in turn. She wore a huge smirk on her face like a clown mask. Cupping her hands around her mouth, she screamed something in Japanese while facing the direction of the kitchen. “Love, get over here and look at your grandson in his uniform!” Meanwhile, Toshio picked at his white dress shirt, pulling it forward and watching as it fell back like a deflated balloon.

“The shirt’s still a little big…” he said a bit annoyed, attempting to smooth it down to make it look fitting. He looked over to his grandmother expectantly, “I thought you tried to fix this too.”

“It looks fine, Toshio!” she replied exasperatedly, switching back to English. A man came up beside her, strong features like carvings against stone. Slightly surprised as she turned to him, Toshio’s grandmother gestured toward him to Toshio. “Come on now,” she told the man in Japanese, “You think he looks nice, right?”

Silently, the man surveyed Toshio from top to bottom, taking in all his features with his steady eyes. After a moment, his head stayed still before finally forming a nod. Smiling as if that was exactly what she was expecting, Toshio’s grandmother turned to him. “You see? Even your grandfather agrees!”

“Thank you, grandpa…” Toshio replied in soft Japanese, still not convinced.

“Everything else fits though right?” His grandma asked, inching closer, “You can just wear something else besides the dress shirt. It’ll be fine. Stop picking at it.”

Fighting the urge to roll his eyes, Toshio complied and started to slip off his uniform to dress back up into his normal clothes. “Fine, okay grandma…”he said. He had more pressing matters to stress out about anyway. Like how school was going to start soon, very soon…

----------------

[Isenet]

~ Shun Armada, Dreamtime Dorm (Kitchen) ~
“Ah, pleased to meet you,” said the cooking girl with enthusiasm. As Shun walked closer to the counter, he noticed that the girl was significantly shorter than himself, easily an entire foot. He was slightly surprised that he may have mistaken her for someone his own age, as she seemed more of a child than anything, though he guessed that anyone in the dorms was probably at least his own age. Shun was looking around at the food that was laid out on the table when the girl continued.

“I’m Erihana Avalon but you can just call me Avalon," she said. Her pronunciation of her last name was awkward on his ears, since it sounded more like a name in English than one in Japanese the way she said it. She continued talking as he was thinking.

"Yes this is the Dreamtime Dorm – I got here myself not too long ago actually and…” He saw her eyes narrow in what looked like glee.

"You dare challenge my cooking? Loser has to clean wash the dishes tonight if you accept the challenge now. I'll let you decide." Armada opened his mouth, preparing to respond, when he heard another voice coming in the direction of the stairs.

"Atsuko. Atsuko Kazumi. I guess this means we're dormmates," said the new person, a girl dressed in casual clothing that showed well-developed muscles. She was unadorned with jewelry or anything extraneous and only slightly shorter than Armada. Despite the fact that he was wearing a sweatshirt and the time of year, Armada felt a slight shiver in his spine when he looked at her.

"I guess we are then, Kazumi-san," he said, nodding his head at her. He quickly turned his head back to Avalon, hearing her reply to Kazumi's greeting with what was slowly beginning to appear as natural enthusiasm and then picking up the same screeching tire noise that she had.

"Doesn't look like you're going to make enough curry," he said to Avalon with a shrug, "Well then! I'll just have to accept your challenge! Our dorm mates will be the judges, of course." Armada quickly made his way around the counter, grabbing and separating some of the curry ingredients from Avalon. He then opened the refrigerator, looking for anything else that he could use as ingredients and spotted some lemons.

"Hm, curry with lemon juice sounds nice," he murmured to himself, though unintentionally loud enough for the others to hear. Opening one of the cupboards, he found a hand juicer and placed it with his own ingredients. He continued finding other ingredients, some not exactly put in traditional curry, and began to cook his own curry, talking to himself. Suddenly, he realized he had accidentally switched to his fluent English while speaking and looked up to judge the reactions of his dorm mates if they heard. As he did so, he switched back to Japanese and tried to start a conversation with the others, nervous of what they would think if they found out he wasn't from Japan.

"So, I presume that everyone who's in this dorm is participating in the Dreamtime Dorm experiment, huh? And we'll be attending Shizuka Kaigan. What grades are you all entering into? Do you know how many more people are coming?"

----------------

[Dark Cloud Setho]

- Nace Haruka - Dreamtime Dorms 3A

Nace arrived at the front door near the dorm room, where she was going to be staying at from now on. In her both hands were two separate bags full of clothing and other materials. The room she stepped in was open free, not a single person in sight besides her. For the time being she allowed herself to rest at the table where from here on out she'd be studying. On her way there after she was dropped off outside by her mother, she in countered others who were going to be staying there as well. She did not speak with anyone other then the person who had shown her to her room before heading back the other way, once she was there she sat everything down and left the room, along with the rest of her belongings. "Maybe I should check out the place while I still have my energy."

----------------

[Azer Kriemhild]

[Shiraume Makoto, Renka Kirsa & Atsuko Kazumi - Dreamtime Dorms]

The girl introduced herself as Erihana Avalon. A strange name, but Kazumi decided not to ask about it.

"I guess we are then, Kazumi-san," the boy said, seeming more interested in the brewing competition than introducing himself. She was a little miffed so familiarly too, but let it drop, lest she come across as antagonistic and confrontational. "Doesn't look like you're going to make enough curry," he said to Avalon. "Well then! I'll just have to accept your challenge! Our dorm mates will be the judges, of course."

Kazumi rolled her eyes dismissively. On the one hand, she hadn't eaten yet, but on the other hand, she had no idea if either of them were even any good. She decided she could do with a home-cooked meal, even if it was just curry, and leaned back on one of the counters; enjoying her pocky while lifting the freeweight she'd brought down with her.

She quickly noticed the boy talking to himself in English. While she wasn't fluent, she could pick up bits and pieces and quickly ascertained that English was his native language, as even if he were an expert in English as a second language, it would be incredibly bizarre to think in anything but your mother tongue.

"So, I presume that everyone who's in this dorm is participating in the Dreamtime Dorm experiment, huh?" he asked, obviously suddenly aware of what he'd been doing and hoping to distract them. "And we'll be attending Shizuka Kaigan. What grades are you all entering into? Do you know how many more people are coming?"

"You first, Erihana-san," she said flatly after finishing her pocky and then went back into the cupboard for a second.

Makoto heard voices talking before he even opened the door. Good, looks like we're not the first one's here. He opened the door and continued only as far as his room, tossed his duffel bag onto the bed and turned back around and left. There would be time for proper introductions later. For now, he just wanted to help Kirsa and get it over with. Leaving the door open, he soon returned with Kirsa, both carrying stacks of boxes. He gave a smile and a quick nod to the people gathered in the kitchen as he deftly balanced on one foot and hit the call button for the elevator with the other.

Kirsa was more distracted by the smell of curry than Makoto, and briefly toyed with the idea of dropping everything and conveniently introducing herself just when they finished cooking, but ultimately decided that'd be a little too mean to Makoto. "Don't suppose I could interest any of you in giving us a hand with my stuff?" she half-pleaded.

Kazumi put her weight down on the counter and gave a slight nod to Avalon and the boy as she left the kitchen to go see who needed help and with what. "They're a little busy with cooking at the moment," she said to the girl, and turned to Makoto, who was still waiting for the elevator. "Girlfriend?"

Makoto practically dropped the boxes. "N-no! Nothing like that; we've just lived near each other for a while now."

"I see. Well, I suppose I'd be remiss in my duties if I didn't help a subordinate in his time of need..."

The doors to the elevator opened as a loud "ding" resounded in the mostly empty dining room. "Thanks!" Kirsa smiled at the girl's answer and leaned her hip towards her. "The key's in my pocket. Nothing left in the car, just the trunk."

Kazumi fished the keys out of the girl's pocket and went out the front door.

Kirsa turned to Makoto with a sadistic grin as they boarded the elevator. Even though she'd immediately recognized the girl who 'offered' to help, she couldn't resist. "Girlfriend?"

Again, he almost dropped the boxes. "Geez - she's the president of the Student Council."

Between the three of them, it didn't take much longer before they'd finished bringing Kirsa's stuff up to her room. Kirsa left to drive her car to the nearest car park, while Makoto and Kazumi joined the others in the kitchen. "Miss much?" Kazumi asked rhetorically.

Makoto coughed slightly, obviously trying to get Kazumi to introduce him.

She got the hint, but just shot him a harsh glance and said "Cover your mouth."

Sure, now she gets a sense of humor. He returned her glare and turned to the two chefs. "Shiraume Makoto, but you can call me Makoto. We're going to be living together after all."

Kazumi just rolled her eyes.

----------------

[KittyKatStar]

~ Erihana Avalon ~ [Dreamtime Dorms – Kitchen]

Avalon quickly picked up his English while Armada was gathering his ingredients and felt comfort knowing she wasn’t the only one who originally wasn’t from Japan. With his looks he fit right in, while she painfully stood out among her peers.

"So, I presume that everyone who's in this dorm is participating in the Dreamtime Dorm experiment, huh? And we'll be attending Shizuka Kaigan. What grades are you all entering into? Do you know how many more people are coming?"

"You first, Erihana-san," Kazumi said, and Avalon happily took the opportunity.

“I’ll be in first year,” she said, "and sorry I'm not sure how many are coming. It would've been nice though, I would've made more curry. I'm glad you're here to help though!" She flashed a grateful smile at Armada.

A moment later she heard someone entering the building, it wasn’t until they were visible from the kitchen she realized there were two students – a male and female.

"Don't suppose I could interest any of you in giving us a hand with my stuff?" one of the arrivees half-pleaded. Luckily Kazumi volunteered while she and Armada were busy with the cooking; she was stirring in her curry mix. Kazumi interacted with the two new students and the conversation was light-hearted and uplifting. Avalon noticed her curry was almost ready, and fetched the plates from the cupboard. Kazumi exchanged more dialogue with the new student before he introduced himself. He was tall, definitely older than her, with white hair and amber eyes and had a friendly aura around him.

"Shiraume Makoto, but you can call me Makoto. We're going to be living together after all."

“Erihana Avalon, Avalon is just fine. Pleased to meet you!” she replied enthusiastically. It had been awhile since she lived in a full household, and hopefully it would be just as lively.

She opened the rice cooker and began piling rice on a few plates before pouring the curry over the some of the rice in the middle and right half of the dish. It was a simple but sweet/spicy savory recipe – carrots, onions, potatoes, beef with a dash of garlic and clover thrown in. However she had a feeling Armada’s slight twist with the standard curry recipe would make him a formidable opponent. She loved a challenge, and looked forward to exchanging recipes with him. She usually cooked for herself or her parents since they always came home late, and it was nice to have other people try her cooking.

“My portion’s done but it can only serve about four people so… but Armada-san should be finished soon. We’re having a bit of a curry cook-off,” she eagerly explained Makoto with a grin, “I hope you don’t mind being a judge.”

----------------

[Isenet]

~ Shun Armada, Dreamtime Dorms (Kitchen) ~

Glancing at the recent hustle and bustle of the new dorm mates that were just coming in, Armada turned his attention back to making his share of the curry. As he began mixing together his ingredients, he suddenly slapped his forehead with the heel of his palm.

"Mierda!" he cried out, "I forgot to introduce myself to Kazumi-san. I should start remembering who I introduce myself to if I'm going to be living with you all. Ugh, I hope she doesn't think me too rude." He watched as Kazumi and another girl, one with blue hair, brought some packages to the elevator, which reminded him that his stuff was still in the front, next to some couches in the living room. He sighed as he realized he was going to have to take them to his room, as soon as he figured out where that was.

“I’ll be in first year,” Armada heard Avalon say, "and sorry I'm not sure how many are coming. It would've been nice though, I would've made more curry. I'm glad you're here to help though!" He saw her flash a grin at him, and he returned it with his own and a nod.

"Oh, it's no problem. I'd often cook if Mom was late back home. So, you're going to be a first year? So am I! Hey, maybe we'll be in the same homeroom together. It'd be nice having someone I know on the first day." He turned his attention to a man who had just made his way towards the counter, one who seemed a couple years his senior and had white hair and amber eyes. He was dressed almost entirely in black except for a green jacket that he wore over his shirt. Armada found himself instantly taking a liking to the new guy.

"Shiraume Makoto, but you can call me Makoto. We're going to be living together after all," the newcomer said, introducing himself. Armada smiled and nodded, then introduced himself.

"Shun Armada," he said, "Pleased to make your acquaintance." Noticing that Avalon was done with her portion of the curry, he sped up in completing his. In a few moments, it was done and he took one of the plates that Avalon had already loaded with her curry and put some of his own on the uncovered rice.

"I hope you don't mind that I experimented a bit with the curry. I never did much like cooking in the traditional style, so you'll find some ingredients that aren't normally in curry. It shouldn't taste too bad, though," he said as he did so. Under his breath, he added, "I mean, the last time I used chocolate in curry, the major problem was that there was too much and I didn't melt it enough. I think I fixed that." He filled a second dish with some more curry, then took the first one and walked over to Kazumi. Bowing to her, he offered her the plate in his hands.

"I apologize for being so rude as to not introduce myself earlier," he said with his casual grin, "So I'd like to offer you the first plate of curry. Please enjoy!"
---
~Chiyoko Ikeda, On a Train~
The train had finally arrived. She stared out a window, watching as the scenery passed by, her face unmoving and without expression. Sitting next to her was what appeared to be a businessman, dressed in a suit with a small rough patch on the shoulder. He was reading a newspaper. She would have liked to the same with her book, but apparently she had unintentionally put it in her suitcase, and it would have been too difficult to take it out now. She did not remember doing so, but her diary told her that she had. Her diary knew everything, even that which she herself did not know, and there was a good reason for this.

The train had been delayed again, and she estimated that with the time it would take to reach Kasaku, she might be unable to be there before lunch. That was a pity. Her mother had not given her any money for lunch outside, so she had been hoping to be at the dorms before lunchtime. She wondered about who her dorm mates would be. She had never been outside her hometown before, and was slightly nervous about what everyone would think about her. About her condition. She hoped that they would be accepting, though logically she knew that there would be many problems.

She checked the time on her cell phone. She had been on the train for a half-hour. They were slowing down, preparing to reach a stop. It was not Kasaku. The business man got up. Nobody came to replace him. She took out her diary, and quickly wrote something in it. Then she sat still again, staring out the window.

----------------
_________________

Thank you for the lovely set, Seraph <3

[KittyKatStar]

Broke it up a bit so it wouldn't be TOO overwhelming. XD

Posts continued:

----------------

[Toku]

~Kimura Toshio: Outside Dreamtime Dorms~

“This looks like the place…” Toshio remarked to himself as he looked from the neat invitation in his hand to the large building in front of him, “Funny, I never really expected to ever come here…”

He had some reason to after all. His grandmother was dead set against the chance of him living anywhere besides with her and his grandfather. The dorm was only a couple minutes away from the shop, Kimura Sundries, but that still took no account in his grandparents’ decision.

“No…” Toshio thought, recalling her exact words, “Absolutely not.” He sighed as he remembered the livid expression she had on her face. Priceless, though he would never tell her that. He didn’t tell a lot of things to his grandparents, like how he had planned to come here.

“I’m going for a little walk…” he told them as he left.

“I just want to go look at the dorms for a while.” He meant.

He stuck his invitation in his back pocket and walked nervously up the steps. “I’ll just check out the first floor for a little and leave.” He told himself. Hopefully there would be no one arriving yet. That’s when he would have a problem. He wrapped his hand around the doorknob and twisted, expecting it to jerk still in place. However, it twisted all the way, causing Toshio to open the door, loudly.

He stumbled forward as he gave out a surprised cry, the door swinging open by his side. Obviously, he wasn’t expecting that. He took a few steps before stabilizing himself, nearly falling onto his face as a result. “I don’t think anyone would have heard that…” he thought, glancing upward. His eyes met the ones of four other pairs.

“Oh, crap…All eyes on me now huh?” Tosho thought in embarrassment. Coughing nervously, he straightened himself up and placed his trembling hands in the pockets of his vest. “Uh, hello there…” He said, giving a little wave. He then realized his mistake. “Accent, put on the accent.” He told himself.

Toshio took a few steps forward, “Sorry for uh…bursting in on you guys like this. But um…I’ll be going now so yeah…” He began to back up, trying to appear as smooth as possible. That’s when the thought hit him.

“Hold on…” he said to no one in particular, “Is anyone here attending Shizuka Kaigan High?” Toshio scolded himself mentally. Of course everyone there was attending, that was the whole point of the dorm. “Scratch that, forget I asked…” he said feebly. No turning back now. Might as well introduce himself so he could leave.

“My name is Toshio Kim-ah, Kimura Toshio!” He said, catching himself at the last moment, “I’m, uh, second? Yeah, I’m going to be a second year at Shizuka Kaigan. It’s nice to meet you all.” He said, though it couldn’t have been farthest from the truth.

----------------

[Eternity Memory]

~Ito Kotone: Dreamtime's Kitchen~

"It's nice to meet you too, Kimura-senpai," said Kotone, speaking slightly slower for his benefit as she squeezed into the doorway with him. She thought that the poor boy looked as if everyone else in the room were preparing to bite him.

"It's nice to meet all of you," she added to the others. "I'm Ito Kotone, class one. I hope we have a fun time together. At least there aren't so many of us." She smiled a little at the smell wafting in the kitchen. "Is the curry almost ready? I haven't had anything to eat since breakfast."

----------------

[Azer Kriemhild]

[Shiraume Makoto, Renka Kirsa & Atsuko Kazumi - Dreamtime Dorms]

The two chefs introduced themselves, and Makoto smiled as they turned their attentions back to the curry. They certainly seemed friendly enough.

"My portion’s done but it can only serve about four people so… but Armada-san should be finished soon. We’re having a bit of a curry cook-off," Avalon explained, "I hope you don’t mind being a judge."

"Not at all - moving all those boxes upstairs worked up quite an appetite."

"I hope you don't mind that I experimented a bit with the curry. I never did much like cooking in the traditional style, so you'll find some ingredients that aren't normally in curry. It shouldn't taste too bad, though," Armada informed them. Indeed, it didn't look like any curry Makoto had seen before, and Kazumi arched an eyebrow suspiciously.

"I apologize for being so rude as to not introduce myself earlier," Armada continued as he handed Kazumi a plate, "So I'd like to offer you the first plate of curry. Please enjoy!"

Kazumi nodded in appreciation and turned back to the pantry and grabbed two more of her strawberry pocky, and commenced eating the rice, using the pocky as chopsticks. Makoto looked at her like she was crazy, and she huffed and turned away. Facing Armada, she spoke quietly. "It's not bad. My compliments." For the moment though, she set her 'chopsticks' down. "Continuing from where we left off: I'll be entering third year coming up, as will Makoto here. As I haven't seen you around before, I assume you're both first years or transfer students. Either way - I'm president of the student council, so if you have any difficulties adjusting, or get any trouble from other students, I'd be more than happy to pawn it off on Makoto here."

Makoto laughed awkwardly, acting like it was meant to be a joke when he had the feeling she was being completely serious. But then, that was how they worked - if she was the CPU of the council, he was the user-friendly interface.

His attention snapped to the front door, however, as another newcomer literally stumbled in. Even Kazumi's face hinted vaguely of concern at the panicked look on his face.

"Uh, hello there…" The young man waved as he greeted them awkwardly. Kazumi immediately took note of his accent, but said nothing. A lot of foreigners coming here, she thought to herself. It wasn't something she took issue with, just that it seemed odd - statistically speaking.

"Sorry for uh...bursting in on you guys like this. But um...I’ll be going now so yeah…"

Did he come here by mistake? Makoto thought as he began to back towards the door.

"Hold on... Is anyone here attending Shizuka Kaigan High?"

I guess so, Makoto confirmed, or he'd know about this dorm.

"Scratch that, forget I asked..." the boy said quietly. "My name is Toshio Kim-ah, Kimura Toshio! I’m, uh, second? Yeah, I’m going to be a second year at Shizuka Kaigan. It’s nice to meet you all."

Boy, he must be fresh off the boat, saying his name European-style like that, Kazumi thought to herself.

"It's nice to meet you too, Kimura-senpai," came a voice from behind him as a young girl slipped past him into the building. "It's nice to meet all of you. I'm Ito Kotone, class one. I hope we have a fun time together. At least there aren't so many of us."

Makoto was a little surprised to see so many people showing up so early, but it was just as well in his mind. The sooner they all got to know one another, the better.

"Is the curry almost ready?" the new girl asked. "I haven't had anything to eat since breakfast."

"Atsuko Kazumi," Kazumi said, introducing herself to both of them and ignoring the girl's question. As Toshio was obviously a fresh transfer student, and since Kotone had addressed him as senpai, they were both new to the school. "As I was just explaining, I'm the student council president, so-"

"You can take up any problems you have with her," Makoto interrupted. Toshio especially looked like he'd have a heart attack if Kazumi went full-intimidation on him. "But unless it's really important, you can leave it with me, Shiraume Makoto - I'm on the council, too. Kazumi-chan will be pretty busy, what with the beginning of a new year and all."

Kazumi stared daggers at Makoto - mad enough at having been interrupted, he had the nerve to address her as 'Kazumi-chan'? "Right. Well, if there's nothing else to be said, I'm going to go back in and finish my curry."

Before she could turn and leave, though, yet another voice came from the doorway. "Keikoku has entered the building!" Kirsa announced as she stepped in, returning from the nearby car park. "Ooh, quite the crowd we have here. Renka Kirsa's the name," she introduced herself as she sort of danced her way past the two at the entrance.

Makoto shook his head - she usually got revved up like this after a race, so he could only imagine what must have happened on her way to the car park for her to be acting like this now.

----------------

[Dark Cloud Setho]

- Nace Haruka - Dreamtime Dorms (Hallway)

A great long walk is just what she needed to get back into top gear. She went through the pathway where most of the people were gossiping, though she hadn't the slightest idea as to what they were going on about. They seemed friendly around others, not topically judgmental of a persons standards. One of the girls in the pack would show interest in Haruka, calling out in a cheery voice. "Yo what's up? Come on over here, you look lonely. Why don't you hang out with us." The girl dressed in a sports uniform was the one who recommended it.

Most definitely in the end Haruka was the one to accept the offer. Her face was showing a trust worthy expression as she accepted the girl's invitation. "That's fine with me. You girls seem to be an interesting bunch to hang out with. I hope my expectations won't come back to haunt me in the end." The last part she said was hardly audible for anyone to hear it, in return the girl she had met with would introduce herself along with her friends. "Alrighty then let's get this over and done with. My name is Mikan Tonoshi, I'm a second year attending Shizuka Kaigan High School and a member of the track team. These two here are Suzuka-chan and Tomoyo-chan.

After the introductions the other two smiled and addressed her as their new neighbor. She then happily introduced herself to the trio as Nace Haruka, a second year student attending the same high school. "Nice to meet you. Please treat me kindly during my stay." She muffled her words, saying the end with a hint of shyness. Tomoyo then looked her in the eyes and said to her.

"You need to relax Haruka. To be honest, I think you could do with a good meal or two.

Uh, yeah. Lets go." Haruka concluded in response to her suggestion. Later her stomach would suddenly start growling before making it half way there. Her face became bright red in embarrassment as everyone became silent, her head was lowered before denying that it wasn't her.

"Don't look at me like that. That wasn't me." As if denying it would do her any good after the second time. It happened once more, but this time Tomoyo raised her hand with a none shameful expression. "That time was me." Suzuka's dark green eyes would sway over them like bees on honey. She laughed at the claim that was made by Tomoyo and thought it be funny if she blamed her for the first time as well. "It's always you Tomoyo-chan, so what else is new? Your stomach is a bottomless pit after all."

Upon nearing the kitchen their voices could be heard from the outside as Tomoyo shouted. "Hey I thought I told you to stop calling me Tomoyo-chan! And for your information that happened only one time. One time damn it!" Haruka then stood there speechless without saying anything before going inside after them.

----------------

[KittyKatStar]

~ Erihana Avalon ~ [Dreamtime Dorms - Kitchen]

“Now I’m worried if we made enough curry for everyone…” Avalon spoke softly to herself sheepishly as more and more people gathered in the lobby. She listened to Kazumi-senpai’s speech, then Makoto-senpai while trying to do a head count. So six people…

Ah, I’m so glad someone like Makoto is my senpai – he looks like someone I can look up to. Kazumi-senpai looks like she can be scary at times…

"Keikoku has entered the building!" someone announced loudly, “"Ooh, quite the crowd we have here. Renka Kirsa's the name.” The girl moved around Toshio and Kotone gracefully. She was tall, had long beautiful blue-green hair in pigtails, and wore a black blazer over her shirt. She was the one who entered the dorms with Makoto earlier but Avalon didn't catch a good glimpse until now. Avalon thought she looked familiar but couldn’t quite place a finger on it. However it seemed she possessed lots of energy and enthusiasm and Avalon hoped she would get along with her, along with everyone else at the dorms. Now it was up to seven people, so there was still enough curry to go around.

Avalon finished piling her curry with rice on three more plates, each with a spoon since it was easier to eat with than using chopsticks, and placed them on the kitchen counter, open to whoever decided to dig in. Just then she heard more voices from upstairs.

“Think we have enough curry?” she wondered aloud, hovering by the fridge just in case. I’ll introduce myself again soon once things are more settled – there’s no better way to gather around and talk than over a good meal.

----------------

[Toku]

~Kimura Toshio: Dreamtime Dorms~

Having a bad heart was never good in situations. One such situation would be now. As Toshio’s heart beat faster, he could feel the blood rushing to his head. He suddenly started to feel light headed, ready to faint and collapse onto the ground in no time. “No…” Toshio willed himself. He struggled to remain still and feign his condition, something he had perfected over the past years. “Calm down, deep breath…” He let out one huge exhale, slowing his heart beat down. A shiver ran up his body as he did so, his body adjusting.

Toshio had the right to just leave, to just walk out mysteriously as if he had never even entered yet… “I can’t believe I’m being so superficial right now…” Toshio thought as he realized why he didn’t want to leave just yet. He didn’t want them to think of him as a loser, especially when he already had so much going against him already. “Might as well play nice…”

Heart beat normal, Toshio took a few steps closer, “I guess I’ve been looking pretty dumb, right? Yeah, sorry, I didn’t expect anyone to be here already. Took me by surprise.” He leaned on the kitchen counter, not because he was afraid to sit next to Kazumi but mostly not to appear rude. “As I said before, I’m Kimura Toshio.” He said, dropping his fake accent and speaking naturally, “I’m a transfer student and from the shoddy display from before, I bet you can already guess I’m not from Japan originally.” He shrugged as if the information was of minor consequence. They could think what they wanted to think. Rumors did spread fast after all and it wasn’t like being a foreigner was that bad to reveal. Besides, it wasn’t like that was the secret most desperately needed to be hidden.

“I’m from the United States. Specifically California. My parents sent me over here because of some…issues. I was supposed to live in this dorm. I was invited.” He fished out his invitation from his back pocket and presented it to show he wasn’t lying, “But the people taking care of me now, my grandparents, didn’t like the idea so much so yeah, it was a no-go. Nice to know that my dorm mates wouldn’t have been a bunch of weirdos though.”

He smiled as he completely eased up, “So far, I got Makoto, Kazumi, Kirsa and Kotone…” He pointed to each of them in turn as he said their name, “Is it okay if I call you guys that? I don’t really have the hang of honorifics yet so if I’m being rude you can just tell me I’m being a jerk.” He turned to the two people cooking, “I haven’t got your names though. You guys can tell me. I promise I’m not that much of a loser.” He said, chuckling.

----------------

[Isenet]

~ Armada Shun, Dreamtime Dorm (Kitchens) ~
Noticing the two new entrants coming through the front door, Armada began to throw some more of his curry onto the plates that Erihana had prepared. He found it difficult to remember the names of everyone who was coming in, as well as listening to their monologues as they entered. One voice, however, startled him as he recognized the name that it had shouted out.

"Keikoku has entered the building!" came said voice in a rush. Armada looked up quickly, spilling a bit of curry onto his sweatshirt. He stared in amazement at the girl who had just entered, her blue-green pigtails almost floating over the aura of energy. "Ooh, quite the crowd we have here. Renka Kirsa's the name," she continued, while Armada stood staring, his mouth open in a surprised gape.

"K-keikoku?!" he finally managed to exclaim, "Aren't you the singer for that one band? What was it called? My friends back home were obsessed with your music (and I think you)...Your band was Fire something? I think it was Fire Strike Chaos?" He shook his head, evidently unable to recall the correct Japanese words for the name of the band.

"But, I wonder what they all will think when they find out I'll be living in the same dorm as you? Man, I bet I could make thousands if I made them pay to visit me while you were here!" His eyes glistened with the thought of so much potential investments, then realized that a public announcement of greed probably was not the best idea. Armada humbled himself and resumed putting curry back on the plates of rice.

"Think we have enough curry?" he heard Erihana ask. Looking back, he saw her standing by the refrigerator, preparing to get some more ingredients.

"I don't think so," he called back, "We should probably make some more. Heh, I don't think I've ever made so much food at once before." He grabbed some of the leftover ingredients he had and started making more curry, intending to wait for Erihana to get some of the traditional ingredients ready before "borrowing" some from her.

Again, Armada was distracted when he heard mention of the United States, his motherland. Looking up and spilling some ingredients again, he noticed that the guy who had apparently accidentally entered the dorms was talking again. Armada grinned, glad to meet someone else who had come from the States even if he wouldn't be able to join them in the dorms as he was saying.

"Hey there!" he said in his natural English, forgetting that just moments before he had been trying to hide the fact that he was a foreigner to Japan, "I'm from the United States as well. Nevada, in fact! That's practically right next to California, so we were, like, neighbors! My mom actually brought me here after...well never mind that. Oh, right, I'm Shun Armada, though if you prefer you could just call me Sean, since many of the folks back home pronounced it wrong." He grinned brightly, trying to make the other feel more comfortable.

"It's a pity that you won't be able to stay at the dorms; it wouldn't have been all that bad, I think. I mean, everyone here just met, but I don't think we have any strange ones yet. Hey! If we were to go talk to your grandparents, think they might decide on letting you come into the dorms?" Armada continued rambling on in English, oblivious to the fact that some of the dorm mates would have very little clue as to what he was saying.

----------------

[KittyKatStar]

~ Erihana Avalon ~ [Dreamtime Dorms - Kitchen]

When she heard Shun exclaim who Kirsa was, Avalon snapped her fingers. Of course! That’s why she looked familiar. The lead singer of Flame Bang Riot! Avalon herself wasn’t a devoted fan, but she was familiar with the music and recognized the band in posters and broadcasted interviews.

Ah, must be so cool to be a famous singer, she thought. Avalon awoke from her musing when she heard the familiar word ‘California’ and turned to Toshio and Shun who were talking.

“I’m from US myself, California actually,” Avalon added after Shun in her mother tongue, quickly filling a glass of water for Toshio who still looked nervous and placed it on the counter next to him. “But I lived here since I was eight after my mom got remarried. I hope you decide to stay in the dorms after all; it’d be fun! Oh here, in case you’re thirsty. You looked like you were ready to faint a little while ago. I’m Erihana Avalon by the way.”

“Ah, we just found out we’re all from the US,” she explained briefly in Japanese to everyone. “I guess Dreamtime sent invitations worldwide?” Well it did feel strange that so many foreigners were invited… but then again they also invited a lead singer of a famous J-pop band as well.

I wonder whom else they invited. She pondered, turning her attention to the meal preparation. Please be a famous baseball player! No, soccer player! Or volleyball player! Someone who wouldn't mind training me.

----------------

[Azer Kriemhild]

[Shiraume Makoto, Renka Kirsa & Atsuko Kazumi - Dreamtime Dorms]

"K-keikoku?!" one of her dormmates exclaimed, "Aren't you the singer for that one band? What was it called? My friends back home were obsessed with your music (and I think you)...Your band was Fire something? I think it was Fire Strike Chaos?"

Kirsa laughed. "Flame Bang Riot..."

"But, I wonder what they all will think when they find out I'll be living in the same dorm as you? Man, I bet I could make thousands if I made them pay to visit me while you were here!"

Kirsa laughed a bit more awkwardly, unsure how to respond.

"Think we have enough curry?" one of the girls asked. She seemed pretty excited herself, and Kirsa was already pretty sure the two of them would get along just fine.

"I don't think so," the boy from earlier called back, "We should probably make some more. Heh, I don't think I've ever made so much food at once before."

She turned back to the others and listened as Toshio introduced himself and explained his situation a little. The one cooking the curry came out and started talking to Toshio in English - Kirsa couldn't understand much of it, but she did pick up that his name was Armada Shun. The other girl got into the conversation as well, and Kirsa picked up her name as well.

Makoto put his hand on Kirsa's shoulder as he went to leave the conversation. "Kirichan, I'm heading back to my room to unpack the rest of my stuff. Give a knock on my door when everyone's ready to eat."

Kirsa nodded, and Makoto went into his room and shut the door. Kazumi watched the exchange with a modicum of curiosity, but quickly remembered the curry she'd left in the kitchen and how hungry she was. Despite knowing it'd be hypocritical to worry about acting strict and proper and to start eating before everyone else has their food, she'd worked up a big appetite with her morning exercise and opted to just slink into the background and eat in secret while everyone else talked: It's not as though I have anything to contribute to the discussion, she reasoned.

----------------

[Dark Cloud Setho]

- Nace Haruka -
Dreamtime Dorms (Kitchen)

The sweet scent of curry filled her nostrils the moment she set foot through the west entrance. She could hear the voice of others who had already occupied the kitchen. They were discussing a topic that was fairly interesting to hear. Haruka thought about the band that was recently mentioned and thought about, how it would be great if she could teach her a thing or two about music. That aside, her thoughts were beginning to stray elsewhere.

Her mind would become fixated on one thing and that was curry. "Excuse me?" She asked, hoping to fill her stomach by the end of the day. "Do you mind if I join you guys?" It was difficult asking them up front, she hadn't the slightest idea as to what their answer might be so, she decided to make a suggestion. "I could pay?" And then the others who came with her would also make the same offer."

----------------

[Isenet]

~ Ikeda Chiyoko (the Judge), Kasaku Station ~
"Now arriving at Kasaku Station. Kasaku Station."

The message over the speakers repeated itself a number of times. The girl looked up, surprised that they had already reached the station, though she did not show it. She took out her cell phone, checking the time. Her estimation had only been a few minutes off. Nodding, she got up, grabbing her suitcase and pulling it with her as she got off the train. She walked through the station, then down the stairs onto the sidewalk. From her pocket, she again removed the piece of paper with the invitation. Checking the address written on it quickly, she glanced briefly at the numbers of the building next to her. Spotting the right direction, she made her way forward.

Quickly, she found herself at the Dreamtime Dorms. Perceiving that the door was slightly open, she made her way up the steps. Before pushing the door open, she dusted off some dirt on her black jacket, and made sure her precise hair bun was in order. She opened the door, hearing talking, and noticed a couple of people - other dorm members, most likely - standing by the door. One was a somewhat nervous looking young man in a hooded T-shirt who was on the tail end of explaining something to others that were standing further in the building. The other was a young woman, dressed much like someone else she had read of in her diary...But her hair was straight, and a different shade of brown.

She pushed past them, mostly ignoring their presence. She saw a number of other people of both genders, some with plates of curry in their hands, talking amongst themselves. She bowed and began to speak.

"Good morning. I apologize for arriving so late. My name is Ikeda Chiyoko, and I, much as everybody else here, have come to participate in the Dreamtime experiments. If I could ask someone to escort me up to my room, it would be much appreciated."

One of the guys in the living room/kitchen, who was holding a bowl of what appeared to be curry in the making, smiled brightly and waved. His gray sweatshirt had splatters of curry on it.

"Hey, Chiyoko-san! Welcome to the Dorms. I'm Shun Armada and - " he began to say. Ikeda turned her eyes toward him and interrupted his speech.

"Ikeda-san," she said bluntly. The one who had introduced himself stared at her, confused.

"Ikeda-san," she repeated, her tone an exact copy of the one she used moments before. Greeted by the other's continued confusion, she shook her head, then asked, "You are not very intelligent, are you? How long have you been in Japan?"

Armada, somewhat put off by the first question, was about to respond angrily, but the second threw him off.

"Th-three, why?" he said before he thought more on the question. Ikeda looked at him oddly.

"Three years in Japan and you do not understand our nomenclature system?" she asked.

"Your what now?" Armada asked, confused by one of the words.

"System of naming," came the response, and she continued, "In Japan, along with China and both Koreas, the family is held in higher esteem than the individual. Therefore, it is proper to introduce oneself by last name then first. You understand honorifics, I would presume, as you had used it properly, but I am thinking that by your way of introduction, you are most likely not from Japan." Armada stared at her, mouth slightly open in shock. She waited.

"So, what you're saying is that, for three years, I've been introducing myself wrong? And that I've been learning people's names incorrectly?" Armada asked after a moment. Ikeda nodded, slightly confused that he had been unable to understand how the names worked for so long.

Suddenly, Armada laughed. It was a nervous laugh, one that comes when someone realizes that they have been an idiot for a time. He grinned at Ikeda.

"Heh, here I was thinking that school didn't start for another two days. Looks like I still have a lot to learn even before going." Mentally, he sighed. He was not sure how well he would interact with this Ikeda and Kazumi - or rather, Atsuko - since their cold demeanor contrasted with his usual acquaintances.

Without responding, Ikeda made her way toward the elevators, glancing at the rest of the dorm members.

"If someone would be so kind," she said, her voice as emotionless as always, "I would appreciate being shown my room so that I may begin unpacking." She bowed again and waited.

----------------

DONE!
_________________

Thank you for the lovely set, Seraph <3

[KittyKatStar]

OOC: Enter Hideki!

--

~ Toriyama Hideki ~ [Toriyama Residence]

Hideki swayed idly in his office chair as he glanced around his now-empty room. Most of his belongings – clothes, books, his computer, and art/school supplies – were already sent to the Dreamtime Dorms and all it was missing was Hideki. His furniture was now bare and anything he decided not to transport were all stuffed in his drawers for safety. A change of clothes was draped over his small couch for him to wear tomorrow.

He sighed, and glanced at his table that was littered with paper and pencils. On one sheet was a rough sketch of a young anime girl sitting with her knees curled up to her chest looking bored – much like him. When he wasn’t studying he was often sketching, or doodling either with pencils or on the computer with his tablet. He had a natural talent for drawing although his parents weren’t impressed and pushed him to study more. Study, take tests, study, and get good grades… he wondered if that was all he was good at, with drawing his only exception.

Hideki glanced at the sketch again before gathering everything and pushing them to a corner of the wooden table. He didn’t feel like finishing it for now and glanced outside his bedroom window. The house was a beautiful three-story mansion with a lot of property, representing their wealth and power. He personally couldn’t wait to be living away from his home, but also somehow dreaded the adjustment. Well it was only for a year…

Today he promised to spend the rest of the day with his younger sister Akimi before moving to the dorms tomorrow. He decided to take her shopping for any last-minute school purchases, and he needed a new sketchbook as well. Hideki grabbed his wallet when he heard excited footsteps running down the hallway.

“Onii-chan, I’m ready!” she exclaimed, wearing a cute dress and swinging a purse in the shape of a popular mascot character.

“Coming, coming,” he said, putting on a light jacket. “You needed a new pencil case right?”

“Yep, and stationary,” she paused before speaking again in a more soft voice. “Do you really have to leave?”

“Just for a little while,” he promised. “Besides, I’ll still in Kasaku, and I’ll still be attending Shizuka Kaigan High. If you’re lonely I can come here, too.”

“Or I can visit you!” chirped in Akimi. Hideki hesitated but slowly agreed, which made her happy, then changed the subject.

“While we’re at Atsumari Mall, anything you’d like to eat?”

_________________

Thank you for the lovely set, Seraph <3

[Eternity Memory]

--Kotone Ito-- (Dreamtime Kitchen)

"I'll show you to your room, Ikeda-senpai," said Kotone with a smile. She set her empty bowl down on the counter with little regret, her curiosity spiking with the new girl's arrival. As far as she knew, robots had not been made sophisticated enough to blend in with normal humans, but she would not have been the least bit surprised to feel cold steel instead of flesh if she patted Ikeda on the cheek.

She's so lifeless it's almost frightening. Ikeda-senpai would make a great subject for a painting. Kotone could see the picture swirling into life in her mind's eye. A rainy street at night, with Ikeda's distant face staring down at a bloody corpse, crimson dripping from her hands and onto the shiny asphalt...

It took Kotone a long moment before she realized that she was standing in front of Ikeda and staring blankly into space. She blinked and started, laughing sheepishly.

"Oh! Sorry about that. Haha, I'm Ito Kotone, class one. I hope we have a good year together." She considered offering her hand to her, but decided against it. Ikeda didn't look like the type to shake hands.
_________________

[Dark Cloud Setho]

- Nace Haruka -

Dreamtime Dorms (Kitchen)

In just a matter of minutes the curry that rested in front her was eaten entirely. Haruka's round dish was cleared empty, but small streaks of curry had still remained. "All gone." She then held the dish in her right hand and licked her lips clean. Hopefully no one would notice her lack manners in the process considering the way that she finished in a hurry.

"That was quick." Said Suzuka, watching her as she ate every last drop of curry down to the very last vegetable.

"No kidding. She even finished all her vegetables too." Tonoshi added as she sat down with a plate of her own. This was the perfect opportunity to take advantage of the situation and getting to know one another. A chance like this may not come as easily if any of them were to remain silent through out the gathering. Tomoyo would be the first, as usal, to strike a conversation with someone nearby.

"Who's responsible for making this delicious curry? Was it you?" She pointed to the girl (Erihana) and stared at her with glittery sparkles in her eyes from the sweet spicy taste. "Whoowee! To bad there isn't enough for all us. I got stuck sharing a plate with Suzuka. "Her expression became moot in the process of just thinking about it. Afterwards, she then directed the girl to the person she was referring to." Suzuka is the one sitting over there with pig tails and the pink bracelet. By the way my name is Tomoyo."

Seeing them talk between one another as they were, she decided to follow Tomoyo's example after overhearing Kotone speak with Ikeda. "I'll show you to your room, Ikeda-senpai,"said Kotone with a smile. Haruka then assisted her with a follow up. "Mind if I come along? I was checking the place out myself. I'm sure Tonoshi and the others won't mind if I slipped away for a while."
_________________




"Colors are like emptiness. Emptiness is colors. Materia and emptiness are the same. All earthly things are illusions."

[Isenet]

~ Ikeda Chiyoko (the Judge, still), Dreamtime Dorms ~

"I'll show you to your room, Ikeda-senpai," came a girl's voice from the counter. There was a slight clatter as she put her bowl and spoon down, and the girl got up. It was the one Ikeda had seen, the girl with brown hair and dressed much in a away someone else she had read of dressed. Ikeda gave a slight bow in mandatory appreciation, though she did not care much in who helped her. Indeed, another young woman was putting her utensil and bowl down and walking toward her.

"Mind if I come along? I was checking the place out myself," this one asked, "I'm sure Tonoshi and the others won't mind if I slipped away for a while." Ikeda did not bother to respond.

She noticed that the first girl had been staring at her, her eyes unfocused for quite a while now. Ikeda wondered what was passing through the mind of this girl, but her face did not show any change in emotion; instead, her eyes stared back at the other one's. After a brief moment, the girl blinked, seeming to realize that she had been staring, then laughed a little nervously. Ikeda's eyes did not shift.

"Oh! Sorry about that. Haha, I'm Ito Kotone, class one. I hope we have a good year together." She began to make the slightest motion of offering a hand, but stopped. Ikeda's eyes flickered momentarily to the other girl who had offered to help, seeing if she would say anything, then she looked back at Ito and nodded.

"Very well, Ito," she said, her voice monotone as usual, "As I said, I am Ikeda Chiyoko, class two." Taking out her red diary, she began to write in it. This process took a couple of minutes, after which she turned and pressed a button on the elevator panel. When the doors had opened, she walked through, then waited for the other two to come in.

~ Armada Shun, Dreamtime Dorms (Kitchen) ~
Armada watched as the three girls walked to the elevator, confused once the stare down between Ikeda and Ito occurred, wondering what had been happening during that time.

One of the girls that had come in as a pack gestured toward Erihana and asked, "Who's responsible for making this delicious curry? Was it you? Whoowee! To bad there isn't enough for all us. I got stuck sharing a plate with Suzuka." Armada waved a hand at her.

"Hey, I made half of that too! It wasn't all Ava- I mean, Erihana-san's work!" The girl continued to speak.

"Suzuka is the one sitting over there with pig tails and the pink bracelet. By the way my name is Tomoyo." Armada nodded at this, somewhat confused with all of the people. These two did not have any suitcases or bags with them, so he thought that maybe they were not going to be in the Dorms with him and the other that had come to be experimented upon.

Speaking of bags and suitcases, Armada gave a sigh as he realized again that all of his stuff were still sitting by the couches in the living room and that he would have to bring it all up to his room. Unless it was on the first floor, which would be nice.

"Well, I guess we could always try making some more curry, right Erihana-san?" he asked, turning to his fellow cook.
_________________

[KittyKatStar]

~ Erihana Avalon ~ [Dreamtime Dorms: Kitchen]

That Ikeda Chiyoko girl is kinda scary, Avalon thought nervously to herself. Why do I have this feeling she and Atsuko would get along just fine…

She grinned when she heard one of the girls compliment her cooking, although she was still focused on the wok so she didn’t overhear the rest of the conversation.

"Well, I guess we could always try making some more curry, right Erihana-san?" Armada asked, looking at her.

“I got the next serving almost ready, Armada-san,” she said, stirring the curry powder in the wok along with the ingredients. “I admit I never cooked this much before. I think we should call our little cooking competition off for now since we had more people than we expected. But I’ll win next time, that’s for sure,” she finished off with a grin. Just hearing people compliment her cooking was good enough for now, and she beamed proudly.

Satisfied with the tender beef strips, she grabbed some more plates and started piling rice on them before adding her portion of curry. Most of the carrot and onions were used up, and she made a mental note to add it to the shopping list on the fridge later.

I hope this is the last serving; the rice cooker is almost empty now.

“Anyone else still hungry?” Avalon asked, while putting 2 plates on the counter then sheepishly added, “I wouldn’t mind getting a show of hands since I haven’t really kept track of how many people got their own plate... Anyway I hope I made enough so there’ll be leftovers as well.”

I’m sooo hungry now. I hope everyone has enough so I can start filling up my own plate, she sighed. Not only that, there was clean-up and she had boxes to unpack. After the meal, she could retire early and socialize later – she guessed many of the people were exhausted and wanted to organize their new rooms as well.

So much for exploring the town today, I’ll do it tomorrow.

_________________

Thank you for the lovely set, Seraph <3

[Zacewing]

~Haruki Takehito~ [Dreamtime Dorms]
Sunday, April 3rd

Haruki looked at the address on his invitation before looking up at the address on the white granite building. "This must be the place" he thought to himself. Walking up the stairs to the door, he could hear slight traces of voices coming from the inside. He knocked on the door, but no one answered. Checking to see if the door was unlocked, he turned the doorknob. "I guess it's open." he said to himself. Pushing the door open, he came into a large front foyer. "Hello, is anybody here?" he said, with his voice raised slightly. "Ahh, hello there!" he heard a woman's voice say. A young woman walked down the stairs, carrying a clipboard. "And you are?" she asked.

"Haruki. Haruki Takehito." he said quietly. "Ahh, Mr. Takehito! My name is Atena Karin, and I'll be the dorm's caretaker. Your room is right this way..." she said, leading him up the stairs. He followed her, carrying his suitcase up the stairs with him. As they reached the second floor, she made a left and stopped at the first door. "This is your room, Room 2E." she said. "Make yourself at home!" smiling, she walked back downstairs.

After putting his suitcase in his room, he noticed a sheet of paper on his endtable. "I guess this is my timetable for school." he said to himself. "I'll look at it later" placing the timetable back on the endtable, he hurried downstairs to meet his new dormmates.

As he came downstairs, he could hear voices coming from the kitchen. He walked towards the kitchen and slipped in through the doorway. "Hi, everyone." he said, waving. "I'm, uh, Haruki. Haruki Takehito."

"Why are you so shy all of a sudden? This isn't like you..." he thought to himself, before sitting down at the table. He took in a big whiff of what the girl at the stove was cooking. "Mmm, Curry!" he said, excitedly.
_________________

[Toku]

~Kimura Toshio: Dreamtime Dorms~

“Aha, I don’t think talking to my grandparents is going to work…” Toshio said with a nervous laugh to Shun’s question, “Thanks for the thought though. Glad to know that I’m not the only one here from the US.” As soon as he was finished, he eyed a plate of curry that Avalon had placed right in front of him. Toshio really didn’t want any curry. He always felt a little queasy after eating anything and the sickening feeling was beginning to creep up his stomach and into his neck. Hopefully it wouldn’t come out of his mouth if Toshio could help it.

“Er, I’m going to have to pass on the curry…” Toshio said politely, backing away, “I can’t spoil dinner. My grandma would freak out, you know?” He walked a few steps and saw Ikeda, Haruka and Kotone going up the elevator to put Ikeda’s stuff away. He mentally sighed.

“Everyone’s getting along so well already…” he thought dismally. He felt the corners of his mouth sag downward in a frown before he quickly shook that feeling away. It was fine. He would be able to meet them all at school. That would be enough.

Suddenly just as he opened the door to leave, someone came down the stairs. He looked pretty boring in Toshio’s opinion. Blue denim over blue denim. “Hi everyone.” He started to introduce himself, “I’m Haruki. Haruki Takehito.”

Toshio eyed him thoughtfully. If he could’ve guessed, Haruki looked around his age though he was pretty tall. He shrugged it off. “Bye everyone, it was nice meeting you all!” he yelled. He tried to make it sound sincere although it really wasn’t.
_________________

[Azer Kriemhild]

[Shiraume Makoto, Renka Kirsa & Atsuko Kazumi - Dreamtime Dorms]

Makoto opened his door and stepped out, a large clump of shirts draped over one arm, and bowed his head to Toshio on his way out. "Nice meeting you too!"

Kazumi poked her head out of the kitchen to see the kid off and get a look at the ones who just entered. Returning to the kitchen, she diligently washed and dried her plate before returning it to the cabinet, grabbed one last pocky and the freeweight she'd brought down with her and walked out to the dining room.

"Shiraume-san, you handle the meet and greet stuff. I'm going back up to my room to finish my exercises and get a head start on sleep."

Makoto nodded before heading back into his room to finish hanging up his clothes.

After waving Toshio off, Kirsa shook her head at Makoto and Kazumi. "Kalte Duschen... both of them. They should be down here with everyone else, getting to know one another, right?"
_________________

[Dark Cloud Setho]

- Nace Haruka -

Dreamtime Dorms (Kitchen)

Haruka didn't know what to say about this Ikeda person. Her first impression was that she wasn't the type to socialize with people of minor importance. In other words, her and the other girl, who offered to shake hands as a friendly welcoming were there for a single purpose and nothing more.

"You know if it makes you feel uncomfortable you should really say so." Haruka's eyes would then slowly drift away from Ikeda's looking elsewhere until she was able to say what was on her mind. "Look if me being here is troublesome for you, I can always leave. Just don't give me the silent treatment, ok? It sort of makes me nervous."

She had confessed her secret to Ikeda, just as soon as she had begun to open up and speak.

"Very well, Ito," she said, her voice monotone as usual, "As I said, I am Ikeda Chiyoko, class two."

Nice to meet you, Ikeda Chiyoko. "She nodded with a smile." Incase you didn't know already, I'm Nace Haruka, assigned to class two." After their somewhat awkward introduction, she decided to say nothing else and followed them into the elevator.



Meanwhile the others back at the kitchen were just finishing their meals, mainly Suzuka and Tonoshi. Both were satisfied with the curry they ate, no complaints were added to the following compliments that came afterwards.

"Say, thanks for the curry." The first compliment came from Tonoshi, recognizable from her long brown hair and sporty track uniform. Secondly, Suzuka came up and about saying, "who ever made this dish belongs in the kitchen." However, it sounded more like an insult then a compliment so she improvised. "Uh, um, sorry about that!" What I meant to say was that whoever made this curry would make a great chef. Yeah, that's it!" Of course, all of this, was directed towards the person who was waving to her a few seconds ago. She couldn't possibly hope now that he'd take her words as a compliment and just. For that reason alone, she pretended to smile innocently with her hands tied behind her back.

"Man, Suzuka's an idiot. Hey, this curry was made by you too right?" Tomoyo quickly attempted to change the subject before Armada could say anything about Suzuka's comment. " So, how did you get stuck on cooking duty anyways? I can't imagine what'll happen to this place if it gets anymore vistors."
_________________




"Colors are like emptiness. Emptiness is colors. Materia and emptiness are the same. All earthly things are illusions."

[TehJazza]

~Leon Chan, Dreamtime Dorms~

Leon looked up from his book, and held a hand to his eyes as a sharp gust of wind blew in his face. He took a long sigh as he watched the road go past. They still weren't there yet, but it hadn't been that long of a trip anyway. Smiling, he looked to his right at his mother who was driving him to the Dreamtime dorms. Normally, he'd drive himself, but he had to pay attention to the text that lay in his lap, having discarded it from his hands earlier on. The title of the book was "Learning the Japanese Language", and as a foreigner, he had experience in learning and speaking Japanese before, but was quite unsure of his abilities in the native country.

Having been distracted, he made a comment to his mother a in his native tongue, Chinese. "Ahhh... my Japanese is a little rusty. I'm probably going to end up with a really thick accent or making lots of small mistakes or something."

Qing-Yi Chan looked at her son with an exasperated face. She was almost 40, but still had a beautiful and young looking face, still adored by the Chinese media, and seeing her usually calm or cheery face in many of her photoshoots twist into something so comical would've raised many eyebrows.

"I'm sure you'll do fine, you've been practicing every day since we moved here, haven't you? And it's not like this is the first time you've spoken Japanese. Both your father and I can speak it well enough, and we've taught you quite a bit. Not to mention we visited Japan some time ago, remember?"

"Still, those were simple conversational dialogues. In Shizuka Kaigan, we're talking high school texts and everyday uses. If I knew I was going to be coming here, I would've studied more Japanese, instead of English."

His mother rolled her eyes again. She had practiced some Japanese with him the night before, and he seemed to be fluent in Japanese, not having much of an accent. She did herself, of course, but then again, her son was always better at adapting to different things than her. He must've gotten that from his father's side. He had surprised them both when he announced he had taken up professional singing, and was doing fairly well, considering the circumstances.

"And he had only just started taking singing lessons as well." she muttered.

"Hm?"

"Nothing, but you'd better get ready. I can see the dorms just up ahead."

Leon laughed, but looked one final time at a paragraph in his book, closed it, and stuffed it inside his backpack, which inside had his music player, a phone, toiletries, a packed lunch and one set of clothes. His mother parked, and he opened the car door and went to the trunk, where he pulled out a large travelling bag, with some more clothes and other necessities in it.

Qing-Yi looked up at him and sighed.

"Well, you're here. In Japan, enrolled in one of the best schools, and luckily for us, to cover those school fees, you get to live here for free, so I don't want to see any complaining, alright?"

"Alright then, that's fine with me. Although I'm pretty sure you could easily afford ten times the fees each year, and still have plenty of cash to throw around."

"And none of that, either. Well then, call me if something comes up. I hope you're still young enough to give your mother a good-bye hug?"

Leon smiled, leaned down and wrapped one arm around his mother's shoulders for a brief moment, and then let go, and watched her climb back into the car.

"Now I'd better hurry and get to the agency. Bye, Leon, have fun!" she shouted, quite loudly as she raised an arm out of the car window and drove off. Leon smiled at his mother's punctuality, particularly when it came to work.

He was unfamiliar with the area, so he first spent some time asking a few people a quick question, in Japanese, of course, about where his lodgings would be. Not surprisingly, they all pointed him in the same direction, at the building which he had already suspected to be where he'd spend the next while living in. He took his time getting there; checking his bags to make sure everything was there, looking at his clothing; a black jacket over a loose white shirt and long black jeans, to see if it was appropriate, before finally arriving at the doorway, which had the door only slightly open. From inside, he could hear someone speaking, very awkwardly, at that.

Smiling mischieviously to himself at finding a perfect time to intrude, he braced himself, then, as he was about to push at the half closed door open and walk in casually, the door opened from inside, and a young man, probably a foreigner, American, by the looks of it, came to view, and Leon bumped into him.

"Oh, ah, sorry for that. I guess I wasn't watching where I was going." Leon spoke in English and smiled apologetically. He moved to the side to allow any space the man wanted. However, his phone rang and he ducked outside again to answer it, and by the time he had finished talking, he heard someone else speak, also quite uncomfortably.

"Man, Suzuka's an idiot. Hey, this curry was made by you too right? So, how did you get stuck on cooking duty anyways? I can't imagine what'll happen to this place if it gets anymore vistors."

Leon laughed at having found everyone at such an awkward moment and he walked into the room, ducking his head as he went in. As he was fully inside, he straightened himself up, and looked down at the many people inside.

"Huh. I guess I am a bit taller than everyone else here." he spoke in Japanese, extremely fluently, without a trace of an accent. However, he still tilted his head, murmured to himself and took his Japanese book out of his backpack and opened it to the back page, looking at it for not more than 5 seconds, before putting it back into his pack.

He looked up again at everyone, smiled and raised one hand in salutation.

"Yo. Chan Zi Yang, (pronouced Tzun Zi Yang) or Leon Chan (this time it's pronouced Chan), if you want my english name. I'm going to be in... third grade, I think. At your service."
_________________

[Zacewing]

Haruki's eyes turned to face the doorway as another young man walked into the doorway. "Wow, that guy's way taller than me..." he thought to himself in disbelief.

Standing up, Haruki walked towards Leon and greeted him with a handshake. "The name's Haruki, pleasure to meet you." he said, noticing that Leon was at least a foot taller than himself. "Need some help bringing your bags up to your room?"
_________________

[KittyKatStar]

~ Erihana Avalon ~ [Dreamtime Dorms: Kitchen]

"So, how did you get stuck on cooking duty anyways? I can't imagine what'll happen to this place if it gets anymore visitors."

No, don’t jinx it! Avalon said to herself, but focused on answering the question. “To be honest I didn’t think this many people would show up. I was originally making it for me and whoever happened to walk in… then Armada-san offered to help and it kinda went from there. I - ”

"Yo. Chan Zi Yang, or Leon Chan if you want my English name. I'm going to be in... third grade, I think. At your service."

Avalon sighed and gazed at Armada unamused.

“Armaaaada-san,” she groaned in a half-whining tone in English low enough only he could hear. “I don’t know if we can keep up… I’m running out of curry ingredients – but it’d be rude if only some people got to eat… I could probably switch to making omelettes since they’re faster to make…”

However, defeated, she poured more rice into the rice cooker then decided to leave the kitchen and greet Leon Chan.

Whoaholymotherofpearlhestall! Was her first reaction. He should be on the basketball team!

Another young man walked up to Chan and shook his hand, introducing himself again.

"The name's Haruki, pleasure to meet you. Need some help bringing your bags up to your room?"

“Erihana Avalon,” Avalon added in, and settled with a small wave before re-entering the kitchen. She then noticed Atena Karin among the crowd.

“I thought you left earlier?” she inquired, and Atena laughed nervously.

“Ah I did but I left my house keys here…then I helped a gentleman and… one thing led to another. But while I’m here I could probably help explain the Dreamtime sleep equipment if we all gathered around. But people are still arriving… so I’ll do it in the evening instead when everyone is settled down. Take care then!”

She’s probably new to this sort of thing, Avalon noted, before grabbing a few more plates. Once the rice was steamed, she could resume serving the last of her curry.

_________________

Thank you for the lovely set, Seraph <3