[ the automaton's jaw lifts. it does a rapid-change to a happier mask, giving all three of you a brief glimpse at the machinery spinning inside. then the happy jaw falls.
Is your posture sloppy? Do you find yourself drooping--
[ it flings itself to one side, then the other. ]
--or slouching?
[ whipping backward into a near backbend ]
It can be corr.............rrrrrrected!
[ at a snail's pace, it cranks itself into an upright position. you don't have to wait for it to finish. ]
[She was a thing with wings and levitation and also the Otherworld has no water so I really don't think literally anything in it knows how to swim, she included.
But looks like, with Nero not taking the swimming test, Sora is doomed to learning in a hurry, let's goooooo]
[ woo! scien, you brave, brave boy! the Check Your Posture section is one of the more barren set pieces. however, upon his approach, the automaton awakens. its jaw drops, as you might expect, before instructions are offered. ]
Stand straight. [ roll dex. ]
[ sora, as you approach the Swim Test the floor panels shift and then part to reveal several lanes of indoor pool (oo la la). the water, calm at first, rapidly churns in one direction. choppy as hell and it's impossible to tell how deep. the clockwork monstrosity guarding. this one waves. jaw drops. ]
For this swim chaall-enge, please complete four laps. [ roll str.... you may also refuse, baby, it's ok ]
[ nero, you surely have the most straight forward of the tasks available. this manne-friend(!) stands at the bottom of a rope that runs from the floor to the a hook in the ceiling. yeah. it's a rope climb all right. thingie's jaw drops and it says: ]
Student.................
Turn. Er. Please ring the bell. [ you can see a li'l silver bell at the top if you squint. roll str. ]
Whoa! You started the Skills Challenge? [ says someone from the vicinity of whence you came. but this is like, right after you finish your rolls for the skills challenge, then you may look over. ]
Why do you humans need to get in water like this. There's no point.
[And she jumps in, uniform and all.
What happens next is literally indescribable. I can't describe nor explain how she's managing to float in the water and propel herself. Sora just recalls how, generally speaking, humans swim, so she flails her limbs a manner emulating that and by sheer coincidence the way she does it turns out to be productive and fruitful. There she goes, swimming in the water, unable to focus on anything except """""swimming""""]
[ before scien can turn his head, the automaton rushes him and grapples the shrimp-backed young man, arms underneath his. he is forced to stand straight, his spine realigned. ]
A straight back is a friendly back!
[ there's not much that can be said other than sora is a natural talent. she belongs in the water. what's her species again? doesn't matter. may as well be fish. more over, sidon, new king of the ocean, etc. etc. what matters is she will finish the four laps successfully. hooray! once she has, the water goes still again. easy for her to exit. sora now has the status condition wet. ]
ConGRATULA-tions! You have passed the challenge! Yay! Yay! Yay!
[ as nero fails to fly and succeeds in smacking the hard flooring, he may reflect on why he made sora, who didn't know how to swim, swim. take -5 falling damage. ]
[what the ever loving fuck. he's never been this manhandled all his life. it probably cracks uncomfortably when he's forced to stand straight, but mostly he's hilariously befuddled at this. how far this god has fallen]
[Sora comes out of the pool, breathing heavily because she craves air. She's not meant to be amphibian, clearly enough, so after that she goes, sopping wet, to watch her comrades in misfortune tackle their own challenges.
You know what, since she's not busy right now suffering, she looks around. There had to be kind of a voice before, no? Any hint of who was it?]
[ Nero lays on the floor for a second longer and considers the fact he drowned last weekend.
With some effort (and with some ouchies) he begins to climb up the rope (15)! Maybe he got a better hold of it this time. Perhaps spite fuels him. (It's probably the spite.) ]
[ as quickly as he was accosted, scien is left bereft as the mannequin retakes its original position. ]
Let's try again!
[ sora, master of the ocean, has time to look around and see what stranger called out before. and it's an edgy tiefling teen, grey-skinned with short and choppy periwinkle hair. his spaded tail swishes behind him. the uniform he wears matches nero's and scien's. he wears slippers, no branded socks (rebellion?). after meeting her gaze, he waves, sheepish.
spite fuels nero like it does all queers. he makes it to the top of the rope where that itsy bitsy bell awaits. takes but a finger to make it ding, and then he may safely return to ground, sweet, ground. he is appropriately congratulated. ]
ConGRATULA-tions! You have passed the challenge! Yay! Yay! Yay!
[to SAVE US from ANOTHER 9, scien is just going to irritably NOT agree to this test (i'm so sorry sora and nero) because he's irritated at this mannequin for messing with his spine. he's moving to cross the distance between them with the purpose of an all too arrogant teenager]
Try this, you faulty piece of machinery.
[PLAY NICE (he won't)
he's truly going to try to dismantle it to force a pass (and if failure comes he will be forced to roll for dex again and maybe won't get another 9)]
[You should have swam, Scien, the dice say it's real easy to do even when you're a total beginner.
Seeing that tiefling, Sora decides to engage in conversation]
We did start them. So far it hasn't been worth it.
[This person doesn't seem familiar...perhaps to Nodd he would ring a bell? But oh well, Sora decides to watch out in case it seems there's danger of snitching. Don't be a narc, edgy tiefling, we're on the run]
Nero, whose social skills aren't great either, will leave Sora to the tiefling and go towards the banner that turned them away. Does it say the same sorts of things as the first time they approached? ]
[ to review, sciene rolled a 13 (incl. bonuses) on the backend for reprogramming a clockwork mannequin teacher from a different universe. so, the end goal isn't exactly met, however, you do break it.
the other mannequins turn to look at their fallen comrade. there is a moment of mass consideration. then, the swim check bot offers: ]
It appears we have had a malfunction. Posture checks impossible. Student...... BROfiise..... report to the dean's office after today's classes. You may proceed to seeing if you're ready!
[ the tiefling holds up his hands in a gesture of mild surrender--see, empty palms. ]
You're Elonine's roommies, right? From before the...
[ he glances at one of the mannequins. ]
... terrible tragedy? I'm just here to help you out.
[ checking the banner, nero sees that Rope Climb and Swim Check are faded and struck-out. the Posture option is red. ]
scien will raise a brow, defiant. he crosses his arms like a truly stubborn teenager with the arrogance of a former deity. so not unlike most shitty teenage boys.]
If I'm ready... On to the next, then.
[as if he didn't fuck up the robot!! but he'll go to leave then, and head to reunite with the others. he is unrepentant even though he absolutely just broke a bot]
Yes, we are. Being in that room has become very awkward.
[The terrible tragedy, huh. Looks like Nodd, or...Elonine, as he used to be known as, was esteemed around here. Nice, Nodd]
Sure. We're going to need all the help we can get. How will you do it?
[Inwardly she's not trusting because, well, chances are some students will be told to aid in capturing these three runaways. Anything that sounds like they're going to be led away or they're being stalled will get her suspicions up right away, really]
[ the mannequins are honed in on scien, wary of this troublesome student. ]
Yeah, I'm sure it has. Look, it's better if we talk without an audience--just pass Are You Ready? and we can chat in the stairwell.
[ Are You Ready? is positioned in front of a wide door with no visible method of opening. does it slide? does it disappear? hard to say without finishing your assigned skills challenge.
to nero's question: ]
Yeah, you'll be fine since there's still three of you. Brofiise has to go to the dean now, but that might not be an issue if we get you all what you really want.
[he is sooooo troublesome. is he being herded to wherever the dean's office is? is he heading toward the are you ready sign? regardless, he'll go with wherever the mannequins usher him off to just because he's curious about this fucked up lil place... but he doesn't look sorry about being a little shit]
[It's a plan as good as any. After reuniting with Scien in front of the door, she comments to him everything their new tiefling acquaintance said, since the talk began while Scien was having posture troubles, and whispers under her breath to Scien and Nero:]
Call me paranoid but I think we'd do well in having another plan in case this one turns sour.
[Hostile territory and not a single reason to believe anyone they see in this school to have their best interests at heart.
But oh well, that's a bridge to cross when we get there. First we have the Are You Ready section to overcome. She tests it a little by pushing with a hand, to see if despite Scien destroying mannequins they still can get through it]
![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
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[You know what, let her just go to the mannequins and repeat that question, disgruntled]
Answer fast so we get this over with.
[They have pursuers on their metaphorical tails, mannequins! Please answer so we can decide better, yup]
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I'll do anything except the swimming test.
[ A little too fresh in his memory. ]
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Is your posture sloppy? Do you find yourself drooping--
[ it flings itself to one side, then the other. ]
--or slouching?
[ whipping backward into a near backbend ]
It can be corr.............rrrrrrected!
[ at a snail's pace, it cranks itself into an upright position. you don't have to wait for it to finish. ]
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[he's never tried to leave the island so he's not a big swimmer, sora you got this,
but he's heading off to his station oop]
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[She was a thing with wings and levitation and also the Otherworld has no water so I really don't think literally anything in it knows how to swim, she included.
But looks like, with Nero not taking the swimming test, Sora is doomed to learning in a hurry, let's goooooo]
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Try not to drown. It's not a good way to go. ]
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Stand straight. [ roll dex. ]
[ sora, as you approach the Swim Test the floor panels shift and then part to reveal several lanes of indoor pool (oo la la). the water, calm at first, rapidly churns in one direction. choppy as hell and it's impossible to tell how deep. the clockwork monstrosity guarding. this one waves. jaw drops. ]
For this swim chaall-enge, please complete four laps. [ roll str.... you may also refuse, baby, it's ok ]
[ nero, you surely have the most straight forward of the tasks available. this manne-friend(!) stands at the bottom of a rope that runs from the floor to the a hook in the ceiling. yeah. it's a rope climb all right. thingie's jaw drops and it says: ]
Student.................
Turn. Er. Please ring the bell. [ you can see a li'l silver bell at the top if you squint. roll str. ]
Whoa! You started the Skills Challenge? [ says someone from the vicinity of whence you came. but this is like, right after you finish your rolls for the skills challenge, then you may look over. ]
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[ 9!!!!! i realized belatedly how funny it is for scien to have the posture challenge when he's horizontal so often i hope he gets his ass kicked
but also who is talking, he's looking]
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Sora sees the churning water and just...sighs]
Why do you humans need to get in water like this. There's no point.
[And she jumps in, uniform and all.
What happens next is literally indescribable. I can't describe nor explain how she's managing to float in the water and propel herself. Sora just recalls how, generally speaking, humans swim, so she flails her limbs a manner emulating that and by sheer coincidence the way she does it turns out to be productive and fruitful. There she goes, swimming in the water, unable to focus on anything except """""swimming""""]
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Nero did not get any kind of solid hold on the rope before he fell from it, dropping straight onto his back.
Wizards don't raise their strength score.
Idiot. ]
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A straight back is a friendly back!
[ there's not much that can be said other than sora is a natural talent. she belongs in the water. what's her species again? doesn't matter. may as well be fish. more over, sidon, new king of the ocean, etc. etc. what matters is she will finish the four laps successfully. hooray! once she has, the water goes still again. easy for her to exit. sora now has the status condition wet. ]
ConGRATULA-tions! You have passed the challenge! Yay! Yay! Yay!
[ as nero fails to fly and succeeds in smacking the hard flooring, he may reflect on why he made sora, who didn't know how to swim, swim. take -5 falling damage. ]
You should try again! I believe in you!
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You know what, since she's not busy right now suffering, she looks around. There had to be kind of a voice before, no? Any hint of who was it?]
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With some effort (and with some ouchies) he begins to climb up the rope (15)! Maybe he got a better hold of it this time. Perhaps spite fuels him. (It's probably the spite.) ]
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Let's try again!
[ sora, master of the ocean, has time to look around and see what stranger called out before. and it's an edgy tiefling teen, grey-skinned with short and choppy periwinkle hair. his spaded tail swishes behind him. the uniform he wears matches nero's and scien's. he wears slippers, no branded socks (rebellion?). after meeting her gaze, he waves, sheepish.
spite fuels nero like it does all queers. he makes it to the top of the rope where that itsy bitsy bell awaits. takes but a finger to make it ding, and then he may safely return to ground, sweet, ground. he is appropriately congratulated. ]
ConGRATULA-tions! You have passed the challenge! Yay! Yay! Yay!
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Try this, you faulty piece of machinery.
[PLAY NICE (he won't)
he's truly going to try to dismantle it to force a pass (and if failure comes he will be forced to roll for dex again and maybe won't get another 9)]
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Seeing that tiefling, Sora decides to engage in conversation]
We did start them. So far it hasn't been worth it.
[This person doesn't seem familiar...perhaps to Nodd he would ring a bell? But oh well, Sora decides to watch out in case it seems there's danger of snitching. Don't be a narc, edgy tiefling, we're on the run]
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Nero, whose social skills aren't great either, will leave Sora to the tiefling and go towards the banner that turned them away. Does it say the same sorts of things as the first time they approached? ]
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the other mannequins turn to look at their fallen comrade. there is a moment of mass consideration. then, the swim check bot offers: ]
It appears we have had a malfunction. Posture checks impossible. Student...... BROfiise..... report to the dean's office after today's classes. You may proceed to seeing if you're ready!
[ the tiefling holds up his hands in a gesture of mild surrender--see, empty palms. ]
You're Elonine's roommies, right? From before the...
[ he glances at one of the mannequins. ]
... terrible tragedy? I'm just here to help you out.
[ checking the banner, nero sees that Rope Climb and Swim Check are faded and struck-out. the Posture option is red. ]
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scien will raise a brow, defiant. he crosses his arms like a truly stubborn teenager with the arrogance of a former deity. so not unlike most shitty teenage boys.]
If I'm ready... On to the next, then.
[as if he didn't fuck up the robot!! but he'll go to leave then, and head to reunite with the others. he is unrepentant even though he absolutely just broke a bot]
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[The terrible tragedy, huh. Looks like Nodd, or...Elonine, as he used to be known as, was esteemed around here. Nice, Nodd]
Sure. We're going to need all the help we can get. How will you do it?
[Inwardly she's not trusting because, well, chances are some students will be told to aid in capturing these three runaways. Anything that sounds like they're going to be led away or they're being stalled will get her suspicions up right away, really]
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Is it gonna let us through like this?
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Yeah, I'm sure it has. Look, it's better if we talk without an audience--just pass Are You Ready? and we can chat in the stairwell.
[ Are You Ready? is positioned in front of a wide door with no visible method of opening. does it slide? does it disappear? hard to say without finishing your assigned skills challenge.
to nero's question: ]
Yeah, you'll be fine since there's still three of you. Brofiise has to go to the dean now, but that might not be an issue if we get you all what you really want.
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Sure. Wait us there, I guess.
[It's a plan as good as any. After reuniting with Scien in front of the door, she comments to him everything their new tiefling acquaintance said, since the talk began while Scien was having posture troubles, and whispers under her breath to Scien and Nero:]
Call me paranoid but I think we'd do well in having another plan in case this one turns sour.
[Hostile territory and not a single reason to believe anyone they see in this school to have their best interests at heart.
But oh well, that's a bridge to cross when we get there. First we have the Are You Ready section to overcome. She tests it a little by pushing with a hand, to see if despite Scien destroying mannequins they still can get through it]
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