Morimori Mingle!

[not_that_sasuke]

Who: Everyone with an itch to explore.
What: DID SOMEBODY SAY EXPLORATION? Feel free to create your own starters as well!
Where: Morimori Academy, Heart ver.
Warnings: None; will edit as needed.

[The location is only too obvious when he awakens. How recently had he seen that bunk above him? And how often? Six months wasn't a long stretch of time comparatively, but when you've spent a good two years in complete darkness, waking up to such a sight definitely stands out. And even beyond that, there's something about the coloration here...

It doesn't take him long to notice a few key things. 1: that his body lacks any coloration, and 2: that the face peering out from inside the mirror - in full color no less - isn't his.

...So. It's his turn now. A sense of fear begins to constrict his heart, but he pushes aside the feeling as best as he can and makes for the door. The sooner it's over, the better...]

[A - the dormitory hallways]

[When he steps into the boy's dormitory hall to begin investigating, he freezes at the sight of the mirror down the hallway. Even though it's quite some distance away, he can see flesh tones in there, and somebody waving cheekily at the viewer.

His first instinct is to back into his room and try to see if he can't get past the mirror and out the window, but if someone spots him quickly enough, they may just be able to catch him instead.]

[B - the forest]

[Either way, he can later be found walking into the dense forests around the school, all the way to the barrier surrounding it. While he seems initially surprised upon hitting the barrier to the west of the classrooms, his expression quickly changes to one of contemplation. His hand curls up under his chin as he considers what all of this means.

It's definitely a smaller campus than he remembers. That, and... odd, too. Since it's his Heart, he would have thought it would be around... But if it cut off here, there's no way that could be in this World after all. How strange...]

Comments

[soloactor]

[If anyone notices that peculiar smile, it sure isn't Lalli; reading subtle shifts in expression is kind of an advanced maneuver. ...And one that he has no interest in. He does tilt his head a moment after Harley does, for no particular reason except "I am going to mirror the thing because I think that's what I ought to be doing, possibly".]

[But he's definitely not giving her his name unless she asks.]

[The two of them appear to agree; he's never heard the story about the kittens, nor does he know what a watch is, so he'll just take their word for it. So Lalli just kinda shrugs and looks back to the note.]

So... snake in White, cat in Blue, fox in Red. Let's go. [He basically knows the map of this school by heart now, anyway. Ha, get it? Heart?]

[800isenough]

My apologies for the correction, but I am not dark. [The reference is lost to him, alas. But he doesn't miss the little tidbit about her smile there, and that does make him wonder...and perhaps grow a tad suspicious of Harley. But in the previous world she had established herself clearly on their side so...well, best not to make foul assumptions of people.

Anyway, back to the puzzle! It seems that all three of them think alike in this matter. Liao hasn't heard of the story either, but if there are any creatures that would look up books about themselves, well, that would be cats. And Snakes couldn't even play basketball, lacking the limbs to do so. Which leaves the Fox with the Prayer Beads.

He nods at the both of them.] Alright.

[Also, that is a good pun.]

[soloactor]

[Doop doop doop. Without further ado, Lalli turns and starts heading towards the White Class. There appears to be a snake in there! ...But Lalli's not going to be the one talking to it, judging by the way he looks expectantly at Harley.]

[800isenough]

[Hmm. Not that Liao distrusts Harley, but after the potions puzzle...maybe it might be for the best if he gave the items. Just in case they turn out to be wrong. But he has to do this without offending Harley or making it look like he's treating her like a porcelain doll.]

Lady Harley Quinn, please allow me to pass the watch to the snake. As I am somewhat kin to it in this world, it may be willing to offer some clue to the World Key if I win some good will from it.

[hesmypuddin]

[Harley's gaze shifts from Lalli to Liao, though she does note that she has yet to get Lalli's name. She glances at Liso and smirks slightly at his correction.]

Ya ain't from the latest century, are ya bubs? [It seems that several of their chosen crew were from much different times then her own... Liao clearly was one, but she hadn't made up her mind about Lalli, yet. As he leads the way to the classroom, she glances at him.]

So, what's yer name, kitty cat? [Of all the animals gathered thus, the cat was her favorite; followed closely by hyenas. Her attention is pulled once more by Liao when they reach the first class and she arched a brow. She seems to be considering, but finally shrugs with an air of indifference.]

Yeah, sure... makes sense that they might be a little more amiable ta ya. [She slips the watch off and holds it out to Liao.]

Pinging the mods!

[800isenough]

Ah...my name is not "Bubs". It is Zhang Liao. [Another quick bow. She's really...something else. But at least he can trust her to be somewhat on the ball with things.

With her permission to attend to the snake, he takes the watch and walks over to the student.]

Please pardon my intrusion, but is this your watch?

[worldkeys]

[ The snake is the only snake in the room, at least not in a humanoid form. He will look up when addressed, and seem rather excited for a phantom. ]

Oh! You found it for me? Thank you. It's a very special watch. But I'm not good at holding a human form yet, so it keeps slipping off. I can normally catch it when it happens, but a lot happened that day.

[800isenough]

[Well, he was hoping for an additional clue or two. But it looks like the snake isn't going to offer one.]

Hmm. Take care then.

[With little reason to keep up the topic with the phantom snake , Liao quickly takes his leave and returns to the others, reporting the success of the first part of the puzzle.]

The watch did indeed belonged to the snake. Unfortunately the snake had nothing else to add about the World Key. Let's find the cat and the fox and return their items to them to complete the puzzle.

[hesmypuddin]

[Harley watches the exchange, tail twitching absently behind her. There is a degree of satisfaction as the snake says that the watch is actually his and thanks Liao for bringing it back.

When Liao comes back and exits the classroom, Harley points to the next classroom.]

Red Class is next door... that's the fox, right? I can do that one if ya want. [That would leave the cat's scarf to Lalli to return to the Cat in Blue Class.]

[soloactor]

...I have to do the last one...? [It takes him a little while to see where Harley is going there. He makes a face like he just swallowed something bitter, and looks away.] Keh.

Pinging the mods!! xoxo

[hesmypuddin]

[Harley pauses, hand already on the Red Class door and prepared to slide it open. She looks over her shoulder at Lalli, lips pressed into a thin line as her tail bristles thick. It's the first time she's shown genuine irritation, bordering on anger, toward any of her fellow kidnapees. If her ears were visible, they'd be pinned back tightly against the top of her head, but even without her ears, Harley's anger is palpable.]

Do ya wanna stay here forever? [Her tone is snappy, and she looks away quickly, shoulders tense and hand tight against the door's slide.] Rabbit told me things would get harder on us the longer this took an' the more Hearts we work through. If ya don't wanna return it yerself, one of us will.

[She'd initially asked permission to return the fox's beads, but now doesn't wait for it. She pulls the necklace over and off of her head with her free hand and slides the door open.]

Hey... [She calls out to the fox inside the classroom, tail fur flattening back into place.] I think ya might'a lost this... [She offers the beaded necklace to the vulpine.]

[worldkeys]

[ The fox appears to be a phantom male student, sitting at a desk. But as soon as he calls, he looks up. Oh, wait, that's his! In an instant, he's up and running to greet her. If his face could be seen, there'd be a smile on his face. ]

Hey, thanks! I've been looking everywhere for this! Guess that teaches me to be more careful when I play tricks, huh?

[hesmypuddin]

[The phantom figure, though a bit indistinguishable, seems to be the student they were intended to find. Harley offers him a smile, laughing.]

Yeah, it can come right back atcha sometimes, can't it? [She hands the beads over, tilting her head and giving her tail a whisk back and forth. She looks the picture of nicety, having flipped from anger (at least visibly) entirely!]

Hey, can I ask ya somethin'? Have ya seen a key layin' around anywhere? [She laughs, scratching the back of her cowl and looking all embarrassed and sweet.] Guess I should keep a better eye on my own things too, huh? [Harley didn't know if it would work, but it couldn't hurt to ask!!]

[worldkeys]

Sorry, haven't seen one. If it's not in the lost and found, then no one's found it. Or they thought it was the librarian's. You'll have to go outside to enter the library unless you want to go through the gym.

[ The fox is putting on the beads and making sure they're in place. ]

[hesmypuddin]

[Harley beams a bright smile at the phantom fox.]

The library! Heh, I wouldn't'a thought'a that! Thanks a lot!! [She lifts a hand, tail flicking, and waves as she heads back out of the classroom. Her smile slips away almost immediately after she slides the door closed again. Her blue gaze moves to Lalli and Liao and she pulls the scarf off, passing it to Lalli.]

He said we might wanna check the library for the Key if it wasn't in the lost 'n found... tha' someone might'a thought it was the Librarian's. We can get there through the gym or from the outside.

[soloactor]

[Lalli has been giving her dark glares throughout that entire exchange, but he snatches the scarf from her hand and stalks down the hall into the next room. His tails whip irritably behind him.]

[When he gets into the room proper and sees the cat, he controls his expression somewhat, so that he just looks stern and neutral instead of pissed off. He folds the scarf up and holds it out to the cat standing in the room.]

This yours?

[worldkeys]

[ The cat seems to be beaming. ]

Thank you! This was my mother's. I've been looking for it everywhere!

[ Upon returning the last item, the puzzle is solved. There is a distant rumbling. Inspection of the forest reveals that the barrier has expanded, giving more room for exploration. ]

[soloactor]

[Oh... it was? He can actually appreciate that. Lalli tilts his head and looks like he's about to formulate a response. At that moment, though, his ears prick upwards as a muffled sound passes through the area.]

[So he just gives the cat a curt nod (it's a miracle he figured out that much) and leaves the room. He doesn't stop moving when he meets Liao and Harley again, instead beckoning to follow him.]

Something happened in the forest. Check the other place later.

[800isenough]

[Liao had watched the exchange between Lalli and Harley quietly. Although Lalli's temperament made him a difficult person to work with, that was easily explainable by the scout's reluctance to trust anyone. Harley's flip from happy to angry is disconcerting.

But he says nothing to Lalli or Harley just yet, because right now they need some kind of peace and cooperation between the three and confronting either party when moods are sour would probably lead nowhere good.

He should just focus on the goal. The faster they find it, the faster they can leave and hopefully in better spirits than right now.

The distant rumble causes him to turn his head in the general direction from where it came...which is where he and Lalli both started, actually. But should they abandon the library? Hmm. He needs a moment to think about this...because maybe it might be a good idea for Harley and Lalli to split up from each other.]

I'm so sorry she's such a hag right now!! ;____;

[hesmypuddin]

[Harley returns scowl for scowl, tail one giant bristle of ANGER when Lalli snatches the scarf away and storms into the Blue Class. Can you feel the daggers, Lalli?! Can you??!! She cranes around the door, however, listening to the exchange and draws back with a start at the loud sound echoing from outside he building.

When Lalli starts moving past them and beckons, her tail bristles and if she had fangs, she'd bare them.]

But what abou'... !!! [She shoots Liao a look, pointing after slalom then makes a sound that isn't quite a word. She stamps her foot, jaw set and ears back, and stalks after Lalli. ]

SSSHHH IT'S OKAY

[soloactor]

[He sure can feel those daggers, mostly because it's practically impossible not to, even for his truly remarkable standards of cluelessness. That said, he doesn't actually care about Harley's opinion of him (or anyone else's opinion of him, for that matter). All he cares about is getting the thing to the cat and doing the puzzles and getting the world-thing.]

[...That said, his tails do kind of bristle up too. Special mention goes to the lynx tail, which was already so short and stubby that it now basically looks like an orb.]

Explosions mean things are happening, and we want to see what things they are. No explosions from the other place, means nothing's happening. Stupid.

[800isenough]

[...oh gods. He has to play mediator between Harley and Lalli. He already has enough trouble connecting with people as is and now he's got to be the go-between for a surly, distrusting scout and a quick-tempered, boisterous woman. There is no way he can make this work.

With a sinking feeling he quickly sets out after the two, his brain trying to find some middle ground in between them. He at least has to try, right?]

Scout. Is the library on the way to the forest? It would not make sense to back track all the way back here once we have finished with our business there.

[hesmypuddin]

[Harley stops in her tracks, tail raising straight up, practically a small planet of bristling hair behind her. Her hands slowly curl into fists at her sides, her blue eyes narrowing.]

I'm not stupid. [Her fists open and close at her sides, and it should be perfectly apparent that Lalli has unintentionally hit an extremely tender nerve. The pair searching with her clearly have no idea how many times that word has been thrown at her, but it's been more than enough. AND THESE TWO MOOKS DON'T EVEN KNOW HER. She's about ten seconds from blastoff, and while none of it is their fault (not really), Liao and Lalli are currently on the receiving end.

Maybe Lalli's answer to Liao will calm her... maybe it won't.]

[soloactor]

[Lalli takes one look at Harley's everything and his "do not engage" sirens start blasting. Liao just asked a question that's much more relevant to the task at hand, so Lalli focuses on him -- mostly because he doesn't grasp the expectation for one who starts a fight to actually finish it.]

Not really. The two big long rooms are over there [he points in the direction of the gymnasium] but they don't lead outside unless you kick out the windows or something.

[Which is totally not out of the question, by the by.]

[800isenough]

Then let's have a compromise, since neither of you can work together with each other at this point. There is merit with going about in pairs, but it is not an efficient use of our time and energy for all three of us to go about in one group.

Scout, you go on ahead to the forest; your speed will serve you better when covering the forest. I will accompany Lady Harley Quinn to the library; her wits are fitting for a place of learning and reading.