SEMI-OPEN - Gathering of the Minds, Info Sharing Pt 1

[pseudonyms]

TEXT;

soooo...hi! Dia and I were thinking...now that everybody’s back, we were kind of hoping everybody could get together and kind of cover the ground of what the heck just happened? everybody got split up and everything and it sounded like a big mess, but there’s a lot us who have no idea what’s even going on since we just got on this dumb network anyway.

also!! recollé high school students, check in please? we were thinking about maybe getting everybody together to kind of make a support network, compare notes, catch people up to speed, that kind of thing! Dia can talk about that a little more when we do an actual meeting too.

so that’s it! high school students, come meet us in the student council room Thursday afternoon after school! and everybody else...maybe...a group meeting for everyone in the high school gym at 5pm? 6pm? 6pm sounds good but if you can’t be there right at 6 we will be there for a while and people can catch up!

we’ll even provide pizza. hopefully we’ll see you there!

Who: Recollé High School Students
When: backdated to 3/8 in the afternoon
What: Group meeting for Recollé High students! Memory sharing, advice-giving, support group meet and greet


[After school in the student council room as promised, Rise and Dia are waiting for classmates and schoolmates to arrive. Rise, as the student council secretary, sits near the front of the room and she has a laptop in front of her ready to take notes. She’s also not saying anything and she’s waiting for Dia to lead this meeting.

Dia, on the other hand, is standing in the very front of the room, holding a clipboard in her hands. She’s waiting for everyone to settle in, and once everyone’s seated, she hands the clipboard to whoever’s sitting on the left hand side of the room. ]

Thank you all for coming; please write your name, your grade, and how many months you’ve been on Retrospec in their respective columns.

Rise and I wanted to call this meeting to form a support group within the school and see who else was on the network. Personally, I’ve spoken with several of you on Retrospec already, but we’d like to keep a headcount and form a community where we can all help one another in times of need.

[ she may not be on the student council, but dia certainly talks like she could be. ]

INTRODUCTIONS
[ after everyone’s written down their information, dia clears her throat and folds her arms across her chest. ]

To start off the meeting, I’d like for us to all introduce ourselves with the information you’ve written down: name, grade, and how long you’ve been on Retrospec. This way we can all put names to faces and know who to contact in case we have any questions in the future. I’ll go first.

[ ahem. ] My name is Dia Kurosawa. I’m a senior and will be graduating this semester. This is my first month on Retrospec, so any advice would be greatly appreciated.

Simple, right? So...whoever wants to go next, please proceed.

ADVICE Q&A
[ this is when dia pulls out a stack of papers. It’s...not that big, but it seems like there are quite a few papers stapled together. she looks down at her paper and gives everyone a nod before speaking again: ]

I’d like to move on to our Advice Q&A session, now. I’ll set a timer to thirty minutes so this doesn’t drag on for too long; any other questions can be addressed after the meeting is over. This section will hopefully be especially helpful for newbies like Rise and I who have many questions, so please answer as thoroughly as you can.

Here are some questions to start us off: How has being on Retrospec impacted your ability to perform in school, if at all? Has Retrospec opened any new doors or given you new opportunities to succeed? How do you feel about the person you used to be?

[ of course, you’re free to come up with your own questions as well! ]

MEMORY COMPARISON
[At some point, both Rise and Dia take a step back and open the floor to questions and storytelling. Rise gets up and writes “MEMORIES?” in giant letters on the whiteboard at the front of the room before she turns and tosses the marker at whoever’s willing to catch it. Go ahead and take the lead. Got a memory to share? Do you want to talk about how your memories sync up with others? Take the floor, Recollé High.]

[ooc: in addition, we have the open-to-all public info-sharing log here!

Comments

[thebeastwithout]

[intro/q&a]
Gar Logan. I'm a sophomore. Been here since... December?

[If anyone decides to smugly add that his full name is Garfield, he will strangle them to death with his own two tentacles.]

And...

Wait, I thought we were here to talk about the craziness that happened last month and what Retrospec is up to or whatever. Like... action things. I don't wanna talk about my feelings.

[Memories]
[Gar will just write the words 'Teen Titans' and 'Jump City' on the board and sit back down.]

memories!

[unidolize]

[ ...jump city, okay, she can discern what that is (probably), but... ]

"Teen Titans"? Do you mind elaborating a little bit on that?

intro

[admiringly]

Can't that be combined? What's wrong with talking about your feelings?

[ Chiyo's here to ask the real questions. Why do these things have to be mutually exclusive? ]

intro

[pseudonyms]

[She looks up from her laptop then and gives him a quasi-skeptical look.]

You don't think the two of them kind of tie together?

[destiny_key]

INTRO + Q&A

[Sora's nervous, sitting in the student council room like this. He was hoping to drag Marina to the meeting with him, but he hadn't seen her yet today, and so resigned himself to being here by himself. Maybe she'll show up later?

And it's not like he doesn't know anyone here. Everyone in the room is a Retrospec user, and he's seen most of them around school at least a little bit. It's a big high school, but it's hard not to notice when someone pops up on the network. When it's his turn for an introduction, he puts a sheepish grin on his face and starts.]

Hi, um, I'm Sora Pu'uwai. I'm a senior, too. And I've been on Retrospec since, like, last May, I think? I'm pretty sure it was May...

Anyway, I guess I can try to answer any questions, since I've been on the network so long?

[He probably sounds really awkward, but hey, he tried? And at the very least, he'll be honest in answering any questions.]

[unidolize]

Thank you for coming, Sora.

[ they're classmates!!! it's nice to see someone else in her grade around here. ]

That is an awfully long time to be on the app. How has being on Retrospec affected your academics, if at all?

[pseudonyms]

[She recognizes him at least even if they haven't spoken. Rise usually keeps to herself and she lets Dia ask her questions first before she chimes in not long after.]

I read that guide that's floating around, but it's different talking to someone who's really experienced everything. Did you...I mean I guess what I want to know is if anyone from your memories was on the network before you were. And if they recognized you first. How do you deal with having memories of people you don't really remember?

[promisedyou]

★ option i: introductions

[ Mio clears her throat and immediately stands up with a bounce in her step. Enthusiasm practically can be heard from her voice, but there's also something that's akin to someone who's taken on a leadership role before, in spite of her not actually leading this whole thing.

There's even a bright smile that plays across her lips, but it isn't anything too overbearing. ]

My name is Mio Sonozaki. I'm a senior that's graduating this semester, and I've been on the application since November...? My sis has been on the application a little longer than I have, if anybody hereknows her. Although I'm pretty sure I dealt with some weird Retrospec things in late October, with the trick or treat thing. Which was definitely the app, I'm sure.

Oh, and I was in Respatrum all last month, so if you have any questions in regards to that, I can answer my personal experiences in regards to that. ☆

[ Tooootally avoiding talking too much about herself, if only because she doesn't want to sound so self absorbed. At least, not for a self introduction, anyway. ]

★ option ii: advice q&a

[ Actually, sure. She might as well ask for opinions on this since she can't help but feel rather curious about it. She could have asked this on Retrospec, but it's probably a lot easier to actually say it aloud.

But in terms of answering the questions that were raised, first... ]

I haven't had any problems performing in school, even though I was gone for almost a whole month, but it's not like I can't catch up since I try to make sure I'm ahead of the class, anyway. [ She takes AP classes and some other side classes that she's not overly concerned in. ] Shion... my 'past self', I guess... was a pretty interesting person.

But in regards to that, I have a question of my own. I've been getting the 'feelings' of my past self recently. Specifically, romantic ones. But I'm also dating someone, so... I'm wondering if anybody had any good advice on how to deal with it, or any thoughts in that regard. I just want to make sure that I'm not making any mistakes with how I actually feel.

★ option iii: memories

[ YEAH HOW ABOUT WE NOT....... go too far in depth with her memories. Not with anybody here, for sure. Not today, Satan!! But for the sake of actually putting something up there, she writes down some key words, primarily 'Oyashiro-sama', 'Watanagashi' and 'Hinamizawa' and then sits back down. Although she's pretty sure that nobody - besides potentially Kotone - would know any of these phrases. ]

ii

[maidofmistakes]

Whoa, really... Well -- well, maybe past you and whoever she was dating broke up, so you don't have to worry! Or they're the same guy all along! If you get along with your life, maybe everything will just work itself out.

i

[pseudonyms]

[She's more relaxed since it's Mio, but she leans back in her chair with her laptop and gives her a slight grin. This behavior doesn't surprise her at all.]

What was it like? Respatrum. What'd you guys even do down there?

[alitaba]

INTRO ▻
[ Futaba’s really only here to gather intel but she might as well play along and introduce herself while she’s at it. Even if this is starting to feel a little bit like an AA-lite. ]

I’m Futaba Isshiki. I’m a junior and I've been here since July.

[ It’s a little unbelievable it’s only been almost a year. Forever seems like a better answer. ]

I'll do my best to answer about both city events if anyone was curious about them.

MEMORIES ▻
[ LET’S NOT……………… DO THAT. A good portion of her memories really isn’t Suitable For Strangers if she says so herself. She stares at the whiteboard for a while before adding Japan, Modern Era and Shinjuku instead. That's a good place to start. ]

[thebeastwithout]

OK, wait, does 'city events' include August every time I ask someone about it they get this look on their face and whisper something about 'the ocean came to life' or 'dragons' and then they run away from me.

[not exactly how it goes but hopefully people understand how to interpret gar by now]

memories

[pseudonyms]

[Hm. That's interesting...and her name is obviously Japanese, so Rise asks:]

Were you born in Japan in this lifetime or whatever, too?

[sketchythief]

A. Intro

[ He has never been here before and the atmosphere makes him feel like anxiety has reached its top peak. Someone smite him where he sits. ]

Right, um... I'm Daisuke Niwa and a senior. I've been on the app since September, but I got kicked off starting around December and only got it back in the beginning of February.

[ ... Okay, that wasn't so bad. Probably. ]


B. Advice Q&A

[ 30 minutes sounds super long, but he wants to be helpful if he can, so here goes: ]

Being on Retrospec made me... a lot busier. It gave me more things to worry about aside from my school stuff, like trying to get accepted into Recolle Uni. There was a time when I had to turn in my art portfolio and I realized all the blue and green were gone from my paintings several days before school started, so trying to rework all of that was a pain. Even though the art teacher couldn't tell, it wouldn't sit right with me, so I just... redid everything. [ That was a horrible time and he looks exhausted just from reciting it. ]

q&a

[unidolize]

Hello, Daisuke. It's nice to see you here.

[ i'M ASSUMING THEY KNOW EACH OTHER BC SAME GRADE, i hope that's cool?! ]

How did you all get blue and green to come back? Or was that just something Retrospec themselves decided to restore?

intro

[pseudonyms]

[She recognizes him at least (look, when one of your best friends is Chiyo Matsuoka you just start to notice who hangs around her) so it's a little easier to be able to reply to him.]

What do you mean you got kicked off of it and came back? How did that one work?

[frostythehitman]

[ intro ]
[ James is leaning back and slumped in his seat, arms crossed with one foot resting on his knee. He mostly looks relaxed, but he keeps glancing uncomfortably around the room. When it's his turn, he sits up a little more to speak better. ]

James Barnes. I'm a junior and I've been on the app since March, so...it's been pretty much a year exactly for me. And the app only became a thing the month before that, so I've basically been around since the beginning of it. I'm practically prehistoric.

[ #nbd ]

[ q&a ]
[ James raises his eyebrow at the sight of the stack of papers. Damn, that many questions? This is much more involved than he thought. And almost ironic. He can't help but snort. ]

'Opened any new doors'? 'New opportunities to succeed'? Yeah, more like the exact opposite of that, now that I'm down an arm.

[ CATCH HIM DODGING THAT LAST QUESTION LIKE A BOSS ]

What I wanna know is, what are you telling everybody else not on the app? Especially if you've got stuff you can't just hide from everyone. [ PEOPLE WITH BIG APPEARANCE CHANGES, HE'S LOOKING AT YOU. ]

[ memories ]
[ James doesn't say anything, and in fact is uncomfortably chewing his lip for a while, listening to people discuss memories and write them on the whiteboard. But eventually, after a lot of hesitation, he gets up and takes the marker. He adds to the board:

WW2
Captain America
Invaders

The words look messy, like a clumsy child wrote them, but hey. They're (mostly) legible, at least. ]

memories

[unidolize]

[ ww2? wow. dia isn't quite sure what to say to that at first, but she's definitely looking at it intriguingly. she 'hm's a bit, then turns to face james. ]

Your memories are based off of a real event. Some of the others, it seems, have had their memories take place in cities and areas that don't sound familiar at all.

[ she did notice him hesitate, though, so... ] I won't press you any further, but thank you for sharing, James.

q&a

[pseudonyms]

Well...[The question gives her pause because like. Yes, she doesn't have any big changes, but she can at least sympathize here.] I haven't run into a lot of people who don't have the app already. My social circle's pretty small and I was one of the last ones to get the app. My little brother--he's a junior, too--has had the app since the fall and my older brother isn't even in town.

But I think most of them just didn't tell me about it because I wouldn't have believed it anyway. Maybe that's how other people are dealing with it, too. "It's just a change." Making excuses. Do you think that means the app's making us a bunch of liars?

[maidofmistakes]

[intro]

Well, uh... I'm Kara Lee and I'm fifteen. I've been here since, uh, the end of October. When I transferred here. I'm, uh, supposed to get a bunch of superpowers? I have X-ray vision! And, uh, might've fought a Greek god once?

[memories]

[Kara writes "Super Hero High," hesitates, and draws the House of El's shield on the board. You know, that S symbol.]

[memories]

[thebeastwithout]

[Gar is familiar enough with Super Hero High - and also ought to be familiar with that symbol. It's not the first time Kara has drawn it for him.]

...Hey, what's that S stand for again?

Intro

[youraffection]

Oh hey! Long time no see.

[ It was on Retrospec rather than in person, but still. She was really nice. ]

Fought a Greek god? That's a new one.

[pseudonyms]

[That's interesting. She offers a kind smile even if she's a little nervous, but at least she stops typing.]

X-ray vision? That sound pretty cool but I bet that was pretty surprising at first. Do you know what other kind of superpowers you might get?

[invocate]

introduction / q & a

[Li-Na recognizes some of the students here, but there are others she is't familiar with. So she pays close attention during the introductions, putting names to the faces she doesn't yet know. When it's her turn, she stands and and offers a smile.]

Hello, my name is Li-Na. I am from Hong Kong and I am a senior here. I got the app in July, so a little over six months ago.

[The fact she's had the app for over six months really sinks in.]

It is kind of hard to believe it has been that long...

memory comparison

[On the one hand, neither she nor Noah have seen anyone else from their memories. But that doesn't mean someone won't find something familiar, right? Right? So when it's her turn, she write a few words on the whiteboard.]

'Innocence' 'Exorcist' 'Akuma'

intro/q&a

[pseudonyms]

[It's nice to see Li-Na, actually, so she just smiles at her and waits for the introductions to finish. When the floor opens for questions though she turns to face her.]

Has anything really drastically changed in those six months? It's just hard to imagine so many people have had the app for so long while some of us were totally oblivious. [Like herself.]

[livingdeadgirl]

[Intro]

[When it's Ami's turn to introduce herself, she greets everyone with a grin and a wave. Her "service dog" is sitting nearby, resting its head in her lap.]

Hi! I think a bunch of you know me already, haha. But my name's Ami Aihara, I'm a freshman, and I've been a Retrospectre since last May. And before you ask, yes, the horns are real.

[Advice]

I'd have to say it's kind of a nuisance when it comes to school stuff. I mean, I just missed a month of classes out in the woods, so now I'm having to work my butt off just to catch up. I would not say no to developing those time travel powers right about now!

... I mean, I do have telekinesis now, but I'm not really sure what kind of career opportunities that opens up, haha. [AMI YOU ARE 14, DON'T SAY CAREER.]

As for past me... [She rests her chin in her hands and bites her lip for a second, thinking how to phrase this. "Past me was at some point a horrible murderbot" doesn't exactly sound that great.] She was... let's just say a serious piece of work, and leave it at that, I guess.

[Memories]

[Ami has to think about this for a few seconds, but eventually she comes up with a couple of things: "trolls / Trollian", "a very important computer game", "green skull guy", and "these guys" with an arrow pointing to a kinda crappy drawing of a Crude Ogre's face - which some of you might have seen skulking around in or around the city at various points.]

[unidolize]

Hello, Ami. It's nice to meet you.

[ a curt nod, then: ]

Do you know what the significance of your horns is? That's quite a significant change in your physical appearance, isn't it?