CLOSED SIGNUPS The Lovers Club IC (Reboot)

[ScarletNova]

Haruhi Nakamura
Club President | Location: Living Room
Interactions: Everyone (@xLarius, @Rads, @Monbon, @SolsticeArcanum, @YetieBetie, @The_Queer_Alien, @Takumi, @Jig The Zom-B)
Mentions: Various
​

While Mirai and Joe were still off getting the bags and bucket Haruhi needed, she was suspiciously tapping away on her phone, as if she were doing something important on it. Once the two of them returned with the items, she gave them a smile and thanked them both. "Perfect timing," Haruhi commented. "Thanks for getting these. Joe, just place the bags on the ground near me."

Haruhi slipped her phone back into her pocket and then took the bucket in hand and put each slip of paper with everyone's name in it. Meanwhile, Hani and Shin? were bringing in some snacks for everyone as the others started to arrive. That was surprising. Haruhi hadn't expected that young man to be interacting with Hani as he was. The poor guy seemed like he was just getting pulled around for the ride, though. Interesting.

"Thanks, Hani, Shin. The snacks look perfect, and I'm sure it's enough," she responded. The living room was full of snacks, drinks, and all the necessary items one would need to be able to enjoy them. It was quite astounding how quickly Hanae was able to produce such a large amount of food so quickly.

The others started to trickle in, mostly grabbing some snacks, then sitting down or just sitting quietly to themselves. Haru's orange eyes watched their movements, gathering information from every interaction, or lack of interaction, that they made. Grabbing a pastry for herself as she waited, she paused in her bites momentarily when Tsukiko greeted her.

She nodded his way. "Don't worry about it, Tsuki, you're just in time for the most important stuff," she muttered with a smile. "Come have a seat. Grab some refreshments if you'd like."

The rest of the club continued to arrive, and once all of them were present for their meetings, Haruhi began.

"Glad to see all of you could make it," she joked. If they hadn't shown up, there would have been hell to pay. Most of them, besides the new members, would know it was best not to ignore Haruhi's commands. It would make you a prime target for more meddling. "Now, this is a mandatory activity, and yes, even those who aren't part of the club must participate."

She picked up the bucket and shook it around a little bit.

"You will be partnering up for this task. There are hidden puzzle pieces throughout the areas surrounding the cabin outside. Your job is to find your puzzle piece that you're assigned to, then return to this living room with it. Once all two-person groups have returned with their piece, they will be put together to reveal where the hidden treasure is. This treasure box and these pieces were placed by my maids before we arrived here."

Then she gestured over to the backpacks Joe had brought in. "Each of you will be taking a bag. It has all the items needed for your adventure outside. A map of the grounds. A flashlight. Rope. Water. A couple snacks, just in case. And some other items that will help you find your piece. Now, these pieces could be anywhere. They could be hidden between two large rocks. On the other side of a lake. But don't worry, you'll be getting a set of clues that will help you find your piece. They are also not small, like usual puzzle pieces. There are larger pieces, so don't be concerned that you won't see them."

She paused for a break and to make sure everyone was getting all that information. "Now, as for the partners, I will be choosing them randomly. I'll pull out two names at a time from this bucket. No, you cannot change partners now or later. If you change partners or refuse to do this activity while out there, I will know about it, and you will be punished. Trust me, you will not like the punishment."

She then stuffed her hand into the bucket and pulled out two slips of paper. She opened them up to look. "Briar and Sayuri," she muttered. Then she went on to continue pulling out two slips each time. Once she was finished with all the names, the partners were as follows:

Briar, Sayuri
Ren, Daichi
Mariko, Shin
Ruby, Akari
Solaris, Medrin
Hiroki, Kio
Mirai, Tsukiko
Haruhi, Ayame
Joe, Hanae

They were totally random. Completely random. Because how could it possibly be anything but random? How could Haruhi even rig slips of paper in a bucket? Wink. Wink.

"Here's your clue to find your puzzle piece. They're in the form of riddles. Each two-person team has their own piece, so there will be no overlap with pieces." Haruhi handed each group a sheet of paper that had the clues written on it. "Now, feel free to ask any questions. If you don't have any, then each person should grab a backpack and then head on out."

"Are you sure this is a good idea to let all these kids go off by themselves?" Takao-sensei commented. He and Chano-sensei had been standing off to the side while all of the explanation had taken place. "What if they get lost somewhere?"

"They'll be fine," Chano-sensei replied. "They'll be staying on Nakamura property, they own this whole mountain. Besides, even if they get lost, Nakamura-chan has multiple ways of finding them. There's trackers in the backpacks, and she could always call someone to track their phones."

"Wait? What?" Takao-sensei muttered.

"Huh?" Chano-sensei said back.

"Did you just say Nakamura could track their...you know what? Never mind. I'm not surprised." The male teacher let out a sigh.

Meanwhile, Haruhi grabbed a bag for herself and then headed over towards her partner, Ayame. "Ayame, glad you and Shin could join us today. Though I don't understand why you guys decided to walk here. You could have just joined us on the bus," Haruhi commented, remembering Ren's comments from earlier. "You and me are partners for this task, so we should take a look at our clues and head out to find our piece."

She had handed their own sheet of paper to Ayame when she had been handing them out to make sure every team got their clues. While Haruhi and Ayame hadn't talked with each other, Haruhi was sure she had seen the girl a few times before at some rich parties she had been to. Plus, it wasn't like Haruhi didn't know her family. They were up there with her own.

"So, what's our clues say?" Haruhi asked.

​

Summary:

Haruhi thanks Joe and Mirai. Thanks Hani and Shin for food. Greets Tsukiko.

Explains club activity:
Two person teams that use clues to find a large puzzle pieces hidden in the woods surrounding the cabin. Once found, return to the living room so that all the pieces can be put together. They will show the location of a treasure that has a prize. (You guys can make up the riddle clues yourself and where your puzzle piece is.)

Takao and Chano talk to each other.

Haruhi interacts with Ayame because they are partners and suggests they look at their clue and head outside to start their search.

 

[YetieBetie]

Location: The living room
Interactions: Haruhi @ScarletNova
Mentions: Briar @Takumi
Mood: Excited

Aya scanned the crowd, searching closely for any warm reactions to her compliments. Surely the cook had to be here. She hadn't seen any hired hands in the kitchen earlier, and Ruby had been with her this whole time. The redhead couldn't have cooked all this in the few minutes they'd been separated. Which meant there were more cooks in this room.

Cooks were magical people. The kind whose skills ought to be used rather than wasted. Aya meant to not allow a single bit of talent go to waste.

The first person to react to her comment was a pair of golden eyes. They were staring right at her. Though she couldn't tell if they were shocked by her beauty or her pompous arrival. Either way it looked as if they were assessing her.

Not unaccustomed to these looks, Aya raised a brow and lifted the pastry, hoping she had managed to find the chef.

Stealing another large bite, she was seconds from trying to approach them when Haruhi began speaking to the group. Talking about some boring rules and gesturing to backpacks and such. She zoned out most of it, paying more attention to the tasty treat in her hands. She was in the middle of breaking off an edge when the word 'treasure' hit her ears.

Interest perked, Aya straightened, turning to face Haruhi more fully. She did love games with prizes. Especially riddles.

For better or worse, depending on how you looked at it, Aya listened to hear she was partnered with the head of the club herself.

When the girl approached her, commenting about Shin and Aya's unique arrival, Aya simply shrugged. "Public transportation has never been my preferred method of travel. Too many commoners. Besides, climbing mountains sounds much more impressive don't you think?"

She flashed the girl a coy smile. Through her extensive research on the lovers club, Haruhi's face was inevitable to not recognize. She had seen her a few times beforehand in passing. Perhaps at a party or two. Though Aya couldn't remember if they'd ever gotten into any larks together. Had she been one of the bystanders watching in disgust? Hard to remember really. Some of her mischief groups were large. The bystanders were even larger. Ah well.

"I'm eager to work with you Haruhi-sama." She stated with a larger smile. When the other suggested reading our clue, Aya made a show of pulling the paper from the hoodie pocket. Unfurling it with as much overexaggerated flourish as one could.

If there was anything that Aya enjoyed more than this world, it was riddles. Something about the mystery and intellect. The exercise was challenging, a rare feat for Aya.

Thus, she found herself reading the words silently before she could stop herself. Too excited to see what it said to pause long enough to speak it aloud. Her eyes narrowed, glancing up at Haruhi before rereading the words again.

Huh.

"It says:

'When your load feels too large, turn to the one in charge."​

Aya's eyes slid to her partner, tapping the paper against her temple as though in deep thought. "No offense Haruhi-sama, but I highly doubt you have the puzzle piece. And with all that talk about going outside, I doubt the teachers have it either... is there a place for electricity? Or perhaps another one in charge of things?" Ruby-sensei? She was in charge of the treasury... but what of that first line? And she was certain there were more people 'in charge', if only she knew the roles better.

Her lips pursed in deeper thought.

 

[ScarletNova]

Akari Morita
Music Club Member | Location: Shrine Trail --> Cabin's living room
Interactions: Medrin (@Jig The Zom-B), Sayuri (@Monbon), Ruby (@Rads)
Mentions: Haruhi, Kio
​

Medrin's sudden movements, without an explanation of who he was yet, left Akari more wary. Prepared to defend Sayuri if need be, she kept her body ready to fight. But his bat-like hanging threw her off, her eyes widened at the sudden surprise. With a couple of question marks flying around her head, Akari contemplated his abilities. How was he able to do that? Luckily, he finally introduced himself and after he came down from the tree, explained what he had been doing there in the first place.

Softening a bit, Akari removed herself from in front of Sayuri, stepping over to the side so the pinkette wouldn't think of her as rude. Though, she was surprised to hear that Sayuri had known Medrin was in the trees during their talk. Why hadn't he said anything to her about it? Was it because he hadn't trusted her because of earlier? Well, the reasoning didn't matter and there was no point in getting upset about it.

"I don't really care even if you did go telling people," Akari replied in agreement with Sayuri's comments. "I don't really care what others think. All that matters is that I was able to talk with Sayuri and things worked out."

Akari was rather pleased to hear that Medrin seemed to think her and Sayuri had a good growing bond between them and that the conversation they had went well. A warmth grew in her chest and a small smile started to form on her lips. Happy, Akari didn't fully pay attention to the continued conversation until the snapping sound and the state of the shrine was brought up. Akari looked away, feeling guilty about breaking the doors so suddenly, but Sayuri didn't tell on her.

She cleared her throat and nodded at the suggestion he made to come back later on since they had to get to that meeting. "Right, that meeting thing," she muttered. Did she had to be part of it? Did she have to do club activities? It wasn't like she was part of the Lovers club. But maybe doing them would mean she'd be able to spend more time with Sayuri.

With that pleasant thought in mind, Akari joined Sayuri and Medrin on their trip back to the cabin. Upon arriving, the sweet scent of the snacks placed in the room instantly filled Akari's sense of smell. Her pinks eyes looked them over and her stomach growled. They did look tasty. And it seemed like they were for everyone to take.

But before she could even take her own, Sayuri scampered back over to Akari and pressed a pastry against her lips. A sudden red blush graced her cheeks. Her hands found the pastry so she wouldn't lose her gift. "Thank you," she replied with a nod when he said it was a friendship token. She gave him a smile and then took a bite of the pastry. The flavors blew up in her mouth and she gobbled up the rest of it quickly. Someone there was a pretty good baker.

Akari then took a seat and happily snacked on a few more choices around the room. When Haruhi finally explained what they were doing and revealed their partners, a deep disappointment came over Akari. Her face darkened and she grumbled at the thought that she had to do something that wasn't even for her club. And it didn't even allow her to be near Sayuri! Why couldn't Sayuri had been her partner?!

To make things even more annoying, the name attached to her happened to be the very one that Kio kept bringing up. Ruby. All she knew was that her and Sayuri were very close, like siblings, but she knew nothing else. She looked over towards the redhead then sighed. Well, she guessed she should give this all a try. If Sayuri liked the girl, maybe it was best to try to be friendly with her.

Akari shoved her hands into her pockets, but when she hit something and pulled it out, she remembered she still had Sayuri's phone. "Crap!" she muttered. If she held onto it, Sayuri might get angry at her again and assume she was planning something with it. With those terrifying thoughts in mind, she quickly rushed over to the pinkette before he had a chance to go to his partner.

"Sayuri," she said. "I almost forgot. You dropped your phone at the shrine earlier. You should take it. It wouldn't be a good idea to go off into the woods without it. And I would beat myself up if you got lost and didn't have it to contact anyone." She handed the phone over to him.

"Don't worry, I didn't look through it or anything. I just picked it up to make sure you would get it back." She didn't want any more misunderstandings or him thinking ill thoughts of her. She gave him a smile. Though she wanted to stay by his side and talk with him more, she knew it would be best to get through the club activity. So, she told him she'd see him later and then headed over to the pile of backpacks.

Akari grabbed one of the bags on the floor and threw it onto her back. Then she walked over to Ruby. "Yo," she said. "I guess we're partners for this thing. Name's Morita Akari. Call me whatever you want."

She then looked at the paper she was given that had their clue on it. "We should probably get this activity over with. Let's see. It says... I have teeth but I cannot bite. I have a mouth but I cannot speak. I am a shelter for many, but can scare the weak." She stared at it again. "Any thoughts?"

 

[ScarletNova]

Mariko Tanaka
New Club Member | Location: Game room --> Living room
Interactions: Ayame and Shin (@YetieBetie), Solaris (@xLarius), Ren (@Monbon)
Mentions: Haruhi, Ren
​

Mariko was glad that Shin was willing to help Hani, especially since the young lady said she was going to the bathroom. Mariko worried that, if Hani went alone, she might end up in more trouble. But with someone there to make sure Hanae would be okay, the brunette didn't feel as much worry. As the two left the room, Mariko's attention fell completely on Solaris and Ayame. Knowing that Sol was still unable to see, Mariko never removed her hand from his body. She didn't want him to walk into something or accidentally talk to more inanimate objects.

Though, as she did so, the warmth of his body just barely touching hers continued to grow. Though he was leaning on her, it was faint, almost like he was afraid she would fall if he pressed against her too much. At least, that's what Mariko thought on the matter. Even when he was in trouble, he was still considerate to others. He was an excellent upperclassmen and vice president of the club, with how reliable and caring he was.

Pulled from her thoughts, Mariko listened to Ayame's comments. It seemed Aya didn't know much about the club yet or who many of the other members were. "Kousei-senpai isn't just my senpai he's..." But she was unable to get the words 'vice president' out as Solaris mentioned he was most likely Aya's senpai as well, especially in terms of the club.

Unable to understand Aya's attitude towards the situation and glasses, Mariko stood there in confusion. If she was a dog, her head would have been tilted to the side. She continued to listen to the two of them. When Solaris held out his hand, Mariko thought it might indicate that he was going to exit the room even without his glasses. Or more so, Aya might not even give them back. Unsure how to react, but wanting to be helpful still, Mariko removed her hand from his body and placed it into his so she could help guide him to the living room.

Just as she did so, Ayame finally relinquished the glasses back to Solaris. Though, from what Mariko could tell, it seemed like Solaris had to give Ayame something in return? Why? They were his glasses to begin with? Ah. Maybe human interaction was hard and the easy parts of it that came earlier that day were just a fluke? It was all so confusing and Mariko struggled to gather her thoughts. Maybe she had gotten hit by a Pokemon's confusion attack?

But then Ayame seemed to say that Solaris was a good guy and that if he had trouble finding her later on, Mari could help bring him to Aya. Maybe Mariko was just misinterpreting things then? She smiled and nodded in agreement. "Kousei-senpai is always very kind and caring towards all the club members," Mari replied. "And he won't forget. He's a good guy." How could someone as good as the vice president forget a promise he made?

With that, Ayame left, and Mariko and Solaris remained. "We should head to the living room too, Lady Haruhi would be really upset with us if we're late," Mariko said. Forgetting about the fact that he didn't need any help getting to the other room anymore, Mariko kept her hand in his and headed for the living room.

When the two of them finally arrived, her eyes glanced over towards a certain blonde with blue eyes. It was then that she suddenly remembered Solaris had his glasses and didn't need her hand. If Ren saw that she was holding his boyfriends hand, he might get angry at her. She quickly pulled away. "I'm sorry, Senpai! I didn't mean to hold your hand like that," she suddenly said. She would have to apologize to Ren too. Quickly, Mariko rushed over towards him, hoping to apologize as soon as possible. "Fujiwara-san!" But just as she arrived in front of him, Haruhi started up the meeting and Mariko had to find an open seat to sit down and listen.

When her name got pulled from the bucket along with Shin's, she was relieved to know that it was someone she had already greeted, as there were plenty of new faces scattered around the room. Still, she didn't know much about this other new member. Though he seemed nice and had clearly helped Hani, even with the snacks, from what she had heard, she still felt uncertain if she'd be able to properly interact with him.

Feeling the nerves build up in her body and her muscles start to tense up, Mariko scurried over to get a bag for herself. Finally remembering the sketchbook that had been in her free hand this whole entire time, but unable to return it to Hani due to the situation, she stuffed it into her bag for safe keeping to return later. She then placed the bag on her back, though it felt a tad heavy for her, and then turned to look over towards her partner. She took a deep breath, trying to calm her nerves and slowly stepped closer towards him.

"Umm, h-hello," she said once she made it over to him. "T-thanks for helping H-Hani." Her fingers dug into the strapes of the backpack.

"I guess you and me are p-partners for this. I-I'll try very hard to be some assistance to you." With the activity started and now with a partner who relied on her, Mariko didn't feel right to leave him alone to talk with Ren. It would have to be done later. Hopefully he wasn't too angry with her for holding Solaris' hand, but then again, she also remembered that he needed that talk about treating his boyfriend better too. After all, Ren was the one who took Solaris' glasses to begin with, so Mariko wasn't completely at fault for holding a taken man's hand.

 

[Rads]

Kio

---

Interactions: @Takumi

Mentions: @Monbon Hani

Location: living room


Kio gets up, exits his music channel, and grabs a bite to eat along the way, eating it gracefully. He is also observing the others, and in between bites, he gently chuckles at the interactions.
He could see that he could get along with most of them. In his mind, 'The more sayu talks, the more immature he seems.' He acts like he's the man, but all I see is a mouthy little boy. Is he really worth being friends with? Not at this point, but I still have a promise to keep. I'll keep my distance after I'm done; I just don't need extra stress'.


. He playfully smiles, feeling great, and welcomes a break from the unwanted drama; it felt like being in the boys locker room in many aspects'.
"Hani seems like the type to bake if my assumptions are correct; that is, I also apologize in advance; it's just that the food is so good it sort of reminds me of grandads Sunday baking tradition.". "Later, I'd like to learn, but for now, we need to focus on the tasks at hand.". He walks up to Hiroki and shakes his free hand. He waits for him to respond before he grabs the backpack. In his mind, sure, he wanted to be with Haru or Hani, but Hiroki doesn't seem like a bad guy, so he's ok with how things have turned out'.[/USER]

 

[Monbon]

Hanae "Hani" Niijima​

|| Location: Cabin: Living room || Interactions: Joe @SolsticeArcanum , Shin and Aya @YetieBetie || Mood: Puzzled ||

Pleased to have at least gotten even a small smile out of Shin, Hani smiled brightly in return, happy that the other seemed at least a little less nervous than before. It was also nice to see everyone enjoying the quick half assed pastries she and Shin worked on. When Ayame called out for the cook and compliments began pouring in, Hani gestured towards Shin. "Fukushima-san helped a lot." She explained, not wanting to take all the credit.

As Hani took a sip of her lemonade, the sight of Shin playing with a pastry caught her eye. 'What is that?' She wondered, inching closer to get a better look at his star. Whatever it was, it didn't look like a star at all. It was all mangled and visibly jarring. It seemed Shin had decided to get creative sometime during their activities in the kitchen.

Startled by the sight of Shin holding his mysterious creation like it was his own beloved child, Hani inhaled the orange lemonade the wrong way, and went into a coughing fit. Soon enough, the coughing fit turned into a laughing fit. The lack of air in her lungs flushed her face pink as she tried and failed to keep her laughter to a minimum.

To force the fit to stop, she put her drink aside and covered her red face to keep herself from looking at Shin and his pastry. Though a few chortles made their way through, Hani eventually successfully managed to calm herself, and contain the laughter bubbling out of her like a spring. Regaining the ability to breath, Hani took a deep breath as Haruhi explained the activity and put them in teams.

"Joseph Tsu-oh!" Gaze shifting to the behemoth of a student who entered with Mirai, Hani quickly found her partner. It was a name she wasn't used to hearing so she just had to look for a face she wasn't used to seeing around. The male had a unique surname too. It was interesting that they decided to join them on their little trip but most definitely a happy thing. The more the merrier, right?

After taking a peek at the sheet, Hani grabbed the backpack and made her way over to him. "Hello there~ I'm Niijima Hanae. Pleasure to meet you, Tsuyo-sa-san" She greeted him warmly.

"Let's see…" Holding the sheet of paper before her, she began to read the riddle they were given outloud.

'Faint echoes rise from depths unseen,
Liquid secrets in a tranquil sheen.
Over the stones, the water does glide,
Whispers of coolness where shadows hide.
Endless depths, a mysterious spell,
Reflecting stories that the ripples tell.'

Blinking blankly, Hani hummed, not sure what to make of it and passed the paper to Joe to look over. "Any ideas?" She questioned with a tilt to her head, hoping the other had a knack for riddles as she was hopeless when it came to word games.

"Could water mean lake? The waterfall?" Biting her index finger, she shook her head. A gut feeling was telling her she was off track. "I don't remember any stones popping out when I visited it earlier. How about we walk around to make sure?" She suggested, not entirely sure what to make of it.
​

 

[Monbon]

Sayuri Satou​

|| Location: Cabin: Living Room || Interactions: Akari @ScarletNova and Briar @Takumi || Mentions: Haruhi || Mood: Hype||

After successfully feeding their new friends the pastries, Sayuri returned to their snacks and listened carefully throughout the meeting. "So it's like a scavenger hunt?" They asked the obvious, shoving orange slices into their mouth one after another. The sweetness of everything on their plate really hit the right spot. Ruby taking his candy suddenly didn't feel as big of a deal. At the very least, Sayuri could ask Hani for something sweet later. There was no way someone so softhearted could resist their fatal puppy eyes.

As they took their first sip of coffee. Sayuri felt an itchy tingling sensation in the back of their brain. The combination of sugar and caffeine set off a delightful explosion of energy within them. With each sip, Sayuri's energy levels soared to new heights. Tapping their foot impatiently, Sayuri was ready to set off with Briar and explore.

By the end of Haruhi's explanation, Sayuri was already on their feet and grabbing the backpack. On their way to Briar, however, they were intercepted by Akari who returned their phone with a lengthier explanation than they felt was needed. "Oh, I was wondering where it went! Thanks Akari-chan!" Quickly thanking her with a beaming smile, Sayuri said their goodbyes and returned to their original task.

Though the backpack had some weight to it, they were able to toss it over to Briar without much problem. "I'll definitely lose it, so you can carry it, ok Domo-kun?" After granting his classmate a new nickname, Sayuri naturally took charge and began reading the riddle outloud to Briar.

"I'm one of the animals in The Muppets but I'm not a pig. I have large paws but I'm not a lion. I have fur but I'm not a cat. I sometimes live in caves but I'm not a bat. I hibernate but I'm not a squirrel. What am I?"

Raised in a strict household, Sayuri never got the chance to watch The Muppets. But they had heard of it at least. "I only know the frog and the pig." They pointed out, making their inexperience clear to their partner. "Caves.. Caves have… bugs? Bats eat bugs. And Salamanders. But neither have fur or paws… Skunks! Has to be a skunk. Haruhi-sama wouldn't make us fight off a bear, right? Ahaha~"

The idea of Haruhi putting them in harms way was ridiculous at best. While Briar was holding the backpack, Sayuri pulled out the map and held it upside down before them, leaning into Briar so they could get a good look too. "I don't see any caves. Where do we even start?"
​

 

[Takumi]

Hiroki Niwa
Location: Living room
Interactions: Kio (@Rads)
Mentioned: Haruhi (@ScarletNova), Daichi (@The_Queer_Alien), Ren (@Monbon)

Whether Daichi sat beside him or not, Hiroki shot the other a sympathetic look once it was revealed that he'd be partnered with Ren. He hoped the other would be alright. Who knows, maybe they'd get along better after this exercise? After taking the sheet that Haruhi was handing out to the groups and setting it in his lap while he finished up his treats and moved on to his coffee, Hiroki tilted his head as his own partner approached and shook his free hand, but gave his team mate a smile nonetheless.

"Hiya Kio-kun! I'll do my best not to slow us down out there," He greeted chipperly. He didn't know Kio well, or really at all, but despite the other's almost intimidating appearance he was sure the other was alright. After finishing up the last of his coffee, Hiroki got up to get his own bag and hefted it onto his back with a small huff.

After finally taking a glance at the paper, he stared at it for a good few seconds before turning to look at Kio, smile still plastered on his face.

"So, the riddle we got is; "What always runs, but never walks, often murmurs but never talks, has a bed but never sleeps, has a mouth but doesn't eat?", you have any clue what it could mean cause um…I'm not that great at riddles." Hiroki laughed while scratching the back of his head. He was stumped, but he was sure he could figure it out after a bit of thought, but maybe Kio was better at word puzzles?

—​

Briar Mori

Location: Living room

Interactions: Sayuri (@Monbon)

Mentioned: Haruhi and Akari (@ScarletNova), Medrin (@Jig The Zom-B), Ayame (@YetieBetie)

The first person to react to her comment was a pair of golden eyes. They were staring right at her. Though she couldn't tell if they were shocked by her beauty or her pompous arrival. Either way it looked as if they were assessing her.

Not unaccustomed to these looks, Aya raised a brow and lifted the pastry, hoping she had managed to find the chef.

Ah, she noticed they were looking at her. At her raised brow and the gesture with the pastry in hand, they tilted their head and gave a shake of their head 'no', assuming that she was asking if Briar made it. That, or she was asking if they wanted some of her snack and that would be weird as they didn't know each other.

Then Haruhi started speaking, officially starting the meeting and gaining Briar's attention.

"You will be partnering up for this task. There are hidden puzzle pieces throughout the areas surrounding the cabin outside. Your job is to find your puzzle piece that you're assigned to, then return to this living room with it. Once all two-person groups have returned with their piece, they will be put together to reveal where the hidden treasure is. This treasure box and these pieces were placed by my maids before we arrived here."

Then she gestured over to the backpacks Joe had brought in. "Each of you will be taking a bag. It has all the items needed for your adventure outside. A map of the grounds. A flashlight. Rope. Water. A couple snacks, just in case. And some other items that will help you find your piece. Now, these pieces could be anywhere. They could be hidden between two large rocks. On the other side of a lake. But don't worry, you'll be getting a set of clues that will help you find your piece. They are also not small, like usual puzzle pieces. There are larger pieces, so don't be concerned that you won't see them."

She paused for a break and to make sure everyone was getting all that information. "Now, as for the partners, I will be choosing them randomly. I'll pull out two names at a time from this bucket. No, you cannot change partners now or later. If you change partners or refuse to do this activity while out there, I will know about it, and you will be punished. Trust me, you will not like the punishment."

She then stuffed her hand into the bucket and pulled out two slips of paper. She opened them up to look. "Briar and Sayuri," she muttered.

'I'll just properly explain the misunderstanding to Inari-kun later' they thought, sighing internally.

Briar's golden eyes scanned the room for their partner as they went and got their own bag and put it on, then popped the last orange slice they had in their mouth. Sayuri, huh? Ah that's right, their fellow third year, the talkative one from their shared class. That means that he was the pink blur from earlier, then? Sayuri was pretty fast on their little legs when they wanted to be. Once their eyes landed on the pinkette a bit of recognition flashed in their eyes.

Finding Sayuri, who was near two others with one of them (who's style was pretty cool) having moved on to her own partner, Briar gave his partner and company a small nod.

Though the backpack had some weight to it, they were able to toss it over to Briar without much problem. "I'll definitely lose it, so you can carry it, ok Domo-kun?"

"Hey there, Sayu-chan," they greeted as they caught the backpack, a bit of amusement forming on their face at the nickname Sayuri gave them. Sayuri was probably much more experienced with the club, but Briar was glad there was someone they sort of knew here even if it wasn't too well. Sayuri was welcoming enough in class at least, friendly too, from what they remembered of their brief interaction after Briar's transfer to Bara High. They had been nervous and let Sayuri go on about this and that for most of the class.

"I'm one of the animals in The Muppets but I'm not a pig. I have large paws but I'm not a lion. I have fur but I'm not a cat. I sometimes live in caves but I'm not a bat. I hibernate but I'm not a squirrel. What am I?"

"I only know the frog and the pig." They pointed out, making their inexperience clear to their partner. "Caves.. Caves have… bugs? Bats eat bugs. And Salamanders. But neither have fur or paws… Skunks! Has to be a skunk. Haruhi-sama wouldn't make us fight off a bear, right? Ahaha~"

Sayuri pulled out the map and held it upside down before them, leaning into Briar so they could get a good look too. "I don't see any caves. Where do we even start?"

At the mention of bears and caves, Briar's face paled a bit and a shiver ran down their spine. There was…there was no way that the two would be going to a bear cave, right?

"I've never seen the Muppets myself outside of memes and pictures, but there's…a bear that I'm aware of." They replied, relaxing as they let Sayuri lean into them and taking a look at the map when the smaller held it up for them to look at.

"Ah, I think you have it upside down, Sayu-chan," they chuckled and righted it. Gaze scanning along it, they frowned as they pointed to one cave some distance from the waterfall. "Maybe there?" They pondered.

 

[xLarius]

Solaris Kousei

The Vice-President had made himself comfortable in the corner of the room. Haruhi was the star after all. Solaris himself though, preferred to be the dark sky behind her, covering all those little slots to help her shine... Not that she needed that much help to do so. After all, even in a sky full of stars, the sun still stood out, unmistakable for the rest. How fortunate was Solaris that he strayed into her orbit? He tapped his hand against his own thigh, averting his gaze as the rather affectionate thought was set aside to focus on the task ahead.

​

After Haruhi announced the pairings, Solaris took a moment to look around the room, simply enjoying his brief time of peace within the room. A few seemed to be more than eager to get started, he was even a little proud of Mariko for stepping out of her comfort zone to approach her partner first. Solaris wasn't sure why exactly she had beelined over to Ren, he couldn't imagine her scolding him, but perhaps there was more than met the eye. For a moment he looked at the back then at the front of his hand, for one, glad his vision was restored, and the other part of him wondered if there truly was something on it.

​

Solaris then took a moment to refocus, simply allowing the backpack he was given to rest at his feet as he skimmed through the clue himself. It was better to collect his own thoughts before imposing them on another all scrambled. The last thing he wanted to do was be lost in the woods, wandering around in circles until the end of time because he didn't have a good plan in the first place.

​

Though it took him a moment or two, Solaris eventually had identified his partner, Medrin throughout the crowd. After narrowing down those he already knew, and eliminating new members or outsiders simply because other people had linked up, Solaris gave a small bow of his head in acknowledgement and a rather friendly smile as he approached, backpack soon slung over his own shoulder.

"Pleased to meet your acquaintance, Hymm-kun. Ah, if I'm to do this formally..." He reached out his hand for the other to shake, "My name is Kousei, Solaris. If you have any questions about the club feel free to ask. Oh, and if you have enough fun, I do hope you consider being an official member since there's a lot more thrills especially when a client is involved." A perfectly airy laugh made its way from his lips as a practiced crease of his eyes gave reminisce of a fond expression.

​

"Now, with a little bit of shameless recruiting out of the way..." His words were gentle as he offered the sheet of paper to Medrin. "We were lucky to get a very... nicely attempted map as well as the riddle, so hopefully we don't meander for too long." He hummed before he recited the clue out loud.

" Row, row, row your boat
gently down the stream
merrily merrily merrily merrily
life is not a dream :)
If thou doth get fish-baited
don't get agitated
for your fate lies somewhere outstretched
don't think this clue is too farfetched. "
​

... Who wrote this? This was an absolutely ridiculous riddle. It was like someone had drank a few too many cups of coffee, pulled too many all-nighters, and decided to write out the first lines that occurred in their brain. Solaris swallowed down a sigh before he began to gently nudge Medrin out the door, not wanting to get caught up in whatever else the other members could rope them into before they even solved their own riddles.

​

"Well, let's hurry and set out. I suppose the sooner we find it, the more we can relax on the way back, no?" He hummed, "Are you familiar with the outdoors, Hymm-kun? I'm afraid if you are, I am going to have to lean on your expertise a bit. I can't say I've frequented the wilderness." The vice-president curiously looked over the other's features. Solaris didn't recognize him from their grade, so he supposed the other was either an extreme wallflower or was an underclassman. "If we think about the words fish and stream it should be some body of water... Unless Nakamura-chan decided to really throw us off course and make them fly or something of that alike nature."

​

He wouldn't put it past her in all honest truth. He unfolded the map, "Well... We can try this one or this one..." He pointed towards the waterfall or one of the smaller lakes, curiously glancing back at Medrin. "So? What do you think? Should there be another route we try?" Solaris made sure that his tone was rather light and friendly. There was no reason to have his tone be otherwise, after all.

「 @ScarletNova , @Monbon , @Jig The Zom-B 」

credits

 

[xLarius]

Tsukiko Inari

More than delighted to be acknowledged by the leader of the club-- Tsuki continued his little bounces up and down the couch as he furiously scribbled every single word she said. Though he wondered what exactly it was that Briar was trying to tell him earlier. Perhaps it was gossip about how much they adored their lover! Oh how they wanted to swoop them into their arms because they longed for them so! Like a lonely ronin roaming around the countryside in search of something or someone to bestow their entire honor upon! Ah! The thought was just enough to get him a little flustered once again.

​

As soon as the riddle was in his hands, Tsukiko securely tugged the straps of the backpack on his shoulders and bounded over to Mirai. Though new, she was someone he recognized from his year-- perhaps even his class. He animatedly waved before bowing deeply once more.

​

"Oh my dear new companion in adventure! We shall embark on a journey no one has ever laid eyes on before! Trek a path no one dares tread! However, fear not, for I! Inari Tsukiko on the honor of the Inari family will protect the joyous occasion that this time together brings-- and our bonds will become inseverable! Even through reincarnation!" He boldly claimed a hand steading the hilt of the katana against his hip and the other coming up in a salute. "Thus! I present to you... The clue our glorious leader had bestow upon our worthy grasp!" He offered the clue set upon both his hands.

One two three,
one two three,
I pray that you are worthy of the task
waltz until you have nothing to mask
for the gods will know
exactly what hides below.​

"... Ominous." Tsukiko let out a laugh, boisterous as it seemed, it had an edge of nerves to it though he didn't let it weigh him down for long. He turned towards his partner in crime. "So.... Where shall we go first!? Shall we simply move forward and allow the winds to dictate our path!?" He suggested. Did he have any clue what the riddle meant? ... No not really, but if they just like, moved forward what were the chances that they wouldn't find a riddle?

​

"We could also just head upwards and try to get to the tallest point to try and spot where it is we're trying to find! You won't find a better guide than myself in these types of wildernesses! Oh! Do you think we'll have time to bring back a souvenir? The few kids around the shrine as of late have been gossiping about a legendary beetle in this region." He mentioned, his eyes beginning to flash at the mere mention of something to collect.

「 @Takumi @ScarletNova 」

credits

 

[Monbon]

Ren Fujiwara​

||Location: Cabin: Living Room || Interactions: Ayame @YetieBetie , Haruhi @ScarletNova || Mentions: Daichi @The_Queer_Alien , Solaris @xLarius , Mariko || Mood: Tired ||

After finishing his oranges, Ren quickly found himself dozing off on the large beanbag. Having gotten too comfortable, he rolled to his side only to find Mariko and Sol making their way in. Normally this sight would be ignored. As the vice president, it was common for Solaris to help out the other members of the club. As the most reliable senpai, It was like he was cursed to attract those who couldn't handle even the simplest tasks. Ren often wondered where he found the energy. "Maybe all the chocolate…"

As he was about to pry his eyes away from the two, Ren's gaze shifted onto their hands. "How lewd." Ren commented under his breath and closed his eyes, not wanting to take in the scene any longer. However, the moment he did, he was forced to open them again with a groan. Mariko was calling out to him for some reason. Peeking one eye open, he found her making her way straight for him.

'Is she angry about the bite?' Ren wondered to himself. Now that it was more or less confirmed that the two were dating, he began to feel a strange mix of relief over not crossing any serious lines. There was no way he'd live it down otherwise.

Luckily for him Haruhi began explaining the activity she planned and Mariko had to save her complaints for a later time. Rather than doze off again, Ren sat back up and tried to pay attention. He wouldn't put it past Haruhi to throw something at him if he chose to doze off again. Last thing he needed was for her to aim for his face.

Speaking of face…

Sweeping his gaze back to the vice president, Ren found the other's lip was still swollen. 'Did I bite him too hard?' It was no wonder Mariko was mad at him but confusion quickly buried any guilt he felt. Did she not think to get her boyfriend an ice pack or something cold to help Sol with the swelling? There was no way he felt comfortable walking around like that. What kind of excuse could he even give?

The moment Haruhi was done explaining, Ren made his way straight for the kitchen and opened the freezer. After some searching he found just what he was looking for. A vanilla ice cream popsicle covered in chocolate. Cold enough to give the vice president some comfort and sweet enough for the other to enjoy to their heart's content. At the very least it would temporarily hide the wound from curious eyes.

By the time he made his way back, Sol was gone and Mari was chatting with his doppelganger. "Wait, who's my partner again?" Mind reeling back, he vaguely recalled Daichi's name following his own.

Unfortunately, Ren wasn't entirely sure who that was. The only club members he kept track of were the ones that he actively interacted with. That in mind, he'd just let the others find their partners first and find his own through the process of elimination.

Since he had to wait anyway, Ren wanted to look for Sol to give him the treat and ask who this Daichi person was. But after some thought, he gave up. Since he hadn't heard the other's riddle, there was no way he'd know which direction he'd left in. Not only that, if he abandoned his partner, he'd have to face Haruhi's wrath.

"What a pain…" He complained and grabbed his own bag and riddle on his way to Haruhi's team. "Hey, Kaichou. Who is this Daichi person anyway? Describe him to me and I'll be out of your hair." Ren asked Haruhi, not one bit ashamed over not memorizing some random NPCs name. A quick look around the room showed that almost everyone had their partners. With only a few options left, Ren decided to ask their glorious leader for some assistance.

"Ah, as for you, Ayame-chan." Speaking with more of a lilt, Ren was noticeably sweeter to this new friend of his. Resting his arm on the shorter female's shoulder, Ren found himself having to bend uncomfortably to get closer to her level. "Don't dirty it up too much. It was signed by LeBron James." Referring to his hoodie, he lifted Ayame's arm by tugging at the sleeve. 'Don't be a prick.' was written sloppily on the outside, followed by the basketball player's iconic autograph. While he didn't mind that Ayame chose to hold onto his hoodie, Ren didn't want her to ruin it either.

Recalling the popsicle in his hand, he offered it to Haruhi instead. "If you spot Kousei Senpai on your way out, give him this for me. He bit his lip earlier and it's a little swollen. If you don't see him, just throw it away." It was a bald faced lie but the mild concern drawn on his features sold the story perfectly. If Haruhi didn't believe it, then it couldn't be helped. It was Sol's problem now.
​

 

[Rads]

Ruby

---

Interactions:: Shin before before Akari, @YetieBetie
@ScarletNova,
@Monbon @Takumi
Mentions: :Aya say kun
Location: Living room

Ruby, much like Kio, had been watching people silently from the wall, sure some people, and listening the whole time. She goes up to Shin and says, "Sorry to cut in so abruptly, but before I forget, later on, me, you, and Aya need to have a frank talk about some of the events that have happened so far. Please meet me back here after all the activities are done. I will have a do not disturb sign on the door so we can talk". "I really hope Aya doesn't make me chase her; that would be a pain for both of us.". She pauses for a few moments, then says, "Also, Shin, please remember to take a step back if you start to feel overwhelmed.".

"Well, with that said, I'm heading back to Akari, and I'm sorry again for the semi awkwardness of things.". She then steps back and turns away from Shin to head back, and when she gets there and is greeted, she says, "Nice to meet you as well, Aki As to the question to the riddle, I could be wrong, but it seems like it would be a cave, maybe because of the bats and potential bears that hibernate during the winter." She suddenly remembered, "Oh, here's some trail mix I made for, say, Say Kun, but there's also enough to pack for you on the trail if you would like some." She takes two from her pockets and offers them to akari.

 

[Jig The Zom-B]

It was quite a bit of a blur, first he was introducing himself to the pair, next thing he knew he was inside the cabin having pastries pressed to his face as a friendship token. The smell of the food was pleasant and even without taking a bite, could tell just how crisp and flaky the treat was! Hand reaching up to take the food, not quite wanting to be hand fed, would nod to Sayuri. It was a nice little friendship offering and Medrin was happy to accept it. His gaze lingered on the sweet treat in his hand, he did want to eat it, but a lack of hunger stopped him from taking a bite, yet. Turning it in his hand between dexterous finger's, quietly sat. He would eat this another time, for now however wanted to just relax. He was comfortable on the sofa, listening to the nearby Sayuri and Akari as they spoke, feeling too awkward to join in and opting to enjoy a little bit of quiet. There were no shortage of new and unfamiliar faces throughout the room, the thought of interacting with so many people made him tired already.

Before being quite able to zone out, however, the club president arrived and began speaking of a scavenger hunt. He could just doze off and stare ahead absent minded, but curiosity told him to pay attention lest he get himself into trouble. It was to be a duo expedition, looking for individual group puzzle pieces all in the name of special loot. He could see the prospect of a unique reward lighting interest behind a few people eye's, the president seeming to have the entire rooms attention after that little tidbit of information. As the president continued to speak, his attention moved. He found his eye's shifting to the backpacks that had been brought in. He didn't have time to wonder, the president outright telling the group that everything they needed was within each bag. Then the pairs were called.

Medrin watched as Haruhi pulled forth names and called out each pair. Name by name, each time one was called he let his attention wander, only to have it snap back when his own was called and he was paired with Solaris. The last thing he heard was that each pair had indeed, their own pieces to find. With all that said, the meeting seemed to conclude, ambient talking amongst the gathered people and pairs slowly forming together. Not quite sure who Solaris was, deigned to remain where he was sat, idly playing with his yet uneaten pastry. His mind thought of what kind of puzzle he was going to have to deal with. Maybe climbing? He could do that. Underwater? Not for everybody, but able. Some kind of quiz? Instantly fucked if so... A sigh blowing through his nose as he just hoped that his partner and clue weren't going to be difficult. He had not noticed Akari and Sayuri wandering from the sofa towards their new partners. A temptation to ask someone who Solaris arose, but awkward shyness stopped him from even standing from his current seat. Thankfully, the person in question would come to him.

Medrin found his eye's shifting and landing on someone approaching him, stopping short of where he was sat and greeting him with a small bow of the head, mimicking it with his own little head bow in reply. Medrin wore his own warm smile as he stood from his seat and took a step towards him. A hand offered, he reached out with his own and took it, shaking his hand. "Likewise, Hymm Medrin. If i do have question's, i will let you know." Releasing his hand. Solaris had a bit of a professional air to him, although Medrins attention was stolen for a moment by the swollen lip. Did he get hit or something? Question for later, if he remembered. Attention sprang back as he was offered a piece of paper, hoping that Solaris had not said much else after his greeting. Distraction was certainly a pain at times. Reaching out to receive the paper, unfolded it as he placed the pastry into his pocket for later. With both hands available, sat and placed the map over his lap and glared at what he could only generously call a map. The written clue wasn't much better, Medrin's brain smoking a little as a good nursery rhyme had a less that rhythmic encore. Both hands coming up to his temples, fingers rubbing into them for a moment as he tried to get his two brain cells to stop competing for third place and try get an idea of what was to be done.

Before being able to say much of anything, Solaris seemed to want to get the whole ordeal underway and off to a swift start. Taking the hint, offered a hand towards him for the backpack. He was more than happy to hold it and let Solaris be in charge of the map, offering it in turn. With some idea of what was to come, walked with Solaris towards the exit of the room, pausing before fully leaving. "You wouldn't mind if i quickly stopped to grab some string before we go? It will only take a moment." Leaving the bag with Solaris as he quickly vanished to the supply cabinets, locating what he needed after a few moments and making his way back to Solaris as quickly as he vanished. He could tell he wanted to get started in a hurry, best not let him think he was slacking. Medrin could be quick when he needed to be. Packing the roll of string along with his pastry into the backpack, hoisted it over his shoulder and made his way to the outside with Solaris.

With the fresh air over him once more, he could feel much more motivating energy moving through him, the tired look in his eye's fading, yet his smile never seemed to fade. He was looking forward to this. When asked about his experience in the outdoors, nodded as he began leading Solaris away from the cabin. "I am fairly good with the outside world. Navigation, orientation, travel and survival are things i can say i have a little bit of intimate experience with." Starting the walk towards the lake he had scouted out in his spare time before the others arrival. He had planned on fishing there, even saw some boats here and there. The song of row the boat still fresh in his mind drawing him in that direction. Walking at a pace that was comfortable for Solaris as they travelled. It was a small walk to reach the lake, no real point in rushing yet. At least he hoped it wasn't a race. "Worry not. Just as if i have question's about the club, you can also ask me about the wilderness. I'm more than happy to help out Solaris. I admit i am not the most social person. But i do my best to accommodate." His company with Solaris was pleasant, friendly. He hoped that by the end of this he would have another friend. Reaching half way towards the lake, knowing that in a few minutes they would be able to see the waters surface through the treeline and foliage, nodded in agreement at the body of water statement. "Yes, you are on to something there. In the small time i had to look at the map and riddle, i figured the same thing. It is why i'm leading us towards a lake i had visited prior. The waterfall is also an option, but we should check the lake first. If we do not find anything, then we can head that way next." He wasnt entirely sure of what else to really talk about as they travelled. Then remembered, "So did you walk into a door? Bit your lip when trying to eat?" Curiosity to his question, figuring it might pass some of the time as they travelled.

After a nice walk down a few dirt trail's, through a couple parted shrubs and bushes to save some time and helping solaris navigate through a pathless route through the treeline, came into view of the lake. It was quite the view, one that made his smile just that little bit more warm. Taking a moment to just stare at the surface of the water, nodding then looking to Solaris. "This is the lake i came across earlier. If we follow the coast eastward for a bit, i remember spotting a boat on the shore." Letting Solaris look over the map, waiting for it to come low enough to let him also look it over. The map showed a lake with something in it's centre, sure enough looking out towards the waters one would spot an island sat at the middle. Rowing the boat, that was making sense. But there wasn't any streams here. "Why don't we check out the distant shore, if we don't find anything we can check the waterfall?" Gesturing to Solaris, letting him make the call. He had led him here, but for the most part it was a team effort, including in the shot calling. Maybe Solaris had thought something up on the way here? Always best to check one's options. "Ahh, and do not worry. I am more than happy to paddle the boat if you do not wish to."

Standing by the waters edge and reaching down to pick up a flat stone. Reeling his arm back, left leg coming forward and twisting his torso. A moment of tensing his upper muscles, like that of a tightly wound spring. With sudden whirling force, bringing his arm around with a spin on his finger. The stone left him with a blur of motion and a quiet whiz through the air. The little stone skipped 18 times before pattering beneath the water and vanishing from sight. Reaching down and picking up another, offering it to Solaris. "Give it a go! It's fun!" A small flat stone sat in the palm of his hand. It was always fun to skip stones, but even more fun when you had someone to throw with.

Interaction('s) - Sayuri: @Monbon - Solaris: @xLarius
Mention('s) - Akari/Haruhi: @ScarletNova
Location('s) - Cabin -> Lake

 

[SolsticeArcanum]

Joseph(Joe) Tsuyo-sa
Location: Living Room → Storage Room
Mentions: Haruhi; @ScarletNova
Interactions: Hanae; @Monbon​

Joe heard his name called out by Haruhi, and it was accompanied by another name, 'Hanae.' It must be the name of his partner for the event Haruhi had planned. Joe then heard his name called again, he looked up slightly and saw a girl with blonde hair falling over her shoulders, but not enough to see her face. The girl announced herself as 'Niijima Hanae' and said it was a pleasure to meet him. Joe realized this was his partner, and he also doubted her words to be true, because why would it ever be a pleasure to meet someone as trash as himself? "It's nice to meet you, Niijima-chan…" Joe mumbled, in a cold and low voice.

Joe listened as Hanae read the riddle aloud, she unknowingly helped him as she did so. He didn't understand the riddle one bit, but her action was nice until she handed him the paper. "U-uh… Niijima-chan… I-I can't read it…" Joe admitted to Hanae.

 

[The_Queer_Alien]

Daichi Sato

Location: Cabin Living Room​

Daichi saw that the mission to get his switch was a success he let out a sigh of relief, Once Hiroki approached him with the item he could've kissed him in the moment, then Hiroki mentioned that they might not have time to play any games. Just as he said that his alarm went off signaling them to attend the meeting.

Daichi went to sit next to Hiroki, he didn't want to admit they were friends, last time he did that all it took was a bad argument for her to ruin his life, but he could at least say they were cool with each other. He sat through the club leader reading describing the activity to the club, every now and then he zoned in and out but he still had an understanding of what he had to do... find a puzzle piece using a riddle, and then put the puzzle pieces together to find a treasure chest. Seemed simple enough, now it was a matter of who his partner was.

He looked at the list and saw he had been paired up with someone named Ren, "hey, Hiroki, I still don't know anyone's names yet, can you tell me who this Ren guy is" he asked. That's when he noticed the look Hiroki was giving him, at first he was equal parts scared and confused, then from across the room he saw the annoying blonde guy asking the club leader to ask about who his partner was and then it clicked... Shit.

Daichi's first instinct was to 'go to the bathroom' to hide out, soon enough the guy is gonna be asking around for him. Just the thought made him want to throw himself off a roof. He considered faking an illness but he also realized it was too soon for it to be believable, maybe accept whatever punishment was in store for not participating, He'd probably just have to clean the toilets for the remainder of the trip, anything to avoid spending time with that asshole.

Interactions: Hiroki Niwa (@Takumi )
Mentions: Ren Fujiwara (@Monbon ), and Haruhi Nakamura (@ScarletNova )​

 

[YetieBetie]

Location: Living Room
Interactions: Mariko @ScarletNova, Ruby @Rads
Mentions: Joe @SolsticeArcanum
Mood: Time to work:(

Shin was busy staring at big bulky guy. He slouched in his seat, putting a hand on his chin as he watched the person. Something was definitely off with them. Where had he seen them? If he could just pinpoint it already, he'd probably be able to relax a bit. Perhaps he'd been in the military for a time? He had the physique for it. Shin could easily picture the stranger in a uniform with one of his buddies.

When Aya came in, relief flooded his growing worry, the swagger in her step and the absurd proclamation clearly showed she was fine. Which meant if this person was a threat to Aya specifically, they were acting alone at the moment.

He eyed the person carefully as Haruhi began her instructions. Following along was simple enough. Grab a bag, get a puzzle piece, solve a... riddle? Curses, riddles were definitely not his strong suit. He had no patience for them. A weakness Aya had often complained about as such things were a hidden hobby of hers. He couldn't help it. Most of the time they made no sense. It was an easy way to feel frustrated and stupid. Why purposefully subject oneself to that kind of torture? Especially when it wasn't necessary?

Hopefully his partner and him got an easy one.

Speaking of partners, Haruhi began listing off each paring carefully. He listened intently, tagging each person he recognized or had already met. Mentally noting the list of names he'd yet to piece together. Perhaps he could figure out the big bulking guy's name with it. Maybe then he'd finally recognize them. If only he knew more names and faces. He didn't know a Daichi, nor did he know Sayuri or Briar. In truth, he knew basically no one.

"Mariko and Shin"

Mariko... it was one of the few names he actually knew. She was the one who'd taken lead of the situation back in the game room. The girl who'd seen something strange on her notebook. And most importantly, the girl who'd seen him make a complete imbecile of himself during the chaos. She'd taken charge. What had he done? Stood there like an idiot.

Guilt hit his gut like a jackhammer. Knowing that had been the first impression he'd given her, she couldn't have been happy to be partnered with him of all people. There was only one thing he could do to set things right: Prove to her he wasn't as useless as he had been back in the game room.

But first, big guy.

He traced the man's movements, biting down hard on his lip when he realized the man had been approached by none other than Hani.

Narrowing his gaze, he instantly started analyzing any possible ideas he could conjure should this man truly mean harm. Haruhi had said they couldn't leave their partners. If this man really was a threat, it'd look painfully suspicious if Mariko and him tried to follow them. Not to mention he'd feel terribly guilty for dragging Mariko into anything. Especially if that something could be potentially dangerous.

It was frustrating. These things always were. If he'd been a hundred percent certain this guy actually did pose any danger, he would have gladly broken the rules for the safety of everyone. But he didn't know if this man was a threat at all.

His eyes closed, brow furrowing as he recalled the list of names Haruhi had announced. Joe and Hanae.

Joe.

A soft growl of further frustration escaped him. Not loud enough for anyone to hear, but enough to release a bit of his annoyance. He knew lots of Joes, but the first ones that came to mind didn't look anything like the Joe standing in this room.

---

His eyes popped open just in time to see his own partner approaching him. Something about the slight sway in her gait told Shin the bag she'd grabbed was a tad too heavy. Though Aya had yelled at him enough times in the past to sway him from asking her if she'd like him to carry it. According to Aya, people didn't like others who 'used their Spidey senses to be nosey'. Her words not his. With how rocky he'd been back in the game room, Shin didn't want to chance offending Mariko as well.

"Umm, h-hello, t-thanks for helping H-Hani."

Helpful. His mouth opened as he took courage in trying his best to meet the goal he'd set for himself. "I..."

Where had his voice gone?! Why was nothing coming out?! HELPFUL! HE WAS SUPPOSED TO BE PROVING HE WASN'T USELESS!

The problem, dear reader, was that Shin was looking at Mariko as he spoke. Or tried to speak anyways. The sounds wouldn't come because it was the most he'd looked at her. And that was groundbreaking enough to halt any other progress the dummy could make at this time.

He'd been too rushed before. Distracted with the blood coming out of Hani's nose. And now that he wasn't quite so distracted, he was terrified. She was beautiful. Braids around her face, blue-greyish eyes encircled by glass frames. Glasses which only accentuated her eyes quite well. Though there was a painfully familiar aura of nervousness around her entire stature.

Good god, they were going to die. His head dropped to his feet. Brows knitting as he fought to regain control over his stupid voice. Mariko sputtered out more of her own words. How was she doing that? Sure she was stuttering and clearly struggling. But she was doing it. Talking to him pretty decently too. It was amazing.

'Helpful you idiot!' His mind hissed. 'MUSH!'

Jolting, he stood up. Grabbing the backpack and unzipping it in one smooth motion. He pulled out the map. Burying his face in it as though he were looking dutifully at all the places they could go to.

Mostly it was to hide the heat forming in his cheeks. "I- I-..." deep breaths. "I'm excited to b-be your p-partner..." He confessed, peering over the paper at her with caution. Had he sounded too eager? Not eager enough? Perhaps too shy?

Wait, now he was looking at her. Once more his entire body jumped as his mind whispered a reminder about the riddle. The map wavered in his hand as he set it on the couch behind him. Embarrassed as he searched for the parcel he'd been given not five minutes ago.

When he caught hold of it, he twisted back to her. Face tomato red as he gripped the paper. "I-it says..." curse his stupid vision. The slight fuzz of the letters made him hold the paper closer. His eyes squinting a bit as he silently cussed out the thug who'd managed to land a hard blow on the side of his head some years ago.

"C-Come... live like a monkey... o- atop a tree.

As you an- enjoy nature, w-wild and free.

I'm made of wood... and maybe stone,

Climb up that ladder with your friends, or even o- a... alone...."

Typically his reading wasn't this bad. Yes, he was a bit slower than most, but not too much. Knowing Mariko was listening only seemed to twist the a's and e's more in his head. His hands shook as he finished. Face redder as he dipped his head a bit lower. Useless? He was utterly pathetic. How was he supposed to prove otherwise? More than embarrassed, he handed the sheet over to her so she could read it properly to herself.

---

While she did so, he grabbed the map from his seat. Moving slower so he could gather his thoughts while his back was to his partner.

How could he do this? He couldn't even read a poem without looking like a fool. Poor Mariko was stuck with what had to be the worst partner in the history of ever. He'd have to make it up to her... but how?

During his 'time out' session, Ruby approached him and began speaking intently towards him. All nerves faded to solemn attention as the redhead began talking about a private talk with both of them.

It was concerning. First the mysterious man, now Ruby? Did she know of something neither he or Aya knew about? Something that pertained to them? His eyes slid towards Joe, who seemed to be speaking quietly to Hani. Things certainly felt off.

"Ruby-san," Shin turned back to her. His voice dropping to a low, urgent whisper, "is-"

All his questions died as Ruby began speaking of chasing Aya. Why did Ruby think Aya would run? Did Aya have good cause to avoid Ruby? Had something happened?

Uneasy with the words Ruby was talking about, Shin clamped his mouth shut. Deciding against asking Ruby for anything more. Why did she suggest he take a step back? Why the private meeting? Who was that man?

Things weren't adding up. And that was a dangerous place to be. "Thank you Ruby-san," He said, forcing his facial features to soften into a look of gratitude. The girl had given him more information than she'd probably known. Something was off here. And he needed to be on guard. That type of warning seldom came whenever things went awry. Shin meant to heed it. Letting Ruby rejoin her partner, Shin turned back to Mariko. A bit more refreshed and ready to try being helpful once more.

Joe couldn't do much right now. Shin had overheard the teachers speaking of tracking devices. So even if something did happen to Hani, he prayed to the gods it didn't, Shin was certain it wouldn't be today.

 

[Takumi]

Mirai Ueno
Location: Living Room
Interactions: Tsukiko (@xLarius)

Mentioned: Haruhi (@ScarletNova), Joe (@SolsticeArcanum)

"If you want to, Joe-kun, you can sit near me and my friend Hiroki if you're comfortable with that," With the meeting starting and groups being decided, Mirai had offered for Joe to sit nearby if he wanted while she grabbed her own backpack and gave him an encouraging smile before going to sit when Hiroki motioned her over to a free spot. Once the meeting was over and others started breaking off into groups her brown gaze searched for her own partner.

"Oh my dear new companion in adventure! We shall embark on a journey no one has ever laid eyes on before! Trek a path no one dares tread! However, fear not, for I! Inari Tsukiko on the honor of the Inari family will protect the joyous occasion that this time together brings-- and our bonds will become inseverable! Even through reincarnation!"

She couldn't help the chuckle at her rather energetic and eccentric classmate as she stood and grabbed the backpack sitting near her feet to hoist onto her back.

"It's good to see you too, Inari-kun. Glad that you're my partner for this." She greeted with a nod of her head. He'd surely have enough energy for the both of them the entire time, but she wasn't bothered by it.

"Thus! I present to you... The clue our glorious leader had bestow upon our worthy grasp!" He offered the clue set upon both his hands.

"One two three,
one two three,
I pray that you are worthy of the task
waltz until you have nothing to mask
for the gods will know
exactly what hides below."​

Mirai's brows furrowed, arms crossing as she tilted her head in thought. It was rather…well–

"... Ominous." Tsukiko let out a laugh, boisterous as it seemed, it had an edge of nerves to it though he didn't let it weigh him down for long. He turned towards his partner in crime. "So.... Where shall we go first!? Shall we simply move forward and allow the winds to dictate our path!?" He suggested.

"We could also just head upwards and try to get to the tallest point to try and spot where it is we're trying to find! You won't find a better guide than myself in these types of wildernesses! Oh! Do you think we'll have time to bring back a souvenir? The few kids around the shrine as of late have been gossiping about a legendary beetle in this region." He mentioned, his eyes beginning to flash at the mere mention of something to collect.

Having him voice her thoughts out loud caused her to nod, a flash of amusement in her eyes as she did so. When asked where to go first she hummed in thought and opened up the map they were given, holding it out so that Tsukiko could also look at it.


"Well, are there any trails that lead to some kind of hill or slope? We may have better luck if we find that then if we can get a good look at the grounds…" She muttered, eyes scanning the page before landing on Tsukiko when he mentioned souvenirs.

"We might, though the beetle might be hard to find if it's a legendary." She half-joked.

 

[Monbon]

Sayuri Satou​

|| Location: Outside the Cave || Interactions: Briar @Takumi || Mentions: Haruhi || Mood: Scared + Sugar/Caffeine rush = Good times /s||

"Waahh!" Sayuri was awestruck by the other's navigating skills. They couldn't even tell which way was north or pinpoint their location on the map yet Briar had effortlessly found a cave after turning the map right side up. "You're amazing! Way to go Domo-kun~ Let's go!"

Linking arms, Sayuri led Briar right out the door and down the trail towards the waterfall. The longer they walked, the less Sayuri pulled Briar along. By the time they got to the waterfall, the pinkette was matching the other's pace. Along the way they had slowly come to the realization that the puzzle piece might actually be inside the cave.

"There… there wouldn't be any bears right, Domo-kun? Haruhi wouldn't put us in danger like that, right? They should still be hibernating if they are… I think?" Sayuri shot question after question at Briar, hoping the other male would confirm it or reassure them in some way. "Maybe maybe it's hiding outside?"

Yet the moment they actually stood outside the cave, there was nothing there. After turning a few stones over, Sayu was shocked to find nothing at all. Green eyes uneasily shifted towards the mouth of the cave. They weren't even inside and his heart was already racing from more than just the caffeine.

"I..I'm scared of the dark." Sayuri admitted. Though they didn't want to disappoint their partner, they also knew pretending to be okay with this task would lead to bigger disappointment later on. "Domo-kun can we hold hands? It shouldn't be scary if we hold hands." Reaching into the backpack, Sayuri grabbed the flashlight Haruhi provided for them and held it in their right hand, offering Briar their left.
​

 

[xLarius]

Solaris Kousei

Well it was a relief that Solaris had been paired with someone so reliable and interlinked with the outdoors. Perhaps they'd be one of the first people to return.

Solaris wasn't in too much of a rush, following behind Medrin as the other seemed to lead him forward. Occasionally he'd cross-reference their movement with the map, but his companion seemed to be doing just fine on his own. A small part of the vice-president wondered if the other just had a nose for the water or something of the same sort.

He tapped his finger against the side of his cheek, pondering what he'd do if he personally had that sort of talent. He'd be popular in arid regions, certainly. He scratched at his cheek at the other using his first-name. Another foreigner... Maybe? Solaris didn't really want to be bothered to put in the effort to correct him so... He'd let it pass for now, unless it became an immediate issue, he supposed.

​

"Mmn, that's alright. I'm not much of a social butterfly myself." He reassured, a courteous smile once again pulling on his lips. It was the truth though. He was more comfortable with someone else talking, however he wasn't naïve. To coax something out of someone, they had to feel companionship... Indebted. The issue he supposed, was balance. "Why the string?" Solaris curiously asked, already figuring that perhaps the other truly was constantly on 'survivor' mode with how he tossed food into the bag.

​

At the other reaffirming his assumptions, Solaris gave a brief nod. However, when the other asked whether he walked into a door, at first his expression completely blanked, going eerily silent as they continued to walk down the path. There wasn't a really right answer to this question. The most straightforward answer would be 'my kouhai bit me', but then that could lead to the why... and Solaris didn't know how to answer the why quite yet.

He could answer the 'how did things lead up to that', but he didn't really want to do that either. Lying was also excessive work to recall... So what was the best choice here? Well beside that, how badly did Ren bite down that people could tell that he bit him? It still stung a little bit he didn't think it was evident.

​

When he laid eyes on the glimmering waters, for a moment he simply basked in the sounds of the lake rippling against its makeshift sand. When Medrin spoke again, he turned his head, soft emeralds meeting calming browns. It was strange to see someone so genuinely enthused about the wilderness. He was cautious with his steps, not really in the mood to sprain an ankle on this trip.

When the other drew closer, Solaris didn't particularly care as their shoulders bumped from the close distance, eyes flitting back to the paper. He figured by 'distant' shore, Medrin meant they'd patrol around the lake perhaps. The walk didn't seem too bad, luckily the other wasn't pushing him to move quickly nor was the lake too far so for now he was fine.

​

"We can check out the shore. I'm sure if you saw a boat, you saw one. If anything, it's best to be safe than sorry." He shrugged, simply tucking the map back into his bag before watching the other with a sweat drop forming as he watched the sheer strength the other threw the stone with. Yeah... Solaris wasn't going to pick a fight with Medrin if he could help it. The other looked as if he could fight a whole colony of beavers with his eyes closed. "We'll see, the last thing I'd want is to be a burden on the boat..." he trailed off before the other offered him a stone. For a moment, the vice-president was at a loss of words, turning the stone over before staring at Medrin. He really was out of his element.

​

Who knew that this newcomer would render him speechless, twice?

Solaris attempted to replicate the other's stance, throwing the stone but it wasn't quite as fast so the stone sort of just...

Plop.

Sunk to the bottom of the water. "Huh." He blinked twice before offering an apologetic expression, shrugging before attempting to pick up another stone of similar build to see if he could succeed this time. Again.... and again.... Eventually, he'd thrown at least ten stones into the river with the same sort of vigor before he offered another sort of 'I tried' shrug. "It was.... refreshing to toss a stone into the river." Solaris eventually concluded, his head slightly cocked to the side before giving a nod.

"Yes. Refreshing." He reiterated with a finality before looking downwards to Medrin. "Was I doing something wrong?" Solaris curiously asked before flattening his hand, holding his hand above his eyes and attempting to see if he could spot the boat his partner for the activity had mentioned before.

​

He eventually turned his attention back to the shorter male. "My stance was the same. Perhaps I just don't have as much strength?" Solaris mused, his rather friendly expression back on his face. Once again he scratched at his cheek before gently kicking at the ground, "And my lip... Is it that obvious?" The vice-president curiously asked, his eyebrows pressed downwards. "To put it shortly... I might have overstepped my boundaries and was taught a lesson."

Was the final conclusion he had decided on. He didn't really see what the issue was with what he did. As such, he didn't really... Learn a lesson at all. Ren had just left a confused upperclassman in his wake. However, it was an issue he'd deal with the next time they faced one another. It wasn't.... That big of a deal, he was sure.

However... That brought up a pretty... Interesting question. "Do you think first kisses are important?" Solaris looked towards the other, tilting his head.

「 @Monbon , @Jig The Zom-B 」

credits

 

[xLarius]

Tsukiko Inari

He peeked over her shoulder, then the other one as if his rapid movement would make him analyze the map faster... News flash, it didn't do anything of the sort. "Hum hum.... Well..." He made a motion with his right hand, spinning it around as if he was twirling a lasso with his pointer finger out. "There's this one!" Tsukiko pointed out the trail, "This one is called... 'Dragon Trail'" A cat-like smirk curved upwards on his lips before he set his hands on his hips. "Sounds like the best place to start for me." He announced, pounding his fist against his chest, thumping against it before pointing towards the door. "Upwards and onwards my friend!" Tsukiko declared before moving to grab her hand, tugging her along as they made their way on the path.

​

As long as they were heading upwards, Tsukiko figured that they were heading in some right direction. He really was on the lookout for beetles, his hand firmly grasped on the other's wrist though if Mirai tried to pull back, he'd definitely let go. "Let me know if you see like a... Golden sort of color in the trees, okay? That's the color I've heard the rare beetle is! They're rare because the color isn't that common! I want to get at least one picture to show to the fine children of the shrine..." He hummed. Tsukiko wasn't intent on catching one. It was best to keep a bug in the wilderness rather than reliant on him in captivity... Besides, he already had his hands full walking his singular dog. He couldn't imagine trying to multitask with the goings of the club and taking care of the beetle all at once!

​

"I grew up in the countryside." He grinned before humming softly. "I remember greenery for days... Climbing trees... Days of running across the shrine halls." Tsukiko listed off, continuing to trek up the path. "Did you grow up in this kind of environment or were you more of a city kid?" He curiously asked, looking back before he stumbled over a rock, gripping her wrist tighter as he sort of... teetered forwards and backwards before knocking back into Mirai with an apologetic expression.

​

"Watch out for... Roots I suppose!" Tsukiko laughed before tapping his lips with his free hand. "Though now that I'm thinking about it... I am not aware of how much we're going to see when there's just a lot of trees everywhere... What are we even looking for?" He grinned, not at all phased by the temporarily delay in their mission. He was certain with Mirai by his side, they'd get to the results eventually... So he'd simply enjoy the adventure along the way while he could! Perhaps they could slide down the mountain or something...

「 @Takumi 」

credits