testing...

[smaaaash]

[ Over there, standing smack-dab in the center of the court yard, is a boy who looks as though he is ready for school. Well. Ready for school whenever it starts up again.

Or maybe he's just visiting? It's hard to tell with that canvas knapsack he's got on his back. Maybe the lack of uniform is telling enough of his tale. Reasons aside, he's got a confident air about him that speaks for his determination to attend Smash Academy.

So what will you do? Will you approach this newcomer? ]

Comments

[miraclehymn]

[What if she had simply followed them instead?]

[smaaaash]

[ That could be arranged. ]

It feels like it's been forever since I went to school. I'm kinda stoked for it, weirdly enough.

[miraclehymn]

[Yippy skippy.]

Hehe! Well they do say high school is an adventure.

[smaaaash]

Do they say that? [ He pulls a face, thinking about it. ] TV makes it look like a dramatic part of your life, so maybe that's right. It's still only something I can experience for myself, so that's what makes it an adventure for me. [ That look of determination again. ]

Are... you going to go to school, Paula? Here?

[miraclehymn]

[That determination of his was always admirable. She always felt a bit bolder when she was near it. Paula looked over the campus, thoughtfully raising her fingers to her chin.]

Well I am going to be going to school, of course, though here... [She tilt her head and smiled.] I wanted to check it out at least! [That's why she had wanted to tag along.]

Being able to attend classes with you would be rather wonderful though.

[smaaaash]

Yeah! That's why I mentioned it, because... I thought it would be fun to be able to share the experience with you again. [ He idly bends his arm to fiddle with the sleeve of his shirt. ] Yeah. We have time to think it over before the new year starts, at least.

[miraclehymn]

[She giggled a little, though her cheeks were faintly a bit pinker.] Oh, Ness, you know I'd love to go on any adventure with you.

You're right though, we do have some time to think about it. [Here her dress got an absent brush with her hands to smooth the fabric.] We should get to exploring then, so we have an idea of what we have to think about.

[smaaaash]

[ Ness allows himself to divulge in a personal thought of admiration for her, watching her get a tad flustered like that. Only shortly, however. They had a school to explore. ]

Uh-huh. Then we should go and look around some together. Standing here in the courtyard's a nice, but I want to see what else is here. [ He smiles. ] Maybe we'll meet some nice people here. Meeting some friends could seal the deal.

[miraclehymn]

[She smiled back, clapping her hands together.] It could! I wonder how many places the student body is all from... With a school as big as this, I bet it must be a lot.

[Paula started to take a step, but just a small one to get the ball rolling. She was programmed to content to follow along with Ness' lead, since it was his idea to come check it out in the first place.]

Maybe they've all been on adventures too!

[smaaaash]

Seasoned adventurers from different worlds... I think we could definitely meet some like-minded people somewhere at this school.

[ Almost automatically, Ness begins his lead. As expected. He heads for the fountain, and beyond that the clock tower and the main building. ] Where do you think everybody would be during the summer? Not in classes or anything...

[miraclehymn]

[Paula followed along beside him, just a step or two behind, taking in the sights as they passed them by. Her mind was already aflutter with possibility- they had already met so many interesting characters on their own adventure, what sort made up the attendance here?]

Hmm... If people haven't gone home for the break then... I guess doing something fun in the sun?

[There were a wealth of options available, after all. Baseball fields, swimming, baseball fields, the stadium, the lake... baseball...]

[smaaaash]

Yeah. That's what I'd be doing, if I were here.

[ He'd noticed the wide array of outdoor activities, but there wasn't anybody in sight. Maybe it was too early in the morning for these summer students, and everybody was sleeping in? He could relate to that, too... Sleeping in during the summer was always a constant, even if he told himself to wake up and do something fun. It was simply meant to be.

THEY'RE ACTUALLY ALL OFF FIGHTING ROBOTS AND GETTING CAT-BALLSED... OH NO...

Wait, now that he thought about it, this was one of those academies that was far away from home! Did that mean...? How hadn't he thought about this? ]

Paula, does everybody... live here? During school? In dormitories and stuff? [ INCREDIBLE. ]

[miraclehymn]

[That explains all the robots they beat up along the way. She blinked, tapping her fingers lightly against her lips.]

Oh! Probably...! I mean, that would make the most sense, wouldn't it? Not all of us know how to teleport, after all.

[Paula smiled cheekily and giggled.]

That's exciting though, I think! Because then you'd get to have a room mate...! And they could end up really gay for you and then we would all have Tony stories of our very own oh gosh oh golly!

[mutrained]

[True, the Prince/King of Dalaam was usually busy being the Prince/King of Dalaam, but he wouldn't miss that distinctive psignature for the world. A moment could be spared for a dear friend. Better late than never!

Poo swooped down from the sky!]

[smaaaash]

[ While Ness's face read shock, he somehow expected it before it happened. Poo was pretty amazing: always keeping tabs on his friends. ]

!! [ Maybe he still needed a moment to recover, even though it had happened before a few times. He just needed to make room for a smile, that's all. ] Poo...! What are you doing here?

[mutrained]

I could ask you one and the same.

[There's that habitual, polite bow of his in greeting. It is good to see him again. Always good to see him.]

Is it that you have come to further your education and training, Ness?

[smaaaash]

Yeah. Do you know about this place? [ Well, you never know with a mysterious prince/king from a kingdom in the clouds, so it was worth asking. ] I'm getting a strange feeling just standing here, like vertigo.

[mutrained]

[There's a thoughtful pause as he surveys the campus, slowly shaking his head 'no'.] There is indeed a feeling of familiarity. In another time, in another place, perhaps.

[Let's go with a fresh Poo hee hee.]

It seems fate has drawn us here together for a reason.

[smaaaash]

Something like that. Another time, another place. [ He's mostly repeating it because it resonates with him. It'd be right to be skeptical, but Ness isn't sure he has much room for skepticism in this situation. ]

Do you think that means we'll all end up here again? Together? The four of us?

[stay_classy_cat]

[You know what curiosity does to cats, especially in regard to newcomers. A large feline prowls around the school rooftops bordering the court yard. The way it stalks around is somewhat ominous, and the gaze in its ruby red eyes is keenly mischievous. Eventually it ducks out of sight, hopefully just long enough for a false sense of security before making its way to the ground in front of Ness.

A wild Persian appears!]

[smaaaash]

[ Ness is taken aback at the direct gaze of that huge cat, and he's no stranger to the feeling he gives off. He stands there and stares into the Persian's eyes. ]

Hi there.

[stay_classy_cat]

[For a few tense moments the stare is met, unblinkingly.]

Prrrrrrreow!

[Hello. Finally, the cat decided it was done sizing Ness up and much less threateningly sat on its haunches. A boy that smelled faintly of burgers and goodwill, perhaps. What's in that bag of his, hmm? The Persian tilted its head, as if to silently demand to be obliged.]

[smaaaash]

[ Ness smiles softly, glad that the big cat knew he meant no harm. As for his backpack... ]

It's mostly just burgers random junk in here. A lot of burgers. [ But in case he's curious, Ness heaves it off of one shoulder and sets on on the ground next to his leg. ] I don't know how interested you'd be in stuff like burgers cold remedies or yo-yos, but that's what I've got. Are you hungry? 'Cause I have burgers food.

[ Do cats even like burgers? Hmm. ]

[stay_classy_cat]

[The cat leans forward to take in a good scent of his presented bag. Cold burger remedies? Yo-yos? What an odd yet fairly practical assortment of burgers items. Either way it seems quite important to the boy. How terrible it would be if it was stolen by some devilish wild animal...

With another clipped purring meow, and tail raised high in apparent delight, he rubs his cheeks on the edge of the bag. If Ness was cat-savvy, he might recognize the innocuous behavior as scent marking, to which the Persian seemed to take it one step further.

Mine~!

Suddenly, the cat's maw opened and quickly clamped down on one of the bag's shoulder straps. If Ness wasn't quick, he was going to try and run off with it!]

[smaaaash]

[ Ness was no cat expert. He has a dog, and that's it. But the possessive vibe he gave off got Ness confused. Why would he be behaving like that?

It suddenly made sense after he snatches the bag away, of course. ] Wha- Hey!

[ What was with some animals and taking items from you...? Still, he'd never had anything try to snatch his whole inventory away from him. And now it was happening. Ness gives chase, but if this Persian wasn't about to stop on his own, he might have to stop him himself. ]