RPG Senpai [PG - LV]

[Wondershot]

Prologue "Language barriers?" ----------------------------------- "Just so that the senior film class does not get any...unexpected surprises, I just wanted you guys to know that there is a university student going to teach your class today." The Film and Drama teacher sat down heavily as the morning assembly turned their attention to the next announcement, but some of the younger film students looked at each other warily. Expressions ranged from worry, to excitement, to anxiety, to disappointment, and all points in between. Two young girls in the second year class whispered a few hushed remarks to each other before erupting into a fit of giggles, and a senior student from behind them pressed a finger to her lips and glared at the two girls accusingly. They stopped almost immediately afterwards, and the senior girl, Myrtle Ground, glanced back at her classmate in Film. "Stupid little kids..." Myrtle began with an almost inaudible growl, "Some people just should not have kids..." Rebecca Linne, her classmate in Film, rolled her eyes slightly, as everyone who knew Myrtle at least a little was already familliar with her position on people supposedly unfit to have children. Rebecca simply glanced back in Myrtle's direction, repeating her own finger-to-lips signal as one of the English teachers stood up and informed them that her senior class' essay about life lessons was due today, so they wouldn't forget. "Aw, man, just what is it with that woman and rubbing it in when she knows hardly any of us did the stupid assignment?" Leo Fibonacci looked back in the direction of another film student, Jason Firmd, who was sitting a few rows down from him, who stared stright ahead, unblinking and without moving a muscle. That guy was something, Leo thought as the entire morning assembly stood up in unison and proceeded to file out by rows to get to classes. Leo checked his timetable in hand and, lo and behold, he happened to have Film class first. Eager to figure out the mystery of their new student-teacher, Leo called enthusiastically over to Jason, who was about to head down another hallway. "Jason! We have Film first!" Jason stopped with one hand on the doorknob, and then proceeded to rifle through the pocket of his blazer in search of his timetable. Leo just shook his head and proceeded to walk down the main hall to the theatre building. Just as he passed through one of the double doors, a shady figure in a coat passed through the opposite door, a huge manlia folder overflowing with papers and covered in post-it notes tucked under one arm. Leo watched as this person slipped through the open door without saying a word and, despite the hurry the person seemed to be in, moved almost soundlessly down the hall, as though gliding with each step. Leo quickly blasted the image of this person out of his mind as he walked down the hall to the film class, but what he saw upon looking at the door nearly stopped him dead in his tracks. Myrtle and Rebecca had already arrived, but there was a huge notice tacked to the board before they had gotten there: [IMG]http://img140.exs.cx/img140/3153/senpainotice6za.jpg[/IMG] Now the three of them stared at the notice in confusion, not only bewildered by the poster's unusual choice of writing and words, but also by the calligraphy at the end. "Hey, Myrtle. Doesn't this look like Japanese to you?" Myrtle glanced at the writing and frowned. "Hm, I haven't seen an expression like this written down before, I'm not sure what it means." Leo rolled his eyes at the message, as, in the past, several of the younger students played pranks on some of the classrooms near the assembly hall, putting fake notices up to misdirect entire classrooms at once. Leo couldn't help smirking, though, as he had even done it to the History class once a feew years ago, but the three of them continued to stand at the door, waiting for some indication of where they were supposed to go, when Jason walked in. Leo immediately pounced on him with questions: "Did you see any kids out there laughing?" "No." "Did you see our new teacher yet?" "No." "Did our old teacher say anything about us changing classrooms this morning?" "No." "Does this message look like it was written by one of the juniors?" Jason looked up at the massive notice. "...I can barely even read it..." "Look, this isn't really getting us anywhere." Rebecca exclaimed suddenly, "This notice probably isnt a fake, as, you know, fakes usually try to look remotely convincing in order to confuse the students. This one looks just plain weird, so maybe it is a prank, but it is just as likely that the new teacher may have written it." Myrtle nodded in consent. "Yeah, I mean, the old guy told us not to worry about any 'unexpected surprises', so maybe this is what he was talking about?" Leo nodded his head, ever so slightly. "Yeah, No one's showed up for almost ten minutes now, so we might as well follow the message." The four students looked down towards the stairwell to the basement floor, where most of the maintenance and groundskeeping equipment was kept. Only very few students knew that there were actually classrooms down there, but apparently they were, for the most part, unused because of their supposedly very small size and unusual appearance. However, as the four of them proceeded down the stairs, the walls started to vibrate oddly. "That's not just the boiler..." Leo said, staring at the white-painted brick. Rebecca did the same. "Maybe...Somebody is doing some construction?" "No, it's too constant...but the pitch changes." Leo pressed one hand agains the wall. "It sounds like...an acoustic bass." Myrtle looked up at the two stragglers still on the first floor landing. "Some on, class has nearly started for fifteen minutes." The two of them continued their descent, only this time noticing that a voice seemed to be accompanying the rumbling of the walls. Myrtle opened the door tentatively, and the sound immediately became much clearer, and was almost definetely identifiable as an acoustic bass. The four students edged towards the opposite wall, and all slowly turned their heads to the left, where the music seemed to be coming from. A door loomed at the end of the white-brick wall, the lucite-encased plate next to it reading "011". The four students nearly tiptoed over to the door, as though expecting something to lunge out at them from behind the door over the din of the music. All four of them looked at each other, almost as though expecting anyone but themselves to try opening the door first. Finally, Leo found himself with more pairs of eyes on him than anyone else, and, with a small shrug, reached for the iron door handle. Feeling it vibrate for a few with the pulse of bass, he pushed down the handle and threw the door open wide. The room was incredibly dark, but the students could see a massive stereo was already set up in the room, facing the door. Bass and organ music piped out of the massive black speakers while a single voice drowned out lyrics in a foreign language. The four students glanced around the room in astonishment, as the walls were lined with posters from movies, live theatre productions, music concerts and video games in multiple languages. A massive marker board covered a large portion of the wide wall just off to the right. On the opposite side of the room, several coputers sat in a neat row, each one having a small camera immediately next to it. In contrast to this, a huge stack of tapes sat in a heap next to this neat arrangement, each one labled and marked meticulously with a completely illegible cursive. On the desk, manlia folder upon manlia folder formed a wall almost barring the black swivel chair behind it from view. Finally, a sharp voice, which overpowered even the roar of the music, piped out from the chair, even though no one could see who was sitting in it. "Hola, Juan Manuel! Puedo conseguirle algo beber?" The figure in the swivel chair stood up and spun around to face the bewildered Film class, and stopped dead in his tracks. A young man with dark brown hair which seemed to spike up by itself stared at the class, almost looking even more dazed than the four of them. He was wearing a bright purple and gold striped tie, and a sleeveless shirt which was buttoned up completely and had not a single crease on it. Glancing back at the massive stereo, he reached down to his desk without looking, and produced a small black remote, shutting off the sound with one lightning motion. Looking back at his class, he grinned broadly, and proclaimed with enthusiasm: "Buena manana, clase! Como usted esta haciendo?" Each of the members of the class looked at each other unsteadily, they had hired someone to teach them Spanish? He motioned to the four of them to sit down, and they all puled out blue plastic chairs from the far side of the room. The teacher walked out in front of the class, producing a single red marker from his pants pocket. "Me nombre es..." The teacher paused for a moment, and then proceeded to draw a massive figure onto the marker board in front of them. "Me nombre es..." The teacher finished his creation, and used the marker to point at the massive two characters written out on the board, the same ones at the end of the notice on the theater door: "Sen-pai." Myrtle's hand shot up into the air. The teacher pointed the marker at her. "La menina." He said, nodding. Myrtle looked at him unsteadily, voice low. "Your name is...Mr. Senpai?" The teacher looked at her, equally unsteadily, as though he were about to shift direction and walk right into the marker board. "...Nao." He replied simply, turning around to write something else on the board, when Rebecca's hand shot up: "La outra menina." the teacher said, pointing the marker in Rebecca's general direction. Rebecca lowered her hand and stared at the teacher in bewilderment. "Then...why did you say that's what your name was?" The teacher stared at her with an equally puzzled expression, and replied: "Porque?" Myrtle nodded. The teacher stared at the class of four for a few seconds before moving back to his desk and rolling the black swivel chair over to the front of the class. He sat down in the black swivel chair and spun around, facing the marker board so no one could see him. When he turned around, his expression had changed completely. He was no longer quite so strange and bewildered-looking, but his face showed a kind of smugness and condescending grin of absolute confidence. He looked each of the members of his class in the eye and said, with a softer but equally clear voice: "Because that...is the magic of film." Each of the classmates looked at each other, wondering what in the world had just happened, when the teacher continued talking: "Why do you go and see a movie? What is a movie, essentially?" Without waiting for an answer, he continued. "A story, and a story that is told by a series of characters, played by actor,." he motioned emphatically to the rest of the class, "with the intention of finding ways of getting your attention and taking you for a ride. I ask you, what was the first trigger that set this chain of events going?" Rebecca raised her hand, and Senpai nodded at her. "The notice on the theater door?" Senpai grinned. "Not quite, there was one thing that happened before that." Senpai turned his gaze to Leo, when an image flashed through Leo's mind and he raised his hand. Senpai nodded at him. "I saw you in the hallway near the theater..." Leo glanced at the pile of manlia folders on the desk, and recognized the one covered in post-it notes. Senpai's grin grew wider. "Exactly, you did not know who I was at the time, which creates a sense of mystery. The sense becomes just a little more obvious when you saw the notice on the door, but you were still rather uncertain about the direction these events were leading you in...why?" Myrtle raised her hand. Senpai nodded at her in turn. "Because we thought the notice was a joke. We could barely read the writing, and the thing at the end was just weird." Senpai's grin grew from ear to ear now, and he turned to look at the entire class a second time. "Exactly, you all had to take a leap of faith, which is good dramatic experience. You had to make the descision between going for an uncertain risk and simply trying to wait around any longer to see if I would show up. Without a conflict, there is no story. What else happened, though, as you started to walk down the stairs?" Jason raised his hand. Senpai nodded. "We could hear the music." Senpai looked at them. "Nothing generates more suspense and puts the audience in better touch with the characters than with bombardment of the senses. If it's dark, we imagine that the characters can't see, but neither can the audience. If it's loud, the audience hears it as the characters would. Essentially, the audience and characters are in the same boat, which makes them easier to identify with. What else happened, though?" Leo raised his hand again, he was starting to understand the answers that were expected. Senpai nodded. "We got in here...but you were acting all weird and speaking Spanish." "That's right, something happened, you reached a partial climax. When you opened the door, I'm sure you guys were feeling a little nervous with all the weird stuff going on, so when you opened the door to find me acting like a neurotic Hispanic person, you probably must have been reaching the peak of your anxiety and incredulity, right? What happened, though, that set everything on a different level?" Rebecca raised her hand, and Senpai did not even have to nod. "You told us what you were doing for real." "Exactly, the climax was over, I had my fun, the story can start cooling off from there, and now we are here. The story does not necessarily end here, as it keeps going as long as you guys have lives, only I just thought we would pay special attention to this one scene in your life to explain how film makes a story enjoyable for almost anyone and how the strong rising action will keep an iron grip on even your toughest critics." Senpai turned to write something more on the marker board, but then turned and looked back at the class. "Oh, but one more thing happened this morning...that probably told you that today was going to be a little different than usual, what was it?" Myrtle raised her hand slowly, and Senpai's eyes turned to her. "Our teacher told us that we would be having a sub today, and that we shouldn't be too surprised if there are any changes." "But you were surprised, weren't you?" Senpai's grin head reached it's limit, and even Myrtle smiled a little. "Yeah, I guess we were." The entire class nodded slightly, some of them still uncertain if Senpai was in fact their real substitute teacher or just some practical joker. Rebecca raised her hand. "Ok, I think we got all that...but just what is your name, then?" Senpai pointed a thumb back at the marker board, his writing still looming large. Rebecca's hand dropped, and she sighed, wondering when this guy was going to get serious. Senpai fell back into his chair. "Well, then. Since I poured my heart out to you, you might be able to do the same for me. Tell me a little about yourselves, say, why you took Film of all things and what you were taught by the old guy? Maybe I could stand a chance of doing fairly well myself?" Senpai looked around at some of his class, as they seemed to be loosening up a bit and growing more used to his attitude. He nodded slightly while the others spoke. [i]Not bad....not bad at all....[/i]

It's finally started, as, after some wild exams, I am ready to take this seriously and start this RPG moving.

In case anyone else is interested though, [color=red]signups will remain open[/color] for just a little while longer after this RPG starts. We can definetely have space for one or two more people, if anyone is still interested at all.

Above all, though: Have fun, young actors.

[Katana]

[size=1][color=royalblue]Between the rustling of papers and balancing a load of textbooks on top of a trapper, it was a wonder at how a mysterious girl, hidden beneath school supplies, was able to cram a breakfast bar into her open mouth, and still sing to the hidden music player tucked away in her pocket.
She dumped the pile in her locker and scampered to the assembly hall.
?Crap crap crap?? she said in hurried breaths, discovering the hall was now barren with absolutely nobody but a janitor in sight.
She turned on her heel and yanked a crumpled sheet of paper from her other pocket. ?Let?s see here?it says I have Film class?? She sighed. ?Great. The one class I was looking forward to, and I?m nearly twenty minutes late for it?? She glanced at the various information in the corner of the paper, which read: JORDAN C. THOMMAS. Below: FEMALE.
?Well, at least they got that right?? Jordan clicked the music player on again, slipping the headphones on her ears as she headed to what was supposed to be the Film classroom. But there came the sign:
?BY ORDER OF THE POWERS THAT BE, FILM CLASS IS NOW IN ROOM 011 (BASEMENT) ? 先輩
She carefully studied the symbols, but came up short of what they were supposed to be. ?I told mom I should?ve taken Japanese, but nooo, I had to take Spanish??
Jordan was now panicking royally. ?Ahh?think dammit, think!!!? She began pounding her palm against her forehead, hoping it would somehow jog her memory. Then it hit her. ?OF COURSE!? She scampered to a nearby fire extinguisher and studied the map of the fire escape. ?Okay okay?so the stairs to the basement are down [i]that[/i] way ? ? she pointed to her left. ?And the classroom should be at the base. Alright, Jord, you?re in business!?
The song changed on her music player, and the medley of Change the World filled the girl?s headphones. Trooping down the stairs, she sang along.
?I want to change the world?[i]kaze wo kakenukete, nanimo osorezu ni[/i]?? The song was definetly one of her favorites, considering she had been listening to it for over two years.
?I really really hope the teach isn?t pissed,? Jordan whined to herself as she crawled down more stairs. Step after step, the cheap tiling never seemed to end.
?Damn, just how far down is this freakin? basement? You?d think they meant for this to be a dungeon?? And thus began the conversation between Jordan and her brain.
?Well of course it?s like a dungeon, it?s a [i]basement[/i],? her brain made her say.
?But you wouldn?t expect this sort of thing in a school now, would ya?? she countered, and smirked when she couldn?t think of anything to snap back.
There came a loud, long noise, and soon, the walls began vibrating. Jordan pressed a hand to the plaster and felt the strong vibrations. Oh, how she wished she had her oboe on her, maybe she could counter whatever foul beast was lurking in the shadowy pit of the basement and stop him (or her) from making the noise. It killed her ears, even with the headphones on.
Finally, a landing. More cheap tile. Brooms, mops, dirty buckets of water; those things decorated the hallway of the dimly lit corridor, and Jordan felt every respect she had for the school slowly slipping away.
?First they tell me they don?t have band, then they say I?ll have to rough it out with kids two years older than me, now I see that they enjoy the fresh scent of sewage water.? She groaned.
003, 005, 007, 009, 011. ?Ahh?here we are.? She placed her right hand on the handle, and looked down to see it was shaking slightly. The steady vibration of music was pulsating out form the metal, and then, a loud chorus of some Spanish tune rang out, sang by a single person.
Jordan drew a breath. ?And thus, I begin, my adventure?? She cranked open the handle and slipped in, hoping the teacher wouldn?t notice her abscense.
?Strangest film classroom I?ve ever seen,? she muttered quietly to herself, hoping the towering stereo system hid her from, what appeared to be the teacher?s, sight.
It was a young man, looking fresh from a college?but then again, he still looked like he was in one. His voice was clear as it sang the tune, and Jordan?s eyes glanced down to see four other students ? two male, two female; what were the odds of that ? who appeared to be in awe of the teacher.
The man stopped singing, and his eyes seemed to stare right through the stereo to where Jordan was hiding. ?Well class, it seems we have a new student.?

------------------------

Arigato for signing up late. Hope this makes up for that. ^.^;;[/color][/size]

[JJ]

[color=DarkBlue][size=1]Jason looked at the new girl. Before she had opened the door, Jason was getting himself psyched up to stand up and go first. He figured that if he went first, the worst was over. Everyone could get over their fear, and this class wouldn?t turn to flame.

He silently hoped that the new girl would go first, but all she did was mutter a couple of words and sit down. Jason turned to Leo and he gave the thumbs up. Jason stood up before Senpai could call on someone.

?Hi, I?m Jason Firmd, and I come from the USA. I figure it doesn?t matter much, but it makes a good introduction.? He said, starting to blush slightly. ?This is my third year in Film, and I?ve enjoyed it so far.?

?Why?? Senpai asked, looking at him.

?I think that classes like Film and Art give you a chance to express your feelings in one work. You can let out whatever emotions you?ve been holding on to the paper. It?s like you can lift the weight on your shoulders.? He said, starting to fiddle with his collar.

?You seem to feel pretty strongly about that.? Senpai said, glancing around.

?Well. Any who, I think that?s probably the biggest lesson I learned from our old teacher. I never really paid attention to most of his lectures on the ?Basics of Film making? or anything like that, but I did pick up quite a few things.? Jason said, starting to cool down.

?Somehow, that doesn?t surprise me.? Senpai said, a small smile creeping up his face. ?I think that?s about all. You can sit down now.?

Jason sat down with a good exhale of breath. He had gotten through the worst, or so he hoped to think.

Before he turned to another student, Senpai looked to Jason. ?You never answered my question.?

Jason look confused, ?What question?? he thought, getting flushed again.

?Why do you feel so strongly about expressing feeling?? he said, looking interested.

?I guess, that it all goes back to the past.? Jason said, turning in his chair.

?Ok, that?s good. Who?s next?? Senpai said, looking for hands.

As someone stood up, Jason began to think. ?He wanted to know why. The funny thing about that is, I don?t know either.?

Jason then turned to the speaker and began to listen.[/size][/color]

[Kitty]

[COLOR=Blue][SIZE=1]Rebecca stood up, glad she wasn't the first to go. "My name's Rebecca Linne. I was born in the U.S., then my father moved to the U.K. and I went with him, then I moved back with my mother because.. well, I didn't like it there to much. I was real happy I didn't get an accent. Even though I was there for six years. I still see my dad, though."

"How long have you been in film?"

"Throughout my years in highschool. From my freshman year to this year," she responded, already growing tired of her, so far, short introduction.

"And why did you join film?" Senpai asked her, his small smile broadening.

"My mum gave me the idea. I was bored, and I'd always question stories I saw in the theater and on TV. The summer before my freshman year, we had just seen a movie that I didn't really like, but my mum did. When I was tearing at the story line, she said to me, 'If you don't like it, write your own. You are a good writer, and I know how much you love to. Besides, your work would please you more than the others you've seen,' or something like that. Then when registering for classes, I saw the choice for "Film" and took it." Rebecca turned to sit down.

Senpai smiled. "Have you enjoyed film?" he asked her, making her pause and turn to him. "Well, if I hadn't, I wouldn't be here right now," she laughed, sliding into her chair. "Good, good," he continued to smile, "Next?"[/SIZE][/COLOR]

[Katana]

[size=1][color=royalblue]There was an uneasy silence for a few moments before Jordan sighed and stood up. "I'm Jordan Thommes, glad to say I'm a girl." She began checking things off her fingers. "I was born in Ireland, moved her a few years ago, then lived here for a few years, then went here..." She paused. "I don't sound Irish, I think, but sometimes I swear like a drunk." She secretly smiled in her mind.
"How long have you been in Film?" Senpai asked, although he already seemed bored of the question.
"Uh...um...uh...This is my second year. I had a sort of Film class in junior high that I took and really liked, so when I came here, I thought it'd be cool to do it again." Jordan smiled. "That answers both questions, right?"
Senpai merely put on a slinky grin. "So why did you say, 'glad to say I'm a girl'?"
Jordan groaned. "Can't you tell?" She began pointing at her hair, her shape, and then, pointed to her name on the classes sheet. "[i]Jordan[/i]. C'mon, not many people think that's a girl's name. I have super-short hair -" She lifted up a short strand, about two inches, "- and I don't have what you would exactly call a "womanly" shape. I'm just some midget kid who looks like a guy. Always have been, probably always will be."
"You have a grim outlook on life, don't you?"
Jordan perked up. "Hmm? Heh, no, but you think I would, hnn?" She grinned widely. "I'm just a nutcase who really shouldn't be here, I used to play the weirdest instrument ever - oboe - before I found out I couldn't take band, and even though I appear to be an idiot, I'm a smart little cookie." With that, she plopped down in her seat.
"Next?" Senpai asked.[/color][/size]

[Sara]

Leo stood cockily. "I'm Leo Fibonacci. Rather disapppointingly, given the array of countries represented," he grinned, "I grew up in town. "I'm a senior; been in drama for the last three years. This is my first film class. I was looking for slacker classes to take this semester, and my director suggested this one." He laughed as one of the girls gave him a shocked look. He ticked a few more things off on his fingers: "I have a sense of humor. I'm a show off. I like spicy food." He nodded to Jordan. "I played the oboe in middle school until the band director bumped me over to bassoon. I volunteer at an after-school program on weekday afternoons, so if we actually need to do any [i]filming[/i] outside of classtime, after school's out for me. "My favorite color is chartreuse, my favorite movie is [i]Young Frankenstein[/i], I quote Monty Python like a madman--I'm in drama, it comes with the territory--I've never met a man I didn't like, and I enjoy long walks by the beach and getting caught in the rain." He paused, giving the impression he had more to say. The pause lengthened until it was apparent that he was finished, and he sat down again, still grinning. Senpai arched an eyebrow. "Thank you, Leo."

[Wondershot]

Apologies for the long delay, all. I was uncertain what to do with Godel having remained incommunicado for so long...so we'll just have to move on for now.

Class 1: Gray Eyes The atmosphere in the class was now one of such absolute silence that people could practically hear the band class in their own building while they practiced. Senpai was now staring in total focus at Myrtle Ground's face while she shifted uncomfortably in her seat, albeit failing to avert her eyes from Senpai's unblinking gaze. Everyone else in the classroom was now watching Senpai and Myrtle as they continued their staring contest, and, even as the bell for next class rang, no one moved. Senpai's body was rigid as stone, and a the class did not even hear him breathe. Myrtle, however, seemed determined not to crack under her teacher's icy glare, even as the next film class began banging on the door in an attempt to get in... The rest of the class had gone something like this: ----------------------------------- Senpai rubbed his chin thoughtfully as Leo sat down with his grin seemingly cemented permanently onto his face. He was liking the look of things more and more as this class went on, he had a wide array of characters, and seemingly, a lot of talent to work with. Senpai's eyes then shifted towards Myrtle, who did not seem too keen on speaking up. His eyes remained locked on her for about a full minute, while she sat in silence, before Senpai himself spoke up: "You're in no mood for talking, I take it." Myrtle did not move. "Class, am I hallucinating, or is there, in actuality, a girl with way too many ribbons in her hair to still be tasteful sitting in front of me right this second?" Everyone looked around the room for a moment, as though expecting someone else to answer, before Jason nodded slowly. "Thank you, Jason." Senpai replied without averting his eyes from Myrtle. She shifted her feet slightly, but otherwise did not move or break eye contact. "Class, what you are about to learn about is a lesson in building tension in your audience. What if, hypothetically, one could develop a situation where both parties have something to lose, and have to make some kind of sacrifice to maintain their empathy and connection with the audience? That's tension, when you can identify with the characters as they play out their roles, as well as lose yourself a little when they are engaged in a weird situation like that." The class nodded more or less in unison. "So, this is why I'm doing this. If Myrtle breaks eye contact with me, she fails this class and I will not be allowed to let her back in. If I lose eye contact, the she can go to each and every class for the remainder of the year and never have to say a word to me again." Myrtle's eyes widened, and some of the class looked at each other in confusion. "You're not serious, are you?" Myrtle asked Senpai, voice laced with uncertainty. Senpai smiled eerily. "I guess there's only one way to find out." ----------------------------------- Now, the class had been reduced to this, everyone staring at the two eye-locked gladiators in one corner of the room, no one paying attention to the banging on the door as the second-year class wondered if anyone was inside, no one playing attention to the second-class bell as they could hear students pounding the floors above them in a mad rush for their next classes. Even Leo's grin had disappeared in the thirty or so minutes during which the class remained completely motionless. The second-years banged on the door a third time. "Come in!" Senpai said finally, without breaking his gaze on Myrtle. The second-year class filed in hastily, but soon realized what was going on and looked with interest at the event that was going on in the corner. Senpai smiled at Myrtle. "Don't you have a class to go to?" he asked mockingly. Myrtle glared defiantly at him. "Don't you?" she replied in kind. Senpai laughed mirthlessly. "I'll get a word out of you one of these days, I know it." Senpai then turned to the crowd around the circle of chairs and barked: "Class dismissed!" Second-year and senior students alike dashed for the door before Senpai roared out: "No, no, no! I meant the seniors, you tiny smart-alecks!" The second-years burst out laughing as they filed back into the room, and Leo crept up behind Myrtle before jumping out in front of her in one motion. His grin had returned to his face. "I guess you're going to see those gray eyes staring at you for the rest of your life before you go to sleep, huh?" "Shut up."

Feel free to deliver your own account on today's class, if so you please.

Otherwise, we get into scriptwriting next class, so ask me any questions you may have to read the Underground thread if you want to know more about scriptwriting.

[Sara]

"I hate school." Leo grinned, crouching down--then falling over, then sitting--on the floor next to the fourth grader who had just expressed the sentiment. "How come?" he asked. The fourth grader--her name was Mandy--made a horrible face. "I don't know. It's stupid, and I hate it. Everyone hates me and my teachers are all dumb." "Bad day?" he suggested gently. "Yeah. My best friend isn't in any of my classes, and Mr. Jensan wouldn't let me switch desks--even though there were only like fifteen people, and like ten empty desks, and I hate sitting in front. Everyone always thinks I need to cause of my glasses, but I [i]don't[/i]--" She was close to crying. "That's why you wear glasses, right? So you can still see from the back." She nodded, looking at him with tear-filled eyes. "Well, that doesn't sound fair to me at all," Leo said. "It's [i]not![/i]" "Yeah, I know. Did you have Mr. Jensan for anything last year?" "Yeah." "What?" "Reading." "Did he make you sit in the front ?" Mandy sniffed. "No." "So he probably doesn't think you need to. Did he let anyone else move?" "No..." "Hm. Well, he probably wasn't trying to be mean," Leo smiled. "He just didn't want everyone to move their spots around." "I guess. But I'm still mad at him." "That's okay." He paused. "Do you want to hear about one of my classes today?" "I guess so. Sure." He told her. When he finished the story, Mandy was staring at him, wide eyed. "She just [i]sat there[/i]?" "Yup." "The whole class?" "Yup. Never said a word." "Didn't you do anything?!" "Me?" Leo laughed. "Nah. It was...Senpai...who went up against Myrtle. Everyone else just watched." He winked. "I worked on a crossword puzzle." "During [i]class[/]i?!" Mandy was shocked. "Well, yeah. The only other thing to do was watch the staring contest. Which, while certainly tense, wasn't exactly worth [i]that[/i] much of my time." "Didn't your teacher yell at you?" "No, he was watching Myrtle the whole time, remember? Anyway." Leo smiled. "Wanna go get a snack?" Mandy looked around--the rest of the after school kids were sitting at the snack table. "Okay." So they did.

[Godelsensei]

Myrtle tugged absent-mindedly at the array of ribbons woven into her hair and thought about home. What time was it there, now? She didn't know. All she knew was that something, despite her having long-since gotten over her prolonged jet-lag, told her she should not have been where she was. It told her she should have been sleeping--or, more accurately, pretending to be asleep. She would wait until the house was completely silent, then tip-toe down the stairs and out the back door, as silently as anything.
She would pad around, to the front of the house, feeling the cool air against her mostly-bare legs and cheeks. Then, she would stand there for a moment, look up and down the unfamiliar street, and go back the way she came; there was nothing to do here. No one to do anything with, at least.
That was what she should have been doing.

In actuality, she was standing at her locker, the door open, reading the words generations past had left behind--all business about so and so's face and ugly shoes. Without thinking, she took a permanent marker from the depths of the small closet and uncapped it.
Instantly, a smell she was very used to from model building filled the air. She reached out, towards the back of the locker and noted, deliberately, with great attention to detail,"M+"--

What came next? "Ki", so that meant "K". She pondered her most likely being the only member of the school to have to think about this kind of thing.
Myrtle filled in the missing letter and began to encircle it with a highly-predictable shape.

Something bumped her arm, forming a fantastic streak across the surface she was preoccupied with. Gritting her teeth, she whirled about, permanent marker in hand. Her flaring nostrils and bulging eyes would have scared, Kizuna had told her, all but one person, that being him. But the offending tots were already chasing each other down the hall, screaming, and she thought that Kizuna might have been wrong.

There were two people and she wasn't sure of how she would deal with one of them.

[Katana]

[size=1][color=royalblue]Not a sound. Not a word. Not a movement.
Yeah, that was probably the best way to describe films class, Jordan thought as she trekked up the stairs, her music player going at full blast. Even in the noisy hallway, not a peep could be heard as long as she had on those Sony MDR W08 headphones. Yesss, she thought again to herself, I love to shamelessly advertise products I'm not affiliated with.
So, seriously, what educational value had come out of film class? That teachers [i]can[/i] be weirdos? That staring contests can replace lectures? That...that...Well, that was it.
That was it. Only those things had come from the class. Rather...pathetic. "And he took all that effort to write Senpai in its original decency," Jordan muttered, heading towards her locker. The bell had rung; it was way past second period...maybe she would just skip the rest of the day. Afterall, she [i]had[/i] arrived late, and her presence in class went practiclly unnoticed by Senpai.
Senpai. Sen...pai. It sounded more like a familiar nickname rather than a formal title. With a sigh, Jordan opened up the locker and stared within its metallic depths, also lined with textbooks and old scraps of paper and - her prize - a 103% on an algebra test.
Nothing. Noth...ing. "Okay, I'm officaly psychotic," Jordan said outloud, getting some odd looks from a few hooky students. She shrugged them off and continued staring at her locker.
The [i]squeegee[/i] sound of a permanent marker. [i]Psssshhhh[/i] as it glided over some smooth surface. Small, [i]scritch[/i] noises as its user put in careful detail. Then came the squeeling of younger students and the [i]clack[/i]ing of their shoes, a grunt, and shoes as they piveted against the cheap tiles.
"Ehhh...?" Jordan wondered, peeping her head out form the protection of the metal locker door. Hey, it was that one girl - ah, what was her name? Oh yah, Mrytle.
That was it. The one that had spent the entire class period having a staring contest with Senpai. She, apparently, was playing hooky as well. Or maybe she was just spacing out. Either way, it was a fellow film class student who - either by luck or the will of Hell - was close enough in locker space. Myrtle went back to working on...whatever she had been working on.
Jordan suddenly coughed, banged her head on her locker door, and then fell to the ground. She lay there, sprawled out, for roughly five seconds. Then came the clacking of somebody's shoes, and Jordan just popped up from the ground. She rubbed her head and glanced to see the person.
Myrtle (obviously). "You alright?" she asked, looking from the locker to Jordan to the locker again.
"Yeah,"Jordan replied, sticking her tongue out and smiling. "I've got a head as thick as concrete." She paused. "I'm not dense."
"Um...yeah," was all Myrtle said slowly.
"Er...yeah. Well, thanks for taking some concern in my stupidity, Myrtle-san."
"...san?"
"Well, ya...you seem older than me...I guess..." She paused. "God, am I horrible at conversations..."
-----------------------------------------
Go human interaction![/color][/size]

[Kitty]

[size=1][color=blue]"How was film class? Is the new teacher as annoying as the last?"
"No. He's fine. A bit nuts, but fine. The class isn't as boring as it used to be, that's for sure," Rebecca replied.

Rebecca stood silently next to her ranting friend. Tina continued complaining about her classes, and how she should just drop out, and why Rebecca wouldn't drop out with her. A few kids ran, giggling in their high-pitched voices that would drill holes in your skull.

"I hate kids," she muttered absent mindedly. "What?" Tina wondered what she had interrupted her for. "Nothing." As she resumed listing her grievances, Rebecca stared blankly across the hall, thinking back to her Film class.

She had done nothing. Absolutely nothing. Not that she minded it. It was just strange. No other teacher she knew of would do such a thing in class. It was bizarre, yet.. It made her want to return to see what he had in store for his class next.

"What a strange man.. Senpai.."
"Senpai? Your teacher?"
"Wha--!?"

Tina stared at her, making her shift uneasily. "I was just.. thinking." "About your teacher?" "No. About my class. Senpai is the new Film teacher, idiot," she coughed, feeling her cheeks flush a bit.

She did not care for her teacher, but her brief awkward moment, she knew, would raise some questioning from her companion. Rebecca excused herself, saying she needed to grab her lunch out of her locker.

"It's not lunch yet, you know," Tina called after her, but not bothering to move an inch.

"I know that. I'm just going to grab a bit out of it. I'm hungry," Rebecca returned, sliding as she turned a sharp corner.

As she reached her locker, she spotted two girls. Not caring about what they were talking about, or who they were, she ignored them, and concentrated on her lock. "3.. 18.. 12.." she chanted as her hands danced around the face of the lock. Opening her small locker door, she was bombarded by shouts.

"What?!" she screamed back, not facing the source of the calls. Hearing no reply, she assumed that they had mistaken her for someone else, and gone on with their business. Finding her brown lunch bag, she pulled it towards her and examined its contents.

"Crap again.. Ooh. Chips," she muttered, pulling out a small bag.

Slaming her locker door, she turned to walk back to where she had previously been. But again, shouting stopped her.

This time she turned, recognizing two faces coming at her. "Rebecca!" they cried, slowing as they neared her. "It's us. From film!" "I know that!" she retorted. "What do you want?"

"Um.. Nothing. We just saw you and thought.." Jordan sighed. "Excuse us," Myrtle coughed. Rebecca seemed to not notice Myrtle or Jordan's statements, and stood impatiently, expecting a better answer.

The two being just as silent, she thought, [i]"Why not start the conversation for once?"[/i]

"Are you normally that good at staring contests?" she chuckled. She recieved only a glare from Myrtle, but Jordan let out a small laugh as well. Glancing at Jordan, Myrtle's face began to change colors.

"Look, sorry. Senpai's a freak. Don't let it get you down," Rebecca sighed, trying to encourage Myrtle to not rip her face off. "I've been thinking a lot about Film class.." Jordan interrupted. Myrtle nodded, noting that she had also put lots of thought into the morning's class.

"What a weirdo, huh?" Rebecca laughed, beginning to eat her chips.[/size][/color]

[Godelsensei]

"Shit." Myrtle glanced irritably, once more, at the red-brown, quarter-sized blotch and set about digging through her bag, for a tampon. She couldn't actually see what she was doing--with her bag, that was impossible. It was just a smallish sort of rectangular sac with a shoulder strap, but it held everything. She felt about the bottom of the faux-leather work in desperation until her figers came in contact with and object of the appropriate shape and size, then decided she really ought to go to her next class.
Second period had been some form of math--she couldn't remember what she had decided to take this term, precisely. She had not been in the mood for calculations, though she now thought that automatic, mindless calculation mightent have been so bad, after all. Besides, she was in [i]Canada[/i] now. That meant North America. It was all hopelessly easy here, when it came to math, as long as no one asked her to explain her thought process.
Slowly, deliberately washing her hands several times over, then shifting her position to the nearest paper towel dispenser, Myrtle once again began to think of home. Just as she was remembering striding boastfully, defiantly down the corridors of that poorly reputed highschool, her best friend by her side, both of them reaking of his cigarette smoke, some one else entered the washroom.

They did a double-take when they saw her, then reached into a pink purse. The girl retrieved a hairbrush from her bag and began to critically examine herself in the mirror, dealing with any imperfections as she went.

Something rose up inside Myrtle's gut then, a tiny lick of anger. No one would have even dared look at her once back home. Even the seniors had kept their eyes close to the floor when passing her in the halls. They knew who she was and, more importantly, who she was friends with.
"What was that?"
"What?" The girl narrowed her eyes, but didn't stop what she was doing.
"You looked at me in a very...unwholesome way when you came in here." Myrtle raised an inquiring eyebrow as the girl shot her a look.
"I didn't. You don't have to get all worked up, anyway. It's not like I said anything."
"Why'd you look at me that way?" She crossed her arms, expression and stance threatening.
The girl sighed and turned to her. "Know why? Because my friend pointed to you in the hall during lunch and--"
Myrtle shouldered her bag and left the room. She didn't need this. Not now.

She didn't need to bump into Leo Fibonacci, either, but life was funny that way.
"Crying your eyes out in the bathroom because every one's talking about you?"
"Bleeding, actually. You wouldn't happen to have a quarter, would you?"

[Katana]

[size=1][color=royalblue]"Anyways, thanks for the human interaction," Jordan said to Rebecca, streching her head over her shoulder. "Don't ask me where Myrtle disappeared to, but...judging by her expression and actions..."
"Yeah," Rebecca replied quietly.
"Woman life sucks."
"I'll back you up there." She smiled while Jordan strode off, a goofy grin on her face.
"I'm ditching the rest of school," Jordan said. "Sad fact number 1: I've never done it before. Sad fact number 2: My mp3 player just ran outta batteries...dah-mmit..."
Her footsteps tapped away in the hallway. She had this funny feeling, like Rebecca was staring her down or buring holes into her uniform or...something like that.
"Wonder if Senpai would be pissed if I bugged his class," Jordan muttered as she passed the stairwell. She paused five paces after the entrance. "Maybe..." Her grin had faded off, but soon popped back on. She walked backwards and hopped down the steps, the sound echoing in the stairwell in a strange, twangy-like noise.
Finally, at the bottom where Senpai's classroom was located. Jordan stared at the door, thinking she would burn a hole into it if she tried hard enough. She worked up the guts and cracked the door open a little bit and - lo and behold - Senpai was staring one of the students down.
"Damn, that guy's freaky," she muttered, carefully closing the door. She looked around, in that little, dim hallway, hoping to find something to keep her entertained for at least two minutes.
"Nope, can't think of nothing...Wait! That's a double negative! which means I CAN think of something! Damn, I really need to stop being so frickin' psycho..."
Half-expecting Senpai to burst out of the door, Jordan trekked back up the stairs, whining to herself about how her music player had sucked the life out of its batteries.
"Hey, do you have a quarter?" Myrtle's voice asked. Surprisingly, Leo's replied.
"Yeah...I think...Wait...um..."
Jordan half-heartidly passed by, scraping her eyes acoss the scene. She reached a hand into her pocket and flipped out a coin, hearing it sing as it hit the ground.
"One good deed a day," she muttered, shoving both her hands into her pockets. She began flipping the change in one pocket and capping/re-capping a pen in the other. "Sad fact number 3: How to entertain myself."[/color][/size]

[Wondershot]

Class 2: The Big Stuff ------------------------- "What period is it again?" "Fourth." "Film?" "Yep." Rebecca put on a strange grin just before beginning the descent down the stairs towards room 011. Although not exactly certain what would be happening in their second film class, Rebecca seemed rather confident that this one would be as bizzare and unsettling as the last one. Jordan was following her closely, as she did not feel like entering Film class without at least some company, or, in her case, backup. At the bottom of the stairs, the duo encountered Leo sitting against the door to the hall. "Just what are you sitting around here for?" Jordan asked, looking at the cross-legged student with a mix of interest and contempt. Leo just flashed back a toothy grin and folded his hands behind his head. "No point in being early for Film, right? Senpai is probably asleep in there." "How would you know that? And it's only a few minutes to the next bell!" Jordan replied with anger, Leo simply grinned back up at her, when a huge pounding noise made him jump from his sitting position. He turned, half expecting to see Senpai banging on the door behind him, but there was nothing. He stared down the hall, and confirmed, indeed, that this loud thumping was coming from 011. Myrtle, meanwhile, was pounding down the stairs at her own pace, almust ruing the day she had decided to join senior Film. Several younger students were already on their way up the stairs, laughing about some inane topic or form of gossip that had gone on in what must have been the previous Film class. One of the students brushed her elbow, and she replied by shoving the elbow outwards and sending to younger girl spawling a few steps. Myrtle continued on without looking back at the girl now casting a very annoyed look at her retreating form. Myrtle pressed the door open for the Film hallway, and was immediately thrown back by an explosive pulsing noise in the halls. Walking down, she confronted almost the entire Film class crouched outside Room 011, listening to the noise coming from inside. "What in the world are all of you doing?" Myrtle half-shouted at the eavsdropping Film students. A few heads turned and looked in her direction, but most were still paying attention to the sound of the exlposive bass coming from behind the door. Leo chuckled. "Man, I bet Senpai is on some kind of drugs if he can listen to music that loud." Jordan laughed slightly and pressed a finger to her lips, half-laughing out a hastened "shh.." "Of course not, we all know this is something his therapist must have told him to do..." Jason began, and Jordan was already laughing even louder at this. Myrtle folded her arms in annoyance. "Well, I see no reason why we should stay out here and waste our time..." Myrtle reached a hand for the doorknob... I'm so happy now, I've got them big fat tires on my devil machine. My great big monster truck, we've come to show you up. You big shots... I can destroy all who cross my way. I can even destroy TV shows... And your plan and joy... I'm a monster truck and I'll come down and destroy you... I'm a monster truck and I'll come down and destroy you... I'm a monster truck... Cause I can destroy you! Senpai, head cocked to one side, was clearly mouthing along to these lyrics while rotating slowly in his spinning chair. His eyes were closed, and did not even seem aware that his door had opened and half his film class had poured into the room. Leo surveyed this scene, complete with rotating Senpai, and spoke aloud. "I told you it was drugs." At this, Senpai abruptly stopped spinning, and, in one lighting motion, reached up and flicked the speakers off and the deafening noise ceased immediately. Some of the students continued to hear the blood rushing though their ears thanks to all the bass. Senpai looked up at his class, his face a study in absolute defeat and insomniac tendencies, and declared aloud: "Dios mio! It's lunchtime already?" "No, Senpai, it's only fourth bell. Lunch is next." Rebecca stated plainly. In the background, Jordan still appeared to be laughing. Senpai groaned loudly. "Aw...senior Film? Why can it never be lunch..." Myrtle stared at the very shrivelled and clearly disoriented Senpai, and asked: "How long have you been here for?" Senpai replied with a casual glance at his watch. "Let's see...plane landed at 8:00 on Tuesday...got here at noon, lunch, met teachers, meetings, few cups of coffee..." Senpai looked up with a broad smile. "About eighty hours." The class stared at him in amazement, and Jordan's fit of hysterics had now become very audible. Senpai's expression changed immediately. "Chairs! Now!" He barked, and the class all found chairs and arranged themselves in their usual film class circle. Upon doing so, Senpai's smile returned almost immediately, and it unnerved some of the students. "When you are in university, especially out-of-province university, time and money start meaning less and less as you go on. However, when you are in my situation, you just take what you can and live how you can..." Senpai indicated the classroom. "This has been my sleeping space for the past three days. All of my clothes for the rest of the year are in a gym locker at the other side of the building. Food is entirely dining-hall provided." Senpai then looked at each and every member of the class in the eye, and finished: "I...am your future." Expressions in the room ranged from unnerved to horrified to amused to Jordan, who was still trying to suppress her laughing. Only Myrtle was able to maintain her poker face, and she calmly raised a hand, whereupon Senpai looked her in the eye, as though daring her to ask her deadly question. "How old are you?" She asked, completely monotone. Senpai arched an eyebrow. "21." "I've dated men older than you." Myrtle replied, still keeping her droning voice. Senpai smirked. "Great, so now I have even more to look forward to when I'm older." Not bothering to take in any of the reactions in the room, Senpai clasped his hands together. "Alright, everybody ready? Let's get down to the big stuff!" "As you all know, you have been studying mostly film theory and technique over the past year, everything from camera to directing to lighting to acting to scriptwriting, so you seem all set for the real world." Senpai glanced around. "Nothing could be further from the truth." A few people exchanged worried looks. "No Film class is worth its salt if you do not go over practice and reality in addition to theory. If this does not work, nothing will prepare you for reality if you decide to actually continue in this field of study come University. This is why the practice starts now. On that note, Senpai reached behind his chair and produced a stack of small papers, passing one to each student. "Tomorrow, you will give me a synopsis of a story you would like to see put on film. Given the size of this class, however, only two of these synopses will actually be put into production. The synopsis must explain the beginning, middle, and end of the story, as well as locations and any important themes or techniques you intend to use when editing. Remember always that the power of the camera is greater than your own eyes, so be creative when considering what kind of techniques you would like to use when shooting." "How long does it have to be?" Leo asked aloud. "As long as you need to tell the story." Senpai replied without pausing, as though having anticipated the question. "Feel free to go beyond the length of that sheet if you need to. I always welcome creative thought." "Anything in particular we need to do?" Jordan asked, having finally gotten over her laughing. "Just remember that you have to present this as a movie, and when it's a movie you have to get an audience interested in the story, characters, and, to a certain extent, the style. Even I know that completely random humour can sometimes be funny, but that is not the reason that people go to the movies. The story is the driving point, not just an endless gag line and people getting bashed around. None of that, if you please...Oh, and one more thing." Senpai's face lowered, and his voice became considerably deeper and more threatening. "Everytime you try to intentionally create a blooper clip, I eat a small kitten." A few people looked around, and Senpai's face brightened up again. "Anything else?" As though in reply, the bell for lunch rang out in the hall. "Oh, good, lunchtime." Senpai replied. As though having forgotten the existence of his class completely, Senpai walked out of the room and left his bewildered class still in their seats, who, one by one, looked at each other and filed back out of the room and into the chaos of lunch.

[Godelsensei]

Myrtle Ground nibbled tentitively on the end of her pen as she tried to think of where to start. She was seated upon an ugly couch, located in the school's office. On either side of her were two of the kinds of people she would have expected there: one was sick to the point of being green in the face; the other smelled like a cheap joint.
There were a clipboard and sheet of paperupon her lap, staring up at her authoritatively. The latter dared her to write something, but not quite anything. Specifically, it dared her to explain why she had sent a junior sprawling down a flight of stairs. She found this unfair; it had been less than [i]half[/i] a flight of stairs. This protest had not gone over well with the school authorities, however, and she was now stuck here for longer than she might have been.
She shifted uneasily upon the yellowing material of the chesterfield, thought for a few more seconds, then put pen to paper in a fantastic dramatization of "I-don't-give-a-shit."

[center][i]Becus I can.[/i][/center]

Without waiting for any form of approval from the Vice Principal or otherwise, she set the clipboard down upon the office desk and left.
She was not aware of how poorly she had misspelled "because", but it probably wouldn't have made a difference to her if she had: she had creative thinking to do.

She was making quick, scribbly notes in Japanese when a familiar scent overtook her from behind. Even outside, on a windy day like this one was, it was like being hit full-force by a tacky, yet expensive, [i]eau du toilet[/i]. "Toilet water," she muttered in her first tongue.
"What?"
"I would appreciate your taking your pot and abrasive body odour very far away from here." She scribbled out one radical and replaced it with another. Translating the whole piece into English would be a pain in the ass.
The boy, meanwhile, seemed to interpret her insults as her trying to come on to him. He sat down next to her. "What're you writing there?"
"You smell like crap." She continued to write.
"That Chinese?" She shook her head.
"Looks that way to me."
"It would. Piss off." He didn't, however. But he didn't say anything else, either. The two of them sat there, side by side, trying very hard to ignore each other, for many minutes. Eventually, she spoke again. "Alright, what?" Her voice was marginally less hostile than it had been previously.
"Did you really push a kid down a flight of stairs?"
"I pushed a kid down [i]five[/i] stairs. That doesn't count as a flight. And if you're trying to sell me something, I don't want any."
"Well, I guess that is what they teach you to say in health class."
"I meant I don't want to buy anything off of [i]you[/i]." She stood up and began to walk away, expecting he would follow her. He didn't.

Good, thought Myrtle. Then, looking up, she betrayed an iota of surprise and muttered, "Oh god." And, louder, "I don't want to have to kick your brother's ass, too, you little bitch." Shoving her way through the offending duo, she made her way to fifth period.