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gooseberryhigh2017-09-01 07:56 am
goosemods) wrote in gooseberryhigh2017-09-01 07:56 am
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BACK TO SCHOOL
BACK TO SCHOOL
Summer's finally coming to a close, and whether the students of Gooseberry Alternative High are excited or not, it's time to go back to school. The zippy magical buses adorned in school colors show up on everyone's doorsteps one by one to collect students first thing in the morning. Scenic vistas, small towns and big cities all fly by the windows as the buses are gradually filled with the happy chatter of teenagers newly reunited with their friends.
High in the Utah mountains, it's a sunny, balmy day. Despite what happened last year, the forest looks remarkably unchanged. As they walk towards the lodge with their friends, Estella Morales-Tran catches a glimpse of a white moose through the trees... and then it's gone. Most of the other students are too distracted to have noticed, because all the noise has attracted Goosey's curiosity. The massive serpentine lake monster continuously surfaces to get a better look at the humans, swimming alongside them towards the lodge.
Something everyone can see, however, is the increased number of adults. Professional adults in formal robes, setting up a large black tent with the MACUSA seal on it. Agent Larke and Dr. O'Hare are still present, and they're not alone.
Students are ushered into the lodge as their luggage is collected by the house elves to take to their cabins. Lunch is served, and afterwards everyone has a couple hours to relax as freshmen and new students go to orientation. Antonia Papadakis and Ferdinand Ayers are entrusted with explaining rules and expectations to the new students. Unfortunately, [New Student B] gets lost in the winding hallways of the lodge and misses the entire thing, but ends up walking in on Mr. Chettri and Ms. Whittle about to kiss. Mr. Chettri flees and isn't seen again until dinner.
At the Sorting Ceremony, Headmistress Bloom welcomes the students to Gooseberry, whether it's their first time here or not. The speech emphasizes how the school will endure, and that they're more invested than ever in the students' safety. Midway through the ceremony, Casper Kim is the first to point out that in the distance, just visible through the trees, there are two shadowy antlered figures watching. One looks like it might excitedly run towards the crowd, but the other holds it back. The visitors make Mrs. Bloom stumble in her welcome speech for only a moment before she continues, noting that the school exists peacefully alongside the forest's inhabitants. Hazel Keating sees Mr. Elmasry wave carefully at them, and Brother once again has to hold Anon back from running to the clearing.
Brother and the Anonymous Writer remain until the ceremony is complete, then dissolve into shadows and branches, like they were merely your eyes playing tricks on you. A flock of birds takes off into the night sky.
After the Ceremony, the newly sorted students go back to their campsites with their housemates. The sun's long since set, and it's time to get settled in your cabin. You've got an exciting ten months ahead of you.
» the bus ride: Get settled in, it's a long ride!
» arrival & lunch: The house elves will take your luggage and familiars, and then you can enjoy a lunch of burgers, fries and a salad. (Vegetarian and vegan options available.)
» the sorting ceremony: Students sit with their house to witness the sorting of new students.
» Evening: It's been a long day, so meet any new roommates, claim your bed, and get some sleep.
» OOC - QUESTIONS, COMMENTS & CONCERNS
High in the Utah mountains, it's a sunny, balmy day. Despite what happened last year, the forest looks remarkably unchanged. As they walk towards the lodge with their friends, Estella Morales-Tran catches a glimpse of a white moose through the trees... and then it's gone. Most of the other students are too distracted to have noticed, because all the noise has attracted Goosey's curiosity. The massive serpentine lake monster continuously surfaces to get a better look at the humans, swimming alongside them towards the lodge.
Something everyone can see, however, is the increased number of adults. Professional adults in formal robes, setting up a large black tent with the MACUSA seal on it. Agent Larke and Dr. O'Hare are still present, and they're not alone.
Students are ushered into the lodge as their luggage is collected by the house elves to take to their cabins. Lunch is served, and afterwards everyone has a couple hours to relax as freshmen and new students go to orientation. Antonia Papadakis and Ferdinand Ayers are entrusted with explaining rules and expectations to the new students. Unfortunately, [New Student B] gets lost in the winding hallways of the lodge and misses the entire thing, but ends up walking in on Mr. Chettri and Ms. Whittle about to kiss. Mr. Chettri flees and isn't seen again until dinner.
At the Sorting Ceremony, Headmistress Bloom welcomes the students to Gooseberry, whether it's their first time here or not. The speech emphasizes how the school will endure, and that they're more invested than ever in the students' safety. Midway through the ceremony, Casper Kim is the first to point out that in the distance, just visible through the trees, there are two shadowy antlered figures watching. One looks like it might excitedly run towards the crowd, but the other holds it back. The visitors make Mrs. Bloom stumble in her welcome speech for only a moment before she continues, noting that the school exists peacefully alongside the forest's inhabitants. Hazel Keating sees Mr. Elmasry wave carefully at them, and Brother once again has to hold Anon back from running to the clearing.
Brother and the Anonymous Writer remain until the ceremony is complete, then dissolve into shadows and branches, like they were merely your eyes playing tricks on you. A flock of birds takes off into the night sky.
After the Ceremony, the newly sorted students go back to their campsites with their housemates. The sun's long since set, and it's time to get settled in your cabin. You've got an exciting ten months ahead of you.
HOW THIS WORKS
- Students who live in the continental US, Canada or Mexico are picked up from a designated bus stop in their hometown. Students who are traveling from abroad must find their own transportation to one of the following cities to meet their bus: New York, Los Angeles, Quebec, Vancouver, or Mexico City.
- Buses pick up students by year, but will pick up siblings or close neighbors together even if they're in disparate years. The players may choose which year's bus the group/pair ended up on.
- The buses are functionally similar to the Knight Bus, with three floors to fit all ~40 students. There are two seats per row, but some seats face one another so you can have groups of four. There's a vending machine with snacks and drinks on the second floor, and toilets are located on the first floor.
- The entire ride will take two to four hours, depending on when your character was picked up.
- Everyone will arrive by 12:00 AM, and their luggage and familiars will be taken care of by the house elves. They'll find all their things in their new cabins.
- Everyone's in a new cabin now! You're a year older, a year wiser (?), and now you've been put into the next year's cabin. Claim your new bed!
- During lunch, new arrivals at the school will not yet know what house they'll be in. Feel free to let other houses try and recruit you, regardless of you-the-player knowing exactly where they'll end up.
- Brother and the Anonymous Writer make an appearance at the Sorting Ceremony. They watch from a distance as everyone is sorted, but don't come any closer, staying 130' or so behind the treeline. Anon mimes clapping whenever someone comes out of the cave, but there's no noise. Brother doesn't seem to move at all. They're both tall (~8' without their antlers) dark humanoids with antlers like those crossed between a moose and a deer. One's set of antlers is much larger (probably Brother). When you look at them closely, they appear blurry, like your eyes can't focus or your brain can't process what you're seeing. If you take a photo or video of them, the result looks like easily debunked matrixing in the shadows and trees. Staff will stop any student who attempts to approach them.
- MACUSA presence has increased dramatically this year. Staff don't sound very happy about it, but assure any students who ask that it shouldn't have any impact on the operation of the school.
- Prefects will be in charge of getting freshmen and new students settled in at camp. There are also a lot of new prefects this year, and they'll have a brief meeting with Ms. Vector after lunch. She gives them a rundown of their responsibilities, offers to answer questions, and says that she and the other Heads of House feel absolutely confident in their selections.
- How the Sorting Ceremony works: Students are called into the cave one by one in alphabetical order. Inside, the emblems of each house assess the student about why they should join their respective house. Their goal is to convince the student that they're a good fit with them, but ultimately the student is allowed to choose where they'd like to go. If the sorting takes more than five minutes, a teacher will go in to hurry things along. The mods may roleplay the emblems or a Head of House if you post your character's sorting and we have a cute idea, but it's not guaranteed. There are just... so many of you, and so little time. After your character is sorted, they go to sit in their house's section of the audience, often to excited cheers.
» the bus ride: Get settled in, it's a long ride!
» arrival & lunch: The house elves will take your luggage and familiars, and then you can enjoy a lunch of burgers, fries and a salad. (Vegetarian and vegan options available.)
» the sorting ceremony: Students sit with their house to witness the sorting of new students.
» Evening: It's been a long day, so meet any new roommates, claim your bed, and get some sleep.
» OOC - QUESTIONS, COMMENTS & CONCERNS