School of Thot

[Polyedit2000]

You have arrived at a large abandoned school hidden in a garden of overgrown hedges, its driveway buried beneath autumn leaves and winter snow.  Its two-story walls of strong crimson bricks are literally overwritten with fading latex paintings of fields and clouds and grafitti that no child should ever see.  All of its windows remain unbroken yet behind bars. 

This school only has one entrance past a decent height of stairs, flanked by two pillars of robed women and resting under a plaque for Thottius' School of Learning.  It does seem, though, that a lock and chain have been cut and discarded next to the door and the door was slightly ajar.

[Flashlight237]

Dawn and Ellody arrived at the school one day. They seem to be there for the mystique of the abandoned location... At least the moonchild is.

"Why are you bringing me here again?" Ellody asked. "There are no such things as ghosts."
"Maybe, maybe not," Dawn nonchalantly replied. "But I do think some sort of natural order was taking things up."
"I mean, true..," Ellody replied.

Then another came huffing. It was none other than the CIT: Courtney. "Man..! You two went way ahead of me."
"I mean Dawn was the one who teleported me here," Ellody replied. "I had no idea she could do that."
"Right... Hey, why is the door open?"
"Beats me," Dawn replied. "Some delinquent presence must be lurking in here..." Dawn went into the door along with the other girls.

[bond56]

"Thottius' School of Learning? this should be the place...." Hannah mumbled to herself as she approached the school a few minuets after the other three girls had entered, she was wearing an oversized grey hoodie, a red skirt, stocking and sneakers, her brown hair done up in a ponytail, her emerald green eyes scanning over a note she had on her phone.

"its just one n-night in an old sc-school, n-nothings gonna happen .... s-stupid dare" Hannah grumbled to herself, slipping her phone back into her pocket, and hesitantly entering through the doors.

[Polyedit2000]

Upon entering the school, the most noticeable feature was the emblem on the floor, a circle with an owl head silhouette and "Thottius Owls" around it, with "Alone and warming his five wits, the white owl in the belfry sits" wrapped around the edges.  

Ahead of the group, the group could see two office doors.  These seem to be for student counseling with one door labeled "A-G" and another labeled "H-M".  There were also scraps of sheets plastered to the wall:
"Students only beyond this point."
"Students cannot leave school grounds until lessons are over."
"Counselors will greet you by first name and discuss your schedules."

To both sides, the hallways were drenched in darkness.

[Flashlight237]

Ahead of the group, the group could see two office doors.  These seem to be for student counseling with one door labeled "A-G" and another labeled "H-M".  There were also scraps of sheets plastered to the wall:
"Students only beyond this point."
"Students cannot leave school grounds until lessons are over."
"Counselors will greet you by first name and discuss your schedules."

"Man... I can't really see anything down there," Courtney said.
"Maybe we should check these rooms out first," Dawn suggested.
"Might as well." And so, Courtney, Ellody, and Dawn entered the A-G room.

[bond56]

"th-this place is rather w-well kept for an ab-abandoned school" Hannah mumbled to herself, whistling in awe as I brought up my phone's flashlight to curiously look around, peaking the down the dark hallways, though not for long, wanting to conserve my battery. "hopefully there is s-some light, o-or at least chairs in here" she continued to talk to herself, slipping into the office door that was labeled "H-M"

[Polyedit2000]

The first thing they noticed when they entered the two doors was that the wall between them was already torn down.  The "room" seems to have more scraps of rules on the walls:
"Students must be in uniforms during school."
"Students must attend classes on time."
"Students must remain on campus for meals."

At the end of this room is an actual office.  Should the girls go in there, they will spot four identical grey boxes on the desk as well as a VHS tape.  There is also a TV and VCR in the corner of the office and what may be a realistic stuffed owl perched on a fake branch in the other corner.  Of course, the back of the wall sports the owl circle with the sentence "[i]Alone and warming his five wits, the white owl in the belfry sits"[/i] around the edges.

[Flashlight237]

The first thing they noticed when they entered the two doors was that the wall between them was already torn down.  The "room" seems to have more scraps of rules on the walls:
"Students must be in uniforms during school."
"Students must attend classes on time."
"Students must remain on campus for meals."

At the end of this room is an actual office.  Should the girls go in there, they will spot four identical grey boxes on the desk as well as a VHS tape.  There is also a TV and VCR in the corner of the office and what may be a realistic stuffed owl perched on a fake branch in the other corner.  Of course, the back of the wall sports the owl circle with the sentence "Alone and warming his five wits, the white owl in the belfry sits" around the edges.

"What's with all the rules?" Ellody asked.
"I feel someone must have tried to bring this school back in session for another year," Dawn replied.
"I see..," Ellody replied.

Upon reaching the office, Dawn looked at the stuffed owl, which was white in color (at least she thinks so; kinda hard to identify color in a dim setting), and shuddered. "I don't support taxidermy outside of educational purposes myself... I think it's a waste of an animal."
"Is that a VHS tape?" Courtney picked up the VHS tape. "Weird."
"Pop it in. I'll look for a yearbook. Schools typically have at least one yearbook in their offices."
"If you insist, Dawn..."

And so, while Dawn looked for a yearbook, Courtney popped the VHS tape into the VCR, pressing the rewind button to ensure the VHS was at the start just in case before pressing the Play button.

[bond56]

"was th-this some kind of disciplinary school or s-something? there are c-certainly a lot o-of rules ... w-wouldn't b-be surprised if this w-was a boring school" Hannah mused to herself, underneath her breath as she heading straight for the office at the end of the room, keeping close to the other 3 girls noting wanting to be left alone. Curiously searching the office for any kind of keys, or map, even a rule book or something she could use, leaving the box on the desk for last

"I d-do not like this owl, f-feels like its w-watching me" she mumbled uncomfortably, throwing one of the blinds over its head to block the owls eyes before turning her attention towards the tv, opening one of the grey boxes, while waiting for the VHS tape to start.

[Polyedit2000]

Dawn found two yearbooks in white covers.  The aged yearbook was a few years old and seemed like a normal yearbook of the time, with boys and girls dressed in black uniforms.  The more recent yearbook was published last year and thinner, featuring older students in uniforms.

Hannah found a rolled up map, old but in good condition.  It seems that, if the entrance and office are where they are, going down the left wing would take them to an auditorium used both for plays and assemblies while the right wing would take them to a gym, with restrooms at each corner and several classrooms down the hall.  The center of the courtyard behind the school consists of a playground, a cafeteria, and library.

When Courtney popped the tape inside the VCR, the school showed up in all its bright glory before a cartoony white owl popped in.

Missy:  Hello!  I'm Missy the Owl and I would like to welcome you to Thottius' School of Learning!  In this school, we value knowledge, so we will make sure you leave with A's in your report card!   Let's take a tour of our school!  This is our English Classroom, this is our Math Classroom, this is our Detention Center, this is our Science Classroom, this is our Art Room, this is our Detention Center...

A scene of each classroom or rooms filled with shadowy figures pop up on screen until Missy came back up again.

Missy: Now, if you want to leave school, you want to earn A's in five classes.  At least three of those classes must be from the core classes of English, Math, Social Science and Science.  However, taking classes in the same category like Physics and Chemistry will only count as one Science grade, and you cannot repeat the same class category twice in a row.  

Missy holds up a grey box.

Missy:  Now, each of you students should have a box.  Inside, you will find your Report Card and Uniform, as well as additional rules we have not covered.  We hope you enjoy your time at Thottius's School!

[Flashlight237]

"Weird. It seems this school was abandoned last year," Dawn replied. "If I have to guess, it must be the result of a scandal. Hmm?"
Dawn turned to her right and saw the VHS playing the recording. She, along with Courtney and Ellody, watched the VHS. Once it was done, Dawn turned to Courtney and Ellody. "What was that all about?"
"Whoever recorded this must be pawning off education as if it were a sort of game with achievements," Ellody replied.
"What's up with the whole Detention Room deal?" Courtney asked.
"I'll have to figure that out myself. In the meantime..." Dawn looked into one of the boxes. "Hmm..." She pulled out the handbook and the report card out. She tucked the card into the handbook as a sort of bookmark. She then pulled out the uniform in order to examine it more closely.

[bond56]

"d-did .... did anyone else notice th-the shadowy figures? o-or that she kept saying d-detention center th-through the static?" Hannah asked after a minuet or two of silence once the video ended, nervously fidgeting and squirming as she kept glance at the door out of the office, and the stuffed owl, glad that she had covered it.

"w-well, its been fun, b-but I think I h-had enough of this school a-and stupid dare" Hannah hummed, waving to the other girls goodbye before rushing out of the office, barely able to stop herself from sprinting out, and back to the entrance, wanting to obviously leave. Taking one of the grey boxes from the desk, just in case, could never be to careful, you know?

[Flashlight237]

"Wow... What was her deal?" Courtney asked.
"Beats me." Dawn looked at the uniform. "I think this one must be yours judging by its size." Dawn handed the uniform over to Courtney.
"Err... Thanks, I suppose."
While Courtney looked at the uniform, Dawn held the handbook in her hands and started looking through it.

[Polyedit2000]

Courtney would notice that the uniform consisted of a brown jacket reaching down to the waist with an owl-shaped badge, a white blouse with a black tie, a black skirt and pair of kneesocks, and brown shoes with a buckle.

Dawn got a better understanding of the school as she read through the rules:

-Those that enter the school without child of their flesh become students.
-Students must wear school uniforms during school hours.  Failure to follow this rule will result in obtaining the nearest uniform and gaining a delinquency point.
-Students cannot leave school until they have acquired five A's from classes.  Three A's must be from the categories of English, Math, Social Science, and Science.  Grades from the core classes is based on the highest from that category.  Grades from the Elective category are calculated separately and the highest scores will be used if viable.
-Students caught attending a class in the same category as their previous will gain a delinquency point and not earn a grade in that class.
-After attending three classes, students are allowed to take a break and explore most of the school.
-Students attempting to leave school before completion will earn a delinquency point.

-Students tardy or absent to class without a hall pass gains a delinquency point.
-Students leaving class before it finishes gains a delinquency point.
-Students may use the nurse's office to skip a class.  Do so at your own peril.
-Students are allows to change uniforms during certain classes such as Gym and Theater.
-Students are not allowed to initiate bullying or public displays of affection with other students of higher or equal standing.  Doing so gains a delinquency point.
-Students caught inside a facility-only area gain delinquency point.
-Should a student's uniform show five delinquency points, they will be placed in detention.
-Delinquent students can ask the counselor about removing delinquency points.

-Students are given a grace period and privacy inside the counselor's office to put on their uniforms upon obtaining it.

---

Upon reaching the entrance, Hannah would soon discover that something was strange about the doors.  Namely the fact that it was painted onto a solid brick wall.

Hannah would also notice that the hallways are lit up and visible, though she wouldn't be able to find the source of that echoing stepping sound.

[bond56]

"wh-what? n-no no no no no no no no no no! c-come on! ... y-y-you cant!" Hannah whimpered, sputtering over her words, dropping the box with the uniform as she frantically searched the wall, looking for an open, or something to prove that it was fake or it could be opened.

"th-this is ... no! c-calm down Hannah, there has got to be an-another way out, emergence exits, or the c-court yard, that l-leads the to the lunchroom and library and stuff, th-thats at least outside" she took a few deep breaths to calm herself down, stepping away from the fake door as she looked over the map she grabbed from the office. Before nodding to herself as she went down the left wing wings, towards the auditorium, hoping to use one of the back entrance or courtyard doors.

[Flashlight237]

Dawn got a better understanding of the school as she read through the rules:

"Let's see here..."

-Those that enter the school without child of their flesh become students.

"It starts..."
"Hmm?" Courtney looked up at Dawn.
"Whatever this place's deal was, we've been turned into students the moment we stepped into the school. Only Kelly and Dwayne would've been able to bypass the rule."

-Students must wear school uniforms during school hours.  Failure to follow this rule will result in obtaining the nearest uniform and gaining a delinquency point.

"What time is it?" Dawn asked.
Courtney looked up at the clock. "7:43 AM"
"We got plenty of time."

-Students cannot leave school until they have acquired five A's from classes.  Three A's must be from the categories of English, Math, Social Science, and Science.  Grades from the core classes is based on the highest from that category.  Grades from the Elective category are calculated separately and the highest scores will be used if viable.

"We might need to plan our schedules accordingly."
"If you say so, Dawn," Courtney replied.

-Students caught attending a class in the same category as their previous will gain a delinquency point and not earn a grade in that class.

"Heard that before," Dawn said.

-After attending three classes, students are allowed to take a break and explore most of the school.

"Okay, so we must take part in three classes before we can roam around where we'd like."
"Really, Dawn?"
"Yep."
Courtney sighed. "Carry on..."

-Students attempting to leave school before completion will earn a delinquency point.

"Well, that Hannah girl just screwed up," Dawn stated matter-of-factly.
"How did you..?"
"I got a brief read on that girl's aura."

-Students tardy or absent to class without a hall pass gains a delinquency point.

"Of course, no being tardy. Seems standard."

-Students leaving class before it finishes gains a delinquency point.

"I think they should've listed exceptions for bathroom breaks and other things you need the teacher's permission for like water breaks and book returns," Dawn stated. "That and in gym class, you usually need to take a shower afterwards."

-Students may use the nurse's office to skip a class.  Do so at your own peril.

"Okay, so the nurse's office is a free pass, but judging by what it's saying... We should only go there if we're feeling signs of illness as usual."
"Right."

-Students are allows to change uniforms during certain classes such as Gym and Theater.

"I mean with gym, you have to wear a gym uniform."
"And what about theater?" Courtney asked.
"That's situational, Court. I asked Zoey about theater before since she had been in theater in high school and she said it depends on whether you're part of the play or not. You always have to dress the part if you're in a play, but if you're doing the lighting or setting up the props, you don't have to change anything."
"I getcha."

-Students are not allowed to initiate bullying or public displays of affection with other students of higher or equal standing.  Doing so gains a delinquency point.

"Too bad for them; cliques don't exist anymore," Dawn replied. "Not since the push for diversity eliminated them."
"Bullying still isn't okay, though," Courtney replied.
"Agreed. They really should modify that rule to modern times, though."
"Yeah."

-Students caught inside a faculty-only area gain delinquency point.

"I never really understood what faculty meant," Dawn said.
"It's fancy talk for 'the teaching staff,'" Courtney replied.
"I see."

-Should a student's uniform show five delinquency points, they will be placed in detention.

"Don't they usually record that information on paper or in a Word document they send to the office?" Dawn asked.
"Typically it's more of a scheduling thing, but they do that if you get a referral," Courtney replied.
"Fair point."

-Delinquent students can ask the counselor about removing delinquency points.

"Mmm, that one's gonna be tough," Courtney replied. "The counselor doesn't seem to exist here."
"I sense a faint official presence nearby," Dawn replied.
Courtney and Ellody both looked around and... Well, they saw nobody. They then turned back to Dawn.
"Dawn, you're weird..." Courtney said.

-Students are given a grace period and privacy inside the counselor's office to put on their uniforms upon obtaining it.

"Right, let's get changing."
"Right.

And so, under Dawn's guidance, Courtney and Ellody switched out of their clothes and changed into their uniforms. So, too, had Dawn, who had a good idea of what was up. Once they were dressed, Courtney turned to Dawn.

"Okay, we got that part done. How do we schedule our classes?" Courtney asked.
"I feel we should stick around for assistance, or at least ask for directions," Dawn replied. "I mean they usually automatically assign all four core classes to us, but we should be able to pick out our subcategories and electives."
"I see."

[Polyedit2000]

Hannah passed the Speaking and Geometry classroom when she spotted a small hallway and double-door that seems to lead to the courtyard.  Or she could continue down to reach the corner where the doors to the theater and turn to the others classes remain.

((Loaded up a d20 roller and the first roll was a lucky 20.))

---

The uniforms looked sleek on their bodies.  They would not look scandalous like a porn parody but they would turn a few eyes.

There seems to be another page on the desk.  It seems to talk about the layout of the school.

-The front wing consists of the core classes.  From West to East, these are the classes available:
-Biology, Physics, World History, Geometry, Speaking//Writing, Algebra, Law, Chemistry, Geology

-The East Wing houses the Gym* for Physical Education and additional Electives from South to North:
-Sculpture, Early Childhood Development, Fashion, Gardening, Choir

-The West Wing houses the Auditorium* for Theater and additional Electives from South to North:
-Marketing, Audio Production, Filming, Culinary Arts, Interior Design

-In the enclosed courtyard, students can access the Library, Cafeteria and Playground.  These activities do not offer a grade.

*Ask the Coach/Director for alternate grading opportunities.

[Flashlight237]

"Hey Dawn, check this out." Ellody handed the page over to Dawn, who looked it over.

"Hmm..." Dawn pulled a sheet of notebook paper out from the desk, followed by a pencil. Soon after, Dawn wrote what she got.

"Okay, so here's what I can gather..."

Dawn split the core classes up according to her interpretation.

English

Speaking/Writing

Mathematics

Algebra
Geometry

Social Sciences

World History
Law

Science

Biology
Physics
Chemistry
Geology

Electives

Gym/PE
Theater
Sculpture
Early Childhood Development
Fashion
Gardening
Choir
Marketing
Audio Production
Filming
Culinary Arts
Interior Design

"Ideally we should alternate between core and elective classes so we wouldn't have to worry about getting demerits for taking two classes of the same category in a row. Hmm..."

Dawn then took out three additional sheets of notebook paper to get things set up.

"Okay, so we gotta have at least three core classes for this thing. Any preference?"

"Well," Ellody replied. "Chemistry is looking nice.
"I think so too," Courtney added.
"Okay, I'll put you two in for... Chemistry. I think I'll put myself in for... Biology. I think Mother Nature being by my side will help me out with that." And so Dawn wrote that out. "Any electives you wanna take first?"
"PE sounds like my type of class," Courtney replied.
"I'm more for theater myself," Ellody said.
"Okay... PE for Courtney... Theater for me and Ellody... Got it."

"Okay, back to core classes..."
"Algebra," Ellody said.
"Speaking/Writing sounds fine. I can be a good debater."
"Algebra and English it is..." Dawn wrote Algebra for Ellody and Speaking/Writing for Courtney. "And I think I'll take the one English course that's on here... Okay, electives please?"
"I used to be on Total Drama World Tour," Courtney replied. "Choir works for me."
"Okay..." Dawn wrote that down for Courtney. "Ell?"
"Audio production sounds cool," Ellody replied.
"You and me for audio production it is..." Dawn wrote it down.

"Core?" Dawn asked.
"World history sounds pretty cool," Ellody replied.
"I'm more of a law person myself," Courtney said.
"Right then..." Dawn wrote down Law for Courtney, and World History for Ellody and herself.
"Let's add one more elective jsut in case its necessary."
"Right. I think culinary arts works for me," Courtney said.
"Filming sounds cool."
"Okay, and I'll take... Gardening." Dawn wrote those three subjects down. This resulted in their schedules...

Courtney

Chemistry
PE
Speaking/Writing
Choir
Law
Culinary Arts

Dawn

Biology
Theater
Speaking/Writing
Audio Production
World History
Gardening

Ellody

Chemistry
Theater
Algebra
Audio Production
World History
Filming

"Okay, there you go." Dawn handed the schedules she had made over to Ellody and Courtney.
"Thanks."
"Now then... Let's do this." Dawn and the others went out of the room. It was then that they would split off, with Dawn looking for the Biology room and Courtney and Ellody looking for the Chemistry room.

[bond56]

((seriously? I don't know if I should say boo, or yay lol))

she peaked into each of the classrooms she passed, curiously looking around for any staff members or other teachers ... or whoever was doing this and keeping them here. "there's gotta be a way through the courtyard, ... the school wasn't walled off when we got here" Hannah mumbled to herself, immediately turning on her heel and heading out to the courtyard,

[Polyedit2000]

Hannah saw only a cardboard box in Speaking and a clear box in Geometry.

As she entered the courtyard, a quick glance at the sky revealed multiple lights too weak to be the sun.  If she had more time, she could have noticed how the courtyard was just one big painted space, but a quick hoot was the only warning she got.

Suddenly, the school uniform burst out from her box, flowing around her so flawlessly that she was now wearing it.  However, Hannah also felt a black corset wrap around her blouse under her jacket as well as a head harness that wrapped around her mouth, though she wouldn't be able to remove them as mitts slipped over her hands and tightened around her wrists.

---

Dawn comes into a classroom that had a sheet-covered box on the teacher's desk.  A few more students come in, a few that were dressed in the same uniform, but some were effectively gagged and mitted.  At least one of them seem to be wearing a jacket that had the sleeves merged behind her back into an armbinder.

---

Ellody and Courtney comes into a classroom that seems to have a box of jars on the teacher's desk.  A few more students come in.  Some of them were wearing head harnesses and mitts, and one student jumped in with a jacket-armbinder and a black legbinder too.