Shin Megami Tensei Persona: Dissonant Strain (Private RP)

[ShadowFolk]

The gloom around Kumiko grew when the president entered the room. How could her day get any worse? He was the one student with absolute power and authority. By all means, Mori should have been the sort of guy she kept an eye out for. Any girl could want a guy like him, any girl who had never met him that is. She sucked her teeth in annoyance, but otherwise knew better to keep her mouth shut.

 

[Rosen2012]

Takuya smirked as all the second years slowly turned their attentions to him. Within eight seconds, yes he counted, he had the entire class's attention. "Greetings, kohai. I trust you all are ready to face the new year a head of you. And for those of you who do not know me, I am Mori Takuya. The student council president. And I am here today to remind you, all of you of, of what is expceted of you at Akaito High."

Takuya took a few steps forward, "You should all feel honored as second years, you have done what half of your peers last year could not: Succeed. And if you haven't already figured out that this year will be more intense than last, than I suggest you drop out now. Not all of you will make it to senior class, and it always best to weed out the failure's early, rahter than later."

He smirked, and made a grand gesture with his hands, "I call upon each of you, to excel this year! As you will be replacing my class. And replacing me, the top student in Akaito High's history. And I will be picking the best of your class to take the reigns of this school from my self, and the second best to assist them, as Seiya-san has assisted me through these long years."

He tucked his hands behind his back again, "This year. your academic lives will be even further scrutinized, examined and picked apart. Not just by myself but by your teachers as well. And I am happy to report, that a few of you are already under consideration."

 

[ShadowFolk]

It took every ounce of effort she had not to roll her eyes at the speech. She felt sorry for the students who were in the same class as him.

'It must be unbearable...'

The greatest thing about him she could think of was that he wouldn't be around next year to abuse his power. All thoughts that she would never utter to him.

Kumiko had faith in her academic prowess. There wasn't too much to worry about.

 

[Daren58]

Rin felt more nervous Takuya continued to talk. Her thoughts on him having an overbearing personality seemed to be proven true. She shifted in her seat slightly, as she listened further.

 

[duckflesh]

Isoroku stuck to the plan and continued to look attentive but uninteresting. He was a bit curious whether he might be a contender due to his high grades-- however, he found himself hoping that he wasn't one, as it might put him under increased scrutiny.

 

[Rosen2012]

As Mori continued his speech, on the inside, Kojiro gave a sigh of relief. The student council president was here to talk about the top students. He almost wanted to lean back a relax. Not that he was an idiot, but Kojiro always score around eleventh in the class. Mori didn't give a damn about him. To Mori if you weren't within the top five rankings, you were an idiot.

He was never so happy in his life to be ignored and misjudged.

 

[PresqueVu]

As soon as the two student council students entered the room Yamada stat up some, very interested in what they had to say. His mood brightened when Seiya waved to him and he returned the tiny gesture subtly, not preferring to garner any attention from the intense, young man at the front of the class.

He considered it and tried to decide just how beneficial Student Council could be for him if he was invited into the position and if he could handle it in his current situation. He hoped that one day soon he could be selected for it, but preferably not when Mori was around. That boy unsettled him. He wondered if he'd be called out in front of them or not.

 

[Rosen2012]

"When I call your name, come to the front of the room."

Takuya smiled, not his usual cocky smirk that he gave to himself when no one was looking, but an proud smirk. One could say it was almost 'Fatherly', like the way a parent smiles when talking about their children. Or the way they smile when congratulating said child on an accomplishment. Yes, it was almost fatherly, save for the fact it still harbored that creepiness that everyone else felt radiating off of Takuya. Everyone but his ever faithful secretary that is.


"Junsui Rin. Yamada Yukimura. Isoroku Yoshida."

 

[ShadowFolk]

She could almost hear the inward elated sighs. Though no one knew the exact reason they were called, Kumiko was still glad that she wasn't one of them. Still, there was something worrisome about what was in store for the three students.

 

[PresqueVu]

The moment Yamada's name was call he stood, and headed for the front of the classroom. He avoided looking at the student council president as he approached, and came to stand by both him and Seiya.

It was a bit unnerving to be told to go to the front by someone as unpredictable as Takuya Mori. He wondered if the other two students called were having the same concern and interest in this as he did. He was expecting that Yoshida wouldn't. He took a moment to decipher who the other student was, but decided eventually decided that it must be Yoshida's first of two unexpected friends, the new girl. He wondered how she'd feel about being single out this way..

For just a moment he glanced to the side at Seiya and gave her a small smile. The expression on Mori's face had not been what he'd been anticipating from the older student. He hoped this wasn't going to become a spectacle.

 

[duckflesh]

Isoroku's hands clenched the edge of the desk when his name was called, but as he stood and walked to the front of the class he did not seem to radiate excitement or undue fear. Rather, he carefully showed muted interest, with perhaps a bit of the nervousness that was to be expected.

He gave Seiya a half smile as he approached, and allowed himself to make very brief eye contact with Yamada, as was his habit. He recalled that Rin was the new girl, and he was quite curious about her being called-- she certainly did not seem brilliant to him. In fact, her inclusion made him suspect that something ominous may be about to occur...

 

[Daren58]

Rin's eyes widened as Moir called her name. She had felt nervous before, but now she was honestly worried. She quickly got up and walked towards the front of the room. She kept her eyes on the floor as she walked forward, trying not to meet anyone's eyes. She wondered what possible reason could he have to call on her, this was only her second day after all. She glanced up briefly at Mori as she reached the front of the class, but quickly looked down again.

She took her spot next to Yamada and tried to quell the uneasy feeling she had.

 

[Rosen2012]

As the three students came to the front of the class, Mori's smile darkened. He turned and walked up to them, then turned back around.

"Take a good long look, Kohai! These three students are the top of your class. They are everything you should try to be." He turned and stood next to Rin. "Junsui Rin, is only at her second day of attendance her at our prestigious school. And her entrance exams alone, were enough to catapult her to third rank. She is an outstanding example of the high quality performance we expect at Akaito High! Maybe if the rest of you ladies worried less about your appearance and how popular you are and focused as hard as Junsui does, you too could be up here."

He took two steps down the line, blocking Rin from view as he stood next to Yukimura. "Yamada Yukimura, excels at everything he does. He is a leader, a perfectionist, and a superb student. All of these qualities have been ingrained in him since child hood by his family, and they have molded him into a success story in the making. If the rest of you young men spent less time goofing around, chasing girls, and partying with your friends to attend cram school, you could be a success as well. You're 'friends' won't support you when you fail; Yamada already has the firm foundation for a great career."

He moved down the line to the last, "Yoshida Isoroku. He is by far, the most remarkable student up here. A success story all of you should take to heart. Yoshida was by far one of the WORST students in the freshman class history of Akaito High. I was personally ready to throw him out, when he showed us what he could really do. Yoshida has risen from the drudgery of failure the heights of success thanks to his hard work, perseverance and personal attentiveness to improve his studies.The rest of you could learn from him the most. There is no reason to settle for mediocrity or less! Everyone, even a failure like Yoshida, can be the best there is!"

Takuya turned to stand on the opposite side of Yoshida so that all three of the students were visible to everyone else. "And because of your great academic performance, each of you will be considered for a student council chair position. Even if you do not make president, you will serve. And as for this year, you are invited to attend the meetings." He put his hand on Yoshida's shoulder, "And Yoshida-kohai," as he spoke his fingers squeezed down, "I will personally watching your performance this year. Do not disappoint me."

He released him. "You three may sit."

 

[Daren58]

Rin felt her face heat up from embarrassment as Moir addressed the class about her. His words may have sounded flattering on the surface. But she knew all he did was make her look like the enemy to any other girls in the class with that last comment. She heard him dismiss the three of them, to which she quickly returned to her seat. She kept her eyes downcast the entire time, and as she took her suit she kept here eyes on her desk. She ran her left hand through her hair slightly as the worried feeling she had for seemed to be getting worse. She quickly decided she did not like Moir at all.

 

[duckflesh]

Isoroku felt something close to pride swell in his breast when Mori applauded him. He was well aware that the praise was full of back-handed compliments, but he merely filed the insults away for later payback. As it was, the real accomplishment was duping someone like Mori successfully. Meanwhile, Yamada would no doubt be quivering with barely suppressed rage to still be in second place-- and now he had Rin to contend with as well.

At the end of the speech, Mori's hand on his shoulder sent a wave of shock through him, and he was briefly filled with the horrifying fear that Mori was on to him. This dissipated immediately, however--if Mori had any proof of any wrong doing, he would not make it known merely through subtle threats such as this.

"I will not disappoint you, Mori-Sama."

Isoroku returned to his desk, his attitude changed from when he had left it. Now he coveted the position of President-- the respect, the power... and all of it gained not through hard work but through cleverness and manipulation... what could serve as a greater reward? It motivated him all the more to get his previous arrangements back on track, and he already had a plan to do so-- until he could initiate it, he just needed to survive.

At his desk, he smiled, thinking of Mori. Mori the brilliant, who may well have suspected but who could prove nothing.

Rest on your laurels, Mori-Chan. For when Ragnarok comes, even the gods shall die.

 

[ShadowFolk]

The long winded speech showered the three students in praise. Though Kumiko could have sworn it was borderline insulting. In only a few minutes Takuya had managed to insult everyone in the room without actually saying it.

'Now that's skill. I'm...I'm pretty sure he just called me stupid...Is the male portion of this school populated entirely by assholes?'

She was curious about the chosen teenagers. What made them worthy of the student council besides being good at memorizing a book or two? Yoshida's grades had recently shot up, Yamada was a shut-in or seemed to be so, and Kumiko had never even noticed Junsui before today.

 

[Cinnonym]

Hikaru stepped forward once the others had returned to their desks, addressing the entire class.

"I'm very proud of you: Junsui-san, Yoshida-san, Yamada-san--I hope that you all will encourage the rest of your classmates along the road to success. Please, if anyone has a problem, you're free to come to the Student Council, or the Counselors. I'd be happy to assign you a tutor, or adjust your schedule as necessary to make you more comfortable."

She frowned slightly, adding, "The President and I would like to remind you that the punishment for leaving campus past curfew hours is severe..."

 

[PresqueVu]

Yamada stood there for a few moments, face blank, convinced that this was a challange. He glanced at each of the students near him. He was confused by the expression on Yoshida's face, wondering just what was going on in his head. He wasn't going to lose to him this way. Council position or no he wasn't going to lose to him again. Junsui seemed as sheepish as she'd seemed when she'd gotten up to the front in the first place. Seiya seemed the same as ever, but he'd always wanted to know what she thought of stunts like this.

Then there was Mori. The man had never said anything directly insulting to him,, but he'd never been anything but corrupt and it was something Yamada had noticed since day one. He had never appreciated the other male or the way he flung around his family's power without any real right to it. It was hard to figure out how he'd gotten this position outside of exactly that power and ill-begotten money.

It was then that he seemed to remember himself and his manners. "I appreciate your praise and support, Mori Sempai. I will try my hardest, as always, to be an asset to the council in the future."

There was a frown etched on his face as he headed to his seat again. His mind raced with how to overcome both Yoshida and Mori. He did not appreciate the way the older student bossed them around. He was positive that even it he ever did attain that position of power he wasn't going to abuse it the way he did. He wasn't going to force the other students to feel small and insignificant. It was much more effective to motivate them to be a force to be reckoned with. Challenge each of them, not beat them down.

He tried to force the scowl off his own face, not wanting his thoughts about any of it to show. He glanced at some of the students that had been beaten down by that speech. Mizushima and Junsui specifically. He nodded encouragingly to them, not wanting to trust any of Mori's opinions about anyone. He wasn't going to give the same respect to Yoshida, though it wasn't fair to him, he was sure the male could hold his own without a vote of confidence from his rival.

He turned to the front again as Seiya was speaking and offered her a small smile and a nod, letting her know that he didn't attend to do anything to disappoint her.

 

[Rosen2012]

Takuya smiled, Seiya was right in beat with him as usual. He gave a swift nod as she brought up the train.

"Indeed, Seiya-san, is correct. I have already heard that this, ridiculous rumor has its foundation in the junior class rooms, and it will not be tolerated." Takuya narrowed his eyes and glared at the students.

It's not that rumors bothered him, oh no he could give a shit less about rumors. It was just the timing of this particular rumor. It surfaced right on the coattails of an unpleasant dream.

Well actually it wasn't that the dream was unsettling, it was just that he dreamed. Period. Takuya did not 'dream'. He never dreamed. Because he rarely ever slept. In fact if you looked close enough you could spot bags under his eyes hidden under make up. And the edges of his eyes were always blood shot. But two days ago, he fell asleep. For a regular amount of time. That never happened. His body only ever rested for two to three hours. Not eight, and he certainly never slept starting at ten o'clock. He would almost say he had fallen ill,accept he never fell ill either.

And that its not to say that things did not take place in his mind when he rested. Oh no, his mind was always active. But it was active in other ways. When Takuya slept, his mind ran through scenarios of real life. Things that had happened, could happen or situations that were about to arise. He worked through them, replayed them, and studied them from every possible angle to work through how to come out on top. Or if how he had done it actually resulted in the best outcome.

The fact that he had a real dream, an actual series of random imaginative events that in no way were apart of the real and waking world, or anything he had ever seen or done, disturbed him. Greatly. It disturbed him so much that he had not forgotten the dream. If at any moment in time he stopped thinking about how to control and keep the rest of the school in order, the dream replayed in his head. Over and over again.

The only part of it that made since was the ending statement. 'You will judge the world.' The only part of the dream that calmed him and made sense. However coming to school and hearing the rest of the students constantly speak about a train kept making the dream resurface. The man. The monster. The woman. The train.

That monster. The train. That butterfly. The train. The train. The train.

Takuya slammed his hands on Yamada's desk, as his was the closest to him, in anger.

"The faculty and student council will not tolerate such idiocy. Especially from the second year class. You are preparing for your future. You are being put through one of the most difficult junior curriculums in the country. You do not have time to be sneaking out, trying to catch glimpses of idiot rumors started by individuals of lesser intelligence. And if I even so much as think you have been sneaking out of the dorms to do so, you will be put on suspension. And if proof is found you have gone out of your dorms past curfew, you will be expelled. Do I make myself clear?"


---

Kojiro jumped when Takuya slammed his hands on a desk in the front of the class. And he watched anger fill his eyes and rage seep from his voice...he was suddenly worried for his own safety and well being. 'If Mori finds out...I am so dead.'

He felt like shrinking into his chair, but knew that would only give him away. He did his best not to fidget but felt like he was sweating bullets.

 

[Cinnonym]

Hikaru's expression grew stony, eyes drifting down to fix on her feet. She was guilty, as well, of sorely wanting to determine the truth behind the ghost train that ran through abandoned subways. For many reasons.

But the last thing she'd ever want to do was encourage reckless behavior in the underclassmen that looked up to Student Council.

"Let's please not forget Kanashima Fujiko, who passed away last night in that same station. This is very dangerous."