Monday, 22nd of January
Clear Skies

Tom headed toward the classroom. Though he knew that it would not be the case, it was nonetheless reassuring to him that the classroom was not draped in velvet as it was in his dream. Instead of being greeted by an unsettling elderly man, a young woman sat at the front of the class. She seemed absorbed in a book, what looked to be a lengthy literary work reminiscent somewhat of a tome. She stood up as he entered.

"Ahh, I'm guessing that makes you the elusive Tom then?" She said. He decided to use the opportunity to jeer at her a little.

"No, I'm his substitute," he said in a deadpan tone. He chuckled a little, giving up the jig in little under a second. The joke itself was woeful, but the teacher seemed to appreciate it somewhat. He thought she had likely heard such little humour working in this job that anything had become acceptable to her.

"How does a student even have a substitute?" She said, continuing the joke.

"Hiring one, I suppose," he said. "Work's scarce nowadays."

"Well, if you say so," she said, before turning her attention to the rest of the class. "Students, I would like you to meet our new student. His name is Tom Drover, and he will be staying at the boarding house from this moment forth," she announced to the room. "Please, make him feel welcome."

Tom headed to sit down. He found himself an empty chair next to a student who seemed to wear an ever-present smile on his face, and sat down. He looked at the student. He seemed dishevelled, and though he wore his uniform perfectly with the red tie neatly done up and the shirt tucked into the grey pants, it was clear he had not ironed any part of his uniform at any point. The shirt was tucked in, and the red and yellow blazer was done up, but he looked shabby despite it. He had light red hair, and a stocky build which seemed to hint at athletic prowess; the poster child for a sports buff.

"Sup, you're the new guy?" The student next to him said. "I'm Finn. Seems we're bunking together, huh?"

"Yeah," Tom replied.

"Well, you seem like a swell guy," Finn said. "Where'd you come from?"

"Strathmerton," Tom answered. "It's a country town, I used to go to the local school then?"

"Who are your parents?" Finn inquired.

"Farmers of odds and ends," Tom replied. "It wasn't the life for me."

"So, you just casually enrolled in the Fort Knox of pretentious Select-Entry Schools?" Finn quipped.

"Yeah," Tom said. "I got in here on scholarship. I used to go to the community school in Strathmerton, and under the tutelage of various teachers as well as the support of my parents, I wound up here. Seems surreal in honesty."

"That's bloody awesome!" Finn exclaimed. The teacher cleared her throat and gave Finn a dirty look. As his eyes connected with hers, he silently mouthed the word 'sorry'. It seemed to satisfy her, and she returned to what she was doing, though it surprised Tom that what she was doing had nothing to do with teaching the class. Then again, he supposed that technically school did not start until 8:45. He sat patiently as he awaited that time.

"So, like, can you do my homework then?" Finn asked. "I'm really behind in Geography. I just need a passing grade, so my parents won't kill me."

"How can your parents kill you?" Tom asked back. "You live in the boarding house."

"I suppose you've got a point, but we do get to leave on holidays." Finn said.

"Well, it is optional," Tom replied. He deliberated on it for a moment, before remembering the Principal's words of advice to him. "Well, at least you're upfront about it I suppose," Tom said. "I'll help you with your homework and whatnot. Do keep in mind though that the operative word in that sentence is 'help', I'm not going to just do it for you."

"Thanks man, you're a god-damn lifesaver," Finn said. "Say, why don't we grab a bite to eat after school ends, my treat."

"Can you pay for me?" Tom asked. "I'm sort of broke."

"Don't worry about it, I'm happy to be the money man," Finn replied. "After all, you're doing my homework."

"I'm helping you with it, not doing it," Tom replied.

"Heh, whatever you say," Finn said dismissively. Tom was a little peeved, but then realised that this was the first time he had anybody that he could genuinely consider a friend alongside him. He decided to withhold judgement, for the sake of his own idealism.

As their classes drew to a close, and the end of the day finally made its way into view, Tom slowly adjusted to the newfound environment. He was far from used to it. The students here were marginally more reserved than those from his hometown, but he saw that as more of a boon than a shortcoming. After all, the less reserved students of his hometown had never taken kindly to the 'boy genius' on their turf, making collaboration between them all the more difficult. However, having Finn around helped. Finn was a savant when it came to socialisation, the sort of kid who seemed to be acquainted with everyone on campus. Though he barely communicated, he felt as if he had become a more prominent face on campus merely through exposure to his radiant and inviting aura. As the school day drew to a close, Finn offered to provide him with his first glimpse into the city.

"So, want to head off then?" Finn asked.

"I suppose so," Tom replied.

Tom followed Finn through the winding back-streets to their destination. Even if Tom was the one helping with Finn's geography homework, Finn was the one who had real understanding of the geography of this place. Granted, he had only been here a day and a half, but wandering with him made him feel lost. The two of them certainly stood out in their dark carmine uniforms with golden patternry, and they found themselves subject to the onlooking gaze of many local residents. They walked into the Korean Restaurant. Tom thought this might be a good place to bookmark mentally, but then realised that he would probably forget how he even got to this place anyway. The two of them headed toward the register, and the cashier greeted them politely.

"What would you like today?" She asked.

"I'll grab two Kimchi Pork Stews," Finn said.

"Actually, I'd rather Tofu," Tom interjected.

"Wait, you're a veggo?" Finn asked.

"Yeah, you would be too if you'd lived on a farm," Tom replied.

"Huh, alright," Finn said. "One Kimchi Tofu instead then, I suppose."

"Coming right up," she replied.

The two of them sat down at a table near the window. Finn stared out into the clouds, sighed, then returned his gaze back to Tom. Tom supposed he was uneasy about something, but it was anyone's guess as to what. After all, he probably wouldn't tell him what was on his mind anyway, so he didn't pry.

"So, I presume you have been boarding for a while," Tom asked. "What's it like?"

"Eh, it's pretty nice," Finn said. "You get to hang around cool people, and after a while you get into the spirit of the place real well. There's a few kids I don't like in the dorm, but we all get along well enough inside."

"A few kids?" Tom asked.

"Actually, just one," Finn replied. "He goes by the name of Dennis. You two will probably meet at some point. He's got some serious issues with his temper, but the fucker's dad is the head of a multi-national with the school in his pocket. He's untouchable. Dude's got everyone at his heel, and it ticks me off."

"Did he do something to you?" Tom inquired.

"Yeah, once. It wasn't to me though," Finn replied. "Anyway, don't let that ruin the dorm for ya'; I'm sure it'll be plenty of fun anyway."

The two of them bit and slurped their way through the Kimchi Stew. Tom was not exactly the best with etiquette, and so his slurping was rather loud and humiliating, attracting attention from miles around. He was apathetic about that though.

"So, how long have you been living in the dorm then?" Tom asked.

"Oh, it must be about two years now," Finn replied.

"Two years?" Tom inquired.

"Yeah. I bet you're fishing for some prophetic words of wisdom from the guy with a few years under his belt," Finn said. "To that, I suppose there's not much I can say. Just do what you enjoy here, there's a club for everything after all."

"I suppose I'll take a look into it," Tom said.

"Yeah, give it a crack," Finn said. "There's a pamphlet near the school office with all the clubs and teams listed. I'm in the Soccer team myself, but I'm not all that good at it."

They finished their meals, and headed back to the dorms. It was nearing evening, and the sun began to set in the distance. The sunset seemed luminescent off in the distance, as the dusking horizon cast its last warm light across the land. They hadn't much time to get back to the boarding house; they had spent a long time getting food. As they followed winding roads, Tom began to get a slight bearing of some locations, and some remote understanding on how to reach them. By the time they had reached the boarding house, the sun's light had all but disappeared beyond the edge of the sky, and the last glimmers cast were all that guided them to their newfound home. They entered. A friendly man greeted them at the door. He had grey hair, and had a youthful appearance which seemed to be slowly disappearing with age. He appeared as if he was constantly contemplating something, but whatever it was, Tom was not quite aware of.

"Hey Finn," he said. "I see you've brought the new kid along with you as well then?"

"Yeah," Finn said. "We went to that korean joint down the road. I was just showing him the ropes a bit."

"Nah, don't sweat it," the man replied. "We're already done with dinner here, but I might be able to whip something up if you're still peckish."

"Sweet, I could totally go for another round," Finn responded. "Bring it on!"

Finn strolled off into the kitchen. Tom remained at the door, shaking his head in refusal. "I hate to deny your hospitality, but I think I'm full," Tom said. The gentleman only laughed in response.

"I figured, anybody who could keep pace with his eating and metabolism would probably need Bariatric Surgery by the end of it," the man replied. "By the way, I'm Mr. Haynes. I'm the dormitory supervisor and an English teacher here. Nice to meet you." He extended his hand, gesturing for a handshake. Tom reciprocated after a moment of apprehension, created partially due to the spontaneity of the situation.

"Nice to meet you to," Tom responded. "So, is there anything I should remember while I'm staying here?"

"I suppose just the basics really," Mr. Haynes replied, "Don't stay out too late. Although I won't deride you if you do, you're going to need to earn the privilege to hang out at night through showing your diligence. Also, if I catch you trying to sneak away to the girl's dorms, I'll make you regret it. Other than that, make your time here count, and try and be friendly with everyone. Those are the main points for now. I think I'd better head into the kitchen though, I did promise Finn seconds after all."

"Go ahead," said Tom.

"Well, your room's on the third floor, number five," Mr. Haynes said. Tom placed his foot on the stairs, but before he could ascend any significant distance, Mr. Haynes called out to him.

"Oh, one more thing," Mr. Haynes said. "Whatever you do, don't screw up which floor you're on. The dude in two-five has some serious people issues."

"I'll keep that in mind," Tom replied.

He walked up to his room, and settled in. The room was dreary and austere, with a writing desk to one side of the room and a set of bunk beds to the other. The bunk beds were poorly constructed, made with a variety of aluminium which seemed more prone to snapping than supporting. A single filament bulb was tasked with illuminating the entirety of the room, and so the room seemed rather depressing and somewhat gloomy. The desk itself was made of a cheap timber, and seemed itself to be splinter-laden. It would be difficult working on the desk, for any sudden hand movement would likely cause the splinters of wood to embed themselves within his palm. He decided that getting a cover for the desk would be an utmost priority.

A bay window overlooked the beachside. It was a view one could only imagine in a fairy-tale, staring out onto the midnight beach as he watched the swash continually colliding with the shore, only to recede and try again. It was hypnotic, the constant motion of the waves and the ripples of the water, a cathartic dance of nature which seemed eternally repetitious. He could see students on the shore, likely avoiding the prying eyes of teachers and guardians for that late-night swim. It was dangerous, but who was he to intrude on that?

He decided to get some shut-eye. The bottom bunk seemed already to be in use, so he climbed to the top bunk and headed to bed. He closed his eyes. As he did, he heard the door open. Finn intruded on the room. "I didn't wake you, did I?" He asked rhetorically. He turned out the light, and headed to the bottom bunk, stumbling about in the dark. He heard a crash, and Finn exclaiming the word 'ouch' in a suppressed but nonetheless noticeable manner. He made his way to bed.

"Goodnight," Finn said.

"Night," Tom replied. He drifted off, the lethargy fostered by a tiring day taking over both his wearied mind and fatigued frame. He succumbed to sleep, allowing his consciousness to dissipate into some aether elsewhere.

Social Stats - Tom Drover

Etiquette: Guttersnipe (1)
Intellect: Knowledgeable (2)
Guts: Yellow-Bellied (1)
Charisma: Unnoticeable (1)
Wisdom: Foolhardy (1)

Forecast for Tomorrow: Clear Skies

Note: The Cup Arcana represents the Clergy. The Clergy, operating as a bastion of enlightenment in the pre-renaissance era, serves characters with increased intelligence. As such, the Fool of Cups finds himself advantaged in this area.

Monday, 22nd-23rd of January
Dreamscape, Clear Skies

Tom awoke. Tom lifted his head from the pillow, and stared out the window. Though he felt well rested, as if he had slept for ten years rather than ten hours, the sky seemed dark outside. However, it was not the same mere absence of light that constituted the night that he remembered. Instead, it was as if the light of the waking world had been suppressed somehow, sealed away by some ethereal force. He turned on a bedside lamp, and looked out the window. Amidst the eerily mandarin-tinted darkness, he swore he could see movement. It was not human, more an entity which seemed to hover directly above the ground. He could make out what appeared to be a yellow lamplight, and a pumpkin with a pointed hat, floating in midair. Believing that he was going insane, he wandered over to Finn's bed and jostled him awake.

"Yo, what is it?" Finn asked. "I'm trying to get to sleep here."

However, as Finn stood up, he seemed aware as ever; as if he had never really slept in the first place. "Funny, I thought I went to sleep?" He said to himself. "I feel well rested, but it's still night. This is weird..."

"Could you please look out that window," Tom asked. "I need to know what you see."

"Alright," Finn replied.

He wandered to the window, and stared out into the tangerine tenebrosity. He looked for a few seconds, before noticing something and fixating on it for a while. He stood there for approximately three seconds, before recoiling from the window in fear.

"What was that thing?" Finn asked. "Why was it staring at me, why did it have no legs, why did it have a pumpkin for a head, why..."

The remainder of his spiel was incoherent garble as he fumbled with language out of sheer distress. Tom helped him to his feet, as he stared at the window.

"...Why was it looking at me?" Finn concluded.

"I'd like to know as well," Tom said.

Finn took a moment to regain his bearings. He deliberated for a moment, as his rational mind was no longer encumbered by the surprise. "Let's find out," Finn said.

Finn took his phone from his pocket. He opened it, checked the charge percentage, and returned it to his pocket. He should have enough juice to do a little digging. He sauntered over to the door, and readied himself for the world beyond it.