[X] A Wallflower, barely noticed by anyone most of the time.
[X] Nakamura Haruka (specific kanji 中村春花) (Japanese name order), Female
So, you sat in your homeroom class, the windows still lightly dusted with the last of the old winter's snow. This was your second year at Hanataba now and, with the All-Aces being third years, you were honestly kinda intimidated.
You were stuck thinking so much about your invitation that you didn't notice your friend trying to get your attention. "Hey Haruka, you okay in there?" came the scratchy voice of your longtime pal, Suzakuin Keiko, a freckle-faced girl with long, shaggy brown hair, part of which she'd dyed bright blue. People would say she could use a makeover, but that's if she could even afford one.
"What? Oh yeah, sorry, had a lot on my mind," you said on reaction, trying to snap out of your thoughts.
"Well, it's our first day back at school, so there is a lot of pressure," came the warmer voice of a boy with neater brown hair, Ito Yuya. You'd known him almost as long as you had Keiko, and while both your parents and relatives had jokingly called you two 'childhood sweethearts', there'd never been anything serious between the two. True, Yuya was no Sakurai Azuma, but still, a girl like you had to consider yourself lucky to even know someone like Yuya.
And that was about it for your friends, as despite this being your second year, they were really all the people you had any real connection with Hanataba. Up till now, it seemed, if your fears weren't true and this wasn't some prank by Melissa.
Speaking of which "Urgh, fuck Melissa. I saw that stuck-up princess trying to accost you in the hall," Keiko groaned, leaning back in her chair, "Just 'cause she's some bigshot foreign blonde she thinks she can just come to Japan and walk all over us," she snarled.
"Ooh yeah, 'fuck' Melissa," some douchebag creeps wolf-whistled in the corner.
Ignoring them and thinking back to that encounter, well you wouldn't call it an 'accosting' really. Still, you decided to stay quiet about this, er, arrangement to Keiko and Yuya, you were kinda worried you'd blow this million-to-one chance if you casually blabbed about your All-Aces invitation.
Keiko and Yuya also didn't dignify those guys with a response, though Keiko had to admit "I mean, I can't say against anything Azuma though, he sure is dreamy..." she sighed, holding her chin in her hands.
"Okay, fun's over, people," came the dead cold voice of your homeroom teacher, Tanizawa Ryouko-sensei, as she made her way in without even glancing at her students. "Now you're all here, everyone better shut it and make their way to the Start of Year Assembly, got that?" she intoned, getting students' attention by tapping her desk with the chalkboard pointer.
You promptly lined up and headed out, no questions needed, but as you entered the hall one of your classmates, who'd been skulking in the shadows before so had slipped your mind, approached and asked you:
"My my, Haruka is it?" said a whisper-thin voice belonging to a lightly smiling girl, with raven black hair and her uniform modified to be longer and frillier, "My wandering eyes couldn't help but spot that you had an invitation you were fiddling with, all the more interesting given your prior chat with Melissa.
Oh, am I intruding? I take it this is a private affair," this girl gasped, as she could see you glaring at her.
"Yeah, I'll say it is," you stated bluntly, pressing down on your pocket with the invitation even more closely.
Keiko and Yuya were right next to me yet never even saw this letter, so how did... whoever this is see it? that though pulsed.
"I see, I never truly learned to mind my own business," this girl sighed, shaking her head. "But I've taken enough of your time, so it's only proper I introduce myself. I go by the pen name Colette Claudius, and I'm Head of the Occult Club. If I may say, we're always on the hunt for new members, and we can sure promise a better time than, ahem, those All-Aces," she huffed.
"Y-you seem to have something against them..." you asked her.
Colette just chuckled "Oh it's nothing personal, I just have little patience for the 'in-crowd'," she told you, adding in a hushed tone, "
I know who my real friends are. Ah, look at the time, we should really be at Assembly!" she then cut herself off, swiftly waving goodbye to you as she scurried away.
The principal tapped the mic and cleared his throat, beginning with "Students and Staff of Hanataba, once again our renowned institution is graced with another year". Noticing nobody was paying much attention, he quickly switched a more casual "Uh hey, we all excited or what? Best years of your lives, y'know?" with a tug of his tie. That hardly got that much more of a response, other than maybe a distant facepalm.
"Er, anyway, as we say at our fine school-" he then tried to go on, but just sighed and said, "Please welcome to the podium our own Azuma Sakurai, third-year and Head of the Drama Club, not to mention our highest-ranked student in the popularity polls".
The whole room exploded with awe as the dark yet dashing Azuma made his way onto the stage. Brushing his hair aside and taking the mic, he began with, "Thank you Dear Principal, perhaps too flattering an introduction. Now, fellow students, I would say the most important lesson you learn in Theatre is that storytelling and performance are hardly limited to the realm of fiction. All of us, teenagers more than anyone, either choose to play a role or are bestowed a role to play, and at Hanataba we expect no less than for those roles to be played to staggering applause. It is what makes our school... what it is," he smirked, before leaning in closer to the mic and saying, "
For even if there is nothing beneath the mask, then should that mask not be crafted to perfection?" Having finished, he bowed and then tossed a rose cavalierly into the crowd, students scrambling to catch it.
Turning to your left, you could see Keiko gushing over Azuma's 'poetry', even though you figured
If it was anyone else saying the same thing, Keiko probably would dismiss it as 'flowery bullshit'.
Weird thing was though, though you were all the way at the back of the looming Assembly Hall, you could swear that you felt Azuma make direct eye contact with you for a second.
What, no, probably just my paranoia talking, you thought.
The assembly over, the moment you got any free time at all you headed straight to the Third Floor, unthinkingly brushing off Keiko as you did so before she could say something.
And there it was, at the end of the corridor up the stairs, the rose-patterned, card-studded, burgundy door amongst the usual pink and gold wallpaper. The All Aces' Prized Pupil Lounge.
Your legs wobbled as you slowly made your way towards it, and after a moment that felt like eternity you gingerly rang the doorbell, only to be met with someone you didn't expect.
"Hi there, welcome to the All-Aces Club! What can we help you with?" came the bright and bubbly voice of a Japanese girl whose looks till reminded you a lot of Melissa, her hair dyed platinum blonde and her skin a deep tan.
"Ahem, I believe
I'll be doing the introductions, Reina," the more familiar voice of Melissa barked at this girl, pushing her to the side. Staring down at you now, Melissa went on, "Sorry, you know how hangers-on are like- Oh wait, no you wouldn't. So okay, you're Haruka right? Good, knew you'd show up pronto, though let's face it, it's not like you're in any position to do otherwise".
Before you could reply at all, Melissa then dragged you by your tie into the club lounge. Your first thought upon finally seeing the inside of this place was
Wow, this looks more like a penthouse suite than a school room!
The walls were coloured a rich cream, the arching window-frames a deep burgundy, one large enough to cover a whole balcony, and the carpet a mix of glittering gold and deep bronze. You stood on a little platform, with short oaken stairs either side leading you down to where the rest of the All-Aces were waiting, sitting on delicately carved chairs around a circular table. Azuma seemed engrossed in a poetry volume, Himawari was already pacing, Kikuko was sipping tea by herself, Eitaro was tapping his foot, and Gakuto was fiddling with his laptop.
"Er, okay Melissa, ma'am, I guess I'll just get going," the Reina girl gulped as she tried to slink away, but Melissa grabbed her by the collar and spoke directly at her.
"Oh no, Reina, we've still got a job for a Jack like you," Melissa flashed a sharp grin, before turning to you and saying "Oh, a Jack is what you'll be now, at least for the foreseeable future. Come on, did you honestly think we were going to make a total nobody an Ace right away?"
"Melissa, you could stand to be nicer to her, y'know," the pretty young singer Himawari Aoyagi raised her otherwise tender voice, as she then ran up to you and smiled, "Oh hey, you'd be Nakamura-san? It's a pleasure to meet you, though I'm sorry if some of our terms can seem, ahem, a bit arcane".
"Allow me to elucidate," came the dulcet tones of the green-clad, pale-haired computer master Momoi Gakuto, "The six of us here are the Aces, my industrious self the Ace of Wands, the striking Melissa the Ace of Coins, dear Himawari the Ace of Hearts, Azuma the Ace of Spades, Eitaro the Ace of Swords, and the delightful Kikuko the Ace of Grails".
You counted on your fingers trying to remember this all, playing cards not your forte, but you said, "Right, think I've got that".
"It's a genius terminology, one you'd rightly expect one like me to have come up with. But alas, I must credit Azuma as who we have to thank for bestowing us our titles," Gakuto then turned and gave a hand to the Drama Head, who just chuckled and smiled.
"All cool? Right, so a 'Jack' one of our personal posse, anyone else we deem to let in this room with us, but who still couldn't cut it as an Ace. Like Reina here, and of course, hmhm,
you," Melissa smirked and prodded you right above your chest. "Hear that, Reina? I want you to start accompanying Haruka, teach her what the duties of a Jack are".
"Oh, of course, aye aye ma'am!" Reina gave a salute.
"Whether Ace or Jack, to even be seen with us, proper grace and etiquette are essential," the almost doll-like Kikuko stood up and focused her scarlet eyes on you, "For you though, we cannot have you dress like a peasant, for are you not in the company of nobles?"
"Though it's not like we are who we are just for how we look," Eitaro gruffly muttered, resting his hand on his chin, "Willpower, discipline, and diligence are a must, even a Jack can't afford to slack off in our group. Never forget, we are the best of the best".
All this, t-then why did you even want me in the first place?! you thought so strongly you almost said that out loud, grabbing your mouth just in time.
"I suppose then you're curious as to why exactly we scouted you out," Azuma said, almost exactly in sync. "It's a long and complicated reason, but I'll start by saying, well Haruka, this isn't the first time we've met, and not just at this school either..."
"W-what?" you gasped,
Wouldn't I have remembered meeting someone like Azuma before? I mean, my memory isn't the best, and he certainly speaks with more authority than me...
"
Anyway, let's address your appearance, that'll probably be the quickest thing to deal with," Gakuto cut in, changing the topic to something simpler. Using a hologram projector he flashed your own social media profile, one you hadn't bothered to curate in quite a while admittedly, right up in front of everyone, making you jump back.
"I'm one of the boys, so I was hardly raised in the art of makeovers,
but I definitely know a thing or two about digital image editing," Gakuto explained, as he asked, "Well then Haruka, what shall your updated appearance be?"
[ ]
Faceclaim #1
[ ]
Faceclaim #2
[ ]
Faceclaim #3
[ ] Faceclaim #4
[ ]
Faceclaim #5
[ ] Write-in.
(
A/N Edit: Faceclaim 4 link no longer up, so probably for the better it wasn't voted for.)
