Assembly In Progress
Glossy light of the reflective kind bounced off The Proctor's forehead like a mirror, gleaming almost as bright as Goudo's polished smile. She shot both he and Tanifuji a deathly glare, tapping her foot twice and pointing to the floor, asking -- rather, forcing -- the two to make their way to her. While her features softened so to not leave a bad impression on the students, it wasn't hard to tell that she wasn't in a good mood. "Why are you two so late...?" Her tone was hushed to avoid attention, despite the fact midgets tended to draw attention to themselves anyway. "Mmmph. It's fine. We got everything set up. Fujino is backstage if you want to join her, though she should come out any second now. Itagaki is also around."
Tanifuji always wondered why Sakkaku Haruhi had bore such a grouchy look on her face as she demanded the two teachers' attention. Were it anyone else, Tanifuji would've drawn closer like she was asked. However, she distinctly remembered the first time they met, where she excitedly rushed over to meet the principal of Jigokuraku Academy, only to lose sight of Sakkaku completely as she got too close. As such, Tanifuji decided it would probably be best to stay exactly where she was... if only just to be safe.
As she and Goudo were expected to explain why they weren't already set up at the assembly yet, Tanifuji took the iniative.
"I, uh... actually had to double back home for a bit cause I forgot my cue cards and some equipment for today's class," she admitted, "On my way up again, I noticed that one of the students was struggling with the uphill climb to school, so I figured I'd better give her a ride. I highly doubt she would've made it to the assembly at all if I left her behind, never mind on time..."
Tanifuji was tempted to ask why Sakkaku had gone through will allowing Hiroki into the curriculum, but figured she'd best leave describing the incident to Goudo. After all, he was the one that had successfully diffused it before it got any further out of hand than it did.
Guodo Sensei scratched his head with a big disarming grin, knowing full well not to tic off Haruhi. He made that mistake once, never never again. He was straight with her. "Well, I was going outside to make sure that all the students arrived safely and it turned out the front door was locked. Then we had a little, ahem, disturbance at the front between a few students." He flashed a look at Hiroki but it was no more then a grin. The blue boy just grimaced and looked away.
"Its wasnt a big deal. Defused without incident. Just first day jitters am I right?" Guodo also had his doubts, and not just for the loud mouthed student, there was a bunch here that didn't have the drive, nor the type of personality to really drive on and succeed at the school, but- the principal wasn't a woman you could reason with once she made a decision.
They were told to essentially treat it as a challenge to mold their young minds and show them a better more, 'heroic' way. The principal thought she was very clever after that one. But anyway, Guodo Sensei stood next to Tanifuji. He was all smiles but she could probably tell he was nervous, partciularly through the way he immediately started futzing with his fingers.
First day jitters.
The students continued to fill the remaining seats. It looked as though they had accounted for extra, however for some reason, there were quite a few empty spots. With conversations devolving into student shenanigans, the time seemed about right to begin the assembly. With a resounding 'Click!', a light shone down unto the centre of the stage. For those who were particularly attentive, however unlikely that was in a school assembly, the light was apparently coming from... nowhere.
With her visual cue to guide her, Fujino Ukimi found herself under the spotlight. Presenting the opening of an assembly, especially after that one kid with the mask called her old, wasn't ideal for her. At this rate, she'd be seen as old like some kind of education staff member, ironically the very same people that she despised growing up.Ironically, the very same position she was in now. Of course, Fujino wasn't going to be anything like the old hags from her past. She was a good person, and already promised herself to do good for the students -- those that would listen, at least -- and not turn to yelling insults at them. Her temper could be held, and if need be she had her quirk, so everything would be fine. The thought crossed her mind to use it here and now, to get the students attention, but she ultimately decided against the idea. Clearing her throat, The Ruler began her opening speech.
"May I have your attention, please." The crowd chatter fell near-silent at her request, granting her their attention, or at least respect enough to allow her to speak. Though anxious, she utilised the ancient tactic of staring into the middle of the crowd to press on, pushing the temporary stage-fright to the side. "Welcome to the opening assembly for Jigokuraku Academy. I'm sure it was quite a trek getting up here on foot, as many of you might have experienced. Unfortunately, the school bus will be out of commission for the time being, as it sustained some damage during an entrance exam. The walk tomorrow won't be anywhere near as extreme, as we hope to set you all up in the dorms by the end of today."
Her voice was clear and her tone even - an experienced speaker for those attuned. Just another teacher who liked their own voice, for those less-than-focused. "That said, we're glad to see so many of you made it here without incident. My name is Ukimi Fujino, and I will be your speaker for today.""She's more formal than usual..." Muttered Sakkaku Haruhi, masking her surprise behind that stern, furrowed brow of hers. The same look she always wore, really. "First of all, congratulations to all of you who made it. Our entrance exams were created with the fundamentals of the heroics course in mind, covering the absolute basics of what's to come. While dummies are poor substitutes for human life, they served their purpose for the duration of the exam, with many of you valuing to save as many as you could. This is the essence of being a hero, and those who proved beyond doubt they had the capacity to excel in this regard were immediately seen as potential students. Furthermore, there were some of you even willing to stand up to the villains who threatened to cause further harm, be it to the dummies or your fellow students. The tenacity and spirit that these students showed during the exam was beyond expectation, and we are glad to have such able future heroes as Jigokuraku's own."
"We have lots to get through today, so to start us off, I'd like to call Itagaki-sensei, Sakkaku-sensei, Ohto-sensei, and Tanifuji-senpai to the stage for introductions."So far, so good. Things were going smoothly. While the principal had left it unclear as to when she would return, she and Uranishi could be introduced together later. No doubt she wouldn't miss showing up at the end to talk about the special 'surprise' in store for the students, given her excitement for the subject. If they were lucky, she would show up sooner rather than later.
*BOOM*
*BOOM*
*BOOM*
*WHOOSH*
The doors clattered open with a terrible amount of noise as suddenly the bulk of was silhouetted in a massive figure. A figure of swollen limbs and a thick scaley tail. He walked into the assembly hall with a terrible presence. Just as frightening and terrifying as when he was on the battle field. A force of nature. A titan of destruction. Nine feet of rippling muscle and beastial might. Itagaki Naomoro stood tall, stood proud. He wore cackies, a button up, a blazer and a tie with mickey mouse pattern on it, all of which seemed to screaming to stay on his bulky frame. His squat head was a look of predatory malice and probably the fakes looking moustache on the end of his mutant snout.
He walked between the alleys his tail swishing heavy and fast enough to take off one of their heads if he wasn't careful. He approached the podium, towering over it. He looked at all the students and snarled.
He then grabbed the mic suddenly and began yelling into it. "Alright you maggots! LISTEN UP! My name is Itagaki Naomoro! You'll call me Itagaki Sensei! Ya got it!? Out in the field I was the Crooked Croc, where I took a bite out of crime every morning for breakfast! Unfortunately for you I'm all out of crime in this school!" He said with a threatening grin as he folded his arms.
Crooked Croc! For those in the know, he was a successful and famous hero for the coasts of Japan and he had a mean attitude! However in recent days Croc has been getting real popular with the kids, playing the 'villain' in other hero propaganda PSAs, and appearing for charity fundraisers, openings for schools, guest staring at amusement parks, and even hospital visits. He retired only recently from hero work, the reasoning to press being to take care of his own kids.
He slammed a claw down on the podium. "Here at Jigokuraku I'm going to be your quirk development teacher and team building coordinator. So I want you to stuff your hurt feelings and play nice." He suddenly pointed his claw out to the far left right at Hiroki. "IM LOOKING AT YOU AIRPLANE ARMS!"
This caused Hiroki to snarl, his hair standing on end and the engines in his arms to thrum threateningly.
"Along with that, I'm also your math teacher. And just by looking at you, I think you're all going to be nice additions to my class." He then opened his jaw wide and stood stone still. A silence. A long awkward silence as if he was waiting for applause. Suddenly he started whacking the podium and holding his chest howling with laughter. "RARARAR! Math! Additions! RARARARAR! That's a good one!" With that, he happily stepped down, laughing at his joke with little giggles. It was amazing that a folding chair supported his weight.
"I suppose I'm next..." Muttered Sakkaku under her breath, power-walking her way to the podium at a pace that matched an average person's stride. The Ageless Heroine, despite her size, drew a lot of attention as an individual. However, having not taken hero work to the public sector, Sakkaku Haruhi wasn't a name meant to be known among the students. Those who had connections to pro heroes of the present might know the name, however it was mostly reserved for heroes who made it big. Having to adjust the microphone from Itagaki's speech, the comparatively tiny staff member cleared her throat, just barely able to get her eyes above the podium.
"My name is Sakkaku Haruhi, and I am the Hero Program Director of Class 1-A. I'll be the one you come to for questions regarding your heroics course. Congratulations to everyone who made it. Your work is just beginning." Though fairly underwhelming, Sukkaku's speech caught the attention of Azukina, who seemed to be heavily invested in the teachers. She made a mental note of Sakkaku's importance, questions burning in her head about the exam. As the director took her seat, she gave a subtle nod towards Goudo and Tanifuji, indicating one of them should go next. The size difference between herself and Itagaki was... immense.
Guodo's turn was up and he approached the podium. Getting in front of a crowd paradoxically made him more calm and more confident. It was the showsman in him that took over rather then the planner, and as homeroom teacher, he had alot on his plate to look after the well being of twenty so odd students with either a heart full of fear, or full of pride. He straightened up with a grin and made his presence know. "Welcome! As I said outside, I'm Ohta Guodo. Ohta or Guodo Sensei is fine. Ill be your homeroom teacher and your history teacher. It may sound silly but you need to have a grasp on the history of the country, of quirks, of politics, and of hero work. Its going to make understanding how things work these days that much easier."
He knew he was talking about boring stuff and so with fists on his hips looking heroically. "As exciting as that is, I'm sure you're more interested in the hero program. It'll be my job to look after your training and well being as well as coordinate and plan field operation and training curriculum. For instance. Starting tomorrow, one of you will be elected to act as your class representative. Basically a liason between teachers and the class as well as taking on additional responsibility. I expect all of you to gun for this position. Show off your skills as a true bonefied leader." He smiled widely and gave a big thumbs up.
He didn't realize the paradox of this. If everyone is running for representative, then they'd only vote for themself, and no one would win. He continued. "And today, before being assigned your dorms, we're going to test and guage your quirk. This will be an excellent way of introducing yourself to your class and to show us what you're bringing to the table. Nows the time to show off and go PLUS ULTRA!" He raised a fist in the air and said a rather old fashioned and archaic cheer. A little old school nowadays.
Finally, it was Tanifuji's turn to walk up to the podium and say her piece. She looked through her cue cards one last time to ensure she memorized what she was supposed to be saying up there, before "pocketing" them in her bust and moving forward.
"HELLLLLLOOOOO, EVERYONE!!" a very prominent projection of Tanifuji's voice rang across the entire hall, along with an eerie distortion coming from the mic of all things. Seeing a number of students hold fingers in their ears in discomfort, including Umi's of all people, Tanifuji raced to make the necessary corrections, before continuing on with her big speech.
"Whoops, guess this mic wasn't calibrated for my voice," she mused aloud, emitting a giggle as she rubbed the back of her head in embarrassment, "In any case, welcome to Jigokuraku Academy, everyone! This is Tanifuji Egao, speaking, though you should call me Tanifuji-senpai on campus. Not sensei! Senpai. That's a very important distinction. Sensei would make me sound like an old hag... or rather the old hag, am I right, Fujino-chan? Huh? Huh?! Am I?"
Tanifuji held a hand to her left ear and leaned slightly in that direction, as if she was expecting a response to her own friendly jab. Whatever the case, she shook her head and waved her arm in dismissal, supposing that she best continue with the task at hand.
"Never mind; I digressed anyway. Now, as I was saying, I'll be your gym teacher, and I'll also be your trusty combat coach. You might be asking, 'What's a combat coach, Tanifuji-senpai?' Well I'll tell you: the combat coach is the guy you get to thank for teaching you how to smack those villains around!"
In order to emphasize her point, Tanifuji slammed her fist in her open palm. She could then be seen cracking her knuckles as she kept talking.
"Oh, but my job won't be easy," she warned the students, "Villains can take up all sorts of strategies to get what they want or best their adverseries; and some of them are very powerful. Just take the lot of us during the entrance exam when we were playing the part of the villians. No doubt those of you who'd confronted us would've struggled to get anywhere. I can't promise that my course will be any easier to perservere through, but what I can promise is that I'll shape you up to be the best heroes that you can be!"
She grinned from ear to ear as she held two fingers in the air. Tanifuji was evidently quite proud of her speech, and she was also quite proud of herself managing to memorize most of it off by heart. Well, there were a few things here and there that she needed the cue cards for, but in any case..
"That's all from me!" she told the student body, "Uranishi-sensei couldn't make it to assembly today, so I'll give the floor back to Fujino-sensei so she can wrap things up. Thanks for listening, everyone!"
With a wave back to everyone, Tanifuji made her way backstage, leaving Fujino to bring the assembly to an end.
The MC was still glaring daggers at her fellow teacher from her place by the back of the stage as Tanifuji finished up. Her eyes followed her all the way to her seat, at which point the older woman sighed and shook her head. She took to the Podium and quickly put in her own introduction. "Like I mentioned at the beginning of the exam, my name is Fujino Ukimi, and I am your Academics and Professional Development Teacher. Put simply, I'm going to be the boring one to teach you all of the important life skills that makes you into fine young adults, such as English, Economics, and Social Studies. However, I might also help out when it comes to the more social aspects of the hero program, such as proper speech when speaking with injured civilians, how to turn a hostile situation social, and how to pick up on cues."
It was a bit underwhelming compared to her fellow teachers, but she needed something heroic to tie herself to the program! Getting labelled a useless academics teachers was too much for her.
The rest of the assembly was a basic rundown of the school uniforms and their distribution, apparently already in the dorms for sorting by the end of the day, and the gym uniform, also to be picked up in the dorms around the end of the day. In the meantime, it would seem as though they would be going through quirk demonstrations as well as a rundown of the exam history, followed by some quirk testing and a battle between the support class and hero class. With the rest of the day out of the way, it looked as though everything was wrapping up. "And with that, we'll call it in for today. Heroics Class 1-A, could you please stand first and go with Goudo-sens-"
A figure burst forth from the back of the room, for some reason not using the back stage entrance. Her walk was deliberate and filled with energy, even if her dishevelled mien contradicted her pace. She was gunning right for the podium, walking straight up to the microphone with vigor, almost knocking Fujino out of the way. The extra seat, reserved in case Uranishi actually showed up, gave the final teacher a place to sit, while the final member to be introduced today made her presence known.
"We haven't even got to my introduction yet! How in All-Might's good name do you expect these kids to go about their first day in school without being introduced to their LOVELY principal? Ahahaha~!"
Looking to be in her late 40's to early 50's, the principal looked as though she had prepared for the occasion, yet got into a fight on the way to the assembly. Her grey coat and blue button-up suggested some kind of fashion crisis, wrinkled lines and baggy eyes combining professionalism with a serious case of insomnia that got worse with age. In spite of all that, she had the same enthusiasm as Tanifuji, and, considering she set up much of the assembly in the first place, looked to be in good spirits. "Look at you all! It's so good to see such a great turnout after our exams! I know one group had some trouble being unable to finish theirs, but hey, you stuck around! I knew you would!"
As though starting to realise herself, the principal straightened up and adjusted her glasses, similar in fashion to Shiki. "Ahh, but where oh where are my manners? My name is Tokisaki Miraime, and believe it or not, I used to be famous! You're looking at a former top-5 hero of Japan right here, admittedly well past her prime. But of course, I expected the silence, you wouldn't know my real name after all these years." The principal leaned forward with a determined look in her eye, staring into the crowd, sourcing out those who actually knew her hero name. "The Foresight Hero: Oracle Thought! Some of you may have heard of me in your history books, eh? The hero who could see any attack coming, and dismantle any master plan! Always one step ahead, even when one step behind!"
Those who knew about heroes of the past undoubtedly knew of Oracle Thought. A pro from the pre-Symbol era, her quirk allowed her to calculate the future, with supposedly 99% accuracy back in her prime. Having retired shortly before All-Might came into the world, her hero record was never drowned out by his radiant light, and has kept some level of popularity among retro hero enthusiasts. She is capable of telling the immediate future with stunning precision, and can go further beyond, but relies on the knowledge at her disposal to make accurate readings.
"Ahahahaha~! It's cute to know that an oldie like me is still remembered so fondly, but I see not everyone here knows me. That's alright, I'm not here for me, I'm here for you guys! But you're probably done with this whole assembly by now to be honest! I mean, I know I would, who wants to sit around and listen to teachers all day, RIGHT?!" She shot her teachers a playful, beaming smile, only to be met with mixed reactions from them all, most of which unpleasant. Awkwardly, the principal rubbed the back of her head and returned her attention to the students. "A-anyway, now I know you all want to go but trust me, I have one more important piece of information to tell you. So if you haven't been listening this entire time, this is the only thing that should matter to you."
Sakkaku knew full well what she was about to say, and blocked her ears in advance. It wasn't her place to but in, even if it was technically against the rules.
"Jigokuraku Academy's Hero Class 1-A! In one month's time, you will be officially recognised members of Japan's elite Four Pillars Project. Congratulations."
Tokisaki's seriousness was evident almost immediately. Her shift in demeanour seemed permanent, as she continued: "I'm not supposed to tell you that. In fact, I'm also not supposed to tell you that you have an upcoming sporting event in two months involving the Four Pillars: the Four Pillar Games. I also shouldn't tell you about the crossover training events scheduled for every three months, or the fact you'll be taking a Provisional License Exam this year, or that you're part of a rotating class that is replaced every year. I don't think you're supposed to know that you'll be up against the best in all of Japan, and you were partly selected because you and your quirks had promise where others faltered."
The principal shrugged her shoulders, no longer sporting the hyperactive persona she had been wearing for awhile now. Though not quite as serious now, the jovial nature had been sucked right out of her, and instead replaced with a wave of tiredness. Suppressing a yawn, the principal powered through. "But yeah, that's all I wanted to say! Go get together with your teachers or something, and, uhh, have fun! Remember: no questions. For now. Oh! And one last thing?"
She was about to walk away, however hurriedly returned to the microphone to get out her final message: "When the future turns to present, make me proud, m'kay? Oh, and leave the chairs! I'll get those..."
With that, the eternally tired principal disappeared backstage, leaving the disassembly to Fujino, who reiterated her previous request. It was a lot to take in for their first assembly, but one could argue it wasn't the most boring. First on the list of things for the day: quirk demonstration under Goudo-sensei. Now was the time to get familiar.