Life is the accumulation of memories, stacked together haphazardly in the mind. Memories shuffled around and stuck together and altered and replaced, all moving in a chaotic whirlwind of patterns which are impossible for the person responsible to understand. And in the back, unused but not necessarily unneeded, are those memories which are scarcely ever recalled, kept only because of a bad case of hoarding. Just in case. 19 years ago, when you hid away your All-Campus Joint Struggle Committee hat and focused on studying, the aches in your body forcing you to remember the beating by the riot police that had made you finally give up. 14 years ago, when you silently sorted documents by yourself for weeks, going through your entire office's archive. 8 years ago, when you walked out of your last marriage meeting grinning as a plate flew past your head and smashed against the wall. And 5 years ago, on a cold winter night, when you were eating at an oden stall...You were already eating when she came by. A young woman in black. The two of you sat next to each other for at least an hour drinking in near complete silence, occasionally asking the owner of the stall for more alcohol but never doing so much as acknowledging the other's presence. Despite that, you appreciated having someone else there - it made the dead of night a bit less lonely. She left before you did and you threw only a glance at her disappearing figure before you turned towards the stall's owner and asked for another cup of hot sake.Just before you left, you threw a glance at the empty seat next to you for no particular reason. Out of the corner of your eye you saw a large wallet made of black leather lying on the ground, somewhere between a normal wallet and a purse. After some hesitation you picked it up. You should return it, you thought. It's only the proper thing to do.Just like that memory, the wallet ended up being buried in the back of a closet for five years, bereft of any identifiers that would show an owner. It contents were only 850 yen in assorted coins; a coupon for a restaurant you later learned had gone out of business several months before; a black ring on a chain which, while beautiful, was lacking completely in identifying information; and two Polaroids of an unfamiliar seaside.
>>5958351One hour ago you saw a strikingly familiar face on your commute. She was dressed differently but you knew it almost immediately - it was the woman from five years ago. She disappeared as suddenly as she appeared though, blending into the crowd of the Shibuya Scramble, too far away to catch up with. Instead of trying to pursue you just stood still, staring in her direction for nearly a minute, until someone jostled you. Then, slowly, you began looking around for the nearest phone booth."I'm feeling unwell this morning. I apologize, but I won't be able to come in. Yes, yes, I'll make sure to get plenty of rest. Yes, my, uh, wife is here to take care of me, so I'll make sure not strain myself. Yes. Thank you very much for your consideration." You slam the receiver back into place just a bit too hard and begin flipping through the phone book as the shaking of the booth wall settles down."Teitan Private Investigation. You bring the case and we bring the solution." A surprisingly young voice greets you as you walk into an office on the second floor of a run down office building. A moment later you find that it belongs to a man in a button down shirt wearing a surprisingly large-brimmed hat, who gestures for you to sit down."I need you to find the owner of this wallet."He stares at it for a few seconds, frowning. "Why? Does it have something to do with a divorce? Or cheating?" You shake your head, responding in a level tone. "No. Just a lost wallet." "Just a lost wallet?""Yes. I've been meaning to return it for some time but... well, I suppose I just forgot about it, as people do. But I really ought to return it."A bit of energy leaks into your voice as you lean in. "I think she really would appreciate having it back, the owner. It's the proper thing to do, you know."The investigator sinks back into his chair and lets out a sigh. "Well, at least it's not cheating again. I'm so f-" He abruptly cuts himself off and clears his throat. "Anyways, a lost wallet. What leads do you have for me to go off of?">"Nothing, really." You fold your hands, stare back at the investigator, and embrace the silence which the office is now steeped in.>"She looks like, uh, this..." You grab one of the napkins being used as a coaster and begin scribbling a crude sketch of the woman.>"She likes getting drunk at oden stalls on cold winter nights, after all the trains have stopped running." You reminiscence about nothing and ignore the young man sitting in front of you.>Write-In
>>5958353>>"Nothing, really." You fold your hands, stare back at the investigator, and embrace the silence which the office is now steeped in.
Basic boring disclaimers, this will be a shorter form quest which I'm not quite sure of the length of yet, probably anywhere from 1-3 threads (although threads are pretty long now). Updates may be affected by the ravages of my real-life schedule/the curse if stuff comes up, although I'll do my best to keep a steady pace, and any write-ins are subject to being veto'd if I really feel the need or just really don't want to write it for some reason. (I can't recall a time in memory where I had to do this for an option that won though, so that's probably not relevant)Anyways, I hope we all have a fun time, haven't run a quest in a while.
>>5958353>"She likes getting drunk at oden stalls on cold winter nights, after all the trains have stopped running." You reminiscence about nothing and ignore the young man sitting in front of you.
>>5958353>>"She looks like, uh, this..." You grab one of the napkins being used as a coaster and begin scribbling a crude sketch of the woman.
I'll roll in an hour to break the tie if needed.
>>5958354>>5958372>>5958386>>5958721"She looks like, uh, this..." You pick up a cup of tea the man set down a minute ago, pull away the damp napkin underneath, and begin scribbling a sketch with one of several pens stuffed into your pocket.The young man stares on with a blank expression as you draw on the napkin for several minutes, occasionally tearing the still wet paper. Eventually you set your pen down and take a look at your work. You think you did a pretty good job, all things considered. You hand it over to the man before you with a slight smile on your face. He doesn't say anything for several several seconds and instead opts to hold a hand to his glabella as he falls into a fit of blinking."Is this a ghost? Am I going to be cursed?" You respond in confusion. "No, no, that's the woman who lost the wallet! I suppose the black clothes were a little ominous, but that's not too uncommon nowadays, right?" The young man throws a glance back at you and clears his throat. "I was gonna ask if you needed some crayons so it's good to know that is actually supposed to be black, but, uh, just look at this." He turns your drawing back towards you. "The ink is all smeared everywhere, and it just looks like a... hairy shadow thing. I'm almost afraid to give it back to you, in case you curse someone with it."The two of you fall into silence for a few minutes as you scratch your neck. "...Well, I thought it was pretty good." "You didn't go to art school or anything, right?" You pause. "I went to a school that offered art, does that count?" The young man across from you thinks for a second before sighing again. "It's good that you, uh, know what she looks like, but clearly you're not going to be able to convey it artistically and I'm not able to draw for shit either. What about this: You go out and find someone who CAN draw, get me what she looks like, and then I can go out and get a search started. Without any further details it's a long-shot - it's Tokyo after all, but it's better than nothing. I even know a manga artist who could use some extra work if you want him to do it.""Well, that sounds fair enough..." You start to think the idea over. As you do, the man across from you leans in slightly and lowers his voice. "Just checking, I'm, uh, gonna get paid for this right? It's not like I don't trust you - I do, I totally do trust you - but times are a little rough, and-"You glance up for a moment before reaching into your wallet and pulling out two 10,000 yen bills, which you place on the table. "There's a down-payment. If it ends up taking more once this is all said and done that's fine too." The young man abruptly stops talking before picking up the bills and bringing them to a nearby lamp, as if checking whether they're real. A few seconds later he walks back over, stuffing them into his pocket.
>>5958783"Knew you were a good guy, knew it! Smart too, and nice, what with the whole wallet thing. Just a little clash in artistic sensibilities, that's all. My name is Fukichi, nice to meet you." He pulls a business card out of his pocket and haphazardly reaches out to hand it to you.>"Nice to meet you." You ignore the card and take a sip of tea.>"I'm Sadaharu. Nice to meet you." You reach into your pocket and remove a business card holder, preparing to exchange cards.>"I'm Golgo, Golgo 13. Nice to meet you." You accept the business card and begin scribbling your contact information on another napkin, alongside the heading "Golgo 13, Professional Assassin".>"I'm from Lockheed and that WAS a bribe." He's not laughing. Laugh. Laugh uproariously. Laugh until he laughs back at your joke before introducing yourself. [You can choose this and another option]>Write-InNow that introductions are out of the way you decide on a course of action.>"I guess I'll go talk with that manga artist you mentioned and get a sketch done. How do I get in contact?">"I'll be back once I have a sketch. See you soon, hopefully." You can figure out where to get one on your own. You're an adult, after all.>"I'll stop by an art school and figure out how to draw it myself. Shouldn't be too bad - I'll be back before you close for the day." The office's closing door shuts out the sound of confused muttering behind you.>"A largescale search based off a drawing... that sounds like a lot of effort. I'll find some friends who can help first. We can worry about the sketch afterwords." Right. Friends. >Write-In
>>5958785>"I'm Sadaharu. Nice to meet you." You reach into your pocket and remove a business card holder, preparing to exchange cards.>"I guess I'll go talk with that manga artist you mentioned and get a sketch done. How do I get in contact?"
>>5958785>"I'm Sadaharu. Nice to meet you." You reach into your pocket and remove a business card holder, preparing to exchange cards.>"I'll stop by an art school and figure out how to draw it myself. Shouldn't be too bad - I'll be back before you close for the day." The office's closing door shuts out the sound of confused muttering behind you.
>>5958785>"I'm from Lockheed and that WAS a bribe." He's not laughing. Laugh. Laugh uproariously. Laugh until he laughs back at your joke before introducing yourself. [You can choose this and another option]>"I'm Sadaharu. Nice to meet you." You reach into your pocket and remove a business card holder, preparing to exchange cards.>"I'll stop by an art school and figure out how to draw it myself. Shouldn't be too bad - I'll be back before you close for the day." The office's closing door shuts out the sound of confused muttering behind you.
>>5958854>>5958984>>5959033>>5959165"I'm Sadaharu. Nice to meet you." You accept the business card and lean forward slightly, reaching into the pocket where you keep your business card holder. You struggle to get it open for a moment before handing over a single faded card. As Fukichi takes a look at it you head for the door. "I'll stop by an art school and figure out how to draw it myself. Shouldn't be too hard - I'll be back before you close for the day." "Wai-what? I think I heard you wrong-" The door shuts with a loud clunk behind you and you begin descending a circular set of stairs attached to the outside of the building to get back to the street. An art school... you could go back to your own campus you suppose, since you think there were a few classes, but that's too far for a day trip. And it's better to go somewhere that specializes anyways; they should be able to teach you faster. Art school, art school...Right, you think there's somewhere like that a few stops away. One of your coworkers mentioned that they were taking an evening course there. Not to you, but they did mention it. You guess you'll go in that direction and figure it out. Within five minutes you're in the subway and ready to leave. Since some people are still making their commutes, it's rather crowded.As you stand in the subway car, thinking, you feel someone bump into you. You glance to your left to see a younger man, probably a college student. He bows his head slightly and mutters what you think is an apology. As you stare at him he hurriedly looks away. After a few seconds you decide to speak up."Hey, uh, 'dude'. Do you know art?" He glances back at you and lets out an odd noise. You clarify. "Y'know, art. Drawing and stuff. Can you do it?" He pauses for a moment. "Not really? Can you?" You nod. "In spirit, yes. According to peer review no." A strained 'ah' can be heard."So, what about people you know? Do you know anyone who can draw?" "Uh, um..." The young man takes a step away from you while still struggling to hold onto the handgrip overhead. He glances around for a second, as if looking for assistance in answering the question, but everyone seems to be doing their best to ignore him. "Not really?" You crack your neck and whistle to yourself. "Well, what about places then? Where they know art. Like, uh, Dai... Daikutsu? Daisushi? Dai..." He interrupts you. "Daikichi Vocational School?" You nod to yourself. "That's it, Daikichi. How do I get there?""Third stop from now, and then it should only be a few streets away, you think. I hear they have a big metal sculpture of a dog out front. Shouldn't be hard to find." "Probably not." The car begins to slow to a stop as an announcement of the next stop can be heard over the intercom. A moment later the man you were talking to lets go of the handgrip above and begins moving to exit the car.
>>5959717"See you around, bud." He half-glances back and replies. "We're not friends." You raise your voice in inquiry. "Best bud?" He hurries to exit the subway car.The man to your right laughs. "It's fun messing around with the youngins, innit - yanking their chains?" You glance towards him and see a man in his 50s, dressed in a suit. You tilt your head slightly, confused. "Messing around? Was he messing with me?" The older man slaps your shoulder and lets out another laugh. "I like you. Anyways, if you're looking for an artist, I'm pretty decent. Been a while, but..."You smile at the older man. "That's great! I figure we have maybe 10 minutes here, so let's get to it. How do I sketch someone? She's probably in her late 20s, she wore black clothes five years ago but was wearing a bodycon dress this morning, black hair, eyes are... blue I think? Not quite sure. Here's my last attempt, it should just need a few corrections." You pull out the now crumpled and torn napkin from earlier and give it to the man next to you.His mouth hangs open for a moment, staring at the smudged wall of ink on the napkin before returning your drawing to you. "I'm, uh, a potter." You frown. "Oh." A moment later another idea comes to you. "Well, can I draw her on a pot? Or a bowl, or a cup, or whatever. Although I don't really need a pot..." Before the man can reply the intercom announces your stop. "Ah, this'll be me then. See you around." A hesitant reply can be heard from behind. "Uh, yeah. See you around..."A few minutes later you find your way out of the subway and to your destination. Daikichi Vocational School of the Arts. The campus is bustling and gates open, so you simply stroll in and look for someone who can help you. To start with you guess you'll figure out what classes are offered. They should have something on sketching people.After enlisting the help of a couple of passing students you find your way to the information and advising building. A woman around your age wearing a red leather jacket sits at the front desk, taking care of paperwork. She glances up when you enter and smiles. "How may I help you?"
>>5959718"Ah, yes, I was hoping for a course catalogue. My coworker mentioned that anyone could take individual classes here." The woman nods. "Yes, that's right! Let me get you a course catalogue..." She disappears into a backroom for a moment before returning with a small booklet. "The courses currently being offered are listed in here. The yearly club recruitment event is also going on in the West building today, although it'd be difficult joining any if you're working full-time...""Thank you." You begin flipping through the booklet and searching for something that could be of help. "Advanced Anatomy and the Human Form, 2:00 to 4:00 PM, Tuesday and Thursday... that could work. You close the book and glance back at the woman, who is still looking at you. "Is it possible to take courses that are currently underway? I really do need to hurry up and learn how to draw." She takes a moment to respond. "There are a few days before the late registration deadline is over. As long as the teacher is fine with it there won't be a problem." "Great, thank you so much." You turn to leave but are called back from a voice from behind."Actually, if you're free today, my lunch break starts in an hour and a half. I can teach you a bit about art..." She blinks with one eye for some reason. Dust, maybe.>"I appreciate the offer but I think I'd have better luck with one of the courses offered. Thank you for all the help though!" You'll head over to the classroom where this course is being taught and see if you can find the teacher. Maybe you can even get some practice in early.>"I appreciate the offer but I'm a bit busy. Thank you for all the help though." You think you'll go check out that club recruitment event. Maybe someone there could help you.>"Well, that's very kind of you. Sure. I'll be back when your break starts." As long as you make it to the class on time you should be fine. For now you'll go to the club recruitment event.>Write-In
>>5959720>"Well, that's very kind of you. Sure. I'll be back when your break starts." As long as you make it to the class on time you should be fine. For now you'll go to the club recruitment event.
>>5959720>>"I appreciate the offer but I'm a bit busy. Thank you for all the help though." You think you'll go check out that club recruitment event. Maybe someone there could help you.
"I appreciate the offer but I'm a bit busy. Thank you for all the help though.""Ah, that's unfortunate. Hand me your booklet for a second and I'll mark some useful information down for you..." You oblige, setting the booklet down as you tap your foot impatiently. It's returned to you barely a few seconds later. You nod at her and make your way out of the building. For the time being you should find that west building. Guess you'll need a compass for that. Now where would you...oh wait. The sun rises in the east and sets in the west - you can just look at the sky. Smart thinking, yourself.You follow your astrological compass towards a notably large building surrounded by crowds. Makeshift stands are set up on the pathways in front of it, young men and woman calling out to passerby and waving signs all about. All the bustle reminds you of the student protests you used to participate in, sans the beatings and molotov cocktails. A smile unconsciously creeps across your face as you think of the good times. You flow into the west building alongside the crowd, your ears filling with the chatter of those around you."The Interpretive Dance Association is recruiting! No experience needed!" To your left is a particularly energetic stand, where several students in leotards prance about while a young woman calls for new members. Curiosity gets the better of you and you approach."Hello sir!" The woman manning the stand calls out to you as you stare at the man spinning in circles behind her. You keep staring at him as you reply. "Hi. I'm trying to interpret your dance. It's quite the challenge." She laughs as you continue to interpret. Maybe he's supposed to be a washing machine? No, that's stupid. The planet's orbit then?"Ah, I've got it! It's a bullet in a blender!" The woman manning the stand jumps slightly as you exclaim that. You forgot she was there, actually. "So, this interpretive dance stuff. Does it make much money?" "Huh?" You must have been unclear somehow. You hurry to explain. "Well, there must be money in dancing, right? Those guys who made the hustle hit it big, didn't they? And that moonwalking one is really popular now. Do they collect royalties based on how often people do it, or sell it on VHS or something? I've never worked in dance so I don't really know." You attention strays to the dance again by the time she replies."Well, there are some job opportunities but it's more about... conveying a message than earning money." That makes sense - that dance from before was pretty cool, after all. And you were able to get a perfect idea of what he meant by it too. Actually, if that's the case...
>>5959748 >>5959779 >>5959789>>5960831"What kinds of messages? Could you convey a specific image via dance?" She perks up in response to your question. "Of course! There are all sorts of dances like that. Like, uh, swan lake! You've heard of that one, right?" You nod. "I believe so. Anyways, I should be able to convey the image of a face to the other party if I dance correctly, right?" She doesn't respond. "Like this." You mimic eating a bowl of oden for a moment before stopping. At this rate you're just transmitting the image of yourself, not the woman who lost her wallet. This interpretive dance thing is hard too - you should just stick to normal art. You continue on your way without saying anything.You decide to be a more passive observer for a bit, so you can get a better look at more of the clubs. There are a couple of literature clubs, a Japanese history club, and even some athletic ones. Not quite what you expected of an arts school. A short ways down the line of booths though, something draws your attention. A set of outfits on display, including a bodycon dress very similar to the one you saw the wallet's owner wearing this morning. As you move closer to look at the outfits a man with several nose piercings nods at you. You nod back as you examine the booth - "Fashion Research Society." Maybe you'll have to come back here later - having a reference outfit for people to refer to could be just as useful as the sketch, once everything is said and done.As you near the end of the building's first floor you spot one more booth that draws your attention: the Sculptor's Association. Or, more accurately, it forcefully steals your attention - one of the members is loudly yelling for nearby passerby to give sculpting a try. You approach slightly, glancing at the art they have on display."Good morning sir! Have any experience sculpting?" You're interrupted by a blonde man in a track suit before you get a chance to look at the art. "No. Not really had the opportunity." He says something in reply but you do your best to ignore him and get a look at the pieces they have on display. It's more... varied than you thought it would be. A man jogging, a giant frog, what looks like an umbrella covered in plaster. Neat."Sculptures must be a pain to bring around, right?" You gesture towards the sculptures in the booth. The man you spoke to before chuckles. "A little bit - we had to get up super early to bring everything here before it got crowded. Not all sculptures are that big though!" "Oh?" "Yup, there are plenty of small ones too. Like this bust I made!" Your attention is drawn to a small sculpture of a clown's face, maybe a foot high at most. The surface is painted to add color to what appears to be a clay foundation. You freeze as you look at it.It's a face! Perfect!
>>5960833"Would you say that sculpting is beginner friendly?" The man smiles. "Definitely! I just started last year myself! If none of your classes are starting soon you then we have some workstations set up if you want to give it a try, sir." You almost leap at the opportunity but hold yourself back after a second. "I still need to give the rest of the fair a look around, but I might take you up on that later." You begin to walk away. "Have a good day sir!" "You too." You wave back as you make your way up to the less-crowded second floor.It's only a few minutes before you find your way to the Manga Research Society's stand. They have quite a few drawings on display, including sketches. Maybe it would be a good idea to learn from them. You approach the trio of young men manning the stand. They ignore you as they talk among themselves about manga. You cough to get their attention. A thin man with a green headband around his forehead breaks away from the discussion to greet you."Hi. You draw manga?" You shake your head. "No. I used to read a lot though.""Oh? What kind of manga?" A second man in an ink-stained white shirt leaves the conversation to speak with you. "Whatever was published in Garo, mostly. Do you read it?" Ink-stained shirt shakes his head. "Uh, can't say I have." The other two mutter quiet agreements.You let out a strained laugh. "That's kind of funny, for a manga research society not to read Garo." The third man shrugs. "Well, Garo is mostly for old people." Headband chimes in. "And everything in it is... weird, for lack of a better word." Ink-stained shirt laughs. "Kind of surprised it hasn't gone out of business by now. Haven't they been talking about it floundering for years?" You let out a booming laugh. "Yeah! Just a magazine for weird old man - it's really a wonder that's it still around, huh?" The three members of the Manga Research Society laugh along with you.Whenever you have free time you are going to ruin at least one day worth of the lives of these three asswipes. This is second in importance, directly after the wallet. You back away while staring at the Manga Research Society's booth, still laughing loudly until they're out of view.
>>5960837Well, that's about a once over of the whole place. You guess you should settle on a source of action. You sit down on a bench on the second floor to think over things... only to be approached by a small group of students."Good morning professor!" You glance up at them. "Uh, good morning.""I'm Nagai, head of the Still Life Circle." "Sadaharu. Nice to make your acquaintance." You grunt as you stand and shake his hand. The rest of the students behind him stare at you, for whatever reason."I know it's a bit out of the blue, but we've been looking to be incorporated as an official club for some time and don't have a professor to act as our advisor..."Ah. You see what's going on here.>"Sorry, I can't sponsor your cicle." Now, time to make your way back to the Sculptor's Association booth. Maybe it'll turn out to be easier to learn than drawing. Humans are 3D anyways - it'll be way more accurate and easier to recognize than some dumb sketch.>"Sorry, I can't sponsor your cicle." You'll head back to the Fashion Research Society and see if you can get your hands on that dress they have up, or maybe if you can get them to make it closer to the one you saw earlier today. Having an example of what she was wearing on hand will be a big help.>"Sorry, I can't sponsor your circle." This whole club thing was kind of a wash. You should just get over to that class early and see if you can figure out how to draw there.>"Sure, sponsoring your circle, no problem. But there's actually something I need to get done first..." You need assistance if you are to get revenge on those brats at the Manga Research Society. The Still Life Circle will become your most powerful sword in this duty.>"Sure, sponsoring your circle, no problem. But first I'll need to get an idea of your ability..." This is a great chance to get them to teach you how to draw. If you rephrase it as a test people will do anything - the Karate Kid taught that well. >"Sponsor your circle? Are you sure? I don't have any experience with 'still life'." You want their help, but you should probably be honest. You'd feel bad if you messed up their whole club thing just for your own gain.>Write-In
>>5960839>"Sure, sponsoring your circle, no problem. But first I'll need to get an idea of your ability..." This is a great chance to get them to teach you how to draw. If you rephrase it as a test people will do anything - the Karate Kid taught that well.
>>5960839>>"Sponsor your circle? Are you sure? I don't have any experience with 'still life'." You want their help, but you should probably be honest. You'd feel bad if you messed up their whole club thing just for your own gain.
>>5960839>>"Sure, sponsoring your circle, no problem. But first I'll need to get an idea of your ability..." This is a great chance to get them to teach you how to draw. If you rephrase it as a test people will do anything - the Karate Kid taught that well.
>>5960864>>5961063>>5961100Alright, won't be able to write for quite some time since I'm at work, but I'll call it here. Can I get one 1d100?
Rolled 77 (1d100)>>5961309
Rolled 9 (1d100)>>5961309
>>5960864>>5961063>>5961100>>5961311"Sure, sponsoring your circle, no problem." The face of their leader, Nagai, lights up. "But first I'll need to get an idea of your ability." Nagai's expression hardens as he gives a serious nod. You're about to continue, then you look around for a second. "...We should find somewhere quieter. My office is a bit of a mess, so..." You trail off meaningfully and a young man with a buzzcut standing behind Nagai picks up on your meaning. "There should be plenty of the free rooms open, since everybody is here." "That would be fine."The students take the lead without you asking, which is a relief - getting lost would hurt your credibility here. You take up a place at the back of the group. As you exit the West Building through a back stairway you didn't know about and descend into a small, well-tended garden, Nagai turns towards you. "Professor Sadaharu, what classes do you teach? I'm only just started my second year so I haven't had a chance to take any of your classes yet." You start to talk but immediately cut yourself off. You need a class name that commands respect, something that doesn't sound lame... and something that they can't easily falsify by asking you draw something."This semester I'm teaching History of Western Literature and Study of Film." Wait, no, that's not easy to disprove but it IS lame. You need to earn some respect. Come on, think, think... "Next semester I'm teaching Wrestling Choreography." Nagai takes a few seconds to respond. "I didn't know we offered Wrestling Choreography." You reply with a similar delay. "It's going to be the first semester it's being offered. We're, uh, thinking of holding it in the same classrooms as the dance classes, although I'm not quite sure if it has enough space for a ring yet..."Your masterful explanation seems to clear up the group's confusion, several nodding their heads in understanding. A woman with short-brown hair turns back to face you. "Will that count as a dance credit? Wrestling sounds fun!" You scratch your head. "The plan was just to count it as an elective, but maybe if you talk with your advisor when course selection comes closer..."As you expected, as the group of you walk to the building you only talk about wrestling. Your plan to be cool and gain respect has worked. Perhaps a bit too well. Within the next 10 minutes you are unable to get any of them to talk about themselves and are instead forced to go on a monologue about your past. By the time you arrive at your destination all of the Still Life Circle knows about your short-lived wrestling career in the early 70s, where you played a communist-themed heel in America named "The Red Menace". You're grateful that they were interested enough by that story not to ask anything else about your past - now you just need to avoid letting them know that you can't speak English.
>>5962427"Alright, so, it's time for the test." Nagai and the rest calm down from before, ready for the trial to come. One of them moves to a nearby table and starts taking out art supplies. "What do you want us to draw?" Nagai glances around the rather barren practice room, as if trying to figure out what the subject will be."Nothing. How well you can draw isn't all that important, if I'm being honest." You stare off into the distance, aiming to let the statement sink in. As you do that, buzzcut stares at you with his mouth open. "What do you mean? We're a drawing club. That's the only thing that IS important." You scoff. You can't let them wear down that hard-earned authority you just won just like that. "Of course that's not the case. Why do you all want to turn you circle into an official club?"There's a short pause before a woman wearing glasses speaks up. "So we have a club room?" The rest start chiming in. "...And club funds." "So we can host events!" "To meet more people who are interested in still life." You just nod. "And will forming a club with just the five of you let you do that? You might be able to get minimal funds and a spare room for a while, but when some of you graduate then the club will be dissolved again. And it'll be hard to do anything big with so little manpower." The group fall silent. "What's more important is the ability to teach!"You pace around the room, glancing towards the window. "You should be aware that the entrance requirements are low here - locals can even walk in and take classes, if they want. That means that plenty of the first years can't draw - at all." You shake your head sadly and scratch the back of your head. "In my honest opinion, what's more important than anything is being able to teach new members from scratch. Don't underestimate the recruiting power of being able to yell 'No experience required!' at anyone who passes by!" You glance back at the group, who seem to be nodding along."So, show me that you know how to teach a beginner. I'll pretend to be one and you can teach me. As for the topic... what about a sketch of someone's face?" The group stares at you for a few seconds before Nagai speaks up. "Uh, sir, that's not really still life." You chuckle. "Of course it isn't. But anything is fine for teaching a beginner, right?" Nagai shrugs. "Sure. I'll volunteer then..."
>>5962435"Professor, that's not how you hold a pen...""Stop smearing the ink around with your hand like that, all of the drawings just look like haunted, fog-covered villages...""Wait, wait, I've got it, take this pencil. Now stop - STOP. I'll spray fixative so you can't smear it.""The ears go on the sides of above it, not above it. She's not a cat professor..."After what is likely an extremely infuriating hour or two for Nagai and the two of his companions who chose to stay, you have a sketch which is... recognizable as human. She has long, black hair, ears, a couple of eyes which you've added some color to, and shoulders and all that good stuff. It's... a person. Now, which person, you couldn't really say, but it's a person alright. You'd like to go for a bit longer, but for at least half an hour Nagai has been pleading with you about how no first year could possibly be this bad at drawing. Perhaps it's best not to push.>Perhaps it's best not to push... but push you will have to do. You still can't draw a useful sketch - you need more guidance, and these three are the only ones here to give it to you.>You'll back off a bit. You have a basic sketch so maybe you could just outsource some of the extra work to Nagai and his friends. They've passed the teaching test - NOW they can show off their abilities. Perhaps with a few sketches of a very specific outfit you saw this morning...>You'll back off a bit. Your sketch isn't going to work, and it's not like you can just touch it up and make it 'work'... so you'll let them do it. They've passed the teaching test - now they just need to show you their stuff by drawing their version of the woman you were trying to draw.>You'll take your leave for now - maybe that class you saw will be more helpful than this. As for Nagai and his group... well, hopefully they find a professor who can sponsor their circle. A real one this time.>Well, you've figured out the basics, the rest will work itself out. Now it's time to hold up your end of the bargain - getting them approved as a club.>Write-InI skimmed through most of the first season of Hidamari Sketch looking for a good empty art classroom image only to realize they don't actually draw in a classroom much for a show about an arts high school.
>>5962437>You'll back off a bit. Your sketch isn't going to work, and it's not like you can just touch it up and make it 'work'... so you'll let them do it. They've passed the teaching test - now they just need to show you their stuff by drawing their version of the woman you were trying to draw.
>>5962437>>You'll back off a bit. You have a basic sketch so maybe you could just outsource some of the extra work to Nagai and his friends. They've passed the teaching test - NOW they can show off their abilities. Perhaps with a few sketches of a very specific outfit you saw this morning...
In hindsight I don't have enough spare time to run a quest at all right now, my schedule is too fucked to regularly cut out an hour and a half a night for an update on top of other stuff. Completely my fault. Thankfully there aren't too many people following this, I'll mercy-kill this while it's still at a very early stage instead of dragging it out in hopes that stuff clears up. Sorry.
>>5964456Thanks for the heads-up QM. Shame to see it die, though. Was really fun so far.
>>5964456Well it was fun and charming while it lasted. Thank you for the quest, WalletQM.
