Welcome to the New Year

[garden_of_maidens]

"Gokigenyou."

"Gokigenyou."

The clear morning greeting travels through the serene, blue sky.

Today, once again, the maidens that gather in the Virgin Mary's garden smile purely to one another as they pass under the tall gateway.
Wrapping their innocent bodies and souls is a deep-coloured school uniform.

Walking slowly as to not disturb the plaits in their skirts, so as to not toss their white sailor scarves into disarray... such is the standard of modesty here. Running because one is in danger of missing class, for instance, is too undignified a sight for students to wish upon themselves here.

Lillian Private Academy for Women.

Founded in Meiji 34, this academy was originally intended for the young women of nobility, and is now a Catholic academy of prestigious tradition. Placed in downtown Tokyo, where you can still see traces of Musashi Field's greenery, it is protected by God, a garden where maidens can receive tutelage from pre-school to university.

Time passes, and even now, in Heisei, three era-names past Meiji, it is a valuable academy, where nurtured ladies raised in greenhouses are shipped out in carefully packaged boxes after 18 years of schooling - an arrangement that continues to survive.
As the last note of Maria-sama's Soul rings through the chapel, echoing into the high rafters, the Yamayurikai stands tall at the front of the procession, ready to give out the gifts of rosaries to their newest arrivals.

The respective classes of each first-year are called, and each one receives their gift from the Yamayurikai members. The second and third year students are sitting by, simply watching, perhaps commenting quietly to each other whenever a particularly interesting first-year passes by, but they are quick to silence when the stern gazes of the nuns passes over them.

A new year has come to Lillian Academy, and the students are ready to start their adventures in life, love, and everything else.

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[Open post for the welcoming ceremony and the beginning of the year! Feel free to use this for the actual ceremony, shortly thereafter, or the general first day of school. Welcome!]

Comments

[ufonium]

[The wonderful advantages of being a first year - and one without a Soeur, in fact - is that Kumiko gets stuck doing all the gofer work. The wind ensemble band had their first little meeting, and it would've been just her luck that she left one of her notebooks behind in the music room. Not one for any class she has coming up today, but she heads out to grab it just before lunch is over.

What she is not expecting is someone at the piano, and someone that seems like they've been there for a while. She knows people don't like being interrupted when practicing... she doesn't much either, when she bothers to actually do it.

Wait, she knows this face... right? Maybe... ohhh, she was up there during the welcoming ceremony with the Yamayurikai.

... Uhh mmmmaybe she should come back later to get that notebook, it's not that important.

Or she could sit there, indecisive, and stare into the room like a deer lost in the headlights. The music's very good, and she'll always have a musical affiliation.]

[soundsofthesea]

[It's either a good thing or a terrible thing when Riko finishes playing and looks up from her sheet music. She doesn't seem upset or worried at all when she spots Kumiko.]

Ah, good afternoon! I'm sorry I didn't notice you were here. You're from the wind instruments club, no? I've heard the club play.

[She closes the piano lid, getting to her feet.]

Is there something I can help with?

[ufonium]

[... Caught staring. She stiffens, suddenly. Ooooops.] A-ah, yeah, I just joined! [Even though she kind of didn't want to, she thought she was tired of band from before, but she sort of... accidentally fell back into it, even if she didn't-

Well, whatever, her thought process is interrupted by the question.]

A-ah, I didn't mean to listen in if you didn't want me to! You play really well. [Too many trains of thought, not enough mental filter: Kumiko Oumae.]

Er, what I mean is... is there a notebook in here?

[soundsofthesea]

I'm sure you're going to have a good time with them.

[The musically inclined people stick together, at least to an extent.]

There's no need to worry about that, and thank you. I'm practicing for a competition in about two weeks, so I'm glad the piece is shaping up so well.

[She hums.]

I think I saw one towards the back.

[ufonium]

I hope so... [She knows about their history. They're a consistently good band, though not always at the top of the charts, so maybe she'll make some nice memories while she's here, and not have to take competition quite so seriously like in Middle School.

... Except it seems like, in this whole school, she's surrounded by people that are exceptional at something and destined for success. And things can change very quickly.]

Well, I hope you do well. [That is actually honest. She can seem very passive and uncaring, but this doesn't concern her, so she can at least do some well-wishing.

With that, she nods, firmly, and very stiffly walks into the room, well aware she's probably being watched as she goes to see if she can find her notebook. Because she's acting weird.]

[soundsofthesea]

Thank you. Here, let me give you a hand.

[Riko isn't going to comment on how nervous Kumiko seems to be. She knows the feeling all too well from her first year in the high school. Being told to relax or calm down only makes things worse, and the best course of action is to let it pass on its own.]

What color is your notebook?

[ufonium]

[Help is unexpected... but help is welcome!]

It's... um, it should just be black. Just says "Notes" on the front. [Because she is A+ at organizing her stuff.]

... It should be right about here... [She makes a motion to a part of the room where she usually sits.] But... it must've been moved...