somewhere over the rainbow

There's a pretty place out there, waiting for me. One day I'll find it and I'll be as happy as can be. Zinaida Volvakov, SHSL Foreign Representative. Currently: Alive Affiliated with The Ouroboros Project. Warning: The mun does use google translate at times for when interacting in a different language; please do not yell at the mun if something is incorrect. She herself is not a polyglot.

[shslforeignrepresentative-blog]

{ What a Lonely Night | Open }

[shsllifeguard]

Eren had been in the kitchen making macaroni. He hated macaroni. It was gross, slimy, and distasteful. However, the trial had made him feel upset about something other than himself. So, he tried to make a food that reminded him of home to try and fix whatever inside him hurt. He hummed a song to himself, and spotted the girl at the empty table. He wondered if he should try and talk to her. 

Filling a plate with some macaroni, he walked over and sat at the table with her. Trying to seem polite, he smiled and talked in a hushed voice. A voice so husky it could pull a sled during the winter. “Hey, you alright? I dont think we’ve met. My name’s Eren.” 

He wanted to seem approachable, but he knew that after that trial anyone would be paranoid. So, he tried to make things seem more comfortable. Rubbing his eyes and even toying with his hoodie strings, he yawned. 

"It’s a little late, huh? Couldnt sleep?"

[shslforeignrepresentative-blog]

Flinching at the husky voice beside her, Zinaida's head shot up. Her facial features and muscles only relaxed when she noticed that it was only the lifeguard, and that she was in no real danger. Her senses were on overdrive ever since Hamasaki-san's untimely death. As much as she wished that no one would do such a thing ever again, it slowly dawned on her just how dangerous her "classmates" really were. Although, the boy before her seemed harmless enough. Perhaps she should humor him a bit.

She swallowed another bite of her apple, and then straightened her back. "Добрый день, good afternoon. I am... feeling a bit better."

Stretching a bit, she continued, "I am Zinaida Volvakov, se Super High School Level Foreign Representative." God, that was a mouthful to say every time. "Da, I vas... It's 'ard to sleep vhen somevone dzhust died..." Her solemn glance lowered a bit as she said this, obviously distressed by the events that just occurred. Despite her want to appear professional and leader-like, she couldn't help but feel a despair washing over them.

[shslforeignrepresentative-blog]

{ What a Lonely Night | Open }

After having returned to her room from the trial, Zinaida collapsed on her bed and a shudder coursed through her body. She'd never been good with gore or blood, especially since she nearly lost her eye. But... she never thought... it would be that cruel.

It almost felt as though her words were falling on deaf ears. Did anyone even listen? Did anyone even care? Or were they too caught up in this game of life and death to notice what this snake was doing? What he was invoking in them?

Tears trickled down her face, even though she didn't realize it. She let them fall, hugging a pillow close to her chest and finally letting the anxiety that was pent-up inside her for the remainder of the school trial to finally take its course down the curve of her sharp cheekbones and onto the bedsheets. She wasn't sure if the rooms were soundproof, but even if they were, she didn't care if someone heard her. Everyone else was probably upset too, right...?

She tugged on her coat, pulling it close as though there were an invisible chill running over her body. As the tears continued to flow, she wondered if anyone would do this again... if they would kill their classmates.

Truly, she wanted to believe no. But she knew the truth, and the truth was ugly.

Finally, after a bit of crying and the sound of objects being knocked around in her room, she opened the door. There was no point in holding herself up for the rest of the night. As much as she didn't feel like eating, she realized that she needed food. Entering the cafeteria, Zinaida quickly walked into the kitchen, pulled out an apple from the fridge, and took a seat at the large, empty table. She ate, silently, pondering everything, though reality seemed to slip between her fingertips and into a dark abyss.

"Я ненавижу это ..." she muttered, taking another bite and closing her eyes.

[mayflyormaynotfly]

As a Finn I can confirm you that this is exactly how we do it

[shslpolice]

First Blood [open]

Kei was resting comfortably in her room when she heard the announcement. “Kekeke! Sso I ssee one of you finally got around to sslaughtering someone.” She jolted upright, heart pounding. Did he really mean…? She ignored the rest of what he was saying and jumped off her bed, running to her closet and putting on a fresh crisp uniform. ‘But what if the murderer was still out there…?’ She quickly grabbed a pen from inside her desk. It was small, but it would do the trick just in case. Pulling her hair back in her typical tight work bun, she sprinted out into the hallway, checking her ID. ‘The victim is in the Classroom on the 2nd Floor…’ She checked her map and then ran towards the location. When she got there, there were already a few students there. Panting, she scanned the room until she saw it: the body. Her vision blurred and her stomach threatened to climb out her throat, and the only thing she could see was that giant slash… Dazidly she leaned against the wall to steady herself. She was going to be sick… It was just like that day… Her breath hitched and she almost sobbed before clasping her hand over her mouth. What was she doing? She was a proffesional, so she might as well act like one. Standing up straight, she took a deep breath and closed her eyes, finding her center. She pushed all emotion to the side and then advanced on the body. Turning back to the other students, she quickly and curtly remarked, “If anyone knows anything at all about the victim that may help to solve this crime, I suggest they speak up now.”

[shslforeignrepresentative-blog]

It was amazing that, up until this point, Zinaida had managed to keep calm and collected. Their current situation was supposed to invoke more uneasiness and doubt, though Zinaida sought it as an opportunity to unite--at least, those of her classmates who were still alive. Speaking so dismissively of her recently deceased classmates made her sick, but she had to look towards the future and stay positive; she'd carry their souls and memories on her shoulders if she must carry the burden of thinking of them.

She turned her head slightly, noticing... oh, what was her name. Zinaida had seen her before, but it seemed as though her name had slipped her mind. The redhead seemed distressed, leaning against the wall and looking as though she were gravely ill. Worry took hold of her--but before she could even step over and confront her about her condition, the girl just as quickly stood upright, brushed off whatever was plaguing her, and returned to normal.

Still, she sauntered over, holding her hands clasped together in worry, and softly said, "Дорогая? Darling, are you alright?" She appeared well, but Zinaida's doubt chained to her heart like an anchor, unable to go away. Especially not after... the recent murder. Her main priority at this point was to make sure no one else died--and she was going to make sure it stayed that way.

"Forgive me, барышня <young lady/miss>, I am afraid I do not knov very much about se recent deceased... It's a tragedy, vhat 'appened... ve'll vork togeser to bring seir killer to dzhustice, da?"

She extended her hand in a friendly gesture. "I am Zinaida Volvakov, se Super High School Level Foreign Representative. And you?"

[shslforeignrepresentative-blog]

{ In the End, Only Our Regrets Remain }

When Zinaida first heard the announcement, she was in disbelief. A murder? Had some truly died? Was someone here weak enough to bend to that serpent's will and... kill one of their classmates? The idea was inane--but very real, she realized, and she had to deal with it quickly.

She opened up her electroID, reading over the file, and her lips quivered as she read the location of the murder. Making way posthaste towards the crime scene, she knew there would be others there as well; but just as the snake had previously said..

...if they couldn't find the killer, then they'd all die. A shudder coursed through her, not only as she entered the room, but as the thought descended upon her with the despair it carried.

Poor Hamasaki-san... Zinaida hadn't had a chance to properly meet them yet. Though they were together for most of the breakfast meeting (Zinaida would never shirk out on a rule she together imposed with Rei and the rest), she never got to know them. A pang of guilt settled in her heart, which sparked the determination.

She would find Hamasaki-san's killer.

[shslforeignrepresentative-blog]

{ Somewhere Over the Rainbow | Open }

[reticentchessmaster]

Maybe it was the covered windows, but her perception of time had already started to fail. She had wandered the halls for a while (it could have been a minute, or several hours) only to get called back to the gym. The snake had offered a helpful rehashing of the rules (that had already been cycling through her head like a mantra, because you can’t play the game if you don’t know the rules, you can’t find loopholes or strategy if you don’t have every guideline), and before the girl that must have been the Modder charged forward.

It was all over in a second—the light and the sound of the explosion made her flinch instinctively away, and when she looked back there was only a few scraps of wreckage of one Monocobra, another perfectly whole one, and char where there had once been a person. It might have looked like special effects, but the Sociologist had been knocked away by the force of it, and his damage was perfectly visible. Swallowing down the rising tension of everyone’s worst fears being confirmed, she immediately hightailed it out of the gym.

It was probably her desire to have a little privacy to think that led her to the dorm area in the first place, but when she got there, still walking too fast for comfort, she didn’t notice the person standing outside Kanagaki’s door until they nearly punched her. Her flinch took her nearly back to the end of the hall—was this it, had they decided this was all very real and they’d better start offing the competition now? The immediately apologetic—was that Russian?—seemed to disprove it. (Between her, Rei, and Shun, it looked like she was never going to meet a person who spoke plain Japanese.)

"…Sorry, I was just. Trying to find my own room. Didn’t mean to scare you."

[shslforeignrepresentative-blog]

The girl before her was... interesting, to say the least. No one had ever worn such a style before, and she had no idea how to react. Would mentioning it be rude, or a compliment? Should she even bring it up at all? Her gaze outlined her body, noticing the piercings and her odd choice of hairstyle. Even if she hadn't approached her from behind, Zinaida might still mistake her for someone who could possibly attack her. She wondered for a moment if this girl was, in fact, targeting her, just as the bear had said. Then, she quickly discarded such thoughts, for she refused to doubt her fellow classmates.

She trusted them, as foolish as it probably sounded. Just as she trusted them, she hoped that they trusted her, of course. And, hopefully, no one was going to stab her in the back. Subconsciously, Zinaida reached for her scar, touching it with her index finger and then going to brush some of her bangs out of her eyes.

"Forgive me," Zinaida said after clearing her throat, "I was dzhumpy. After sat... 'demonstration' I suppose I may 'ave become a bit paranoid." She shuffled embarrassingly, locking her hands behind her back and raising her shoulders as though she could hide in the collar of her gray jacket. Partially wanting to disappear, she cleared her throat again and continued, "Vell, nov sat I've apologized, vould you mind telling me vho you are?"

She then offered a friendly smile and rocked on her toes. "I am Zinaida Volvakov, se Super 'Igh School Level Foreign Representative. Vho might you be?"

[shslforeignrepresentative-blog]

gonna get to replies soon! gomen

[shslforeignrepresentative-blog]

you mean you DIDN'T ask for a zinaida in a tank top showing off her sweet muscles??? oops. well you get one anyways.

[shslforeignrepresentative-blog]

{ Somewhere Over the Rainbow | Open }

The day's antics were finally settling in on her shoulders now, as she slumped away from the cafeteria. Their meeting with the snake, the reality of their situation, everything was beginning to dawn on her. And then... Kanagaki-san was... dead. There was no doubt about that. Their talk of magic and tricks held no ground here--she was surely, absolutely, dead. Did he... really just kill one of them? Was he this serious?

Suddenly, Zinaida stopped in front of the dorm area, noticing the plaques that she and Rei-san had investigated previously. Kanagaki-san's door stood, as though nothing had changed when, in fact, everything was different. There would be no Modder to come and sleep in that room, no one to ever use it again. As much as Zinzaida felt like breaking down, she realized that she needed to stay strong--maybe not for herself, but for everyone else here; Rei-san herself seemed shaky and frightened.

She heard footsteps behind her, and quickly turned around and raised her guard. Instincts kicked in and she nearly delivered a cross chop to their shoulder, before quickly stopping when she realized who it was.

"Oh! Прости меня! Forgive me, you frightened me." Despite her words, she did no relax--who knew if this person was ready to kill someone, as the snake had said was the only way out of this school? What if she was their target?

No, this is exactly what the snake wanted to happen: distrust. She refused to succumb to his ploys and quickly straightened out, lowering her arm to her side and giving a small bow of her head in apology.

[shslforeignrepresentative-blog]

zinaida needs to interact with more people so i'm gonna make an open soon! if you want you can reply to that or hmu and i'll try (or you can) to make a closed rp heck yea.

[linguaobsessi]

Rimorso;

[linguaobsessi]

She was a blessing from heavens indeed- Rei was usually cheerful anyways, but this is getting her from a really dark mood to an excited mood in no time at all. Normally, she’d just get back to normal instead of excited but… Damn the dark atmosphere, she met someone that spoke Polish!

"Mógłbym powiedzieć to samo! Nie wiele osób w języku polskim, i kocham go." She sensed a thing forming. A Best Friends Forever bond forming right at this moment. "Oh!!! Я говорю на русском в самом деле! И японский языки. Не могли бы вы из Восточной Европы? Знать две славянские языки …" Dark atmosphere? What was that? “Ой, спасибо, хе-хе~” And she was cute to boot.

It was only when she looked around that Rei noticed she might be being a little bit too excited for the atmosphere around them. … Well, she couldn’t really help it… And it’s better to smile than to panic, right? They need to keep their heads cool! It didn’t seem there were many students staring straight at them, however, and when she looked back, she only grinned. Maaaan was it great to bond to someone else through your favourite passion? Yes, yes it is indeed.

[shslforeignrepresentative-blog]

Her eyes glanced to and from the crowd of students around them, realizing that they may have been a bit too loud. She was worried moreso that they would believe her to be behind this whole orchestra--even though she didn't show her fright and terror of the situation, it was certainly there. She was sure that the girl... Rei, was it? Before her must have felt just as scared.

Despite her fear, it felt amazing to find someone who spoke not only Polish and Japanese, but Russian as well! How long had it been now since she had spoken her first language? A few years, perhaps? Of course, she practiced all her languages every day, though she hadn't had a decent conversation with anyone in quite some time. The last time she was actually home... was when she first became a representative.

"Да, я из России!" She brightly said, though turned a bit to look around her. When she turned back, she lowered her voice to a whisper and gravely asked: "Есть ли у вас идеи, что происходит?"

[shslforeignrepresentative-blog]

[laughs] for future reference if anyone is ever offended for my blatant use of google translate for half of what zinaida says (and i usually play around with it to make it at grammatically correct as possible) i'm sorry all i speak is a bit of spanish and english

[linguaobsessi]

Rimorso;

[linguaobsessi]

Blinking, Rei was slowly pulled back to reality from her thoughts by something familiar. Something very familiar. She looked up still a bit slowly, then noticed someone beside her. Did this person… Just spoke Polish with her? She gave a faint smile- she couldn’t listen to someone she never met before, in a country too far away from Poland, speak Polish and not smile.

"Tak. Mówię Polski." Rei nodded, and she blessed all heavens for his girl to be here with them. She was needing something like that after… that. Even if most likely, this girl had no idea what a great thing it was to talk to her in languages that wasn’t around her right now- she liked to listen to multiple languages at any given moment but that was usually very hard to do. Unless you’re in London’s tourist spots.

"Jestem Reinheld Kwaadsteniet," she figured it was OK to give her full name— if someone could speak Polish, her surname was no big deal. "ale, mój przezwisko to Rei. Miło cię poznać, Zinaida!" Wow, did she felt much better. Especially since Polish was one of those languages she held very close to her heart, she grew up in a city surrounded by Polish immigrants and culture, after all.

[shslforeignrepresentative-blog]

Zinaida's face lit up as the girl before her smiled; it was truly a gift, being able to bring such delight to one's face, despite the rather dark circumstances surrounding their arrival to the school. For a moment, it seemed as though the severity of their situation had vanished, along with most of her common sense.

Clapping her hands together, she gave a wide smile and continued, "To jest fantastyczne! Aby spotkać się z kimś, kto mówi Polski, jak również! Czy może mówić po rosyjsku, jak również? Chciałbym założyć, wiesz, japoński, ponieważ jesteś tu ..." She paused a bit, blushing slightly as she realized she had gone on a ramble. "Och, wybacz mi. Wierzę, wałęsał się trochę. Jestem Zinaida Volvakov, ponieważ byłoby to niegrzeczne, aby utrzymać całą moją nazwę od ciebie, kiedy łaskawie dał mi ją."

She turned towards the other students, making sure they weren't staring at them oddly. When she had finished, she turned back towards the girl, smiling as though to assure her there was nothing wrong. It wasn't everyday she met someone who could speak more than just Japanese... after studying the language in its home country for so long, she began to forget how great it felt to speak something else, or even her mother language for that matter.

[linguaobsessi]

Rimorso;

…. What did it say?

Or, wait, what even was that thing? A talking snake? It was pretty ridiculous in and of itself… Well, technology breakthroughs we happening every now and then, but… It was a more plausible answer than snakes suddenly talking, whoever.

…Figures it won’t do much to try to make sense by simply staring where the snake had been. Rei reached up to her pocket and indeed- there was a eletroID in there. It was funny how she hasn’t noticed before, maybe the confused state and the uneasiness of not knowing where she was made her not notice some things. Looking through it, it was simply more of what the snake talked about, as well as some other rules. Like a Night Time thing, a rule for not hitting the “headmaster”, and some others…

But what really was disturbing was the rules containing the… murder subject. … This was a prank, right? It couldn’t be serious, right?

Everything pointed otherwise, however. It was just that the reality was so far-fetched that Rei wasn’t convinced. She knew, though, that there were things pointing out to it- the windows, the locked places (she didn’t get lost and not noticed these things), and… The fact that everybody here seemed to pass out and wake up as if they were drugged and dragged in there.

If someone could do that to them, they could just as well make them go through a Battle Royale, couldn’t they? Even though it seemed just… fucked up. What purpose would someone have to make something like that? It’s just SICK.

Not much longer, she let her arms fall, although still holding her EletroID and let her gaze fall to the floor. That… This was terrifying. Nevermind being locked up and not being able to reach out to more languages- this would be really heavy on her but.

The fact she was involved in a Battle Royale was what was getting to her the most right now. A kill or be killed or sorts… Someone was out there with her name on their EletroID and they might just as well be thinking on murder. Rei barely bat an eye at her own target- she couldn’t kill someone, no matter how much she would hate being locked inside, she didn’t had it in her to kill another human being. She hoped the others, not only the one targeting her, were like that was well. She… didn’t want to see anyone being murdered here.

"I powinienem wybrać się do Grecji, nie powinien…?"

[shslforeignrepresentative-blog]

Zinaida had been staring in awe for most of the time, an almost blank expression plastered across her face. Her chocolate eyes were now wide with horror as her brain tried to process what the snake-thing had just said: something about... mutual killing? And that they were stuck here? She shook her head in disbelief. It had to be a joke, right...?

But as she looked around, she saw the scared faces of her presumed classmates. Some seemed to have the thought process that this was all a prank, while others seemed to take it more seriously. Whether or not this was real, she realized that they would need to keep calm and collected and organized--something she might be able to help with. There was no point in letting this spiral out of control, after all.

Reaching into her pocket, she pulled out her electroID. This wasn't part of the contract at all--it said nothing about "mutual killing." Or targets, for that matter. Zinaida gave her card a brief overview before disposing of it back into her coat pocket, grumbling under her breath in Russian.

Then, she heard something quite familiar. A foreign language. Though it was a bit muffled, she recognized it to be Polish. After looking around for some time, she found the source--another student, who looked as nervous as she did. Zinaida quietly stepped over to the girl, raising a hand as though to attract her attention.

"Wybacz mi. Czy znasz polski?" She said, a bit apprehensively. "Nazywam się Zinaida. Jakie jest twoje?"

[shslforeignrepresentative-blog]

fuck i was gonna reply to that open but i got home too late and someone beat me to it

curse mock trial club

[shslforeignrepresentative-blog]

{ Prologue | Into the Fray }

[shslcoolpool]

Right, she’d started with “yes,” and then Hagane had lost her. But luckily for the pool player, she’d soon corrected herself with a translation. Things that were worth doing required effort, huh? It led him to question if pool was really worth doing after all. Then, all of a sudden, he shrugged the question off again.

Wait. He blinked, taking that information in. She’d passed out too? What was this, some kind of fantasy story? Fate? Nah, it was probably just chance. She asked him to accompany her and he nodded, readily agreeing. Anything to start actually understanding things around here, right? And besides, as long as Hagane didn’t piss her off, Zinaida was good company.

"So we both passed out, huh… well, sure! I’ll go with you, so we can get to the bottom of this. Heh, works better to travel in groups, anyway. You never know what might jump out here."

Admittedly he’d not seen anything or anyone suspicious while he was sprinting in the hallway, but he had no idea what time it was outside. The windows had some kind of weird decoration on them, probably for getting a feel of the school as some kind of… hardcore thing. Fitting for a school for the best of the best.

He began walking, turning to look over his shoulder at Zinaida.

"Come on, I think it’s this way."

[shslforeignrepresentative-blog]

Zinaida noticed he had already begun moving without her, and quickly  nodded to catch up. Her swift footsteps echoed in the hallway--though she only wore flats, they had a small heel that clicked against the floorboards. Her coat swung as she slowed down next to Nagashi-san, smiling lightly and nodding at his words.

However, she realized, at that moment, that they had just passed a junction into another hallway--and at the end of that hallway was a plaque next to a set of large doors that, on it, read: Gymnasium. In Japanese, of course. It took her a moment to process that he was still moving without her, and ran up to tap him on the shoulder.

"Подождите! Vait!" Zinaida called to stop him, and then pointed in the other direction. "I believe it is sis vay... Я сожалею." She dipped her head a bit, a bit of blush appearing on her cheeks in embarrassment. The last thing she wanted to do was seem bossy... or as though she were pointing out his mistakes. She worried that she was coming off as rude, though all she wanted was to make sure they arrived to their destination.

[shslforeignrepresentative-blog]

{ Prologue | Into the Fray }

[shslcoolpool]

Hagane bowed back, a little amused by the girl’s accent. It wasn’t often he met anyone from Russia. In fact, he was pretty sure this was his first time actually having a conversation with someone like that.  He guessed it was what he got for not being the one to approach people all the time. It was probably a good habit, but… ehh…

If she was fluent enough to know enough cultures to mix them up, he was impressed. She probably knew quite a lot. Twenty? Maybe forty, even. He grinned.

"Your job seems…really difficult, y’know? Definitely nothing I could handle. Props to you."

She said she hadn’t seen Valentina, either. Well, great. But she did have a point. It wasn’t like Hagane went through all the hallways yet anyway, right? Or… maybe it was in the gym? That was a ridiculous idea, but it did have some standing to it. 

"You’re right, maybe going to the gym’s the best bet. And, uh… It might sound stupid, but I remember holding it in my hand at the front of the school, and then passing out. Funny, ‘cause I’m not the fainting kind of guy…"

He doubted she’d believe him, despite the absolute truth of the story. With a recounting like that, she’d probably be leaving him behind. Hagane adjusted his right sleeve while waiting for an answer.

[shslforeignrepresentative-blog]

Was he... smiling? Zinaida tilted her head--he was obviously amused by something, though she couldn't tell what. Had she, by any chance, accidentally told a joke? Her studying of Japanese was recently, albeit, but she couldn't have messed up that badly... could she? The boy continued on speaking, however, as though disregarding it. Perhaps she was over-thinking it.

"Da. Eto mozhet byt' trudno... Tem ne meneye, vse, chto stoit delat', trebuyet usiliy!" She soon realized she had said that in the wrong language, and mentally pinched herself for her insensitivity. "Excuse me, I meant to say... erm. Things that are worth doing require... effort? Da, effort." Zinaida somehow managed to keep from sweating bullets, an uneasy smile across her face.

"You fainted as vell...? It is quite strange, nyet? Dzhust as you passed out, I voke up a little vhile ago. Sough I do not remember passing out, it is possible sat I did indeed faint..." Her memory at this point was blurry and full of holes, though she did remember suddenly becoming dizzy at one point.

"Porheps ve vill attain ansoors if ve 'ead to se gym. Vould you care to accompany me sere? It vould be better to 'ave company, I believe." She smiled at this, presenting as friendly an offer as she could suggest. After all, this boy seemed nice--and there was no reason for her to be rude. Unbeknownst to anyone else, however, Zinaida truly felt scared to venture forth into the school... at least, by herself. With someone by her side, though, she'd feel a bit more at ease.