My, my, times have been quite... trying as of late, haven't they?

[AND THAT'S ALL SHE'S GOING TO SAY ON THAT TOPIC.]

But, surely brighter days are ahead! Don't forget, this is the time of love and happiness! Valentine's Day is upon us, everyone! A celebration of joy and love is just what the doctor ordered! ♥

Oooh, I have a marvelous idea! Perhaps we should have a schoolwide Valentine exchange! Wouldn't that be fun!


( Private to Eggman, but easily hackable because haha this is Flurrie )

[Text: Filtered to Blue]

want 2 hang out sometime? gimme a buzz or somethin or write me

its not like i go to class anyway

--

[Audio: Open to All]

Anyone wanna start a baseball league? With me bein' the leader, 'a course. Lemme know. C'mon, let's do it! There's a buncha room for baseball games we gotta take advantage of this!

This Christmas gifting thing...Sophie can so do this. Let's get all sentimental in here.

Vinnie, GLaDOS, Vivian, Shadow, Sonic, Chili, Cress, Cilan...basically if she KNOWS you, you get this sentimental gift.

A potted plant. Inside the potted plant is a sopheria flower. Which is purple and kinda looks like a mum. But it's a more delicate flower with more elegant petals.

She writes her name on the card. And each say, "Please take care of it".

[There's something more concerning to her anyway.]

There's a lot of lights on all of the houses and buildings in town.

I see a lot of a man wearing a red suit with a large white beard.

I keep hearing the same songs being sung wherever I go. I think the one I hear the most is..."Jingle Bells"...I don't know.


Is there something happening here?

[The screen blips on and a person with green hair shows up. He waves at the screen before giving a smile.]

Greetings, Smash Academy. I am a new student who just arrived at this school. My name is Cilan, nice to meet you. You may... um... know my brothers, Chili and Cress. I hope they have not been, err, a problem!

[He gives a pause, wondering if there were anything else to say.]

Ah! I come from Striaton City in Unova Region...! Some of you, um, may know where it is. There used to be a cafe there! It's, um, closed for the moment, since all three of us are, you know, here at this place...

[He trails off again.]

Um, I hope to enjoy learning things with, err, everyone else!

[ When the video feed flickers to life, it's about what you'd expect. Some new person here at the academy is making it a point to stare into the depths of your soul before proper introductions are to be had. Because yes, staring. Yes, this is good. This is exactly what needed to be done.

You could opt to stare into an empty gaze and a simple smile, or perhaps just lean away from the screen once you notice the extra hole neatly hollowed out into her chest, a vertical array of stitches cutting right down the center of if from throat to breast. Embedded was what looked like a red orb of glass with a black knick at the center of it.

Now that a kind of figurative eye contact had been established, she parted her lips to speak.

Waaaait for it. They're opening. They're open. ... Okay, give her another second.

OKAY. She has this. ]

Hello, Academy.

I will guard your halls.

[ As if that wasn't odd enough, maybe the restrained giggle and rise of an automatic pistol into the camera's sights would do her justice. ]

;;

[ As for action, Vivian will be doing just as she said she would. She's roaming the halls of the main building, her pistol in hand and skipping around in a fluttering white dress, the top potion of it mostly bandages that could stand to cover more of her up. She looks rather content to be able to move around, though on occasion she will stop and just stare around a corner and down a hall.

Creepy. ]

[The camera is pointed at Chili and Cress, who have been rather absent this past month. The two of them look like they have some news to report of a pressing nature. To start things off, Chili waves.]

Hey everyone. Cress and I just returned from Striaton, and we've got something important to say. So listen up!

The two of us- no, the three of us- will no longer be serving as gym leaders.

That's right. As of last Friday, the Striaton City Gym has been closed down.

Indefinitely. We have our reasons, of course...

The three of us- me, Cress, and Cilan- have decided that we're each going to discover our own strengths. After that, then we'll be able to be gym leaders again - together!

After quite a bit of thought, we've realized that we still have a lot of room for growth. In order to focus on that growth, it would suit us to dedicate more of our time and effort to achieving our goals.

It was already in the works, really. I knew that it was going to end up this way if we wanted to get any stronger, in our own rights! [Chili balls up his fists, determined.] Next time we return to the Unova Pokémon League as gym leaders, watch out, because I'm going to be all fired up and even stronger than I've ever been before!

[Cress takes on a more thoughtful expression.] ...Yes, there is definitely room for improvement.

[Chili seems to have taken it personally, getting a bit defensive.] --Hey, you too! Anyway, that means more time for studying and training, so I guess this place will be a great help to us after all.

We look forward to the fresh new experiences that await us. [For the first time during this whole video, Cress offers a smile. Chili reaches over and turns off the feed.]

[Sophie had left for a few days to visit Asbel and the others back home. When she returned, anyone who saw her might realize she seemed very distant. People who knew her might really see this. She was very quiet. Sad. Something was serious up. After a moment of keeping to herself and being away from everyone, she finally got on the network. For your dose of awkward, sad, dark, morbid things...here she is. She looks uncomfortable in her seat, but she's serious.]

I need to...ask a question.

[A pause.]

What do you...do when you realize that your friends will all die before you?

[On the screen you will see a well-groomed boy with the most unorthodox hair texture you have ever seen. Seaweed? Tentacles? Noodles? You're grasping for a way to describe it, but can't seem to figure out how it's supposed to qualify as hair. He is sitting at his desk with poise, ready to greet the recipients of this video graciously.]

Good evening. Allow me to formally introduce myself. My name is Cress, and I will be attending Smash Academy with the sophomores this coming fall. It is a sincere pleasure meeting so many fresh faces before the term starts.

I come from Striaton City in Unova, where I upheld the position of gym leader with my siblings. As they content themselves with specializing in fire and grass types, magnificent water types are my preference. Despite the responsibility expected of such a position, there is still much room for improvement on my part. Nonetheless, I assure you will find Cress to be the most formidable challenge of us three. While studying abroad, I aspire to enrich myself with brand new experiences during my stay. Already there have been quite a few...

[He just lets that statement trail off into nothing. This isn't the place he would particularly like to talk about it. Luckily, he doesn't have to say a word.]

Some of you may also be acquainted with my hot-headed brother, Chili. If his attitude has gotten out of hand around you, allow me to apologize for him. He tends to be easy to 'ignite', I think is a good way to put it. [His smile has changed from cordial to amused.] He can't seem to help it sometimes.

Well, that should be enough of an introduction. I could always complain about the... changes made to the interior design of this place, but we've all had quite enough of that across the network, I'm sure. Why, it's clogged full of complaints! [You only get a peek at just how vitriolic his feelings toward Aperture High are. It sounds like he took a bite out of a bitter apple when he talks about it. He's hiding a whole bushel full of them behind his voice.]

[Once the recording begins, Chili waves. He appears to be sitting at a desk in his dorm room.]

Hey! I completely forgot about introductions on this network thing; this school's a busy place, I'll give it that! If we haven't already met, my name's Chili! I'm the blazing hot Fire-type gym leader of Striaton City, but I'm here because even I could learn a thing or two from a wacky school like this!

Now that that's out of the way, I have a question. [His expression becomes more serious. He motions to the paneled layout of the room, and to those circular doorways and whatnot. He doesn't appear pleased.] Is this get-up permanent? This interior design scheme, I mean! It looked fine before, why did it have to be changed in this way? Now it's just creepy. Who thought this was a good idea, anyway?! [He huffs.]

I just thought this would be the place to ask, since I have no clue who else to go to! I really hope it'll be changed back!

This place looks weird now.

...I had a funny dream! In it, I made a lot of friends.

[She holds up a crayon drawing for the camera. Wow, pro art skills there.]

There was another, too, but I didn't draw her yet. I need to find more paper first.

[Okay, time to put the paper aside and address some super important issues:]

Does anybody know how to keep a rose from wilting? I thought all they needed was water... but it's not working. I really don't want it to lose petals. It's really fun to... um... watch flowers bloom, not die.

[She was actually going to say it's fun to pluck petals off other roses but maybe that's a bad thing to admit. That handful of wrecked flowers in the greenhouse was TOTALLY NOT HER, you guys.]

[ In one of the student activities rooms, the video feed opens to a very pleasant smile. The young lady carefully places the device down and steadies it just right before clasping her hands behind her back and taking a few steps backwards so that she's seen properly from waist up. There's a very feminine and harmless look to her. ]

Hello students and staff of Smash Academy. My name is Miss Caroline and I come to your lovely school as a representative of Aperture Science Innovators. I am honored to announce that I will be joining the faculty as your new choir teacher.

[ Formal intro over, she relaxes a little and clasps her hands in front of her with a loud clap. ]

Now, you may be wondering how choir could possibly aid you as a combatant. Besides a new appreciation for music and the human instrument, you will leave my class with a better understanding of breathing and breath control. Proper breathing in combination with core muscle control should help you stretch the length of and make the most of every breath you take in the arena. Singing can also be very relaxing and may help you relieve stress and aid your concentration in other areas of your academics.

[ That said, Caroline slips from the frame and soon comes back in with a vinyl record and a small shy grin. ]

Of course, I would love to demonstrate for all of you my own ability. I present to you 'Lascia Ch'io Pianga.' Please, enjoy.

[ She's gone from the frame for just long enough to place the record and start the player. When the song begins, Caroline takes a deep breath before filling the room with a sweet and gentle voice. It's a simple and short song, yet still shows great skill. Once the song ends, she offers the camera a smile and takes a few steps forward. ]

An official class time hasn't been decided on just yet, but I hope you will consider it. Oh, and I would like to offer myself as a math and science tutor as well, if you find you need a little help. I look forward to meeting all of you and thank you for your time.

Yes, hello, it's Ms. GLaDOS. Let's skip the formalities and get straight to the point of this message, shall we? Class for this week only will be held on a Friday.  The reason? Well, if you little cherubs  must know, I have a meeting with the Hands in order to discuss my course. The specifics are none of your business at this time, so don't ask me for more information. Also, despite being on the next day, class will still be at ten o'clock am, sharp. Be there, or you will be issued a detention, regardless of any circumstances [beat] unless you have a note. A real note. Do not forge one. Or else.

[She pauses, letting that message sink in.]

Also, Mr. Kanji Tatsumi, report to my office immediately. To those of you who know him, make sure he gets this message. Or simply escort him here. Any one of the two is fine, really.

[Hey.


Hey Smash.


There is a girl staring into her camera.

Right at you.

She doesn't know what she's doing.]