rakuen | On the platform: Meet the new characters

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On the platform: Meet the new characters

As you all crowd onto the platform, which is drenched with sunlight though the air is cool you are met by four girls and three boys. One of the girls is a somewhat humanoid grey-skinned, finned alien and one of the boys seems to be a blue Hedgehog; but the rest all seem human. All seven are in uniforms that would match if not for the colour differences - skirts and trousers, waistcoats, and light summer shirts that seem totally inappropriate for the chill. Some seem irritable while others look excited. Each has a beret with a crest pinned to the front - three depicting a shield on green, the other four a sword on red.

At the first lull in the chatter, the sword crested girl who is not a troll speaks up, looking annoyed.

"Listen up!"

She explains that the eleven of them are the current prefects of Rakuen, representing the two schools on the island. Santana (she gestures to herself), Feferi, Nephenee, and Suzaku of Conquest; and Lelouch, Jade, and Sonic of Fortitude.

The introductions are over fast and Santana seems impatient, "So come over when your name is called so we can all get inside." They all move to stand in two groups some distance away from each other and begin to read names from a clipboard.

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To the.... [Nope, there it goes all fuzzy again. He kind of squints. It's that word, that ...whatever that's eluding him.]

How...strange.

Oh, shit, you forgot about him, didn't you? [ This city. Damn. ]

[Just sort of gives him a baffled look. What is going on Dirk.]

Ha ha ha, wow. [ It's a bit of an exasperated laugh, though. ] I'd tell you, but it'd go right over your head. Basically, the people who dragged us here did a selective lobotomy on us and took out tiny bits and pieces of our memory as a means of asserting their dominance over us. Even if I try to remind you, you'll just forget again right away.

... [Wow, okay. That was a hell of a thing to tell someone.]

Oh. That's not terribly hospitable, now is it?

Hospitality applies to houseguests, Jake, not kidnapping victims.

[ Fortitude draws near. He turns slightly to head toward the black dorm. ]

You can get 'em back, but other people have to buy them for you. [ He nods to the bracelet dangling from one wrist. ] Which means people have to fight and earn this city's Monopoly money. Oh, but you'll love that part. All the fisticuffs you could ever dream of.

My mistake, then.

[Looks up at the school in curious awe. Wow, a school. This was completely new to him.]

Really? We're to engage in scrums and shit to get back what we lost? This is starting to sound frightfully like a doozy of an action flick.

While simultaneously juggling the everyday stress of high school. Someone couldn't get their movie tropes straight.

There's a manual, you should read it as soon as you get a chance.

[ Getting this through the door is going to be awkward. Hngh. ]

It sounds rather exciting if we're going to be honest here.

[Pauses at the door and looks at the box.]

Let's shift it sideways, Dirk, it should fit that way, yeah?

Well, it's certainly not boring.

[ He hesitates, looking down at the box. ] Okay, but bro, be careful. I can't even emphasize enough how much of a delicate piece of work this thing is.

Not to worry. I wouldn't dream of damaging something of you-- [His hand slips and the box tilts.]

Drat.

[ And there's a thump. And Dirk flinches.

At least from the sound of things, the head is on the side Dirk's holding. ]

Eesh. Watch it. [ Just a little crabby here, that's all. He repositions his grip on the box. ] I'm on the second floor. Let's use the elevator. [ Pause. ] You ever used an elevator before?

[Hunches his shoulders a bit skfjldnds] I'm sorry! It slipped!

[Sob he will make sure he's got a steady hold of the thing this time. He pauses at that and. Well of course he knows what they are but.]

No, I can't say I have.

Try not to get too excited, then. [ Because guess who was in the same boat as you until last week. And guess who rode it up and down like five times when no one was watching. ]

[ Over to the elevator they go, and the box is gonna have to be turned upright to make it fit. Dirk gestures for Jake to set his end down, and presses the call button. ]

This place is about as far removed from a deserted habitat in the middle of the ocean as you can get. Despite still being an island. It might be kind of strange at first. [ Who are you talking about, Dirk? ]

[Telling Jake not to get excited is like telling a puppy not to wag its tail and look cute. Really Dirk. He gets the box upright for him, wincing at any sounds from inside the box. He really was getting inconsolably curious about what was in this box.]

I think I've gathered as much from just getting here. I mean. There are actual people here, Strider. I haven't seen another human being since my grandmother.... [What? She ... she something. Where did she go?]

[ The doors open, and he hauls the box into the elevator. ] I know. Place is packed like a can of sardines. A guy can't get any peace of mind around here.

[ He eyes Jake curiously as he presses the button for the second floor. Just those words would have made a valid sentence, but the way Jake trailed off... ] Since she?

It's going to take a lot of adjustment but, I'm pretty pleased as punch to be off the island for a spell. I've got so much to explore now.

[In they go! He's looking around all curiously with pretty wide eyes. He looks back at Dirk finally with the onset of confusion in his eyes.]

Ah- I don't. I don't know. I can't remember.

That's the spirit. And hey, apparently dungeons appear for exploring every so often, too.

[ ...ah. ] Since she died?

[And he gives him that somewhat vacant stare again, the memory refusing to stick.]

[Then, Of course once the elevator starts to go up, It startles the fuck out of Jake and he nearly topples over. He will just uh. Latch to the side rail thingy.]

Peas and rice!!

[Yep.]

[ He facepalms briefly. Wow. Fuck you, Rakuen. ]

Don't worry about it. It'll come back to you.

[ In the meantime, isn't the elevator fun? Elevators are fun. ]

[Pretty much.]

Righto.

[Um. Sure. If by vaguely terrifying. He latches onto it again once he feels the thing coming to a stop.]

[ if by vaguely terrifying you mean AWESOME

Once it stops and the doors open, Dirk grabs hold of the top of the box again. ] It's 2-A, so it's right across the hall.

[He's a little wobbly because wow that was disorientating. But okay, back to business. He will bend down and heft up the bottom of the box as carefully as he can.]

Onwards, then!

[ And it's not long before they reach 2-A, which is, thankfully, empty. That would have been awkward. But it's easy to predict, since Sora's in a coma, Daenerys is never around, and Dave tries to avoid Dirk.

Dirk finds a bare spot of floor -- not easy, what with Dave's music stuff and the smuppets and a bunch of other random junk all lying around, but he does find one -- and gently starts to lower his end of the box. ] Here we go. It is absolutely fucking critical that you do not let it slip.

Aye, aye, captain.

[Easy does it. He lowers his side of the box down to the floor this time without fucking up.]

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