On the platform: Meet the new characters

[utopiamods]

As you all crowd onto the platform, which is drenched with sunlight though the air is cool you are met by five girls and eight 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 twelve 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 - six depicting a shield on green, the other seven a sword on red.

At the first lull in the chatter, a frail looking girl with a shield on her cap steps forward.

"Excuse me, may I have your attention please!"

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

The introductions are over fast and the girl named 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; two boys step forward and begin to read names from a clipboard.

Suzaku, the Conquest Prefect reads in a short clipped manner, his posture stiff. But his tone is kind. "For Conquest, Arthur Pendragon, Stellaluna, Nepeta Vantas and Jadesprite."

The Fortitude prefect, Lelouch, on the other hand looks bored. "Jane Crocker and Merlin are for Fortitude."

Comments

[goodboybestshot]

What element of surprise? [And the he immediately adverts his attention on Jane. Oh boy is he grinning.]

Jesus kicking Christmas its really you!

[Whoops have a hug Jane. Awkwardness be damned its another one of his best friends here in person.]

[overbiterestart]

[Though Jane is not hugging back, she just kinda stands there blankly. She is completely blanking out on this one. She is not even responding.


Dirk. DIRK. Send help.]

[fracturedsoul]

[ Dirk blinks. Jane's reaction? Weird.

He reaches out to put a hand on Jane's shoulder. He's about as awkward with touching people as Jake is, but these are friends. It's fine. ] You okay, Jane?

[goodboybestshot]

[Not what he was expecting either and he kind of instinctively backs the fuck off. Oh god did he do something wrong. He was so bad at people.]

Jane?

[secretlyuseful]

[Merlin is stood near the strange moving box that brought him here. He had woken up alone, feeling strange and empty.

And scared, what was he doing here? What was the... thing... he had arrived in? Who were all these people? This wasn't Camelot, it was no where he had seen before.

But that all paled in comparison to the emptiness, the realisation that his magic... was gone...

He was in a complete daze and didn't hear most of what was said. When the names were called he remained still because he didn't recognise any of them. None of them was his name... his name was...

What was his name?

[unflinchable]

[Arthur, after speaking to the knight from some place he has never heard of, scans the area for a familiar face. One of his knights would be most beneficial but he had little hope for that. What he would give to see Sir Leon, or even Gwaine. But instead he sees a familiar mop of hair and some ridiculous ears that could only mean one thing. He closes the distance between them swiftly.]

Merlin, what are you doing here? Did you wander off and get us kidnapped again? [suddenly hes waiting for Gwaine to show up and battle to the death...] Honestly Merlin, you are the worst servant I've ever had.

[veepofchess]

[This is such a pain when people forget their names.] You must be Merlin.

[secretlyuseful]

At a familliar voice Merlin turned to see... wait what was his name again? The King... "No," Merlin replied indignantly, "I did not get kidnapped, what are you doing here? It's much more likely you got kidnapped and dragged me with you!"

[secretlyuseful]

[His head hurt, but he turned to the boy and blinked.] I must be what?

[veepofchess]

[It's okay, he can sort this out.] Let me see your bag. [Holds his hand out for it.]

[overbiterestart]

[Oh, whoops. She's back now. Why are these two staring at her like that.]

Something the matter?

[fracturedsoul]

You made like a vegetable and zoned out as soon as Jake touched you. [ But she remembers who he is and what he looks like. So whatever it was couldn't have been related to Jake himself. ]

[goodboybestshot]

I'm terribly sorry if that was too forward, Jane.

[Jake, of course is jumping to the worst conclusions. Maybe he's missing something, maybe that strange buzzing of a missing memory is the culprit. Regardless he feels petty foolish.]

[overbiterestart]

I don't have any clue what you did?

[She has no idea Jake grabbed her. She has no idea that she forgot how to give someone a hug. She is freaking out herself.]

Whatever you did wasn't too forward if I can't remember what you did.

[fracturedsoul]

No clue? [ He frowns. ] You can't remember him grabbing you up in his tender, loving man embrace? What the shit kind of memory did this place take away from you?

[vespertinity]

[Nope, still asleep. It's nice and warm up here thank you very much.]

[secretlyuseful]

[He hands it over, he hadn't even realised he had it, he had been so preoccupied.] Did you bring me here?

[swordofzero]

[Trying to detach her claws from the jumper.] Stellaluna? Wake up. [Trying to sound commanding, even if he is talking to a bat...]

[goodboybestshot]

[Sldjlnjls Jake shoves at him a bit for that. Now he's all sort of flustered and embarrassed.]

Strider!

[But he frowns at Jane and...]

Hugging? Can this place really take away one's ability to embrace?

[overbiterestart]

[All those words, she keeps spacing. She hates everything right now. Anything associated with a hug her mind goes completely blank on.]

...What is going on? I don't understand.

[fracturedsoul]

Wow, no kidding? [ No way. Is that even a thing it can do?

After a moment's pause, he steps over to Jake, leans over side-by-side, and wraps one arm around his shoulders in a sort of bro-hug. Nevermind that doing so leaves Dirk's mind feeling a bit foggy too. ] You seriously can't say what it is I'm doing right now?

[goodboybestshot]

[That's a good icon for Jake's face right now. Not to mention wow, how screwed up is it that Rakuen took hugging away from Jane?]

What the actual hellfire.

[overbiterestart]

[She just kinda...stares at them.]

Uh... [What the hellfire is right.]

[fracturedsoul]

[ He just laughs as he pulls away from Jake. It's not entirely filled with humor; it's more at how ridiculous the situation is. ]

The first thing you've got to know about Rakuen is, we've all had some brain work done to us. I thought your tiara-top was bad, but there's a bunch of things that we just straight-up can't remember. It's the carrot the End of the World is dangling on the end of their stick to get us to play along with their gladiator olympics.

[goodboybestshot]

[Jake nods with Dirks explanation.]

Impossible as it sounds, it's true. Strider here forgot the word water, for instance. Which normally I'd fine knee-slappingly hilarious if not for our captivity.