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

[veepofchess]

Just a moment, Dirk. [If he's annoyed, it doesn't show.]

Jane, before your friends take you off on whatever he has planned, I want to make sure you know to examine the materials in that bag carefully. You are expected to know everything in it, and failure to read it will not exempt you from its rules. Do you understand?

[fracturedsoul]

[ He stops, and turns to look at Lelouch, one eyebrow raised as if to say Jesus fuck, you think I wasn't going to tell her that shit?

He speaks in an aside to Jane. ] He's right, for the record. This guy's decent.

[overbiterestart]

[Jane can tell by the tone of this guys voice, he could quite possibly be annoyed. But she won't jump to assumptions. She rustled through the bag. Ergh. New clothing, a rule book, a bunchh of other odds and ends.]

Understood. Thank you very much for informing me.

[She's wary, by the way she sticks by Dirk.] I'll find further explanation if I need it.

[fracturedsoul]

[ He nods to Lelouch, then starts walking again. As he goes, he pulls out his PDA to text Jake -- he'll need to get the guy one of his own pretty soon, actually. ]

...in the game. Last I remember, me and AR were still setting shit up for you.

[goodboybestshot]

[ One day he'll get a PDA. But this day is not that day. Regardless Jake had just fallen a bit behind and was approaching the train station post-haste. He slows down when he sees a familiar figure standing next to his bro and he all but breaks out in another run.]

Jane!!

[overbiterestart]

[Jane is not sure what a PDA is at all really. So she's sticking by Dirk, and OH MY GOD JAKE!]

You weren't kidding when you said he was here! Goodness gracious!

[fracturedsoul]

And there goes the element of surprise. [ He closes out the message and sticks the device back into his pocket. He waves to Jake as he runs toward them. ] This place seems to be gunning for all of us. Wonder how long until it completes the set?

[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?

[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?

[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.

[overbiterestart]

He forgot the water? Like he can't go swimming in it or drink it either? Because I'm sure whatever I've forgotten...I blanked completely.

[...STUPID GLADIATOR OLYMPICS.] I hope they don't expect me to participate.

[fracturedsoul]

[ Dirk folds his arms with a slight frown. ] I'm guessing you guys are talking about the common name for H₂O? Way it makes me blank out like that, it's like you're talking behind my back right in front of me. That's hells of rude. But no, I just forgot the word.

Speaking of which, English forgot that that shit's supposed to be transparent. His freakouts were funny at first, but they're starting to get old.

They do expect you to participate. It's why we're all here.