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

[unflinchable]

Arthur furrows his brow when Merlin didn't say Gaius, who was he having supper with then? He wasn't usually suspicious of Merlin, but they had been kidnapped again and they weren't even together at the time, "Who were you dining with?" he asks, trying not to sound suspicious or curious but instead like he was looking for more information.

He looks around, he had noticed their strange clothes but to be honest he was a bit more distracted by Jadesprite who was part girl, part dog, part ghost and, frankly, she was freaking them out. "Children with strange clothing? No wonder they took you, Merlin. Perhaps they figured you could not go anywhere without your keeper."

That was him. If you didn't notice.

[secretlyuseful]

Merlin frowned, the King was not his keeper.

And his clothes were fine, when a certain prat wasn't forcing him into redicu... The headache came again and he brought a hand to his head. "I was dining with... well who I always eat with... obviously."

He shook his head, "No it is more likely they kidnapped you, and dragged me along so someone could deal with your complaining."

[unflinchable]

He raises an eyebrow at him, "and who do you always eat with?" Arthur pressed again. There's no reason that Merlin wouldn't say Gaius' name, the two got on like a house on fire and Arthur couldn't think of a time his manservant had been angry with the physician to the point he wouldn't utter his name. Arthur hadn't noticed that Merlin hadn't said his name yet either, but he was used to being called sire, your majesty, and even prat more than he was called Arthur.

"We don't seem to be constrained though, it seems as if escape would be all too simple," he said while looking around again.

[secretlyuseful]

"You know... physician, guy I live with, great man." He is not admitting that he can't remember his name, and you wont make him. He looked around, "Maybe they are just really bad at this whole kidnapping thing, surely we could just walk back where we came from and find out where we are and how to get back to Camelot."

He had a feeling it wasn't going to be that easy, it never was.

[unflinchable]

"Gaius, his name is Gaius," he stares at Merlin blankly for a few moments, "Merlin, what's my name?" It could end up being a dumb question, but it seems like he truly forgot Gaius' name.

Mirroring Merlin's own thoughts he says, "It cannot be that simple."

[secretlyuseful]

"I knew that," except he didn't and now it had been said it seemed so obvious. Of course his name was... Wait... Merlin frowned and brought a hand to his head.

"Your, you know," his voice dropped to a conspiratorial whisper. "The king, King of Camelot..."

[unflinchable]

"No Merlin, that's my title, what is my name?" he's getting a bit annoyed now.

[secretlyuseful]

Merlin blinked in confusion but he had started this and he would finish for better or worse. "Don't you even know your own name? I know it's hard to do things for yourself, I really do but you shouldn't need me to keep track of your name for you as well."

[unflinchable]

"I know my own name!" he practically sputters, "Fine, as your king I command you to say my name."

Chances Merlin actually listens to a command: close to zero.

[secretlyuseful]

"That's frankly a ridiculous order, you know you can't just order people to do every little thing you tell them," He spoke clearly, as if the King was a little dim, and wouldn't understand. "Don't you have better things to do?"

[unflinchable]

"You forget who I am, Merlin," possibly in more than one way at the look of it, "I can command you to do anything I please and you must obey. That's what being King entitles me too," he speaks slowly, as if talking to a small child. Or Merlin. Who is almost like a small child, even if he's a tad taller than Arthur himself.

"I will ask you one last time, my name, what is it."

[secretlyuseful]

Merlin's shoulders slumped a bit in defeat, "I don't know, okay I can't remember. I can't remember your name, or the names of half the people I know, I can't even remember my own name! Why is that?"

[unflinchable]

"Merlin you idiot. Your name is Merlin and my name is Arthur. Did you not think it was important that you could not remember such important names?" he means his own name mostly, "that means that along with kidnapping us they also tampered with our minds. It must be the work of magic."

A bit begrudgingly, "if it makes you feel any better, I cannot recall the names of any of the Kings, Lords, Ladies, or kingdoms, besides Camelot." he tried to test his own knowledge of names after Merlin's confession, he wasn't happy about the outcome,

[secretlyuseful]

"Magic..." If it was the work of magic it must be incredibly strong power to be able to block his own, that and causing them to forget things. "They must be very powerful," some kind of enchantment...

"We need to find out who is responsible."

[unflinchable]

On the other hand, if they had the power to displace all of Camelot, why only take the King and his manservant? Surely taking the knights as well would serve to weaken Camelot as well. Maybe they were hoping that without the King the Kingdom would fall. And of course that the asking needed attending to and would have a competent manservant. If only they knew.

"it seems to be a town, we should find who is in charge and see if they are aware of what is occurring."

[secretlyuseful]

Merlin looked around, it did indeed seem to be a town even if a very strange one. "Those people in the hats seem to know what they are doing, we could ask them."

[unflinchable]

The people with the hats. Of course, why didn't he think of that.

"how do we know they're not working for the person who did this? No, Merlin, we must remain vigilant and collect information in a more discrete manner."

[secretlyuseful]

"But surely whoever is in charge is the one who took us... this," he flung his arms about, "Isn't very secretive."

Whoops, I just realized how inconsistent Im being...

[unflinchable]

Arthur is getting impatient at this point and speaks as if he's talking to a child, "Merlin. If you were kidnapped would you go up to the person in charge and go," he puts on a very fake cheery voice, "hello, mind telling me where I am?" and back to his normal voice, "no, because they're not going to tell you anything. We've been kidnapped and they probably just want ransom."

pfft consistency what is that

[secretlyuseful]

"It was your idea in the first place! To find out who was in charge," he complained. "Okay so ransom, still doesn't explain why they took me, when we weren't even together."

Something I lack

[unflinchable]

"if you were listening I said find who is in charge, not question them, just observe them until we know how to proceed. And obviously they took you so you can serve me, and frankly you're doing a horrible job," he claps Merlin on the back.

Re: Something I lack

[secretlyuseful]

"That makes no sense..." Merlin pulled a face when he was clapped on the back. "Why would they kidnap me to serve you when they are kidnapping you, it's not like they care about your comfort..."

[unflinchable]

"Obviously to keep me satisfied, there's nothing worse than an unahppy King," his tone is lighthearted.

[secretlyuseful]

A raised eyebrow, "Right..." It sounded stupid but, he looked at the... train Nepeta had called it.

[unflinchable]

"Right!" Arthur isn't really convinced either, but everything about this place is different and he doesn't know if the same rules apply.

"Now Merlin, just because we are somewhere new doesn't mean you can slack on your duties. You need to find where we will be sleeping, make sure it is suitable, draw me out a bath, clean my boots while I am bathing, and fetch me dinner. If this place lets us wander free that shouldn't be too difficult, even for you."