Round 9: Conquest

[kingofpoisons]

To those who had been in Rakuen a while it was a normal Sunday, the screens telling them to report to the foyer for assembly at 12, Santana making sure that no one got lost or tried to skip.

For those who were new it might seem strange, the angry looking woman on stage surrounded by students in Berets. Flynn, Feferi, Kevin, Suzaku, Golbez and Gino; the prefects of Conquest were joined by Santana when she finished dragging stragglers in.

Day stepped forward and everyone in the audience would experiance a sharp pain. It only lasted a second though and she sighed looking... not angry. But disappointed.

It was potentially more dangerous.

"I know you are better than this. You are either not trying, or this is some form of rebellion but it will stop."

She shook her head, "Some of you," America would be getting a headache as she spoke, "Didn't even fight before the deadline. You barely fought with Fortitude at all. It will change this round."

The Battle Records appeared on the screen behind her. "For Conquest fights, Cirno and Lemina Ausa, Cirno won." Lemina was hit by a penalty, hard enough to make her stagger. "Feferi Peixes and Samuel Henderson, Feferi won." Samuel was hit, "America and Lemina Ausa, America won." Lemina was hit once more.

"Against Fortitude you were pathetic, Lemina lost to Dave," Lemina was hit once again, and to Jake, and she drew with Jade." Just a twinge of pain for that last result, a draw was better than a loss after all.

"But." She glared at them, "At least Lemina actually fought against Fortitude," all the Players but Lemina were hit this time and the battle records faded.

"You better get your acts together, for this next round is our first tournament. A chance to prove your worth and I hope that you do not let me, or Conquest down."

She smirked at them, "Conquest have been chosen to fight first on Monday, which means even if you lose your match you will have to fight again by Thursday or you will be fined. Those that win will fight in the quarter finals, you may use two Weapons for your first fight, chose wisely. Fights outside the tournament are also encouraged, for practice and to gather the Weapons most likely to help you win.

And you better win."

The list of Players came up on the screen, but this time they were in pairs, the list of the first fights. Day read out the names.

"Nunnally vi Britannia vs Stellaluna
Kotaro Mochizuki vs Samuel Henderson
Jadesprite vs Duzell
Sis Strider vs Arthur Pendragon."

Comments

attn: stellaluna! c:

[whitestknight]

Only half of the names called were ones Flynn could recognise with anything more than the brief familiarity double-checking the school registers could get you. That was the problem with burying yourself in paperwork for a week. Theoretically, he knew everyone on the roster, but he hadn't met many of them face-to-face. It was incredibly impolite of him.

Of course, even then, he met the students in his lessons, or in the corridors and courtyards. The teachers, in meetings. That meant that many of those names had to be entirely new to the school. He stood in silent contemplation for a while longer, his Link ensuring that he didn't have to actively look for a Player to be participating.

[vespertinity]

Pip had been placed on a chair at the edge of the room for the "assembly", but hadn't been able to see. There was a big thing next to her, though (curtain? She thought she had heard someone call it a curtain), and it was easy to grip onto. The curtain had seemed simple to climb, but it kept moving whenever Pip moved.

She had climbed high enough to see what was going on. When the assembly was over, she started climbing down. It was more difficult than she'd expected, and partway down she slipped.

Whoops.

She landed on something yellow that wasn't as soft as it looked and laid there trying to get her breath back.

[whitestknight]

The something yellow froze, the human underneath it spending a moment trying to work out how something could fall on him inside. It was solved a second later, when he carefully reached a hand up to check his hair, and brushed a tiny paw next to his ear on the way.

If he hadn't been a prefect with the rosters, or a confidante to Santana and her complaints about new students, he might have reacted badly to finding a bat on his head. As it was, he kept as still as he could as he asked, "Ah, are you alright?"

[vespertinity]

Pip squeaked when something unexpectedly touched her foot. Shifting to sit up she coughed a little, but it was becoming easier to breathe. "Yes, I think so."

She crawled forward to peer below the yellow and see what was talking and oh, it's a human.

[whitestknight]

It is indeed. He looked up, bemused, and saw a small face peering over his bangs at him. His eyes almost crossed looking at her. Was that safe? He kept his hand raised, turning it palm up, in case she'd rather a different perch.

"Would you be Stellaluna, by any chance?"

[vespertinity]

Not really; if she moved further forward she would fall. After a moment, she crawled onto his hand, thinking it seemed like it'd be easier to stay on.

"No, I'm Pip. People keep calling me Stellaluna, though."

oh she's so cute

[whitestknight]

He held her a little distance away, to be polite, but not far enough that she couldn't hook herself onto his shirt if she fell or just wanted to leave.

"My apologies, Pip. My name is Flynn Scifo."

[vespertinity]

Pip wasn't going anywhere unless Flynn moved her or someone took her. It was a bit unnerving when he moved, but not uncomfortable.

"The angry-sounding person didn't call your name. Does that make you one of the Weapons?"

[whitestknight]

"It does," he agreed. Inside, he winced at the description of Day - she really needed to fix that, or the students would lose all respect. If they still had any at all by now.

[vespertinity]

"What is that like? I'm a Player. Well, Stellaluna-me is, but I think I'm supposed to be a Weapon too because of the train-nest dream." Pip was genuinely curious. It had only been a day, but there were more and more new things.

[whitestknight]

"It is... well," he thought about how to describe it to her. "When you are used to fighting, watching someone else from the sidelines is strange."