Event start: On the train

[utopiamods]

The clothes Dunleavy had mentioned were simple light trousers, three plain t shirts in school colours, a warm jumper; again in school colours and a pair of walking boots. There was also a small rucksack so spare clothes and other belongings could be packed.

On the platform NPCs were loading what seemed to be tents, cooking stoves and sleeping bags into the hold. Those chosen were ushered onto the train and told to sit wherever they liked.

Once everyone had arrived the whistle sounded and for the first time in fourteen weeks the train set off in the opposite direction. Smoke whistled happily past the window as they began to go faster past meadows and trees.

Then, quite suddenly everyone began to feel very sleepy. "There is a story everyone knows..." It was that old dream again, lulling you in and you find your eyes dropping against your will...

When you wake up the train is slowing and the countryside looks different, mountainous, rougher; a little more wild.

"Attention everyone, the train is approaching it's final destination. Please be ready to leave the train in half an hour." As people shake off the last of the sleep this message continues.

Then it changes, "You will notice that some of your now possess a coloured exaclan glove on your chair, others will notice a coloured ring. Please put them on now. Your first task is to find your Player if you are a Weapon, or your Weapon if you are a Player. Find the person whose colour matches yours."

((The information post that has the colours and pairs is here!))

Comments

[ecthelion]

This was not expected. Ein cannot repress the panic at being approached in a mildly threating manner.

"I wasn't going to!"

[sensible_one]

"Hikaru..." Kaoru kept his head down, avoiding eye contact with Ein.

[mean_one]

Hikaru flinched at his name as a headache wiped it out again, but at least he knew his brother was addressing him.

He cupped Kaoru's chin in his hand and lifted it up to make Kaoru look to him, "Don't worry, my player seems to be nice. I don't think we will have to be apart very much. I'll make sure that we are okay."

He wraps his arm around Kaoru protectively, turning back to Ein, "Good. Then we should get along fine."

[distractedfighting]

Blanching slightly at Hikaru's sudden protective outburst, Yosuke hung back a little as he watched the twins catch up and- whoa, okay. Was it a twin thing to be that close and... no nevermind, he didn't want to think about it.

Scooching around the pair and letting them have their moment, he deposited himself next to Ein and offered the guy his hand with a look of understanding sympathy.

"Hanamura Yosuke, I thought it'd be a good idea if we worked together on this since our partners are kinda co-dependent." He remarked, tone light and just a little bit dry as he resolutely ignored the touchy-feely twins.

[sensible_one]

Kaoru gazes at his brother lovingly, "If you say it's alright, then it must be. You promise you we won't be apart? Then I think I can get through this."

Kaoru rummages through his pocket, acquires the yellow ring, and places it on his finger.

Not completely letting go of Hikaru, Kaoru maneuvers into a position to greet the wearer of the yellow glove. He holds his hand out to Ein, and says to him, a little bit more calmly, "I'm Kaoru. It's nice to meet you."

[ecthelion]

"It's nice to meet you all. I'm Ein," he said, still a bit reeling from the other Hitachiin's little outburst.

"That's a good idea. I take it you two are really close." Obviously he was referring to the twins, but who knows how people are going to take a statement like that?

[sensible_one]

Kaoru seemed a bit out of sorts at that last part - almost betrayed. Hikaru and his Player were close? Kaoru looked down and stepped away from his brother a step, feeling as though he had been replaced. But, wait a minute. That can't be true - Hikaru just stood up for him, and his Player arranged so they could be together, or was that a ruse thought up between Hikaru and his Player to keep up pretenses? Kaoru's confused. This didn't seem right. Hikaru would never replace him. They were a team, always.... just not always when Haruhi was around, but that was okay, because it was Haruhi....

[Kaoru's mental ramblings will continue for a little longer and he may not be paying strict attention to what's going on around him for the next few minutes.]

[distractedfighting]

Interpreting Ein's statement correctly since there was obviously nothing between him and Hikaru, Yosuke folded his arms and gave a shrug. "Looks like it." He added, glancing at the twins quickly before looking away since they were still really close to each other.

"So does anyone know what we should expect? I'm kinda new around here so I'm still getting my bearings."

[ecthelion]

"What have you heard so far?" said Ein, hoping to cut down on the amount of exposition he has to deliver.

[distractedfighting]

"Just that there's some kind of competition between the two schools and we're supposed to settle it by fighting each other. Which- by the way? Is totally messed up." Yosuke responded promptly, his expression an appropriate amount of disgust.

[ecthelion]

"It is, and that's not even the worst part," he said, still lamenting. "It's like they expect you to treat your Weapon - your partner - as an object instead of a person, but you don't have to do that."