rakuen | Assembly [Both Schools]

On Sunday morning, a day that dawned bright if a bit crisp and cold the screens on the campus' instructed everyone to go to their foyers at twelve as normal. The Conquest students would see Day stood on stage with Santana, Cirno, Yuka and Suzaku. The Fortitude kids would see Dolorosa stood with Becca, Alex and Yuri.

However the two headmistress' were not the one who spoke, instead the screens flickered to life and it was Dunleavy's face that smiled down on them. "Hello students and teachers of Conquest and Fortitude, welcome to those who are new and I hope that those who went on the school trip last week had a fulfilling time. You all did well and the winners of our competition will be announced when they are compiled."

She smiled at them again, "I hope you are all ready to get back to work, and study hard this week. I will leave you to your studies with the list of those who are Players this week." With another smile she disappeared from the screen and the list came up.

Conquest:
America
Yuka Kazami
Cirno

Fortitude:
Komachi Onozuka
Sora Himoto
Shion

Threaded | Flat

Merlin had been glad to sleep in a bed again after the week camping, he stood with the others listening to Dunleavy speak. When she was finished he went to look for those he knew, mostly to check he wasn't a Player again... he really did need to regain his memory soon...

Shion was very quiet after the camping, it had been difficult and he was glad to be back in a city; he wondered what kind of person that made him.

When his name came up on the screen he paled... He was a player? He had never been a player before. He looked around like a cat caught in the headlights.

Suzaku stood on the stage not paying attention, he was glad his name wasn't called, it meant he could just sit this round out. Being a discard wasn't too bad, he was just glad he wasn't a Player, he should be allowed to have others under his protection. He fiddled with the newest memory charm on his wrist, the one that he had found on his pillow when he had returned to the city.

Sora looked around. She didn't see the other Sora anywhere. (And that was just so weird! They hadn't really had a chance to talk, so she still wasn't sure what to make of that. She hoped the other girl was all right...) So that meant she was probably the one who was a Player this time.

And that was weird too! None of the way they used the terms made sense, what they did didn't make sense. And everyone was so nice!

... Well, okay, that last wasn't actually a problem. People being nice was good! But Sora was feeling a bit down anyway, since something that'd seemed so clear-cut when she arrived wasn't holding up.

"What am I even doing here?" she whispered.

Cirno at this point was not surprised at all to hear her name being called for player. But she did not look happy at all as she glanced about at the gathering. So many people gone or just not waking at all...

She didn't even wait to talk to anyone after the assembly ended, hopping off the stage and slowly walking towards the door. She took the hat off her head and clenched it in her fist. She didn't even look interested in trying to get vows, her eyes on the ground.

This was really getting out of hand. So many people had disappeared, and it didn't seem like they were any closer to doing something about the whole situation.

And there were so few players this round, too... that would make things harder.

It struck Yuka that it would be a good idea for someone to talk to the new people. Suzaku didn't seem interested in that or anything else, which was probably understandable. Cirno... Cirno wasn't doing too well either. She wished she could do something to help, but now didn't seem like a good time... and she still worried that she might just be making things worse. And Santana was herself.

Which left Yuka. What a way to grow a garden.

She spotted Apollo first, and so headed over to talk to him. "Hello. Have you decided what you're going to do this round?"

Aria patiently awaits for the assembly to conclude. Once done, she notices Yuka's name is up on the Player list. Could this be her lucky day? She had made such a good friend of Yuka, and Yuka had been her first Player ever. Might she be willing to take her back?
[in the smallest corner of her mind, something starts nagging at her for slowly replacing Cecily with Yuka.... but Aria is still not completely aware of this happening]

In the crowd, Aria spots a head of green hair. Not recalling any other teacher or student here with the same phenomenon, Aria quickly weaved her way through the crowd, calling, "Yuka! Hey Yuka!"