Round 1 [new characters and round announcement]

[utopiamods]

You're falling, and you can't remember why. It's a sickening feeling that makes your insides lurch; the darkness and the vertigo combine, and all you can think of is a story you heard once, somewhere.

- I remember now. It's a simple story that everyone knows. A legend of a Princess, the Demon Lord who kidnapped her, and the Knight who fought to save her.

The Demon Lord had kidnapped the Princess countless times, but every time the Knight bested his challenges and rescued the Princess.

No matter what tricks and ploys the Demon Lord used, the Knight would always triumph in the end. This was because--

The world tilts on its axis one last time, and the dream slips from your mind as easily as it arrived. A new voice intrudes on your sleep.

"Next stop: Academy Main Entrance. This tramline terminates here; all change. Next stop: Academy Main Entrance. All change."

Sunlight streams through the windows of the long carriage, making the seats almost uncomfortably warm beneath its waking passengers. The air is muggy and thick, the atmosphere deeply tired. Your nausea settles, slowly. The last of the dream fades.

"We have arrived at Utopia. Repeat, we have arrived at Utopia Academy. Could all passengers please leave the tram, as it is terminating here."

The tram pulls to a stop outside the academy station, and the students onboard are ushered off and directed to the front lobby of the school. They can't miss it; there are signs up pointing toward the main entrance, reading "New student orientation" in big, bright letters. If anyone should care to move off the path, try exploring somewhere else, a teacher will conveniently appear to shoo them back toward the lobby, assuring them that "all your questions will be answered inside".

The lobby is big and spacious, looking more like a university or perhaps a fancy international hotel than a high school. Stood around are any number of students in the uniform of the school. Some of them even look awake. There are several receptionists at the desk towards the back of the lobby, but for now they seem busy with paperwork.


[ Note: the round announcement will go up in a thread once you've all mingled. ♥ ]

Comments

[monkeystail]

Scratching her neck, Huashi swayed back on her heels. So she was a player this round. With a frown, she stared around the crowd, wondering who to attempt to vow to... Maybe she'd ask Ichi? Even if she still didn't trust the woman, Ichi had a sword, and a sword Huashi was familiar with. It would be a good start, at any rate.

But she'd probably also have to ask random people. She wasn't sure she wanted 'random people' around. But what else could she do? She had to, as far as she'd understood it, play, otherwise she'd lose tokens, and getting into less than zero would just make it take even longer to get memories and upgrades... Scowling, Huashi planted her fists on her hips and looked around, wondering where and how to start.

[leftthesafetyon]

Meryl was facing the same problem- she wasn't sure who to trust, and it was beginning to become a nuisance. She needed to build trust with people, and the game seemed like the easiest way to do it. She approached the first person she saw, and tried to start up a conversation.

"It's a pretty weird system, but you get used to it."

[monkeystail]

Huashi stared up at the woman for a bit, before shrugging. But she did, a trifle warily take a step back when the other came too close.

"Uh huh. I've seen how it works," Huashi frowned and then tilted her head. "What sort of weapon do you have?"

[leftthesafetyon]

Instead of coming any closer, Meryl sat down on the closest wall possible. This other girl still looked apprehensive, but she was at least not running away. That had to be a good sign, right?

"It's a gun- It resembles a Magnum Desert Eagle, but the recoil isn't half as bad, I think." She had no idea that people came from different times or cultures with different weapons here, so she assumed she'd know what she meant.

[monkeystail]

Huashi frowned. A what now?

"A whatnow?" She saw no problem in repeating her thought and planted her fists on her hips. People really should learn to speak so others could understand them!

[leftthesafetyon]

That... was not the reaction she was hoping for. Well, she'd just have to explain this in the easiest way possible.

"It's a projectile weapon that uses either gunpowder, gas, or other means to launch a small piece of either lead, shrapnel, or another metal through a short metal tube." Which is a fine enough explanation in itself, but Meryl felt the need to keep going. "They can range anywhere from taking up a whole room to being handheld, but the larger ones are usually called cannons."

"In a typical battle, handheld guns usually have a distinct range and power advantage, but they're also fairly loud, and have a nasty kickback- that is, the projectile pushes back on the barrel, and makes the gun launch backwards. The Exaclan system seems to have reeled this back, but at the cost of lethality- it may be best to shoot more then once for good measure."

That was shorter then she'd like it to be, but it was vaguely descriptive enough.

[monkeystail]

Another headscratch. Well, while Huashi had only ever held a bow as a projectile weapon, maybe learning to shoot with a 'gun' wouldn't be too hard.

"Would you like to be my Weapon?" She grinned and rocked on her heels, tail swinging behind her. She needed at least one or two extra weapons, so that there'd be less of a chance to lose Kotarou to someone else.

[leftthesafetyon]

It came naturally to some people, but it seemed like a good idea to diversify as much as possible. She smiled and nodded at the proposal- that was a lot easier then she thought it would be.

"Of course." She held out her hand. There wasn't much need for anything formal, so a handshake would probably do.

[monkeystail]

Huashi grabbed Meryl's single outstretched hand with both her own, and while the grip was sincere enough, the space still between them probably looked a bit awkward.

"I promise to protect you and to keep you from harm," Huashi said brightly, having decided this was a good variation of the original vow.

[leftthesafetyon]

The space was awkward, but it's at least less awkward then it started out as.

"I swear to follow orders and fulfill my duties." It was a more proud variation of the weapon's oath. She was still a subordinate, but she was proud of it.

[discarded]

Miwako stared up at the screen in confusion. How could a place like this really exist? They were expected to fight? If her mother knew about this, there was no way she'd be allowed to stay...

She looked to the strange-looking girl standing nearby. "Um... is this... is this real?"

[monkeystail]

Huashi looked up, briefly startled, because the girl had been reaallyy quiet at first. Huashi shrugged and tugged on one of the tails that framed her face.

"Sure! Though I think we all would prefer if it wasn't," Huashi said with a grimace. She didn't feel nervous around this girl. Too sweet, too quiet, too ordinary. There was no danger here, so Huashi grinned at her.

"Probably get used to it soon! Do you know what you should do now?"

[discarded]

She shook her head in response, just as quiet as before now. If the other girl wasn't nervous, maybe that was because Miwako was nervous enough for them both.

"No, um... my name's not up there, so that means I'm--a weapon? Right?"

[monkeystail]

Rocking on her heels, Huashi nodded.

"Yeah. You don't have to do anything, then, if you don't want to! But if you don't have a Player, there's... uh... places you don't get to go, and some stuff, I think, you don't get to eat..." Huashi scratched her scalp, not much help here, because she'd never been bothered with that.

And while she needed more than Kotarou (maybe she could count on Ichi, but she wasn't sure), she wasn't going to demand anything.

[discarded]

"Places?" And things she didn't get to eat? That didn't seem too bad... she could handle that... but the Players might need Weapons if they wanted to fight. After all, that video had said something about needing to fight to get their memories back...

...not that she could think of what she'd forgotten at the moment. "Um... do you know the people who're Players?"

[monkeystail]

Huashi shook her head. No, she couldn't say she actually knew any of the others who were Players. Several of the names she recognized, because they'd been around with her in the school before this new crowd came, but that was it.

"No... I'm one of the Players this round though," Huashi grimaced; she didn't like this and she didn't want to be here, but what to do, anyway? Fighting wasn't supposed to be a game! You trained to use weapons, and you used weapons to defend yourself. That was all!

[discarded]

"Oh! I, I see." Well, she didn't know the other girl, but... "Do you, um, do you need any Weapons? I guess I could..."

She didn't really want to participate in this, but she couldn't very well get away... she could be a Weapon at least until she could get in touch with someone from home.

[monkeystail]

"If you want to!" Huashi admittedly felt relieved; losing wasn't in her plans, but if she did so, she'd at least have something to lose. It may be wrong, because she recognized this was potentially using this girl, who seemed really nice, but Huashi did not trust anyone here (except Suzaku and Ichi, but neither were Players) to not do something that would land Kotarou unconcious again.

So she took a step forward and picked the girls hands up in both her own, suddenly looking rather serious and concentrated.
"I promise to protect you and keep you from harm, to the best of my ability." That was a good one, Huashi thought with a decisive nod.

[discarded]

Miwako couldn't help flinching when the other girl took her hands. The vow was a nice touch, but she had to wonder... was she getting herself in over her head?

"Tha... thank you," she said. "Oh, um--! My name is Miwako. S-sorry, I should've said so earlier..."

[monkeystail]

Ooops. She'd been rude again, hadn't she? Forgetting to introduce herself! Huashi noticed the flinch and quickly, gently, squeezed the hands before letting go and stepping back. She hoped she hadn't felt too uncomfortable.

"I'm Huashi! Don't worry about it! Xuanzang always complains I've got the manners of the ape who raised me!" Huashi rolled her eyes, because, hah, didn't Xuanzang recognize a monkey when he saw one? They weren't apes!

[discarded]

The ape...? Just what exactly was this girl...? Miwako blinked in confusion, but nodded along anyway. Maybe it would make sense later.

"Ah--! You're not rude. I didn't mean to imply that," she said.

[monkeystail]

"Aww, no, you didn't! I think... I dunno. I don't have a good grip on what's good manners or not!" She felt no shame in admitting this, especially as she knew it would aggrieve the absent Xuanzang to have her say this so easily.

"Uhm... I don't actually know what stuff you'd need my permission to do, but tell me when you find out and I'll fix that!"