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

[waddles]

Weapons and players...

"What a terrible game." Rafiel murmured softly to himself as he watched all those unfamiliar names scroll up on the screen. It was so much to take in at once, really, such technology as well as the fact that he was bound to this place with no promise of freedom... an unusually fascinating cage but one nonetheless.

He didn't even have his wings to carry him up and over these walls... though he wasn't sure why. Perhaps that was one of those lost memories the girl had spoken of, knowing only that he couldn't but not why he had lost both his ability to fly and to change into his natural form. With a sigh, he turned upon the crowd that surrounded him and gazed out upon their faces with feelings of trepidation.

"Is waiting all I can do?"

[loyal_liar]

"Besides playing along and trying to find out what's going on, I don't know what else anyone can do," Lyra said softly. Some people might think answering a rhetorical question was rather rude. Lyra wasn't one of those people.

[waddles]

"So it seems." Came the muted reply as Rafiel turned his gaze upon Lyra and shook his head, sending that one stray lock of blond hair sliding over his face. Truly, this seemed like such an awful thing to be subjected to and there was, as far as he could see, little he could do to stop it.

Still, humans had impressed him time and time again, doing the impossible and defying all odds. He highly doubted this time would be any different, higher power involved or not.

[loyal_liar]

"Yeah... And I'm a player this round, so I'm going to have to fight," Lyra said grimly. Unless there was some way out of it, at least.

[waddles]

"I suppose congratulations are in order." The heron remarked, though he didn't seem all that cheerful about it. Fighting, in any shape or form, was never a good thing. Just the thought of the battles to come made him uneasy.

[loyal_liar]

"I suppose. Although at least Weapons don't have to go around picking fights," Lyra pointed out. She was pretty confident that she'd be able to handle herself... But it might make finding allies difficult if she was obligated to go around hurting people.

[waddles]

Rafiel smiled at that.

He thought she meant well by the statement but it was difficult to tell without his abilities. He had never quite realized how blessed he had been by Ashunera, and to discover that now seemed like some sort of horrid irony. Still, he was willing to trust in this small human and believe she meant him no harm.

"Have you found a partner yet, Lyra?" He inquired, voice quiet and polite.

[loyal_liar]

"Two, actually!" Lyra told him, "And they both seem pretty nice. One of them's been here for a while, so maybe he can tell me more about the place- maybe he'll help you too, if you ask him!"

[waddles]

"You work quickly." Came the amused response as he regarded her with both respect and delight. "I'm glad to see you have such fortune."

[loyal_liar]

"Well, I just... Started asking people. Besides, we're all going to need to work together to get out of here, I bet," Lyra said.

"I'll just have to do everything I can to keep my promise."

[waddles]

"Your promise?" Rafiel couldn't help but repeat in minute curiosity.

[loyal_liar]

"Well, I told them I'd protect them, right?" To Lyra, promises were either those you intended to break, and therefore didn't count because they were actually lies, or ones you made sincerely, and had to be kept even if it was hard.