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

[themerryway]

"Okay," she says, and she gently goes to take his hand. "Then I, Euphemia li Britannia, promise to vow myself to your protection." She says it quite seriously, meaning it. So long as she has this man as her Weapon, she'll protect him the best she can. "And if you would like to be-- discarded feels like the wrong word to use, but I suppose it's the technical one... I'll discard you if you find someone else to be your player." Euphie releases his hand and looks up at him sheepishly. "What's your name?"

[lolisandminorities]

There was absolutely no way to describe the emotions that went through his body at those words.

Euphemia li Britannia.

A Britannian princess. The Massacre Princess. The dead Britannian Massacre Princess. How was such a thing even possible? How could-!? Turning clearly shocked eyes back on Euphemia, the soldier stared at her for a long moment before registering that he'd been asked a question. It took one more second to clear his throat before he could properly reply in a mostly composed tone of voice.

"Li Xingke."

[themerryway]

Her face falls at his reaction, and then she realizes. However what she realizes is much different than the reality.

"Don't worry about, ah, um-- my status," she tells him. "You can call me Euphie. I figured it was a moment of formality-- so I forgot to introduce myself as something more casual. Either way, it's very good to meet you, Li Xingke."

[lolisandminorities]

For another moment, the warrior simply continued to treat her to a searching, slightly spooked stare before he forced himself calm. To compose himself and remember who he was and try and find out what he was dealing with. Was she the real thing? And if not, who would dare impersonate one of the most despicable figures in history?

A matter for another time, it seemed. For now, he would simply have to play along and see what information he could gather from this place.

"Xingke is fine, Princess." He replied, seemingly choosing to stick with formalities rather than go with her nickname. "And the honor is mine."

[themerryway]

She frowns small when he continues to stick to formality, but she isn't so pushy as to correct him. The smile on her face is a bit sad for that reason. "Xingke, then. Did you just arrive to the Academy?"

[lolisandminorities]

"Yes. You were here before this group's arrival?" He inquired, hazarding a guess from the way she spoke.

[themerryway]

"That's right," she says warmly. "For a while. I hope you'll find it nice here-- of course, the goal is to ultimately get home and back to what we were up to before this," she thinks distantly of the interrupted ceremony. "But I think it's okay to enjoy yourself while you're here."

[lolisandminorities]

"Is such a thing possible in a prison?" Xingke wondered aloud as he shifted, glancing back at the screens with an unreadable expression. Yet even as he did this, his gaze never fully left Euphemia, as if he were scared to take his eyes off her. Truth be told, he was the tiniest bit spooked by this circumstance.

After all, the dead had no right to remain in the realm of the living.