rakuen | Round 1 [new characters and round announcement]

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. ♥ ]

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

Ed frowned after the older boy before turning his attention back on the younger. He had a few words to describe the older one to fill in the sentence he'd started to say, but the kid had moved on before he could volunteer them.

"I don't remember any Xenotime..." He suddenly looked irritated, running his good hand through his hair. "I guess that could be something they made me forget."

That was disappointing. So, so disappointing. "...they made me forget his name," Fletcher offered, in hopes of helping illustrate just how horrible the memory loss could be. "My brother's, I mean. So... there's not really any limit to it..."

That instantly made Ed more sympathetic toward the younger boy, eyes widening. He couldn't even imagine what life would be like if he'd forgotten something like that. Something as simple and important as someone's name...

Alphonse. He of course remembered Al's name. And his own, since he'd responded just as he should when this kid had called him. His damn father's name was Van Hohenheim, and his mother's was... his mother's was...

Oh, shit. He'd found one. How sick were these people?

With a frown, Ed pulled his mind back into the present, looking over at the boy. "That girl in the video said there are ways to remember, though."

Fletcher nodded a bit. "The--the memory charms we can buy will get them back. Brother already has one so far. But we have to fight each other to get the money for them."

What else had Fletcher forgotten? Aside from his brother's name, the periodic table, certain transmutation circles... He didn't know what to try to think of in order to come up against that mental fog, that feeling of utter frustration. And that, itself, was frustrating too.

"Right, right. The tokens."

He made a face. He still wasn't too keen on playing by the rules of their captors, but as he'd learned a few moments earlier, there wasn't a whole lot of choice.

"...So what's with your brother reacting like that? Was I his idol or something?"

"Huh?" Idol? Fletcher hadn't quite thought of it in those terms, but... "You, um, you and Al really helped us out back in Xenotime," he replied, though now that he thought of it... he couldn't really think of what Alphonse had done. He'd been there when Ed and Russel had fought, and he'd helped them escape from the collapsing mansion... it felt like there was something else, though. Fletcher frowned. It seemed he'd found another lost memory...

"You helped us a lot," he repeated, trying not to think too hard on it. He knew it would do no good. "It's... it's a really long story, but if it wasn't for you two..."

Ed blinked. From the sound of things, the story seemed sort of vaguely familiar. But he still couldn't place it. The memory was just out of his reach, locked behind a metaphysical door.

"...all hell would've broken loose?" he offered with a shrug.

Well, maybe... Fletcher tried not to look too worried. "Y-yeah." If they'd lived, anyway. "Um, I'd try telling you all about it, but you'd just forget again after I was done..."

Ed's frown deepened. He'd just forget all over again? Great. This place got better and better all the time.

"Then I guess I'll have to keep myself from asking about it."

"I'll, um, I'll buy you a Memory Charm next time I'm a Player!" he promised. "Maybe you'll remember it then."

He looked momentarily startled, then he waves a hand. "You don't have to do that..."

"But-- we can't buy them for ourselves," he said. "We can only give them away. So if I have the money, I might as well!"

"Oh." That kind of changed things, didn't it. Ed looked uncertain for a moment, but nodded anyway.

"Right. Well, I'll be sure to return the favor."

"Thank you." Finally, Fletcher managed to smile.

"Um-- I should go make sure my brother's okay... I'll see you later."

"Don't mention it." Ed managed a small smile back.

"Oh hey- I didn't catch your name. ...Or am I just gonna forget it again if you tell me."

"Oh, right--! Sorry. I'm Fletcher Tringham." He hoped Ed didn't forget it... He looked up to the monitor again to try and remember his brother's. "And, um, my brother's is Russel. It was nice to talk to you!"

Edited 2011-02-07 20:45 (UTC)

Ed nodded. Fletcher Tringham. If nothing else, he could write it down somewhere... He was going to need a notebook.

"Yeah. Likewise."

Round 1 [new characters and round announcement]

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