Notification

[utopiamods]

On the second evening of Round -2, the following notice is broadcast on the Utopia online network, and also displayed on the video screens in the lobby with an accompanying voiceover.

"Please be aware that the following facilities are off-limits to Weapons without the permission of their owners, or unless required for classroom use: The library, computer labs, swimming pool, gymnasium, and boathouse. Repeat: Be aware that the following facilities are off-limits to Weapons without the permission of their owners, or unless required for classroom use: The library, computer labs, swimming pool, gymnasium, and boathouse. A written permission slip is acceptable.

"Tonight's after-dinner dessert will be chocolate fudge cake. Please note that Weapons may only have dessert with the permission of their owners."

Comments

[siscon]

Someone wasn't all too phased about it. Really, it was too be expected in an alternate reality of her own world. Hiyo's face was void of many of things, but she heard and vaguely saw most of the others' reactions to this ordeal. Weapons were weapons, used for fighting and that was all. Didn't anyone understand that?

"Cake's fattening," she muttered to herself, standing there by herself as she watched the others. Hiyo didn't really want that cake. It wasn't like she could get it, anyway.

[myownfuture]

Hearing that voice, Reiko's head turned. She stared. Hiyo was here, too? When had that happened? "Ah..."

[siscon]

She turned her head, spotting the older blonde princess, and feigned a smile. "Ah, hello there, Reiko-senpai! Uwah, did you hear that announcement just now? It's totally not fair!" she whined, putting on her mask of a bubbly, whiny, little middle school girl.

[myownfuture]

Reiko sighed and put one hand to her forehead. Please tell me she didn't forget that we know better. Please, please, please tell me.

"No, it's really not."

[siscon]

"They really have the Weapons on a tight leash, don't they? But I guess it's always been like that, even in an alternate universe, huh?" Hiyo looked to Reiko and shifted her weight from one foot to another, slightly leaning towards the older girl.

"But I bet you could get them, right, senpai? You're probably owned by a really nice person~" she commented, already knowing from seeing the list somewhere that the one and only Sora-sama was not a Player this round. But for all Hiyo knew she didn't know if Reiko was owned or not anyway.

[myownfuture]

Reiko put on her mask, the smile she wore when she didn't want others to worry about her. In this case, it was also a way of keeping the overly-perceptive Hiyo from guessing what she was really thinking. "I sure am. Actually, I have the nicest Player out of them all, this round. She's not Sora Himoto, but she'll do."

[siscon]

Hiyo nodded for a moment as she recalled that list of Players... She really didn't know any of the names that came up in her mind unless it was... Ah, that was a name Hiyo was vaguely familiar with. One of the other princesses that was also under Sora-sama's protection. That made sense.

"Izaki-senpai, is it?" she guessed, seeming as if she took a long time to guess who it was.

[myownfuture]

"That's right," Reiko replied. So she remembered who Koharu was, too... She wasn't like Sora and Yuki, who'd forgotten everyone. What all, exactly, did Hiyo remember?

"What do you think of this version of Utopia?" she asked in feigned innocent curiosity.

[siscon]

"Well," she started, humming for a second as she went about her answer. "I think it's better than our world's, don't you think?" she asked Reiko, "The segregation and sexism isn't present, you know? The girls won't have to suffer as much. That's got to be good in some way, right?" And there she went, that slight optimism that she had came out and made it's way out of her lips.

Hiyo frowned slightly, though replaced it just as quickly with a slight smile. "What do you think Reiko-senpai?"

[myownfuture]

"I'm not sure, really," she said, still smiling. "It's nice not to have someone sexist in charge, but on the other hand... we don't know what these people are up to."