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

[summerstars]

Grenn shook her head, and rubbed her cheeks. Well, she'd talked to him, now she had to actually stand up to that.
"Actually, where I'm from, someone 'belonging' to another person, if it's made under..." what word was she supposed to use? One hand waved in the air aimlessly, as if she could grab the right word physically and insert it into her sentences. "Under duress, would be considered slavery."

Another shake of her head "And of course it happens..." Grenn grimaced. Not just like this. Not just like what Sora and Koharu had described with Utopia. Not just with the level of discrimination that had existed in the past.

Britannia? Ah... Wasn't that... She thought harder. Oh, he must be from some version of Earth that had the British Isles named into Britannia at some point. Not her past.

[swordofzero]

Suzaku felt a little bad for his outburst, he seemed to have upset the girl and he hadn't want to, he had maybe put his point across a little harshly. "I'm sorry, I just..." he paused gathering his thoughts and looking around at the group.

"Surely after everything, being brought here against our will, having memories Geassed from us something like this," he waved towards the screan again, "Like not having cake, surely thats a really small thing to get upset about." There was no point in getting angry over being discriminated against, the only thing to do was work at changing the system that was discriminating against you.

Musing that this Execlan system really was just like Britannia, and probably ran by them he looked back at Grenn. "But really, you're just vowing to serve someone, in return for protection and these small privaleges," he waved towards the screan yet again. "How is it any different than swearing fealty to someone, or becoming a knight, or joining the military or even getting a job. It's not the Players fault, they chose this just as much as the rest of us." Which was not at all. "We all need to work together to get out of here and that means playing along!"

[summerstars]

Cake? What had cake to do with anyt--- Oh right. It was one of the things mentioned forbidden to Weapons without Players. No dessert. And then another unfamiliar word. Geassed? Huh? She could hear the intended capital letter, so it was something else than a slang verb she couldn't be familiar with.

Shaking her head, Grenn tugged on a bit of hair hanging close to her cheek. He talked so much, it was hard to keep up. But at least it was more about opinion of fact, than intention.

"Privilege is one thing..." Grenn trailed off, looked up at the ceiling, then back to Suzaku. "It's the combination of technically being owned by someone, along with needing their permission for certain things, that is wrong."
Secretly, Grenn thought that despite this new curveball being introduced making her feel like she'd lost stable ground, discussing this was fun. That was secretly, however.

"Probably," Grenn agreed with Suzaku's last point. It didn't even really matter if people actually liked each other or not. Playing along, since this was a 'game' was almost impossible.

[swordofzero]

Suzaku nodded at the girl, he did agree that the whole being 'owned' by someone was a little creapy, at least the wording of it was, but there was not much they could do about that until they worked out what was going on, and the only way they could do that was to do as they were told, until they could work out how to beat the system, from the inside.

He nodded at her again, glad that she agreed with at least one of the things he had said, the bit about working together and all getting home. "I am Suzaku by the way," he said with a smile and a polite nod, it felt really strange to only give half his name, but he could not remember his family name, it was one of the holes in his memory.

[summerstars]

Nodding, Grenn smiled.

"I'm Grenn," then she looked around, and spotted at least one upset younger teen, or child. She was bad at telling ages.

"I feel sorry for the kids though... Being told you can't have dessert," she tried to stifle the giggle, it wasn't really funny, considering the context, but.

[swordofzero]

"Nice to meet you Grenn," he said with another polite nod, and then looked around as she did. There were a lot of very young looking people, some younger teenagers and others even younger. Suzaku felt a surge of anger that the poeple who had taken them and brought them here had taken children. It was not fair, they were only young and did not deserve to be in such a place as this.

The fact that at that age Suzaku had watched his country being invaded and had killed his own father, a fact that still brought him sorrow and shame, was beyond the point. He did not like to think of these children who had been taken from their homes, and whose lives were now completely thrown into confusion.

If he thought about it, for them telling them they couldn't have cake was only adding insult to injury. "They shouldn't be here at all," he said in a determined and slightly angry tone. "Who would be twisted enough to kidnap children and bring them to a place like this, wipe their memories, force them to fight. It is bad enough they did it to us, but," he gestured one girl who looked very upset at the notice, "She cannot be more than ten!"

[summerstars]

Grenn shook her head and rubbed a hand over her face.

"Who knows. I don't understand..." Grenn looked around. "In terms of actually playing... how is a child going to do as well as someone who has at least finished growing?" Grenn awaved a hand. "Even if they, for whatever reason, had training..."

"Children shouldn't..." An image of a girl, perhaps five, no more than ten, washed in cold blue light swam up in Grenn's mind. She looked like a doll, hanging in the air, strung up by thin cables to machinery. There was no context, only that it reminded her of the dreams... That was from a dream, wasn't it?

Children shouldn't... Lyra had been so angry. Angry at what? Grenn's mind flailed, but nothing came. It was important. Tugging harshly on her hair, Grenn suddenly realized where she was, and felt her face heat.

"Uh... Sorry. I mean..." What to say? There was nothing to say.

[swordofzero]

She had a point, the younger ones would not be able to weild a large weapon, and most would have never have fought before in their lives. It was unfair and Suzaku felt anger building in him but he stayed calm, he knew there was no point fighting when he didn't even know what he was fighting.

He soon was distracted out of his own thoughts by the fact that Grenn did not look too happy, in fact she looked quite distressed and was pulling her hair. Suzaku frowned and came closer reaching out to touch her shoulder. "Grenn? Are you alright?"

He just hoped Grenn didn't start screaming like Yuki had.

[summerstars]

Why was it always "are you all right?" Grenn didn't understand why people used that question, because when it was asked, most often it was quite obvious that whoever it was asked of wasn't 'all right'.

Taking a deep breath, Grenn leaned back against the back of the wheelchair and then shook her head,

"No." One would have to excuse her if it was a bit short. She didn't mind the hand on her shoulder though. The warmth was nice. "It's something important. I can't remember though," Grenn said with a very brief, frustrated smile.

She wasn't going to tell this random stranger about the nightmares.

[swordofzero]

Well yeah, that had been obvious. She was not alright and Suzaku really wasn't sure on what to do, he wasn't that great a comferter. At least she wasn't screaming. When she spoke he nodded with a frown, having parts of your memories missing was incredibly fustrating, and slightly scary. Suzaku realised that this must have been what it was like for Anya all the time.

How she hadn't gone mad he did not know. He did not take his hand off the girls shoulder but gave her a determined nod. "We will find out who has done this and we shall get our memories back I promise!"

Quite how he was going to keep to this promise he had not quite figured out quite yet. "I know its fustrating and upsetting but try not to get too upset, you need to stay strong!" He didn't think he was doing a very good job of making her feel better...

[summerstars]

"Er... I'll do my best?" Grenn blinked and tried to smile. It seemed to be the most appropriate reaction.

And what else was there to do, than trying to stay strong? (Except breaking down somewhere, because nothing was as it should be?)

"Um... thank you," she wasn't exactly sure what she was thanking him for, or if she even should do it, but, well... it seemed like there needed to be something more said.

[swordofzero]

Suzaku felt that he really hadn't managed to make her feel better, but at least she wasn't looking on the edge of crying anymore. Still he felt increibly awkward and took his hand off her shoulder, standing upright he grimiced a little at her apology, he hadn't done anything to be thanked. It made him feel a little hopeless but he managed a half smile.

"You're er, welcome Grenn." People were moving around them and Suzaku guessed it was time for dinner. "We should probably go," he said politely. "I guess I'll see you around..." She had been interesting to talk to, even if their opinions had differed slightly.