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 had caught the first part only vaguely as she was passing by outside, but heard the whole message as it repeated as she detoured inside. Staring at the screen, Grenn turned her head towards the reception desk, and then back.

Hid her eyes behind one hand, while the other gripped the arm of the chair. A few choice things could be heard muttered under her breath, such as "unbelievable", "ought to be illegal", "outdated ideas", "slavery". Grenn knew there was probably no idea going up to the desk to complain, but this... this amounted to slavery and was it not illegal!?

[allurprincess]

"Guess I'll have to go ask Koharu before dinner," Sora mused, very much aloud, from Grenn's left.

[summerstars]

Distracted from her impotent frustration, Grenn looked up at Sora. So Koharu was one of Sora's friends. But didn't she... It took Grenn half a minute to find what she wanted to say, as well as figure out if it was correct, but Sora's hesitation back at the train, and the knowledge of removed memories seemed to make it the correct assumption.
"Did you remember their names?"

She wouldn't have had the courage to say anything, if she hadn't spoken with Sora previously. But! Slavery! Her brain decided to drop its insecurity about conversation and go back to whacking at "hjdfgfSLAVERY!" Grenn wasn't sure whether to be relieved or not.

[allurprincess]

"Ah, no," she crossed the remaining space to Grenn's chair, and held out the sheet of paper she'd just been checking. On it were a list of names, with one - Koharu - ringed with a coloured pencil and PLAYER!! she's in 1-A, Sora added to the side, just to be sure. "They made me a cheatsheet..."

[summerstars]

Grenn smiled, and briefly looked down the list. There were quite a few names there. But then, people usually had more than, say, one or two friends, didn't they?

"That's clever," Grenn said with a nod, then looked down at the list again, eyes drawn by something.

"Sora... do you. Um, know which 1-A?" Unless Koharu had been assigned the same colour-and-number combination at this new Utopia as the old, just writing "1-A" would be useless.
Grenn wasn't sure if Sora would appreciate the question, but vague information like that was something Grenn would have had a silent nervous fit over, if she didn't already knew where it was, so she asked.

[allurprincess]

"It is, isn't it?" She sounded so proud of them that they might have just invented interstellar travel. "This way I have a big chance of getting their name right- oh, it's the 1-A in..."

Sora blinked. And looked down at the list. And blinked again.

"Um."

[summerstars]

At first, Grenn's hand went to her left wrist, to use her incom and send the information, and then she realized. She didn't have it. This was so inconvenient! But the missing incom was also why she'd looked around the room before she left for anything to make notes on and with.

Fishing up a pencil she'd stuck into the vest for this purpose, Grenn was first about to write it down, then hesitated, not sure if she knew Sora enough that that was something she could do and then just held the pencil out instead.

"We're in the same room. It's the White one, Sora,"

[allurprincess]

Sora took the pencil with a grateful smile, and looked around for something flat to rest the paper on. Apparently she didn't have the same hang-ups about knowing someone for long enough, because it took seconds before she knelt down and used the armrest of the wheelchair. "White... 1-A..." She frowned in concentration as she added the note in frankly horrendous, scribbly round handwriting, "Okay, got it. Thanks so much, Grenn."

And then she realised something, and smiled wider, "That means we'll see each other a lot. That's great!"

[summerstars]

It was? She was hardly the most interesting person around-- Grenn had to pause that thought, and give herself a mental shake. She may not have an easy time talking to people, but she wasn't supposed to think she was not interesting. She'd promised Lyra that. Grenn blinked, momentarily stunned. At last, something that hadn't disappeared.

... Frag. She'd probably been quiet for too long.

"No problem. And yeah, um... That'll be nice," the smile that followed was mostly involuntary, but the good sort.

[allurprincess]

Sora looked on the verge of doing something like hugging her, but the penalty made her reconsider. Not because she was scared of it, but because she didn't want to make anyone else feel it. Her smile tilted a little, regretful. "Ah, you're a Player, right? I'll be careful."

Speaking of, "Have you fought yet?"

[summerstars]

Careful? Grenn blinked, tried to figure out what she meant... Ohh. The penalty for a Player touching a Weapon that wasn't their own. Right. She hoped that was it, because it was the only thing that made sense in the circumstances.

Then she focused on the nexr question, resolutely skipping the first comment in her head.

"No, not yet..." Grenn sighed and shook her head. "I think... I hope I have time to train with it before someone challenges me... I'm going to have to use my legs." If she didn't, she would probably lose, even if the weapon had reach, and secondly... well, she wasn't interested in being insulted again, which would probably happen.

[allurprincess]

No one ever claimed Sora made sense, or even that she needed to. It just wasn't in her job description.

"You have a Weapon? That's good! Who is it?"

[summerstars]

Grenn couldn't really agree.

"He's from your Utopia. Tougyu... something. I think." Grenn frowned briefly. They'd hardly even introduced each other (neither were really interested in being that close, truthfully), so this was a bit awkward.

Broken. Hmmph! Again, Grenn was briefly angry by what he'd said. She'd show him broken.

[allurprincess]

"Tougyu!" She leaned against the side of the wheelchair, expression suddenly intent. "He's a Weapon? Is he okay? Are you?"

Tougyu with a weapon... a member of the student council hadn't been made a Player? She didn't know whether that was a good thing or not. And he'd been in a coma, the last she remembered. Was it good for him to be up and serving someone?

Although, his consenting to owned at all gave her a burst of hope.

[summerstars]

Was he okay? She didn't know what Sora meant, but...
"Er. I... um. May have stomped on his foot when he tried to convince me to put on my legs to see if I was... useful," the last bit came out in a sneer, she just couldn't help it.

Then the last bit caught up with her and she shivererd involuntarily. She could hear the concern. He'd just insulted her, but did she need to be looking out for something else?

"... Should I be suspicious? I mean... other than..." Grenn waved a hand in the air, uncertain. "Other than him trying to insult or belittle me?" It wasn't exactly what she was after, but it'd do. It was close enough.

[allurprincess]

"I..." Sora hesitated. Tougyu had done horrible things. He was still capable of them, even if he lacked the power of the student council and the misogynistic system. Grenn needed to know that.

"He's fallen into despair. His senpai, she... Ah... The school hurt him so much that he gave up on feeling anything, and he was a very dangerous person. He tortured the girls I'd freed," she flinched, automatically, at the memory. "I had to fight him. After that he was unconscious, so I never got to speak to him. I don't know how he's feeling now, but I don't think he'll attack anyone. Not without El's orders."

[summerstars]

Grenn rubbed a hand over her face. Mentally unsound, at least in some way. Wonderful.

Her muscles tensed, and Grenn felt her right index finger jerk. She stared down at it, surprised to realise... They had trained them to stand in front of an armed opponent and wave their own weapon, at the least. But both her body and mind had apparently learned the lesson well, when it was taught when Lyra took on her that ill-fated cruise.

Of course, physical defense couldn't always protect you. She hoped, if it would be necessary, all her defenses would hold. Until then, he would be nothing more than a guy who thought her incapable because she 'lacked' legs. Nobody special.

"I... Thanks." Grenn shook her head, uncertain what you said to something like that. "Hopefully it won't matter?" She felt a nervous smile slip over her lips and gave a miniscule shrug