Round 3 [new characters]

[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."

The sound of thunder and pounding rain jolts you the rest of the way awake. 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 anyone onboard is ushered off and directed through the rain -- sans umbrella -- to the front lobby of the school. You 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. The lights are all off; the large flat screens set into the walls are dark. A few staff members are standing around; they approach the new arrivals to take you to your dorms, assuring you that the round announcement will happen tomorrow.

((OOC: The staff will not answer any questions about what's going on; if asked, they will refer the new students to the Exaclan manuals that are included in their briefcases. Students don't have to follow the staff to their dorms; they can wander about the school if they like. In the rain.))

Comments

[traces]

Dahlia's eyes widened in surprise; grateful, she took the umbrella and managed a shaky smile at Sora. "Oh, that's all right; we can't control the weather, after all.

"You're too kind... Were you kidnapped also?"

[allurprincess]

"Yeah, but it was a while ago now!" Sora glanced around for anyone else, and elected to just leave the rest of the umbrellas by the door. They'd be alright; she needed to help this girl first. "I'm Sora! Sora Himoto. What's your name?"

[traces]

She sure seemed upbeat about the whole situation. What a weird kid.

"Dahlia Hawthorne," she replied. "I'm so sorry for you. And everyone else..."

[allurprincess]

Whilst Dahlia seemed as worried and upset as expected. Sora smiled, only more determined to help them with the loss of her friends.

"Don't worry," she said, firmly, "A lot of us are working together to beat the game, and get everyone free-- Ah," sheepishness crept into her voice, "I guess you haven't been told about the game yet... I could tell you about that, first!"

[traces]

"The game?" Dahlia tilted her head curiously. She glanced down at the briefcase she was carrying; the people who seemed to be in charge had mentioned an instruction manual... "What is this place, exactly, Miss Himoto?"

[allurprincess]

"It's a school." Sora was briefly occupied squeezing water out of her ponytail, but once it was slightly drier and there was a small pool of rainwater at her feet, Dahlia had her full attention again, "Well, mostly? It has classes and teachers, but the classes are really confusing and we don't learn much. The important thing is the Exaclan game."

[traces]

Back in school? Ugh, she'd hated high school and college when she was supposed to be a student.

"What is Exaclan?" Dahlia asked. "What's it supposed to be?"

[allurprincess]

"It's a game where we have to fight each other. Ah, some of us have to fight each other, I mean... They choose different people each week."

She hadn't been chosen even once. If she had been anyone else, she would have suspected foul play. As it was, she'd just decided it was her chance to understand the situation better. "Normally they explain this, but we had a power cut this morning."

[traces]

"We have to fight? That sounds so horrid! I... I can't imagine hurting another person!" Not with her bare hands, anyway, so that was technically true. She preferred more subtle methods; even then, when there was nothing she would gain from silencing a person, why bother? "There must be some way out. Isn't there?"

[allurprincess]

"We... haven't found one yet," Sora admitted, with only a slight dip in her expression, "but it'll be alright! They said we can leave if we beat the game, and there's a group of us willing to fight to keep everyone safe."

[traces]

"That's very kind of you." She still looked upset, though. "I wonder if there are a certain number of fights we have to be in to beat it? I've never been any good at games."

[allurprincess]

"Um, they took ten memories, and they cost five tokens each to buy back..." Sora was no good at math. She tried for a few seconds, but gave up with surprising speed. "It might take a while. We just have to keep fighting until we remember everything. I know there's something else we could be doing to beat the game, but none of us can remember it."

[traces]

"M-memories?!" Dahlia gasped. She couldn't believe it. She thought deep and hard, trying to figure out what she might have lost, but nothing leapt to mind. If it was true, though... She was furious, though fortunately for her, that trembling could easily be interpreted as fear. How dare they?

"What sort of things... What kind of memories? I can't seem to think of anything I've forgotten."

[allurprincess]

"It can be anything. I forgot the names of all of my friends... but I got that one back. I still can't tie shoelaces. Um, Yuki said there was no pattern to it at all, though. Some people have lost a lot."