Round 3, Day 1 [all characters and round announcement]

[utopiamods]

The storm doesn't let up through the rest day, but by the next day the power is back, the staff are looking moderately less nervous, and the weather is light enough that the usual announcement rings over the speakers in the morning.

"The announcements will start at noon. Will all students please report to the lobby for that time."

Umbrellas are now scattered around the campus at useful points, including the dormitory common rooms and the entrance to the school buildings. Helpful, because the rain is as heavy as ever today. When you arrive in the lobby, the screens are all lit and the receptionists are back at their desk and smiling at old students and new arrivals both.

At twelve o'clock exactly, a woman appears on every screen, smiling so cheerfully that several of the audience probably have an allergic reaction.

"Good afternoon to our new students here at Utopia Academy! Thank you for choosing to enroll with us for this, our first semester of the new year. Our battle system is the best in the world, set up for you, our students! I hope that you all had a fun journey here, and that you've all made some new friends! You're going to need them soon, so keep them close, okay?

"Good afternoon to our current students, as well! You all worked hard last week, and we're really very proud of you.

"Now, normally I would explain the rules, but you've all had a day to read the manual, and I'm sure you've met some of our helpful students since you arrived. Let's skip that! Besides, this week is special. That's because... Well! It would be difficult to fight in this weather, right? We're going to give you a break from battles. Isn't that nice? You can still fight each other if you want, but this week it's ~totally optional~.

"This week is a scavenger hunt! We're gonna give you a clue in a moment. The clue will lead you to a treasure, which you should bring back to our sages," the receptionists wave from their desk, looking a little sheepish, "And they'll give you the next clue! If you collect six treasures, you'll win the round and get a great prize, so work hard!

"Ah, one more thing... Players! You can have as many Weapons as you want this week. Winning battles or collecting Weapons won't count as a victory again until the next round, so have fun!"

She disappears from the screens, but her voice doesn't. "The first clue is... I must be broken before I can be used. What am I?"

The Player list scrolls onto half of the screens; the other half show the clue in flowing red text.

Players for Round 3:
Enki
Fletcher Tringham
Kevin Smith
Koharu Izaki
Kotarou
Locke Cole
Marino You
Mei Chang
Mizuno You
Nunnally vi Britannia
Romeo
Sugata Shindo

Comments

[myblueskies]

Romeo nodded, he had no idea what hospitable meant but it sounded like hospital and that didn't sound good. But he stayed quiet and nodded waiting to see if the man wanted to ask him anything else. Really he wanted to run, go find somewhere alone or with kids his own age. But that would make this man angry and so Romeo was doing his best to be brave.

"Yes sir! I'm Romeo! Is your name on there sir?"

[shishi_sonson]

"Sheesh, of course your name is up there!" Zoro suddenly exclaimed indignantly. He seemed to regret the outburst immediately after, however, and let out a cooling sigh.

"No," he began again. "No, my name's not up there. I'm stuck as a Weapon again."

It was then that Zoro began to look at Romeo closely; his eyes trailed up and down the boy's frame, pausing for detail only briefly before moving on again. In the end, his eyes settled directly upon Romeo's eyes, seemingly diving deeply into them with his piercing gaze. He appeared to be looking for something - not something on Romeo, but something inside him.

"Kid," he called Romeo again, "...just what are you here for?"

[myblueskies]

Romeo paled a little at the exclamation, wondering if he had angered the man. It wasn't his fault that he had been picked as a player and the man hadn't been. But Romeo understood if the man was annoyed, still he didn't run; he just looked like he wanted to.

He didn't even flinch when the man man looked at him meeting his eyes reminding Romeo of the bosses who had come to buy him and Alfredo. He held his breath though looking like he was about to dart off. The man didn't hurt him though, or grab him.

"Here sir?" He asked at the question. "The announcement said we had to be here!" Or did the man mean something else, the way he was looking at him seemed like he was looking for something more. "You mean the school? I was kidnapped like everyone else, sir but I'm going to help miss Sora find a way to save everybody!"

He hoped one of those answers was correct and that the man did not get mad!

[shishi_sonson]

Zoro squinted his eyes closely; something that Romeo had said seemed to perk the swordsman up, then bring in back into closer focus again.

The kid seemed to have some spirit, no matter how timid he was, and he had a goal - to help someone. Even better, to help someone 'save everybody'; a goal couldn't get much higher than that. It seemed like he had friends, too, friends that could help Zoro in return if he was able to connect with them.

Suddenly, Zoro reared back up, crossed his arms across his chest, and reared back his strong shoulders. His expressions grew terribly intense, and Romeo was the sole focus - he had made a decision.

"Alright, kid. You say you want to help save everybody?" he asked loudly. "You're going to need strength to do that. Real strength! Nobody ever saved the day without it, and plenty of courage to back it up!"

This was Romeo's big chance to impress him. As Zoro loomed over him, practically exuding a palpable sense of harsh, crushing pressure, he looked at Romeo intently.

"For this Round, then, I'll help you. But if you're going to be my Player, then I'm going to whip you into shape! No more of this scaredy-cat bullshit!" he suddenly declared, holding out his hand towards Romeo. "So even after this Round is over and we're not connected, you'll be strong enough to carry out your goal no matter what. Alright!?"

[myblueskies]

For a moment Romeo was sure that the man was going to hit him, that he had said the wrong thing and angered the man even more. Still he didn't step away, there was no point really if the man really wanted to hit him he could chase him and there were no chimney's in the lobby for him to climb up to escape.

He nodded, he really did want to save everybody! It was important because they had been brought here by bad people, none of them had signed contracts (as far as they could remember) and so they had made no promises to stay here, they should try and escape.

He took a breath and kept looking the man in the eyes, he was so scared but he didn't think the man was going to hit him. In fact he was promising to help him! Help him become stronger so that he could carry out his dream, Sora's dream and incidently Alfredo's dream. Romeo stood up straighter without even realising he was doing so and held out his hand to the man.

His other hand he brought to his chest, a solumn vow. "I promise I'll work really hard and become stronger and braver! I'll protect you and help you!" Not that the huge man needed any protection that Romeo could offer but that's what he was meant to say.

[shishi_sonson]

After Romeo accepted his hand, they shook, while Zoro continued to stare him straight in the eye the entire time, never blinking or breaking the gaze even once. Zoro's hand clasped Romeo's wrist, firmly (but not squeezing), and once Romeo took the same hold of his own wrist, he made a satisfied nod, then let go.

Though Romeo's goal wasn't the same as his own, it was admirable. Zoro actually had no qualms about being taken here; whether it was against the will of those who came or not, Zoro simply regarded this as an opportunity, one he could use to become stronger as well. That was where his goals met with Romeo's however - to become stronger.

"Alright, Romeo," Zoro replied with a wolfish grin, finally using the boy's name instead of 'kid'. "I'm your Weapon now, and I'm going to make sure you know how to use me properly."

With that, no sooner had the words left Zoro's lips than the mark of ownership appeared on his chest, a sign that their contract had been established. "Be ready to start your training tomorrow."

[myblueskies]

The vow was made and Romeo had a partner, someone who had promised to make him stronger. That was good because Romeo had to be strong to save everybody. At the order to be ready to start training Romeo nodded entusiasticaly. He had never been trained to fight before, the only fighting he had ever done was in the fights between the Black Brother's and the Wolf Pack.

"Yes sir!" He grinned still looking a little scared but determined.