ROUND 4 - NEW PLAYERS & ROUND CHANGE

[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."

Sunlight streams through the windows of the long carriage, making the seats almost uncomfortably warm beneath its waking passengers. The air is muggy and thick, the atmosphere deeply tired. 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 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. Stood around are any number of students in the uniform of the school. Some of them even look awake. There are several receptionists at the desk towards the back of the lobby, but for now they seem busy with paperwork.

Anyway, the many screens are far more interesting. Once a good number of students are gathered inside the building, they all activate at once to show a cheerful, almost cavity-inducing woman in the school uniform. She smiles, waves, and launches into her speech without further ado.

"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?

"Now, I'm going to explain the rules for you. Make sure to listen carefully, and remember, you can find all of this and more in the Exaclan manual!"

She outlines the battle system for the newbies as she has every round previous, then claps her hands. The screen goes blank, and the following appears:

PLAYERS FOR ROUND 4:
Dahlia Hawthorne
Edward Elric
Gino Weinberg
Kanaya Maryam
Lelouch vi Britannia
Rudy Roughnight
Sherlock Holmes
Shiro Tougyu
Suzaku Kururugi
Takuto Tsunashi
Tomoko Oashi
Zoro Roronoa

Comments

[bitofafiction]

"Well," says Sherlock, examining the list. "I suppose it was bound to happen eventually."

He finds a pillar to lean against while he watches the students mingle, keeping an eye out for people he knows and getting a good look at all the new arrivals.

[earlofpudding]

It shouldn't be too surprising that the first person to track Sherlock down is none other than Lloyd. With one of the two up as a Player, the scientist's plan could finally be carried out! Or the start of it, at least. Testing stages were so important.

He strolls across the lobby towards him, waving to get his attention.

"Sherlock! Congratulations! Try not to beat up too many children while you're playing, hm~?"

[myblueskies]

Romeo spotted Sherlock after leaving Zoro, he felt a little bit sad that he had had to chose between his friends, but he had an idea. He hadn't read the rulebook (but that wasn't his fault! The school made him forget how to read!) but he was pretty sure that he could make a vow with two people.

After all why should he be only allowed to help one person, surely as long as Sherlock and Zoro never fought it would be fine. After all the mark turned up on the back of one hand, and he had two hands. There was room for two marks.

"Mister Sherlock!" Romeo bounded up to him with a grin. "Your a player this time!"

[grimauxilatrix]

Kanaya stepped warily out of the tram, she didn't know how she was alive let alone on Earth. Or something similar to Earth because she was quite sure the one she observed was a doomed planet. Her first instinct was to find a computer and contact Karkat, since he was the leader, or maybe even Rose as she would know more about where she is. But her name on the board distracted her. She was a player and had to fight others?

She sighs and speaks articulately, "I have had enough frivolous games to last me numerous sweeps. Have I died? Is this place like prospit or derse? Though the others would be present as well, but all of the inhabitants are pink."

This girl can talk, there's no doubt about that, but what makes her really stand out is her appearance. She has gray skin, sunken in yellow eyes, and candy corn horns atop her head. Do you dare approach?

[allurprincess]

That girl had horns.

Strike that. As Sora turned from her search for Tomoko and got a look at her face, she corrected herself with a start. That girl wasn't human. But she spoke Japanese, and she was new... She glanced around to see if there was anyone who looked the same as her. Finding no one, she jogged over.

"Ah, are you new?" Stupid question, but it beat the 'can I touch your horns?' she had circling in her head.

[brokencrane]

After nervously checking the Player list -- she wasn't on it this time, thank goodness -- Yuka took a few minutes to look around the lobby and see who else was there. It didn't take long to spot the girl with the horns; she did kind of stand out. Then again, Yuka already knew there people of different species here, and this girl wasn't really any stranger than Montblanc-san was.

She got close enough to hear the end of the what the girl was saying to herself. "Um, excuse me...are you new?"

[trollofthree]

[guess who's in a fine mood because he's just found and vowed with Nunnally before either of the traitors could get to her.

Hint: it's Gino.

He's just strolling around now, looking for likely prospects. And by likely prospects he means Grenn, Mei, Kevin, Kallen... Or lost-looking new kids.]

[summerstars]

[Grenn looks at the screen, and is rather happy to see someone she knows on there, at least better than some others. It seems there will be no funny business this round, at least not right at the start.

Gino, luckily, isn't hard to spot. He's tall, after all.]

Gino. Looks like things are back to... uh, as normal as they get, huh? Want a weapon? [Or a pair of them, in her case, even if they counted as 'one'.]

[idkmybffxiao]

[Mei isn't actually looking for Gino.

Instead, she's found something taller than herself to stand on, so she can have an easier time trying to spot her one true love the Fullmetal Alchemist. His name is up there, too, so, AS HIS FUTURE WIFE, isn't it her duty to help him?

...yeah. She's forgotten which brother she actually likes again. Thanks, Utopia Academy.

That the taller something just happens to BE Gino sort of puts her right there anyway. Yes, she did just scale his back. Such is the life of tall knights. The little girl leans on his head with one hand and, with her other hand up over her eyes as if to shield them from non-existant sunlight, she searches the crowd of students.]

Nnnn... I don't see Edward-sama anywheeere...

[OH LAMENTATIONS.]

ahsjfg I am so sorry this is extremely late

[queenscheckmate]

[Kallen was walking by, making sure who's name was on the board. And when she saw herself not there, her job was done and she looked to go return back to the dorm, passing by Gino without even realizing it]

[shishi_sonson]

"EHHHH!?"

Zoro had just been passing through the courtyard at that time, his hands firmly stuffed into the depths of his pockets. He seemed to be rather cross that day, having just been denied permission to carry around a real sword that he felt befitted him. All he could do was carry around a kendo sword instead, the thick wood hanging securely inside his sash.

He didn't even stop walking when the announcements started; this would be the third time he had heard them, after all, so what was the point? Instead, glaring straight ahead, he kept right on moving, heading for the gym for another sturdy workout.

Then, with a slight glance at the screen, his eyes caught a hint of the unmistakable spelling of his name. It was then that Zoro emitted his gutteral outburst of surprise and disbelief - he was a Player! Having resigned himself to simply being a Weapon for others to use, it had never occurred to him that he might get a chance to fulfill the other role.

Zoro stopped suddenly, near the center of the courtyard, and raised his head up high.

"Alright!" he suddenly bellowed in a strong tone. "I need a sword!"

/throws another pirate at?

[goodtobetheking]

"Will any sword do?" Shoryu hadn't wasted any time in looking for prospective owners; with the rounds as they were it had been a certainty that neither he nor Enki would be chosen. Zoro he knew, from the several battles he had fought against the boy Romeo the week before. He was a fair man and a good fighter.

"You are welcome to use mine."

[myblueskies]

"I don't have a sword," a small voice piped up from next to him. Romeo had spotted him in the crowd and made his way over to him but the bellow had made his stumble. Still even though it had been a little scary it was just like when mister Rossi and Romeo would shout to ask if people needed their chimneys cleaned.

So putting on his bravest face, because he would never show fear to Zoro he smiled and continued. "My weapon is a chimney brush, but you can use it if you want..." Zoro had been his weapon and had helped him and teach him and Romeo wanted to help in return. But he didn't know if Zoro would want him, his weapon wasn't really a weapon at all.

"I bought these and won some sir..." he stuck his hand out with the rings of the power upgrades, hopefully that would make his weapon stronger!

ooc: Not sure if Zoro would recognise them on sight, but the upgrades are a fire element damage, blind and sacrificial doll.

[westernwinds]

"...Guess I should have seen this coming."

He said that more or less calmly, but truth be told he had nearly given himself whiplash when he suddenly turned to look at the board. In hindsight he wasn't sure why he had been so surprised.

It was time to get down to business anyway. Maybe there were some new people who needed a player? He knew first hand that being a playerless weapon wasn't much fun, so he especially wanted to help.

[greennotgold]

"Seen it coming?" Fletcher repeated, tilting his head curiously in the man's direction. He didn't think he'd seen him before. "Ah... is your name on the list?"

[ergaleomancer]

Theta didn't mean to stare. Really she didn't, but she'd been raised in a world where bright colours were considered tacky and inappropriate...now here she was face to face with people with hair of unnatural colours, and so many vibrantly coloured outfits! She felt drab in comparison, but at least no one else was wearing armoured plates on their arms like she was.

Perhaps, in a room full of people dressed in vibrant colours, her lack of colour would attract attention in and of itself. There were plenty of people milling around, though, so staying with her eyes on the screen wouldn't do her any good. She turned away carefully, checking on the school bag slung over her shoulder before heading into the group to look around.

She leaned heavily on her cane as she moved around, and used her cane to make sure there was plenty of room for her weak side. Her trousers bowed out around the boxy prosthetic she needed to support her knee. It wasn't as if it was particularly large, only a scant two inches extra in every dimension, but it was fragile enough she didn't want anyone knocking into it. It felt strange compared to all the technology she was seeing around herself, those screens in particular, actually. How were they made? She had to wonder...

Wondering about the others' weapon forms was fun, as well. She knew her own was a handful of metal marbles, so what would the others have? Jacks? Cards? Some 'battle' if things were based on toys.  Why had she agreed to come here again? She didn't suppose it mattered. This was just another school to ace through, right? She'd add it to her list of qualifications and make her parents proud.

"How do you do?" she asked one of the nearby people, boldly speaking up without worrying too much about to whom or how she came across. She had confidence to spare and a cheerful smile, they'd have to appreciate that, right?

[swordofzero]

Suzaku blinked at the girl who had spoken to him and smiled politely despite the thoughts that were still tumbling through his mind. Trying to think of lots of things at once was difficult and he still hadn't found Lelouch and he hadn't seen Gino or Nunnally. He had a feeling that if Gino had vowed to Nunnally he and Lelouch would come to blows, which would mean that Suzaku would need to step in.

Still he tried to remain polite because this girl, still in non uniform seemed nice enough and had nothing to do with the annoyance that he was feeling.

"Hello miss, I'm fine, are you new here?"

[brokencrane]

Yuka had seen the woman with the cane and the strange outfit on her way into the lobby, but she'd been too intent on looking at the list of Players to really take much notice. And she hadn't quite spotted her again in her survey of the room after checking the list, so she was surprised when the woman suddenly spoke to her.

She seemed nice enough, though, so Yuka turned toward her and smiled back. "Oh, hello. Um, are you new here?"

[swordofzero]

Suzaku glared at the list; he was a player again. That wasn't so much of a problem, except the fact that Lelouch's name was also on the list. That made things tricky, especially since at a second glance Suzaku realised that Gino's name was on the list as well. He sighed.

He wondered who he could ask to be his weapon, Lelouch would probably vow with Nunnally if Gino didn't get there first, he could ask Kotarou he guessed, if only to protect the kid.

Still he sighed and looked around the room for Lelouch, or anyone else he knew.

[trollofthree]

Some time later, when he'd manage to gather an arsenal of friends-turned-Weapons and ensured that Nunnally was safely chatting, Gino ambled on over to his ex-friend.

"Yo! Found anyone yet?"

It would suck if he hadn't. Gino had been waiting ages to fight the guy.

[monkeystail]

"Suzaku! Huashi came bounding up, giving the lobby a quick once-over for the newer people and the new arrivals. None of the names for Players were any she (or Kotarou) really knew (she'd talked to Zoro, but that didn't count), so this was the best bet.

"We're going with him, right?" Huashi turned to Kotarou, not about to throw both of them at Suzaku unless Kotarou agreed to it too. They were a team, and she could just as well be Player-less as a owned Weapon. She didn't care.

[hairwag]

She should have known her name would be on the list eventually. It wasn't as if she could get away with not being a player when everyone else had to. But as Tomoko stares at the screen, she can't help but feel shocked at the announcement. What was she going to do?

Fight. That was the only thing she could do at this point. She knows she has to be brave. So Tomoko balls her tiny fists, takes a deep breath, and tries to think of who could be her weapon.

[allurprincess]

There's one answer straight away; Sora is over to her in the time it takes Tomoko to take her steadying breath.

"Tomoko, did you see? You get to fight!"

[thiefoflight]

There is a second gray-skinned girl with horns who steps off the tram, likely later than all the other so-called newbies to this particular institution. After all, what person of great skill would just rush into her surroundings foolishly? She would have to survey her surroundings, take them all in, establish all the angles in which she would--

Yeah, okay. She was simply lazy and had to be practically kicked from the tram before moving her nook. But she's doing all those things mentally as of this moment!

And when she catches sight of that little introductory instruction video? Oh, how the troll is pumped. She grins.

"All the weapons, you say?" A slight scoff will then proceed to escape her lips. "I know I'll obtain all the weapons. All them!"

[bitofafiction]

"I find that highly improbable," Sherlock comments. "Are you a Player this round, then?"

He would have to be ludicrously unobservant not to have noticed the resemblance between this young lady and the other, but he does not have enough data to draw any firm conclusions about their presumable shared species just yet.

[ex_cashcow493]

Is this what it means to become a counter-guardian?

[That is the only thing to come forth of the lips of the petite figure standing in the middle of the bustling crowd of students. Barely above a whisper, her composure remains relatively calm. As if she has experience with suddenly waking up in a new situation in a world she isn't familiar with.

Gaze resting on the monitor to read the names with relative ease, this ambiguous physique stands tall wearing a regal blue gown, rich in threads and resilient in craftsmanship. The unique part of the outfit is a metallic breastplate with assorted runic designs on it. Whatever magic that use to be imbued in the metal has long since left it, but it seems to be the least of her worries.

Her concerns are the very human-like state she has. Bound to no Master, not even the Earth. Wasn't that her fate? Her knuckles whiten as the grip on her bag tightens.]

No. [Definitely no. This was a new war of some sort. The loss of her memories was no concern to her, no, if they were valuable then she should still remember them. As long as she can recall how to deflect an opponent, how to parry another soldier's blade, then she can participate in this war.]

[summerstars]

Grenn had been on her way out, having vowed with Gino and left just after watching Mei climb Gino like a tree, when she passed the muttering girl. Pausing, Grenn glanced at her. She was knew. The clothes, if anything (she couldn't remember seeing those before), gave that away.

"... You're new. Want any... uh, help?" Grenn turned her wheelchair more fully towards the girl? young woman? (she was bad at guessing age), and smiled slightly.

[itbeginsinthe12thcentury]

[A small white creature with a cane and tophat was not listening to the words of the one on the screens, no. He in fact was appalled by the manner that he was being treated. Or so he thought anyway. What kind of greeting was a pre-recorded video!?]

FOOLS! GREETING *ME* IN SUCH A MANNER IS UNHEARD OF! DO YOU NOT KNOW WHO I AM!?

FOOLS! OF COURSE YOU DON'T KNOW WHO I AM, FOR IF YOU DID KNOW WHO I AM, YOU WOULD NOT ACT IN SUCH A MANNER. BUT FOR SINCE I AM A CHARMING AND BENEVOLENT PERSON, I SHALL BESTOW UPON YOU MY IDENTITY!

I AM THE GREAT AND LEGENDARY EXCALIBUR! YES, THE MIGHTIEST OF HOLY SWORDS HAS COME TO YOU BY HIS OWN CHOICE OF WILL. AND NOW TO CONTINUE TO SHOW MY BENEVOLENCE, I WILL REGALE YOU WITH SONG.

[He began to sing the following...]

~EXCALIBUR! EXCALIBUR! FROM THE UNITED KINGDOM, I'M LOOKING FOR HER, I'M GOING TO CALIFORNIA!~

[And would continue until someone interrupted him before his big finish.]

[ex_cashcow493]

Just whom is it you are hoping to find in such a foolish manners?

[While Saber has seen a lot of interesting things in her time traveled through history, this creature definitely pinged her curiosity. Well, the name 'Excalibur' may have helped with that as well. Squatting down to put herself on eye-level with the creature (it was rude to not speak to someone unless they looked into their eyes), she waits for his reply.]