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

[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.

[thiefoflight]

Vriska frowns at the person before her, yet gives no other reaction aside from said expression and perhaps a roll of her shoulders. First step, Serket! Never show anyone who would later become a rival your hand, not at first!

"Maybe, maybe not," she speaks, nonchalant as ever, though it was very difficult to hide that cocky nature piquing behind her tone. "What's it to you, human?"

Great start. He would not know she had no idea what she was at this point, would he? Vriska always did find confidence in masking the truth!

[bitofafiction]

"Well, without achieving that distinction you will find it remarkably difficult to collect any Weapons at all."

Sherlock smiles.

"I would address you disparagingly by the name of your species," he adds cheerfully, "but I have no idea what that is, so you will just have to tell me your own name instead."

[thiefoflight]

To this, the troll would roll her eyes-- all eight of them-- seething for but a second, tightening her grip on her arms. What was this guy's deal? What was with that tone? How weird!

"I don't see how my status here is any of your business, but I'll play along. No, really! Consider it my gift to you, considering the warm welcome I'm receiving." There would a beat, however, as she curls her lips. "Then again, I'd sure like to know the name of he who chooses to be my initial greeter!"

There may have been a stifled chuckle at that.

[bitofafiction]

"Sherlock Holmes," he says serenely. "A pleasure to make your acquaintance, Miss...?"

[thiefoflight]

Cooperation, just what she liked. Then again, many would have considered this simple politeness, which might have been a foreign concept to Vriska in regards to meeting new people.

"Serket," Vriska utters, loosening her posture to a minute degree. "Vriska Serket."

She flips some hair from her eyes, looking around briefly, but otherwise staying rather still. "Guess you can find out where I stand now, huh?"

[bitofafiction]

"Not on the list."

He doesn't have to look. As usual, he memorized this round's Player roster the moment he saw it.

"Which means that for this round you are one of the ones being collected. I suggest you find a patron as soon as possible; it's bloody inconvenient to go without."

[thiefoflight]

So immediate! At the instantaneous recollection of something she had yet to see for herself, Vriska bristles, wrinkling her nose in very mild, subtle annoyance. Then again, it was likely because of the word choice at hand.

"Collected? Tch! Not likely! I'm not going to let myself nestle into someone's nook for as long as I'm here!"

Then again, she didn't want to be left behind if there was something to gain from all this. She frowns a little more. "What's the big inconvenience, anyway?"

[bitofafiction]

"Things which I have personally been forbidden to do in previous rounds on account of being an ownerless Weapon include: play the violin, use a computer for anything other than finding a Player, participate in school-wide puzzle-solving events, and enter the gymnasium or library."

He delivers the list with precise diction, although he doesn't quite go so far as to tick them off on his fingers.

"Most Players I've seen so far are happy to give their Weapons general notes of permission that account for all those activities, but I cannot personally vouch for anyone on the current list except myself."

Oh, has he not mentioned he's a Player this round? Well, now he has.

I am so sorry.

[tenwholeryou]

"That's stupid," a voice from behind her announced. Kotarou folded his arms, bristling with all the contempt of an eight-year-old, "You can't get all of the weapons. You can only get five."

/squishes

[thiefoflight]

That was the bad thing about being new to strange new places, worlds perhaps. It's hard being inexperienced and you don't even understand. Bad break!

She turns, eyes narrowing at the boy before her. How dare he tell her what she can and cannot do! She'll show him! "We'll just see about that, won't we? Won't we?"

[tenwholeryou]

Kotarou squinted up at her, clearly doubtful. If he hadn't been at the school for over a month, her appearance might have scared him. But at this point, it just meant he was warier. More prepared to run even as he grinned.

"Huh. Are you even a Player?"

[thiefoflight]

Vriska would opt to simply match this boy's attitude with a casual stance, puffing her chest in the slightest and allowing a shrug to roll off her shoulders.

"I could be!" She says, closing her eyes, splaying her shrug with both arms. "But it looks like I'm not just yet! IThat's okay, that's fine! It's just my luck! I'll own this whole game business down the line."

[tenwholeryou]

Well, that made sense. He scrunched his face up even more, evaluating her attitude, and then stuck one hand out, the way he'd seen everyone else do it. She seemed like someone to cultivate.

"I'm Kotarou. What's your name?"

[brokencrane]

Yuka's wandering around the lobby had led her to be standing near the entrance after a while, and it was hard to miss when the second girl with horns came in. She could hear what the girl was saying, as well, and she frowned for a moment in confusion -- all the weapons? But the manual said you couldn't...

Well, she was new, so she probably hadn't had time to look at the manual yet. Maybe Yuka should tell her? "Um, excuse me--"

[thiefoflight]

It's an unfortunate matter on Vriska's part, having shown her ignorance of the institution. But then again, when in doubt, lofty claims and bravado always put her at ease. It was simply the way she coped with such uncertainty.

As such, she would carry on as she was until she actually found privacy to catch up on all this nonsense on hand. But then again, there were always others to poke and fuss and meddle, weren't there? She turns upon hearing the voice, giving the girl before her an indifferent look.\

"Yeah?"

[brokencrane]

"Ah, I'm sorry, I heard you talking," she explained. "Are you a Player this time? The manual says you can't have more than five Weapons at a time..."

[thiefoflight]

Vriska frowns in the slightest at the ultimatum, but otherwise remains placid as ever. Remembering Sherlock's words, Vriska simply shrugs, a bit perturbed by not being chosen to lead upon arrival. It was so unfortunate; she would have owned the role!

"Looks like I don't have the luck this time around," She claims with a bit of a shrug. "But when the time comes, I know I'm going to win all I can, rules be damned!"

[brokencrane]

Yuka blinked; she wanted to fight? Why? "You want to be a Player...?"

[thiefoflight]

Well, if anything, this girl's surprise was a surprise to her! Players got to fight, right? Players got to control others and take prizes! They defeated everyone else, and they reaped the spoils! What was so bad about that?

"Of course I do! I don't want to end up being used by someone else, someone who might be weak and pawn me off to someone else! I want to fight! And win!" She grins, the thought of triumph absolutely thrilling her. "Is there anything wrong with that?"

[brokencrane]

This is roughly the part where alarm bells started going off in Yuka's head. "People still get hurt when they fight. You could really hurt someone."