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.

[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?

[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.]

[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!"

[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.

[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 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.

[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.

[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!"

[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.]

[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.]