Meet and Greet [intro #1]

[utopiamods]

As you all crowd onto the platform with your bizarre mix of faces, expressions, clothing and wild theories, you are met by two girls. Both are in uniforms that would match if not for the colour differences - skirt, waistcoat, and a light summer shirt that seems totally inappropriate for the thin layer of snow coating the station platform. Both have a beret with a crest - one's shows a sword, the other's a shield.

At the first lull in the chatter, the taller girl, her uniform red and white, speaks out over the crowd.

"Hey, losers!"

She explains, in short, irritated sentences, that they're prefects, representing the two schools in Rakuen. Santana, Conquest, she says, gesturing to herself with a smile that would be smug if she didn't look so annoyed to be out here. Nanami here is Fortitude, she adds, pointing to the pale girl half-leaning on her other arm. The girl nods.

"We're here to get you sorted and back to campus. If you wanna ask stupid questions, do it on the way. It's freezing out here."

The girl introduced as Nanami interrupts. "When we say your name, please move quickly and quietly to us."

"Yeah, then we can go back to the dorms."

They separate, moving to stand several metres apart, and both pull a list from their waistcoat pocket. Alternating, they start to read out your names.

Comments

[duchy]

[Lithuania stares for a good ten seconds, trying to process what just happened.]

How--how did you do that?

[Slowly his thoughts catch up to him. If this is a school where that happens then...]

Can I do it?

[straightupzorra]

I did that with my glove [she shows it off a bit, yeah, she's pretty awesome, thanks].

And no, you can't do it yet, you have to be a Player first. Right now you're not anyone.

[effortless]

I'm sure I don't have to tell you to be careful with me.

[ Nanami's just going to wander back to her group now. ]

[duchy]

Will I get to later?

[The childish enthusiasm is married to a more adult interest in battle. For now, it means he's distracted from the many problems with this entire situation. He does look over at the girl leaving, though.]

Does it hurt?

[straightupzorra]

You'll get to do it later if you're a Player and your weapon will be drawn if you're a Weapon. I can answer anything you want about the battle system, god knows I've battled enough times. Besides, you're my school and we gotta beat Fortitude. [oh god grinning]

It kinda hurts.

[duchy]

[Lithuania decides, immediately, he'd rather be a player.]

Do you have to be one or the other? Is that what we're going to school to learn?

[straightupzorra]

You're one or the other, you'll be told which one you are later and it'll change every week or whatever. You'll be a Weapon a lot more than a Player. Well, you will be. [meet your prefect, perma-Player]

Schools here are dumb, but you get paid to go. Anyone old enough is a teacher so all these dumbasses [she points to the Conquest group] will teach you whatever they're good at.

[duchy]

You get paid to go to school?

[Isn't it usually the other way around, you pay someone to teach... Well, that's not a bad thing.]

How do the battles work?

[straightupzorra]

A Rak a day for every day you get lessons. I suggest going, that's how you get these. [she holds up her wrist, on it is a bracelet full of charms] Upgrades for your weapon.

Gotta be more specific than that.

[duchy]

It'd be easier if I could see one...

[Considering.]

What do upgrades do?

[straightupzorra]

[another mysterious smile] You'll see one soon enough.

Upgrades make your weapon stronger and battles easier to win.

[duchy]

Is it just like a real fight? Are we killing our opponents or is it just sparring?

[straightupzorra]

...How old are you again?

[duchy]

...I can't remember.

[Lithuania looks rather concerned about this, actually.]

[straightupzorra]

[Santana rubs her eyes]

Congratulations, you have found one of your forgotten memories.

[duchy]

Forgotten memories?

[straightupzorra]

There are ten of them. Some are big things and some are little things. You can buy them back.

[duchy]

...That doesn't make sense.

[Though not much of this does. Lithuania isn't entirely unconvinced he's dreaming.]

How do we earn enough to buy them back? Going to school?

[straightupzorra]

You get Raks for battling, for winning the battles, for going to class, and sometimes there are events or competition.

[duchy]

[Alright, he can remember that.]

How many to get a memory back?

[straightupzorra]

40 Raks for a memory charm, but if you make nice with Recette she'll give you a discount.

[duchy]

Alright.

[He frowns, looking very serious for an eight-year-old.]

How many raks for winning a fight?

[straightupzorra]

Three for winning a round and five for vowing or winning a Weapon.

[duchy]

[Winning a weapon is easy enough to understand in context. Winning a round is self-explanatory. But...]

Vowing?

[straightupzorra]

In order to collect weapons you need to vow to protect them. It's pretty lame.