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]

[Still completely baffled by the situation (in fact, more baffled, as he has just found out that a train looks nothing like he imagined on the outside and has no horses, and therefore might move by magic), Lithuania pads over to the girl who called his name.]

Why are we going to two different places?

[straightupzorra]

Because there are two schools [she grins] nothing like a rivalry.

Which one are you? [she readies her list to cross his name off the list]

[duchy]

Lithuania.

[He looks at the sword on her chest.]

What kind of school is it?

[straightupzorra]

[she scoffs] One of the dumb names on the list. [she crosses his name off the list]

[with completely fake cheeriness] This is Rakuen, it's a battle school. You're here to pull weapons out of people's chest and fight with them.

[duchy]

There's nothing dumb about my--what?

[Staring...]

[straightupzorra]

What isn't dumb about your name? Seriously, what country are you even from?

...What?

[duchy]

Lithuania. But--but pulling weapons out of someone's chest?

[straightupzorra]

I asked your country not your name.

Did I stutter? [she crosses her arms] That's where the weapons come from.

[duchy]

I am my country.

[That addressed, back to the more distressing topic.]

You can't just pull a weapon out of someone!

[straightupzorra]

You're your country. Sure you are kid.

[cue smug smile]

Wanna bet?

[she turns to Nanami, the other prefect] Hey, Nanami! [she walks over to her] Time for a demonstration. [Santana puts her hand on Nanami's back, and with her gloved hand pulls a dagger out of her chest]

[drawsdeath]

[Just. Gonna stare for a bit. Then she walks forward.]

Do me next!

[straightupzorra]

[she plays with the dagger a bit, it's been a while since she's used Nanami's weapon, usually they were opponents, not allies]

Can't, you're not a weapon yet.

[drawsdeath]

Oh.

[She creeps back over to where she was before and quiets down.]

[straightupzorra]

[she calls out to her]

You'll be a Weapon soon enough! Just come to me if you want to be drawn. [Because you're a Fortitude student and just asking to be broken]

[drawsdeath]

[No thanks, something about you is creepy.]

[effortless]

[ well, she's used to sudden battles, so that's not really a problem, but... ]

My. Santana, kindly warn me next time. I almost dropped my list.

[ but otherwise she seems totally unconcerned that a dagger just got yanked out of her. ]

[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.