rakuen | Fortitude: Round 1

When characters wake up the next morning there will be an announcement on all the screens. "Please report to the lobby at 12 noon for important information about this round." Anyone who is not in the lobby by twelve noon will most likely be found by the prefects and taken there by force.

When the characters turn up in Fortitude Lobby they will see the woman they saw battling yesterday, they may recall her weapon to be a shield, fitting for Fortitude. She is standing on a raised podium, looking relaxed, with Nanami by her side. "I hope you slept well," she says with a friendly smile, "Today marks the beginning of the first battle round. If your name is called you have been chosen to be a Player for this round. Those chosen as Players are given all of their rights and can grant rights to the Weapons they vow to. Unvowed Weapons, known as Discards, do not have rights and have to do whatever the prefect," she motions to Nanami, "tells them to do. This may not seem fair to many of you, but these are the rules of Rakuen and they must be obeyed.

I'm sure you've all read the rule book and are familiar with the vowing process, but for those who are confused, I will briefly go over it. Vowing means to promise to protect then, when vowed the Weapon will have a possession mark appear on their hand. As Fortitude students, your mark will be a shield. Only when vowed are Players allowed to give Weapons rights."

Throughout her speech, her forever peaceful smile never left her face, "I believe you will all be good Players to your Weapons, even if it is not required of you. We will be watching what you do and any disregard for the rules will be taken care of.

"Today, if you are unaware, is Sunday. Rounds will always start on Sunday and as there is no school I would suggest vowing today. The day before round start, Saturday, is your free day. There are no Players or Weapons on Saturday and therefore everyone has equal rights. You are allowed to work for extra Raks on Saturday as well. School starts tomorrow 8am sharp, breakfast is from 7 until 8, Players have access to the full menu, Weapons need permission, and Discards do not have that access"

She pauses to take out the piece of paper with the list of Players on it, "The following students have been chosen for the first round:
1. Kotarou
2. Dave
3. Shion
4. Lelouch
5. Spain
6. Vriska

I, as well as Nanami, are here to answer any questions you may have about the school or battle system, so do not hesitate to ask. Good luck in battling and remember that not battling comes with its own price."

With that last ominous note, Dolorosa finishes her speech.

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Shion hadn't really slept, his mind had been too full of thoughts and worries. But he was slightly calmer than the day before and smiled at people as he made his way to the lobby.

As the kind troll woman who he had met the day before started speaking he frowned, he had read the rule book so of course it was no surprise to him, but to hear such in just things coming from a person who had seemed so nice...

Shion was having no part in this, he didn't care if he had no rights. Everyone should have rights and shouldn't have to fight to gain them!

His mouth dropped open as he heard his name being called. No...

Right behind Shion was Marisa, who had (begrudgingly) changed into her Fortitude Uniform. She seemed to give an impatient huff when she realized her name wasn't called. So she was a Weapon. With no real rights. She'd have to find someone to give her some...

Shion sensed someone behind him and turned round. He managed a half smile, still reeling with shock. "Hello..."

"Is something wrong, ze? You look like you just saw a ghost." Either he's in shock over being a Weapon like her, or he's a Player. Have to figure out which.

"I..." He was shaking as he tried to keep his thoughts in order. "This system is so wrong..."

"You're telling me. I'm stuck as a Weapon this round."

"A weapon..." He blinked at her, "I'm a player... it's wrong that some people should be considered lower than others and have no rights..."

He looked at her with red eyes that glistened with almost tears, "If you want... I can make sure you are allowed to do everything."

That wasn't hard at all. She didn't even have to ask! "Sure, that sounds good, ze." Not like she had any abilities yet, but all she remembered was that her weapon was a staff.

Shion gave a small smile glad to help someone get past this awful system, even if they had to use the system to do that. "Okay then..." The book had said to vow.

"I Shion vow with all my heart and soul to protect you with all my strength for now and ever more." That was a decent vow right?

Marisa had to... actually give it her all not to die laughing. Whether this guy meant it or not, he had pretty much sounded like he was trying to sell his life for her protection. Well, they did say you had to vow. Guess this is what they meant.

"Sure thing. Now can I--" Oh, a shield just appeared on her glove. That was new. "Uh, are you able to give me permission to do stuff?

Shion looked at the mark in astonishment, did that happen because of the vow. He nodded. "I will write a note, do you think that will work." He got out the notebook he had bought yesterday and the pen.

"What's your name?" He should have probably asked that before he vowed to her.

Do you feel alright?

[The young man really doesn't seem to take the news very well, and while 11 does not like the news either - the two people on the list that he knows he'd rather not contract with, for different reasons, but still - but he can push aside his discomfort.]

"Erm..." Shion blinked at the man who had spoke to him, "I... yes it's just... a lot to take in..."

"There was some time given to us to prepare ourselves." Or in other words, did you not read your guide?

"Well I read the book but..." But he hadn't thought he would be put into this position so quickly, "It was a lot, this system is so unfair."

"Not too unusual, though." His home world is not too different. or at least it is not any "fairer", if there is even such a thing as a "fair" world.

Shion blinked but after a moment gave a sad nod, even though they were much more blatant about it. Giving them rules and forcing them to battle. Separating them simply into those who had rights and those that didn't... They were more open about it than No.6 had ever been but it was no worse than No. 6 had been.

It still didn't make it right. "Why do you think they have brought us here?"

"Maybe there was nobody else." Maybe it is a strange kind of experiment. Maybe... it does not make much sense.

"Maybe," but if they needed people to battle why would they bring him? He couldn't fight, he had never even witnessed violence until Nezumi had taken him out of No. 6 and into the real world. He would be no use to them.

"I am Shion by the way," he gave a warm smile.

Fortitude: Round 1

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