On the platform: New characters and old ones that want to come and meet them!

[utopiamods]

As you all crowd onto the platform with your new and still 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 - skirts, waistcoats, and light summer shirts that seem totally inappropriate for the thin layer of snow and ice coating the station platform. Both have a beret with a crest - one shows a sword, the other a shield.

At the first lull in the chatter, the shorter girl speaks up, her soft voice somehow cutting over you.

"Excuse me,"

She explains, in precise, quiet sentences, that they're prefects, representing the two schools in Rakuen. Nanami of Fortitude, she says, placing a hand on her own collarbone, and Santana of Conquest, here pointing to the taller girl she's leaning against. The girl nods, looking fairly bored.

"We will be sorting you now. When we say your name, please move quickly and quietly to whoever called you."

"Yeah," Santana interrupts, "Then we can go back to the dorms. It's not getting any warmer however many times they make us do this."

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, when he'd heard another train, had of course gone to the platform to observe. Now he's lingering around the edges, looking small and shy in Conquest colors, but still perking up and watching anyone else who's going to end up in his school. Not that he ignores the Fortitude newcomers, either; anyone who's interesting gets looked over.]

[babysage]

[Kotaro was starting to get really scared. He was off the train now but his brother still wasn't here, and he knew he couldn't stay in the sun very long. He see's a boy who looks close to his age and goes to stand near him. If he stays in one place his brother will be able to find him quicker.]

[duchy]

[Oh, it's someone his size! Lithuania brightens a bit.]

Hi. You just got here on the train?

[The train, incidentally, is still fascinating to him.]

[babysage]

[Kotaro nods] I did! Did you? Do you know where we are? Have you seen my brother? He's really tall and wears a pointy red hat.

[duchy]

I've been here for a week now.

[Lithuania considers, though.]

I haven't seen him, I don't think, but there are a lot of people here.

[babysage]

Where are we? Why did you come here? [Maybe this is like the Special Zone. He looks round] He has to be here somewhere!

[duchy]

I just woke up on a train. We're here to play a fighting game. I think if we win enough we get to go home.

[Lithuania may have just decided some of this on his own.]

If he's not here, he might show up next week? Or he might have gotten here last week. I don't think we're all at the platform right now...

[babysage]

A fighting game? [But wasn't fighting dangerous? He frowned, he didn't like the sound of that at all!

Going home though, he liked that, since it didn't look like Mimi was here either, and he would miss her!]

I hope he does... I don't think he came last week because he was with me...

[duchy]

He could have, not everyone comes from the same time!

[Lithuania says that with certainty, given his own time-related issues.]

[babysage]

What do you mean? Isn't there only one time? [He looks very confused.]

[duchy]

Not here.

[Lithuania has at least learned to just go with it over the past week.]

There's lots of times and lots of places, too.

[babysage]

Lots of times? [Basically lots of clocks all showing different time all at once is what Kotaro is imagining right now. He rubs his head confused] That sounds complicated!

[duchy]

I don't really understand it, but there are a lot of different people from a lot of different times and places here, so that's just how it is.

[heroiccia]

And now the little guy has America staring at him. It couldn't be...could it? There was no way with how small he is and everything. "Lithuania? Dude when did you get so tiny?" Seriously what happened to his Lithuanian bro!

[duchy]

Lithuania, noticing eyes on him, at first shied back a bit--he'd never seen anyone like that before. But when the man addresses him by name, it was only polite to answer.

"Um, I've always been this size."

Lithuania has to fight back the urge to say "sir"--he's sure if this person knows him they're someone from his world, and a country of that size should really be scary, but if it was just a matter of someone else being from the future...

"I'm from the year 1200."

[heroiccia]

"What! But, but that can't be possible!" Unless somehow the people who brought him hear had figured out the secrets of time travel! Something that Al severly doubted to the point where he would probably laugh at anyone who would even mention it.

[duchy]

"That's how it is here," Lithuania said, still quiet. "Um, you know my name, but I don't know yours?"

Time travel, as far as Lithuania was concerned, seemed just as possible as everything else here.

[heroiccia]

America blinked at the sudden realization before smiling warmly at his future friend. "Oh right! Sorry about that! I'm Alfred F. Jones, or America!" Yes yes, THE America. Lithuania doesn't have to fanboy over him.

[duchy]

"It's nice to meet you, America." Lithuania doesn't show any recognition, though he does smile happily enough, if somewhat warily. "I'm just Lithuania."

He hasn't come up with any sort of human name for himself yet. It hasn't occurred to him to get one.

[heroiccia]

Just Lithuania? "What do you mean?" What happened to his human name? Alfred is now at a bit of a loss for words right now. Because not only has he met a tiny, and slightly adorable, Liet. The little guy is claiming that he only has Lithuania for a name.

[duchy]

"I don't have two names like you do, that's all." Lithuania shrugs, looking at him uncertainly. "What would you need two for?"

[heroiccia]

"'Cause it's nice to not always be called by your nation name?" He doesn't know why actually. He always just figured it made him a bit closer to his human counterparts, if nothing else.

[duchy]

"It isn't?"

Still making a name for himself--still forming, in fact--Lithuania can't imagine wanting to be called something else. Of course, he hasn't been around very long at all.

"How do you get one?"

[heroiccia]

"Hm..." He started to tap his chin in thought towards Liet's question. "I guess someone just names ya, little guy." Or at least that was how it was for him. Considering that England had been the one to find and raised him after all.

[duchy]

Oh. Well, maybe one of his dukes would give him one at home. There was the matter of missing memories, too. "Maybe I'll get one later, then. Or maybe I forgot it."