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

[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.

[babysage]

[He thinks about that for a moment and then nods] Okay! I'm Kotaro! What's your name? How do you play the fighting game? I'm not very good at fighting! My brother is he would win the game really quickly!

[duchy]

I'm Lithuania. Um, there's a manual, if you can read it, and it tells you how, but there are two people and one's the player and one's the weapon. The player pulls a weapon out of the person who's the weapon and fights against another player with it. Whoever wins keeps the weapon and gets money!

[babysage]

Nice to meet you Lithuania! [He frowns taking this in, it sounded complicated and dangerous!] How do they get the weapons in their in the first place? [Because obviously this is the most pressing question here]

[duchy]

I think it might be magic. The weapons say it feels odd, but I was a player in the first round so I don't know.

[babysage]

Probably [Maybe you needed the blood to win the game, or something. He frowned hoping this wasn't something the Kowloon children had thought up.] Did you lose then?

[duchy]

I won the round, but there are a lot of rounds, I guess. I don't know how many yet.

[babysage]

I thought you said if we won we got to go home!

[duchy]

The whole game, not just one round.

[babysage]

Oh [He looks sad again] So we might be here a long time?

[duchy]

[Lithuania's general good mood falters, revealing a far more nervous sort of expression before he covers it back up.]

Well, we can't know for sure.

[babysage]

[He looks sad for a moment but then remembers] Well my brother will come and save us, and he's a hero so he will save everyone!

[duchy]

Yeah?

[Considering.]

Maybe we can get out without help, and then when your brother comes to save you you'll have already saved things.

[babysage]

[Kotaro blinked, that hadn't even crossed his mind. He knew when he was in trouble he just had to be as brave as possible and not panic, and his brother would come. He had never thought that he could be the one to save others. His big brother was the hero...]

You really think we could?