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

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

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.

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[Britannia's killing time around the platform, checking out the newcomers and wondering if anyone she recognizes has arrived. As she's walking through the crowds in her school uniform, her eyes go right past England because she doesn't recognize him thanks to laser-guided-amnesia.

She does pause when she hears the word "England" though, causing her to stop right beside the other nation and look around.]

England?

[His name again. Christ, who is it this t--

He turns and his jaw almost completely disconnects from his face. America? But...no, that's not quite right, though the resemblance is striking enough that he feels anger well up anyways. He quickly fixes his expression to a more normal grumpy one, folding his arms over his chest.]

Speaking. Do you require something of me?

[When the speaker is surprisingly to her immediate left, Britannia looks down and- ... hello... unfamiliar face...]

You mean you're from England, right?

[He huffs a little, because that's what he does. Especially to strangers that look like stupid traitorous upstart tossers.]

Well, that comes with the package, yes. Being the country generally requires that one be from the land that they represent.

But you can't be England because- [Because he looks like... a big... fuzzy... slightly painful and missing memory. ... oh. Goddamn this school.

Britannia gives a small laugh and shakes her head.] Oops.

[He narrows his eyes. This person may be the spitting image of America, but he definitely doesn't know them. It's not...there's just something off.]

Have I previously made your acquaintance? You're certainly not that loud-mouthed arsehole I'm forced to deal with on a regular basis.

[It might be the eyes, helpfully pointed out by me finally using an icon with color.]

You don't remember me either? [Her voice says she's bummed out but her behavior- her slinging her arm over his shoulders- says otherwise.] I'm Britannia!

[Oh yes maybe that's it. And also the lack of those stupid glasses, presumably.

And whoa okay strangers are not allowed to touch him. He ducks out from under her arm, bristling with likeness to a cat.] Beg pardon? To my recollection, that was once what I went by. [He says "to my recollection", but he knows it's a fact, and his tone says he does not much appreciate someone else claiming the name. Even if it's a really old name.]

I've never met another "Britannia" in my life.

[No glasses, no ahoge and about being about 5 centimeters taller if we're tallying differences.

When England ducks out from her "friendly" drape, she nearly stumbles and catches herself just in time, blinking. Now there's a first, not even Suzaku did that. Straightening and glancing at him with a mildly perplexed look, she gives him a searching glance before sighing. She has to explain this again?]

Hmm... I guess the best way to put this is that I'm a new Britannia and from a different world.

[Fair enough.

He narrows his eyes, scrutinizing her.] ...and what circumstances arose in your world that demanded your formation, dare I ask? [He'll buy the alternate world thing for now -- the universe is a strange place, and with magic being a factor, who can say what exists and what doesn't -- but he's a bit suspicious of anyone that claims to know him that well.]

The fall of London and the relocation of power of Britain's loyalists to British America. [Stated in a very blase voice. Like the fact that England could possibly lose to France is just a very commonplace fact.

... which in her world, it is.]

[Alright there's a lot of questions about that to ask, he should really pick the most import--] The fall of where? [Or maybe he'll just go with the most obvious one that's already been answered. That sounds like a plan too.] That's not-- that's impossible. And even if it were possible, there is no bloody chance in hell that I'd relocate my people to that arsemonger!

[Look who forgot that he raised someone. Oops.]

London. Napoleon's armies conquered it in 1862 forcing Queen Elizabeth III to flee to the recently subdued colonies with my first boss, Sir Ricardo von Britannia. She named him her successor on her deathbed.

...

[Stare.]

Napoleon. [His voice is so flat that it could put paper to shame.]

[What, you mean you aren't a doormat in your world? Weird.]

Yep!

[Stare.

Give him a second. One, two...

On three, he absolutely explodes into laughter, starting with an extremely undignified snort that he muffles behind his hand. It's a while before he can manage words at all, never mind making them coherent.] Oh god-- you can't-- aha, that's--

[He clearly thinks this is the best joke he has ever heard. He eventually gives up on trying to remark to continue laughing.]

[At England's explosion of laughter, Britannia gains this slightly confused look because- what's so funny? Seriously, she's just explaining history and if anything, she wouldn't think being conquered is anything to really laugh about.

So she'll give him a minute.

... and another minute... okay, now she's getting impatient.] England?

[He waves a hand at her dismissively, and then holds up his index finger in a universal gesture of "hold on". The laughter tapers to chuckles after a couple of seconds, peppered by heavily-drawn breaths.]

Oh lord-- you can't be serious. France couldn't even hold onto the colonies that were weaker than him at that point, much less conquer the only one with an empire larger than his. [...that explanation was interrupted by a laugh or two here and there, but not uncontrollably so.

And yeah, the implication in that statement is that his empire was the largest in the world. But he hasn't really made the connection yet that that may not be the case in Britannia's world.]

[At England's insinuation that's she's lying or wrong, that she doesn't even know basic history much less her own origin story is, as always, insulting. It's like she's talking to Ukraine all over again.]

It's true, he won the Battle of Trafalgar which allowed him to invade the British Isles. [And so begins the arm crossing and the defensiveness.]

[He really almost wants to laugh again. But he knows that look. He's pretty sure it was the one he was wearing when she first introduced herself.

His amusement fades, and his face goes pale. Oh god.]

You are serious.

My sense of humor isn't that bad, you know. [Despite her light tone, she is most definitely annoyed. It's in her eyes and the way her stance is rather rigid despite her attempt to look casual.] Is it really so unbelievable?

I can't know that. You don't exist in my world. [That was blunt, but he needs to say it, for both of their benefits. He shifts a little, looking a bit more serious.] It's entirely unbelievable. [...well, he's a little biased.] Maybe your France took a few lessons on how to not crawl into a faraway hole when things get a little tough.

The 1800s were my moment to rest upon the laurels of glory where I hail from. I controlled a quarter of the world; France could only dream of usurping my throne from me. The scenario of your home seems quite implausible in comparison. [He's not trying to lecture her, he's just stating facts. ...Facts that are a little dramatized, but the point is, his tone isn't condescending. He doesn't know how it is where she came from, he just knows she can't expect him to conform to the standards of whatever England she's familiar with, especially if they're weak enough to get conquered by France.]

[For the longest time, Britannia just watches England as he goes into his little rant, stating what is true for him and why her existence is just so... impossible in his world. The longer he speaks, the more amused she actually seems to get until by the end of it, she's openly smiling at him. It wouldn't be inaccurate to say, however, that her smile is rather frigid, even if she seems genuinely amused.]

Really? But what you just said also seems totally unbelievable. For as long as I've been alive, the United Kingdom has done nothing but be occupied or remain neutral, staying out of the conflicts between the world's superpowers. To me, you haven't done anything important.

... well, except lead to my formation, I guess.

Edited 2012-01-22 06:22 (UTC)

Yes, really. [He frowns a little in disdain. He's not exactly appreciating much her telling him why he's so pathetic in some other world either.]

That's all well and good for you, then. But if that truly is the case, then I'll thank you not to expect the same of me that you'd expect of that pansy with my name, because they are clearly a very separate person and nation from what I am.

[He'll accept that he's not so strong now, but he's not going to be denied respect for what he has accomplished just because fate decided to take a blade to the knees of some alternate-universe England.]

[At England's statement, Britannia actually gives him this weirdly excited look.

While it's true she doesn't respect the England from her world, she's had time to get used to the concept of alternate worlds. That there are completely different versions of the people she knows out there in existence, people who could pose a challenge. People who might actually be capable of matching her strength and might.]

It's alright, I don't usually expect anything from you so this should be really fun!

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wow i've never gotten to use this icon before

Happy to help! ... however short lived it might be!

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