utopiamods: (The right way to fight Exaclan)
Rakuen Moderators ([personal profile] utopiamods) wrote in [community profile] rakuen2010-12-28 12:37 am

Introduction!

The tram quickly arrives at the academy station, and the students onboard are ushered off and directed to the front lobby of the school. They can't miss it; there are signs up pointing toward the main entrance, reading "New student orientation" in big, bright letters. If anyone should care to move off the path, try exploring somewhere else, a teacher will conveniently appear to shoo them back toward the lobby, assuring them that "all your questions will be answered inside".

The lobby is big and spacious, looking more like a university or perhaps a fancy international hotel than a high school. There's a woman sitting at a desk ready to check everyone in, but she's not important right now; what the students should pay attention to is the large flat-screen TV set into one of the walls. As soon as everyone has gathered inside, it clicks on and starts to play a prerecorded video. A cheerful woman appears on-screen; when she speaks, she's so chipper you might just feel your teeth starting to rot.

"Good afternoon to our new students here at Utopia Academy! Thank you for choosing to enroll with us for this, our first semester of the new year. Our battle system is the best in the world, set up for you, our students! I hope that you all had a fun journey here, and that you've all made some new friends! You're going to need them soon, so keep them close, okay?

"Now, I'm going to explain the rules for you. Make sure to listen carefully, and remember, you can find all of this and more in the Exaclan manual!"

A map of the academy appears on-screen. The woman stands green-screened in front of the map.

"Our academy is fully integrated with a virtual network that includes several layers of tactile, empathic holographics geared toward the battle game Exaclan. Exaclan is a game fought between groups of Players using their respective Weapons; if a Player wins a battle, he or she takes possession of the opposing Player's Weapon. This way, Players can own many, many Weapons. Collect them all!

"As for the Weapons, you might be wondering where those come from. Well, as it turns out, only a few of you are going to be Players. The rest of you are Weapons! Players, if you equip your custom-fitted Exaclan gloves, you will be able to unsheathe your weapon from the chest of any Weapon you own."

Meanwhile, behind the woman as she speaks, a stylized cartoon sequence plays out in which a man in knight's garb pulls a sword from the chest of a woman in an elaborate princess gown.

"Now, since you're all just starting out here, you don't own any Weapons yet. In order to take possession of a Weapon, you must ask permission, and then promise to own and protect it. This is very important! Be nice to your Weapons, and in return, they will bring you to victory!

"The items you draw out of your Weapons' chests aren't real; they are part of the holographic Exaclan system. Each person's Weapon will be different, and they aren't just guns or knives, either. Their form is partly determined by the Weapon's personality, but it's partly randomized. Maybe you'll get lucky. Maybe not. It eliminates natural advantages!

"Now, like I said, the Weapons aren't real, but the damage you do in battle is real. You will feel every blow you take from an opponent's Weapon, and physical damage done to your Weapon will damage the person you drew it from, too. So be careful, or you could cause serious damage!"

The woman holds up one finger, grinning ear-to-ear;

"If you win a battle, ownership of the Weapon you fought against transfers to you. You also earn one Token, and you earn an additional Token for every five battles you fight, whether or not you win. Tokens can be used to buy Upgrades, Link Charms, Memory Charms, and Legend Fragments, so do your best to earn as many Tokens as you can!

"Oh, right, about the Memory Charms... you're probably wondering why there are some things you can't remember. That's just a little precaution we took to make sure that you would participate in Exaclan. You've each been stripped of ten memories: Some of them are very important, but some of them aren't. You can purchase a Memory Charm for five Tokens, which means to regain all of your memories will cost fifty Tokens. Ah, there's a catch, though: You can't use the Memory Charms you buy. You have to give them to other people. So get along with your fellow students and make as many friends as you can, okay?

"Now, if you have any other questions, make sure to consult your Exaclan manuals. They will tell you more about the rules of Exaclan, what you can and cannot do with your Weapons, and so forth. Following this video, the list of Players for this Round will be displayed. Anyone not on that list is a Weapon for this Round. Sorry!"

The woman holds one hand up in front of her face apologetically, but continues smiling as ever.

"In conclusion, welcome to Utopia Academy. Let's all do our best and achieve utopia together!"

The video clicks off, replaced by a pale blue screen stating the following:

PLAYERS FOR ROUND -2:
Dave Strider
Gino Weinberg
Grenn Atair
Koharu Izaki
Molly Hayes


((OOC: Feel free to post reactions and general mingling in this post. From here on, you're free to make posts, fight battles, attend class, etc.! If you have any questions, get in touch with a mod.

Edit: A mod mistook how much Memory Charms cost. They're five tokens, not ten. Oops! So the post has been edited slightly. That is all!))
greennotgold: (Mousey)

[personal profile] greennotgold 2010-12-28 08:36 pm (UTC)(link)
Fletcher blinked at Dave. And then blinked again. The words he was speaking sounded like Amestrian, but he had no clue what he'd just said. "Um..."
bitofafiction: Looking up. Considering or evasive. (<= I know it sounds absurd)

ilu ildave ileverything

[personal profile] bitofafiction 2010-12-28 09:29 pm (UTC)(link)
"I find myself bizarrely tempted by your kind offer," Sherlock comments.

Let's rewind:

There's a seventeen-year-old boy in a white button-down shirt and black leather jacket lurking near the back of the room. He was probably one of the last to straggle in; he doesn't take well to being shooed. But here he is, listening carefully to every word of that astonishing presentation, and when the list of players comes up on the screen he commits the names to memory and makes his leisurely way through the room to eavesdrop on everyone present.

Whereupon, hearing Dave's delightful little speech, he stops for a chat.
frozen_desires: (this shit is outta whack)

[personal profile] frozen_desires 2010-12-28 10:16 pm (UTC)(link)
Girls could be weapons.

His mind had completely shut out every thought save for that one as he stared blankly at the list of names. It was impossible not to recognize Koharu's, not when Kajiwara had whined about losing her for days on end, or when he lost other weapons in trying to get her back. The only question now was... how? How could girls be weapons? Was this school not run by Iwahijiri? Or was there something more sinister at play here? A new plan to torture them and make them feel worthless? As his mind spiraled further and further down these tangents, it was only Grenn's voice that made him pause for a brief moment.

Automatically, his eyes flickered towards the speaker and- doubled back. There was... absolutely no way this girl could fight. As a player or a weapon. She would be oppressed and abused, broken and forgotten. No one would stand by her side...

"I feel sorry for you. No player would want a crippled toy like you for a weapon." Tougyu murmured, half to himself and half to Grenn. There was a neutral tone in his voice, as if he were merely commenting on the weather.

It never even occurred to him that she could be a player.
imperceptible: (Angry / Shocked)

[personal profile] imperceptible 2010-12-28 10:18 pm (UTC)(link)
As the chipper woman droned on and on about a completely absurd system, Kevin could really only register one thing as the names rolled up at the end like credits.

"I was kidnapped to go to school!?"
thatguywhohasablog: i guess he's doing some splaining or something (check out these horrifying demon eyes)

<3 :'D

[personal profile] thatguywhohasablog 2010-12-28 10:21 pm (UTC)(link)
"What? You heard me. Fucking virtual soul swords everywhere, representing the deepest truth of your heart." Dave shrugged. "It's holographic video game magic or some shit."
tenwholeryou: (that makes no sense at all)

[personal profile] tenwholeryou 2010-12-28 10:25 pm (UTC)(link)
"Magic," Kotarou suddenly remembered holding something, scrambling away from a lunging monster. He shook his head to dismiss it, but... "I don't have a sword."
trollofthree: (pic#702143)

[personal profile] trollofthree 2010-12-28 10:35 pm (UTC)(link)
"Looks like it," Gino had spotted the younger boy from across the room, and approached with a vague smile. Once he was within range, he rested a hand on Kevin's shoulder, so he could lean over and check the screen again. Yeah, that was definitely his name. "I wonder if we have to go to class?"
imperceptible: (Glare / Pissing me off.)

[personal profile] imperceptible 2010-12-28 10:43 pm (UTC)(link)
If Kevin found the hand on his shoulder eerily strange, he didn't remark on it. Instead, once he twisted around slightly and caught a glimpse of Gino's face, he turned back to face the screen and scowled.

"Who cares about that? How do we go back home?"
thatguywhohasablog: indifferent slouch (:/)

[personal profile] thatguywhohasablog 2010-12-28 10:44 pm (UTC)(link)
"Yeah?" Dave glanced at Fletcher, one eyebrow very slightly raised. At first he'd thought pretty much everyone here was older than him, but apparently there were quite a few little kids.

He wasn't sure how he felt about them all speaking to him.
trollofthree: (pic#702141)

[personal profile] trollofthree 2010-12-28 10:48 pm (UTC)(link)
"You think they'd go through all this trouble if we could just walk back out?" He sounded, all in all, far too cheerful for the situation at hand. "Not that we shouldn't try."
thatguywhohasablog: i guess he's doing some splaining or something (check out these horrifying demon eyes)

<3

[personal profile] thatguywhohasablog 2010-12-28 11:05 pm (UTC)(link)
"Yeah? Well that's a relief," says Dave, deadpan, looking up at the older boy with rather more honest self-assurance than is really usual for a thirteen-year-old. "Was getting pretty fucking worried I wasn't gonna have anyone to haul any kind of virtual reality spirit machete out of. If your refined British ass is being sarcastic about this my heart is going to literally fucking break in half."
bitofafiction: Looking straight ahead: calculated neutrality. (>= with his dignity on maximum)

[personal profile] bitofafiction 2010-12-28 11:12 pm (UTC)(link)
"No," he answers with the barest hint of a smile, "I hasten to reassure you, my statement was entirely genuine. Your mildly uncouth Texan heart is quite safe."
imperceptible: (Uncertain / The hell?)

[personal profile] imperceptible 2010-12-28 11:15 pm (UTC)(link)
... he really was. It was starting to get on Kevin's nerves.

Still, Gino had a point. No one would go to all this effort to capture them and then just let them waltz out the front door. What Kevin didn't understand, though, was how they had pulled it off and how they expected to continue to pull it off. How big was this school anyway? And where was it?

Weren't there other people their kidnappers would have to hide them from? And wouldn't people be looking?

"You have an idea?" He asked, craning his neck so that he could look up at Gino.
thatguywhohasablog: i guess he's doing some splaining or something (check out these horrifying demon eyes)

[personal profile] thatguywhohasablog 2010-12-28 11:38 pm (UTC)(link)
"My mildly uncouth Texan heart is leaping for joy inside my mildly uncouth Texan chest," Dave assures him, although by all outward appearances he seems pretty indifferent. "There's some seriously delirious feats of athletic fervor going on beneath this stoic exterior right now, it's unreal."
bitofafiction: Smiling: fond amusement. (!= that was Victorian)

[personal profile] bitofafiction 2010-12-28 11:40 pm (UTC)(link)
His smile widens.

"I'll have to take your word for it."
thatguywhohasablog: unimpressed by buster sword (who would even use this thing)

[personal profile] thatguywhohasablog 2010-12-28 11:41 pm (UTC)(link)
"Yeah I think the idea is some other asshole gets to use the sword after they dislodge it from your chest cavity," said Dave. "Like King Arthur if King Arthur went to some weirdass virtual reality fight school and he couldn't remember what shape his giant table was."
thatguywhohasablog: thumbs upppp (8|b)

[personal profile] thatguywhohasablog 2010-12-28 11:47 pm (UTC)(link)
"Yep," says Dave. He holds out his hand. "Dave Strider. I guess right now I'm still Mildly Uncouth but I'm pretty sure if I really put the effort in I can get to Profanity Musketeer by the end of this evening."
bitofafiction: Eyes closed, serene, content. (<= it's good to be home)

[personal profile] bitofafiction 2010-12-28 11:52 pm (UTC)(link)
Sherlock smiles, shakes Dave's hand, and replies after an exquisitely calculated pause:

"Sherlock Holmes. It is a pleasure to make your acquaintance, Mr Strider."
thatguywhohasablog: either slightly concerned, vaguely impressed or mildly confused (huh)

[personal profile] thatguywhohasablog 2010-12-29 12:04 am (UTC)(link)
Dave raises his eyebrows, a little bit. "Sherlock Holmes," he repeats. "So did your parents hate you or are you just delusional or something? Either way I'm seriously disappointed by the lack of hat and pipe shit going on here."
bitofafiction: Looking up. Considering or evasive. (<= I know it sounds absurd)

[personal profile] bitofafiction 2010-12-29 12:07 am (UTC)(link)
"Or something. As it happens. Terribly sorry to disappoint, but I decided to leave the hat and pipe in the nineteenth century. Along with the cocaine. It's for the best, really."
tenwholeryou: (and neither does your face)

[personal profile] tenwholeryou 2010-12-29 12:21 am (UTC)(link)
Kotarou made a frustrated noise. What language was this guy trying to speak? Forgetting, as he always did, that yelling at people in a fit of temper didn't do anything to earn friendship, he snapped, "Are you stupid? I said I don't have a sword."

He gestured to himself, trying to cut out the weird words from the other boy's explanation in case there was something he could use in it. "Inside me. It's something else." It wasn't even a weapon, he stopped himself adding. If he understood right, the only way to get back what they'd taken from him was to fight, and if everyone thought his weapon was useless, he'd never have a chance. Instead, he closed his mouth with a snap, and shuffled his feet. "I don't want to play some stupid game, anyway."
queenscheckmate: we are young (your end will come; do not mess with me)

[personal profile] queenscheckmate 2010-12-29 12:23 am (UTC)(link)
"Not remembering anything?" At first, Kallen's thoughts drifted to Gino and their conversation on the train's platform. But... she didn't feel like she had forgotten anything. Of course, she looked over in his direction. The tall male did like to tease her, so for all she knew, he could have been playing a joke and it wouldn't have been out of the ordinary.

"I can't believe this," she muttered to herself. Well that would explain the sudden transferring and how she got her. Kidnapped. Seriously, that song was getting REAL old.

And she refused to be pawn (aka weapon) because the school willed it to be. Not now, not again.
trollofthree: (pic#704764)

[personal profile] trollofthree 2010-12-29 12:38 am (UTC)(link)
"Yup!" He gestured at the screen, which was still flashing his name amongst the other four. "We play along. No point getting our hosts' backs up by trying to leave this early, right? They'll be expecting that."

And anyway, he wanted his memories back. He tapped one finger against Kevin's shoulder, absently. He only recognised one of the names up on the screen, which meant he'd have to wait for the other three to show themselves. "I bet it won't take too long to win tokens."
thatguywhohasablog: possibly he is smiling a little possibly he is just indifferent hard to say (we challenge you to a rap battle)

[personal profile] thatguywhohasablog 2010-12-29 12:41 am (UTC)(link)
"Yeah? What about the little brown shoulder cape thing? Not really buying the whole Victorian Batman deal without it."
trollofthree: (pic#702141)

[personal profile] trollofthree 2010-12-29 12:44 am (UTC)(link)
"Kallen!" Too late, she was spotted as Gino scanned the room for his opponents and found her instead. Hey, she counted. Despite briefly entertaining the idea of asking her to join his team, he didn't come any closer, just waved over towards where Lelouch was talking to one of the uniformed girls across the lobby. "Told you~!"

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