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: (I don't know...)

[personal profile] greennotgold 2010-12-30 04:22 pm (UTC)(link)
He had to stand on his toes to be able to see the map on top of the counter. So they weren't far from each other... "Oh... I-I see." That was good.

He looked back up to the receptionist. "Um... can't we just go home? I don't like fighting."
thatguywhohasablog: some impatient disapproval i guess (what? no)

[personal profile] thatguywhohasablog 2010-12-30 04:25 pm (UTC)(link)
Dave looked down at him. "I don't know, but if you wanna stand that close to me you're gonna have to take a shower."
tenwholeryou: (I REALLY DON'T LIKE YOU)

[personal profile] tenwholeryou 2010-12-30 04:29 pm (UTC)(link)
What? Kotarou took a few steps back, so he could glare up properly. "I had a bath this month already."
greennotgold: (Peeking)

[personal profile] greennotgold 2010-12-30 04:30 pm (UTC)(link)
And he didn't want to cause work for anyone. "I didn't enroll, though. I, um, I've never heard of this place."

Cute though he may have been, he was also sorely ineffective.
thatguywhohasablog: some impatient disapproval i guess (what? no)

[personal profile] thatguywhohasablog 2010-12-30 04:33 pm (UTC)(link)
"See, that's exactly what I'm talking about," said Dave. "That grubby urchin shit just isn't gonna fly at a classy institution like this."
greennotgold: (Afraid to speak up)

[personal profile] greennotgold 2010-12-30 04:36 pm (UTC)(link)
If he were more savvy, he might have asked to see those documents. (And if he were even more savvy than that, he would realize that it would do no good, they could be forged or they could have forced him to fill them out and then removed his memory of it, if they were so good at removing memories.)

He took the map and keys and frowned down at them. "Um, thank you," he mumbled, stepping back. He needed to go find his brother.
isur2ndprincess: (hopeful)

[personal profile] isur2ndprincess 2010-12-30 04:41 pm (UTC)(link)
Yuki gratefully takes the map, "thank you."
thatguywhohasablog: thumbs upppp (8|b)

[personal profile] thatguywhohasablog 2010-12-30 04:44 pm (UTC)(link)
Oops.

"Dave Strider," he replied, shaking the kid's hand. "Where is your bro, anyway? Is he a player this round or are you guys both on your own for this shit?"
allurprincess: (you want to what the what where?)

[personal profile] allurprincess 2010-12-30 04:45 pm (UTC)(link)
"You two!" Their indecision was abruptly flung out of the nearest window, as Sora jogged over to Koharu, snagging Yuki's hand on the way.

She wasn't really sure how she'd explain that she couldn't remember their names. Or that she wasn't a Player, somehow. Her blank, useless glove was still tucked into her back pocket, though. Just in case. Reaching Koharu, she took her hand in hers too. "Are you okay?
greennotgold: (Deep in thought)

[personal profile] greennotgold 2010-12-30 04:46 pm (UTC)(link)
"Um, he's somewhere." Fletcher looked around. His brother was probably trying to figure out everything he could about this place. "N-no, we're both, um... w-weapons." He didn't like saying that. It just sounded so wrong.
thatguywhohasablog: whoah whoah (if i didn't have arms)

[personal profile] thatguywhohasablog 2010-12-30 04:46 pm (UTC)(link)
"Okay, so where do I get one of these forms? This is a pretty big fucking deal if they've left that out. I'm gonna need to file a major complaint."
willbeurprincess: (pic#698014)

[personal profile] willbeurprincess 2010-12-30 04:50 pm (UTC)(link)
Koharu's own problems flew out the window at the hand clasping hers and she beamed, squeezing the hand in her own.

"I'm fine Sora. But um...I'm a Player." She gestured to the screen where her name was still prominently displayed, "I didn't think...Sora was the only female player right? So why am I?" She held out the glove in her other hand.
bitofafiction: Looking up. Considering or evasive. (<= I know it sounds absurd)

[personal profile] bitofafiction 2010-12-30 05:56 pm (UTC)(link)
Sherlock wanders past the counter only after watching several other people do the same.

"Sherlock Holmes. Key, please," he says, briefly but politely.
swordofzero: (determiny)

[personal profile] swordofzero 2010-12-30 09:39 pm (UTC)(link)
Suzaku blinked; he knew that the girl disliked him strongly but he had not expected to be completely ignored. Not when they were both in this place, Suzaku had no idea about the girl, whose name he still couldn't remember, but he had definatly not came to this place by choice. And if he knew, that girl, at all, which he did he, even if she hated him- for good reason, she was not one to voluntarily come to a place like this. Not when there was so much going on back where they came from.

He should go really, there was no point staying when she hated him and his presence was bound to make her angry. But the simple truth was he had nowhere to go. He had no idea where he was, how he had gotten here or what he was suposed to do.

The girl was the only link between wherever here was and the life he had been taken out of. Despite everything Suzaku felt more comfortable staying near someone he knew, even if they dispised him. "I am sorry, do you know where we are?"

queenscheckmate: we are young (this was never meant to be; heartache)

[personal profile] queenscheckmate 2010-12-30 09:53 pm (UTC)(link)
Why was the voice still talking? Kallen was two seconds from declaring herself insane. "Leave me alone," was the only thing she could muster up to say. There was no malice, no hatred behind it. Just a simple statement of a broken girl. She didn't want to talk to the voice that sounded like Suzaku's. Nor did she want to look at the person who might have been Suzaku. The teenager wanted to be left alone to hopefully find her center and peace of mind.
tenwholeryou: (that makes no sense at all)

[personal profile] tenwholeryou 2010-12-31 12:02 am (UTC)(link)
Kotarou was about to just say something vague and all-purpose about how soon and violently Dave should stop talking, but thought better of it - rare self-restraint, really - and settled for a grumble.

"Like you're one to talk."
veepofchess: (cool as a cucumber)

[personal profile] veepofchess 2010-12-31 12:17 am (UTC)(link)
Lelouch looked on at the strange conversation, and assumed that her friends' names had been one of the memories this place had locked away. He ran trough the names of those most important to him, and he had no trouble associating names to faces, Suzaku Kururugi, Nunnally, C.C.... what had her real name been again? Dammit! Kallen Stadtfeld... It was ironic how the Elevens' hero and his ace pilot had not a drop of Japanese blood in them. Charles zi Britannia... Marianne-- what did his mother's face look like? Sure, she'd wanted to reset the world just as Charles had, but that didn't mean he would push her face away so easily.

He kept his face schooled into a friendly look, despite the internal turmoil. This was something he was good at. He would save it for when he and Suzaku were alone. "It's good to meet you, Miss Himoto," he replied politely. "Did you attend this school previously like Miss Date had?" Another person that could provide information was always welcome.
themerryway: ([?] - unbelieving)

[personal profile] themerryway 2010-12-31 12:25 am (UTC)(link)
It's the cool, smooth sound of a recording that wakes her.

The voice grasps her and pulls, and she lurches forward, suddenly awake. It takes a moment for her to take in her surroundings; the warm sun, seeming familiar yet distant, the leather of the seating, the voice repeating itself, it's time to get off, and Euphemia wonders-- still quite disoriented-- why it's so drafty in here.

Then she looks down.

She's wrapped in a white hospital blanket and nothing else.

Oh.

She quickly moves to cover what she can-- coherence quickly coming to her-- and grasps wildly for a bag sat next to her. Clothes, clothes, clothes-- she needs clothes-- and ah, there! The bag was a good guess. But here comes the tricky part. She clambers over to pull down the blinds and fidgets under the blanket until she's dressed. Crisis averted?

Swallowing and clearing her throat, willing the flush from her face and the humiliation from her mind-- what if someone saw, oh my goodness-- Euphie can now come to consider the rest of this.

She'd been talking with Lelouch. Why is she here? How did she--

And the speaker tells her, "We have arrived at Utopia Academy. Could all passengers…"

There's nothing else for her here, so she gets off, follows the bright signs and listens to what they tell her, them, all these people. Memories? A game? Her brow furrows and she doesn't understand. She feels dazed, strange. Unsure as to what to think. And it's all written quite plainly on her face, in her posture. It feels she's still dreaming.

She isn't a Player. Does that mean she's a Weapon?
allurprincess: (I swear to you!)

[personal profile] allurprincess 2010-12-31 12:28 am (UTC)(link)
"Ah, yes," it was hard not to warm to him; he reminded her a lot of Karin. "It's a little different than I remember, though..."

Maybe she'd forgotten? But no, that wasn't it. This was somewhere else, she'd checked. "Oh, right!" She turned to face him fully, whilst one hand stayed resting lightly on her princess's shoulder, the other found its way to hovering over Sora's heart, "I'm a Knight, and even if it's different here, I've promised to save everyone. If you're ever in trouble, let me know, and I'll save you. No matter what." She tilted her head to include Reiko in her following grin, "Right?"
veepofchess: (bound by responsibility)

[personal profile] veepofchess 2010-12-31 12:37 am (UTC)(link)
Lelouch had decided that blending in was finally in order. He'd left for a moment to change, and rejoined the confused throng. He'd also taken to exploring the crowd, to see if there was anyone else he knew there. And he'd found one. Oh, had he found one. Her hair was still disheveled from that day so long ago. It looked just like it had when he'd-- He pushed that memory aside. He had to get to her before Gino did. Whatever was going on here, he wanted to be the one to explain it to her.

He started toward her, but stopped short. What about her Geass? There were many Japanese here. The last thing he wanted was for her to regain her Massacre Princess reputation. So he continued to her, and reached up to touch her shoulder. "Euphemia," he said, to draw her attention. If he kept her focus on him, she may not notice the Japanese.
Edited 2010-12-31 00:37 (UTC)
myownfuture: (Tee hee you're funny)

[personal profile] myownfuture 2010-12-31 12:43 am (UTC)(link)
Despite everything else complicating matters, Reiko had to smile a bit. "Right. That's what Sora Himoto is best at."
themerryway: ([?] - like a lover 2/2)

[personal profile] themerryway 2010-12-31 12:43 am (UTC)(link)
She jumps at the contact, whirls to face him and then breathes a happy sigh of relief when she sees it's Lelouch, it's her brother, it's someone she trusts and loves in this disorienting place.

"Lelouch," she says, and she smiles small at him. They were only talking a short while ago, after all, so it's not so strange to her that they'd both end up in the same place. "I'm so glad to see you."

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