ROUND -1

[utopiamods]

This morning, the marks of ownership disappear from the bodies of every Weapon who was owned during the previous round. The woman from the introductory video appears on the Exaclan video screens across campus, and on all of the computer screens as well.

She doesn't look very happy.

"My, you weren't very enthusiastic this time, were you?" she says, frowning and waving one finger in disappointment. "That's no good. If you don't fight, you can't earn Tokens to buy your powers or your memories back! If you don't even have those, imagine how hard it'll be to earn Legend Fragments!"

She smiles; the shift from her previous expression is sudden and startling. "You know, if you hear the legend, you just might learn a few things!

"We didn't want to do this, but it looks like we're going to have to. Okay! From now on, Players, you can only go three days without fighting. After that, we'll start taking away one Token a day. And you want your Tokens, don't you?" She smiles even more widely, as though she has no idea why anyone might be upset at being forced into such a situation. "To get you all started, we've given you some free tokens! You already had three each, you know, and we've added seven more. That means you all have ten tokens, so visit a booth and get spending."

She pauses, and then snaps her fingers, "Ah, but only Players can do that, so if any of your Weapons want to buy something, you should do it for them, okay?

"I know you can do it! Believe in yourselves and each other, and you'll achieve utopia!

"Now, here are the Players for this round!"

The screen goes blank, and the following appears:

PLAYERS FOR ROUND -1:
Fletcher Tringham
Kevin Smith
Mei Chang
Meryl Silverburgh
Oichi
Suzaku Kururugi
Tsuki Aoi

Comments

[queenscheckmate]

The height difference between them was a bit much, so she knelt down. No one never really seemed to like being looked down upon. "I did. And believe me, nothing about this place seems fair."

[tenwholeryou]

Not that Kotarou wasn't used to having to crane his neck to talk to people, but it was appreciated.

"I wish I could fight," he said, bitterly. Dave had taught him a little, but without real weapons or another few feet of height Kotarou didn't feel particularly ready for combat. "There's nothing I can do."

[queenscheckmate]

"You don't have to. I don't blame on to. I refuse to give these people who are our kidnappers what they want."

[tenwholeryou]

"But we have to do something! And... I don't want to be alone. I'm gonna find another Player." If nothing else, he was starting to like the taste of chocolate cake. And from what he understood, people without them could be picked on by anyone at all. He wasn't about to let that happen. "Do you know anyone on there?" He pointed to the screen.

[queenscheckmate]

"Alone?" What did being alone have to do with any of it?

Kallen glanced at the screen again. The first since she did, she had only checked to see if her name was there. It wasn't, so she didn't take a second look until now. She recognized two of the names. "I do."

[tenwholeryou]

"Yeah," he didn't think he had to explain it, but. "It was always me and Tobimaru before, but he's not..." He trailed off, then shrugged. Time for an awkward subject change. "What're they like? There's this kid who'll take any Weapons who don't want to fight, but I won't get any memories from him."

[queenscheckmate]

Someone was taking ownership of people who didn't want to fight? Well it's not like anyone could force Kallen into becoming a weapon, or it seemed that way for now. But then there was the issue of memories. Something felt off, she would admit that, but there was nothing important that she seemed to be missing.

"One of them is from my world, the other I met here."

[tenwholeryou]

Kotarou nodded along as though he knew what she meant by 'her world'. "Are they strong?"

[queenscheckmate]

"I can't really say."

[tenwholeryou]

Well, that was no help. He didn't want to join someone only to find out that they couldn't fight. Fletcher was sounding like a better and better idea with each passing minute - at least he would be about Kotarou's age and size. Easier to bully into doing stuff.

"What're you going to do?"

[queenscheckmate]

"Not fight. I told you, I don't want any part of this." Kallen looked at the names once more and--

Oichi?

But that was--

Maybe someone with the same name... or something.

She glanced back at Kotarou. "I wish I could help you, but all of this... I want nothing to do with it."