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 a girl and three boys, one of whom is a troll. All four are in uniforms that would match if not for the colour differences - skirts and trousers, waistcoats, and light summer shirts that seem totally inappropriate for the thin layer of melting slush coating the station platform. Each has a beret with a crest - one girl's shows a sword, the other three have a shield.

At the first lull in the chatter, the girl speaks up, cutting through your conversations rudely.

"Hey morons,"

She explains, sounding annoyed, that the four of them are prefects, representing the two schools in Rakuen. Santana of Conquest, pointing to herself, and Yuri, Lelouch and Gamzee of Fortitude.

"When your name gets called go to the person who called it. Actually, fuck it. You're all in Fortitude, screw name calling. I'm leaving."

She walks off leaving the three boys on their own. The one introduced as Yuri speaks first.

Comments

[mrdickery]

"Your guess is as good as mine." Yuri replied with a shoulder roll, quietly dodging the question. Oh he had a guess or two, but nothing solid yet. He had a feeling that if he wanted to get some real information, he'd have to find out what was inside those towers, or get one of the previous 6 to talk. At the moment? Neither option was looking too plausible.

[nonsuspiciousperson]

Nanashi frowned but nodded, he didn't know, or didn't wish to say. "I am a little old for school." So was the man he was talking to actually. Nanashi had actually never went to school, at least if he did he couldn't remember it... A sharp pain in his head made him blink.

[mrdickery]

"Well according to this, looks like you aren't." Yuri remarked wryly, gesturing dully with the list still held in his hand. "But on the bright side, at least it'll give you something to do with all your free time."

That last statement, it should be noted, was made with gratuitous amounts of sarcasm and accented by another casual gesture of his hand.

[nonsuspiciousperson]

Right. Free time. Looking at the positives so far here seemed better than where he had just came from. Speaking of which. "Is there a Kotarou on your list?" He still wasn't sure if it would be best if the kid was here with him or still in Tokyo alone, but it was best to be sure.

[mrdickery]

Kota? At the mention of his name, something came over Yuri's eyes, a faint note of seriousness even as his posture and expression remained relaxed and seemingly bored.

"Is he a friend of yours?" He asked casually, not so much as seeking to hide the fact that Kotarou was here as much as discern whether or not Nanashi was going to be trouble for the kid.

[nonsuspiciousperson]

Nanashi noticed the change, Kotarou was here then or someone by that name, and this man knew them.

"Friend? Depends what your definition of that is." He shrugged, "He employed me."

It was of course a lot more complicated than that, but Nanashi wasn't about to go into it with a complete stranger.

[mrdickery]

Employed him...?

"I wasn't aware it had more than one definition." Yuri shot back without hostility as he watched Nanashi's reaction. Still, he figured there wasn't any real point in hiding Kotarou's existence here. What was the point? In a town this small they were bound to run into each other eventually.

"He's not on the list, but he's here."

[nonsuspiciousperson]

Nanashi shrugged, "Depends who you ask." He nodded.

"He is unharmed?" He tried to keep the worry out of his voice, but was not completely successful.

[mrdickery]

At that question, Yuri's smile took on a slightly sorrowful note, even as he clapped Nanashi on the shoulder. "He's... fine. I'll take you to see him as soon as we're done here, okay?"

[nonsuspiciousperson]

At the words Nanashi nodded, feeling a stab of worry at the tone. But there was nothing more to be done for the moment so he stepped to the side waiting for Yuri to be done, to take him to Kotaro.

Though... how had the kid got here before him, long enough for Yuri to know him by name. It didn't make much sense. Not much sense at all.

[mrdickery]

Fortunately there were plenty of other Fortitude prefects to dump responsibilities on (even though one of them was a murdering psychopath, but he seemed to be pretty friendly with one of the other newcomers so hopefully that was a good sign) and as soon as Yuri was able, he was detaching himself from the welcoming committee and making his way over to where Nanashi was waiting.

"This way." He motioned and started towards the school. "Kotarou's in the Pale Dorm, same as you, but right now he's in the infirmary." He added quietly, eyes stern as they walked.

[nonsuspiciousperson]

Nanashi followed him silently though his eyes narrowed when Yuri spoke. In the infirmary? He had been hurt?

It didn't make much sense since Nanashi had been with him moments before he had awoken on the train. What had happened? How had Kotarou ended up here before him? How was he injured? Who had done this?

"What happened?" His voice was a little less bored sounding, laced with something that could have been anger.

[mrdickery]

"Got me. A couple days ago, a handful of people dropped off without warning, Kota was one of them. We haven't been able to wake them up either." Yuri explained placidly as they walked, not letting on his own feelings about the situation through his voice. His eyes, however, spoke volumes and there was more than idle curiosity in there.

There was anger, frustration and worry, and more of it than just for a simple acquaintance met on the train. He wasn't exactly about to tell a complete stranger that it was because one of his friends had fallen into a coma too, though.

[nonsuspiciousperson]

Nanashi frowned again, a small gesture but if he were anyone else he would have been shouting. The man looked worried as well, had he known Kotaro well? Or was it fear about another one of these handful of people?

"How long has he been here?" He asked, sounding casual but truly anything but. To Nanashi he had seen Kotaro just before waking on the train, but if he had been here for longer, how long had Nanashi been sleeping?

Long enough for his wounds to have healed at least, he was starting to suspect foul play.

[mrdickery]

"Over a month now. We were both on the first train in." Yuri replied calmly as he took Nanashi directly through the town to reach the fortitude dorms. Passing by the shops, arcade centers and the exaclan battle arena itself, Yuri chose not to say anything about the island or the game until they had reached the fortitude dorms.

Since becoming a prefect, he was constantly unsure of what he'd be allowed to talk freely about and what would get him punished. And while he couldn't give a damn about anything that happened to him, the fact that this system was willing to punish others for the crimes of one were already becoming appallingly obvious.

He had already questioned if Flynn's coma wasn't a result of his 'accident' with Golbez. It couldn't be coincidence that of the 6 that had gone down, 3 of them were his friends, right? Or was that just bad luck?

[nonsuspiciousperson]

"The first train? They come regularly then?" Nanashi didn't seem to be taking any notice of his surroundings though he was silently observing. It seemed to be a small town, though there were no vehicles to speak of; apart from the train.

A month though... a month was a long time. Had he been out of it a month? He knew he had been very injured, and a month would probably have been enough to let him heal. But... to have no memories, no consciousness at all...

[mrdickery]

"So far they've come every week." He replied shortly, keeping his pace brisk as the town began to fade back into green grass and walkways. As the tops of the Fortitude quarter came into view, he pointed it out feeling he could at least mention that.

"Home sweet home." He added, voice dry as a smile of ill humor curled his lips.

[nonsuspiciousperson]

Every week... Nanashi nodded and followed keeping up easily. He nodded at the pointing and raised an eyebrow, "So this is where we are to stay?"