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

[utopiamods]

As you all crowd onto the platform, all few of you, you are met by three girls and five boys, two of which are bizarre grey-skinned aliens. All eight 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 heavy clouds and cold drizzle. They're all sodden. Each has a beret with a crest pinned to the front - four depicting a shield, the other four a sword.

At the first lull in the chatter, one pale shield-crested girl speaks up, cutting through your conversations coldly.

"Attention please."

She explains that the eight of them are prefects, representing the two schools in Rakuen. Nanami, she points to herself, Yuri, Lelouch and Gamzee of Fortitude; and Santana, Flynn, Feferi and Gino of Conquest.

The girl called Santana interrupts, "Look assholes, I'm tired of doing this every week, just come to me when your name is called." They all move to stand in two groups some distance away from each other, and the two that spoke read off names.

Comments

[stoatallymad]

Hold on!

[He rocks up onto the balls of his feet as he explains.]

That's the groups of the swimming things, right? The silver ones that go swish, swish through the-- the...

[What's that word? He had it before. Suddenly, gone! It was a good word too. Well, he can make do.] The sea. [He glances around.] Don't see a sea?

[pennypincher]

...I see... [ She's already working the figures in her head. ] And what can we spend these Raks on? Do they want us to buy our way out of here, or what?

[veepofchess]

This is an island, so there's water beyond the edge. There's a map in your handbook that'll show you where it and all of the other important places are.

[stoatallymad]

[Right! Well. He is now satisfied that Rakuen is a school of fish, somehow. Thank you Lelouch. He's not entirely sure what a handbook is, but it has 'hand' in it and that reminds him--]

And the hand-fingers and the feet-fingers?

[He wiggles his fingers and toes to demonstrate.]

[greenspaces]

"I can do it, Dave." She pokes him in the cheek carefully, trying to be reassuring. "This isn't a dream. It's, um...this place where we're going to go to school. It's called Rakuen, and we are in schools and we have to fight people in our free time. It's not so bad, though. Better than being dead."

[maidenknight]

I apologize. I didn't mean to stare.

[ God she's dying to ask if this poor girl got Greyscale as a child. But she's never heard of a full-body Greyscale case before... ]

What are the ornaments on your head?

[maidenknight]

[ Her face relaxes just a little bit, and then waves back. At least if she was in a strange place, there were still somewhat friendly people to welcome her. ]

[veepofchess]

[Watches him wiggle them.] They look okay to me, but if you think there's something wrong with them, you can stop by the infirmary in your school.

[straightupzorra]

Oh my god. Look, my problems are now your problems too. We're all stuck here so you might as well listen to me like you're supposed to.

[pennypincher]

Who died and made you goddess?

[straightupzorra]

She didn't like the way he was looking at her, like he was looking right through her and could tell everything about her just by how she was carrying herself. It unnerved her. Quickly she glances at her bracelet and stops herself from touching her necklace.

"Girls can wear jewelery and perfume without wanting to find a partner. And my makeup tells you that I'm a lesbian? What do you even know about makeup to make that kind of call? Besides, what if I'm not looking?"

[straightupzorra]

Yeah, sure you are. I don't really care, you could be from Mars and I wouldn't care. Want to know why? There are so many different universes here I could really care less where you're from. I'm sure that your name is dumb where you're from too.

[straightupzorra]

Ugh, great, another person who was here and forgot about it. Now you need to learn all over again.

[straightupzorra]

I'm staff here, I can do whatever I want.

[pennypincher]

Hmph. Whatever. Just try not being such a mega-jerkface about it.

[straightupzorra]

Sorry, it's like all I know how to be.

[effortless]

My. [ she doesn't bother to point out that the horse doesn't have a horn. ] Do not worry, it didn't hurt at all.

[bubblymuffins]

Great! See you around I guess! [Waves and wanders off toward town.]

[stoatallymad]

No, no, no.

[He stomps a foot in frustration.] Why do these-- [Wiggly fingers.] move easier than these? [Wiggly toes.

...Yes, Lelouch, he really does expect an answer. Sorry.]

[veepofchess]

They look completely normal to me. If you think there's a problem you need to talk to someone else. [Annoyed.]

[stoatallymad]

No no, not a problem, just-- hmmph. [Stomp. WHY DO YOU NOT UNDERSTAND THE QUESTION, LELOUCH. Never mind, he'll ask at the infirmary when he gets a chance. Next question!]

Name?

[veepofchess]

Lelouch. [Good you didn't escalate. He's not above using his prefect powers in personal self-defense]

[maidenknight]

Excuse me? [ Different universes? Brienne had simply thought herself somewhere across the Narrow Sea. Now she could see that that wasn't exactly the case. The girl's dialect was so unlike anything she had ever heard, even in trading cities. It was hard to grasp, however.

No, she couldn't be telling the truth. ]

My name is relatively normal. [ But now it's time for the ever-pressing question. ] But I was looking for a maid, before I came here. My sister. Fair, with auburn hair, about three and ten. Have you seen her?

[stoatallymad]

[How cruel! He just wants to understand the difference between fingers and toes!]

Lelouch. [It sounds like a sneeze when he runs together the syllables like that. He gives a brief nod, then shoves his hand at Lelouch.]

Firifale!

[straightupzorra]

[she quirks an eyebrow at her] A maid? I'm assuming you mean girl and not someone who cleans houses, yeah, we have plenty of girls here. Three and ten? I think I'd remember seeing someone so short around here so I'm gonna say, no, the "maid" you're looking for isn't here.