rakuen | New Arrivals (All new characters)

You're falling, and you can't remember why. It's a sickening feeling that makes your insides lurch; the darkness and the vertigo combine, and all you can think of is a story you heard once, somewhere.

Ah, I remember now. It's... a simple story that everyone knows. A legend of a Princess, the Demon Lord who kidnapped her, and the Knight who fought to save her. The Demon Lord had kidnapped the Princess countless times, but every time the Knight bested his challenges and rescued the Princess. No matter what tricks and ploys the Demon Lord used, the Knight would always triumph in the end. This was because--

The world tilts on its axis one last time, and the dream slips from your mind as easily as it arrived. A new voice intrudes on your sleep. Mechanical, monotonous.

"Next stop: Rakuen City. This train terminates here. The next stop is Rakuen. All change." The train rocks steadily. Fog envelopes the windows, obstructing your view and reminding you of an unsettling dream simultaneously. The air is humid inside the carriages, a vent beside your feet heating the air and making the seats almost uncomfortably warm. A puff of steam from the train winds its way lazily past the windows, a slightly different shade and consistency as the grey fog.

It's strangely difficult to shake off the sleep; the rhythm of the train seems to lull you back into slumber and the air is warm and heavy, making it hard to keep hold of a thought. Finally, though, the nausea settles, the last of the dream fades and you can take in your surroundings. And, perhaps more importantly, those around you in a similar state. The train judders to a stop, the shape of buildings and people only now barely visible as shadows beyond the windows.

"We have arrived at Rakuen City. All passengers must leave the train. This train is terminating here. This is Rakuen."

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

[Louis just got jostled from the strange image of the shadow and the voices by a much louder voice, and is now staring strangely at his surroundings. He's never been on a train before, and this is all new to him. However, seeing that it has stopped, and knowing at least some of the words he's hearing, he gets off the seat he's been snuggling on and starts looking around. Before he does so, he writes "I'm lost" on his slate, and arranges things so that it is prominent.]

[ was that bird on the train as well...? belarus isn't one to be nice, but being cruel to animals isn't her thing

she steps over towards him and reads the slate ]

So am I.

[Louis immediately feels sympathetic, although he doesn't know quite how to express it. So he just tries to pat her with one of his wings, and also picks up his chalk and writes in somewhat smaller letters underneath:]

Is everyone here lost?

[ she blinks, a bit surprised when the animal pats her with it's wing —

its amazing how smart he is ]

I don't know, it seems like they all are getting off at this stop as well.

[He's running out of space a bit. Still, there's room for introductions, at least!]

I'm Louis. You?

Louis is your name?

[ she was usually weary about giving out her name but, again... it was an animal ]

Belarus.

[He nods. He doesn't know much geography, so that name means nothing to him. He writes a bit more, this time more near the top of his slate.]

It sounds very pretty.

[ belarus leans in towards louis, gently stroking him on the top of his head ]

[Aww. He just lets himself be petted. This feels nice-no one's ever really done anything like it before. He should probably get more people to do it.]

[He's worried by the fact that there's a bird writing notes to him, but stranger things have happened; it's just that they usually were omens of impending doom. Still, he seems pretty relaxed. He's not entirely convinced he's awake yet.]

The feeling is mutual, I'm afraid. May I ask a rather personal question?

[Instead of writing, Louis just nods. Don't want to waste the space!]

Have you always been a swan?

[He asks this in the same tone most people would ask about the weather.]

[Louis nods again, now slightly confused. Why would he have been anything other than a swan?]

I see. I apologize for being so forward, it's just a little unusual. I can say with confidence that I've never encountered a literate swan outside of mythology and fiction.

[He starts to offer his hand and then realizes that birds are distinctly lacking in the hand department. Welp.]

Itsuki Koizumi. It's a pleasure to meet you. Do you know where we are?

[He shakes his head. Man, it's a good thing this guy keeps asking yes-or-no questions. Makes things so much easier! He actually does extend a wing when he sees Itsuki extend a hand, but then the other guy pulls back and he does so awkwardly as well.]

[...Well, if he wants to, Koizumi is very curious to find out how you shake a hand with a goose. All sorts of firsts today! Have that handshake after all.]

What should I call you?

[Swaaaaaaaaaan. It's a very good thing he can't read minds! Anyways, he manages to somehow do a shake. It's more on Koizumi's part, though, since wings can't really grasp. But oops, a question that needs writing. At least it's short.]

Louis.

Soubi just blinked down at the swan. Was it really holding a slate with the words 'I'm lost'? He could see if someone wrote lost for the swan maybe, but then again how was the creature holding it? Soubi bent down so he could look it at eye level. "Can you understand me?"

[Louis just nods. He doesn't want to waste slate space!]

... well, you have made him mostly speechless. "I see."

People back home had gotten used to him, but he had encountered surprise before. So this wasn't anything new. Not wanting to appear rude, he also writes on his slate.]

I'm Louis. You?

I'm Soubi. [He's still not sure how he's talking to a duck, but he just takes it as fact now.] It's nice to meet you.

[Louis nods. Hmm...how did human greetings work again? Oh right. He extends a wing to shake. It's his way of expressing a "nice to meet you too," since his slate is getting crowded.]

New Arrivals (All new characters)

[Open, prose or action acceptable]

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Whoops. Let's just go with this version of their thread?

okay!

How is this already adorable?

ITS BECAUSE LOUIS IS SUPER CUTE <3

That's a good reason.

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