[KENKOU]

[detentionroom]

[You needed an escape.

For a moment– however brief, or however not– you longed to get away. Perhaps you envisioned a vacation upon sunny, beachy shores, palm trees at your back and seagulls floating in the air. Perhaps you envisioned nothing at all, and merely accepted that anywhere but here would do. Either way. . .?

You blink. . . and you wake up slouched on a school desk, arms folded with head resting between. You lift your gaze and realize that you've woken up in the middle of a classroom, seated in one of the. . . uh, very few functional desks that remain. The others have been broken into pieces, with legs and splinters of wood scattered across the floor. Deep claw marks decorate the walls, having gouged the sheetrock with jagged, violent gashes. The window curtains are closed, but they too have been torn and ripped to shreds, with holes showing a dark and unidentifiable landscape beyond the four walls which trap you.

And written on the blackboard, in large, white letters that seem to glow in the midst of the dim room lighting, is a warning]

DO NOT GIVE THEM YOUR NAME.

[. . . you are not alone]

[Each and every new arrival awakens dressed in a high school-issued track uniform. The design is up to the players, but each uniform is already color-coded to match the group at large. Somewhere on your body is a new marking: a mysterious floral design shaded the same color as your track uniform. It is glowing very gently. And in your pocket you feel. . . something warm. Further investigation reveals a tiny little omamri, tucked away in your outfit, for safe keeping. Huh! What a nice gift!]

[For now, the front door to the classroom is locked. No matter how hard you try– with physical prowess or otherwise– the door cannot be opened.]

[But hey! You can poke around the area, if you'd like! Maybe get to know your new classmates. . . ? Try not to panic. For now, everything is. . . calm]

Comments

[suplexer]

[ Tifa stares at him for a few seconds. The way he speaks, this talk of "royal lineage," it's like he's out of some sort of fairy tale, or like he's decided to stay in character after putting on a play at the Gold Saucer. ]

Uhh... royal lineage?

[ She plants a hand on her hip and eyes him up again. None of this is adding up. ]

[brokenlance]

[erm, he sounds a bit self conscious about this, especially after being stared at]

I'm afraid I don't look the part at the moment... I am the crown prince of the Holy Kingdom of Faerghus. But please - don't let that change your view of me. I am just a person, like any other.

[suplexer]

[ Crown prince? Holy kingdom? It all sounds so important, and come to think of it, he does remind her a little of Rufus — in looks alone, that is. Not that Shinra is anything like a "Holy Kingdom," as much as they might want people to believe as much. ]

Huh. ... It really does seem like we're all from different planets.

[brokenlance]

[except rufus knows how to use a comb]

Planets?... If Faerghus is unfamiliar to you, then - may I ask where you hail from?

[suplexer]

[ it's true, what's going on with those bangs kid ]

I'm from Gaia. So far, it seems like everyone I've talked to is from a place I've never heard of... you included.

[brokenlance]

[that's the real tragedy here]

That does explain why the idea of magic was so unfamiliar to that other man... and yet, a great deal more questions surface in return.

[suplexer]

[ Tifa, meanwhile, doesn't blink at the mention of magic. ]

You mean him? [ Said with a glance in Vash's direction. ] But on the other hand, he said that traveling through space is normal for him...

[brokenlance]

...Does not everyone travel through spaces when they walk?

[WHAT'S SPACE. WHILE WE'RE AT IT WHAT'S A PLANET]

omg i never got this notif??

[suplexer]

[ ....... Ah. ]

Not like that, I mean... [ She points toward the ceiling, indicating the sky above. ] I guess you could think of it as traveling between worlds. Like traveling on a ship, but instead of going to another continent, you're going to a whole new planet.

sobbing

[brokenlance]

I'm unfamiliar with this term, 'planet', but - I think I grasp your meaning. Even if the vastness of what you propose is truly beyond my imagining.

I'm sure I must appear quite backwards and sheltered in your eyes. Nonetheless, I do desire to learn more.

[suplexer]

[ She gives a quick shake of her head. ]

No, not at all. I mean... I know there are other planets out there, but that's it. I've never left my own. Hearing about all these other places everyone's from is kind of overwhelming.

[brokenlance]

Well, I've oft held that learning about the experiences of people from other lands is the best way to broaden one's horizons.

So in a way, this unfortunate circumstance has resulted in quite the unique learning experience.

[suplexer]

[ She can't help but laugh at that, before sending him a fond smile. ]

Well, that's one way to find a silver lining.

[brokenlance]

We must make the best of things, even in the most dire of situations. And we yet have some time before whatever dreadful fate awaits.

[suplexer]

Whoever is behind this... I wonder what they want.

[brokenlance]

It seems we have a mysterious ally, as well. That is, whoever it was that wrote the warning, and left us this protective pouch.

[Takes it the omamori from his pocket... it's just nice to hold actually. Feels soothing]

[suplexer]

[ Tifa blinks at the sight of it, then pats her pockets before realizing... ]

Oh! [ She pulls out her own. ] I have one too. Is it magical...?

[brokenlance]

I’ve been told it’s a protective charm - an ‘omamori’. And that one must never open the pouch.

It certainly has the aura of something magical, doesn’t it?

[suplexer]

I guess so. Right now, we can probably take all the help we can get.

[ She glances back over to the chalkboard. ]

That same handwriting is in the notebook, too. I wonder if this person was trapped here before us...

[brokenlance]

If that's true, I dread to think of what's become of them. Were they able to escape themselves, or are they cursed to watch over future victims of this monstrous force?

[suplexer]

[ Oh no, that's a terrible thought. Tifa can't quite suppress the tremor that enters her voice as she hugs herself around the middle. ]

You don't think they're a... g-ghost now, do you?

[brokenlance]

[the change in demeanor is so sudden???]

I'm-- sure it's nothing so dire! And even if they were, they're surely not a malevolent one...?

[suplexer]

[ Guess who's scared of ghosts and is therefore going to have a terrible time here.

She shuts her eyes, takes a deep breath, and lets it out again. ]

I guess you're right. Not all ghosts are bad...

[ The ghosts of those kids in the train graveyard, they just wanted to play. ]

[brokenlance]

Indeed. If we have one to count as a friend, then we must not shy away from them. Though I understand your fear, they have suffered in this place far more than you or I.

[suplexer]

That's... probably true, it's just...

[ Breathe in, breathe out. She brushes some hair away from her face. ]

If they've suffered, it might affect how they act as ghosts too. I hope at least some of them want to help us, but we'll need to be careful too.