Welcome.

[trustmods]

It doesn't matter where you last were or what you were doing. What matters is that you're waking up in a decently comfortable bed in a room that's completely unfamiliar. You may feel a bit groggy, like you've slept for too long, but that will fade in time. Welcome to Graceside Preparatory Academy. You may want to pick up the key to your room before you leave, though don't worry. Your door won't lock automatically so you won't be locked out if you've forgotten to pick it up. The hallway outside your room is most likely full of other confused students by now and should you turn around to look at the door of the room you just left, you'll find a nameplate with your name printed on it. There's a single word underneath it with no explanation. This is your title, but don't worry about that right now. Depending on when you left your room there may be a clock chiming in the foyer up ahead. It seems like it's seven, though it's difficult to tell if it's seven in the morning or seven at night. There aren't any windows, after all. Should you venture into the room with the clock, you'll find that the only exit is closed - there's absolutely no way to break down that steel bulkhead. It looks like you're stuck in here for the time being. The foyer also holds some very interesting information. There's a bulletin board with twenty-nine pictures on it. Beside each picture is some very specific and very familiar information. Feel free to examine it. The bulletin board is large enough for plenty of you to gather around and gawk. Don't try to get at it though, that glass in front of it is very thick. If you try to break it, you'll find out the hard way that it's shatterproof. Sorry about that. Perhaps even more of a concern than the glass is the list beside the profiles. It looks like a set of rules. You might want to examine those, though they're not providing much of an explanation for why you're here or how you got here. So relax and get to know your fellow students. You might be stuck here for awhile.

Comments

[oftheland]

Well, I can see how this place might have been an academy at some point... they're not very common where I'm from, but if you gave an academy sort of an old fashioned flair, it might look like this.

...it does really fall apart when you look at the rules, though.

[swirlied]

Huh. That does make sense, now that you mention it. [ Maybe some old academy in England would have this sort of theme... ]

What's up with these rules? How is this supposed to be a trust exercise?

[oftheland]

...I guess you're supposed to trust each other enough not to kill someone at the first opportunity...? I'd certainly hope that would be the natural reaction, though.

[swirlied]

Me too. I mean, I don't doubt anyone here but there's so many better ways to do a trust exercise.

[oftheland]

I'd say it seems a little early to judge whether or not anyone would go for it, but... even putting ethics aside, all the rules seem a little too vague. It'd be like placing a high stakes bet without really knowing how to play the game, except instead of potentially losing your own money you're killing someone.

[swirlied]

[ He nods. ]

Yeah, that's a big price to pay for something we know so little about.

[oftheland]

Well, let's hope everyone will be sensible about the whole thing.

...

[...scanning the profiles a bit, and...]

...

You know, I'm sure you get this a lot, but you seem awfully mild-mannered for a demon king.

[swirlied]

I actually didn't start hearing that until I got here, but... Yeah I have been getting it a lot. Demons from that world are probably really different than what you're thinking of.

[oftheland]

Ah, I wouldn't be surprised. People often misrepresent things, although... I really was mostly thinking large, spiky, and intimidating, honestly.

[swirlied]

A lot of people seem to think that. Most demons look like regular humans, though.

[ Except super good-looking for some reason... ]

[oftheland]

Ah, I see... so what's the difference, if you don't mind me asking? There has to be something, right?

[swirlied]

I don't mind! Most demons can use magic, and they age at a much slower rate. A friend of mine is in his 80's but he looks my age.

[oftheland]

Oh, I see. That's really rather interesting, given the general mental image you get when people talk about them.

I guess being able to use magic would kind of give them that kind of reputation, though... people are prone to exaggeration, after all.

[swirlied]

Yeah, they are. I'm sure there are demons out there who don't use their magic for good, so it makes sense why people would exaggerate.

[oftheland]

Isn't that true of everyone, though? Then again, I guess it's easier to generalize a group's behavior when they have different abilities than you do, especially if those abilities can make them incredibly dangerous.

[swirlied]

[ He nods. This guy seems to really get it, which is more than he can say for most people back home. ]

You're the boss of Team Rocket, right? What exactly is that...?

[ While Yuuri does have a little knowledge of pokemon, it's extremely rusty. But the name does sound familiar and he can't figure out why. ]

[oftheland]

Ah... well, we're an organization that does a lot of different things, really.

[...he can say a lot of stuff that's technically true here, can't he...]

We do a lot of research and development, logistics and planning, and upper level management. It's a pretty demanding job, but someone's got to do it, right?

[swirlied]

Oh... That sounds interesting.

[ It really doesn't, it sounds boring but Yuuri can't say that to him not when he's been so nice. ]

You're right, though, someone's always got to do the hard stuff.

[oftheland]

Hahaha, sometimes it gets a little too interesting... I can't say I mind, though. That's the part that's really rewarding about the whole thing in the end.

[swirlied]

[ He nods. ]

Enjoying it is what matters the most, I think.

[oftheland]

Oh, definitely. They always say that if you love your job, you never have to work a day in your life.

[swirlied]

You know, that's actually really true.

[oftheland]

So perhaps that's something you ought to keep in mind when you consider going into some sort of career.

...Or how you're going to run things as king, of course.

[oftheland]

So perhaps that's something you ought to keep in mind when you consider going into some sort of career.

...Or how you're going to run things as king, of course.

[swirlied]

Yeah... That kind of thinking will definitely help me get through all the paperwork I'll have to do.