trustfell | Welcome.

Rise and shine.

There are a few things that matter right now - the fact that you're waking up in an unfamiliar but decently comfortable bed, the fact that you don't recognize the room you're in, the fact that you seem to have some sort of headache... Nothing severe, mind. Just the sort of odd, heavy fuzziness that comes with having slept far too long.

You don't really remember where you were immediately before this, not upon waking. Something will come to you eventually if you think long enough, however - a couple of seconds of consideration will bring to mind a place, a memory, a recollection of where you were and what you were doing.

It probably wasn't anything that would result in you being here, though.

Welcome to Graceside Preparatory Academy.

You may want to pick up the key to your room before you leave the room, but don't worry too much - your door won't lock automatically, so you won't be locked out if you've forgotten to pick it up. It seems you're not alone, either; the hallway outside your room is most likely full of other confused people 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 not getting out of here anytime soon.

The foyer also holds some very interesting information. There's a bulletin board with thirty-five 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 Participants. You might be stuck here for awhile.

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

[Estelle reacts to the word 'boat'.]

Me too! I was on a boat! The Fierta, we were boarding and escaping Nordopolica after...

[She stops after she says that and looks down. Well, she doesn't want to talk about that, clearly.]

That makes three of us who were on boats.

[Luckily for you, Kyrie doesn't seem that willing to pry into your life. Maybe because she'd rather not to have anyone prying in hers]

Could it be we all got off our boats and we just don't remember right now?

I wouldn't be surprised, honestly. I did feel as if something felt off when I awoke, so perhaps something happened that messed with our memories when we disembarked...

[She takes a deep breath as if doing so would help her retrieve that memory... yet nothing comes up. It's all a blank.]

[Kyrie tries to remember again. It's useless, all she remembers is the boat and her family, nothing else. What happened to her?]

...I guess that'll have to be solved later. For now, finding out where we are will be priority. Have you explored around yet?

[Going alone could be dangerous]

[She shakes her head.]

I have not. Though I plan on looking around. From my room I can see there's much more to this place.

[Since her room looks into the eastern corridor. Lucky (or unlucky) her. She's closest to the kitchen, technically!]

Then let's go together! I'm getting tired of standing around here. We're not getting out of here unless we do some effort to achieve that.

[Onwards, Estellise?]

[Onwards!]

Yes, I think that's a wonderful idea. I'm sure there's an answer to our whereabouts somewhere.

[She's going to check out the kitchen first because it's right there.]

[The kitchen. All the appliances are of good quality, and the fridge is full. Kyrie examines it, a bit impressed]

Look at all this food! At least we won't have to worry about starving.

[Better try to see the bright side of the situation]

Do you know how to cook?

[At that question, she gives a very firm nod.]

Yes I can! I've practiced a lot and there's a few dishes I can make quite well.

That makes two of us. I don't know how long we're going to be in here, but someone will have to cook. May as well be someone who knows what they're doing.

[Kyrie finds some of the high-class candy and takes a box for herself, offering some to Estellise, and goes to the butcher block, staring at it with blank expression, before taking one knife]

...don't tell anyone, but I think I'll be taking one of these. Just in case.

Perhaps we could work together!

[It sounds nice to Estelle and she'd really like that. After all, while there are a few dishes she can cook she's still a novice.

She then notices Kyrie taking a knife, but there's no judgement from Estelle.]

And I promise not to tell anyone. It's for self-defense, right?

Of course! There's nothing like a homemade meal to keep everyone in good mood. We don't want everyone to start fighting with each other, do we?

[...she wasn't planning to cook for everybody, but since she got asked to, well...refusing to help would make her look bad. Thanks a lot, Estellise]

Exactly, self-defense, in case the kidnappers try something funny. Not that I know how to use a knife, it's just...I'd feel better having something with me.

Yes! I'm sure we can help keep everyone in good moods if we cook.

[Well, they just volunteered for the cooking staff, didn't they? That's okay. Estelle likes helping others like this.

She then goes to the butcher block and takes a steak knife out and inspects it.]

Do you think I should take on just in case? I know how to use a sword, so I imagine using a knife would be somewhat similar in concept.

Definitely! Take one.

[Have a knife, go ahead!]

Why do you know how to use a sword? Nowadays not many bother to learn how to use those.

[At Kyrie's prompting, she takes a knife. It's for self defense, after all. It's like how she always goes around with a sword.]

I was trained by knights how to use one, so I'm rather good at it. I have a couple of friends who are sword users as well. Though there are other weapons people are trained in like guns, lances, hammers, crossbows, bows and arrows-- after all, we need to be able to fight one way other another.

[That really gets her attention]

...one doesn't hear about knights often nowadays, either. Where did you say you come from?

I'm from the Empire.

[That's what it's called. It's legit called the Empire.]

[Kyrie waits for a moment, expecting the sentence to be finished. It never comes]

...you mean England?

[Either that or the Roman Empire, and you definitely don't come from the Roman Empire, because it's long gone]

What's England?

[So that would be a 'no'.]

Great Britain? Wales? Uh, Scotland? You know, the island that's near Europe. It's not an empire, but it's the closest there is to an empire -- in name only, of course.

[Why are there so many people who don't know basic geography, she thinks]

I'm afraid I haven't heard of any of those locations.

[She furrows her eyebrows, confused about this.]

The Empire is just The Empire. Its capital is Zaphias.

Welcome.

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