here they talked of revolution, here it was they lit the flame

[initiates]

Date: October 1st
Location: The Observatory.
Characters: Everyone.
Summary: New Transports arrive and are shuffled into the Observatory for the show of the year. Initial briefings are very brief this time around, and that Greeter just won't stop crying.
Warnings: new confused people and old sad people??

Your arrival here has been very unceremonious. One second you were somewhere else, and now, very suddenly, your feet hit the glowing white of the Transporter pad, and you're here. You aren't alone, either. There's a crowd of others around you, each seeming just as bewildered, angry, or confused as you might feel. At the head of the group is a woman in purple robes, with eyes red as if she'd just finished crying. She hurries over a quick overview of your intended purpose here, and gives direct answers when asked for them, but to most things she simply shows you how to access the tablet you've just been given. There, you can find the history of this place and a record of what your new cohorts have experienced — although it won't have Network access for another 8 hours. Someone stands on hand to give you a weapon, and though the armory is now greatly reduced, you should be able to find something to suit you.

You're shepherded down a walkway tunnel and into the Observatory, where you will find screens mounted on three sides of the wide room. The only lighting comes from dull red emergency lights, and the scenes of a dreary, rainy city from various cameras up on the screens; the largest of the screens opens up to a view of Earth from a good distance away -- this one isn't a screen at all, you might realize, but a window. As you watch, all screens in the room fill with light, impossibly bright. It consumes the buildings, the people, everything. There is no sound played, perhaps mercifully, only that white light -- and then nothing.

Through the large window, there's a pinprick of light over one of the landmasses on the blue planet. It grows to a tiny blossom and then dies away, but a cloud begins to mushroom outward in the same spot. It pushes the natural clouds out of the way, claiming that small portion of the world and wrapping it in a uniform gray.

Strings of numbers begin to fill the blanked out screens as the base's AI begins collecting data and calculations, but the show seems to be over. You're free to explore the base, visit and use any of the VR rooms, or discover your new room and roommates, but try not to step out of any airlocks if oxygen is a requirement for your system.

Welcome to the moon base, with front row seats to the grave of Exsilium.

[[ooc; reminder! The Network will be down for 8 hours after the wave of new Transports.]]

Comments

[trickmyheart]

[ A brief nod. She got that much from the Greeter, anyways. But in a way, it means everyone is "new" to this place, and that makes her feel just a little bit better, in a weird way. At least she's not alone in the confusion and shock. ]

It looks like you were moved just in time.

[therealrisette]

[Rise just gives a quiet, sad nod in reply. If the wound from leaving so many people behind weren't so freshly reopened, she might be a little angrier. But she can't even muster that up right now.

She lets the silence continue just long enough to be noticeable, before she decides to just change the subject. Looking up into Celestia's eyes, she tries to force a friendly smile, with mixed results. Since she started this conversation, she might as well see it through.]

... I'm Rise.

[trickmyheart]

Rise, is it?

[ She brushes off her skirts, before giving her a smile ]

Very well. My name is Celestia Ludenberg.

[therealrisette]

[The distraction at least cheers Rise up a bit, and her smile becomes that much more genuine.]

Nice to meet you, Celestia-san!

[A pause, as her smile drops again. Just a teensy bit.]

... I wish it was in a better place than this, but...

[But at least they're alive? She supposes.]

[trickmyheart]

Well, you know what they say. Any house can become a home.

[ Bullshit, she thinks ... but anything to make herself look more well-adjusted. ]

[therealrisette]

[In her current state, Rise immediately latches onto any stability, or appearance of stability, she can find. So she doesn't see through the act at all, thinking exactly what Celestia wants her to think.]

I guess so. I have some friends and... family here now. So it's not all bad.

[She tries to put on a brave face, too - possibly with undertones of admiration she doesn't quite intend. Not too obvious, but just enough that Celes might pick up on it. She's easily impressed lately, and the difference between new arrivals and people who had to watch the decisions made to get to this point doesn't really register.]

What's your home like, Celestia-san?

[This must be a happier topic of discussion, right? Ha... ha ha..... ha.]

[trickmyheart]

[ And now, Celes has to make a decision. What to say about her home? Telling the truth will only earn her disgusting sympathy and awkward emotions to deal with.

So she does what the Queen of the Liars does best ]

Well, my father is a German aristocrat, my mother a German musician. I suppose you could say we live in a relatively extravagant home ...

[therealrisette]

... Really?

[Rise seems kind of uncertain about this - Celes looks Japanese to her, but with a name like that...

Well, she doesn't have any reason to think it's not true. So Rise once again takes it exactly as Celes intended, clearly looking impressed. It even manages to draw some pep out of her for once!]

That sounds pretty amazing...! Do you go to school there?

[A lot of people who get taken to this world have (or had) friends here, so maybe she knows someone from her world already? At least, that sure seems to happen a lot with the people Rise meets.

Also she desperately wants to talk about something other than what's going on here.]

[trickmyheart]

[ Yep, she's making shit up. But at least this next part is actually true! ]

I do. I go to a private school which only accepts students who are the best in the world at a chosen subject.

and it begins...

[therealrisette]

[It's okay, Celes, Rise is totally an impressionable young girl. Or looks younger than she is, at least. She miiight have a bit of a complex about looking as cute and innocent as she possibly can lately.

She brightens up a bit at the mention of the school, too.]

Oh, I've heard of places like that! I think... my big sister used to go to one, too!

[This is the first time she's called Junko her sister to anyone else... it feels nice. Solid. Stable. Like they could almost belong here, in this world.

Of course the 'used to' part and... general suckiness of this world they could almost belong in brings a little sadness back. But she's trying to distract herself from that, so she tries not to show it too much.]

sobs

[trickmyheart]

[ It doesn't really surprise her that she's heard of something like that. After all, Hope's Peak is world-renowned. But her sister ... ? Maybe she had been a previous class graduate, because Rise doesn't really look anything like any of her so-called classmates ]

Used to?

[therealrisette]

Yeah, before she came here. I guess she kinda still does...

[They'll all go home eventually, after all.]

She says she's the 'Super High-School Level Fashion Girl'!

[Rise has no idea yet she's talking about the same school, she just thinks that's a cute and kinda silly title that's worth sharing...]

[trickmyheart]

[ Well, that's a little bit, uh ... could it really be ... ? Were there ever repeats of the Super High School Level titles? ]

Enoshima ... Junko?

[ She was alive again, too ... ?]

[therealrisette]

You know her?!

[So she might have friends here! But... Rise's a little wary, too. The last friends of Junko's she met were pretty mean to her!]

[trickmyheart]

She ... was a classmate of mine.

[ This girl doesn't seem to realize she's dead, though ... boy, this is going to be awkward if she asks too many questions. How about we get far, far away from that accidental "was" she let slip, and move on to Celes ]

You see, I am the Super High School Level Gambler.

[therealrisette]

[Rise doesn't even notice that little slip! Not that she'd be surprised if it did come up. Sad, yes, but not surprised.]

I knew it!

[No she didn't, but she hoped. And that totally counts!]

Are you friends? [She said 'classmate', so... better make sure before she starts assuming.] ... And do you all have titles like that?

[trickmyheart]

[ Hope always counts when it comes to Dangan Ronpa!! ]

I don't know her very well at all, though she was a popular model long before we met.

[ Lol. Don't hate on their sweet titles, Rise ]

Each student has a similar title that corresponds to the talent they were accepted into the school for.

[therealrisette]

Ohhh... you probably saw her on like, magazine covers and stuff, huh? She's really nice, though!

[SCREAMING]

So, like... if I got accepted there someday, I could be a Super High-School Level Idol? Or Super High-School Level Gravure, or something...?

[She's just making sure she understands the concept! ... And accidentally making herself sound like a middle-schooler...]

[trickmyheart]

There is already a Super High School Level Idol, but yes, if that is your talent, you'd receive a similar title.

[therealrisette]

[That might have been a bit of a blow to Rise's already fragile ego. If Celes hadn't phrased it quite like that.]

That's pretty cool! She never really told me what the title meant before!

[Of course, Celes doesn't need to strike a weak point for Rise's ego to crumble a little bit. Thinking about Sheryl and Saber and how she doesn't feel like she quite measures up to anyone here...]

I don't know if I'm really Super High-School Level material, though...

[trickmyheart]

[ Whoops, sorry Rise. Oh well. ]

It hardly matters. I think you'll find it impossible to apply to the school now. It is being shut down.

[ That's the nicest way to put it, anyways ]

[therealrisette]

[Totally not Celes' fault! Rise's very fragile in general right now.]

Oh...

[She sounds sad... and probably disappointed. She doesn't really want to ask about something sad right now, so time to change the subject again.]

Anyway... I hope we can be friends, Celestia-chan! [A pause, and she blushes.] I-is it okay if I call you that?

[She doesn't want to be too familiar all of a sudden! Even if she is classmates with her 'sister'.]

[trickmyheart]

[ Sorry Rise, but she doesn't have friends. Still, she guesses she's not going to stop Rise from calling her Celestia-chan ]

If that's what you'd prefer to call me, I suppose I don't mind.

[therealrisette]

[Too bad, Celes, that totally means they're friends as far as Rise's concerned!]

Oh, good! I'm glad...

[Now that that's settled...!]

... Do you need any help settling in? Since you're my sister's classmate and all...

[trickmyheart]

[ She doesn't particularly need information, but ... ]

I have not found our sleeping quarters yet.