Scene 1: Bright New Day at Unmei (Morning 1: All)

You each wake up in a room you do not recognize. It's appears to be around 10'x15' in size. You rest upon a soft full size bed. Looking around the room see a floor to ceiling black-out curtain covering a sliding glass window. It is hard to see outside, but through the small separation in the drapes it appears to be a bright and sunny day. Continuing around the room you see a student desk with a couple shelves above, various tchotchke give you clues as to the owner's personality. Some of them strike you as interesting, something you would find interesting enough to have in your own place. A computer monitor stares back at you, black and blank. Your eyes continue to scan the room, you note a door that seems to lead out of the room. A small two person couch and easy chair make a small sitting area with a 20" flat-screen TV. Next your eyes fall on a closet door upon which hangs a full length mirror. In the mirror you see something that you likely find very shocking. The face that stares back at you is not your own, though the shocked expression is shows reflects perfectly the alarm you feel as you watch this strange visage move in tandem with you.

Before you have a chance to think, a soft electronic bell chimes. You look up at the ceiling and see a small speaker wired into one of the tiles. The gentle noise gets progressively louder without getting deafening, as though it were mean as an alarm. A gentle female voice follows the sound.

"Good morning students. Welcome to the first day of school at Unmei Academy. This is Principal Howell and I want to wish everyone a wonderful start to a wonderful year. Your futures burn as bright as this morning's sun. Your fates as yet, unwritten. Remember to let that potential Shine Always! And a reminder, all students are required to attend morning assembly in their dormitory courtyards in 10 minutes. You will meet your homeroom teacher for your daily schedule, then be dismissed to enjoy a healthy and nutritious breakfast in the dining halls. Have a great day everyone, and remember Shine Always!"

You start to hear doors open and shut outside your own. A murmur of voices starts to build. The snippets you catch all seem to be people greeting each other, small talk about how they slept and how excited they are for the first day of class, or what they hope is available at breakfast.

At the first sign of waking up in a strange room Akira is already reaching futilely for the gun she always keeps under her pillow; When the bell chimes, as though it was a signal to start a race, Akira sheds the blankets as efficiently as possible, and makes to roll under the bed, but is stopped awkwardly by drawers installed under it to save space. A second later she's wracked by pain - absolutely none of her muscles were in shape for a move like that and they were letting her know in the most agonizing way possible. She would have cried out except that was surely what the enemy was waiting for. She listened, her heart pumping vital adrenaline, as Principal Howell introduced himself, becoming more confused by the minutes. Finally, as the announcements ended, she picked herself up off the floor and looked around.

It looked like a perfectly ordinary... her mind supplied "dorm room" though it would have been years since she could have seen one, and then only on TV. Her education was a little more... hands on... and she had rarely watched TV.

As she looked around the room her eyes fell on the mirror, and on her new face, and a whole new layer of threat embedded itself in her mind.

Is this some kind of deep cover assignment? Did I get plastic surgery?

A voice deep inside her head says,

Your present bodily health is inconsistent with the possibility of plastic surgery

Who said that?

I am your assistant

Ahh. My handler. What are my orders?

You are required to attend morning assembly in the Dormitory courtyards in... 5.1341 minutes and counting

Akira shrugs. Ok. That's manageable. She dresses hastily with a uniform she found in the closet, and checked the ID on the desk for her cover identity. Mirai LeBelle. She notes the similar structure of her name to the cover name. Lazy....

While she still has time, she takes a look around the room. On her desk next to the computer, there's a collection of pills. She'd need to ask her handler about them later. The room is decorated in shades of green, with solid looking hardwood furniture that, while not exactly looking like a jungle, do kind of remind her of the outdoors, and surprisingly appealed to her tastes. She was more used to hastily constructed tree forts and jungle canopies, but if she needed to live indoors she supposed this is how she'd decorate.

She steps out into the hallway and follows the other students, trying to look like she belongs...

And finds herself unexpectedly winded as she reaches the courtyards...

Oh... Oh no...

Having had vivid dreams before, Josh is not sure if he has awoken or is still sleeping. Further he is not sure how to wake up if he is still sleeping, of course usually he did not want to wake up. This train of thought though was not one he usually had when dreaming, and he certainly felt awake but if he was awake... things were just all wrong. However, he also felt suddenly excited about this inexplicable prospect. This excitement caused him to sit up and decide okay he was awake. Now where was he?

And almost if on cue the sound followed by the voice came over the speaker in the ceiling. Okay that explained somewhat where he was, he was at Unmei Academy wherever that was... but why? He began to look around and the mirror caught his eye and created yet another and perhaps more significant question. Who was he? For the person in the mirror looking back at him was no longer the person he had been which meant that he was most likely one of these students... but how? The whole concept was completely mind boggling and rather unnerving as it was way beyond anything he could even remotely explain.

Almost as if he were moving in a dream, he got up and moved over to check the Id, 'Dan Pierce' and it appeared to be a student id so that affirmed that suspicion. Well at least this person he now seemed to be had a normal seeming name, even though it was not his. Still considering the body was not his that kind of made sense. Again he found that last concept quite unsettling. He moved to the window and reached out to pull the curtain aside and noticed his hand was shaking. He clenched his fist tightly and closed his eyes as he tried to settle his nerves. Then once slightly calmed he moved the curtain aside and looked out to see what lay outside noting the location of the sun in order to determine what direction he was currently facing.

The sounds outside the room reminded him that all students, which he appeared to be now, were expected to go to a meeting and while all he really wanted to do was get back in bed and close his eyes so he could once more wake up in his own bed, his own room, his own body he had a sense that would be how that worked. So the next logical thing to do was attend the meeting, perhaps some answers could occur there. Moving to the closet he noted that apparently Dan like dark colors or more specifically black as all his shirts were black. Further they were all pull over collared short-to-the-elbow sleeved knit shirts which made that choice rather easy. Looking around he found, of course, black jeans as well as black high-top sneakers. Once dressed he slipped the id into his back pocket and then again slowly looked the room over before stepping out into the hallway.

First order of business was to locate the restroom and then the meeting place while not appearing that he was unaware where these things were. Just in case him not being who he once was ended up being even more unsettling for this world. As he had no desire to become an item of scrutiny or some test subject. Of course, he realized he would most likely need some help with the explanation of it all, if that was even possible. So first find out more about the situation and then decide how to proceed.

The first thing Lotte's nocturnal eye picked up as it cracked open was the faintest slat of light leaking through the bottom of blackout blind. That alone was enough for her to groan and roll over, a hard 'nope' on any form of activity before at least six pm. Of course, her attempt to continue sleeping didn't go as planned.

For a start, there was something in her face. It was ticklish and soft. Her hand came to brush it away, finding it to be hair. Except it wasn't hers, it couldn't be. She didn't have this much hair. Annoyed, she sat up and blew the remaining strands out of her face. Now that she looked around, this was certainly not her apartment. Seeing no one else in the room, she sighed and got up, begrudgingly winding the blind up to take a look outside...

Her eyebrow lifted befuddled. That was not her city. Just after noticing that, she became aware of an unfamiliar reflection in the website and spun around, only to see no one. It did, however, let her take in the rest of the room. It reminded her of her old student digs, all neat and clean and sharply organised. That still didn't explain where she was, though.

She crossed the room to the mirror, being met with a clearer view of the same reflection from the window. This was... Her? She was fairly certain she hadn't blacked out yesterday - So how did she not remember a makeover this extensive? It was more than that, in fact. Her features were softer, her hair was a bluish-silver and reached her waist. Tying it up in her usual pigtails would feel like a waste...

She shook her head of the thought of doing anything with it and checked the desk just as the announcement went out. She didn't even react this time. Academy. Sure. She already had enough questions, what did a few dozen more matter? Supporting this announcement was a student ID on the table with 'her' face on it. Chou. Chou Aiba. Well, cute name.

Against all her sensibilities, she figured she should get dressed and head out. The sooner she got some answers, the better... Although she had a morbid feeling that there would be even more questions before the answers started coming.

Oxana, had been awake for what felt like hours when the announcement was made. Her brain and body simply hurt too much for sleep, twice she’d almost thrown up in the tiny waste basket next to the bed but there was nothing in her to throw up and so she sat on the floor next to the bed with her head on her knees.

*Where the hell am I and why does it hurt so much?*

It wasn’t the first time she’d woken in a different city but this felt different, this felt more like drugs than alcohol, like someone had slipped her something. Oxana hated not knowing.

She struggled to her feet, opened the closer and regarded the stranger in the mirror critically. *Hair, pink,* she cringed running her fingers through the layered bob, *short, practical, almost demands to speak to the manager. Cut is alright but the colour has to go, maybe something more red.*

The girl in the mirror frowned back at her, *Shoulders, strong, well defined, arms, long and muscular, hands lean kind of banged up.* Oxana looked at her hands carefully.

*Was I in a fight? Might explain the tenderness,* she thought.

Reaching down to her waist she took hold of the bottom of her tank top and pulled it up over her head.

*Wow.*

The bruising down her right side was fresh, black and ugly. It stretched from, just above the blade of her pelvis to just under her arm. There were other jaundiced yellow bruises spread across her abdomen and other side.

*Think think think, what is the last thing you remember?*

Nothing.

"God damn it!" She yelled, throwing the top on the bed, the bottoms quickly followed suit. "What the hell did they give me?"

It took Oxana a moment longer than expected to pull on a sports bra and adjust everything. There was a fair amount more to deal with there than she was accustomed to and the bruised ribs didn’t help.

A pair of black boyshorts, plaid skirt, white blouse, tie and blazer. Light dusting of makeup quick check of her seams in the mirror and she was done.

"Ten minutes," she grumbled grabbing the student ID from the desk, "I can not even make a decent cup of coffee in ten minutes."

*Annika Koshkin,* she frowned, *Ana it is then.*

Her brain hurt a lot more now as she joined the commotion outside. One decision split into two which in turn split into ten.

Following the flow in the hall she let the crowd guide her to the courtyard, the other students avoided her as she moved, a teardrop opening in the crowded hall allowing her free passage. The cacophony of possibilities simplified as she approached until only one remained.

Stay away.

As each of you step out of your room, you encounter a crowd of about 15 students also coming out of their rooms, some a little more put together than others. You also note that your hallway appears to be filled with fellow students of your gender presentation, when you can see enough to make that kind of judgement. Most seem normal, but a couple wear some weird gear that covers their faces and hair.

Dan/Josh, as you look around outside your room, you note the presence of a bathroom sign pointing around the corner. It seems your floor shares a communal bathroom. You head away from that sign and find everyone headed down a stairwell. You are on the second floor of the building. From above you

Lotte/Chou, as you exit you see people giving a pink haired girl make her way down the hall. She seems bothered by something, like she has a migraine and the lights are to bright. Every other girl gives her a bit of a wide birth.

Oxana/Annika, you exit your rooms and see what has been described to the others. You make brief eye contact with another girl with light bluish-silver hair. Her expression is one of confusion (by comparison to the other girls who chatter about whatever.)

As the two of you find yourself at the stairs, you note that you are on the third floor.

Akira/Mirai, to make matters worse, you live on the fourth floor. On your way down you get a good look at nearly all the students. You note one girl seems to be very popular, but you can't figure out why. Instead of hair, she has a large mushroom like growth. She is very pretty and fit. She seems nice, but more than a few girls avert their eyes. Some sort of power hierarchy exists that has mushroom head at it's apex, but you can't pick it out just yet.

Each floor is basically a 'U' with 15 dorm rooms per 'arm' of the structure. In the back is a communal bathroom for each floor, in the front is a communal space with a kitchenette; sink, microwave, stove, cabinetry, and a seating area for 20 people among various couches and stools. The stairwells each have a key-card reader. A reasonable guess is your student IDs open them.

On the first floor you see the same basic setup but there is a vestibule and a 'main entrance' to get in and out. Passing through the wide double doors you see what the principal meant by courtyards, there is a MASSIVE structure in front of the dorm building. Several doors are marked by numbers. You see 15 through 18. The building has wings that jut out and create a semi contained area. Beyond those wings of the school you can see other buildings that are identical to your dormitory. Five adult individuals stand about halfway between the dorm and the school. Students who seem to know what is happening gather in loose lines in front of the adults.

The same voice you heard over the speaker comes from a black woman with her hair pulled into two puffs.

"Gather around students. I know I don't need to introduce myself, or your teachers, but I am Principal Howell. Better known to some of you as Darkhound. Next, Ms. Gillian Asami, aka Victory. Mr. Al Chemy, aka Alchemist. Mr. Vincent Taylor, aka Owl-Bear, and Mr. Tyrone Smith, Psychopomp." Darkhound pauses as a short round of applause that breaks out among the students.

"As the principal at this esteemed institution, I take it upon myself to welcome the freshman class personally. Like I said during my morning announcements, I believe in each of you. You ALL have so much potential for greatness. We, the faculty of Unmei Academy, are honored to be given the chance influence and guide you on your journey. It is our goal to instill in you the ability to Shine Always!"

Another shorter round of applause starts but is stopped short in it's tracks. Psychopomp steps forward, glowing with pink energy, suddenly he and his chimp stand 30 feet tall and a nearly overwhelming sense of dread and fear washes over you, then suddenly it is over. He speaks at a normal volume and is easily heard because no one dares make a sound.

"Quiet down. Ms. Howell would have us coddle you. Shine Always? Sure, that's a bright and sunny ideal to live up to. But in order to find your Shine, we are going to pound you into the dirt. Make you crawl through the mud and dig yourselves out in order to find it. The senior class has about 20 open spots in it this year. That's after the transfers in. Those openings are there because those students flunked out. I guarantee the number will be larger for your graduating class."

A round of murmurs rises and dies while Psychopomp takes a breath.

"That being said...that's the future, this is now. Listen for your name. These will be your homeroom teachers and classmates for the year. Once we get through the list, you check in with your teacher to get your syllabus, then you can head to the dining hall for breakfast."

Psychopomp reads off 15 names. All your "new identities" are on that list, along with a girl with a bunch of mushrooms growing on her scalp. With the business of the morning apparently over, the freshmen class is released to do whatever they need to do.

Handler? Which one of these clowns am I here to assassinate?

You have no orders to assassinate anyone at this time. I advise that you talk with some of the other students. Maybe they know something about the situation

Good idea. Have to keep it low key, though

Akira approaches the mushroom haired girl, and says in a voice that sounds like it was meant as a whisper, but is definitely loud enough for anyone nearby to hear.

"Hey, did you wake up in a new body this morning too?"

Oxana / Annika took in the gathering in silence. She noticed as the other students slowly shuffled away, leaving a noticeable void around her.

*What the hell is going on?*

The headache began to fade as the teachers spoke and the multitude of possibilities shrank.

When the gathering was over the possibilities exploded, thousands of decisions, eventualities, branching, uniting and bifurcating again.

Ana went nearby planter filled with chrysanthemums and leant against it letting the concrete box support her weight and took a deep breath. The girls near the planter all moved away.

*Yeah, that is right, get lost girls. Okay, I am in Japan and I am at some weird ass comic convention.* Closing her eyes she took another deep breath she forced down a wave of nausea.

*None of this makes any sense, Reykjavik I was in Reykjavik, at a guest house on ... Sunda ... Sunda something.*

The memory was tenuous and it vanished as she attempted to draw it in.
Ana opens her eyes and turns to look at the girl who asked about a new body, she watches the interaction carefully somehow knowing the answer before the mushroom haired girl had even opened her mouth.

When Akira approaches the girl with the mushrooms on her head she is surrounded by three girls and they are talking to some cute boys. After she asks her question, the group of teens stares at Akira with blank expressions. Then Mushroom head gives a cute little snort, then a chortle that sounds like bells, then a full belly laugh. As she does so a flurry of sparkling flecks fall fromthe underside of her caps. Everyone else in the group starts laughing

"What a freak." Mushroom head cackle and walks away.

Dan/Josh noted what direction the other students were headed as he made a pit stop in the communal men's room. After he relieved himself and examined the bathroom and washed his hands he headed out and on down.

Things just kept getting stranger and stranger. With the display it was fairly obvious that these adults were some kind of costumed vig... no wrong word... heroes. This made the prospects rather intriguing but if he was at a school such as this did that mean he had some kind of power? He glanced at his hands, moving them so he could see each side in turn. He did not feel like he had powers nor did he appear to have any powers. Maybe that was what the school did. It instilled or brought out the powers from within potential candidates such as this individual he now was. As he heard the name on the id called out he began moving towards Mr. Smith.

He then heard the statement made by a female student and while he noted who made that statement he also noted the response it got. So it appeared that maybe, assuming that individual was having a similar experience to his own, that he was not the only misplaced soul. Still that was only theoretical until it could be validated and he was not quite ready to do that at this point. He would wait to see what was on the syllabus.

Oh no. Akira had been shot, stabbed, water tortured, lit on fire, but one thing she'd never been is ignored.

Catching up to mush-head and placing a hand gently but firmly on her shoulder, she says loudly, "I'm sorry, that big thing on your head must be making it hard for you to hear me. I'm Ak- Mirai. I asked you a question. D'you need me to say it again?"

Akira ignores the pounding in her head and darkness growing at the corner of her eyes as details that can be dealt with later.

So far, today was turning out pretty friggin' weird. At least it seemed there was someone else having just as bad a day as her, she thought as she considered the pink-haired figure who looked like she was begging for death. She'd seen a hangover before. Honestly, Lotte was kinda looking forward to finding out where she'd got it so she could follow suit.

But between everything that happened in the courtyard, Lotte didn't have any time to feel fully... Terrified? By her situation. No doubt, it was there - deep in her stomach, a twisting and churning primal fear - But it didn't manage to make it to her face or any other part of her body. Perhaps because it knew things were only going to get weirder, and it was waiting for the peak to have a complete and utter nervous breakdown.

It was only then that she clocked the girl who had asked about waking up in another body. It wasn't just her? She watched the exchange and tutted when she heard that classic schoolgirl response that oozed cliche so much it hurt. She never could be assed with the teenagers constantly trying to get drinks to prove they were the biggest badasses in their class, and although she didn't have a bar, she still didn't care for that attitude at all.

However, the motion that followed set off some kind of sixth sense. She didn't like the other girl's body language. She'd seen that kind of faux-friendly interruption before and it came before barfights. Barfights messed stuff up and were a pain in her ass and--

"Okay, you two, let's just step off before we do something we regret..."

Oh, crap. She'd already stepped in. Lotte was the one regretting something now.

Mushroom Head stops and turns back to look over her shoulder. Her eyes are narrowed in anger. Those standing near her stop and look confused. Then another puff of orange dust puffs out of her hair and they look at Miari with harsh glares of anger. A large boy steps up to Miari, placing himself between her and Mushroom Head. Miari sees that a bit of orange dust has settled around his mouth and nose. His muscles ripple as he flexes his arms.

The two other girls also put themselves defensively between Miari and Mushroom Head. Then the alpha girl speaks. "I heard you just fine. Who do you think you are asking a question like that?"

Akira regretted that she didn't have a grenade to hold in her hand. That always made these kinds of conversations a lot easier. Still, she wasn't going to be intimidated by a bit of muscle. Or being outnumbered four to one. If push came to shove, she felt like she could avoid muscle-boy long enough to make mushroom-head regret snubbing her

"I guess you're the secret service?" she says to the boy. "Why don't you you go wait over there while the big kids talk."

To mush-for-brains, who obviously wasn't getting it:

"I only needed a yes or no. Did that mushroom grow so far into your brain that you forgot how to answer a simple question?"