Scene #8838:

Owner	Pose
Desire Stars	ST. BARBARA'S COLLEGE FOR ORDINARY PEOPLE The notably terrible parking of this definitely ordinary college does not seem to deter Tsumuri, the 'Navigator' of the Desire Grand Prix. Her neat black ponytail bobs in time with her professionally brisk pace through the campus. A small box is carried in her hands, held before her; a black lid and a yellow bottom, the lid bearing DGP branding. Her black-and-white outfit, with its slight asymmetry, stands out particularly in the afternoon sun. She's on a beeline to the campus cafe. Inside that box is a Desire Driver, a personalized ID core, and a Spider Phone, all for one particular student here: Clover Delamonte, a normal girl with normal thoughts. Tsumuri's path to her follows all the paved walkways in perfect, punctual and orderly fashion, and yet she arrives at Clover's table just in time. "Congratulations," the Navigator says with a polite smile. "You've been invited to become a Kamen Rider." The box is proferred. The rectangular Driver, with its circular center, bears a spot for a small black authenticator token, with an image in green relief of a stylized chameleon's head.
Phantom Thieves	A few moments earlier, totally-not-a-supervillain Clover Delamonte was saying goodbye to totally-not-a-superhero Harriet Jones. "Right, just wrap up the last paragraph of that essay and you're golden!" Clover's already finished hers while Harriet had to rewrite hers halfway through, because per narrative conventions the heroes always have more trouble than the villains with their daily lives. Clover was heading back to her dorm room when she gets approached. "Oh - what? Huh?" She's on edge instantly. Did she get found out? Or - no, wait, she's in Clover mode right now, not Limelight. "I'm... I'm sorry? I think you have the wrong person...?" "... Or if this is about the - the thing that happened this week, I'm sorry if I broke something? I just - saw people being hurt, and I had to... do something. Did I do something wrong?" Clover looks down at the offered driver. Stealing some sort of entry into the competition had occurred to her, certainly, but that was... stealing. This was just being offered. "Is this... some sort of punishment? I don't understand."
Desire Stars	Tsumuri shakes her head. "The Game Master has the right to select entrants to the Desire Grand Prix." She pauses, then elaborates, "You demonstrated a strong will to survive and a not insignificant amount of martial skill. Therefore--this is neither a punishment nor a mistake, but an invitation." The Navigator holds out the box as a subtle gesture of polite insistence. "Clover Delamonte," she says, "Do you accept the invitation to fight the Jyamato as Kamen Rider Re-On, and compete for a chance at a wish of your choosing?"
Phantom Thieves	Clover looks down at the offered box, thoughts racing. "So - I get a wish, if I win?" Her thoughts race more. What could she do with a wish... "Deal." Wait, too eager. "I mean - yes, I suppose so? For a wish?" Clover takes the box. "... Kamen Rider Re-On?" she adds, examining the driver.
Desire Stars	Tsumuri's head bobs down once, in a curt, matter-of-fact nod. "Your Driver will allow you to transform, and your ID Core is a personalized access key to both the Driver and DGP facilities," she explains. With the box taken, her hands are clasped together neatly before her, held just above her wide black belt, just below the hem of her stylish black and white jacket. "Your Spider Phone allows you to check the leaderboards, review objectives and stay in contact with your fellow Riders. DGP staff will send notifications of round commencements to the Spider Phone, so be sure to keep it close at hand." After a brief pause, she adds one final detail. "In the compartment below your Desire Driver, ID Core and Spider Phone, you'll find a Desire Card. Simply write your wish on it any time before the first round, and have it with you upon the first summons to the Desire Temple."
Phantom Thieves	"And... that's it? I just write my wish down, show up, win the rounds?" Clover locates the wish card. She examines it. "So, what... a good wish? Something like world peace? Joy and love on earth?" "This, honestly, just... seems too easy? I mean - I'm nobody special, that's what I mean by too easy." She's not offering the box back, though. Also, after a moment, she flips the phone on to see if anyone else is connected yet.
Desire Stars	Tsumuri's professional demeanor--did it falter, for just a moment, when Clover asked what a good wish would be? Maybe it lingers, a moment longer, makes itself just a bit easier to see, when she remarks about it seeming too easy. It wasn't irritation, that momentary downward flick of her brown eyes. Could it be hesitation, or maybe even guilt? She's quick to dismiss it. "That is up to you to decide," she concludes. The leaderboard app is easy to find. It displays a few other Riders at this point, and easily 30 'TBD' entries. Those who have already been invited have entries denoted by little octagonal icons bearing Rider likenesses, with banners reading the Rider and personal names. Everyone has 0 points, which makes sense, given that the round hasn't started yet. There are five other riders, besides Clover: KAMEN RIDER GEATS // ACE UKIYO - The prickly, smug Rider who won the previous round. His Rider emblem is a red fox over a white background. KAMEN RIDER NA-GO // Neon Kurama - The bubbly, optimistic streamer who Geats annoyed with his cocky attitude at the end of the previous round. Her Rider emblem is a black cat over a golden background. KAMEN RIDER BUFFA // Michinaga Azuma - The ill-mannered loner who butts heads with Geats. His Rider emblem is a purple buffalo over an orange background. KAMEN RIDER TYCOON // Keiwa Sakurai - The hapless guy apparently fresh out of a job interview, who Geats also annoyed at the end of the previous round. His Rider emblem is a green raccoon over a black background. KAMEN RIDER DA-PAAN // Kanato Sumida - This one's an unknown; he wasn't present last time. His Rider emblem is a white panda over a black background. If she bothers clicking on him, she can see a profile picture. Somehow he looks even less approachable than Michinaga's.
Phantom Thieves	"... Huh. That's a lot of entries... lot of competition." Clover puts the phone down. "So - okay. I've never been a Kamen Rider before. I'll... give it my best shot!" She smiles, warmly, putting the Clover act back on. "Right! Well, I guess I'll figure it out when the time comes..." "... Um - do..." Clover shifts her grip on the box to one hand, and digs into her pocket. "I - sorry, I don't know what the usual tip is for this sort of thing..." CRIMECAST PRO TIP: Always be nice and polite to service and retail workers. It'll help throw off suspicion when you rob their bosses blind. A pair of five dollar bills are pressed into Tsumuri's hands. "This enough? I don't have much more on me, unless you take credit cards? Or WarpGatePay?"
Desire Stars	Tsumuri blinks owlishly, as the bills are shoved into her hands. This is completely unprecedented! "Eh?" she says, her professional demeanor shattered by to crumpled bills. Her deer-in-the-headlights look lasts for a few seconds which stretch on with an almost tangible, eternal grind. "...that won't be necessary," she says, akwardly passing the bills back to Clover, holding them with both hands like an emcee presenting a prize. "My compensation from the DGP production staff is more than enough--and I am unable to accept gifts from contestants, besides." "...thank you, all the same," she says, with a courteous little bow at the waist. "In the meantime, please feel free to utilize the Desire Temple during your off-hours, for training, recreation, and refreshments. Your ID core is your key for entry." That piece said, she calmly (but briskly) turns around and makes her exit. Much as before, she stays neatly on the established walkways. Once she's got enough cars blocking her sightlines to pass through without anyone but the most dedicated of snoops seeing her departure, she disappears in an encroaching vertical wave of blue pixels.
Phantom Thieves	"Oh, sure..." Limelight tucks the box under one arm, and heads off. This was an unusual turn of events, but not an unwelcome one. Time to figure out what wish she wants to make... ... ... From around the corner, Harriet peeks out. She didn't hear everything, but she can't believe what she heard. "Clover is..." "... Kamen Rider Re-On?" "... She's ... another superhero?"