Welcome to the Program

[airlockedmods]

Good Morning, Champions. In the interest of maintaining healthy sleep patterns, a day/night cycle is in effect. Your presence is expected in the cafeteria in exactly one hour.

[The voice comes through not a large speaker, but through the device that's attached to each Champion's arm. Further investigation of the features of the device will reveal a list of profiles, a mini-map, and a list of rules. The hallways are shiny white and silver, with running lights along the floor and lights on the ceiling, and at the junction of the hallways is a sign with a knife and fork icon and an arrow pointing down the hall.

Welcome to the Excellence Program, Champions. Time to get to know your teammates.]

Comments

[keepmeinyourheart]

Yes, and I would let no other try to lay claim to it while he lives.

[keepmeinyourheart]

I do not know what I would do if I were to live in a world where I could not feel their presence... It seems.. lonely.

[photoshooter]

Uh-huh. He's met three of them now: Titan, Ramuh, and Leviathan.

[As Lunafreya's just stated, forging a covenant with Shiva will probably be, um. Difficult. Ifrit's right out. And where in the world is Bahamut, anyway?]

So... just a couple days ago, you called up Leviathan without a hitch. Except once she got there, she kind of threw a hissy fit? And started wrecking the whole place. At the same time, the Imperial air fleet started attacking. Me and Iggy and Gladio were evacuating the Altissians, and Noct was just trying to get her to listen to him, and...

[He stops abruptly, the words bottled up behind his teeth, and then he forces a breath out through his nose.]

And nobody saw Ardyn coming.

[keepmeinyourheart]

.... Is she kind?

[stillstands]

Just... stop talking--[She screws her eyes shut and covers her ears, just for a moment. She can't let her guard down for a moment but she's looking at a creature that is too close to the undead back home, but it--she? she talks and thinks and... is trying to calm her down.

She needs a moment.]

Stop...

[Count to ten, count to ten. Deep breaths.

And when her breathing has settled and the panic isn't overwhelming her, she holds out the rolling pin again and glares at Zombina.]

You wouldn't get a chance to bite me. [SHE SOUNDS PRETTY FIRM ON THAT. But okay, let's take advantage of this, as much as she wants to run.]

Stay there. Don't c-come near me.

[Okay Miki. You can do this.]

What do you mean you don't bite people? It's instinct for you, isn't it?

[karappo]

No offense taken! It is nice to meet you, Prompto-san. My name is Karamatsu Matsuno.

[You can just call him Karamatsu because lord these names.]

[karappo]

W...what do you mean, "easy target"?

[karappo]

I guess you could say this is a lot more practical in that regard...the regard of not setting a fire, I mean.

[Yaknow, assuming that smoke down there doesn't turn into More.]

My name is Karamatsu, by the way.

[karappo]

[Karamatsu nods, remembering that Lucina probably hasn't gone through all the profiles yet.]

My older twin brother. One of them, anyway.

[photoshooter]

Kara... Karama... [Good lord.] No, hang on. Karamatsumatsu...o. [Wince.] Am I close?

[hellahighwater]

Well, I'm so hella far from a noble woman...but you mean it? Your hair's...natural?

[hellahighwater]

Yeah. And she's the kind of girl you want on your side when everything goes sideways.

[challengesfate]

Yes. My brother and father's hair is the same color. It's...just something that's been passed down through my family.

[hellahighwater]

To make fun of. You just scream it.

[stillstands]

But you are the youngest.

[hellahighwater]

We really are from different planets then, 'cause where I'm from, that isn't possible.

[challengesfate]

One of your twin brothers? H-How many do you usually have...?

[challengesfate]

...To be fair, it's not a very common color to have where I'm from, either. But if that's all it takes to believe we're from different realms, then...

[keepmeinyourheart]

Are you not worried how it will affect yours?

[stillstands]

I don't think you can miss what you don't know.

[But the lonely thing seems to strike a chord with her.]

But feeling alone isn't limited to not being able to talk to gods.

[keepmeinyourheart]

[They were all so courageous. Heroic. Doing what they could to support their new king and friend.

And nobody saw Ardyn coming...

Lunafreya reaches over, placing a hand on Prompto's shoulder.]

Prompto... I do not blame you or the others for not protecting me. The citizens of Altissia needed you.

[stillstands]

[At least with them eyeballing it, it won't get to be on fire for very long?]

Oh, right. I haven't introduced myself. It's nice to meet you, I'm Miki Naoki.

[challengesfate]

No. My parents will still have a daughter - she will get to grow up in a safer and happier time. I know there's no way back for the rest of us, but...we all agreed, it was better to risk our lives to save the past, rather than be beaten down to dust in the future.

[playthedamncard]

[Loyal siblings, that's a plus.] It does strike me as an archaic way to rule. We've some monarchies left, though arranged marriages are increasingly less common, but most of them are just figureheads.

[playthedamncard]

[He hears that emphasis. And summarily ignores it. That's nice, kiddo, but she's apparently not royalty anymore.]

Don't you have hospitals for that? Healing people.