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

[stillstands]

Enter a room without terrifying the people it in, and you won't get hit with anything!

[MANNERS MAKETH MAN, or so British cinema tells me.

She's right next to you now, Yuri, putting that poor abused book back where you rudely stole it from. Then she's turning back to him.]

... [SIGH.] Tilt your head a little, let me see if it's bruising.

[lmafo]

Whoah, "Champion of Denial" was right. Hang on, I gotta ask you something before you dramatically leave!

[andjerry]

[The bedroom's tiny, sterile, and he feels almost exposed even if the suit covers him up- did he end up in the hospital? Is this a monitor- and as he tries to pull it off he shrieks at the shock shuddering through his body and waits for the pain to subside before trying to figure out what it is.

Even as inexperienced as he is with technology, he's able to read the monitor strapped to his wrist easily, and it already knows more about him than he'd have ever told anybody. He knew how bad Anna's death was shaking him and Carol, but not so bad he's spilling his guts about himself. Twenty other people know now, and at least none of them are faces he recognizes.

He stays in bed for a while until sound outside draws him out. Maybe he's over at Eastern State, but it looks like everyone else is in the same uniform (suicide watch?), and no one looks "in charge". He can put names to faces, finding a mnemonic in profiles, but he can't put names to natures until he slinks up to someone in a hallway, unsure if he should trust in everyone's "excellence".]

Oh, um... hi. How did we get signed up for this?

[The dining area looks safe for now, the kitchen's unlocked, and he wonders at what he sees. He's got the run of the place, and has to explore one of the few places he'll feel safe. Maybe once they've started to figure out what's happening, he can help the people who have a way out keep their mind on the more important business while he focuses on keeping them from thinking about their stomachs.]

[photoshooter]

Whoa, that's--that's really messed up. What're they gonna do with a bunch of kids?

[Assured enough of his own safety to take his eyes off Manaka, Prompto starts swiping through his own PIP, stopping on the rules. He reads through them with pursed lips which flatten tightly when he gets to rule seven.]

The hell...? They expect us to fight with so many kids here?

[in4apounding]

[Okay, an introduction that dramatic gets a small laugh.]

Well, it's a pleasure to meet you, Mister Kamishiro! My name is Penny. ...Are you a Huntsman?

[Because sword.]

[stillstands]

If this is faked, then someone has a really sick sense of humour.

[What if it's like those movies... the American ones with the weird puppet man. She'd always been curious about them, but was too young to see the dubbed versions in cinemas.

But that doesn't mean she wants to live those films out for real.]

[karappo]

It is quite a leap to call such a game, though, would you not agree? And what makes you say this is virtual reality? One look outside will tell you that we are not exactly on earth, but it is not...that, persay.

[Call him skeptical, but.]

thus begins my war with the edit button

[lovecolored]

[ So helpful......Marisa gives her A Look(tm). ]

Eh? You don't know? [ ...wait, shit, these people aren't from Gensokyo. Marisa mulls it over for a moment. ]

It's a kind of cloth that lets people bypass the "shield" the Lunarians put over the Lunar Capital on the moon. Keeps the "filthy Earth-crawlers" from invadin' their city. Puts 'em in a separate dimension, or some shit. But based on the fact that the Apollo astronauts managed to plant a flag up there I guess they're still kind of with us...?

[ a pause, and she grins ] They were pretty pissed about that. [ she is always up for pissing off the Lunarians. they're such crybabies. ]

[le_mat]

[Akira was leaning against the wall nearby, frowning down at the PIP he was looking through. He's had some time to talk to a few people now, and it's becoming clear this isn't a Palace.

He looks up, pushing up his glasses]

Kidnapped.

[photoshooter]

Oh, 'cause of that thing in the rules--wait, what? Is that a thing? Son of a bitch, that's messed up!

[TERRIBLE.]

Why kids?

[dejabrew]

That's probably the idea.

[Just gonna. Check his PIP here... ah yes, Champion of Denial... Man is it just him or does this coffee taste like tea all of a sudden--]

...Are you really only 16 years old?

[karappo]

[Karamatsu's expression tightens slightly when he sees the package in question. It's very bland looking...not like what it claims to be at all.]

Not at all like what Mommy makes, I'm sure.

[He sighs, moving to fold his arms over his chest.]

Though I suppose the food is free...that is something to be thankful for.

[At least it better be free, he's broke.]

[dejabrew]

[Bolton hesitates for a second before he clicks through his PIP out of curiosity. And smiles.]

Aw, being in touch with your inner child isn't something to be ashamed of. A lot more people would probably be happier if they were.

[He doesn't sound mean about it, at least.]

[karappo]

Well then, Kurusu-san...I assume you also have no real memories of how you woke up in this place, if your experience is at all similar to mine.

[stillstands]

[At least he announced himself when he exited his room, kinda. It's enough that Miki doesn't jump for the 45000th time in one day, at least.]

I don't think there's anyone here by that name?

[She motions to her arm, with the computer on.]

According to the profiles.

[dejabrew]

[When it's done, Bolton presses down the plunger and the dark brew swirls in the glass press. He pours out two cups.]

Cream or sugar?

[dejabrew]

Still. It's not my business to pry.

[He's pretty adamant on not necessarily wanting to hear it, even though he still sounds plenty friendly.]

Want me to make you something different to drink? You don't look too impressed with what you've got there.

[photoshooter]

Yeah, I guess it's kind of a uniform deal.

[You know. Like prison. He gulps.]

Do you think... this is some kind of... space jail?

[Everybody get up, it's time to slam be in the slammer now.]

[karappo]

[Karamatsu blinks, seemingly surprised by her tone. Not that it's undeserved at all.]

Ah...I guess that would make sense! I just was not sure, since most of our titles connect to some sort of virtue, or, ah...character trait as opposed to an actual person. I apologize.

[Like being a Waste Of Space.]

[dejabrew]

Five brothers. [A low, impressed whistle.]

Maybe they're back home waiting for you.

[le_mat]

None, no... I wasn't in the best state, so passing out wouldn't have been impossible but-

... I was under pretty heavy guard. Not easy to steal.

[His team had a big elaborate plan for that. if some third party could just pick him up it was almost insulting]

[stillstands]

Yes.

[She sounds... surprisingly firm on that one.]

Any food is worth being thankful for, but an abundance of it? [She turns the packet over in her hands, and things of cereal and water and nothing else for months and months.]

We may not be lucky to be here, but I'd say this is lucky.

[photoshooter]

It's not part of anything, it's an empire? Like, kingdoms are part of it? You're sure you've never heard of the Niflheim Empire?

[Nani the fuck is happening?]

[challengesfate]

[Okay, as seperate concepts, Lucina can understand science. And fiction. How space came into play, and what kind of "space" it was, she is definitely still lost on. As for the other stuff...]

Portraits...don't move. And I have never heard of a...tele-vision.

[le_mat]

No, thank you.

[He takes the cup, giving it deep breath and blowing on it, sipping. Full and caramel-y]

...Colombian?