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]

I think it's supposed to be when you don't have access to pans and a fire?

[Miki holds the bag open, tilting it side to side... and then steadying it.]

Okay, ready! Just up to that line on the bottom.

[challengesfate]

[Her handshake is firm, yet gentle, and Lucina lets out a puff of laughter herself. What a silly situation this is, in a metal building with strangers and finding themselves frightned by each other. Surely this can't get any worse.]

It's alright. You startled me as well - and while I would normally feel the same, no enemy I know could possibly have a...fortress like this.

[in4apounding]

It was on purpose? That's terrible, someone could really get hurt like that!

[andjerry]

[Thank you for dropping it, Max, thank you so much, and the relief almost vibrates off him as he brightens.] It's not a problem. It lets me try new things people wouldn't want to eat at work. What your audience wants and what you want to do are really different a lot of the time, aren't they? [He stirs in the cheese powder, confident hands but a cautious, skeptical eye.]

[andjerry]

Caught?! [yeah he hadn't even thought of that idea

and really doesn't like it]

[in4apounding]

I just looked over some of the profiles-

[She trails off, clicking through a few of the PIP's screens to confirm the alleged horribleness.]

[And- oh, there's rule seven, if the way Penny freezes is any indication.]

...oh no, that IS horrible! They can't really expect anyone to just- kill someone else, can they? ...that's a TERRIBLE rule for a battle royal.

[photoshooter]

Always gotta worry about meteors. I saw one once, that thing was massive. Even the Archaean had a hard time holding it up.

[hellahighwater]

I mean what's above the night sky, genius.

[ Despite the slight sarcasm, she really does mostly sound like she has no idea what she's doing! Probably because she doesn't. At all. ]

The...big inky planet shit, where the stars live.

[karappo]

Ah, I see! I had not had the opportun-

[......]

Eh? Your...

[He tries not to, but he ends up giving her hand a pointed look.]

[karappo]

Eeeehh!? You really did that?

[That's pretty impressive. And it sounds exciting, too...Karamatsu's stolen before? But nobody really cared...even the stuff they ended up stealing wasn't all that great...]

[photoshooter]

[He considers this, and considers how ridiculous it is for a grown man to be hiding behind a table from a girl who's probably in, like, middle school.]

I guess.

[But he doesn't have to be happy about it! Embarrassed, Prompto picks himself up, brushes himself off, and tries to remember if he ever knew what dignity felt like. Signs point to no.]

Uh, hi. Sorry. I'm Prompto, I'm not... usually this jumpy.

[Prompto, stop telling lies about yourself, you easily intimidated goober.]

[hellahighwater]

[ That's even less reassuring actually thanks ]

That...so... Well, just... As long as you're not...you know, freaking out?

[karappo]

A fair point! It makes me wish I was more attuned with the stars and the universe myself...it is something I aspire to be every day, but I would not call myself an expert on such topics.

[in4apounding]

That sounds absolutely amazing! Where is that, exactly?

[hellahighwater]

{ Disappointing ]

...I think we'd've felt something if we were drugged, though. That doesn't get out of your system so fast, usually you're still...drowsy, at least in my experience.

[karappo]

[Whatchu feelin' Mr. Barista.]

That is probably for the best...at least you can assume they are safe wherever they are. Do you have any recollection of where you were before you woke up here? I believe I was back home, and all of my family was there then, so...

[photoshooter]

Hah.

[It's the kind of laugh that's a surprise to the person laughing as anyone else. Prompto blinks, then shakes his head and runs a hand back through his hair.]

Yeah, no kidding. The ocean can be a scary place. [He pauses for a moment.] Do you... often travel by airship?

[hellahighwater]

[ Immediately softer. ] What, no, it's the first one. She's...one of the only people I'd like to be stuck in space with. She's just also the last person on Earth who deserves this bullshit.

[in4apounding]

The-e-e-e outside world? ...Outside of what, the rest of Remnant?

[Is that made up? It sounds made up.]

[immaculacies]

["Max"... Did she see that name while browsing through the profiles? She must have, but she can't recall the information that had been listed. It really is bothersome, being limited like this.

...But. He asked her for her name. The faraway expression on her face clears as she focuses on actually giving him an answer.]

It's Manaka.

[photoshooter]

[Surely things can only look up from here!]

Yeah, I mean... [He looks around, rubbing the back of his neck.] It kind of looks Imperial, but I've never busted a base with a library in it before. So I really don't know what's going on.

[karappo]

[Oh boy that sure is a mouthful of a surname, isn't it?]

It is good to meet you, Yuri-kun! I suppose if you are not from Akatsuka you would not know...but I have six identical brothers! The eldest of us, Osomatsu, is also here.

And if you were training for something before you arrived here, then I would wager what you do is rahter important.

[in4apounding]

My father and Mister Ironwood worry about me a lot, I think? But they wouldn't have done something like this without telling me about it.

[Almost certainly. Probably.]

[stillstands]

[Well at least she... has a moment to be aware someone's entering the room or boy this, would go really badly. Badder than it's about to go, because when Miki turns around and sees... well.

...? She's not entirely sure what she's seeing. But the stitching is a stand out and the dull tone of the half of this person's skin is familiar enough that she instinctively freezes, and moves slowly and carefully to put the counter between herself and... whatever just entered the room.]

[hellahighwater]

[ Okay, you know, at least she understands that? It seems to ease Chloe's initial assessment of the girl. ]

Seems like they do... You get my hella concern now?