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

[theundertaken]

Uh...no. There’s no magic or anything where I’m from. We do have some space travel, so I guess there’s that.

[photoshooter]

Yeah! Or sci-fi movies, or video games... things like that.

[photoshooter]

What? Oh no! What happened? Is she okay?

[photoshooter]

Uh, okay. [She's kind of a strange one, isn't she?] Are you sure? You don't need any help with anything?

[It doesn't feel right, just letting such a small kid go off on her own in such a terrifying situation.]

[challengesfate]

...I'm still not entirely clear on what "movies" are, besides moving portraits. But..."video games"?

[Oh my God. Prompto, are you prepared to deal with actual jrpg medieval princess?]

[photoshooter]

The politically incorrect term for someone from the worst place on the planet.

[photoshooter]

[He did it in one game, he can do it again. But at this moment, he finally pauses.]

Hey, Lucina? ...Where are you from?

[stillstands]

[Fun times ahead onboard the space station.

Also, huh. That's a tall order, most of these look pretty... powder based or was-once-in-a-can-is-now-in-a-packet style, but after a little rummaging she finds what looks like

well

it's space ice cream, okay? But it's double choc chip...!]

How about this?

[There's a freeze dried, sealed pack a-comin' your way, Chloe.]

[stillstands]

Darkness wouldn't go that far down. There's... an end to it. Surely you'd be able to see something...

[playthedamncard]

Is it also a politically incorrect term for being called a Champion Inner Child?

[theundertaken]

Sure, but that’s still fun, right? In a different context without kidnapping?

[jUsT gAlS bEiNg PaLs]

Mine’s the Champion Portait Artist, which seems like a weird compliment I’m not okay with.

[photoshooter]

Huh? Oh. Iiii don't actually have any idea what that's about. How is anyone supposed to be a champion of that, anyway?

[theundertaken]

Sounds super useful, though! We’ve got a lot of stories about it - I guess even though it’s never been real, we like to think about it.

What do you do instead?

[theundertaken]

Don’t think so. Where’s Menagerie?

[discalibur]

Earth, of course!

[theundertaken]

Yeeeeah. I’m kinda trying not to think about that one too hard, it’s, uh. It’s not comin’ off!

[theundertaken]

Weird. Maybe being in space throws it off or something?

[theundertaken]

Welllll...yeah. That’s true.

[Still seems shady, but that’s not something he’s gonna press with a guy he just met.]

So you do, like, admin stuff?

[discalibur]

Is it really so common...?

I didn't even know anyone did so at all until very recently...

[lmafo]

Maybe? Too much nothing all around us for like. Contrast, or something.

[challengesfate]

I use a sword - and I had it with me until I woke up here, or I would show it to you, if...you wanted to see.

[Gosh he's taking the magic thing relatively well, at least he's not telling her she's wrong]

[discalibur]

Your... So then you must be from very far away!

[andjerry]

That's what I meant, too. [He twists half-away, puzzled about what else it could mean-]

Wait, you're thinking about that movie, aren't you? [It's clearly not a happy movie.]

[challengesfate]

...You would be surprised how dark a night can become, under the right circumstances.

[But...Grima can't be responsible for this. It can't. What evil dragon makes metal prisons in the sky?]

[challengesfate]

[Where she's from isn't a video game, why is - oh. We're. Changing the subject, okay.]

...Ylisstol, in the Halidom of Ylisse - or of what remains of it. And...you?