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

[unhappylittletrees]

Oh thank god, I'm not the only one who noticed every other person here is practically a toddler. [Sir, you think you're are not that much older.] It's weird.

Uh, yeah! Jamie Fell. And you're- [He looks down at the...whatever this is strapped to his arm.] Max?

[theundertaken]

Yeah! And, uh, a champion portrait artist, I guess.

[.....totally matter-of-factly:] So, I guess you and me gonna have to duel to the death for art supremacy.

[unhappylittletrees]

[He has to do a doubletake, unsure if this guy is really serious before relaxing and nodding sagely.]

Artists are like Highlanders: there can be only one.

[Haha, guess who hasn't looked at the rules page yet.]

[theundertaken]

Oh, yeah, clearly. I took out my mentor with a palette knife and absorbed his powers. That's why I'm so ripped.

[Max would not have led with that particular joke if he'd read the rules page, but here we are.]

[unhappylittletrees]

[That gets a burst of bright, loud laughter from him.]

Really? I went the old fashioned way and just used a sword the blacksmithing class at my college made.

[theundertaken]

Ooooh, college boy. [He grins.] Your diploma cannot block my lightning-fast colored pencil attack.

[unhappylittletrees]

Maybe not my Bachelor's degree but what about a Masters's?

[theundertaken]

Ooooooooh. The most dreaded degree.

[Unless you got, like, a doctorate in art or something? Can you do that? He can't imagine anyone does who isn't a professor.]

That's fine, bud, I'll get you in your sleep. I'm great at stealth.

[unhappylittletrees]

I'm in college, dude. I haven't slept in like 6 years.

[theundertaken]

So what's the first thing you're gonna do now that you're not there?

[That's right, it's sleep. And when it happens, he will be there.]