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]

[She'll make it at her own coffee after she takes a sip of it. No shade at Bolton's brew.]

... Complicated might be a better word?

[Zombiefied would be another, but that's not exactly something you blurt out casually to strangers.]

I don't have a problem with school itself though, if that's what you mean.

[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.

[stillstands]

... Thank you.

[Megurigaoka, and everything that happened there in the school and out of it, isn't for the others to know. Those are scars she shares with the School-Living club members, and Kei, and no one else.

But then she looks a little bit sheepish.]

A-ah... if you don't mind? I've never used anything other than [please don't judge her coffee man] the instant kind.

[dejabrew]

[He blinks, and then he smiles, charmed.]

Well, then I'm afraid I might just have to spoil you a little. What's your favorite flavor? And do you like, or can you drink milk?

[stillstands]

I don't mind. Surprise me?

[Oh. Sure sounds like she's getting the fancy coffee.]

Milk is fine, thank you.

[dejabrew]

One surprise, coming right up.

[He goes over to the espresso machine and hmms thoughtfully over the syrups for a minute, before deciding on chocolate and a hint of creme de menthe. Then the speed with which he steams the milk and pulls the espresso shots is that of years of practice, and finally he tops it off with whipped cream and a sprinkle of chocolate powder.]

Voila!

[stillstands]

[She's 100% peeking, trying to see what he's doing, but also not getting out of her seat and under his feet.

Oh. Yeah, that definitely looks like a far more professional cup of coffee.]

Thank you! [Is that a smile? Yup, that's a smile.] You made that look so easy...

[It's probably a good thing you didn't stop her attempts at working the machine earlier, Bolton. It would've been embarrassing for everyone involved.]

[dejabrew]

It's second nature once you get the hang of it. Do the same thing for going on fifteen years and you can pretty much do it in your sleep.

Go ahead, try it. See how I did.

[stillstands]

[She not going to turn down a drink made just for her~ so she has a sip of the it, slowly to savour the flavour. It's far smoother and creamier than the cup she'd made, and far more pleasant to drink for sure.]

It's lovely. Much better than anything I'd be able to make, probably even after 15 years.

[dejabrew]

I dunno about that. I was probably about your age the first time they let me at the machines.

[He smiles.]

Glad you like it, though.

[stillstands]

Really? [She's so focused on ... well, she HAD been so focused on school that the idea of a job hadn't crossed her mind until she'd completed high-school at the very least.]

... [She closes her eyes and takes another sip.] Yes. It's... delicious.

[And so warm, and different to eating cans of preserved food or hard tack or instant noodles and drinking instant coffee granules. It's luxurious.]

[dejabrew]

Mmhm. I was fifteen when I started working at the cafe, just washing dishes and wiping down tables. They wouldn't let me near the bar until I was sixteen.

[stillstands]

Once they knew they could trust you with the machines, rather than just the cleaning?

[dejabrew]

Mmhm. And once they knew I was old enough to not burn myself on the hot steam or spill milk on myself.