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

[immaculacies]

[At that wave, Manaka glances upward, though her reaction is slightly delayed. She cocks her head at Korra, but otherwise, her expression doesn't seem to change.]

People keep asking me that. I'm not sure how I'm supposed to answer.

[newcycle]

Well, it's pretty stressful! [she motions outward, and then offers her best Avatar Smile.] And I don't blame anyone for not being sure what to think right now.

[immaculacies]

It's not that I don't know what to think. The answer is obvious, isn't it? No matter how they feel, if someone is here, by nature that means that something is wrong. Either the question means something else, or there's no point in asking it.

[She says all of this in a flat, emotionless tone that matches her expression.]

[newcycle]

Well... it's more about, you know, your mental state. Yeah, objectively something is "wrong." But you don't have to be... Or, well, uh, your reaction. Or lack of.

[explaining linguistic cheats is not Korra's specialty, but she is trying to approach this with some patience.]

[immaculacies]

...I don't like it, but I don't have any reason to be upset. That's all.

[newcycle]

How can you not have a reason to be upset?

[she's confused-- didn't she just say that something was wrong, in general?]

[immaculacies]

It doesn't really matter to me, whether I'm here or somewhere else. It's just a fact that I'm in one place and not another.

[newcycle]

[honestly, it's a good thing Korra hasn't read her profile, she'd be super confused right now.]

It should matter to you, though. I asked because it's not weird that people would be scared or freaked out.

[immaculacies]

You're right. It should.

[and yet]

[newcycle]

... But it doesn't. Why?

[immaculacies]

There's nothing connecting me to that world beyond the physical. That's all.

[newcycle]

That's... so sad.

[even if she doesn't seem bothered by it, Korra is? What the hell.]

[immaculacies]

Mm.

[She doesn't disagree, even if "sad" is a purely intellectual qualification to her.]