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]

[Max actually chuckles a little, grinning.]

No streets of gold where I'm from. I live in Florida. That's pretty much all the way across the country from Las Vegas - but yeah, I hear it's just casinos and strip clubs out there. I live near Disney World and the space center.

[titularly]

DISNEY WORLD?!


{Out of everything, that's the one thing that gets him excited...]

...wait. We have one of those in Tokyo too.

[theundertaken]

Ohhhh shit, you totally do! [Despite having his own Disney World, Max seems enthusiastic about this!] Have you been?

[titularly]

Once, when I was reaaaaaaally young!

[Look it's Disney world, how can you not be enthusiastic?]

But our family got banned on account'a the fact that my brothers and I ganged up on the Mickey Mouse mascot because we all wanted pictures with him at the same time and didn't wanna share.

[theundertaken]

Hahaha! Oh my god, you were those kids! I don't even work in the park, and everyone's still got Disney kid horror stories. What, did you rip his head off?

[titularly]

You bet we did! Ripped the thing clean off and Karamatsu started sobbing because he thought we killed him!

[theundertaken]

Awwwww, oh my god. You poor little jerks! There's no way they pay those mascot dudes enough.

You weren't, like, totally traumatized though, right?

[titularly]

I dunno, every time we pass merchandise of Mickey Mouse Karamatsu always has this look in his eyes, y'know?

[theundertaken]

......like, a scared look, or a guilty look?

[titularly]

Like he's killed a man.

[theundertaken]

..........you have to go back there.

[titularly]

Y'mean like... to try to un-traumatize him?

[theundertaken]

Yes. He has to face his fears. Or his guilt, one of those. There’s no way they still remember that, you could probably get in.

[It’s not like you’re incredibly distinctive by being a herd of identical men or anything right?]

[titularly]

.......shit, you're right.

[Don't enable this Max...]

And as his one and only elder brother, it's my job to try and help him face his fears!

[theundertaken]

Yeah! You've gotta stare Mickey Mouse in the eyes, and make peace with him! Give that sweaty mascot man a hug!