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

[photoshooter]

[Uh-oh, here comes the concern.]

You've... experienced something like that?

[hellahighwater]

[ Oh jeez. Chloe tries to seem disinterested. ]

Not the kidnapping. It worked out fine. I'm here, aren't I?

[photoshooter]

[There's a lot to unpack there, Prompto can tell, but it's even easier to see she doesn't want to talk about it. At least not to him. And that's fair, they literally just met. He glances away, brushing some of his hair back from his ear, then nods to let her know he's letting it go.]

Um, right. Now's not really the time, right? We've got to figure out a way to get out of here before anything else.

[hellahighwater]

[ She wants to say, it'll never be the time, because it did, it worked out fine. She's alive against all odds, it put her back in contact with Max- it's fine, like destiny or something, it worked out.

But she doesn't say any of that, instead shrugging ineffectually. ]

Exactly. Gotta get ourselves out of this hellstation.

[photoshooter]

It's not the worst place I've ever been. At least no one's shooting at any of us. And nothing's going to try to eat us.

[Always look on the... bright side...?]

[hellahighwater]

...Whaaat kind of place are you in, a fucking savannah?

[photoshooter]

Not currently. I was in Altissia last I remember. Uh... or what's left of it.

[hellahighwater]

Where the hell is...was...Altissia?

[photoshooter]

Altissia? Capital of Accordo? It... oh, wait.

[He rests his face in his hands for a second and then breathes out, sliding his fingers through his hair.]

Right. Everyone's from different planets or something. This still feels like a bad dream...

[hellahighwater]

[ ...And suddenly some people not knowing what spaceships are or the like makes sense? Space. Sci-fi. That's what this is. Ah. ]

A completely different planet... Yeah, this is hella weird.

[photoshooter]

[He glances at her.]

Weird, but not impossible? I would've gone with impossible, personally.

[hellahighwater]

[ She shrugs. ]

I've kinda redefined my definition of impossible lately.

[photoshooter]

[He opens his mouth, then thinks back to the week he thinks he's been having, then nods.]

Yeah. Yeah, you know what? You're right. Guess this makes about as much sense as anything else.

[hellahighwater]

If we had something to drink, this'd be the point where I toast to fucked up shit...

[ She deflates a little. ]

Damn, I hope we get out of here. Fast.

[photoshooter]

Yeah. I really don't have time to be in outer space. Noct... my friends need me.

[It's not a proper boy band without at least four members, yo.]

[hellahighwater]

...Yeah. Max, Rachel... They need me too. Whole bunch of...fucked up shit that needs to get unfucked.

[photoshooter]

[His eyebrows rise slightly, then lower again. The nod he shares with her is solemn.]

Exactly.

[He gets it. ...And after a moment, he lifts a fist.

Bunp?]

[hellahighwater]

[ ...Oh, hey. She doesn't waste a second.

Solemn bunp. ]