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

[challengesfate]

Oh - yes, the map! A girl named Miki showed me the map.

[She'll take a closer look at it this time...]

So there are baths...for each gender. I wonder why they're seperated.

[Well isn't that a thing to just out and wonder, huh.]

[karappo]

[She wonders...why?

Huh. That's...h uh.]

Why, to preserve one anothers' privacy, of course! I figure having communal baths would not go over so well with the rest.

[challengesfate]

[I mean obviously everybody bathes whenever and wherever they can while the enemy is away right]

Hm...if that's what it is, then I can understand that. It still seems somewhat wasteful of space.

[karappo]

[Yeah sure let's go with that.]

I suppose it could be, when you put it that way...my brothers and I go to a communal bathhouse often, but they are always gender separated.

I assume things are different, where you are from?

[challengesfate]

Yes. We don't really have houses just for baths in my realm. Just...rivers, and enough time to clean off. Perhaps they existed in the past, but if so, there's no longer a trace of them now.

[karappo]

[...oh wow that is a lot farther back than he was expecting to hear. Though it's telling of how strange Karamatsu's world is from that the thought of her not being from the same time period doesn't throw him as much as it should.]

At the very least, a shower like what I expect to be here is sort of like a river...well, it is more like having a rain shower that you can turn on and off whenever you would like. And there are probably baths like normal as well.

[challengesfate]

[I mean, they used to draw water for baths and have to pump out water or heave it up from wells, but technology kind of did a backslide. Apocalyptic dragons, you know how it is.]

Rain that you can...turn on and off? So it's not like a normal storm?

[karappo]

Not exactly. You can control the temperature too, and how much comes out at once. It is better seeing it than explaining it, though...you may have to ask one of your fellow ladies to show you once you go to bathe.

[challengesfate]

Alright. I will ask them. Thank you...er...I don't think I caught your name.

[karappo]

[...AH YES, NAME

Karamatsu straightens up, then immediately bows to her slightly.]

My name is Matsuno Karamatsu. You may call me Karamatsu...since I know having my brother and I here can be a bit confusing.

[challengesfate]

Y-Your brother is here as well?

[Oh no, oh no, does everyone have family here? Is that possible?]

[karappo]

[Karamatsu nods, remembering that Lucina probably hasn't gone through all the profiles yet.]

My older twin brother. One of them, anyway.

[challengesfate]

One of your twin brothers? H-How many do you usually have...?

[karappo]

I have five brothers. We are identical sextuplets.

[challengesfate]

[Just. Uh. Her mouth kind of falls open.]

...Your mother must be a woman of immeasurable strength...!

I LAUGHED

[karappo]

She is! She is one of the strongest people I know, there is no doubt about that.

AM I WRONG THO

[challengesfate]

[Super respect points for Mamma Matsuno]

I don't know anyone who is a twin, let alone by sixfold...is it difficult, having so many other brothers?

NOT AT ALL MATSUYO IS POWERFUL

[karappo]

Difficult? In some ways, maybe...but I would not trade any of them for the world. We have done literally everything together, growing up...so it is hard imagining being apart from them.

[...]

I am...not sure how long it has been since we have been apart for more than a day, even...

[challengesfate]

That's...wow. That's incredible. I don't think I could imagine having someone there for me so...completely.

[She had her brother, but...it wasn't the same as what this sounds like.]

At least it isn't just...one of you here, then.

[karappo]

[Karamatsu nods, though something about Lucina saying that...it doesn't sit with him well.]

...It does not make sense, though. Why bring such a specific number of us, if not all? It almost would have made more sense just to have only one of us here.

[challengesfate]

That I could not say. Perhaps...they want people from our homes to worry for us?

[But oh that's a bad, bad thing in Lucina's case, everyone was separated...no one would know she wasn't in the past. What would Morgan and the others do?]

[karappo]

...that would be terrible.

[Karamatsu says, doing his best to keep his expression level.

"They want people from our homes to worry for us"

Ha. Ha...yeah.]

[challengesfate]

Especially since you have such a large family...! I-I'm sure we can get this straightened out and you can go home right away.

[Someone who's not picking up on the atmosphere: Lucina.]

[karappo]

Right...right. The same for you, since it sounds like you also have loved ones you would be missing terribly after too long.

[challengesfate]

Mm...and I would miss them in kind.

[She already does. But Karamatsu has some serious Inigo vibes going on, so, it's not...too bad yet.]