Welcome to the Program

[airlockedmods]

[Each Champion is awoken by an alarm ringing from a machine attached to their non-dominant arm. Whatever they were doing, whatever state they were in, they're in a bed now, in good health. And maybe a bit different since the last time they looked in a mirror.

There's a text note on the device attached to their arms.]

Good morning, Champions. In the interest of maintaining healthy sleep patterns, a day/night cycle is in effect. Your presence is expected in the food court in exactly one hour.

[Your surroundings look like your normal everyday space mall. But if you look at the functions of the device on your arm, there's Not-so-familiar profiles, some rules, and a mini-map that'll show you the layout of the mall.

You are free to explore at your leisure...For an hour, at least.]

Comments

[cyan_maid]

Jiminey Crickets, what the heck is that outfit...

[daughterofthemark]

It is... most distinctive...

[tokencanadian]

Do you think he found it around here? It's... definitely something.

[a10tionplz]

[ it's called #fashion jane, look it up]

Sorry-?

[Someone say something?]

...I've not got a stain somewhere already, do I?

[cyan_maid]

[You and Ardyn are a goddamn fashion house on fire]

...No, sir, I think you're okay on that front...

[a10tionplz]

[This is clearly why they're rooming together.]

Okay, good, good. Still breaking everything in.

[cyan_maid]

Uh...good to hear?

[a10tionplz]

Better than the alternative, believe me.

[Extermination or death by time poisoning, take your pick.]

I'm the Doctor by the way, hello. It's Jane, isn't it? Flipped through the profiles a bit on the way here.

[cyan_maid]

[What is Doctor Who? We just don't know.]

Y-Yes, that's me...nice to meet you?

[a10tionplz]

I certainly hope so, yeah.

[He'd like to be pleasant to meet, at least.]

And likewise. Well. Considering the circumstances. Bit unusual, even for me. Being in a mall, anyway, I meet a lot of people by getting captured. ...Which now that I say it out loud is actually a bit worrying, maybe try to forget I said that part.

[cyan_maid]

Uh...I...can't make any promises?

[a10tionplz]

[He seems to consider this a moment.]

...Fair enough, yeah.

[cyan_maid]

Sorry...

[She does look sincerely apologetic...if also kind of nervous and confused and also what the hell is anything right now.]

[a10tionplz]

Oh, no, I'm sure you're all right. First intergalactic kidnapping? It can be pretty disorienting if you're not used to it. Well, even if you are. Well, if you're not expecting it. Which I guess most people aren't. Fair point though, even I wasn't expecting this.

[cyan_maid]

...I mean...I guess it's my first?

[Does "sudden brainwashing device linking you to the mind of an eons-old alien warlord" count?]

[a10tionplz]

[Honestly SBURB in general probably counts.]

You guess, okay.

[He seems to consider this for a moment before giving a sort of accepting head-bob.]

Well, you're dealing with it very well then, good on you. Sorry this had to be your first experience with space travel.

[cyan_maid]

Um, thank you. I think.

[She is not dealing with this very well, she's just not going to break down crying in front of strangers.]

I'm sorry I don't rightly remember it. I mean...something had to of happened between where we were and when we got here, right? So...it might be nice to remember, I don't know, flying through constellations and whatnot.

[a10tionplz]

Oh, it's brilliant, believe me. Absolutely fantastic.

[Let him tell you about space, Jane.]

Well, you know, when you're being kidnapped. Bit of a damper, that. But good news, you'll be able to enjoy the view on the way home, eh?

[cyan_maid]

...Yeah. Yeah, it'll probably be one heck of a view, won't it?

[On her way home.]

[a10tionplz]

The heckiest- ...no, nevermind, forget I used that word, I'm never saying that again.

But- yeah. Nine hundred years of time and space and the view's never gotten old.

[cyan_maid]

I suppose it's a big enough place that there's always something new to find, right? Space, I mean.

[900 years, 2,000 years, unnumerable eons...yeah, Jane does not have a problem with this anymore. She literally can't.]

[a10tionplz]

[Yeah, later he'll probably not the lack of reaction.]

New people, places, once-in-history cosmic events- if there's an end to it, I don't think I've even come close.

[cyan_maid]

I guess even when things are finished, they're...not really finished, in a way. Things still keep going in some capacity, right?

[After all, even if the game was over, there was someplace for her spirit to wake up.]