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

[serrata]

They don't make much sense, do they?

[ Hello fellow confused stranger, shall we be confused together? It's much better for getting the angst out. ]

Is yours a bit of a jumbled mess, too?

[nightcure]

Not really. There are a couple things that're weird, but everyone else's are more messed up than they should be.

So yours is all screwed up, huh?

[serrata]

Yes, it's just... a jumble of things from everyone else's profiles, it looks like. Names, mostly.

I mean, there's two other Tenmyoujis on there, but one of them looks like a mistake, and I've never even met either of them to begin with.

[nightcure]

If you're talking about Ardyn, then yeah. Lucis Caelum is the only last name there that's right.

[serrata]

[ ... look at this fucking face. ]

So it definitely isn't Izunia.

[ GUESS WHO'S A ~~LIAR~~, NOCTIS. ]

[nightcure]

That's the name he took for himself, but no, it's originally Lucis Caelum.

You talked to him, huh?

[serrata]

I have, yes.

[ she's wearing the universal look of annoyance and exasperation that seems to pop up on the faces of most people who talk to Ardyn, funnily enough. ]

I thought he'd be able to explain what was on my profile but he seemed just as confused about it as I was.

[nightcure]

[ Ah........ familiar. ]

Sounds like no one really has a clue what they're about. You think that's the point? Get us all confused?

[serrata]

There's easier ways to do that than putting a bunch of nonsense in these profiles, though. It seems like a bit of a strange way to go about it, if that's what they're after.

It could just be a mistake, but somehow I don't think so.

[nightcure]

... Honestly, now that you mention it, yeah. I agree.

So if it's not a mistake, the only other option is to face that it might be true. Somehow.

[serrata]

... do you have any idea how? I know it's my name and I'm sorry to quiz you, but he's honestly a stranger to me. You seem to be the only person here who knows him, so you'd probably have a better idea of how it could've happened. If it's true, that is.

[nightcure]

[ And he seriously considers her question. She doesn't look like she comes from Eos. Likely she's never been there, just like most everyone here. And while Ardyn's been alive for a really long time, he's also been consumed by anger and a desire for vengeance. He's taken names before, but this many?

He looks at her. ]

That's what I don't get, honestly. I know him, he comes from Eos like me. But the Ardyn I know wouldn't open up enough to get that close to someone.

[ .... but then again... Ardyn has some newfound humanity, right? Still, it doesn't make sense. They've just gotten here. ]

[serrata]

[ Yuuri sighs. It's the answer she was expecting (because of course it wouldn't be that easy) but certainly not the one she was hoping for. ]

Then... it must be some sort of mistake. [ because the alternative that all these profiles are very strongly indicating freaks her out just a little too much to otherwise consider. ] Don't you think?