If Virgil wanted to live badly enough, he probably wouldn't sit here. He would try harder to find something, someone who cared more about him living than he did.

He doesn't, though, so he's here, paying the vents and the grates no mind.

Hannah should, strictly speaking, not be anywhere near this dangerous chunk of the cafeteria, but it's the first day and she doesn't give a shit about the rest of her enclave and she wants to get in a little trouble, as a treat. She hides her power sharer in a pocket and goes looking for interesting people.

Ribo has already met a few people but she's trying to meet more before the first day ends.

Miguel understands how cafeterias work and this is a table for social outcasts, which is bad, but less bad than standing there eating, and probably he's not allowed to leave with his tray full of food? No one else is doing it, anyway.

He sits down and tries to look relaxed about this. He is not relaxed about this.

Virgil really doesn't want to be the first person to talk. He's so bad at talking. He keeps his head down, hoping someone else will break the silence.

Looks like a good table for meeting people. Might not be good for his life expectancy but, hey, he's here for a good time, not a long time. And it looks like nobody is talking so he's going to have to be the one to do that.

"Hey everyone! What're your affinities, I write songs."

"I'm Ribo and my affinity is wire."

"Hannah. Mine's speed."

Suddenly so much conversation! More than he expected!

"Small things. I can move them, tear them, mend them."

"Oh! Oh, speed, my brother knew someone whose affinity was speed--they might actually still be here, come to think of it. Not that he would be caught dead around this table. Ribo, small things, I assume you're both going artificing track? ...I forgot to introduce myself, didn't I. My name's Wil, I'm not used to so many new people. Good sort of unused, though."

"There are so many people, I don't think I've seen so many people in one place before today."

"I'm alchemy track," says Hannah. "Making all kinds of fun things. Focus potion's my number one right now, I've been trading for adderall to use as materials."

"Artificing, yeah. I really want to do repair work, but in here there's not much need for that. Building things is cool too. I'm Virgil. It's- a lot more people than I'm used to, too. I grew up kind of isolated."

"I'll say. My family worked me so hard I barely had time for anything resembling actual friends."

"Everyone has to repair the school or get other people to cover their shifts doing that, depending on what you're fixing your affinity might apply."

"Maybe."

He probably needs to do it, too, he's just feeling stupidly stubborn about it. Virgil doesn't want to suck up to an enclave.

"Wire sounds interesting, are you doing artificing too?"

"I am, I'm pretty good at enchanting things I make out of wire. My coil," she indicates the wire coiled on her arm, "is a weapon and a multi tool."

"Cool. It animates?"

"It does, and I can make it sharp when I need to."

"And you make things out of wire too?"

"Yeah, I'm planning to make some stuff for lining the edge of doors and protecting my room from Mals getting in. And something else for protecting the drain. If it works, I'll probably make more for sale."

"Trade you some potions for it, maybe? We'll see."

"Maybe, I also know some healing spells, especially diagnostics stuff Mother taught me."

"If anyone finds a cure for depression in the lab one night, let me know."

....Honestly, Wil's still caught up on the focus potion. Or adderall, honestly, he'll take either. He should probably wait before letting on his interest there, though.

"I have some spells, what languages does everyone have? I've got English, German, Latin, Dutch, Spanish, and Ancient Greek pretty well, plus enough French, Mandarin, Russian, and Japanese to not get fucked over by them."