Caio opens his door when she passes it. "Say what?"

"These guys-" she pulls the token out of her pocket to show him, "showed up on my desk when I wasn't looking, and I heard there's vending machines so I'm guessing that's what they are?  But I wanted to crosscheck with somebody in case."

"Yeah, that's them, I have them too."

"Okay, cool, glad it's not just me.  ...any chance you wanna make a run to the caf and try them out?"

"I should probably not spend them all, in case, but I'd go try it out once and see what I get, sure."

"Oh, for sure- I'm hanging onto one or two for later, probably, but I figure better to have something in my room in case I can't get to a meal for whatever reason?"  She shrugs.  "I'm Connie, by the way, hi."

"Caio, nice to meet you."

"Likewise."  She glances around for other potential snackers.  "...think two's enough?  It's right down the hall."

"...probably fine this early but so you're aware I will bolt like a coward if anything seems weird."

"Oh yeah same.  Long's we don't run into each other we should be good, then."  

Onward! "So uh. I'm alchemy track, you?"

"Artificing.  I've got a forces affinity, so."  She shrugs.  "Seemed like a waste otherwise."

"I mean, you could do incantations about... forces. What does that mean?"

"I mean, we haven't been to a diviner or anything, but- my best spell is one of my dad's, this invisible net?"  She mimes lifting something with both hands.  "It's finicky, because you can vary the shape and the power and stuff, but I got it down before I'd even got a handle on a really basic ward that I started first."

"Oh, cool. I don't know what my affinity is exactly, just that it's got to be something alchemical."

Connie nods.  "I hear people can usually figure it out from what their homework is- I guess probably once we get past the how to use tools and not die part, that seems like it'd be the same for everybody."

"Yeah, I'll have a lab on Tuesday before lunch and - it will tell me to make soap, or something, but in a few weeks."

"Good spot.  I've got shop then."  She sounds stupid.  Why is small talk a thing.  Can they be at the caf yet please, no wait, that'll make it longer... 

"You've been trying some alchemy stuff on your own, then?"

"Yeah. I'm not an enclaver or anything but my parents had a duplex so one of the kitchens could be turned into a lab."

"Nice.  I did some artificing with my dad but the closest thing to alchemy I've done is sixth grade chem."  Well.  Except for the one potion her mom had made very sure she learned, in the desperate rush of the last few months, but no way is she talking about that with a boy that she just met.

"My school didn't even have chem at my level. Or, not practical chem, we had to learn what it meant for things to be in solution and such."

"We got to mummify an apple by wrapping it up in salt and stuff, that was pretty cool.  Except the salt leaked out of one and no one noticed until it started rotting."

"Huh! Sounds fun."

The vending machines are easy to locate when they arrive at the cafeteria; one of them doesn't have a line, the others have one or two people waiting.

"...so it's possible there's nothing wrong with that one and people just got in line once there were enough people here there was only one with nobody at it, but I'm not in a mood to risk it."

"Yeah, waiting is harmless."