Note: The first fifty to hundred posts or so will just consist of characters communicating; then the real fun will begin...

Student intro: It's your lunch period, and all the kids in every grade are jammed into the cafeteria. There are more people than there are seats, so some students resort to sitting anywhere they can; on the floor, in the bathroom, even on the tables if there's any room. This isn't how it normally is, but due to the lockdown, staff and teachers decided to mix all of the grades together.

Anyway, you're eating your least favorite lunch food: casserole surprise. The hell kind of private school sells this kind of food? Anyhow, you don't want to know what the surprise is, but you think it's something so horrible that even someone who hasn't eaten in weeks won't eat it. Hell, your stomach even openly rejects to the food, and with every bite you need to struggle to swallow. Having had enough of the slop, you begin thinking of something to do... Whatever there is to do in a cafeteria.
@Delta44, @BreakingMe, @Beekeeper, @ramblingbard

Staff/Teacher intro: It's the students' lunch period, meaning that you need to stand around watching the little snobs try to digest their 'food'. The teachers are also forced to eat the so-called 'food', due to their packed lunches having stopped two months before and there being nothing in the teacher's lounge since last night, when Mrs. Smith ate the last piece of cheesecake (much to the chagrin of the other teachers). The staff is forced to watch as well, but aren't allowed to eat, as they get it as 'dinner' in the evening.

The teachers, tired of forcing the food down their throats like the children, get tired of the slop as well. They stand up and begin walking around the room, similar to what the staff were already doing, monitoring the students and what they were doing. Meanwhile the custodians are cleaning the floor and talking to the children that enjoy their company (which is most of them).
@Polyphemus

Kansas gets up from the table she was sitting at takes her uneaten tray over to the trash can. She pushes the contents into the dark garbage bag and brings the tray back to the dish line where she drops it onto the assembly line. It clangs loudly but no one seems to notice. The entire room is buzzing with impatience. She's impatient herself but knows it won't help to complain. I have to keep us sane. She heads back to the table and glances at the students sitting beside her.

What will get us through this? She notes that everyone sitting with her seems to make up a number of different cliques, as if everyone is bonding because of the lockdown. Wouldn't that be nice? It's a sarcastic though but some small bit of truth rings out in the statement. What if we really all did bond together? What if after this...whatever this is...we're all the best of the friends? The jocks and the nerds, the cheerleaders and the burnouts, the overachievers and the slackers. That'd be amusing. She looks over at some of her peers who are casually picking after their food. No one eats because, well, the food is disgusting. "If you keep playing with it like that, it'll turn into pizza." She winks at the student across from her when they look up from their tray.

Kansas gets up from the table she was sitting at takes her uneaten tray over to the trash can. She pushes the contents into the dark garbage bag and brings the tray back to the dish line where she drops it onto the assembly line. It clangs loudly but no one seems to notice. The entire room is buzzing with impatience. She's impatient herself but knows it won't help to complain. I have to keep us sane. She heads back to the table and glances at the students sitting beside her.

What will get us through this? She notes that everyone sitting with her seems to make up a number of different cliques, as if everyone is bonding because of the lockdown. Wouldn't that be nice? It's a sarcastic though but some small bit of truth rings out in the statement. What if we really all did bond together? What if after this...whatever this is...we're all the best of the friends? The jocks and the nerds, the cheerleaders and the burnouts, the overachievers and the slackers. That'd be amusing. She looks over at some of her peers who are casually picking after their food. No one eats because, well, the food is disgusting. "If you keep playing with it like that, it'll turn into pizza." She winks at the student across from her when they look up from their tray.

The student, a young man with red hair and a strong build and broad shoulders, chuckles. "Well, if that happened I'm sure everyone else'd start eating." He says in a brash voice, with an Irish brogue, strange considering the fact that they're thousands of miles away from the island. The boy then extends a hand across the table, for Kansas to shake. "Conner Bergin. And your name?"

"Hey, duuude, slow down!" the custodian hollered as yet another child rocketed past him at approximately too many miles an hour. "No need to run, this isn't gym class! I don't want to have to put you together again if you fall down, duuuude!"

The kid snickered a little at the comical elongation of the word dude, but he did slow down to a walk. Subhas Mukherjee allowed himself a moment of satisfaction- at least until the student caught up with his friends and began speaking in a stereotypical, slightly racist Indian accent. One of the little brats shot a glance back at Subhas- then, with a smirk, deliberately dropped several dirty napkins on the floor before walking away with a laugh.

Subhas shook his head, still forcing a smile on his face as he walked over and slowly knelt to pick up the trash. I have a PhD. I'm better educated than most of these teachers- better paid, too, there's only so many licensed boiler operators in the state of Oregon. And I'm still picking up after these racist little shits.

He dropped the napkins in the proper receptacle, before having a look around the place. At least the kids seemed to be in good spirits. He had followed the news of Pandora's spread first with interest, then with concern. A lot of the children didn't seem to fully grasp the gravity of what was going on out there- for that matter, a lot of the adults didn't either. The lockdown was a hardship, but probably not a bad thing on the whole.

He walked up to one table, the children there merely picking at their food instead of eating it. "Hey, c'mon, duuuuudes," he said, tapping on the table. "I know it's not great, but you growing kids gotta eat if you want to get big and strong!"

@Polyphemus
The students at the table chuckle, and one finally pulls together the courage to take a bite... Only for a look of pure horror to appear on her face, before she spits it out and runs into the bathroom. Looks like the food really was bad enough for the students not to eat it... Oh well. Subhas continues on cleaning the garbage off the floor, having to stop some students that were running faster than a speeding bullet ever now and again, only for them to mock him as the last boy did. After cleaning for a few minutes, it appears that everything is sparkling clean. Subhas can now do whatever else he wants to do.

Ken was sitting with a couple of his classmates, engaging in casual conversation, like usual. The people here were fun and they were certainly his friends, but what he was really looking forward to was student council. It was there he was most attached, and there he was most happy. It's not that he didn't enjoy hanging out with these people, it's just he enjoyed the student council and their beautiful bodies much, much more.

"So how are you guys takin' physics?" Ken asks with a cheery smile. Since the topic so far had been about school, he decided on adding to the conversation through a similar topic, in his own way. "Me? I'm doing reeeeeeally well, hehehe! How you ask? Well... let's just say I've been examining some subjects and it really clicked with me." His perverted smile and joyful laugh made it clear he had been thinking about something perverted, probably getting a disturbed look from the girls in the group, but that was OK. He could win them over at a later stage.

Teddy had been about to try a bite of his own casserole (he'd already skipped the stuff they were serving for breakfast, and his stomach was getting its revenge) when one kid ran out of the room like he was going to puke. He pushed the tray away from himself and decided that dinner had better be pretty good, or the school was bound to revolt. The other kids at his table had already done the same, and seemed to appreciate the solidarity of the gesture.

"Any idea when this lockdown's gonna end and we can get some real food?" he asked, not really expecting any of his friends to have an answer, but as a topic for them to bond over collective disgruntlement.

@Delta44
Ken yields some laughs from the boys in the group, while the girls look at Ken like he's sick. Some of the girls even leave, which shortens the list of his potential future harem. One boy, a small, twelve-year-old black boy named Marsellus, doesn't get it, and openly states this. Then Scott, the only 18-year-old in the group, looks down and Marsellus and jokingly says: "Well kid, when a boy and a girl like each other..." This, of course, leads to the rest of the males in the group laughing, yet, still, Marsellus doesn't get the joke.

@Beekeeper
"Hell if I know..." One of Teddy's friends, a boy named Andrew that was in the seventh grade, replies. Harry, another friend of Teddy's in his grade, says: "Hopefully they'll open the school up soon; I'm getting tired of the shit they're giving us." Then, Teddy's third friend Toby who was in the sixth as well, adds: "You'd think they'd have better food..."

@Simple Unicycle

Conner extended his hand, which Kansas glanced at awkwardly before returning the shake. "I'm Kansas," she replied. "Kansas Carrington." She took her hand back and subconsciously pushed a strand of her hair behind her ear. The boy had a kind face but it was a face she didn't recognize, which was odd. There wasn't anyone Kansas didn't recognize. As a student council member, it was her duty to keep a pulse on the student body. "So, are you new? I don't recall having met you before."

@BreakingMe
"Nice to meet you, Kansas. And no, I'm not really new. I was transferred here when the infection first started, and the day I arrived the school was put under lock-down and I was already sick with the flu. I was in the nurse's office up until yesterday, because she couldn't really treat it so I just had to stay there until I got better." Conner replies as the two shake. His firm was strong, nearly crushing Kansas' hand before he let go. "Uh, sorry if I held your hand too hard; don't know my strength."

Acting gave Loralei a healthy list of skills to call upon. Faking being happy was a skill she used now. The food being unsatisfying and the lock down both had Loralei wanting to break out already. Not possible currently. Rather than sighing with a frown like she was on the inside, she manages a smile that shines in her eyes as well. Her gaze lifts from the food she has been pushing around her plate since failing to get the first bite past her mouth.

"Hey," she says to her table in general. "If you could eat anything in the world right now, what would you pick? Me - I'd give anything for some strawberries." Maybe thinking of other foods would help. Plus, she always found 'if' scenarios to provide insight to others.

@ramblingbard
The students around her reply with a 'hm' before thinking it over. For a few seconds, it's silent around her, before one boy replies with: "Some clam chowder would be nice." Then, the rest of them begin stating what they want to have, some saying traditional things like 'pizza' or 'hamburgers', while others say things like 'sushi' or 'oranges', and someone even says 'grilled tarantula', as strange as that is. The group begin to exchange what they'd want to have and discuss the foods, while Lauralei watches on. Looks like she successfully started a conversation.

"I'll put it simply, kid." Ken states with a smile, ruffling the boy's hair. "You know how boys and girls when they're little generally keep away from one-another? Well, in time, boys and girls will learn to get along. And when that happens, the boys start to appreciate the sheer beauty of these wonderful, intelligent creatures. In some cases, the girls will even fall for the boys, but you need to work hard for that to happen!"

He grins and crosses his arms, looking rather satisfied with himself. "And when that happens, you'll start paying more attention to things you wouldn't normally pay much attention to. With the girl you like, you'll start noticing things about her you didn't notice before, and see her in a new light. Just don't foresake the fact that she's a living being too! That's one of the worst things you can do! Well, aside from groping them; groping means touching them where they don't like being touched." With a triumphant pose, Ken stands on the table, imitating a heroic figure. "One day, you will learn the true, inner and outer beauty of women! That they're more beautiful than any gemstone, and more valuable than any dime! That, my young friend, is the meaning of life!"

@Delta44
Marsellus looks up at Ken, appearing as though he has just found the answers of everything in the universe. "It all makes sense now! Like those magazines my brother hid from me, with the naked women on them!" The boys then laugh at Marsellus' remark, and begin clapping for Ken. Eventually, they begin chanting his name, before the principal, Mr. Peters, appears behind him. "MR. BLACKWELL! GET DOWN FROM THAT TABLE THIS INSTANT OR YOU'LL HAVE DETENTION FOR A WEEK!" 'Detention' in the lockdown now meant 'you'll sit in the detention room for an hour in the afternoon and then you'll go about your day,' and the teacher who supervised detention was actually pretty nice, so it wouldn't be that bad.

@Delta44
Subhas groaned as a student climbed up on the table, in the middle of what seemed to be a dramatic monologue of some kind. His ears perked up as the boy talked about. . .women? Like the pipsqueak was some kind of expert, with all of his seventeen years. The arrogance. Like I'm any kind of expert.

He shuffled over, stood on his tiptoe and gave the boy a tap on the shoulder. "Hey, duuude," he drawled his trademark phrase. "How about you get down from there? These are tables, not stages." He gave a wink to the other people at the table. "Besides, I'm not sure this is the guy you really want to go to. Not very worldly, not like your sex ed teacher Ms. Lincoln." He tapped the side of his nose. "Now why don't you pipe down and behave. It's no fun in detention, is it? Of course, when I was your age and dinosaurs roamed the earth, they used to cane us." He laughed. "I'd have loved to do detention instead of that."

The conversation at Teddy's table had drifted into indifference when one of the older kids began making some sort of speech. Teddy's head turned, and his classmates' heads followed, that guy was standing on his table! Teddy's eyes hardened in distaste, he recognized the guy, Ken. It seemed like Ken was always up to something, and it always had to do with girls. Why was he so obsessed anyway? There were bigger issues in life, like school, family, this lock-down...

He noticed the janitor come up to Ken, it looked like he was trying to coax the kid down. Good luck, Teddy thought, now that every girl in the school's watching. Truthfully though, Teddy admired the janitor's effort, and he tried to listen in on the conversation. But through the accent and the distance, all he picked up so far was something about dinosaurs.

Hey, dinosaurs were pretty cool, maybe this janitor guy was alright.

@Simple Unicycle@Delta44

"It was nice to meet you Conner. I'm on the Student Council so if you feel like there's anything you need, just come find me and I'll see what I can do to help you." She smiled slightly but turned when she heard a racket brewing across the room. Ken Blackwell as standing on a table, making a dramatic speech. Ah yes. Ken. The center of the universe. The Adonis of the 11th grade. Kansas rolled her eyes at his outburst. The janitor made somewhat of an attempt at getting him to get down but the effort appeared to have fallen on deaf ears. Kansas knew how to handle this boy.

She sauntered in his direction, adding a slight sway to her hips as reapplied cherry scented lip gloss. She fluttered her eyelashes slightly as she looked up directly into his eyes. "Hey Ken," she smiled and added a wink. "Would you mind sitting at my table with me?" She pushed a strand of hair behind her ear. "I'm feeling kind of lonely and I thought maybe you could keep me company?" She smiled again for added affect.

The smile grew stronger as the others at her table piped up about foods they wanted. Loralei counted it as a victory. She managed to get their minds off the horrible food before them and onto something better. Sure, they were locked down. Hopefully it wouldn't last much longer. She wanted to see her family; especially considering she hadn't gotten a text back from any of them since the lock down went into affect. Given that - at the slightest hint of a severe storm coming their way - her father insisted they all go to his writing retreat cabin and there was no reception out there, she tried not to think too much on the lack of contact.

While those at her table continued the conversation, she took the opportunity to look around at the other tables. Which was when one of the boys in her class stood up on his table in a pose. She barely caught her giggle before it started; it was kind of stupid, but in one of those funny ways. Her gaze quickly shifted elsewhere to avoid seeming like she was encouraging the behavior. Things that could get one in trouble were definitely nothing to encourage. She spotted another table where other kids seemed miserable about the food choices.

She turned back to those at her table, offering them a bright smile. "That all sounds wonderful. You guys should keep talking; I have to speak to someone else." She flashed them a brighter smile for a moment before grabbing her tray and standing up.

Disposing of the contents of her food tray in the proper places, Loralei headed over to [Ted's] table of kids that looked younger than her. She stopped at the bit of free space at the end of the table and offered them a smile. "Hi, mind if I join you guys?"

@Beekeeper

Teddy rolled his eyes away from Ken and they landed on another girl who was standing up, and walking towards... himself? He was shrugged it off, certain she was just weaving through the awkward table pattern and would soon be hanging a left or a right once her path was cleared. Then she was right next to him, "Hi, mind if I join you guys?" she said.

He nearly did a double-take, what was this girl, a junior or senior (hell, she could even pass for a student teacher), doing asking to sit with him and his table of 6th and 7th graders? Nevertheless, he saw no reason to be rude.

"Uh, sure," he said, standing up and stretching out his hand, "My name's Teddy. You probably don't want to get to know these no-accounts, but this is Sarah, Edith, Andrew, Harry, and Toby." He gestured to each of the kids at his table, respectively.

@ramblingbard