[center][img]https://i.imgur.com/rKpNMii.png[/img][/center]

[center][b][H1][color=#B0E0E6]Welcome New Hires[/color][/H1][/b][/center]

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[color=#B0E0E6][b]TIME:[/b][/color] [i]8:00 AM[/i]
[color=#B0E0E6][b]LOCATION:[/b][/color] [i]SDN Meeting Room[/i]
[color=#B0E0E6][b]INTERACTIONS:[/b][/color] [i][@GingerBobOh] [@princess] [@Oso] [@FunnyGuy] [@Infinite Cosmos][/i]

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The SDN meeting room is less a place for collaboration and more a sad example of corporate neglect. The walls are painted a sickly off-white and covered with motivational posters featuring the A-Teams from popular branches. These are the well-known heroes everyone recognizes. The posters hang slightly crooked and faded, looking down on the Z-Team with a sense of detachment. On the far wall, there is a mirror between a few of the posters, perhaps to see yourself up there with the greats. A long, oval composite table takes up the center of the room, surrounded by uncomfortable, scratchy chairs. The air feels heavy and carries a faint, musty odor, suggesting the ventilation system hasn't been cleaned since the last major budget cut. The only bit of nature is a single, dusty ficus tree drooping in the corner.

It is precisely 08:00 AM, and the room feels especially stifling. This morning's mood is completely due to their Branch Manager, Chadwick. He scheduled this meeting first thing, and it is mandatory with no explanation. Given his history with forced team-building events, this is sure to be a miserable experience.

A faint, ambient light reflects off Chadwick's pristine blonde hair. He stands perfectly still against a large, dark panel in the wall. He watches the Z-Team shuffle in, one after another, showing the familiar low-energy exhaustion he knows well. He takes a deep breath, appreciating the moment as he adjusts the bright magenta of his sports coat.

[color=#B0E0E6]"This is exactly it,"[/color] he mutters, his voice a low, excited hum, barely audible over the quiet hum of the ventilation. [color=#B0E0E6]"The pre-launch friction! This is the raw material! Unrefined engagement, and with a bit of coaching, we're going to transform this space. We’re going to hit 110% on those KPIs this quarter."[/color]

His eyes scan the team before lingering briefly on a dusty ficus plant. [color=#B0E0E6]"It's all about growth, isn't it? Team culture is plant culture, after all. A little water, a little light, and you’ve got a thriving asset. And we have four new little sprouts."[/color] He gives a small, high-pitched laugh that seems insincere.

He steps back slightly, a wide, unnaturally perfect smile spreading across his handsome face. He straightens the cuffs of his pink jacket.

[color=#B0E0E6]"I guess I should get in there. It's show time."[/color] Chadwick turns but stops to lean forward. He touches his lips, kissing his finger tips, and gently presses his hand flat against the large surface of the two-way mirror he had been watching. A patch of condensation quickly forms from the heat of his palm and breath.

[color=#B0E0E6]"Just remember how much The Brand believes in you, my little Champs."[/color] With that, he pulls open the heavy door of the observation booth and heads toward the main meeting room entrance, leaving the Z-Team to mingle in the musty air, completely unaware they have been observed.