Welcome to Fódlan's Dining Hall
Your name is Byleth Eisner. You are 26. You are a new, part-time employee at your local branch of Fódlan's Dining Hall, a fast food restaurant chain. Tonight is your first time working in the drive-thru. It is a Wednesday night, and your branch is in an area that sees evening and late night traffic from the local university, University of Garreg Mach.You are also a graduate student and teaching assistant at the university. Your specialty is religious studies, and your thesis project is on the first schism of the Church of Seiros. You took this job because teaching and your stipend won't pay your rent and utilities.
You start your shift by reconciling the register at the drive-thru window. Just as you finish, your manager, Seteth, comes out of the back office. He eyes you up and down, likely disapproving of the wrinkles at the simple hem on your trousers. He raises his gaze, which strays briefly to your name tag, pinned over your right shirt pocket. The tag's pin is comically small for the weight, so it sags on your chest."Good evening, Byleth," Seteth says, clearly expecting a response.
Seteth eyes you. He clearly thinks you're very odd, but you never expected him to be your greatest fan. When Flayn interviewed you, she said her brother hates working at the restaurant and only does it because they're relatives of Rhea, the current CEO of Fódlan's Dining Hall. Flayn is the day manager. You wish, as Seteth opens his mouth again, that you did not have to take at least one nightshift a week."Indeed," Seteth says before nodding to the open cash drawer. "Is that arranged according to the Drive-Thru Training Manual?"A cold feeling stirs in your gut. You were not aware there is a manual nor that you should have read it. When you got the employment paperwork two weeks ago, there were 6 different manuals. You skimmed the general training manual and have since dedicated your reading time to your thesis research and playing video games.You are lucky for your perpetual poker-face.
Seteth frowns. He clearly expected a response. At the same time, you never expected him to be your greatest fan. When Flayn interviewed you, she said her brother hates working at the restaurant and only does it because they're relatives of Rhea, the current CEO of Fódlan's Dining Hall. Flayn is the day manager. You wish, as Seteth opens his mouth again, that you did not have to take at least one nightshift a week."Indeed," Seteth says before nodding to the open cash drawer. "Is that arranged according to the Drive-Thru Training Manual?"A cold feeling stirs in your gut. You were not aware there is a manual nor that you should have read it. When you got the employment paperwork two weeks ago, there were 6 different manuals. You skimmed the general training manual and have since dedicated your reading time to your thesis research and playing video games.You are lucky for your perpetual poker-face.
Seteth nods."Good," he says, which sounds less like praise and more like you might have been fired for the wrong answer. "Make sure to notify me when you take your mandatory breaks. We can't have customers waiting. Good luck, Byleth."He turns away before you can react and goes back to the front registers. There's no one in the restaurant at moment, but you can see him standing behind the farthest register and looking very annoyed. Out of your field of vision, you can hear Catherine and Alois in the kitchen preparing food. They're not as boisterous as usual, but that's probably because Seteth is so close by.You shut the cash tray, vowing to read more of the training manuals when you get home. Adjusting your headset, you look up at the two screens. The one on the left is a very dense list of the available drive-thru menu items. The one on the right shows a very grainy image of the order window. You look at:
Fódlan's Dining Hall offers a reduced menu for drive-thru service. The restaurant attempts to promote healthier food options over the fare offered at its primary competitors. Every customer is encouraged to be greeted with the cheerful, welcoming lines of:"Welcome to Fódlan's Dining Hall, your home away from home. We stick to our roots so we can grow with you. How may I assist you today/tonight?"Ugh. You're already sick of saying those lines, but the menu has them printed in cheerful, blocky font at the top. You have to do the dance, you suppose.Beneath the spiel, the reduced menu that the customers at the drive-thru order window see is reprinted in grainy but legible text.
Mega-Fódlan® Burger
Mega-Fódlan® Cheeseburger
Fódlan® Cheeseburger
Fódlan® Burger
Fódlan® Nuggets (4, 8, 12 pieces)
Fódlan® Fries (regular, large)
Kid's Fódlan® Meal (4 nuggets, small fries, 1 apple juice box)
Soda (small, regular, large)
Milkshakes (vanilla, chocolate; small, regular, large)
Condiments (ketchup, mustard, ranch, honey mustard, hot sauce); after the first two free condiments, charge is 50p per additional up to 2 packets/pots
There's a piece of paper taped to the bottom of the screen. Someone has scribbled underneath in block capitals:WE DO NOT SERVE WATER ONLY TO DRIVE-THRU CUSTOMERSYou wonder vaguely what the story is behind that. Having finished reading, you look to the right screen.
You can barely see anything aside from vague details on the screen. You are able to see there is a convertible pulling up to the window. You turn on your mic, wincing slightly at the brief feedback, as the car draws up. You wait for the sound of the car's window rolling down to stop before:
"Welcome to Fódlan's Dining Hall, your home away from home. We stick to our roots so we can grow with you. How may I assist you tonight?"There's a brief pause."Oh."It is a high-pitched, very nervous noise. You wait for a moment as the person in the car makes a few panicked chirps."Um, uh, I'm sorry!" the customer says, very high and so loud you grit your teeth as your ear smarts. "I just want a fry! I mean, an order of fries! I'm sorry!"
The car idles in front of the window for a long moment. After about two minutes, you hear the engine before the car backs up out of the drive-thru and away from your screen. It doesn't come back.Okay. Whatever.You glance back at Seteth, who is not paying any attention to you at all. He is, in fact, watching something on his phone. Thankfully, he is using a low volume.You shake your head, partially to clear it and partially out of frustration. You look:
"Um," the customer says; a short pause ensues, before, "small. But lots of ketchup. More than two. I will pay extra?"The first two ketchup packets are free. No more than two additional are provided.
There's a long pause. It is very awkward."We will be having two," a voice much further from the mic says.You shrug. You punch in the info to your terminal and register."That will be two and a half pounds. Please pull up to the second window."You turn your mic off. Catherine appears almost immediately with the order in a bag. You shove the extra two packet into it. Out of the corner of your eye, the car drives up to your window.
A very nervous woman is in the driver's seat. There's another lady in the passenger's seat who has a lot of red-purple hair. They both look up at you expectantly as the lady holds out the money in exact change.
"Okay!" the customer says, still nervous but more determined. "I want as many as you can give me!"Weird, but okay. You punch in the info to your terminal and register."That will be two and a half pounds. Please pull up to the second window."You turn your mic off. Catherine appears almost immediately with the order in a bag. You shove the extra two packets into it. Out of the corner of your eye, the car drives up to your window.
A very nervous woman is in the driver's seat. There's another lady in the passenger's seat who has a lot of red-purple hair. They both look up at you expectantly as the lady holds out the money in exact change.
You reach out and take the money with your left hand, passing their order over with your right. The two smile at you, and the woman in the driver's seat takes the bag."Thank you!" she says, very high and very loud. "Sorry!"She rolls up the car window as you hear her companion ask, "Why are you apologising?"You stand for a moment, watching them drive away. You realise belatedly as you turn to put the money in the register that you forgot to say something polite and to invite them back in the future.You glance back at Seteth, who is not paying any attention to you at all. He is, in fact, watching something on his phone. Thankfully, he is using a low volume.You shake your head, partially to clear it and partially out of frustration. You look at:
You have no new messages. You're tempted to unlock your phone and check social media or one of your idle mobile games, but you exercise some willpower and put your phone back in your trouser pocket.You look at:
A truck is in the drive-thru. You realise you left your mic on for the entire interaction with the previous customers, so you have thankfully not missed anything this customer has said. Which is nothing. You hope they aren't annoyed to have been idling there for a while.
"Welcome to Fódlan's Dining Hall, your home away from home. We stick to our roots so we can grow with you. How may I assist you tonight?"There's a hearty chuckle on the other end."Well, you sound cute," the customer says, very smarmy."Sylvain," someone barks. "Just order the food!"The customer laughs. "And I've got a grumpy bunny," he says; you feel a headache coming on. "We'd like 12 nuggets, 2 kids meals, and... uhh..."A long pause. You punch in the order in the brief lull before the customer continues."One regular milkshake. Chocolate. Thanks."He sounds less smarmy than before for some reason. You feel awkward again.
"Welcome to Fódlan's Dining Hall, your home away from home. We stick to our roots so we can grow with you. How may I assist you tonight?"There's a hearty chuckle on the other end."Well, you sound cute," the customer says, very smarmy."Sylvain," someone barks. "Just order the food!"The customer laughs. "And I've got a grumpy bunny," he says; you feel a headache coming on. "We'd like 12 nuggets, 2 kids meals, and... uhh..."A long pause. You punch in the order in the brief lull before the customer continues."One regular milkshake. Chocolate. Thanks."He sounds less smarmy than before for some reason. You feel awkward again.
"Welcome to Fódlan's Dining Hall, your home away from home. We stick to our roots so we can grow with you. How may I assist you tonight?"There's a hearty chuckle on the other end."Well, you sound cute," the customer says, very smarmy."Sylvain," someone barks. "Just order the food!"The customer laughs. "And I've got a grumpy bunny," he says; you feel a headache coming on. "We'd like 12 nuggets, 2 kids meals, and... uhh..."A long pause. You punch in the order in the brief lull before the customer continues."One regular milkshake. Chocolate. Thanks."He sounds less smarmy than before for some reason. You feel awkward again.
You take a deep breath."Welcome to Fódlan's Dining Hall, your home away from home. We stick to our roots so we can grow with you. How may I assist you tonight?"There's a hearty chuckle on the other end."A newbie," the customer says, very smarmy."Sylvain," someone barks. "Just order the food!"The customer laughs. "And I've got a grumpy bunny," he says; you feel a headache coming on. "We'd like 12 nuggets, 2 kids meals, and... uhh..."A long pause. You punch in the order in the brief lull before the customer continues."One regular milkshake. Chocolate. Thanks."He sounds less smarmy than before for some reason. You feel awkward again.
You take a deep breath."Welcome to Fódlan's Dining Hall, your home away from home. We stick to our roots so we can grow with you. How may I assist you tonight?"There's a hearty chuckle on the other end."A newbie," the customer says, very smarmy."Sylvain," someone barks. "Just order the food!"The customer laughs. "And I've got a grumpy bunny," he says; you feel a headache coming on. "We'd like 12 nuggets, 2 kids meals, and... uhh..."A long pause. You punch in the order in the brief lull before the customer continues."One regular milkshake. Chocolate. Thanks."He sounds less smarmy than before for some reason. You feel awkward again.
"Thanks," you say before you remember you need to invite them back. "We hope you choose Fódlan's Dining Hall again."You reach out and take the money with your left hand, passing their order over with your right. The two smile at you, and the woman in the driver's seat takes the bag."Thank you!" she says, and both women smile at you.You stand for a moment, watching them drive away. You realise belatedly as you turn to put the money in the register that you forgot to say something polite and to invite them back in the future.You glance back at Seteth, who makes eye contact with you. He nods before turning his attention back to something on his phone.You turn your attention back to your terminal. You look at:
A truck is in the drive-thru. You realise you left your mic on for the entire interaction with the previous customers, so you have thankfully not missed anything this customer has said. Which is nothing. You hope they aren't annoyed to have been idling there for a while.
There's a shriek."AAAAaaaHHH!!!"You have to pull your headset out off to rub your ear. Through your watering eyes, the car drives away at top speed, zipping by you and the order window. It just managing to avoid running over the curb.Wow...You blink a few times after rubbing your eyes. You glance back at Seteth, who is not paying any attention to you at all. He is, in fact, watching something on his phone. Thankfully, he is using a low volume.You shake your head, partially to clear it and partially out of frustration. You look:
You have no new messages. You're tempted to unlock your phone and check social media or one of your idle mobile games, but you exercise some willpower and put your phone back in your trouser pocket.You look at:
A truck is in the drive-thru. You realise you left your mic on for the entire interaction with the previous customers, so you have thankfully not missed anything this customer has said. Which is nothing. You hope they aren't annoyed to have been idling there for a while.
Seteth scowls. You immediately know this was the wrong answer."You cannot work in the drive-thru without reading the manual," he says, clearly frustrated.He points behind himself to the front registers."You will work those tonight, and I will review your previous performance. If I find it unsatisfactory, your trial employment period will be terminated. Am I clear?"
Seteth frowns deeply."Flayn did say you're taciturn, but I would like answers to direct questions."
You stand behind the front registers for the whole of your shift, aside from mandatory breaks. No one comes in. You go home in the early morning, sensing you are going to be fired.By some miracle, you are not fired. You have a chance to try again two days later on your next night shift.
You stand behind the front registers for the whole of your shift, aside from mandatory breaks. No one comes in.You go home in the early morning and receive an email at noon, notifying you that your employment has been terminated.
"Woo-ie, prices going up," the customer says, but he doesn't seem angry at all. "Thanks, cutie.""Sylvain!" two voices shout before they're cut off as you mute your headset.You are suddenly very sure as the truck approaches that you know this customer. He's in the undergraduate research course your advisor oversees.This is so awkward.Alois comes by to hand the order over. You take it as the truck pulls beneath and idles outside of the pick-up window.
When you turn, you immediately recognise one Sylvain José Gautier. You also see another two other students whom you don't immediately remember the names.Sylvain, who has the cash extended towards you, looks gobsmacked. He clearly also recognises you.