PHASE I [ 6 00 ] It’s a normal day in Cerealia. Well, normal enough. Sure, the rain has become a bit louder on the top of the platform, but that isn't really a big deal. And sure, a large portion of the population (the population associated with water) seem to be incredibly energetic, almost to the point of distraction -- they can’t sit still, they always feel like they need to be moving. With them, there’s a definite sense that something is coming. Still, not really a big deal. Then another portion of the population (the population associated with earth) is incredibly dragging, nodding off at random intervals and finding themselves incredibly sluggish. Nothing's coming for them. What a shame.
All in all, it's really just a normal day.
Well, until it starts raining. Cerealia is an enclosed, monitored microenvironment. It does not rain. There is no weather. Really, why would CERES ever need it to rain? How silly! But now it is raining, and heavily at that, downpour falling steadily without any signs of letting up, even as the unprepared streets begin to flood as the amount of water builds up. Now is the time to ask yourself, "does CERES even make umbrellas?"
Still, absolutely normal here, yes! Mosley's broadcast aside, it's so very normal.
And it will continue to be normal (and wet) until, without warning, any and all communication with CERES cuts out -- along with the power. Looks like you're in for another blackout, Cerealia. This is all still extremely normal!!
PHASE II [ 700 ] One thing’s for certain; the colony can’t take this much concentrated rain. The rain continues on and on and on, without any change. On the third day of this (slightly foreboding) rain, there’s a loud, metallic groaning from the top of the colony, loud enough for everyone to hear.
And then the platform falls.
It lands heavily on the Residential District, smashing into a third of the actual residences in one fell swoop (and hopefully not squishing you in the process). A small quake will rattle through the rest of the district at the force, some other buildings being toppled in the process. With the platform out of the way, the rain turns from a heavy downpour to a merciless flood and the carefully maintained atmosphere quickly becomes muggy, humid jungle air. Please don't blame CERES for the sudden frizziness of your hair.
Speaking of CERES, they're still nowhere to be found. Some monsters, on the other hand, are right there to greet you if you manage to fly up to where the platform once was in this rain. Thankfully, the rain seems to be keeping them uninterested in the colony... for now.
(Seriously, please don't bother the monsters. Just leave them alone and go find an umbrella!)
PHASE III [ 1200 ] And then, on the fourth day, there’s a rumbling noise.
Perhaps you've found shelter elsewhere. Perhaps you still don't care about just a little water. Perhaps you're just glad CERES has shut up for a little while. But no matter where you are, if you look to the edge of the colony you will see something truly frightening. A swell of a wave crests over the top of the colony’s walls, and for a brief, breathless moment, it can been seen, angry and without mercy --
And then it falls, completely flooding the colony.
Stalls, roofs and walls are swept away, debris flung about dangerously. The wave hits hardest in the Residential and Entertainment Districts, knocking down the gym and completely flooding the school. All of the districts are damaged in some way, however, from the Pleasure District to the Research District. There's nothing left untouched.
And then there is silence, even as the rain continues to fall, and a good portion of the city is covered by the depths.
BONUS [ xxxx ] All that aside, if for some reason you wish to dive into the water, there are dolphins! Yay, dolphins! If you’ve always wanted to go swimming with dolphins, now’s your chance. Of course, they look a little... well...
Even so, they’ll let you ride them! What nice dolphins. They’ll let you ride them aaaaall the way until they get you out into the deepest part of the water because of course, that's the best place to go swimming. They won't actually say that though because they're dolphins and they can't speak. This isn't The Little Mermaid, you know. But after that, without ceremony, they’ll buck you off just in time for some friends to show up.
You fool! That's just what you get for trusting dolphins!
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no subject
What is... [going on....] Mitsutada?
[One thing's for sure, he needs to stand up and stop sitting in the rain.]
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The strange lethargy illness has been spreading around Cerealia, from what he's heard. Sousei must have caught it too. ]
Can you stand, Sousei-kun? Let's go home.
[ Humans get sick, that he knows. And if Sousei were to catch a cold on top of the lethargy illness... gods, the Samonjis and Tenka would worry so much. ]
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I'm not ill.
[He pushes himself into a standing position somewhat shakily, frowning even more deeply. There is definitely something wrong though, even if it's not some sort of illness....]
I suppose you do not also feel strangely exhausted, then. [it's just him.......]
no subject
You've got the lethargy sickness, too?
[ It's probably a spiritual rather than biological cause, from how even Dotanuki of all people got hit by it. ]
Did you get attacked by any shady people?
[ Some sort of sorcerer going around cursing people? ]
no subject
Have you seen others with the same problem?
[...]
Because no, nothing out of the ordinary has happened to me to cause this.
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He starts walking, watching Sousei carefully in case the other fell over again. ]
Yeah. Dotanuki-kun got hit by the same thing too. He couldn't even get up for training. Haruji's been worried sick.
[ And it's really, really strange, because Donut's one of the most active swords around. ]
It's probably a gaijin curse, from the looks of it. We couldn't sense anything.
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... A gaijin curse.
[There's a vague snort under Sousei's breath in response to that--he doubts it. If anything, it's something happening to their code again, because Cerealia never gives them a break.]
If nothing else, it is certainly abnormal. However, the fact that not everyone is affected...
[why them? What's their connection? He doesn't get it. Were they just unlucky?]
I do not know what that means yet.
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Possibly, it's not all that true. Maybe he just doesn't want to believe it's true. ]
Haruji said it could be some illness, but even spirits like us are affected. So maybe it's a [ - what's the word - ] pathogen that affects a more common thing?
[ Like the soul, maybe? ]
Do you know anyone else who has it, Sousei-kun?
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But Sousei just quirks an eyebrow at that, before shaking his head. Granted, Mitsutada might be right, but Sousei's not sure he's ready to try to deal with the idea of "soul illnesses".]
No, I have not seen anyone else who has demonstrated the same symptoms.
[...]
The others in my household seem fine.
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But anyway. ]
Might be a workplace thing, then... [ Since swords went there too, it shouldn't be too off.
Maybe. ]
How're they doing?
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Souza, Kousetsu and Sayo appear to have the same amount of energy as ever.
[A pause. He considers that for a moment, before shaking his head.]
Rather, Kousetsu seems more energetic than usual, even.
[As much as the stoic sword can be....]