estoria | « 004 ⇢ INTERLUDE004.EXE »

Entry tags:

!event,
!interlude

« 004 ⇢ INTERLUDE004.EXE »

Who: These suckers and E R R O R
When: OOC: 5/29, IC: 7/15
Where: CERES Research Tower and Beyond
What: It seems an old friend has decided the situation is progressing too slowly.
Rating/Warning: PG-13: Violence, injuries and inevitable deaths.

▶ ACTION.EXE | IC: 7/15

For those unlucky saps who disappear today, ranging from early in the morning towards the middle of the afternoon, well...they can't be reached by CereVice.

Any attempt to do so will bounce back the message User Currently Occupied.

It's an odd message, and one that's never been used by the CereVice. How strange. It's probably nothing though, right? No contact can be established between groups or from groups to outside people in Cerealia, whether by technology or magic. You're cut off from everyone but those in your groups, now.

Otherwise, all abilities will remain intact.

As for the people who do disappear, well... things get a little hairy really quickly.

▶ RUN.EXE | MOD NOTES

This is the event log for these sign-ups! Your groups have been sorted below; here are a few handy links for you:

Group 01 | OOC plotting
Group 02 | OOC plotting
Group 03 | OOC plotting
Group 04 | OOC plotting
Group 05 | OOC plotting
Group 06 | OOC plotting
Group 07 | OOC plotting
Group 08 | OOC plotting
Group 09 | OOC plotting
Group 10 | OOC plotting
Group 11 | OOC plotting
Group 12 | OOC plotting
Group 13 | OOC plotting
Group 14 | OOC plotting
There is no tagging order, so feel free to tag in whatever way works best for you as a group.

The characters should not ICly be gone longer than 5 hours -- if they survive, of course. There will be mod involvement in each of the threads.

If there are any questions, feel free to ask them here. Please try to avoid asking hypothetical questions (such as "What will happen if my character does [action]?") as that's part of the fun and risk of the interlude! You are welcome to plot with your groupmates in this post. Thank you!

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

. . . LOADING CHROLLO LUCILFER.$$$ . . . LOADING HAJIME SAITOU.$$$ . . .
. . . LOADING HAKATA TOUSHIROU.$$$ . . . LOADING UNDYNE.$$$ . . .
. . . LOADING ZER0.$$$ . . . START ESCAPE.EXE. . .

[ Everyone has to do laundry eventually.

Whether you wear the same clothing every day like the boring video game character you are or you change it up, laundry is laundry, and the next time you approach the washing machine, it's...going to be a little weird.

Namely because there's a certain NPC inside of the washing machine, and when you open it, he'll just...wave.

Isn't it cramped in there?

Except there's no room for chatting, because then he's reaching out with a surprisingly strong grip and dragging you right into the washing machine with him, and then there's a spin and a twirl and you're dumped through the pipe system and right into somewhere unusual and new. It's cold, too, which is probably going to be a problem with how soaking wet you are.

There are other people here, too, which means it might take you a moment to realize Mosley is no longer there. ]

[there's a certain degree to which Chrollo allows for the bizarre to take place in his life. oddities, occurrences, moments which just demand to be adapted to instead of fully understood at this moment in time which usually explained itself with patience and a degree of searching.

Mosley in the washing machine looks to be one of them, and while he's surprised, Chrollo isn't sure whether to wave back or to ask excuse me. but the swiftness of the actions that follow cut off both responses, and when he's dumped out, the chill of the water is secondary to how everything feels like he needs to be alert, eyes moving rapidly to take in the situation, aura invisible and pulled close. another new place. another sudden happening - another one of those "glitches"? or intentional manipulation?

four others. none of them Mosley. only one familiar. and from the looks of things, there's no obvious connection between them. key word being obvious.]

CERES.

[he says it dryly, like the name is a curse, but he smiles faintly to himself, like it's something to be amused by. wringing the water out of the edge of his shirt, he has to wonder what they were going to end up in the middle of. if it was anything like the labyrinth...things are going to be interesting, to say the least.]

Edited 2016-05-29 01:09 (UTC)

[ zer0 recognizes mosley from scouring the network, and despite their resistance they're tugged into the new area. body armor still dripping water, they unfold from the washing machine and stand still, head swiveling from left to right.

and ah, a familiar face. zer0 tips their head at chrollo silently before ranging out with silent steps to search for information, waiting for no one. ]

[Seeing as how she's a fish monster who lives by an icy waterfall, being cold and wet doesn't bother Undyne - in fact, she prefers it. Getting dragged through a laundry machine by some stranger she's never met before into a bizarre dank area, on the other hand, is definitely a new and exciting experience! One that she's none too pleased by, judging by how much she's cursing when she lands.]

What the hell?! [She immediately jumps to her feet, summoning one of her spears into her hand and shifting into a fighting stance.] I'm gonna kick your ass, you bast--

[And then she notices she's not alone.] Wait, who are you people? What's going on here?

[ Unlike certain someone, Hakata doesn't appreciate being wet, but he has more pressing matters to attend to. Like his exact whereabouts and these very strange strangers. ]

Um, actually. I'd like to know as well. [ He adds in after Undyne, feeling a little less overwhelmed after her outburst. ] We didn't all get dragged in here by that weirdo in the washing machine, did we?

[ Generally he does his laundry by hand, out of habit. But maybe he's let his guard down, slightly. What harm can a washing machine do, anyway. So no, he doesn't expect this. Honestly, he prefers the beach over this. Why is is that nearly every time, it includes getting soaked?

Saitou takes a moment to make sure he has all his belongs before he glances over at the others, who are in the same condition. ]

I believe we did. [ He directs this at Hakata, and then addresses everyone else. ] Does anyone happen to know where this is? [ They're underground, and the last time people were underground, things didn't go particularly great. ]

[ Zer0's going to be able to find a few things out pretty quickly -- first, they're definitely underground. It's cold, there's no natural light and the draft would suggest that they're positioned in some sort of tunnel system.

Secondly, the area they're in is very decrepit, because they're going to find pieces of the floor giving out from under them, and parts of the ceiling will cave in if they aren't careful.

There's also really only two ways to immediately go, too: follow the tunnel forward, or follow the tunnel behind them. ]

[instead of answering the vital questions of who he is and what he thinks is going on, Chrollo instead is glancing around, taking in the situation around them. the fish woman does get a second glance - where did she get that weapon? conjuration?]

It's not the labyrinth, if any of you know it.

[and yet, more tunnels. forward or back.]

As it is, there's no real way to go but forward. We might as well move in a group since we're already here.

[he says it gently enough to seem casual, but under it all is a slight tinge of authority. they can sort out the trickier questions when they're no longer in a tunnel, he thinks, and while there's no reason to take them all along, there's no reason not to.

so if there aren't objections, he's going to start heading in that direction, glancing over his shoulder to see who's going to follow.]

[ zer0 does, indeed, almost fall through the floor in one spot. (or maybe more, but if no one sees then it never happened!) they return to the group after a brief look around, not quite falling into step by chrollo but trailing a bit behind as they speak. ]

And of the other direction? Together, we make a large target.

[ they look at the others, too, assessing. at least it looks like they all have some sort of combat capability. the scaly-person's weapon, in particular, is interesting to zer0, and they may be eyeing it far too intently to be casual. ]

What kind of freak hides in a washing machine to ambush people?! They better not have stolen any of my clothes!

[Because that's definitely the priority here... Anyway, while Undyne isn't really one for taking orders - especially from a human - she also recognizes that she has absolutely no clue what's going on right now. So she'll start walking behind Chrollo reluctantly, though it's more to keep him in earshot so she can hopefully get some answers instead of deferring to his lead.]

This sort of thing happen often around here, then? [Seeing as how most of the other people here don't look that shocked after being whisked away into a completely different place out of the blue.] If all we're trying to do is look for an exit, splitting up sounds like a waste of time - it just means whatever group finds the way out would have to go all the way back to fetch the rest. And anything here who thinks we'll make an easy target is gonna be in for a world of pain!

[She can't really tell that Zer0's eyeing her thanks to the mask, but she does notice his head tilted in her direction.]

What, you want one too? [And she'll summon another spear and hold it out to him. As far as she's concerned, the more people armed here the better - and she also has enough confidence in her own abilities should one of them try to turn on the group.]

[ Forward it is!

It's going to get lighter and lighter the further they go, thankfully (?). The ground beneath them slowly melds into something metallic, though it remains equally unstable (now with the added danger of rust).

But most notable of all in this tunnel is that there are pieces of robots strewn about. They seem old, as they're all covered in dust, but they were definitely savagely ripped apart by something. ]

[ Great. Most of these people are shady as heck (call it a businessman's intuition). It's not very reassuring. But if given the choice of exploring these tunnels by himself or with them, he'd definitely go with them. There is power in numbers after all. After making sure his real form, a shortsword, is secure in its sheath, Hakata follows the rest of the group. The tunnel ahead seems to stretch on forever, but he quietly jogs after everyone. That is, until a certain odor catches his attention. ]

That smell, it's rust. [ Hakata grimaces. As a sword, it's possibly one of the worst "sickness" he can catch. ] Where is it ... Ah.

[ The pile of ripped robots. Feeling a chill run down his spine, he picked one of the rusted arms and studied the shredded end. ]

What in the world happened here?

A massacre? [ Maybe? Recently, they had a bout with robots as well, but they were the enemy. This looks more like they were victims.

Saitou turns some pieces over with his foot. At least this place isn't the labyrinth, but that still doesn't place the exact location. Once again, this place remains too large and holds too many enigmas. But there was safety in numbers, and it looks like all of them knew their way around weapons. ]

Or maybe it's a warning.

[to Undyne, Chrollo offers one answer before they get too far:]

Things aren't as stable as they appear to be. In CERES, and in the world.

[but he's quiet as the light grows, trying to step lightly to avoid the ground collapsing, eyes widening as he takes in the robots. if they want to touch it, that's fine, he doesn't want to with the memory of the broken down junkyard monsters still fresh.

but he does stop for a second when he's close to one. long enough to reach out a few feet with invisible en, to see if anything can be sensed off them spiritually before continuing his path. what would destroy robots like this?]

Or someone fighting back and winning. A tragedy or a battlefield...what are the odds that what did this is also dead?

[you don't sound very concerned about that, Chrollo...but then again, he's alive. he's not a robot. therefore he might not trigger the same ire in the mysterious foe, if it lives.]

[ The feeling isn't quite spiritual, but it isn't entirely not spiritual either. There's a definite feeling of a lack of any sort of emotion sans victory (from the ones who killed them, of course), but that's all.

Carrying on forward brings Chrollo right on towards what appears to be a storage hut -- it's small and nondescript, with a single door and no windows.

Alternatively, the path keeps on going beyond it. ]

[ to undyne, zer0 shakes their head slightly in response. ]

Merely curious.

[ they follow the rest of the way without comment, studying the broken robots they pass quietly. when their little group reaches the hut, they stop in their tracks. ]

Perhaps inside lie answers. We ought to enter.

[Undyne frowns when she sees the pile. She doesn't have any great love for robots, but the way they've been ripped apart doesn't sit right with her. Still, it's clear they don't know enough about this situation for her to start casting judgment yet, as tempting as it may be.]

It looks like they've been here for a while. Whoever did this might not be anywhere near here by now.

[She nods at Zer0's assessment, agreeing with them.]

Might as well check it out while we're here! Just making sure though...everyone here knows how to fight, yeah? If you don't, get in the middle of the group so we can protect you better.

[And yeah, she sure is just assuming that of course everyone here is as dedicated to protecting non-combatants as she is...what do you mean this is a group full of moral ambiguity.]

Edited 2016-05-30 06:20 (UTC)

... It would be nice if what everyone's saying is true, but I have a bad feeling. [ He puts the robot arm down carefully just in case the floor decides to give out and rejoins everyone heading towards the hut. Some folks don't look at all unnerved by the sight, and he can't help but wonder if everyone gets to be like that when they have been in Cerealia long enough.

At Undyne's offer though, Hakata will raise his hand. Not because he needs to be protected but rather he probably looks like he needs to be. It's one of the drawbacks of being a tantou. ] You don't need to worry about me! I know how to fight, and I can take care of myself.

[ But he's glad there is someone who is looking out for the little people!! Even if she is a fish humanoid lady. It's cool. Then looking around at the rest, he asks uncertainly. ]

It's same for everyone else too, right... ?

Edited 2016-05-30 07:22 (UTC)

[ To the storage hut!

Naturally, the door is locked. It won't budge if you just try to open it. ]

[ Naturally. If it were unlocked, it would probably be an obvious trap, a 'please come in and--oh look, the door just shut behind you, and you can't get out until you fulfill this list of dubious things.' It's happened before. ]

Do any of you carry explosives? [ Or a gun? Small cannon? He's seen some people with that. They could hack at this door and walls, but completely blasting it open would be far more effective ]

[does he know how to fight. the most he'll answer that with is a raised eyebrow and a step back. sure, he knows, but the extent of his experience is something he wants to play closer to his chest. better they think he's just a human until something happens.

coming closer to the lock, Chrollo examines it. if it's a key lock, that's one thing, but if it's electronic, that's another.]

Unfortunately, that's not something I keep with me.

[ zer0 nods in response to the question of combat experience. they don't explain, however. the storage hut is slightly more interesting right now.

from their digistruct storage they produce a pistol, which forms out of a projected blueprint. it solidifies into a physical pistol in their hands with a soft, electric blue glow. ]

Explosive ammo.

[ and without much of a pause, they fire at the lock. hope no one is too close..! ]

[Chrollo was...definitely not the person she'd expected to be a non-combatant in this group, but hey, it's not like Undyne knows that much about humans to tell whether someone's a fighter or not. If he belongs to Weenie Hut Jr, that's fine with her!!]

Let's just kick it down! [But then Zer0 produces a gun out of thin air which...probably shouldn't be that surprising to her given that she just did the same thing with her spear, huh.]

...or that works too, I guess.

Uh - [ Is firing an explosive in unstable basement really the best idea in the world, he wants to ask. But before he can even get it out of his mouth, Zer0 produced their gun and fired. Thankfully nothing is crumbling down ... yet.

With the lock broken though, the door slowly creaks open. He tries to peek in from the threshold, hoping something helpful is inside. And - ]

Is anyone home ~ ?

[ nothing bad is. ]

[ ...that had been surprisingly faster than he expected. Count Saitou impressed, Zer0--though he's trying not to show it. How they and Undyne are manifesting weapons with just apparent thought is intriguing and, in his opinion, quite useful.

He peers around Hakata. Sadly, he doesn't night vision.

So far, it looks unoccupied. ]

▶ GROUP 3.EXE

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