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« 006 ⇢ event006.exe »

Who: CERES & you
When: OOC - 11/25-12/02 ; IC - 10/09-10/12
Where: Cerealia & Pleasure District
What: Event log
Rating/Warning: PG-13 | possibly nsfw (please let us know if you need this rating changed)

//event006.EXE

I Saw Mommy Kissing Santa-bot underneath the Mistletoe

It's the morning of October 9th when you feel it. At first, it's a gentle rumble. Then, the ground begins to quake harder as a transparent shield erupts from the perimeter of the colony. Those fortunate enough to be standing outdoors will get a glimpse of it as it slowly closes around the colony, forming a glass dome that keeps everything enclosed inside. It may spark your curiosity. It may even cause a bit of fear and anxiety, but other than that, the day remains the same. Plain. Neutral. A little too quiet.

That's when the cold sneaks up on you, little by little. You may notice yourself shivering and in need of a warm blanket. It's just a little breeze, right? You might close the windows in your apartment or throw on a sweater. But the cold doesn't stop there. The temperature begins to plummet gradually by the hour, and you notice frost appearing on all visible surfaces. Machines start to malfunction and grow stiff all over. The wind knocks over a few post boxes and signs. Your skin goes numb in places. Shrinkage happens for those who have things that shrink.

All in all, it's an unpleasant experience, and the trains are shut down, leaving most of the colony's citizens with limited transportation. However, a figure appears in a dimly corner of the station to brighten your day. He has a blanket laid out with snow globes placed on top, some plain, some rose-tinted. They're all for sale for a meager 25 credits. Since he can't speak, he lets his boom box do the talking for him, letting out a familiar song.

"♬~ Oh the weather outside is frightful
But the fire is so delightful
And since we've no place to go
Let It Snow! Let It Snow! Let It Snow!

It doesn't show signs of stopping
And I've bought some corn for popping
The lights are turned way down low
Let It Snow! Let It Snow! Let It Snow!~♬"

//SCENARIOS.EXE

PHASE I

[ xxxx ] The cold is starting to set into your bones, a sharp pain emanating from the way it seems to burrow under your flesh. No amount of jackets, parkas, and sweaters offer relief as the temperature plummets by the hour. The streets are paved with ice everywhere, and snow is rapidly falling from the ceiling of the dome. Will you play in it? Will you settle by the fire with a warm beverage? Will you and your ill-prepared body be subjected to the slow madness promised by hypothermia? It might seem bearable at first, but nothing is ever that simple or easy in Cerealia.

Of course, for those who wish to brave the weather, come see the snow globe salesman in Cerealia's train station. He'll show you a few wonders that linger behind the glass.

PHASE II

[ xxxx ] Just as the cold starts to reach its most unbearable temperatures, a single haven lies in the Pleasure District at Cerealia's famous virtual Fantasy Hub. Whispers will pass from lips to lips, moving quickly across the colony about the warmest place to be. Your character is welcome to investigate for themselves and set aside their embarrassment for a little bit of reprieve.

The robot staff will be more than welcoming, offering you compliments, cookies, and hot chocolate. The three great C's! They will let everyone linger about the lounge and encourage them to pair up and try out a bit of the technology. They might even find a little something to smile about after. The robots will be promising customers a lovely boost of warmth just for subjecting themselves to a world of their own desires.

PHASE III

[ xxxx ] For those brave enough to venture into their virtual fantasies, you'll be lead into a private booth where no one else will be able to bother you. A headset will be available for you and any companions of choice. Feel free to put it on and check it out. You'll be prompted to type in or verbally explain your fantasy before watching the world being built before your eyes until you're completely immersed in your ideal world. You are welcome to roam around and enjoy for as long as you wish but do remember you're on the clock and that there are other customers waiting. Oh and do try and clean up the booth after use!

PHASE IV

[ xxxx ] It's day four. The cold has reached its lowest, most unbearable point. Those who took a trip into their own fantasies or the fantasy of others are now free to revel in the warmth (and in their own embarrassment and shame). Congratulations! For those who avoided it, prepare to feel numb in places and to possibly lose a finger or two. The CERES medical facility will do their best to stick you back together or keep you from death. The suffering will continue until the very last second when Julius Vincere, CERES' CEO, will appear on all screens and billboards to announce that the climate problems have been fixed at last.

Just like that, the dome will open once more, and the temperature will return to normal. With that comes another set of apologies same as before. How much are you willing to put up with his bullshit?

BONUS

[ whyo'clock ] They're cute. They're cuddly. They're also being sold at a CYbuddy shop near you, provided that snow hasn't blocked the door from opening. They're seemingly harmless and innocent until you take your eyes off of them. That's when they'll scuttle to your underwear drawer and slowly and surreptitiously start stealing pairs of it to hide in a super secret stash so it can sell your unmentionables in an elaborate robot underwear smuggling ring. Prepare to brave the cold without underwear.

[ Remember to apply proper warnings on threads with trigger-y or inappropriate material and do let a mod know if your thread careens off into maiming or canoodling so we can lock the log. ]

//RUN.EXE

Welcome to CEREALIA's latest event post. For your convenience, we have compiled a post detailing what's going on right here and feel free to consult the FAQ if needed. Please leave any lingering questions in the OOC post, and we'll answer them as soon as we can.

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

[Honestly Tenka's not doing much better, though at least he's got a couple layers of sweaters on - since one of the main good things about this place was its clothing selection.

He was in the middle of breathing some warm air against his hands when he notices her walking and well, it's hard to ignore her half-white hair and purple eye. So he's stopping where he is until she walks right by him and then he's just going to reach out for her wrist.]

Fuuma?

[Feeling his hand on her wrist, she instantly stops, but it's when she hears that name that there's a visible look of surprise on her face. Back home, it wouldn't have been strange to hear—it was the reason she often had to wear a disguise, so people wouldn't notice that side of her—but here, it was different. People still whispered when they saw her, but it was usually just a matter of how strange or interesting her hair-color was. (It depended on the time and place.) No one was ever afraid of her. She was still somewhat conscious about her appearance, but hiding what she was had been unnecessary.

It doesn't take very long for her to figure out who this person is, though.]

You are... the eldest of the three Kumou brothers, aren't you?

[She doesn't quite answer him, but she probably doesn't have to—after all, her appearance was usually enough.]

Ah, I'm finally recognized? [He can't hide his amusement at that. He's had to introduce himself a lot here - which isn't something that happened much at all in Shiga. So now he just chuckles before gently letting go of her wrist now that he knows he has her attention.] That took long enough.

[Now he's just going to go ahead and cross his arms again, keeping them close to him - before he blinks and notices she's showing so much skin. Which - okay, first off, young lady, stop that. But more importantly-]

Aren't you cold?!

[Not that he's waiting for an answer. He's just going to remove the top layer of sweaters now without waiting for her answer and shove it at her. TAKE IT, JUST TAKE IT.]

[Nishiki doesn't really know what to do with herself when he's suddenly shoving a sweater into her arms. She was surprised to hear someone calling her a Fuuma all of a sudden, definitely, but now, she's completely bewildered.]

I... I can't take this.

[She doesn't shove it back at him, because that would be rude, but she can't just take it, either.]

[What.

No, Tenka's going to keep offering it to her. Absolutely not, he's not taking this back.]

Sure you can, I'm offering it! It's freezing! Put something on before you catch a cold!!

[She shakes her head. He's right, it is freezing and any sane person in this situation would not look a gift horse in the mouth! BUT...]

I can't. I'm already in debt to your brother, I couldn't possibly trouble your family any further...

[Of course, Soramaru had been like this, too, when it came to taking care of her, but she has no trouble combating their stubbornness with her own.]

You know my brother?

[It's a surprise, okay. Mostly people know Tenka first and then the other two but... well, at the mention of one of his brothers - he's not even sure which - he warms up considerably. His actions get a little less frenzied now as he continues to gently push the sweater into her arms.]

Hey... It's no trouble. It'll only be more concerning if you get sick on my watch. Just take the sweater and let's get you somewhere warm, okay? I've been told that I'm rather stubborn, so you should just give in!

[Well, he's got a point there—if she were to get sick and he found out about it, it would probably make things even worse. She wanted to cause the least amount of trouble possible, so maybe it is best if she just gives in now.]

...I understand. Thank you. [She bows her head for a brief moment, then puts on the sweater. She can still feel his warmth in it.] I was just on my way to find warmer clothes. I'll be sure to return this right away.

Hah, victory is mine!

[And he's beaming, very proud of himself, yes. The pride he feels is enough to warm him up to make up for his loss of one sweater. But it's okay because he still has a ton more. Now he's tilting his head.]

It's not a big deal - do you know where you're going? Or where you're going to be staying?

[It's a habit of his to take in random Fuuma that he meets in the snow. Don't be surprised.]

[He sounds so proud and she doesn't even know why?! These Kumous, so strange... She doesn't understand it, but she decides not to dwell too much on it, either.]

Yes. I already know my way around. [Well, you know. In general. She didn't know exactly which store she'd be going to but she'd figure it out when she got there.] It's important for a ninja to be aware of their surroundings.

[She hadn't been here very long, but she considered this something essential to her survival.]

Ninja this, ninja that... You and Shirasu sound exactly the same already, you know?

[please don't try to make him give you orders, he's not very good at it. though honestly he's sighing in relief because okay, at least she's got a good head on her shoulders.]

Then let's walk and talk. You know who I am, but what's your name?

[The... same?! She's not sure how accurate that is considering she's only half a ninja. They couldn't possibly have that much in common...

She's a bit bewildered by him, but Soramaru had been kind to her, and honestly, she feels as if Tenka himself is very... genuine. So she nods, agreeing to follow him for now.]

My name's Nishiki. It's nice to meet you, Kumou-san.

Pleasure's mine but do me a favor and don't call me Kumou-san, alright? You met my brother, right? You can call me Ten-nii or Tenka if you want.

[Kumou-san is so, so formal. No one calls him that unless he's at a fancy party and those are his least favorite places to be. For now though, he'll just lead Nishiki to the clothing shop he went to with Sousei. It had a solid enough selection.]

By the way, which of my brothers did you meet?

[Ten-nii... She doesn't say anything about it, but there is a lot of judgement going on right now........

But she nods her head—Tenka-san it is. And at his question—]

Soramaru-san... When I was injured, he insisted on taking care of me despite my protests.

[She feels like that part's especially important to point out. SHE TRIED TO SAY NO...]

[ . . . yeah, it's important but probably in a different way than Nishiki was expecting. It makes Tenka's heart melt a bit, thinking about how his little brother could already be growing up and taking care of other people. Taking in injuured Fuumas? Yeah that sounds really familiar.]

Did he.... Hahaha, that kid!!

[It makes him tilt his head as he looks at her, then offering without a speck of hesitation.]

Then you know that you have a home to go here too, right? If you need a place to stay, if my little brother decides that it's a good idea to take care of you, then I'll do it too! Can't have him outdoing me!

[IT'S NOT A COMPETITION... But the fondness is clear in his voice, even when he says things like that. There was no mistaking it. At the same time, though, she's pretty taken aback by what all of that means for her.

A home...? That's impossible. Nishiki shakes her head.]

I think you misunderstand. He only took care of me because I was hurt. Nothing more.

[He wasn't giving her a place to stay, so Tenka shouldn't feel obligated to do that, too—that's what she means.]

Haaaaa...?!

[That much manages to get Tenka to blink in confusion.]

He just left you after you were hurt then...? [ . . . ] Oi, that kid! Didn't he learn anything from his aniki?!

[That much manages to get him to sigh and wave a hand.]

Then it's official! You come and live with me and my partner, alright? I'll show you some real Kumou hospitality!

[...?! That is the complete opposite of what she was trying to achieve!! And yet, she gets the feeling that protesting would be futile. Soramaru, too, had been almost painfully insistent.

...will that really be alright?

[She understood that Tenka probably didn't have any issues with her Fuuma half if he'd been so willing to allow Shirasu to stay with them, but...

Maybe it's just— too strange for her, because she's never had anywhere to go.]

[That much manages to get Tenka to laugh.]

Of course! I wouldn't offer if it wasn't alright.

It's not the first time that I picked up a lost person in the snow... you know?

[It's almost a little too familiar for comfort - would this Fuuma betray him too? - but well, Tenka's not the type to think too deeply about things like this.

As far as he can tell, she needs his help and that's reason enough to extend a hand and home.]

[That doesn't make it okay...!! In fact, she thinks that might even be kind of dangerous?! But again, she's not sure there's any point in protesting, so she doesn't bother, at least for now. She asks instead—]

Your partner won't mind, either?

[Tenka might not mind bringing in people from the snow, but "partner" implies it's not one of his brothers, so they might... see things differently.]

[Tenka raises a brow at that, clearly confused.]

Who? Sousei? [he waves a hand at that] He'll be fine.

He can't complain about picking up people who need help since Dad did the exact same thing to him.

[...these Kumous, these Kumous...

It's so weird, she thinks, how easily they can do things like that—just picking people up that they don't even know. Yet, at the same time, even though it's weird, there's something about it that makes her feel kind of... hm. She's not really sure.]

...your family is strange.

I'm gonna take that as a compliment.

[So decisive. Even though it might've not been a compliment, but regardless he's just going to laugh and shake his head.]

It's just in our nature to be welcoming. I have no reason to believe that you'll do us wrong... so you just play nice with us and we'll take care of you, alright?

I don't understand how you can be that way, even toward someone like me. [He had no reason to believe she would do them wrong, but he had no reason to think that, either, did he? Maybe it's because she's just not used to it, but she can't really... understand it, how someone could think that so easily.] It's dangerous to think like that.

[She had no intention of hurting or betraying him—she really had no reason to, but... how could he know that?]

[Dangerous to think that she wouldn't cause them harm? Tilting his head slightly at that, he glances over at her hair again. It's half-white and half-black so he doesn't quite understand how that can happen.... but at the same time, if it's the Fuuma half that she's concerned about, at least it's nothing he's ever worried about before.]

If you mean 'someone like you' meaning your heritage... well, I don't have a lot of issues with Fuuma. [No, it technically wasn't the Fuuma that caused him this much hardship. It was strictly Kinjou Shirasu. He's not about to blame an entire clan for one man's actions even now.] Unless you give me reason to think that you'll hurt me...

How can somebody make friends if they're wary of everyone they meet? Isn't that lonely?

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