« 006 ⇢ event006.exe »

[reparator]

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.

Comments

iii

[sunshrouded]

[Well, there will be an attempt to stop her. Because Tenka has no idea what kind of fantasy would generate that sort of reaction. So he's more than a little startled because A) wasn't this supposed to be a happy experience and B) what could've caused this kind of reaction out of Mitsuru?

So he's turning his head then and running ahead just a bit to catch her wrist.]

Mitsuru-chan, it's still freezing out there!

[invoker]

[ A fantasy so disassociated with reality that when one is brought to the cruel, cruel reality of their situation - everything seems the bleaker for it. She stops when she feels something holding on to her, but Tenka's voice is so distant that she doesn't give it a second thought and instead pulls weakly to try and move forward.

She'll just stop for a minute long, not really giving the action of pulling more strength. ]

[sunshrouded]

[That's... a very determined and silent reaction. If anything, it only makes Tenka that much more concerned. Obviously she wants to get out of here for... whatever reason. So he pauses for a moment before thinking of a way to find middle ground here.]

Can you stay for just a minute, Mitsuru-chan? Thirty seconds even. Hear an old man out.

[you're 24, tenka, shut up]

[invoker]

[ Tenka's voice feels a lot closer now that she's stopped. With a nod, she agrees to stay. She doesn't mind that he's still holding on to her wrist at this point, and has actively stopped trying to pull away.

His concern seems genuine enough, and Mitsuru's not in a place to judge anything with her emotions so compromised, so she clears her throat. ]

Go ahead.

[sunshrouded]

Thanks.

[And he means it. He breathes a sigh of relief now that she's actually responding. For a moment, he thought that she'd completely lost contact with reality. So he pauses as he goes to retrieve a coat off a chair (which is his despite it not being his style at all but much better for braving the cold than just sweaters, he found) and putting it around her shoulders. No argument allowed.]

It's cold outside and a busy young lady like you doesn't need to get sick on top of everything else. [ . . . that didn't take thirty seconds, he thinks, so he's going to add just a bit more, albeit hesitantly:] Do you want to talk about it or do you just want to get out of here?

[invoker]

[ That really gets Mitsuru to stop, and actually think - something which she didn't do in that whole outburst. She's grateful for the coat around her shoulders, a gentle nod as she allows herself to be draped in it. ]

Tenka-san... have you ever lost someone dear to you?

[sunshrouded]

[ . . . well, it's one of the easiest questions he's ever been asked. It also sheds a little bit of light on the situation. He relaxes a bit then, comforted by the fact that she's not bolting off into the snow and only nods, a mix of concern and understanding already showing itself in his eyes.]

I have... Both of my parents died suddenly when I was 14.

[From what, he doesn't elaborate. But he hopes that it's enough information for her to understand that even though he may not be familiar with her exact situation - he's felt a similar pain before of losing a loved one. Still, he offers a small smile, pained but genuine.]

It was hard.

[invoker]

[ That definitely brings her back to her senses, and she feels the haze lifting from her head. Mitsuru brushes a stray hair from her face, a weak smile on her face. ]

There was a girl... she was like a sister to me. She gave herself up to save the entire world. I wish it didn't have to be that way, but she was just too selfless for her own good.

[ A small sob on her end, wiping away the traces of tears that were coming out. ]

I'm sorry, it's just... I'm sure I'll never meet anyone like her again, but I wished she was alive and being here reminded me that her sacrifice may have been in vain and... well, I think she may not want me to think that.

[sunshrouded]

[She's just so young to have such a burden. That's the first thought that comes to his head and he shakes his head softly at that, resting a hand on her shoulder softly. He's seen his brothers cry like this before, trying to bottle it up.]

You don't need to apologize, you know. You've been through a lot - of course something like that would affect you.

[He sighs softly before glancing over his shoulder.]

It's a little public here but.... it's okay to cry. [He turns to face her again and smiles, albeit a little sadly.] You're too young to carry the weight of that burden and try to keep it to yourself.

[invoker]

[ She barely knows Tenka, but he's been very comforting and nice to her in a way she didn't expect. It was reassuring, in a strange manner. So it's with a bit of hesitation that she grabs his hand that's resting on his shoulder and grips it, as if trying to find her own grounding. ]

It's not just that...

[ Mitsuru whispers, clearly pained. ]

I have to carry the responsibility of my name and my family.

[sunshrouded]

[It's too familiar. He'd said something similar, back when his own body was battered and broken - the mission and responsibilities of your family cannot be overlooked. He knows that more than anyone, when everyone is looking to you to be a leader, it's all too easy to think that means you must carry on with your head held high as if nothing is wrong.

.... and yet, he's so saddened by this. He turns his hand so that he can clasp hers, squeezing her hand reassuringly.]

I know. [He lowers his own voice, matching her.] Being the head is hard.

But... letting yourself have a moment to be upset - to feel everything in your heart - isn't weakness, Mitsuru-chan. You can cry and then become stronger. No one expects you to be okay all the time here. [Slowly, he works up a small smile.] And I won't tell a soul. Just between you and me - two people just trying to be good on behalf of their families.