estoria | « 019 ⇢ EVENT019.EXE »

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« 019 ⇢ EVENT019.EXE »

Who: Everyone, new and old!
When: IC: 9/08 ; OOC: 3/04
Where: ViViD, and then Cerealia at large
What: Welcome to your ViViD Intro Experience! Everything's fine. Nothing's wrong with ViViD. Really. It's fine.
Rating/Warning: PG-13; some violence and questionable situations. Let us know if it veers into other territory so we can lock the log!

//event019.EXE

It's dark. Something doesn't seem quite right. ViViD seems to be taking longer than ever to boot up, and instead you are left in darkness, waiting, unable to move, as the status bar slowly loads. Wow, what's up with this software. Why is it taking 20 minutes just to load up?

Is the loading bar even moving?

Eventually, there's a message, and suddenly you are tossed face-first into...something a little more old-school

ViViD Mode: Exploration Adventures is unable to boot up. Running safe mode. Now running ViViD Classic. Please enjoy your free and fun g▒▒▒.

Pl▒▒se be a▒▒▒▒ of unf▒▒un▒▒e bu▒▒. Tha▒▒ y▒▒.

Warning: ▒▒▒▒ ▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒ ▒▒

//SCENARIOS.EXE

PHASE I

[ 800 ] You’ve arrived. You’ve received your powerpoint presentation, and your head is filled to the brim with the knowledge that your world is destroyed, and that everyone you once knew and loved is dead. You are ready to handle whatever is thrown your way --

Or maybe not. You end up in a giant game of Pacman, and from the yellow spandex jumpsuit you’re now stuck in (glow-in-the-dark, even, how snazzy), you’re Pacman. Everything is a maze, all towering dark walls and corridors, and everything seems just a little...well, off. First off, the balls you’d normally collect in pacman? They’re floating there, yellow and distinct, the only source of light in the maze, but if you pick them up and touch them, you’ll experience a memory.

It’ll be something warm, gentle and sweet, a memory of your home or the people you love that is something you truly treasure, a memory of a time that is so very important to you. And then the globe is gone and the world returns to its cold, stark state, and you are reminded: everyone is dead. Better go pick up another one!

And, of course, there are the ghosts. They’re a little horrifying (though they come in all sorts of fun colors!) and if they grab you, all of those positive memories turn horrible. A nice memory of a picnic? It’s now a memory of losing everyone important on that day, cut down by masked figures.

Of course, that’s only for the newcomers to ViViD. For anyone who enters ViViD as a veteran, well...you can watch. If you try to enter the game, there are some unfortunate consequences -- you’ll end up as one of the ghosts chasing down those poor innocents, unable to do a thing about it.

Be sure to admire the scoreboard hanging over the game for everyone to see, though.

PHASE II

[ 1030 ] Just when you’ve gotten a handle on Pacman, now you’re stuck playing...Tetris?

Everyone (newcomer and old veteran) has been dumped in the game now, and those falling blocks don’t seem to be slowing down any time soon. You'll be in an unfortunate tag-team; the person you're tossed into the game with may be a total stranger to you, but you're stuck with them now. After a few moments of dodging giant, falling blocks, it should become clear how you win this game: the blocks follow you (or your partner) in an attempt to squash you, so with some careful wrangling, you can guide those blocks into place and erase row after row of deadly blocks. Of course, if you can't work together, you're more likely to end up squished at the top of the screen, but if you should somehow manage to clear the screen, the door at the other end will open and you'll be free to go.

Let's hope you're stuck with someone easy to work with.

PHASE III

[ 1145 ] Stumbling out of Tetris will bring you onto a rickety platform, a hangman’s noose gently wrapped around one of your very most important people. You can’t approach them, you can’t touch them, and they can’t speak, but they look at you with pleading eyes even as the talking tree they are to be hanged from tells you the rules. Guess letters, guess the word, and your friend will be freed. Guess wrong, and, well… the noose will tighten bit by bit.

Time to work together to get your friends down from there. Admittedly you might see someone different up there from the person next to you, but it’s all the same in the end, isn’t it? You’ve got to save them either way.

If you fail, that person will be hanged -- only to reveal that they were just a straw doll all along. Phew, what a relief!

If they succeed at guessing the word, a trap door will open up underneath that person and the rope will be released, dropping them down to never be seen again. Bye!

PHASE IV

[ 1300 ] And then you’re dumped right out of ViViD and back into Cerealia. The city is still a little water-logged, though it is looking better than it was before; either way, you may be dumped anywhere. On a roof, in the middle of the park, on top of the scrap heap… anything could happen.

And it seems that things are still a little glitchy, or maybe the glitchy ViViD experience has infected your code in some way, because for a short period of time after, there may be a few...side effects. Fingers and faces might glitch out for a moment, or your hand might phase through a wall. You may also have your In Game Title hovering over your head for all to see. That’s not weird at all.

It’ll all fade away in an hour or two anyway, without any side effects to speak of. Or so it would seem.

PENALTY

[ xxxx ] You may have ended up here after getting eaten by a pacman (or ghost), or you may have ended up here after jumping down the trapdoor to save your friend in Hangman. Perhaps you were squashed by a tetris block. Perhaps you just fell down onto your sword (why would you do that). Either way, here you are.

It’s an empty area, totally silent and void, aside from this one carnival game. Once you’re seated, you can’t stand up -- you have to win the game to leave, as the friendly game host will inform you without a single smile. You’ll be playing against the others who managed to end up here, but you’d better give it your best shot, or who knows how long you’ll end up staying here.

Time to play a carnival shooter game.

At least the targets are of a few familiar faces. Maybe that’ll make it more appealing?

And if you win you’ll be able to exit stage right, plus you’ll have a cute Mosley plushie as a prize. Hooray!

[ Remember to apply proper warnings on threads with sensitive 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 September intro log! For your convenience, we have compiled the characters' arrival experience here, and should you have any questions, feel free to ask them here! You can also check the FAQ for more general inquiries. Should this event log hit Captcha, there is an all-purpose overflow here. Thank you!

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

A fake world? [that's weird] No it was different. A mystery world.

[because his brain feels like it's going to overheat just trying to think of how to explain it]

Oh Sanji's here? Okay. [he nods. Though whether or not they actually get there will be a surprise.

Also, the 'home' part gets him, too]

Have you guys been here a while?

[he turns, and then sort of second-guesses himself and turns again. He usually knows his way back to the apartment.]

Yeah, just him and me. I dunno if they tried to give you an apartment but you oughta just stay with us. Place is big enough. It's been... [hmm] two months, I think. For me, at least. Cook's been here a little longer than that.

I dunno. [but he's gonna stay with them anyway] It's like an inn room right? [he has passing familiarity with apartments.

Though he does notice Zoro does seem like he's thinking a little harder about where to go. The time is weird though]

Hehh. I wonder if Marco did something. [he was trying to fix everything wasn't he?]

Anyway we'll figure it out. [somehow]

Sorta. Bigger, though.

[he cocks Luffy another curious look but doesn't ask this time. Marco, Marco...sounds familiar. Maybe someone mentioned that name around him. Namur, the fishman? Maybe. Who knows.]

Yeah, it'll be fine. Weird shit happens around here sometimes but it's nothing we can't survive. [glancing at the title floating over Luffy's head again. Like that.] Guess if you're here now, that means if we have another flood or storm and have to eat all the food before it spoils, you'll take good care of that.

Shishishi you bet! I'll eat it even if there isn't a storm! [DON]

[he notices Zoro keeps looking at the words though and then notices Zoro doesn't have any]

Where's your thing, by the way? Did it get lost?

Huh? [looks up] The words? Dunno...maybe it's something they slapped on new people. I've seen a couple others floating around here today.

[sadly, he doesn't even know what his title is. Not that it would make a difference either way.]

You got here all right, though. You look all right...considering the last thing I remember you were fighting that feathery asshole, you look great.

[so they're mystery words. Fair enough]

I kicked Mingo's ass. [said causally.. He'd forgotten Zoro was behind him.] And I ate a lot at the other party but I'm kinda tired. [rolls his shoulder in an unconscious gesture. He'll be fine for now but he doesn't know for how much longer

More importantly though...]

Did they show you the pictures when you got here, too?

Oh yeah? Good. [best news, filling him with pride in his captain] I got that stone bastard, too. That was the last thing I did before here.

[ah yes, that. Good, Luffy brought it up first]

They did. I don't believe it.

[proud grin at Zoro beating that stone guy and a proud punch across the arm. Not that he was ever in any doubt.

The grin fades though as Zoro says the second part and he makes a thoughtful noise as he walks for a bit, leading the way kind of on accident but it doesn't matter. He doesn't think he believes it either only because he can't. But he knows people will]

It doesn't matter. We just gotta get it back right? [or get back there] Maybe Robin will show up or Nami or someone else smart.

[otherwise he wasn't going to worry about it]

Mm. [nods firmly.] Somehow. Not sure how yet, but maybe you're right. We gotta stay focused and serious, and not get distracted.

[says the guy who keeps looking for things to fight. At least he's not busy flailing over technology or CYbuddies or dates, right?]

[says Zoro to think air. If he cares to look around he will find Luffy across the plaza watching some hapless guy attempting to make balloon animals while surrounded by muddy kids and one excited strawhatted teenager]

Make a hot dog!

[FACE. PALM.

He really needs to learn not to open his big dumb mouth and say shit like that. He's out of practice after two months without Luffy.

Sighing, Zoro trudges over and grabs him by the back of the shirt.]

Come on, if you want lunch. You can't eat balloon hot dogs, dumbass.

I know I can't eat 'em! [he's not stupid, you know! He pulls from Zoro's grip and folds his arms] I want one because it's cool!

[the balloon man gives Zoro a beleaguered look and fashions Luffy a hot dog hat which the future pirate king promptly wears and then the man looks at Zoro expecting payment or perhaps asking if he'd like one as well]

[well that hat does become you, Luffy. Zoro looks at him, then at the balloon man, and double-takes at the look he's getting in return]

What? I don't got any money.

[NO HE DOES NOT WANT A HAT god. Don't you dare start twisting that balloon into a flower, mister.]

[the balloon man looks angry at this and asks if Zoro dares to defile his art of bringing happiness to others by not accepting the flower he is so carefully twisting from the artistic compulsions that writhe in the depths of his soul demanding he create beauty for even the ugliest of personages?

Meanwhile Luffy laughs]

Isn't he great?

Yeah, if you like weirdos. [to Luffy. The balloon man just gets a woeful shake of his head.] Art schmart, give it to one of the kids or something. I don't take gifts from weirdos.

[the balloon guy just keeps grousing and threatening to put it on Zoro's head anyway but Luffy is getting bored with that and starts wandering off, albeit happily, his ballooned hat head held high]

This is great.

Na, Zoro, is there anything exciting around here?

[slides out of there before any flower-hats can be crammed on his head. Bye balloon guy.]

Sorta. Things are a bit messed up because there was a flood a few weeks ago, but when it's all fixed up, there's some game places and a few good bars. Couple people really worth fighting. I heard the gym was finally fixed, it got demolished and I've really been missing my weight training.

[oh so it was Zoro fun. Though the fighting sounded interesting.]

Anyone we need to fight?

[he'd like to kick the ass of whoever brought them over here but he's sure it's more tricky than that.]

Need to? No. Unless Vegeta goes on another unstoppable rampage.

[really, in as much as Zoro knows anything, the powerful people around them won't be their enemies unless they go out of their heads, like that one time. Never a guarantee]

The people who run this shithole are all suits, they're not fighters.

[nods. That's what he thought. It's not like Jones at all. The first part tickles him though]

Unstoppable rampage sounds like fun. shishishi I wanna meet this vegetable guy. [he's kind of imagining him like an odd radish] Did you beat him?

[Zoro goes rather abruptly serious. Well, more serious than usual. That tight, closed-off way he does when he has to speak the truth but knows he's going to hate every word of it.]

No.

[he's sorry Luffy, he couldn't keep his promise]

He beat me twice. The first time was just a spar, but the second. Something weird was happening and he just flipped out, and leveled half the city. [okay so that's exaggeration, it was just parts of the residential district. Zoro points to the tall buildings stretching up over their heads as they walk, in the distance there are still a few with the top floors crumbled.] You can see some of the damage, still. Me and the cook got buried under a building and by the time we got out, he was gone.

[so he's really strong. Luffy looks up at the crumbled buildings. He wants to see them up close, though he's not sure why]

Come on.

[he flings a hand up to a nearby windowsill and shoots himself up to the rooftop, bounding his way over to one of the buildings Zoro pointed out. He doesn't drag his swordsman with him this time, expecting Zoro to keep up]

[Zoro's had his fill of running on rooftops after the floods, but he is more than practiced at it so he just takes a running start and leaps up from ledge to awning to balcony to follow Luffy, making his way up to the roofs and chasing after him. At least, as long as he's following the rubber captain, he won't get lost?]

Some of that's from the flood. See, there used to be a big metal platform way up high, and it collapsed and crushed a lot of buildings. But it's not all from that.

[ooh he can see the gym from here! Accidentally veering to the left and ending up on a different roof from Luffy]

[he notices Zoro veering but it kind of works out. He takes a moment to prepare and then jumps on Zoro's roof.]

What was the platform for?

[he also slips an arm around Zoro's waist. The other is gripping a well anchored balcony and twitching a little with tension, pointing them, more or less, at a crumbled building in the distance]

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