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« 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
▶ RUN.EXE | MOD NOTES
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!
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[ At least there's one thing Duo and Neji can agree on, here. He remains nearer to the wall than the caskets, leaning against it, arms crossed over his chest. The brim of his hat covers his eyes, but it's clear the braided teen wants nothing to do with caskets or making this decision collectively. Basically: Did they want demons? Because this is how one gets demons. He's dead silent as Dipper talks (unusual in the highest), but he does move to worry his fingers on a well-worn cross that was hidden under his collar. It isn't that he's a particularly religious sort -
It's more so a comfort item, if anything, at this point.
Either way, he's still shaking his head in a very distinct 'no.' ]
Even if they're your dead - [ Because they sure as hell aren't his (he hopes) ] - What the hell are you gonna hope to find on a corpse that isn't covered in rot and things you'd probably rather not see? I don't know if you've ever seen a dead or .. rotting body before, but, I have, and it ain't pretty. So sure, you'd have your answers, but we'd still be standing here in a dark tunnel workin' on hypothermia for the sake of digging around in someone else's muck looking for some kind of clue.
[ A huff. ]
It's also a calculated risk on this entire groups' lives. If you open one of those, and we have no way out and no possible way to find out with demons or whatever the hell you let out in this room, then we're all toast, and that all rests solely on you for making the decision and opening the caskets. [ Maybe a bit cut throat there, Duo - but he's made these decisions before. And God knows he doesn't want Dipper walking in blind and regretting it for the rest of the time he's here. ]
Just sayin' that you better be ready to handle any weight on your shoulders if you make a decision that gets anyone killed. I'm not lookin' to have to carry any bodies outta here, but if shit hits the fan and it's my neck on the chopping block I'm not hanging out to be the headless one.
[ That speech done he's pointing at Neji, grabbing a torch. ]
Let's get on this door finding. I think we all know what my vote is.
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We'll find a way out and bring back proper equipment for studying what is inside them. Let's just use the excitement in knowing what's inside to fuel our return.
[Her reasoning is entirely different but still more sane than opening something that is obviously a bad THING waiting to happen.
But rather than mull over it anymore, Jibril swoops ahead , following the walls, hoping to find inscriptions or runes she can read. Or learn to read, which shouldn't be too difficult in her mind. They could either provide information on this room or even just a way out, either is just as good as the other.]
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Looking around will get Jibril to be able to see that each of the caskets is, in fact, labelled -- but only with a letter and a number, all of them following the format of N####.
Otherwise, the room seems rather...well, decrepit and unmaintained, as if it was made and then just left there. ]
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[ honestly, he isn't quite swayed either way. both sides have potential risks and rewards, but steven has never been one to pass up opportunity. ]
For all we know, we may never find this place again. [ he pauses. ] Can we find a compromise in opening only one? If the danger of the contents is what is most concerning, Carbink can open it from a distance and protect us if something goes wrong.
[ no x-ray vision, but telekinesis sure is handy! and if it explodes or something, it can offer a shield. what say you, group? ]
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Puzzles in the movies went like that...
[The ones she's read about. Jibril has never actually seen a movie but she was intently parsing over the very little script that was available in the room.]
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They may not, but considering we've already run in to bats that weren't even solid and the lot? I don't know if that's a bet I'd be willing to make and lose. [ Still, the fact that they're numbered is another layer of utter creepiness to the entire episode - either way, he's not the biggest fan of opening things so that something may be able to get out, but a thought occurs to him, and suddenly Duo's face is set in a line, lips pressed thin together as he tries to reason with himself that, maybe this wasn't all about waking corpses after all- ]
Is it possible that we have to open these things to find a way out? [ If they have to go down some kind of shoot or something to get out of there, or move on to the next 'level' so to speak... he didn't want to think about it any further than that. Because who knew what the hell they'd be dropping in to when they came out the other end. He shakes the thought away - one thing and one challenge at a time. There's no need to fuss about things that they haven't even had to be in the middle of just yet. ]
If that's what this is all about than he probably have to be a little strategic about what ones we open and try to see if there's some kind of pattern going on. Provided we don't open the first one and wake a fleet of walking dead.
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It did no good to play the same tired tune in his head, and he focuses instead on what Steven's said.] If the dead remained dead in this world then it wouldn't be a bother. [Much of one. Hello, ninja moral standards.] But you've said it yourself, the colony is no stranger to tricks and definitely not to playing games with us.
[So sure, he knew he could expect to find a whole lot of nothing. Expect to find-- what, something equally cryptic that maybe, somehow, someone else in this world has a way of explaining. They could also expect a mindfuck. For laughs. Because that was how this world operated, wasn't it? He finally moves nearer to one of the coffins, looking at the numbers himself, before he rejoins the group next to Steven. And shoots Duo a fleetingly amused little look-] We won't know until we try.
[But he keeps any mocking from his tone, because he was just stating a fact. Neji nods to the hall behind them.] That is our exit, then, if we must retreat.
If anyone has their CereVice, I suggest recording what you can.
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That's a comforting thought.
Well, there's only one way to find out. ]
I've got mine. [ Dipper pockets his flashlight in favor of pulling out his CereVice, quickly noting the numbers on the coffins and their sequence in case there's any kind of code there they'll need to break in order to proceed. Then he turns on the video function, squaring the camera on the caskets and edging himself a way.
A cursory glance towards Steven. ] If everyone's okay with this plan, then I think Carbink is up. [ He points out one of the caskets. ] That's the lowest number. We might want to start with that one.
[ He keeps his arms steady holding the CereVice, but boy, is he barely breathing. ]
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Right. [ he'll motion for everyone to stand slightly behind him and carbink. he looks down to the pokemon, nodding his head. ] Carbink, if you please.
[ the creature obeys, with the crystal on its head glowing a brighter blue than the other ones on its body. the cover of the first coffin glows in turn, and it slowly begins to budge and lift away... ]
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The room does get even colder -- cold enough that Carbink will have ice crystals forming on its metallic self. But otherwise, nothing shows up from the coffin.
If they go look, there's nothing physical inside. ]
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You have got to be kidding- [ Ah, there it is, the frustrated, cold, annoyed as hell teen under that calm exterior. Of course there's no jokes going on now, but t least he's got the torch in his hand for some semblance of warmth. It wasn't going to be enough to stave off hypothermia, and he's already shivering, but this is what happens when a skinny teenager isn't prepared to be kidnapped at any one time.
His teeth are chattering by the time he speaks up again, sniffing as his nose begins to run. ]
We need to play this smart, if it's just gonna get colder the more of these w-we open.. [ He pauses to gather himself, really wanting to chuck the damn torch in to the coffin to make some kind of fire now that he knows there isn't a corpse in it. But then, a rare moment of brilliance (possibly?) steals over the braided teen as he takes one hand to wrap his braid around his neck like a scarf - looking between the Pokémon and Jibril intently. ]
Did anyone ch-check the ceiling, while you were fl-flyin' around and whatever? Hold on - [ He remembers that small flashlight, suddenly, clicking it on and beginning a quick swipe of the ceiling above them with it, the beam bright enough to at least give their eyes something to work with. ] Maybe the ceilin' dropping on us before was a real slimy clue..
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Dipper zips up his vest for whatever additional warmth he can get, but he keeps the CereVice rolling even as frost curls around the screen, silently hoping that the integrity of whatever the recording captured isn't compromised if he -
If all of them die down here, frozen corpses without anything gained, all because he had the genius idea to open the caskets.
But he can't think like that. If they can't find an exit on the ceiling, there has to be something. That robot wouldn't put them down here just as some sort of cruel joke, would it?
No, no. ] There has to be something. [ There's always an answer if you look hard enough for it, but even now he can barely feel his fingers holding the CereVice. ]
What if we keep opening them, though? Unless you see a way out on the ceiling, we don't really have a lot of other options besides freezing to death. [ Candid. They all know what's at stake, here. ] I d-don't know about the rest of you - [ geez, it's so cold ] but if there's even a chance, we need to act.
[ There has to be a way. He's not ready to die again. He can't do that to his sister. ]
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[Though Jibril was wearing a lot less clothing than everyone else, she looked quite a bit less affected. Though, she was quite used to traveling around miles in the air, where it could get this cold quite easily, all while wearing the same skimpy dress and shirt.]
Or if you're worried about dying, I could destroy everything in here at once. If it's hypothermia you're worried about, you can last the few minutes for me to try that then break a path upwards if it doesn't work.
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Either we die here or we try our hand at escaping through the. [Nope, sorry, Neji Hyuga does not stammer. He instead swallows and tries again. What a miserable, moronic excuse for an expedition this has turned into.] I'm certain I can blast through the rocks that sealed us here in the first place. There were other... routes.
[If they can fight the bats.
If they can-- fly to another, higher level of the dungeon.
Okay, so their supposed salvation wasn't so straight-forward but that was all part of the fun, right? The excitement, the adrenaline, the glorious last battle. Neji thinks, fleetingly, he'd prefer it. He doesn't chance a glance up at the ceiling. If they blast a hole through it, whatever's above them will cave in on them, and there'd be no evading. He shivers, hands his torch the nearest person (and they better take it, tbh because he's not really giving a choice).] Open the next one.
[And then Neji stalks over towards the opened casket.
Hope the number of it was recorded, because he'll use his Vacuum Palm again to launch it to where it'll rest against the nearest wall (without causing much damage; he refuses to touch the thing, thanks). There's another lit torch on the wall he'll reach for, to drop into the casket. Hope it burns.
No, seriously.]
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It'll definitely burn. The torch falls and lands in the casket, and there's a horrible screech, like nails on a chalkboard. It seems as though there was something in the caskets, even if it wasn't physical or visible to the naked eye.
On the other hand, it's going to get colder still, because it seems the others were woken up as well, even if the caskets weren't opened, and they're really unhappy.
And Jibril, as the closest source of actual warmth, is going to find that unfortunately for her, her body doesn't quite belong to her anymore. One of the invisible creatures that was in one of the caskets possesses her, as the lone unlucky not freezing person here, and immediately, it's going to use her body to attack the nearest person to her -- in this case, Duo. ]
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Internally, Jibril isn't even fighting her possession. No, she's actually far more curious as to how it happened. Surely, if she finds out, it makes it easier to combat but, as they always say, curiosity killed the cat. So, if possible, she's totally trying to observe the situation and how she lost control of her body from an internal standpoint, rather than pushing against the spirit that's controlling her.
Jibril: Actually the worst teammate.]
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You're not gonna - [ Oh, but Neji did it. There's a moment of shock, there, that the other person who'd been so against touching the caskets was now burning one, but hey, he guessed that maybe since they were, from what they could see, empty... But then there's the screeching. Seems like they've definitely pissed something off, and while there's the inclination to cover his ears and protect them from the high pitched noise, the part of him still primed and ready for a fight reaches down toward his shoe. His face is screwed up, nose scrunched and clearly not enjoying however momentary a noise it is, but he'd got a switchblade in hand, and that's all that really matters.
He might prefer a gun, but, a street kid was always a street kid -
Who was now a slightly concussed street kid, a half shout leaving him along with the air in his lungs, but there's no woozy second for him to do anything other than breathe in before he's lashing back. His knife isn't too far away, but it's far enough that, in the moment, self-preservation declares that he doesn't need it more than his boots or his fists and hands. Duo may be small, but he's muscular, and even though he feels a bit back about hitting some girl he just met -
He's also pretty damn angry. ]
What the hell?! I didn't want to touch the fucking caskets! [ His boot swings for her gut, a fist going for her face nearly at the same time. And, in classic form, even in mid brawl he's screeching out questions, bellowing, almost. ]
Why don't you go after the ones who actually opened the shit!?
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he's the one to take neji's torch when it's thrust into his hands - unfortunately, there isn't time to take in its warmth with the screech that soon follows. he and carbink clearly cringe, but it isn't enough to distract him from the fact that duo is getting attacked. ]
Carbink, restrain her!
[ there's no hesitation in the pokémon's response, despite the cold. its head crystal glows again, and its psychic energy will force jibril's hands behind her back and forcefully slam her against one of the dungeon walls. from there, she won't be able to move as long as carbink is focused. ]
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Despite his reflexes, everything moves a little too quickly. Neji sees the girl charge the other boy around his age- out of character despite what little he knew of her. That was an attack. From the spirit? He's weaving hand signs and then the --rock creature is glowing and
he doesn't know if the girl's fully subdued or not.
His attention is back on the burning casket and he can't let the idiotic wave of guilt drown him. Neji channels his chakra again (difficult, a mite, because of the damn cold) and preforms a simple water release technique, a stream of water dousing the casket as he blows at it.
Meaning-- Neji used water gun. Goodbye fire, goodbye warmth, and he can't really care because his blood's pumping too fucking quickly right now to worry about the temperature.
And also. Now he's been called out, and he is responsible and sorry and he can't not speak up.
--look, he doesn't know Jibril's name, alright, despite barking out an order at her. This was a textbook possession. That he had no idea how to handle but gods he had to do something--] We meant no disrespect; we didn't know we were in the company of spirits. We do not know why we are here. Leave our comrade alone and we will leave. That is all we wanted to do.
[There's some irony here. Dead guy yells at ghosts. Neji falters. Fuck-] It was I who harmed you. If I hadn't been brought to this world I would be one of you. I will pay for what I must but please, do not attack.
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Neji doesn't get a verbal response, and poor Jibril's body is going to take all of those attacks, because it also doesn't care what happens to her. But it's a spirit, and it doesn't have to stay there. As soon as she's restrained and slammed against the wall, it leaves -- she'll be able to regain control of her body, though even for her there will be a lingering feeling of extreme cold. (As a note, from her attempts at figuring out how it worked, she'll know that the spirit was male, fire-aligned and very, very unhappy.)
And then he possesses Carbink.
The Pokemon is as susceptible as people are, and Carbink will take Neji's offer up quite literally.
Carbink's psychic will lift the now empty stone casket, and slam it into Neji, squashing him between it and the wall. Thank you for your service, Neji.
He'll wake up 3 IC days later in a store selling spirits because Cerealia's got that sort of terrible sense of humor. ]
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[The famous questioning phrase but Jibril is quite confused. Plus she's mad that she didn't get what she wanted. All she did get was some pain, which she wasn't happy about, a feeling displayed by rubbing her head since she was suddenly free. And the creature that caused the most of it was looking to be out of control.]
....perhaps that one should be removed.
[At least she's polite enough to throw out threats while recovering from her short expedition into being controlled plus getting knocked around a bit.]
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[ So now he's not only cold, but his head in throbbing and, possibly, has a broken rib or two. Duo takes a moment to pant, where he is on the floor, trying to catch his wits about him at least for a second before he has to move to stand. At least for the moment he isn't really feeling the cold, blood pumping well now that he'd gotten a bit knocked around. He didn't really have time to have a splitting headache or a concussion, right about now, but at lest his head doesn't feel like it's bleeding (spoiler, it is, he's just a little too numb to a lot of things to notice.
He's fast to gather his knife up, refolding it as Neji puts out the fire. His mouth set in a clearly pained line as he stands and tries to assess his damages. It's probably a good thing, though, that he's not really in the mood to talk, lest whoever may be watching that video later see Duo completely off of his rocker. And, here he'd thought that they might have a chance to just go along their way - until the rock .. thing starts to look a little funny, but he's got the wind knocked out of him too bad, with the frigid air, to bring it up - -
And then Neji's squished against the wall and Duo is looking away, breathing out a quiet, heated string of curse words better left to the walls of this place. The gundam pilot puts his knife away in his pocket, not seeming too fussed about what's just happened in front of him, for the moment, reminding himself that they still had to survive themselves. He nods, jerkily, in agreement to Jibril's assessment, sparing a look to the pokemon himself that's utterly wary. ]
Your.. Carbink, didn't you call it? Should maybe go away, for a minute.. [ Then he stands, straightens himself, seems to gather his wits - He'll pretend he's completely fine for as long as he can. ]
The spirit's already pretty pissed off, and rightfully so, just - [ He stops, grimaces as his side twinges, and then continues. ] - No more squishing. I can't bring anything back for... his friends.. already.
Is there anything we can do to.. make it up to you? Or a way we can free you to go and be at peace or something?
[ Talking to ghosts is not.. exactly Duo's forte. But he's trying. Mainly by watching his language. He's freezing, he'll work with anything right now, even if it's talking to a ghost. ]
no subject
He shoves his knuckles in his mouth, teeth against frozen skin and he can taste blood. It's all he can do to keep from screaming. He only just keeps a grip on the CereVice in his other hand, but he's forgotten it's recording.
Why don't you go after the ones who actually opened the shit?! And maybe Duo's right. Maybe none of this would have happened if it weren't for him insisting they open one of the caskets. Maybe no one would have died.
- But he would have to deal with his conscience later. He steels himself, not approaching Carbink, but moving to face him so he can at least meet the creature's eyes. It's not the first time he's talked to ghosts.
It's not the first time he's stared death in the face, either. ]
Please, listen to us. I know you're upset. I know you're...probably scared, too, right? I've met others like you. They wanted revenge on CERES. But we're not like them. If you're from the old city, then we're just like you.
[ A leap of faith based off a hunch. He could be completely wrong. But the ghosts that had attacked the colony came out of the wall, and behind the wall was the ruined city, and there... ]
Please. Let us help you. We might be your only chance to find peace.
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a hand moves to cover his mouth, but that does nothing to hide the shock in his eyes. he's both overwhelmed with guilt and terrified for carbink's well-being. his hand trembles when he takes its poké ball in hand, knuckles white as he grips the capsule. if there's another attack, he'll return it without another moment passing. if he speaks out of turn, he could have a deceased partner on his hands. ]
You have my sincerest apologies about this. About everything.
[ it's both an apology to carbink, the people around him who are still living, and to the spirit, too. his voice is quiet - he's afraid. but still, he'll kneel down to the pokémon's level, just as he would if he were speaking to a non-posessed carbink. he might be risking his life, but at this point, that might not be much to lose. ]
I'll do whatever I can to assist you. Please, just... don't harm Carbink.
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At least it's listening and nobody else is dead, though it doesn't seem to have its mind made up just yet either way -- Carbink will remain possessed. ]
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