estoria | « 009 ⇢ event009.exe

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« 009 ⇢ event009.exe | OVERFLOW »

Who: CERES & you
When: ooc: 01/15-01/22; ic: 11/03-11/06
Where: Cerealia's Research & Technology District and Beyond!!!
What: Intro and Event log
Rating/Warning: PG-13 | possibly nsfw (please let us know if you need this rating changed, or you are welcome to continue any naughty shenanigans in a private log)
Original Post: HERE.

//event009.EXE

Always Believe in the Heart of the Cards Except When They Tell You to Kill People

Welcome to CERES Research Tower’s latest event! For all you new folk queuing outside of the conference room where you were just made to sit through a lovely power point presentation, you will be asked to stay a bit longer and test out some games in their Game Testing Center. It’s a giant space located in the basement level filled to the brim with cubicles for everyone to sit in and enjoy their newest array of pop-up games. The games themselves will be in holo(gm) form and will feature suggestions from CEO’s post, including a simplified, 8-bit version of Tetris, Baseball, Soda Smash, etc. Characters can control the game through moving their fingers and tapping them against the holo(gm) screens.

Surrounding the cubicles will be tables of food and more food for characters to partake in. It’s all safe this time. No mind-altering candy corn or gut-exploding Knight Burgers. Just sit back, relax, and enjoy the party. For those who have been in Cerealia for a while, they should have received an invitation to the event and an offer of 1,000 credits just for participating. So come on down and bring a friend or ten! Meanwhile, CEO has a small welcome for everyone-

“Good Morning and thank you all for coming!

We have been expecting you. We hope you will enjoy what we’ve put together today. Ever since we got your feedback on << RAINBOW NARWHAL MELEE >>, we’ve been developing new games for all of you to enjoy. We’ve also tried to draw in some things from your worlds. We hope to hear more feedback from you in the future.

In the meantime, feel free to sample our food, generously provided to us by TGICERES, a moderately-priced family restaurant located in the Shopping District."

//SCENARIOS.EXE

PHASE I

[ xxxx ] Music lightly wafts from the speakers as the showroom opens. Julius Vincere, CERES’ CEO, delivers the opening announcement before leaving the room. He’ll be watching through all the video cameras placed around the room, so be on your best behavior! You will be guided to one of the many cubicles where you will sit and wait for a screen to pop up with a game. Once that game is defeated, another will pop up and another and another until your character gets hungry/has to pee/is so done with this shit.

PHASE II

[ xxxx ] Among the game rotations is a simple 8-bit fortune telling game starring Aria, the fortune teller. Come be enchanted by her mysterious wiles as she reads your future. She will do some 8-bit arm motions before summoning a ring of cards that will float around her. Characters will be encouraged to pick a card -any card. Once one has been selected, it will turn around slowly and unveil a card from the major arcana. Aria will then give your character their fortune, and that will be that. End of game. Onto the next!

PHASE III

[ xxxx ] You’ve left the testing center, and the evening has passed. As you wake up to perform your normal daily tasks, a niggling urge emerges at the back of your mind. It’s faint at first, just a whisper of a suggestion that pokes at your brain like a mosquito bite. However, that bite starts to grow bigger and become infectious. As the day wears on, you find that one little suggestion escalating. The next day is even worse. It starts to dominate your every thought, making you carry out actions you never thought yourself capable of. Who is this person in the mirror? Who have you become?

PHASE IV

[ xxxx ] By day three, the impulse is now a full-blown addiction. It’s set into your psyche completely. You’ve become something else entirely –the embodiment of the card. You will be acting out everything without anymore resistance, and it won’t stop until the clock strikes midnight. That’s when you’ll reel back to your senses, and when it’ll all have felt like the worst dream ever. Or a nightmare really.

BONUS

[ whyo'clock ] Among all the games present, there is also an 8-bit version of CERESLearn. Yes, you remember the magical game that won your hearts over not too long ago. It will come complete with the same rules. You choose a subject, you choose an 8-bit teacher among the three (Astor), (Hilda), or (UN-Zippy), and you watch them as they try to erotically teach you what you want to learn. Is that an 8-bit boob or her arm? Who knows? But beware… as you may remember, these teachers house a very terrible secret.

They will transform into an 8-bit giant bug that will chase around your protag as you guide them to run away with your finger, but you can also flick the bug on the holo(gm) screen to send them away for good. Those who figure out that little cheat code will immediately receive a special real-time shoulder rub as a reward from a robot that looks eerily like a carbon copy of their teacher of choice.

[ 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 and intro post AND OUR VERY FIRST OVERFLOW. 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. If this post goes into overflow, we will make a new one to deal with the ever-hated captcha! Worry not!

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

If he had to, he would kill others. As himself, without my help, should you be in danger. [Basically Hinata's overprotective and he still runs on some of the mindset he learned in Haven. If you're not ready to kill... you'll be killed first.]

...Of course, I understand how far you would go as well. That's easy to understand.

[He is Kamukura, after all. But more than that, all of Hinata's memories of Komaeda, feelings, have blended together inside of him as well, though lacking on the emotions front right now. He doesn't truly know if it's sharpened or dulled his insight.

Kamukura's fingers tug absently through pale hair, his eyes shifting to watch the way hair moves through his fingers.]

[Those words. They're sobering in a way. Not that Komaeda has not been willing to see others sacrificed in the past -- but that was for hope, for the greater good as he saw it. Not for him.

But at the same time, he can't say that he wouldn't do the same for Hinata now too, if the other was ever in peril, if he could do anything. It's... it's a thought that has him shaken, somehow. But at the same time, something in him feels protected by the thought. He really has become selfish, hasn't he?

There's a tired smile tugging at his lips anyway as he ducks his head.] Of course it's easy to understand. I guess even I can admit that it's predictable. But somehow I can't want to change it.

[Kamukura watches him for a long moment, looking at his smile. Ah, it's different than the one he's seen on the boat. He's seen this smile before through Hinata many times, but...] There is no need to change it.

...Simply become stronger. Or you'll just be harmed again if you try to protect him.

[N-not like he's like concerned about his safety or anything.]

[Komaeda is silent for a long, long moment. Stronger. Is that what he needs to do? For his sake and for Hinata's? It sounds like it makes sense, doesn't it? He doesn't want to be a liability at all, doesn't want to be the reason bad things happen to Hinata, or to anyone. But especially the other man.

Mm. It's important. So he nods.] Then I'll become stronger. Though I wonder if 'simply' is really the word for it.

It's thinking about that that causes people to struggle. Though I don't really find anything interesting about seeing others attempt to do things beyond what they could normally do...

[Haaahh boring. But, still, he'd told Komaeda that anyway. How mysterious.]

No? I didn't used to either.

[Komaeda admits. As much as he tried so hard to be useful, it was always in the context of useful to others with talent and purpose. Except his last ditch attempt to become some piece of hope. That hadn't work out at all.

But even back then, he knew it wouldn't, in some part of him. He wouldn't have left those messages if he hadn't. Maybe.

Another glance back to Kamukura.] But then I saw what Hinata-kun and the others chose to do, despite being the sorts of person they turned out to be. That... that's more interesting than anything else ever has been, to see that.

[Kamukura looks back at him levelly at the glance, holding his eyes... but then he makes a sound and averts his gaze, folding his arms over his chest.] For a moment... it was unexpected.

[Which is as close as he's going to get to saying that he cares about that, about what happened, finds it curious and wants (almost) to see where they go with it.]

Keep practicing with that gun Hajime gave you. Fight, if you want to live. Struggle.

[Komaeda looks way too satisfied at hearing that. HA. That's interesting is what that is, to find out that Kamukura himself can be at least somewhat surprised by what Hinata and the others managed.]

The gun... [He echoes. Well, that's true. Hinata did give him that -- though he worries that it's less useful in his hands than the other's -- and the knowledge that Hinata is worried about him, wants to see him protected, it is a warm, pleasant feeling.]

I'm not planning on stopping struggling. Maybe a smarter person would, but somehow I don't want to give up just yet.

A smarter person would give up, realise that there is no use in their struggling. Realise there's nothing they could leave on the world. But, as you said.

[He's not a smarter person. Kamukura sniffs and turns away, somehow seeming not displeased despite that-- as much as he ever seems anything. He sets to pouring up the sink, to do the dishes...]

[That's right. As he said, not a smarter person. But as he watches Kamukura, he wonders a bit what has been left unsaid now. In a way he really is grateful that he's here, that he has this help making sure that Hinata is taken care of during this.

But that doesn't stop him from adding, with a lift of an eyebrow.] At least you're cleaning up after yourself. That's very polite for uninvited company.

[And then more sincerely, less obnoxiously,] Thank you.

[Kamukura's head turns slightly in response, one red eye looking back over a shoulder, staring almost as he's wont to do. Then he makes a noncommittal noise, sticking his hands in sudsy water and getting to scrubbing at dishes.

He knows you just want him to rise to the bait... but he's not!! The thanks gives him pause before he makes a dismissive sound.

It might be a "you're welcome" if you squint and turn your head to the left and cock your ear just so.]

[That stare, familiar, but startling in how not familiar it is. Those are his Hinata's eyes, looking at him like that. But since Kamukura isn't going to respond to his fussing, he moves to take up a dish towel.

He'll try to be useful, okay? He likes being useful.

And despite himself he does smile at that sound because he is taking it as a you're welcome. Maybe he's figuring out how to speak Kamukura after all. How strange.]

[Kamukura passes him the dishes as he washes them, falling into a rhythm.] After this, I intend to go out and see the results of the game. You will investigate as well, won't you?

[He rubs dirt from a plate, rubbing it clean, impeccably so...

SHSL dishwasher.]

[SHSL dishwasher and his sidekick "probably won't break all the dishes while drying them" boy.

The dishes are piled neatly after they're dried, and Komaeda glances over at Kamukura now with a curious tilt of his head.] Mm. I plan on it. What's affecting Hinata isn't the only side effect, so I want to see what else is going on.

[Maybe there'll be a way to do something about it. A pause.] You'll be careful, won't you? [Take care of his Hinata's body, okay?]

[Kamukura looks back at him, with that same lidded, level gaze, devoid of most things... but he inclines his head in acknowledgement.] There'll be others who have been affected, but I doubt they'll be a concern.

You would need to be careful more than I would.

[He finishes off the last of the dishes, letting his hands air dry as he waits a long moment for Komaeda to finish up drying. And then he turns to face him, watching him with an inscrutable expression.]

[A concern. Well so far murder doesn't seem to have broken out in the streets, so hopefully not. But Komaeda is a bit concerned for a few people he's met in this place. They've been nice.]

I suppose that's true, isn't it? For someone like me.

[A laugh as he ducks his head briefly before peeking up at Kamukura again.] Then I'll be careful as well. [AS WELL YOU HEAR HIM?! You be careful with his Hajime. He sets the dishrag aside and turns to face Kamukura in turn.]

[Kamukura doesn't hesitate precisely as wait a few more seconds, holding Komaeda's eyes before he lifts one of his hands up. He puts this under Komaeda's chin, wrapping his fingers there and leaning in--no forewarning, really, and even the kiss itself is abrupt and brief, a press of lips to Komaeda somewhat less than gently.

Still... it is a kiss. And he says nothing about it as he drops his hand away and turns smartly on a heel.

DON'T MIND HIM.]

Edited 2015-01-30 04:05 (UTC)

[Komaeda isn't expecting the kiss. He freezes at those fingers at his chin, lifting his head up just in time for that kiss. His eyes widen for a moment. And it is less than gentle, it isn't like kissing Hinata at all.

But somehow it is too. Strangely.

So Komaeda is just left staring at Kamukura as he turns on heel, just. Staring.

And then he reaches out to shove at his back because wow now he's embarrassed at the fat that this made him happy. Somehow. Because his Hajime is in there somewhere, blurring a bit maybe with Kamukura and. Well. Damn it for making him think and feel complicated things, SHSL jerkface. He hates you. He also loves you. It's complicated. It's so complicated.]

--nn.

[Kamukura grunts softly as he's pushed, swaying with it, peering back over his shoulder at Komaeda with keen red eyes. Eyes that say that he could read any and all of his thoughts at a glance. Then he looks forward, turned toward the door.]

I'll be leaving first.

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

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