Everything is normal today during the early hours of the morning. There's really no hint, no way of knowing, no anything that could indicate that CERES -- and thus Cerealia -- is about to irrevocably change. There would be birds chirping, if there were birds, but since there aren't any, there's just the constant sounds of a city in motion, humming with technology even that early in the morning.
And then, regardless of where you are or what you're doing or how early it is, everyone's CereVices flicker on to show a perhaps-familiar, perhaps-unfamiliar face.
Bellona Recreare, the business owner of Cerealia and CEO of CERES, stares at everyone with a flat, cold look. She doesn't seem happy.
(When is she ever?)  It has come to my attention that there has been industrial espionage and corporate sabotage in CERES' personnel. Such a thing will not be tolerated.
Due to this, Mosley's employment with CERES has been terminated. Please now direct any public relations questions to 1-800-7322934844444.
Good day.
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PHASE I [ 6 00 ] Bright and early, not long after that sudden announcement by Bellona, you may decide to go back to sleep, or you may decide to get up and go about your day (or you may not have woken up at all).
Either way, it doesn't matter.
Because your apartment is broken.
The entire apartment. The door is locked shut (and that sucker is solid metal so it might be time to try a window), the HOLO(gm) is flickering wildly between settings, and the blender is out for your blood. Anything technological in any way (that is CERES-brand or has been tampered with by CERES) will be malfunctioning in a way that comes across as... oddly malicious.
Now's a bad time for the late sleepers to realize that the beds, too, have auto-control tech functionality. Hope you enjoy that electroshock wake up call, or the fact that the bed could fling you totally across the room.
PHASE II [ 1000 ] The rest of the city isn't faring so well either.
The trains are completely out of commission; even if the doors do open, it's probably not a good idea to get on. If you do, it looks like the doors will slam shut behind you, and the train will go hurtling forward at dangerous speeds with sudden stops. Many of the shops can't be accessed at all, automated doors refusing to open, and worst of all, every single last piece of tech in Cerealia now seems to have the sole goal of Making Your Life Hard.
The Pleasure District is flooded now that the spas are broken, but hey -- at least the perfume ensures that water smells good, and it's pretty warm. That's good, right? Maybe go for a nice swim.
The CERES police bots are out of control, chasing people down to arrest them for imagined crimes (What do you mean you aren't a closet voyeur?), and heaven forbid you're around any of the auto shops when everything goes totally wrong. The auto-drive feature in many of CERES's cars seem to be a little... finicky today. It doesn't seem like anywhere in the city is exempt from this. Good luck.
And towards the end of the second day of this insanity, the train, with whatever unfortunate passengers are on it, will derail. It crashes into part of the shopping district, leveling buildings and leaving the wrecked overturn husk of a train resting there uselessly.
Suddenly, things don't seem so harmless anymore.
PHASE III [ 1100 ] Of course... you're CERES-owned too.
Your code, rather, is made and owned by CERES, and it's inevitable with the craziness going on that it would soon affect everyone's code as well. So as the hour approaches noon, a few unlucky souls may start to notice that things are just Not Quite Right with them. Their powers may be on the fritz, functioning entirely wrong or not at all, or even stranger -- fire powers turning into water, ice into flame, electricity brings mud. Your clothing might suddenly change when your coding glitches, or it might be gone entirely. You may suddenly have an uncontrollable urge to start singing, or frolicking. You may suddenly be wildly in love with the first person (or robot or mirror) that you see, unable to stop it until the odd glitching wears off.
And then, just like that, you're back to normal, if a bit more tired than before. How troublesome.
There are also moments where what appears to be an ID number appears on the back of your neck in glowing light blue numbers. Each of these codes is a 7 digit number, with an E at the front of the number. It appears that the longer you've been in Cerealia, the lower the number is -- like a brand of some sort. You may not be able to see it yourself with it on the back of your neck like that, but everyone else sure can.
PHASE IV [ 1645 ] And, just like that, on the last day of this madness, the city goes dark. The lights cut out. The technology shuts off. Every last robot in Cerealia is completely and totally down, and can no longer be booted up. Even when the lights come back on in a few hours... the robots remain dead.
Cerealia's a lot harder to function in without those handy dandy robots running the place. It's also a lot more desolate, and rather quiet.
Slowly but surely, the rest of the technology will boot itself back up towards the end of the last day. But the robots remain broken, and cannot be fixed. In fact, opening them up will reveal that nothing's wrong with them at all... they just won't wake up.
As time ticks by, it doesn't look like Bellona will address anything on the network about the events and all people are left to do now is... learn how to function again. Without any help.
BONUS [ ???? ] If you were a stupid brave enough soul to log into ViViD during this time (or were unfortunately glitched there, which could happen), you will find that ViViD is in... safe mode. It's struggling to boot up, and even when you finally enter, you'll find yourself wandering through skeleton levels of half-completed scenery and incomplete quests. There are readings in the corner of each level that can be seen now, one about Energy Gain and one about Energy Loss, and just as the gain goes up the longer you are there, the loss, too, rises. At first, it's fascinating, and it isn't particularly dangerous... but then it becomes clear that you can't actually log out.
You can't exit Safe Mode at all.
Slowly, it feels as though you can breathe less and less, that the empty walls of the level are closing in on you... and there's nothing you can do. Unless you are or find a particularly genius hacker and they can access the source code and find the exit buried inside that code within the next few minutes... there's nothing to be done.
And then everything goes dark.
You'll wake up the next IC day, with those same energy readings marked on your wrist like some sort of bright blue digital tattoo. When you wake in the mornings, it will read at 100% and slowly go down during the course of the day until you sleep. It will fade after three IC days.
And from now on, ViViD always has those energy levels in the corner, even when it's fixed. They always seem to be recording you, every time you're in ViViD. Strange.
[ 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. ] |
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[ It’s about midday that finds Yu pelting down a sidewalk in the Entertainment District, a small squad of police bots hot on his heels. They seem to be shouting after him:
"UNLICENSED JAYWALKING! UNLICENSED JAYWALKING! HALT! YOU ARE UNDER ARREST!"
He’s got no weapon in hand, but he does have a Persona out, flying alongside him as he runs. With a short glance over his shoulder he gestures sharply, a silent command that Norn seems to understand. A punishing wind slams into the squad, smashing the gaggle of robots up against a building.
But some of them recover. Three of them, to be exact. And those continue to give chase.
Or maybe, now that you’ve happened to wander too close, they’ll try to arrest you instead.
Alternatively, if you take in this scene from a distance, you could choose to help him out. Or point and laugh at this obvious criminal. ]
[ phase iii-a ]
[ Yu noticed something was wrong first when he tried to call a Persona and nothing happened.
But he wasn’t at all prepared for the body-wide glitch that came over him after one such failed summoning. It leaves him gasping, briefly flickering, overcome with static until the glitch settles in. To anyone who sees it, he’ll seem mostly the same, like nothing happened at all … except for one key difference.
His eyes are now an unsettling bright gold.
Throughout all four days he glitches into this form. After the first time it happens, he sends out an urgent text to the Investigation Team:
Everyone, be on your guard. I don’t know what’s going on right now, but I’m positive I just glitched into a Shadow version of myself. If this can happen to all of us, we won’t be safe to be around. If any of us see one of the others turn into a Shadow, I want everyone reporting right away. We have to contain this as best we can.
Of course, that’s when he’s in his right mind.
Shadow Yu Narukami doesn’t care. Sometimes he’s got his sword, sometimes he doesn’t, but when he does, he walks with the point dragging behind him on the ground, making an awful scraping sound. His face is a mask that flickers between disdain and something like outright fear. Sadness. He flinches easily. He’ll tense up when approached. And under his breath he says over and over, in a litany: ]
I can’t. I can’t. I can’t.
[ You can find him pretty much anywhere, but the Shadow tends to haunt the Residential and Entertainment Districts. ]
[ phase iii-b ]
[ When he's not being corrupted into the repressed worst version of himself, he's having plenty of other troubles.
For instance, he's not immune to the clothing glitch. While checking out the Pleasure District or staying in the Residential District to try and help everyone with their rogue apartments, or even when he's over by the wreckage of the train doing what he can to sift through it, he finds himself flickering again, and though he braces for the worst, what happens instead is...
well, this.
The first time it happens he frowns down at himself in surprise, eyebrows high beneath the fringe of his hair. Or his... wig? Tugging on one of the braids yields nothing except a corresponding tug on his scalp. Figures this glitch would go the whole nine yards. He's even got the bamboo practice sword.
But after that, he just carries on like nothing is amiss. Though once he does murmur to himself: ]
Running around in a skirt like this might cause some problems...
[ wild card ]
[ Want to plan something? Hit me up on plurk at
phase iii-b (i'm sorry for this)
aside from that, between the robots creating havoc and things malfunctioning everywhere, keigo figured he wasn't going to get a second of reprieve that day. might as well try to make the best of it, right?
so, despite the way he couldn't exactly focus on things, he kept on walking, stumbling around anything that might have caused him to wipe out... but with doublevision, it was hard! his coordination was altered, and thus, he ended up bumping into someone on the street. ]
Uwah!
[ thankfully, it wasn't particularly rough; just enough to jerk keigo back instinctively. he rubbed at his eyes, squinting through the mess to rest his gaze on... well, a girl, looked like. a cute girl! even if she was dressed like a yanki... or something. his vision didn't really want to work with him.
either way, he had been terribly rude! he had to make it right! time to turn on the charm... by reaching forward and grasping the lovely lady's hand in his own. he even flashed a captivating smile, to boot. ]
Aah, I'm sorry, miss! I hope I didn't hurt you! Are you all right?
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He starts to lift his hands, thinking he'll steady the other, when ... one of those hands gets taken by Keigo. Huh.
Well, he has a nice smile.
Is ... is he kidding? Should Yu play along? Yu considers this with a mild, thoughtful look on his face, blinking at his new acquaintance. In a poor falsetto: ]
I'm just fine, Asano-san.
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...
[ asano-san. so, wait-- this girl knew who he-- WAIT NO. the voice. that voice... didn't sound right!! keigo blinked, then squinted... he wondered if this was what nerds who wore glasses felt like when they were knocked off their stupid faces...
he also wondered if the way his gut flipped was the way they felt when they were suckerpunched, but he already knew the answer to that one. ]
W-wha-- Narukami?!
[ keigo jerked backward, face red as can be. that was definitely not a cute girl! ]
W-what're you doing dressed like that?!
[ oh right. he was still holding his hand... keigo hurriedly dropped it, a sputtering mess. ]
T-t-that's not cool!
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Hey.
[ In his normal voice. Looks like Keigo wasn't kidding around after all. ]
Our coding is glitching. It seems like you might be experiencing that, yourself... are you alright?
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Phase III-b (I'm not sorry)
That silvery hair, that dark skirt, that bamboo sword...! It could be only one person.
And so Rock Lee began to eagerly dash towards that person and called out.]
Peko-san!! I cannot believe that you have returned at last! [It just has to be her!]
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At least, until he turns around when he hears that voice. Ah. ]
Lee-san? Who is--
[ A beat, and he lifts his free hand to flick one of his braids. Then he frowns a little, apologetic. ]
You thought I was someone else, didn't you? Sorry about that.
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But yes, Lee stops and his expression falters as Yu turns around. The truth becomes all too clear now.]
Ah! Yu-kun, is that you? Please... do not apologize. I am the one who made a mistake. I am sorry for my confusion!!
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[ Said with mild, thoughtful humor. ]
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phase iii-a
Oi. Are you alright?
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[ He startles like a frightened doe when Inaba speaks to him, whipping around to face her and backing away. His bright gold eyes practically gleam as he stares at her with a mix of anger and legitimate fear. ]
Will you stay if I tell you I'm fine? You'll stay, right? Don't leave. Just don't leave. I'm fine, I promise. Inaba-san... what can I do? Can I help you? That's all I want. I've never really known how.
[ wow where did all those words come from ]
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It's okay. If you're fine and even if you aren't -- I'm here for you, okay?
[ Because he doesn't look fine, even if he says he is. Not with that expression on his face, those words that flow out of his lips. ]
I don't really need any help right now, but... I think what you should do is do whatever you want to do without asking me what I want. There isn't anything that I want that you can give me, after all.
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[ His expression changes in a flash, twisting into an ugly smile. ]
Isn't that pathetic? That I can't help you. I can't help anyone. What point is there to me if I can't help?
[ Yu rubs a hand over his face, his shoulders shaking with silent laughter. ]
It's so funny. How did anyone fall for the idea that I'm capable of anything? How does anyone not realize what a joke that is?But I couldn't handle it if anyone abandoned me.
[ His expression changes again, pulling down into something sad, something awfully heartbroken. ]
I don't want to be alone again.
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III-A
It's evening by the time he makes his way back to the Residential District, hair mussed up, clothes unkempt and eyes half-lidded. He wouldn't be up for much talking either, but for the sight of someone familiar muttering uncharacteristically to himself.
I can't...what? He's rushing over to Yu regardless, but the concern in his eyes is more pronounced because something's Very Wrong here.]
What's wrong, Yu-san? [He does notice the yellow eyes this time, but that's another matter entirely.]
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Minato-san.
[ He enunciates the four syllables of his friend's name with exacting clarity, drawing them out until they drip condescension and no small amount of bitterness. His expression contorts into a furious smile, a slash that looks bizarrely out of place on his face. ]
You care? I thought you'd be too busy getting yourself killed to bother noticing what I was doing.
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Of course I care about you. That hasn't changed, and I don't intend on getting killed. [It's really a stalling measure and Minato's thinking back to his encounter with Takaya, searching for something that can be of help, if there's anything he can even do.]
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III-B (I'm sorry for this)
Although, as she wandered around in the apartment, that's when something in her code just suddenly felt different. In fact, the moment that she heard Yu nearby in a rather interesting outfit, Mabel couldn't help but give him a rather overconfident smirk that looked rather familiar on a certain blond character]
Looks like somebody just walked straight out of loserville with that outfit on!
LAUGHS oh no mabel
[ At first sight he's glad to've run into her, as he's been concerned about his housemates since he left. He knows Dipper and Mabel can take care of themselves, but they're not true fighters, and with conditions the way they are, Cerealia is an even more dangerous place than usual to be.
Then she smirks - and calls him a loser?
And his face blanks out into surprise. He doesn't seem offended, though. ]
Hmm. [ He glances down at himself, then up at her. ] You know, I thought it was pretty good, considering what I had to work with. But are you feeling okay, Mabel?
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What are you talking about? Don't you think I should be asking you that? That outfit is so last season, it makes you look even dorkier than before!
[As Mabel crossed her arms, she looked so proud of herself right now. With a flip of her hair, she was practially oozing with confidence right now. Granted, it was bordering on arrogance right now.]
Just what were you planning on doing with it anyway?
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iii-a
For a moment, she wonders if he's just heartbroken from what she'd inadvertently told him.
Either way, she knows Yu isn't okay, and she needs to do something about it. So she's going to jog towards him, calling out--] Senpai! Senpai, wait!
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--until he sees who it is. He stares her down, abruptly impassive, and then slowly lowers his weapon again. His gold eyes seem to gleam in the flicking, low light. ]
Naoto.
[ His voice is serious, but still has that strange echoing quality all Shadow voices have. ]
Why are you here?
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[She catches that gleam of yellow, and hears that strange tone in his voice. Instantly, Naoto's posture changes to a more guarded one. Could she have been seeing things?
They're not in the Midnight Channel anymore. There shouldn't be any reason for Shadows to exist anymore. Is her mind playing tricks on her?] ...Senpai, are you all right?
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phase iii-a
That's when he spots Yu outside a shop up ahead, and relief rolls over him. At least he can stick by Yu now. Maybe together they could track down Mabel and head home, soon. Even if "home" wasn't all that much safer than out here right now.
His friend's got his back to him, so Dipper calls out a greeting to get his attention. ]
Hey, Yu! Some day, huh? [ His voice trails off, as he then registers that Yu has his sword out, but doesn't seem to be quite on his guard. That's...odd. There weren't even any robots around that he could see. ]
WHY WOULD YOU DO THIS
His golden eyes glint, eerie and wrong, as he stares down his friend. Abruptly he starts to smile, but it's by no means one of his normal smiles. It's thin and twisted and somehow angry. ]
Heh. Isn't it always "some day" in this place? [ His voice echoes strangely, as if layered with other voices besides his own, deep and haunting. ]
One more disaster for me to fail to handle. Isn't that right? You should know better than anyone what my incompetence has done.
[ Dipper... who blamed himself for the jungle, who died in the Labyrinth. His fault. His fault for not being a better strategist, a better leader, a better fighter, a better person-- ]
do you really need to ask that question
But then Yu speaks words that prick at a closely-guarded scar, a fear of his own that still kept him up some nights. The idea that Yu still blamed himself for what happened in the labyrinth.
Dipper freezes a moment, paralyzed, before abruptly shaking his head to throw off the ghosts. ]
Y-you're not Yu. You're not real. [ His shock turns into anger then. ] You're not really him!
[ Because that can't be true. It can't be.
Could it? ]
8'(
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