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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no subject
You've got it. This is just a human form — so if it's injured, it doesn't matter as much. It's my sword that I have to keep safe, you know? Since it's me, and everything.
[ and naturally, the best way to accomplish that is to just chuck it out the window... but at the second question, he shakes his head, his expression darkening. ]
Nope, today's the first time that this ever happened. I made sure it was unlocked, but it still wouldn't budge.
[ he doesn't mention how long he's been here exactly, but he likes to think that being here for six months lends him some credibility about this topic. ]
But, if it also happened to you — how did you get out of your apartment?
no subject
And you just went flying out the window — is it difficult for you to break?
[ Swords are probably supposed to be strong, but how strong, she doesn't know. Paired with no idea about stress break points or ... anything concrete, other than a whisper in the back of her mind about making good, longlasting, strong swords in Japan because of course we do. Right.
She takes his word on the subject of this not happening before. It's... concerning, considering the results, but what can she say? She had at least been equipped for heading out to school when things went crazy this morning. ]
Um, I played dodge with the door. It'd slide open, then try to shut on me, then open again. It actually caught my ponytail the first time, since I was turning around to get something I'd almost forgotten. [ Namely her notebook. She reaches back and rubs her head in sympathetic memory. ] I had to figure out the timing and managed to get outside, but then it stayed closed after that. I can't get back in, not even to the building.
no subject
Well, it depends on things like how we're used, how we're made... but for the most part, we're pretty durable, so it's not too easy for us to break.
[ that, and he wouldn't want to overwhelm her with a surprise lecture on Everything Swords.™ but he's surprised that while fickle, the door did open for her in the first place. malfunctioning technology sure is picky... he thinks about how difficult it must have been, and presses his lips together in a thin, somber line. ]
That sounds harsh. [ he means it, genuinely — not only could the door have squashed her, but she's also stuck... outside. not a desirable situation for anyone, much less for a small girl. and then, true to his nature, he offers a solution that doesn't seem fitting at all. ]
Have you considered cracking one of your windows open? Like this, you'll probably end up having to break into your own house.
no subject
(Lava is probably bad.)
She nods a little at the assessment (harsh? in its way), craning her neck back to look at about the third floor. She's in the next building over, but for what it was worth, they all looked about the same from here. ]
I could, if there was a way to climb up there. There aren't any stairs or ladders built into the wall, and the ledges on the other windows disappear between apartments. If I could jump from balcony to balcony...
[ She gestures upward, a rolling motion of her hand at the design of the apartments. Maybe. WHO KNOWS. The potential design of the apartments. ]
It's not so high up to be scary, but I'm not sure I have leverage to get into the window even if I do find a way to get up there.
[ Chihiro shows no hesitation over the thought of breaking into her own 'home.' Her hand drops back to her side, but she's considering this... yet again. Now if she also had rope and roof access... ]
no subject
I don't think that either of us are capable of jumping from balcony to balcony — unless you'd like to surprise me.
[ then again, she might have it in her to do just that! but if going straight through the window won't do, then... he lifts his gaze from the third balcony — up as far as he can see, towards the roof of the apartment building. ]
What if we went up to the top of the building, and then climbed down? It'll be like — you know, rock climbing.
[ surely, they'll discover some magical rope along the way... ]
no subject
I feel my surprises won't involve leaps that big. Though...
[ She claps her hands together, bouncing up onto the balls of her feet with a look of determination on her face. ]
That could work! There's a fire escape on the far side of the building, over near that alley. If we can get up to the ladder, then we can climb that to the roof to try and get back down to the right window.
no subject
Then, what are we waiting for? Let's go!
[ he turns on his heel then, headed towards the far side of the building — after a quick glance over his shoulder, to check if she's keeping up. and once they arrive at the ladder, he'll wait for her to climb up before him. not that he thinks she isn't capable of climbing a ladder, but safety first, after all. ]
no subject
[ safety first from two people who think it's an entirely legitimate idea to scale a building and drop down onto a landing from the roof. when they have no rope. nothing can go wrong here.
though it does say something that they're on the same wavelength. hmm...
Chihiro keeps pace, trotting along behind him with one hand clutched around her backpack strap. she tightens both straps before glancing from her newest sword friend to the later, checking that she was to go first. with a firm nod, she starts scaling the ladder first, looking upward as she goes. to the roof! which is thankfully a doable prospect, regardless of rust or a loose bolt about midway up. ]
Be careful! This part's not attached all the way.
[ she plops her palm on the wall next to the wrung she's talking about, reaching past it and pulling herself up two instead of one. it's a good thing technology isn't responsible for the escape mechanisms, or they're really be in a spot more of trouble than they already were. once she reaches the top, Chihiro pulls herself up and over the lip of the roof, hopping down to land with a tap on the roof proper.
okay. magic rope can manifest any time now... or a workable substitute! she turns around to watch and make sure he's doing all right climbing up too. ]
no subject
Thanks! [ he's had a long, long time to master these three-inch solid platforms, but climbing ladders in them has never grown easier. still, he's hanging in there just fine, pulling himself up onto the roof after her. and while he pauses to catch his breath, he glances around the area — similar to how he would scout during a mission.
his scouting stat is, in fact, downright abysmal, but it manages to pull through today. ]
I think I see some rope over there — hold on.
[ and then, well, there it is! the magic rope... though, it's just regular twine rope that's been stashed in a corner of the roof's surface, possibly meant to be used for emergencies like these. either way, he wastes no time in making his way over, looping the coils over his arm as he brings it back. ]
How's this? Do you think it's sturdy enough?
no subject
Chihiro looks around after he does, definitely not having spotted the rope. she brightens up when he's walking back her way, trotting over to meet him and holding out her hands, like she's any judge of rope strength. (she's not.) she's still looking around for a good place to tie off, too. there's a few promising, sturdy looking parts of the roof that could service. including tying around an entire section of whatever machinery was settled here on top.
(or that could be a very bad idea indeed.) ]
It's not fraying. Does it feel brittle to you?
[ that's about the gauge she has for if it might be good or not. if he hands her enough to test with her hands, she... she will, but she's just got a ten year old's strength. it's not like she's shocking the rope into testing limits when she stretches it between two hands and jerks in both directions simultaneously.
still, she does try. ]
Did you see anywhere good for tying it down? [ she hands the rope back, walking away as she scans, though she'll turn back his way should he have an answer. Chihiro thinks she spots something promising, picking up speed and jogging toward the base of what might have once been water storage. tapping on the side with her knuckles now only produces a hollow, echoing clang. ] Is it long enough to tie here and still reach the balconies below?
no subject
It feels fine to me.
[ but he does catch up to her after he's finished testing the rope, because their choices on the roof are limited in the first place, and the water storage that she's picked out seems to be a pretty solid choice. in fact, that might be the only viable structure on the roof in the first place, because what do people put on apartment roofs, anyway... ]
Here, let's see... [ he throws one end of the rope down, while holding onto the rest of the coil tightly — then leans over the edge of the roof with all of the fearlessness of a spirit, as he steadily lowers it... until it's dangling around the window of the third floor. kids, don't try this at home??
after confirming that it'll work, he'll pull the rest of the rope back up, nodding in her direction. ] Looks like it. [ to both questions. ]
I'll tie it for us, but in the mean time — do you want to go first, or should I?
no subject
she is not, however, sure they're standing over her apartment. that she doesn't register as that being terribly important is part and parcel with her not being able to get back into her apartment building as a whole. ]
Mm, I think I should. In case something happens up here, I wouldn't be able to keep you from falling.
[ such as the rope breaking at the stress point over the edge, or coming untied, or she's not even sure what. this does nothing to address if she lets go or starts to fall, but she's less concerned that she will. in fact she's pretty sure she won't. she doesn't even think the rest is that likely, but if it did happen and he fell? she'd feel terrible. ]
Let me know when it's tied and I'll start climbing down!
[ does she know how to rappel
no actually, but how hard can this be? ]
no subject
If I fall, I'll be okay, remember?
[ it'll still hurt, but a fall like that is just a scratch for a tsukumogami, probably! but he's fine with her heading down first, because while he doesn't need to heed as many safety warnings, he... wouldn't exactly know which window to look for, even if she described it. what if he ends up breaking through some other person's window...
so he heads back towards the water tank and sets on securely fastening the rope, looping it this way and that, making it difficult for it to come undone. but just in case, he's going to stay next to it after he finishes (so that he can catch the rope if it, for some reason, unties itself), calling out towards her — ]
Done! You're all set to go.
[ please rappel safely ]
no subject
He's not wrong, though. He's more durable, probably, but she's got her own version of worries, and she has faith in her ability to scale down walls.
Unfounded faith, but faith nonetheless. ]
Got it! I'm heading down!
[ Which is more nerve wracking than she thought, having her legs over the roof and grabbing hold of the rope. She twists herself around and is dangling for a moment, feet trying to find purchase, holding her body close to the rope with a momentary surge of adrenaline telling her this may be a bad idea. Her response is to lean back as her feet find purchase and start lowering herself, using both arms and legs, down the side of the building.
At this rate, she's totally going to end up at the wrong window and looking for a way to get in. Oh well! Maybe not!
Or as it ends up, once she thinks she's at the right level, she finds herself kicking against the window to no real effect. Not as planned. ]
It's not opening!
[ She says, balancing on the ledge to give her arms a rest from being weight bearing. ]
no subject
from his position at the edge of the roof now, he'll first check that she's... hanging in there (pun!), before scanning at the wall space between them for anything useful. aside from the window ledges and balconies, however, there doesn't seem to be much, and he won't risk climbing down the rope while she's on it.
(plus, asking her to climb back up seems awfully complicated; but if they have to resort to that eventually, then he doesn't mind.)
though... he does have one idea in mind, and this — he calls down towards her. ]
Do you think you could catch my sword?
laughs at that icon laksjdf