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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... Right. [ The way she says it, though, has a note of uncertainty; will they be alright? But she has a responsibility, doesn't she, to see this through. Naoto may be looking out for her, and yet, ] I'll-- try to watch your back.
[ She hopes that at the very least she might be able to recognize an illusion more readily. (There is, however, an unfortunate lack of any hard proof to support that being the case, and of course she worries it might be otherwise. Fooling someone else is one thing, but fooling yourself - she cares for that even less. There are implications that frighten her.) ]
[ Her head lifts slightly at the last portion, brows raising and then lowering, taking the corners of her mouth with them. Perhaps she ought to take it as a compliment - it certainly wasn't an unkind thing to say - and yet there is a subtle darkening to her expression. Her voice is right on the edge of wry when she speaks again. ] You aren't the first person to say something like that. [ It isn't proud. No, if anything, it's the opposite; that same kind of shame creeps into her words even as she adds, not unkindly, ] I suppose I should be flattered. [ There's a beat, and then she adds, perfunctorily but not insincerely, ] Thank you. I'm sure there are people who wouldn't have such nice words for it.
[ Not once does her pace falter, though, as she walks alongside Naoto. Naminé falls silent just for a moment, then adds, a little out of the blue, ] Were they a friend of yours? The other person, I mean.
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Either way, it's clear that she's not entirely fond of these powers. It's a mystery that Naoto feels can wait for another day.] I can't say that they were, though that's mainly more a function of time than anything else. We crossed paths during a case.
I haven't seen her since that matter was resolved; she went off with people who seemed to care about her. She probably appreciated that more than anything I could've done for her.
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[ Truthfully, she finds herself a little surprised by the response. Perhaps that owes to how different her own experiences have been, but whatever the reason, she can't help feeling almost a mild sense of awe. It takes her a blink or two to settle her mind again, and in that time there's a brief flicker in her illusion that she doesn't seem to pay much attention to. Just for a second, the ground is-- sand, maybe? ]
... She probably did. [ Naminé knows she'd certainly appreciate it, anyway. ] But what kind of case was it? Why was she involved? [ Here again she finds herself concerned that it might have been a bad situation for exactly the same reason that she didn't expect there to be people who cared about this other girl. ]
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She's silent for a few paces after Namine's question. How much should she tell her? That it's classified back home is irrelevant, of course, but she suspects that Labrys' story might bring up some feelings in Namine she'd rather avoid, given how the girl seems to feel about her powers.] I suppose there's no harm in telling the story.
She was actually a robot-- that is, a mechanical person. While being transported, she was abducted; her creators asked for help tracking her down. The kidnappers wanted to use her powers for their own ends, and we hoped to rescue her. [While true, Naoto's phrasing is chosen to carefully omit that at first, it had seemed more like retrieving stolen property. They hadn't known the extent of Labrys' humanity until later.
There's a pause before she continues.] From there, I'm afraid it gets rather complicated.
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[ Naminé is content, it seems, to leave the silence be. She doesn't even look over at Naoto for a few of those steps, offering her the chance to consider things without the interruption of her visible attention, and only glances the other girl's way once she's begun to answer. ]
[ 'A robot?' Her mouth begins to make the shape of the words but she never actually adds her voice to them. She's become far more familiar with that type of entity in the city, although she doesn't assume a lack of humanity. What makes her expression grow ever darker, however, is the situation this mechanical person was in. As she feared, then. There's a sinking feeling in her stomach that she doesn't much care for. ]
I understand. [ She says it after a moment. Oh, she knows complicated, alright. Still, she can't let herself get away without asking, ] But you were able to help her, right? Was she hurt? [ She assumes there was helping involved, anyway, given that she's already heard the ending of said story and something has to have bridged the gap. ]
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Ultimately, we were able to save her and help her come to terms with her existence. [She pauses, trying to untrick her mind, trying to ignore the illusions. What if she closes her eyes and walks forward?] Her creators had developed a newer version of her line... something like a sister, in a way. I think they were very happy to have each other.
They were probably lonely, thinking they were on their own like that.
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A sister, huh?
[ Almost under her breath but not quite. Well, that's sort of familiar, too, isn't it? Only she'd never presume to call Kairi a sister so freely, and that relationship... Naminé isn't certain how it might have worked out, had they been able to be in the same place at the same time. The idea makes something in her chest squirm uncomfortably yet wistfully. She would have liked to be friends with her Other, it's true, but the idea seems more like a daydream than an actual possibility. ]
I'd think so. [ To both their supposed happiness and the loneliness in the absence thereof. ] I know I would be.
[ She is, after all. (Was?) Roxas was the only one in her worlds that she felt she had any ability to compare herself to, and even he--... it doesn't bear thinking about now. She's beginning to wilt but she reins that in, skating a hand briefly over her hair. (Keeping one's eyes closed doesn't entirely relieve the effect of the illusion, although it does make it seem very slightly less real, if only for the lack of visuals to back up the other sensations. Trying to picture what the place is supposed to look like is easier that way, as if the illusion tries to force one's memory to accept it as fact while it's being perceived.) ]
It sounds like you really helped her a lot. But-- after all of that, you still weren't friends?
[ Sora seems to collect them like all it takes is a sideways glance. It's hard not to picture something of that nature with any adventures she hears about. ]
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The illusion tugs at her memory whenever she's looking at it, and it takes a few seconds to get back how it was supposed to be when her eyes close; Namine may notice then a brief pattern of short stops every twenty or thirty steps as she orients herself again.] She went back with her creators, to learn more about herself. Our groups are mostly independent, and she didn't have any reason to stay with us over people who could tell her more about herself.
There certainly wasn't any acrimony or animosity on our parts, it was simply just a matter of acquaintance. Had she stayed, I'm sure she would have wound up in our circle of friends somehow. Yu-senpai is oddly magnetic like that.
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[ After all, she knows she feels connected to Roxas, given that they were created together. It isn't that she looks at him as a brother, exactly, but... they're more or less twins. It might be a strange distinction to make and she probably wouldn't say that word out loud, either, yet it helps her understanding somewhat. ]
I guess that's just how it is when you don't really have blood relatives.
[ Sidelong, she regards Naoto, at first not entirely sure why she keeps closing her eyes. Naminé has yet to try the same experiment, and though she's tempted to do so now, she doesn't much like the idea of both of them walking around with their eyes closed. Instead she slows when Naoto does, keeping an eye out for the other girl to make sure no unfortunate incidents involving uneven ground or misplaced not-currently-lightpoles occur. ]
[ There's a soft hum of acknowledgement for the reasoning. That makes sense, she supposes, although it still causes her to think of how quickly Sora surely would have made friends with-- anyone, really, but that robot girl included. He's oddly magnetic like that-- ]
[ Her head snaps up quickly but a moment or two after the name. Blinking, she looks a little like a startled bird. ]
Yu-senpai?
[ Surely there's more than one person with the name out there in the universe, but given the similarities between him and Naoto that she's already noted.... ]
Do you mean the Yu who's here in the city? The one with silver hair?
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Of course. Somehow, she's not surprised that this girl knows Yu, too. She'd said he was magnetic.] Yu Narukami? Yes, that's the one. I take it you've met before? He and I are teammates back home. More to the point, we're friends.
[That gets her to smile, though to be honest, it feels a little odd smiling with her eyes closed.] I did say that he was magnetic.
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[ There's a note of genuine gladness to her voice that wasn't there before - maybe the most noticeable one since they first started speaking. ]
I know what you mean. He's... [ She can actually call him that now, can't she? The idea makes her smile as well despite the circumstances. ] ... A friend of mine, too. He helped me earlier, before-- before things got so bad.
[ Which is a bit sobering to have to say, but still. ]
It's really strange. [ How good he seems to be at building connections with people, that is, and the coincidence. ] You're not the first friend of his that I've met without knowing they knew him. [ Why does this keep happening during disasters? Does CERES just get a laugh out of it or something? ] So you're from the same world, too?
I'm so sorry for how late this is! Please feel free to ignore. I thought I'd tagged this ;w;
Yes, that's correct. He and I are part of... you could call us a team, I suppose. There are several others here that you've already met; I know them as well.
When you said "before things got so bad," did you mean the current situation, or something else?
SHHHH shhhh, I shall never ignore. o((9))
You're all together, then. [ And she's pleased about that, that much is for sure, though she says it quietly. ] That's lucky. I'm a little jealous.
[ For a given value of 'jealous,' since she doesn't really go about having such sentiments in the normal way. As for that question, she offers a soft, ]
-- Oh. The-- current situation. Earlier today I got thrown out of my apartment, but he was there to look after me. At the time I wasn't feeling so--... having these sorts of problems.
[ A beat; she doesn't have to think long, however, before adding, ]
But he's always looked after me, ever since we first met.
uwu
Given that talking about Yu Narukami seems to improve it, Naoto decides that that's the topic of conversation they should stay on.] Yes, that's correct. There are four of us, including myself. I'm grateful for their presence.
[So she was thrown out of her apartment, too. Perhaps literally? Naoto saved her share of people with her own Persona, so it's not surprising Yu did the same.] As long as I've known him, he's had a very strong sense of justice and morality. It's something I greatly admire about him.
So I'm not surprised to hear that. Have you known him long?
C:
He's always seemed that way to me. [ She agrees readily enough, looking thoughtful. ] Or at least, it seems like he really tries to be good to people. [ Not that there need be much distinction between the two. One of those sentences makes her lips quirk, and she adds, ] I really admire that, too.
[ She tips her head up slightly at the question, regarding the currently featureless buildings as she tries to make her estimation. ]
He was one of the first people I met here. So... it's been a few months by now. [ Looking back at Naoto, she continues to fail to take notice of the sand; clearly this is holding her interest. ] What about you?
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I've known him for just over a year or so. If you're inquiring about my time here, though... it's been around a month.
Quite the eventful month for my first time, I imagine.
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[ Is her quiet response, a nod coming along thereafter to indicate her satisfaction with both answers. ]
That's a pretty long time. [ To have known someone, that is, but she is aware her own short lifetime has perhaps skewed her perspective a little, and she adds, ] Compared to how long many of us here have probably known each other, that is.
[ One of the nearby light-poles is currently a palm tree. There isn't much wind, and yet the leaves sway gently as if in a breeze; something smells suspiciously like a hint of sea air. ]
I'm starting to think a lot of months in this place are eventful. [ There's a wryness to her smile this time, though it's not insincere. ] But this does seem to be one of the worst since I've been here. I hope it hasn't been too hard on you.
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I appreciate your concern, but you don't need to worry. I've encountered stranger things before... though, I suppose, not many. [She adds at the end, a touch of honesty.]
I can understand how it might be overwhelming for some people, though.
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[ It's a little bittersweet, that tiny smile that appears on her lips and then slips away again, silent appreciation of Naoto's honesty. ] I'm not sure whether or not to say that's a good thing, but... I'm glad that it helps. It's the same for me.
[ But speaking of strange things has her reminded of her own strangeness, and after a moment her eyes lower. Finally the sand seems to catch her attention and she starts, looking right back up again and around sharply. There's only one light pole left that isn't a tree by now, and from where the sand meets the white of the buildings, new color has begun to creep up the walls. It's a mix of different warm hues and materials that feel just a bit too specific to suggest they came out of nowhere. The blonde breathes a quiet, 'oh,' and the recognition on her face is plain to see. ]
It's-- but--.... [ Her voice falls until it's nearly a mutter, her steps slowed. ] Why is it there...?
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Namine's expression, though, tells Naoto right away that there's more to this. She recognizes this place, or the elements within it.
But is she reacting to the out-of-place light pole, or something else entirely?]
The light pole, you mean? The others became the trees... I wonder why that one didn't follow suit.
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[ There's confusion in her voice and the faintest touch of frustration, and yet the illusion continues undisturbed. From the buildings to the sand to the air, now, it all looks just like the Destiny Islands, right down to the faint rushing sound of waves in the distance. (Except for that one light pole. It stubbornly remains a light pole, which only serves to confuse her further.) ]
[ Frowning at it, she seems for a moment to lose herself to her thoughts, but she's quick to drag herself back out of them again. Exhaling, she turns her frown toward the ground instead, and then almost appears to relent; there's no use being annoyed at herself, is there? ]
... But I don't know why it didn't, either. There are a lot more things I don't understand about this than I thought there were.
[ Which is disconcerting, to say the least, but she isn't yet certain how much to blame on CERES and how much is legitimately a part of her normal capacity, so she tries not to focus on it for too long. She has company, after all. Instead, ]
It's just-- it's strange that it would choose this place. I've... never actually been to this world.
[ And yet she knows it. The clarity of the illusion says that much openly; everything about it feels like a place one is as intimately familiar with as one's own home. ]
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She focuses on what Namine is saying, however.] You've never been here, but you're recreating it... have you seen it somewhere, then? Pictures, or video?
[Unlikely, Naoto thinks. There are too many details here that one couldn't capture in just a photograph or a movie. Unless it's Namine's imagination filling in the blanks, what could it be?]
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Not exactly.
[ Blinking, she turns back to the other girl, making an active effort not to look as uncomfortable about the subject as she feels. Her hands have folded together somewhere along the line; it's difficult not to wring them. ]
Although I suppose-- you could say it was something like that. I was... well informed. [ Her eyes catch the buildings for a moment and then flick back. No, she knows better than to let herself enjoy the opportunity. ] I've always wanted to see it for myself. I wasn't sure I'd ever get the chance, but this still isn't the right way to do it.
[ Which only further reinforces that it's an accurate representation, for her to compare it to actually being there. ]
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That's one hell of a paradox. Granted, she doesn't know what type of world this girl has come from, so might she have seen something like it through technology-- or, given her powers, magic? After all, Naoto supposes, the TV World was shaped by the thoughts of the people inside it. Perhaps something like that might have happened.
Ah hell, might as well ask.] If you don't mind my asking, how do you know it's not the right way to do things if you've never been? What's your frame of comparison?
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Because I have seen it. Just... not with my own two eyes.
[ Which is all well and good when there are pictures and videos. She could leave it at that and let Naoto think those were all, but... it feels as though it would be ungrateful, somehow. ]
I saw it through someone else's.
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