estoria | [open] this ae night, this ae night

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[open] this ae night, this ae night

Who: People who went to the tower, and then people who want to hear about what happened in the tower!
When: 8/25-8/26.
Where: The CERES Tower, and then the Sanctuary
What: A catch-all log for the CERES Tower Exploration, and then a discussion of it!
Rating/Warning: Will edit when needed.

THE TOWER
[ As per the mod post:

All groups will find that the tower is deserted, and all technology is shut off. Through some fiddling, some of CERES’ databases can be accessed, but only in the most basic of safe modes. Hacking will just get everything to shut off again, as it takes too much power from whatever emergency power source allows the systems to turn on.

There are no dangers, but even so, the characters won’t have long in the tower before their code starts to warp strangely. If they stay too long, they will be glitched right out of existence -- and then right outside of the tower. They will find that for the next three ic days, all food tastes burnt and sleeping is extremely unsatisfying, to the point that they don’t even feel like they need it, before they go back to normal. Characters will have a maximum of 3 IC hours in the tower before that point.

Feel free to thread out characters meeting up before the exploration, or bumping into each other in the rather big tower, amongst other shenanigans! ]

THE SANCTUARY
[ there isn't much of a preparation for this, but there will be a text blast alerting everybody to go to the sanctuary if they so please to discuss what people have found in the tower.

as usual, a variety of flavours of pizza is being served. there may not be pizza for everybody however, as athena is rather broke. (sweats) remember to leave your cerevices in the basket by the entrance! ]

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[sigh...] Of course not, which means they did not leave in haste. Or, if they did, the information we need is kept more securely than can be found by a simple perusal of the building. They were at least prepared enough to shut off the lights before they left.

Literally.

[hahaha]

I'm gonna be honest, though, you're not exactly equipped for extracting information from CERES. That's part of why I didn't bother.

[honestly though most of it was because the bath was calling to her]

The world's moved on without us into a realm of technology and wires and zeros and ones. .......And sin, of course. It's definitely sin.

[he knows, full well, which is why he doesn't get annoyed. At least, not visibly so - he's still plenty frustrated, but not at her]

I'm not sure those who understand technology fared any better, but I will be eager to hear their reports. We are getting nowhere with this.

I mean, that's the same state we're always in, so. I try not to get my hopes up about anything you lot plan anymore.

I'm pretty sure nothing has been accomplished between the last meeting and this one.

[Cao Pi shakes his head, because it's true. It's true and he knows it, and she knows it. They've lost one potential source thanks to their inaction, and he's through relying on other people even if he doesn't know a computer from a doorknob.]

Even I lack the resources I need. This is...not a typical situation for me.

You've been kidnapped by aliens from another dimension. It happens.

[Is this a rare show of sympathy from Viridi?]

I don't know what kinds of resources you're looking for, though. Servants to follow you around kissing your butt?

[...but not too much sympathy]

I'm not low on resources more than I'm low on world-destroying god power.

[sadly, it does happen, only with demons instead of aliens]

Hardly. I need scouts. Competent spies. People whose very purpose in life is to swiftly and diligently locate our targets and deliver that information to me and my tacticians so that we may devise a plan to destroy the enemy and free ourselves.

...but I don't even have a tactician, any longer.

[a rare moment of actual feeling from him, his eyes drop to the floor as he says so]

If I had the means to unlock your power, my lady, I would set you loose on this place in a heartbeat.

Awwwwwww! I think that's the nicest thing you've ever said to me. I'm moved.

[She actually manages to sound faintly sincere, though even her best attempts at sincerity usually come off a little flat.]

But I think what you're saying is that you're used to waging war, not whatever kind of ragtag rebellion this is turning out to be. Most people here aren't suited for that kind of thing. They all live very... I don't know. Pedestrian lives?

[she means boring]

If you want my advice [no one wants her advice] it's better to make use of the talents you have instead of trying to force a round peg into a square hole.

[that would actually be excellent advice if he didn't already know it. That said, sometimes even this ice queen needs a reminder.]

The talents I have are better suited to long campaigns wherein I have the time to spin my web and direct my resources. We don't have the luxury of time any longer - if I am to be any use to these people and their cause, I must speed everything up. [he gives her a wary look, thinking of his worst fear now: that the Flamines get angry at CERES running out on them a second time and come a-knocking, sooner rather than later] Without CERES in control, this place will continue to fall apart. We could fall apart, next. We may already be.

[he rubs at his eye, not that that's going to help the pain]

[is he crying]

Um...

[he's totally crying]

I mean, we sorta kinda are since we were all glitching out earlier, but. Hey, it's not that bad. What do they always say - every cloud has a silver lining. You're trapped here, which means you're not trapped anywhere worse! Like... You could have had your life-force sucked up and remolded into a mindless abomination to fight for the lord of the underworld in his bid to conquer the universe.

[...]

[HE'S NOT CRYING god Viridi]

Yes, I remember all too well. [grouchily; he hadn't realized what kind of special steps had been taken to make sure they could all communicate with each other until he couldn't] Many people are suffering the same ailment, I'm sure it's related to the objects in our bodies. With CERES gone, they must also be malfunctioning.

[Viridi what is that scenario? I mean, not that being twisted to fight for Orochi was a thing that never happened, it certainly did, but...seriously. Seriously?]

[viridi will hand him a tissue]

Look, the point is.

Regardless of what's happening, we still have autonomy. Actually, more autonomy than we've ever had before now that CERES's cleared out. So the tower was a bust and you aren't the hero you want to be and you don't really know what you're doing anymore - but that's not a big difference. Humans never do. You all find new and exciting ways to disappoint me every day.

[is this a pep talk or not?]

The important thing is that you do find new ways.

So just... try the next thing. It's not like we're gonna lose anything else.

[he's not sure what to do with the tissue or the pep(?!) talk. But anyone exhorting him to get up and keep going wins points with him regardless. It means that someone, somewhere in this dump is still fighting.]

Next thing. Well, then. Any ideas what that thing might be? I'm willing to entertain ideas.

Wha -- Why are you making me do all the work? I have to motivate you and give you ideas? Who's the goddess here?

[Viridi sighs in a long-suffering manner.]

Why don't you go talk to the native spirits? I bet they'll have more to say about CERES now that they've cleared out. Or go track down some other databases. I mean, the tower can't be the only place they've got. What about all those weird places Mosley brought us a few months ago?

I already have someone working on the spirits. [and he's pretty sure he just saw her come in, so he'll talk to Chihiro about that in a bit] But. Hm. I had not considered that there might be other places.

[he hadn't gone on that field trip, after all, but now that Viridi brings it up, he wants to kick himself for not thinking of it. See, Viridi? You're actually helping!]

You were one of those, were you not? When you came down with an acute case of humanity.

Actually the worst.

[Viridi makes a gagging noise.]

I'll take glitching over that any day of the week, thanks. I cannot believe how many gross bodily functions you people have. It's like Old Faithful.

[and who, ostensibly, gave them these functions...]

But yeah, I was told we were exploring the earth shrine. We found a lot of computers instead.

[he lifts a finger and wags it thoughtfully] That reminds me. We did pull up one piece of information. Those glitches, apparently they are not the fault of CERES' incompetence. Something else, a 'threat' to them, was interfering. But that is exactly all we learned, not who this threat was or how they were interfering.

[so hey, can't be mad at CERES for that?]

So. Computers. In a shrine. I thought all the shrines were small wooden structures, no technology in them at all.

[She looks unamused.]

Wow. You know, it's almost like it wasn't actually the shrine. Wait - maybe I'm onto something else! Maybe... he lied to us! Maybe he brought us somewhere totally different from what he said.

But do people actually do that? Do they just... not tell the truth for their own reasons?

...Naaaahhh, that's just silly.

[this display of sarcasm aside, Viridi will pause.]

If something was interfering, it's probably the Flamines. They're still after CERES for payment, right?

[okay he deserved that.

Gold star, that's some top-level sarcasm right there. He can appreciate! And does, with a growing smirk.]

Yes, but if there is something to be found at these other locations, one must first find the actual locations. No? I shall have to speak with Lady Athena and others who were taken.

What I know of the Flamines is as much as anyone knows - that they are single-minded. Interfering in our physical and mental makeup is underhanded and subtle, the Flamines appear to prefer to deal more directly and viscerally. [like destroying worlds, apparently]

Well, I mean, maybe they were trying to launch bombs and CERES deflected them and they were... I don't know, electromagnetic or something and messed with the code.

[this seems highly implausible]

Oooh - wait. You don't think it's Mosley, do you? Or that creepy robot? Is that why they got rid of him?

[it's a good thing he doesn't understand technology or he'd be seriously doubting that idea.

Or, well, he doubts it already, but for other reasons besides logic.]

I can't say. There was absolutely nothing about Mosley that we could find - no records, nothing.

Hmmmm!

[Viridi looks faintly surprised.]

Well. I'll say that is finding something, then. Mosley is important enough that they went through the trouble of clearing out all of his files.

I'm thinking 'Find Mosley' should be an important step in our Plan of How to Blow This Popsicle Stand.

[he frowns a bit] And if they've killed him, what good would it do us to find that?

[he'll keep the idea in the back of his mind - others believe Mosley to still be alive, or have altruistic reasons to "rescue" him. Cao Pi would go along if it meant he really was still out there and capable of helping them, but his personal jury is still out on him even being alive.]

...Did you ever have any court necromancers in your collection of resources?

[That was a real thing that people from feudal Japan had, right?]

OK, whatever, any lead can still end up being a dead end! Like today. Doesn't mean you can't try and follow 'em.

[there goes the eyebrow again] ...no.

[although he can appreciate the suggestion as a joke. Cao Pi nods slowly, already beginning to ruminate over options for leads.]

Perhaps you're right. I will see what the others have to say, and prepare my next move accordingly.

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[open] this ae night, this ae night

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