estoria | //EVENT033.EXE

//EVENT033.EXE

//event033.EXE

What new and wonderful and exciting ViViD level awaits you today? What fun time will you have in ViViD this time? Surely it will be a work of art that CERES has been working on for months and months --

Actually, wait, CERES isn't even around, are they?

Uh oh.

Bzzzzzzzzzzzzzt.

Error: Files Not Found

//SCENARIOS.EXE

PHASE I

[ ???? ] This time, ViViD is a deathtrap.

There is random magma everywhere, monsters will spawn at random, and at some points, the game is entirely unplayable. It’s like the dev team totally disappeared mid-constructing the level.

Oh wait, that’s exactly what happened.

Monsters may spawn on top of you, you may suddenly be standing in a poisonous bog, you may suddenly lose your powers, or your senses, or so many different things --

It’s time to get out of here, ASAP.

Thankfully, the exit is obvious. Like. Blindingly obvious. It’s got a big sign over it that says EXIT

And just like that, you’ll be out of ViViD and --

PHASE II

[ 0830 ] When you wake up (and it’s strange, because you were sure that you were logging out just a second ago), it’s in a pile of bodies.

They’re cold, but not in the same sense that a dead body would be cold. While they are lifeless and look incredibly real, they don’t feel real. They feel like dolls, mannequins, empty models and nothing more. Their code doesn’t seem to be functioning right.

And what some characters may realize upon looking at this pile of bodies is that they are all of the characters who were sacrifices before. Any character that was dropped who had a high magical or spiritual affinity is there in that pile of bodies, lifeless and eyes blank and vacant. Even you might be there, staring at your own dead body -- but it isn’t real It can be touched, but it’s really nothing more than a lifeless body.

You’ll have to crawl out of that pile of bodies to get anywhere, and then you’ll realize -- you’re in the Sanctuary, a building built by the characters as a safe place from CERES. And it’s looking pretty run-down at this point. The technology in it no longer functions, there is no security on it whatsoever…

Oh, and now there’s a pile of bodies. Great.

PHASE III

[ 1000 ] There’s also a robot.

It’s wandering from place to place, though it’s impossible to follow. One second it’s there, the next it’s just gone.

Also, it’s wearing this. Weird.

But even with that on its face, the robot seems focused on one thing in particular. In fact, it has a sign, and it says:

Down with CERES. Up with Robots.

That’s a happy, cheerful message. If you try to go up to it to talk to it, it will look at you before...bonking you on the head with the sign and running off. That’s incredibly rude.

Alternatively, you may be safe and sound in your home, but then the doorbell rings, and there’s the robot again. The duck mask is gone, but now instead it has a pin on his fake lapel, and then he’s shoving a pamphlet at you.

He tips his hat, and then he’s gone. Weird.

(Also, if you hold onto the pamphlet, it will lead you directly to the person whose picture is on it, and you’ll feel like you’ve known them and have loved them for years.)

PHASE IV

[ 1245 ] But not all is fun and games and shenanigans. There is something...well, strange happening, and the first real realization of that will be when it starts to rain. More than just the localized rain that a few unfortunates have dealt with -- no, it’s raining completely and totally, and that’s when it might hit you.

For the first time in Cerealia, there’s weather.

It’ll rain for a few hours, and then it’ll stop and become hot and sunny. It may get humid, considering it’s a jungle planet. At night, it’ll get rather cold.

Seems like whatever was keeping Cerealia’s atmosphere stable is now gone -- which also means that characters may start to occasionally experience headaches, nausea and dizziness if they go too close to the walls. It seems safer in the center of the city, and the Residential District is still okay, but… there’s no doubt that the planet’s atmosphere is starting to encroach on the city.

BONUS

[ why o'clock ] But who cares about all of that? More importantly, you are here in this… totally not shoddy city to have fun, and it’s still being advertised as a pleasure colony. Or, well, it would be if, you know, CERES was still around.

But close enough.

And as a pleasure colony, it would figure that the first robots to really get fixed are...well, the Pleasure District robots. Unfortunately, the Pleasure District is still a nice big mess, so now they’re wandering the entire colony, looking for people they can hug, massage or...try to drag into more explicit activities.

Welcome to Cerealia!

[ 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. ]

//RUN.EXE

Welcome to Cerealia's September intro log! For your convenience, we have compiled the characters' arrival experience here, and should you have any questions, feel free to ask them here! You can also check the FAQ for more general inquiries. Should this event log hit Captcha, there is an all-purpose overflow here. Thank you!

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

[Being the eldest was part of the reason, the other was losing most of his memories which caused him to devote himself entirely to his family as they are the only things he can vaguely remember... plus being busy caring for his brothers kept the nightmares of fire at bay, at least in the daytime.

Also Keigo's hair is nice to pet, so here he is still gently moving his hand over it. Ichigo's hand stop for a moment.]

Eh? ... a body bag? Why would someone pull such a cruel prank on you? You seem like a really nice person.

[He'll soon have to give you a hug!]

[ brotherly touching or not, the fact that ichigo was all but stroking keigo's hair was making him flustered. he didn't know what to do with that sort of attention; most of what he was used to was negative in nature, after all. he could feel his face flush over from embarrassment, and that only made him more flustered. he took to worrying at the hem of his shirt with his fingers. ]

W-well, I'm not sure. Apparently it was one of the most morbid situations a lot of these people had been in, too. I just sort of chalked it up to my bad luck.

[ of course his first introduction of cerealia was through a body bag. only he had such terrible luck! calling him a "nice person," though... keigo chuckled softly. ]

I'm glad y-you think I'm nice, though. But being nice really isn't enough.

[ pessimistic? maybe... ]

[That is certainly an interesting reaction! It certainly wasn't a reaction he'd ever got from giving his brothers head pats and hair rufflings. Ichigo pulls his hand away.]

Ah, I'm sorry, sir! I didn't mean to cause you any discomfort. Are you alright?

[Anyway, back to the body bag situation!] So others were in body bags as well? If they were, it wasn't just bad luck on your part. It was the people in charge here being cruel...

[Ichigo smiled and shook his head.] Sometimes being nice is more than enough. A caring gesture and a kind word can save someone who is on the brink. You pulled me back from the edge just now by taking the time to care for a stranger. If I'd continued to dwell there... I would have started really wishing to change the past and my spirit would have become corrupted...

[ keigo cleared his throat once more; he had hoped that his ridiculous reaction wasn't noticeable, but that ichigo brought attention to it only made him more embarrassed. ]

I-I'm fine, I'm just not... used to that kind of stuff.

[ positive attention, that is. at any rate, he managed to blow past the embarrassment to focus on more pertinent things. like ichigo musing about his supposed bad luck. while it was true that others woke up in body bags, keigo was pretty certain in his terrible luck having a great deal to do with it. but arguing about that wasn't going to get him anywhere... ]

...W-well.

[ ...putting such importance in the gesture keigo had made was equally embarrassing as having his hair stroked. this guy... he was putting keigo into an awkward position! naturally, it wasn't his fault; keigo was just unused to such candidness in discussing his own actions. keigo shook his head, chancing a look up at ichigo after a moment. ]

I-I didn't... do much...

[ someone's spirit hanging in the balance seemed like a huge thing... keigo couldn't accept that level of importance! ]

I just couldn't stand to hear that kind of pain...

[ he put a hand to his chest and breathed out slowly. ]

Even though I don't know you, I swear I could feel it. It really hurt...

Edited 2016-09-20 07:27 (UTC)

I see... [He smiled and gave a little chuckle.] And I suppose I'm too used to it. I kind of did that without thinking... I'm sorry about that.

[Ichigo shook his head again.] You did a lot. If I'd become corrupted. I would have tried to kill everyone... I'd rather be dismantled than become the enemy.

[And once again, Keigo's words surprise him.] You felt my pain? You must have a very high spiritual awareness. Even my master is unable to feel our pain that acutely...

[ ichigo's words were... strange, to be honest. but the more keigo mulled them over, the more things fell into place for him. he shook his head at his apology, sitting up straighter beside him. the way he talked about spiritual awareness so candidly... ]

A-ah... so, you're ...

[ keigo hesitated. he didn't like to reveal so much about himself to a stranger, but sometimes it was difficult to avoid. the guy hit the nail on the head, though, and keigo wouldn't be able to deflect it so easily; his surprise was easily displayed on his face. lying would be too obvious, so he might as well lay it all out at once. ]

I... do. I can sense spirits very well. I think that's part of what brought me to you... You're a spirit of some kind, aren't you?

[Ichigo smiled and nodded.]

I am a tsukumogami, a sword spirit, that has been given this human form by my current master, a saniwa sage.

[Then he placed arm diagonally across in his in a rather regal gesture, giving a little bow.] I am Ichigo Hitofuri, the only tachi sword ever crafted by Yoshimitsu Awatagachi.

A tsukumogami...

[ keigo knew the term from various types of myths and folklore, but he'd never actually encountered one back home. the information was exciting to him; it sparked a reminder of the love for the occult he once held so dearly before his abilities as a medium came forth. ]

U-uwah... no way... S-so, you're like a historical object, then, right?

[ ah... was it rude to call him an object when he clearly had a mind of his own? keigo flinched at his own callousness and waved his hands about, looking mildly distraught. ]

N-not object, but--! I-I've never met a spirit like you before! Th-the spirits I know are mostly human souls and Shinigami...

[Ichigo chuckled and shook his head.] It's fine. A sword is an object after all. [And was used to being treated like one, not many people could see spirits after all.] And I am historical, I suppose, I am over 900 years old now. Plus back home, before the saniwa sage summoned me, I was on display as part of the Imperial Collection.

There are others like me in this place. Some of my comrades have been pulled here as well. [Then a shadow of sadness crossed his face.] You can see shinigami? That must be hard for you... to be able to see death at such a young age.

[ over 900 years old... keigo felt that was an incredible feat, despite some of the shinigami being well over several centuries-old themselves. he certainly looked shocked for it. but moreover, the fact that a folklore was more real than he'd given it credit... that was the really interesting part. how many different kinds of spirits had he yet to meet?

ichigo's story was certainly interesting... keigo found himself curious to learn more. but first-- ]

Aah, well... It's not so bad. My best friend is a Shinigami...

[ keigo rubbed at his neck somewhat sheepishly. ]

And... I dunno. I've gotten used to seeing ghosts and stuff like that, I guess.

[Ichigo blinks at the revelation.]

Your best friend is...? Is your friend here too? I see. Well, at least they don't scare you then and that's a good thing.

[ ah. now it was keigo's turn to look desolate. he stared down at his lap and shook his head, lips drawn taut until he dared to speak again. ]

No. He's not.

[And you get another sympathetic pat on the head, Keigo!]

You two must be very close. Are you all on your own here?

[ this time around, keigo didn't get particularly flustered over the touch to his head. he merely shrugged. ]

We're... pretty close, I guess. [ depended on what one considered as "close," honestly...] But yeah, I'm... no one else from my home is here with me. I'd be able to sense them pretty much immediately, I think, if they were.

I see. [There, there, it'll be alright, Keigo. Pat, pat, pat.

Then he smiled gently.] Well, if you don't mind. I could be your friend. You did save me after all.

[ oh... how adorable of him. keigo blinked and looked... pretty taken aback by the offer. people just didn't offer to be his friend like that! ]

W-well...

[ he cleared his throat, offering up a soft smile. ]

I'd like that. --Ah, though, I haven't introduced myself yet, have I?

[ talk about rude! sorry ichigo... ]

I'm Asano Keigo. I'm glad to meet you.

[Ichigo smiled back. A sweet and friendly smile~]

It's a pleasure to meet you, Asano-dono!

[ oh... those honorifics... he wasn't kidding about being an ancient sword, was he? it actually wasn't as jarring as it could have been, however; some of the shinigami used those honorifics back home, after all. ]

Well, now that we've gotten that out of the way...

[ keigo stood up from the ground, reaching his arm out to offer his hand to ichigo. ]

Ichigo-san, shall we leave this place?

[And a prince as well!

Ichigo looked a little amused at the offered hand, since he was usually the one doing the offering and not the other way round. He took it anyway and stood up with a flourish of his cape. Then he dusted himself off and quickly checked that his true sword self was securely sheathed and fastened to his side. Once he was satisfied that everything was in order, he nodded.]

Please lead the way then, Asano-dono.

[ helping his new friend to his feet, keigo kept a smile on his face throughout. it was funny how easily he slipped into a more or less positive attitude thanks to one person's kind words. he stepped forward, looking around them, searching for a good direction to head towards. ]

Hm... well, where should we go... You have an apartment here, right?

[ keigo knew where those complexes were, at least. maybe leading him home would be the best solution... he wasn't sure where else to go! ]

Well, I'm not certain.

When I was in that other place that was supposed to be a game, Mikazuki-dono said most of us were staying together in a set of apartments our Master had found for us. However, I'm afraid I don't know where they are... Is there a part of the city where most people stay in? Perhaps its there.

[ hm. so that meant... ]

There are other tsukumogami here? Maybe I can find them...

[ sensing spirits was about all he was good for, anyway. ]

How many of you are there, anyway?

[Ichigo nodded.]

There are. I'm don't know how many of us are here in total though... There are at least six of us here, including me. I met Tsurumaru-dono, Mikazuki-dono and Kashuu-dono in the game and I was told that my uncle and Kokitsunemaru-dono are here as well and that...

[Here he trailed off as he remembered being informed about an upcoming wedding between two of the swords. The thought of who was getting married made his heart hurt... He knew it must have something to do with the past he couldn't remember... His head started to hurt a bit as he tried to recall why the marriage saddened him. He started to sway and lose his balance...]

[ keigo's eyes went a little wide. ah, he recognized one of those names! ]

Kashuu-san... He's a tsukumogami? Hm. I should be able to...

[ keigo had felt something different about him, for sure, but he'd never put it together that he was a spirit, too... rubbing at his chin, he tried to pinpoint kashuu, but... ah, ichigo was looking a little off balance! ]

--Ah, Ichigo-san! Are you okay?

[ keigo impulsively reached over and grabbed ichigo by his shoulder, trying his best to steady him. ]

[Ichigo nodded.] Yes, he is. Kashuu-dono is one of the younger swords. [Only around 300 years old and so a baby compared to himself!

Ichigo snapped out of his reverie at Keigo's touch but he still looked a little dazed.]

I... ah, thank you, Asano-dono. I'm not sure what came over me. It must be because of the fire... Every time I try to remember things from before it... I... I think I should sit down for a bit if it's not too much trouble.

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